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For more than 35 years, the abbreviation GS in conjunction with BMW Motorrad has been virtually synonymous with a sense of freedom and the passion for adventure on two wheels, both on-road and off-road. The R nineT Urban G/S draws on the genes of the very first and legendary BMW R 80 G/S of 1980, transported into the modern era with contemporary technology in the form of a classic enduro-style BMW motorcycle with boxer engine.
Modular frame concepts provide great scope for altering the appearance and character of BMW boxer models according to individual preference, for example by adding different seats from the range of BMW Motorrad accessories. In the R nineT Urban G/S the frame consists of three components: a front and rear main frame with integrated end piece and a passenger frame.
In the R nineT Urban G/S there is a conventional telescopic fork at the front while the BMW Paralever is applied in conjunction with a central spring strut at the rear, as in the R nineT.
The R nineT Urban G/S is supplied with light alloy cast wheels. The large 19-inch front wheel with 120/70 ZR 19 tyre is in keeping with the typical enduro-style look of a classic bike. This is matched perfectly at the rear with a 17-inch wheel bearing a 170/60 ZR 17 tyre. The new BMW boxer can be ordered ex-works with the optional extra of deep-treaded off-road tyres which further enhances its classic style (standard trim: road tyres) and also with filigree wired-spoke wheels. With four-piston brake calipers, steel-wrapped brake lines and a brake disc diameter of 320 millimetres, a high-performance ABS brake system here again ensures effective and stable deceleration. In order to prevent the rear wheel from spinning on slippery roads, there is the option of ASC (Automatic Stability Control) which is available ex-works.
A look at the R nineT Urban G/S reveals it to be the spitting image of its ancestor, and it even reproduces the latter's colour concept virtually without alteration. Just like more than 35 years ago, the fuel tank and the high-positioned front mudguard are finished in strikingnon-metallic Lightwhite, with a matching headlamp mask whose styling is geared entirely towards the BMW G/S style of that era. As before, the R nineT Urban G/S features fuel tank decor in two shades of blue and a two-man seat in bright red – a colour combination that interprets the BMW Motorsport colours of former years. This echoing of past times is supported by a frame finished in black.
Harmoniously matching the headlamp mask, the instrument cluster consists of a speedometer designed as an analog circular instrument, indicator lamps and a two-line LCD screen. High-end details also characterise the R nineT Urban G/S. These include the numerous aluminium forged parts such as fork bridges, the clamp for the aluminium double-butted tubular handlebars and much more besides.
One interesting detail solution in terms of creating a classic enduro look is the dual-section front mudguard. The front splash guard is attached to the lower fork bridge, thereby skilfully conveying a sense of classic enduro style. The rear splash guard is mounted just above the front wheel in conjunction with a fork stabiliser.


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OmniPortlet was originally built for Oracle Portal, allowing page designers to visualize various types of data sources in a declarative manner in the browser, without using an IDE. The two simple steps of defining an OmniPortlet in-place are: selecting and specifying your data source (XML, SQL, CSV, Web service, etc.), and applying the visualization/view on top (table, bullet, scrolling news, or even custom HTML).
While OmniPortlet doesn't support ADF eventing, if all you need is driving a detail OmniPortlet from a master one, here is how you can achieve it. In this example I'm using WebCenter Spaces, but the same applies to any custom WebCenter portal application that leverages Oracle Composer.
Edit your page, and drop two instances of OmniPortlet onto the page. At this point they will be undefined.
From the View Actions Menu of the first one, select the Customize menu.
For our simple demo, select CSV as the data source, and leave the default settings for the CSV URL. The only thing we'll change in this portlet is the Layout Style: HTML.
For the non-repeating heading section, specify the hyperlink for your master portlet. What you need to know for this step, is the URL of your page, containing your portlet. If you're using WebCenter Spaces, an easy way to find this out is through the About menu of your page. In my case, the page is called OmniPage, and it's in the group space, called MyGroupSpace. Notice the URL parameter appended to the linked page, PageParam1 (you can choose your own name, of course), and the values assigned to it: Hello in the first line, and World in the second.
Hello
 World
Note: The above code snippet appears to be incomplete, but if you select it and paste it into a text editor, you will have it all.
Customize the second OmniPortlet, choose HTML for the Layout Style. All you need to do, is reference the parameter passed to this OmniPortlet, by using the OmniPortlet syntax: ##Param1##.
The last step is specifying that the request parameter specified in the first OmniPortlet, PageParam1, should e passed to the first parameter of OmniPortlet, Param1. To do this, make sure the page is in edit mode. Click the Edit (pencil) link of the Detail (consumer) OmniPortlet, and specify the following value for Param1: #{param.PageParam1}. This is the EL syntax for "request parameter, called PageParam1".
Save your changes, and close the edit mode of your page. What you should see is similar to this when clicking on Hello:
And here is what you get when clicking on World:
One important caveat: this is more of a trick or workaround for OmniPortlet's (and PDK-Java as a portlet technology's) shortcoming, the lack of support for ADF model events. This solution will perform a full page refresh, and it also resets/looses your JSF session. If you're designing components/portlets that should support inter-component communication, your first choice should always be ADF task flows or WSRP 2.0 portlets.
Filed under: WebCenter General | Tagged: inter-portlet communication, ipc, omniportlet, Oracle Portal | Leave a comment »

subset: commoncrawl


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Using GPS in Geoscience Education
GPS = Global Positioning System
With the advent of 12-channel consumer GPS receivers that are WAAS-enabled (Wide Area Augmentation System ( This site may be offline. ) ), it is now possible to obtain horizontal positions to better than 5 meter accuracy for under $250. A number of WAAS-enabled handheld GPS receivers are available for $150 or less with a horizontal accuracy of about 5-10 meters. The addition of an external antenna to amplify the signals and reduce so-called "backplane reflections" can reduce the error to about 2-5 m. A general rule of thumb is that vertical GPS accuracy is roughly three times the horizontal accuracy.
An often-forgotten feature of GPS is its usefulness as a clock. The receiver clock is updated automatically by the atomic clocks in the satellites. This makes it a highly accurate time resource that can be used with other measurements.
Types of GPS Receivers
GPS receivers can be broken down into two basic classes:
- consumer-grade or handheld receivers ($150 to $600)
- professional grade receivers ($3500 and higher)
Consumer-grade GPS
Consumer-grade GPS receivers vary widely in their functionality and cost. Cost is usually determined by the amount of internal memory (most no longer accept external memory cards), additional functionality (e.g. digital compass, barometric altimeter), and color screen. The ability to add an external antenna to boost signal strength and improve accuracy is mostly determined by the size of the unit. Smaller units usually do not accept external antennas.
The basic functions required for geoscience instruction are the ability to record waypoints and tracks. Modern units advertize accuracy levels around 10 m, but under good circumstances (stationary receiver and unobstructed view of the sky) the accuracy can improve up to 2 m with an external antenna.
Useful features:
- WAAS-enabled - receives Wide Area Augmentation System to improve accuracy
- Accepts external antenna
- Ability to upload map data - gives real-time context to measurements
- Barometric altimeter - can be used with similar unit as base station to improve vertical resolution (elevation)
- Other navigation signals - some new units can receive LORAN signals, broadcast signals from GPS base stations, all of which are meant to improve accuracy.
Professional-grade GPS
Professional-grade units are generally classified as "survey-grade" or "geodetic" as a measure of their accuracy and designated purpose. Geodetic receivers are usually designed to be stationary and relatively permanent. Survey GPS receivers are designed to be used instead to traditional surveying instruments (e.g. theodolites, total stations, etc.). Most of these units have a separate antenna and receiver device.
The initial accuracy of both receivers is generally better than a consumer-grade receiver due to better antennas and by recording more signal information from the GPS satellites. Accuracy better than 1 m (1 cm for geodetic units) is obtained through post-processing of the data. This generally requires the use of commercial software (there are some online services) that is beyond the scope of this discussion.
Recording GPS Data
Consumer-Grade GPS Units
Consumer-grade GPS units record two types of data: waypoints and tracks (sometimes called "breadcrumbs"). Waypoints are created by the user to identify a specific location. They are useful to store locations of specific observations/measurements, benchmarks, or other landmarks. The waypoint is stored in the GPS with a default or user-specified name, date, location, and elevation. Some units allow the receiver to average the waypoint location data while you occupy the site to reduce noise-related errors.
Tracks, or trails of breadcrumbs, are usually recorded automatically by the receiver to store the travel path of the user. These are useful to keep track of where you have been. Time-stamps recorded with each point of the tracks preserve a history of movement. Most receivers allow the user to specify the recording rate of track points or to set the recording method to "automatic." See the user documentation on how to set the recording method. Finally, most receivers can backtrack along track to retrace your steps.
External antennas are available for some consumer-grade GPS receivers (check the receiver specifications). These amplify the GPS signals and can be mounted on a car roof, survey stake, or even a hat so that the GPS receiver can be kept out of the elements. The improved signal/noise with an external antenna and a WAAS signal can improve horizontal GPS accuracy to less than 5 m, and in some cases to as little as 2 m. Relatively flat terrain and little or no obstruction of the sky is needed to obtain this kind of accuracy.
Higher-end consumer units may have a barometric altimeter intergrated into the unit. These can be calibrated manually or by the (relatively low-accuracy) GPS elevation. When paired with an identical GPS unit used as a stationary base station, these altimeters can produce relative elevation accuracy of about 2 m. Data from both receivers is downloaded to a PC and the base station altimeter data is used to remove meteorological trends in barometric pressure (e.g. storms) by subtracing the base station altimeter data from the roving GPS altimeter data. Time-stamps are used to synchronize the two data sets.
Professional-Grade GPS Units
If you are using a survey- or geodetic-grade GPS, chances are you know what you're doing. Recording methods vary widely with manufacturer. Note that point, line, and polygon files can often be created within the GPS unit itself. This can greatly ease the inclusion of such data into GIS software.
The great advantage of most professional-grade GPS systems is the improvement in measurement accuracy through better antennas (particularly the most recent generation), and through the ability to conduct post-processing differential corrections.
While differential corrections can be made using your own GPS base station, it is important to note that many regions have permanent base stations that regularly publish the correction data for anyone working in the area. Government agencies (e.g. transportation departments, natural resource/conservation agencies, universities, etc.) often post data on servers where it can be downloaded by date. The use of this public data can make set-up easier for a lab and allow those with limited receivers to make precise GPS measurements.
Downloading GPS Data to a Computer
Most consumer- and professional-grade GPS manufacturers provide or sell connection cables and software to download GPS data from the receivers to a computer. Since each manufacturer, and often each receiver, uses different communication calls, it is necessary to find software that is compatible with your receiver model. Consumer-grade software will usually export text files that can be loaded into GIS software after some minor editing.
MN DNR shareware extension for Garmin GPS downloads. (more info) -- Works as ArcView extension or stand-alone Windows application. Data can be imported into a variety of projections and exported to text files or ESRI shapefiles.
Windows 2000/XP Note: These operating systems use multi-tasking and multi-threading techniques that can create communications problems with standard serial (RS232) ports. The result is that data may be lost while downloading from the GPS, but with no error messages from the software. One way to bypass this problem (other than going back to a Windows98/ME machine) is to use a Serial-to-USB adapter. These devices allow you to use a USB port on your computer rather than the serial port. The drivers for the device will create a "virtual" serial port that you set in the GPS software. While this will prevent data losses, it will not increase the communication speeds to USB levels. Some newer GPS receivers are using USB connections, hopefully a new trend.
Macintosh Note: Since most GPS receivers communicate over PC serial (COM) ports, there are currently few Macintosh-native solutions (e.g. GPSy (more info) ). However, there are a number of work-around solutions posted online (search "GPS download macintosh" or specify the brand of your receiver), but most report that the configuration of your hardware and operating system greatly influence the behavior of the connection. All seem to require running a Windows emulator and a version of the Windows operating system on your Mac. As newer receivers move to USB connections it may become simpler to connect to Macintosh computers.
Examples of Using GPS in Geoscience Education
- GPS field exercise to trace words in a field to explore GPS accuracy
- Floodplain lab modified to utilize GPS and GIS
- What is GPS? ( This site may be offline. ) - from Garmin
- What is WAAS? ( This site may be offline. ) - from Garmin
- All about GPS (more info) - from Trimble
- GPS Tutorial ( This site may be offline. ) - from Lowrance
- FAA Navigation Programs ( This site may be offline. ) - information about GPS, WAAS, and aircraft navigation
- US Naval Observatory Time Service Dept. (more info)
- US Air Force NAVSTAR Joint Program (more info)
- GPSy (more info) - a Macintosh-native program for GPS communications and simple GIS.
- Herrstrom, E.A., 2000, Enhancing the Spatial Skills of Non-Geoscience Majors Using the Global Positioning System, J. of Geosci. Edu., 48, p. 443.


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Students majoring in IECA are encouraged to improve their linguistic fluency and cultural familiarity by studying in another country and participating in an internship or cooperative education experience while there. Potential employers seeking individuals who can function abroad are more apt to give preference to those who have already had study or work experience overseas.
Granada, Spain
Hangzhou, China
Paris, France
Reutlingen or Tübingen, Germany
Osaka or Kansai Gaidai, Japan
Puebla, Mexico
Granada, Spain
Granada, Spain
Cergy-Pontoise, France


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New User Free Cubits to watch Video
Ever since I joined chess cube, I see a tag on the top that suggests me to get FREE cubits for playing a tournament, watch a streaming video, play a rated game, etc... So till now, I have earned almost everything except 1.
i.e. Watch a streaming video now to get 10 cubits. But whenever I click on the link, I get redirected to STORE & then I can't watch any video as it asks for around 1500 cubits or so for 7 days. I don't understand how to get those 10 cubits.


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Welcome to Part Two of my Fall Beauty Haul 2016. These are all products I have tried since the spring. I apologize as I meant to have Part Two out closer to Part One but life has been busy and I've been quite exhausted lately due to health issues. Anyway's here's my Beauty Haul Part Two:
1.Make Up Forever Aqua Smoky Extravagant Waterproof Mascara: Dramatic Impact and Graphic Precision – (www.sephora.ca) – $30.00 CAN
I'm most definitely a huge Make Up For Ever Fan. Their products are always awesome quality at a reasonable price. For this mascara, I was able to try a sample-size in the non-waterproof version first. I loved the cone shaped brush and was so excited to try the mascara in the waterproof full-sized version. However, the problem with the waterproof version is becoming used to using the cone shaped brush which is larger than in the sample-sized mascara I first tried. The mascara wand brush is an excellent size in the sample version but too big at the end of the cone brush in the full-sized version.
I don't find I gain much volume in my lashes from this mascara either, which is odd because I did gain volume with sample-sized version? I've become used to utilizing this waterproof mascara and it is alright. I'm not sure it's worth $30.00 CAN. My biggest issue is that the mascara wand too easily leaves mascara all around your eyes, especially underneath them. I always have to take a Q-tip and clean up around my eye a lot. So if you are going to use this mascara, put it on before your eye shadow, as you don't want to ruin your eye shadow with the Make Up For Ever waterproof mascara.
I'm becoming better at using the cone brush but I find I need to use another mascara on top of this mascara to get a volumized appearance, and I have thick lashes. I went and bought a L'Oreal Butterfly Effect Mascara in waterproof. I layer this drugstore product over the Make Up For Ever mascara; the drugstore mascara cost me $8.99 CAN. It helps the Make Up For Ever waterproof mascara look a lot fuller. This a three-star mascara, you can buy better ones. I do like the concept of the brush, but I think the mascara wand cone brush is too big in the full-sized waterproof version.
2. Smash Box Oil Free Photo Finish Foundation Primer – Pore Minimizing –
(www.sephora.ca) – $50.00 CAN (1 0z).
I have tried some Smash Box products and been happy. I like there eye shadow as it is highly pigmented and there lip products are wonderful as well. My favourite nude lip gloss is from Smash Box.
Smash Box was pretty much the first brand to come out with primers for skin. I remember buying their original primer eight or nine-years-ago. Their primers last a long time, even in the sample-size I have been using.
Nonetheless, I have found even if their primers say oil free or pore minimizing, they still make me break-out every single time. It doesn't matter what primer of Smash Box's I use. I think if you have drier skin, this might be an okay product for you to use. But personally, the only place I use it after a couple-weeks trying it, is underneath my eyes, so I don't end up with mascara or eye shadow giving me raccoon eyes later in the day.
If you want an excellent primer that is better for your skin, pore-minimizing and great for all skin types, I recommend the Benefit POREfessional Face Primer for $50.00 for (1.5 0z), a much more reliable buy. It's also nicer on your skin if you break-out at all. I can wear the Benefit Primer every day and I hardly ever have issues such as I have with Smash Box Primers.
3. BENEFIT cosmetics GIMME Brow Volumizing Fiber Gel (Color 01 Light) – (0.1 oz.) – (www.sephora.ca) – $30.00 CAN
It's always frightening when a makeup brand updates or changes one of your favourite products. Often, I find I don't like the new product as much. However, I don't believe this Benefit Cosmetic's Gimme Brow Gel has changed much with the exception of the outside packaging.
Gimme Brow Gel is my go-to brow gel and lasts me about three-months a container. There are three shades you can choose from besides the one I bought, also medium 02 and Deep 03. It's amazing product and worth the $30.00 CAN to get a finished looking brow which isn't too perfect. The product doesn't cause your eyebrows to appear extremely 'made-up' with this Volumizing gel. It gives your eyebrows polish and fills them in.
You can apply Gimme Brow Gel either before or after you fill in your brow with an eyebrow pencil. Unfortunately, I am not happy with the change in the Benefit eyebrow pencils as you know from Part One. But Gimme Brow Gel is a superior product with a brow pencil or without, depending on how much filling in your eyebrows need. Five stars!
4. Origins Plantscription Anti-Aging Power Eye Cream – (www.sephora.ca) – (o.5 oz.) – (www.sephora.ca) – $58.00 CAN
I've tried a few Origins samples (for one or two days) of their face creams and have generally,
liked them. This is the first time I had a product of theirs large enough to try over several weeks. I received a larger-size sample of this eye cream and I love it.
I've only started to notice my eyes are not as smooth as they used to be. The Origins Anti-Aging Power Eye Cream is gentle on the skin around and over my eyes. It doesn't burn as some eye creams I've tried in the past have. Plus, I wake up feeling my eyes are less puffy and my skin is smoother in my eye area. The eye cream has chamomile and algae in it and is a natural product.
I like it a great deal as well as the fact that it lasts such a long time for a small tube. I think a full-sized product would last months and months. I would consider buying this in the future. I'm impressed by how gentle the eye cream is on sensitive eye skin. And I would agree with the Sephora claim,. after two-weeks or less, you notice a difference in the appearance of skin around your eyes. A well-made product to pick-up if you're searching for a great eye cream.
5. Dove Dry Spray Soothing Chamomile 48 Hour Odor Protection – Antiperspirant – (www. well.ca or in store at Shoppers Drug Mart in Canada) – (1.7 g) – $8.99
I received a full-sized sample of this to try in one of my last Luxebox's. As you can tell, since I'm writing about it, I liked the product a lot. I don't like Dove Hair Care but their body washes and deodorant type products are always wonderful. They leave your skin feeling baby soft and they work well throughout the day.
I guess typically, I apply antiperspirant about two or three times a day, depending on what I'm doing that day. But this antiperspirant by Dove lasts long so I think if you wanted you could apply it less.
The Chamomile scent is refreshing and light. Dove has other scents you can choose from. I love that it's a spray on antiperspirant which makes it easy to apply. Also, unlike stick deodorant, the dry spray truly doesn't end up on your clothes.
Dove includes their 1/4 moisturizing cream in this product along with Vitamins E and F to sooth underarm skin. Its a wonderful product and I'm sure at your local drugstore, it will even go on sale as it a common drugstore brand.
6. ST. TROPEZ Gradual Self- Tanning Lotion and Body Moisturizer In Light-Medium (6.7 fl.oz) (www.beautyboutique.ca or Shoppers Drug Mart) – $38.00 CAN
I had heard great things about St. Tropez self-tanning products and I was excited to
try their products having collected about $80.00 worth of Shoppers Drug Mart Optimum Reward points in the summer. I purchased two bottles hoping the lotion would be better than Vaseline or Jergans (for instance) self-tanning lotions because its a more high-end brand.
I am truly pale skinned and fair and with this product (as with other self-tanning products) had to be careful I only applied it every three-days or I looked orange or had orange streaks all over my legs (etc). Honestly, with self-tanning lotions, you cannot avoid the streaks. I even put on regular lotion after the tanning lotion, so my skin is less orange. Especially over areas where tanning lotions seem to stick like your ankles and knees.
The moisturizing quality of the St. Tropez Gradual Self-Tan is superior to drugstore brand moisturizers. It's an awesome lotion which helped with dry skin in the summer. I would say this product is about a four out of five stars. It works well, but it is a bit pricey for what it actually does. But, I'm happy I bought both tubes.
I looked at other St. Tropez products and they are a bit pricier. I wanted to try the foam for instance (with a glove) and it was around $60.00 for a set or for a large-size of the St. Tropez instant tanning foam alone.
So, this one is up to you, and if you want to put all that work into a tan for summer or vacation. Even if St. Tropez self-tan products are pricier, they are by far more worth it than burning your skin to get a tan and inviting skin cancer, which is the most common form of cancer (so I've read).
Thanks for reading! Hopefully, see you with more beauty product reviews before Christmas!
©Mandibelle16. (2016) All Rights Reserved.


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FDA warns of compounded drug recall by Texas firm
(AP)—The Food and Drug Administration is warning doctors not to use compounded drugs from a Texas specialty pharmacy due to risks of contamination.
The agency says FDA inspectors recently uncovered unsanitary conditions at Unique Pharmaceuticals' plant in Temple, Texas. The inspections revealed production problems in several lots of drugs that were supposed to be sterile.
The company is now recalling all non-expired sterile products distributed across the U.S., including a fluid used to clear mucus from the airways of patients with respiratory conditions.
The FDA said in a statement it is not aware of any illnesses linked to the products.
Unique Pharmaceuticals is a compounding pharmacy, which means it produces customized medications to fill specifications made by doctors.
Compounding pharmacy operations have been repeatedly linked to contamination problems for decades.
Explore further
© 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.


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When somebody says to me that he "takes full responsibility for" his actions (or inactions), but then requests that I remove the consequences of those actions, it seems to me he does not actually take full responsibility. Rather, he is merely admitting that he is at fault.
I looked in a few dictionaries and found liable as a synonym for responsible, which sounds like it implies acceptance of the consequences, but I'm interested in other informed opinions. Is the more common usage of responsible closer to liable or at fault?


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11 Days of Metal Lead To National Metal Day
"National Metal Day" will feature a slew of exclusive metal programming, including three major metal premieres: "Behind The Music Remastered: Megadeth" at 9PM ET/PT, the exclusive debut of Banger Films' groundbreaking documentary series, "Metal Evolution" at 10PM ET/PT and the ninth season premiere of a VH1 Classic original "That Metal Show" at 11PM ET/PT.
To warm up for the National Metal Day celebration, VH1 Classic has scheduled 11 days worth of legendary metal programming beginning Tuesday, November 1. Every night during the 11 days of metal, VH1 Classic will make an offering to the metal gods with a nightly concert at 11 PM ET/PT. Legends Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Alice Cooper, Led Zeppelin, Metallica, Motley Crue, KISS, Ozzy Osbourne and Iron Maiden will be featured.
"Behind The Music Remastered: Megadeth" premieres Friday, November 11 at 9PM ET/PT: They've been the champions of thrash metal for nearly thirty years, despite discord, addiction and infighting. Updated to the original episode are Dave Mustaine's crippling hand injury which threatens the bands survival, a painful law suit and more walk outs and throw outs of band members. Now they're in the Big Four and still aiming for the top spot, but even if Dave Mustaine is happy with the new line up he remains unhappy about their ranking in the top ten of heavy metal – still just behind Metallica.
"Metal Evolution Chapter 1: Pre-Metal" premieres Friday, November 11 at 10 PM ET/PT: The premiere episode of "Metal Evolution Chapter 1: Pre-Metal" will focus on Pre-Metal, the earliest sounds of metal that can be heard in the music of Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple and Jimi Hendrix. Subsequent episodes of the series will explore genres ranging from British Heavy Metal to Glam Metal to Thrash Metal, and artists from Iron Maiden to KISS to Metallica and more. "Metal Evolution" is an 11-episode docu-series produced by Scot McFadyen and Sam Dunn of Banger Films and is based on the groundbreaking "Heavy Metal Family Tree." The "Heavy Metal Family Tree" is a 26 sub-genre genealogical chart which reveals the vast complex progeny of heavy metal – from Early Metal and Shock Rock to Thrash, from Progressive Metal to Grunge and Nu Metal. Using the chart as his road map, host/producer and metal head turned anthropologist Dunn, crisscrosses the globe exploring the vast history of heavy metal across its 40+ year history and beyond. After the premiere episode on National Metal Day, "Metal Evolution" will move to its regular time slot on Saturdays at 10 PM ET/PT, beginning Saturday, November 19 between new episodes of "BTM:Remastered" at 9PM ET/PT and "That Metal Show" at 11PM ET/PT.
"That Metal Show" Season Nine premieres Friday, November 11 at 11PM ET/PT: The boys are back and there's gonna be some trouble! Eddie Trunk, Don Jamison and Jim Florentine are back in LA and brining the heat with season nine of "That Metal Show." An all-star lineup of iconic metal guests grace the stage this season including: Marilyn Manson, Slash, Sully Erna, Jesse James Dupree, Tracii Guns, Brian Johnson, Dave Mustaine and more! Season nine of "THAT METAL SHOW" will deliver the ever popular "Stump The Trunk" and "TMS TOP 5" segments.
6 pm ET/PT: Download Festival 2011 (featuring Def Leppard, Thin Lizzy, System of a Down, Alice Cooper, Linkin Park, Rob Zombie, Twisted Sister)
8 PM ET/PT: Sonisphere 2011 (featuring Slipknot, Motorhead, Anthrax, Megadeth, Slayer, Metallica, In Flames, Mastodon)
Of course the metal story is not just concerts. On Wednesday, November 9, 2011, VH1 Classic will air a metal music video marathon with "Metal Mania: The Greatest Metal Videos Ever A to Z" from 11AM to 11PM ET/PT.
By the time National Metal Day finally arrives on Friday, November 11, the line-up will be bolstered with features like "The Decline of Western Civilization," "Metal: A Headbanger's Journey," and, of course, "This is Spinal Tap" – the movie that taught metal heads everywhere to take it to 11.
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Will Adam Levine grace the cover of People's Sexiest Man Alive issue? It makes us wonder.
So the musician shouldn't have been too surprised during his appearance on Friday's "Today" show to field questions about a rumor setting the Internet ablaze that he's in the running for the honor.
When asked by co-host Savannah Guthrie about possibly being short listed by the magazine, the 34-year-old Levine offered a rather bashful response.
"I don't believe you," he said, embarrassed.
When the anchor then wondered whether he'd be excited about it and if it would be a "good resume builder," the Maroon 5 man blushed and replied, "Noooo."
NEWS: Adam Levine gives Behati Prinsloo a standing ovation at Victoria's Secret Fashion Show
"No," he added. "It would be a lot of things. It's an interesting idea. I don't know."
Guthrie then questioned whether he was holding anything back, but Levine demurred, "I know nothing."
"I'm just looking to see if you seem like you're telling the truth," she said.
Added Adam: "I don't know. How can you tell if people are lying or telling the truth....can you read me?"
"I don't think so," answered Savannah.
WATCH: Adam Levine's sexy new fragrance
While she was at it, Guthrie used her own recent engagement as an excuse to politely try and pry a wedding date out of Levine, who popped the question in July to Victoria's Secret Angel Behati Prinsloo. But the ever-private singer didn't reveal much.
"I see what you're doing. It's okay," he replied. "We have a kind of ish' time. There's no actual date."
Levine also dished on his hopes of stopping the Team Blake train on the fifth season of "The Voice," noting his fellow coach Blake Shelton has won the last three seasons (Adam won the inaugural edition).
"He's very charming and always constantly wins and it's really getting boring. We don't like it," said the Grammy winner, noting "anybody but Blake" is his, CeeLo Green and Christina Aguilera's motto.
(E! and Today are part of the NBCUniversal family.)
PHOTOS: The Voice: Musical memories


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As someone who never actually hopped on the social networking train to begin with after hearing about "this site called Myspace where you put in your real name and everybody reads about things you like and stuff" and thinking the whole concept sounded even more boring than my life would've seemed at that age had I been forced to summarise it for random viewers, this has been an interesting read. I do have a Twitter which I use as a news feed for a few very specific people and services of interest, but I'm not sure it counts when I don't even know how to put out a tweet myself, have 0 followers, and keep it the hell off my phone. In fact, I'd be happy to ditch it altogether if only certain people didn't insist on making it the only place they'll disseminate important information.
At my level of disconnection it's practically become part of my identity, and I doubt I'll ever get into it now more and more people are starting to leave it behind and reap the benefits. If you're finding it difficult to start with, I'm sure it'll get easier in no time, and you'll find there's lots of perks beyond the immediately obvious in becoming someone people actually have to put effort and thought into contacting or spending time with.
A warning though: Loss of friends, being treated as if you're homeless/some sort of criminal, growing disgust towards everyone around you still perpetually plugged into the Matrix, and excessive daily offerings to Snowden-senpai are potential side effects to be aware of. Oh and fuck those sites which require you to sign in using Facebook and all.


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Reports › CEO Pay
Mixed message
Average salary and bonus rose in 2011, but total CEO compensation dropped 21 percent
- October 1, 2012
- |
Despite lingering economic worries, CEOs at Virginia's largest, publicly traded companies didn't make out too bad in 2011. Base salaries increased 4.9 percent, although some CEOs such as Mark DeYoung of Alliant TechSystems Inc., garnered raises as high as 25 percent. Meanwhile, median cash bonuses grew 4 percent, and performance-based equity incentives gained prominence, according to a study by Equilar Inc., an executive compensation data firm.
Virginia Business commissioned Redwood City, Calif.-based Equilar to analyze CEO compensation at public companies in the state with at least $1 billion in annual revenue. The study showed that the average base salary for CEOs at these companies last year was $886,278, compared with $913,771 in 2010. (On a percentage basis, though, salaries were higher year over year when six CEOs who did not serve two complete fiscal years are excluded.) However, executives saw their average total compensation plummet 21 percent to $6.4 million. (see chart)
CEO pay trends in Virginia mostly fell in line with those at public companies throughout the country. Nationally, top execs saw their base salaries climb 5.7 percent to edge above $1 million, according to a broader Equilar report on 322 companies, "S&P 500 CEO Pay Study for 2012." It says median executive compensation grew 6.2 percent year over year to $9.6 million, up from $9 million.
In another compensation study released in May, The Wall Street Journal/Hay Group report said CEOs at top U.S. public companies on average pocketed overall cash compensation of $3.6 million in 2011, essentially unchanged from the previous year, despite the fact many corporations posted stronger profits.
Regardless of how the data gets sliced, top U.S. execs fared better than the average American worker, whose annual wages increased only 2.8 percent last year, according to WorldatWork, a Washington, D.C.-based trade group.
Virginia companies continued a shift away from cash payouts in favor of a risk-and-reward strategy that tied CEO compensation to objective performance targets, says Aaron Boyd, Equilar's director of research. Virginia CEOs received average equity awards of $3.5 million last year, up from $2.9 million in 2010.
"Companies are looking to give more equity and reduce cash awards," Boyd says. "The thinking is that, if the stock falls, the CEO suffers along with the shareholders,"
The new approach gave some CEOs a wallop. Paul C. Saville, 56, top boss at homebuilder NVR Inc. in Reston, received total compensation of $807,850 last year. That's a staggering 97 percent decline from his 2010 package of nearly $31 million, of which $29.5 million came in stock options that are worth less now than on the date they were granted. Saville's pay drop underscores the headwinds facing the housing market, despite incipient signs of a recovery. For 2011, Saville's $800,000 salary remained unchanged, and he did not receive any bonuses.
In its research for Virginia Business, Equilar found that 15 CEOs pocketed a pay raise while 12 executives saw their base pay remain flat. The biggest bump went to Alliant TechSystems' DeYoung, 53, whose pay increased 25 percent to $917,308, compared with $735,000 in 2010. Alliant moved its headquarters last year from Minneapolis to Arlington.
Next in line was the 51-year-old Kevin Crutchfield at Alpha Natural Resources with an 18 percent raise that pushed his salary to $1.03 million. Alpha's acquisition of Massey Energy Co. last year made it the second-largest coal company in the nation with $7.1 billion in revenue. Crutchfield also earned a $528,000 bonus, 65 percent below his 2010 bonus.
Other CEOs posting strong salary gains included Steven P. Dussek, 55, of NII Holdings Inc., whose $865,732 salary increased 15 percent year over year, and Dollar Tree Inc.'s Bob Sasser, 60, whose pay went up 11 percent to $1.08 million.
There was a shuffle in Virginia's executive suites, too. Of the 34 companies studied, six appointed a new CEO while five saw their chief exec step down or announce plans to do so by the end of 2012. Six CEOs had not completed two complete fiscal years as head of publicly traded companies: Andrés R. Gluski of AES Corp., J. Michael Lawrie of Computer Sciences Corp. (CSC), David F. Melcher of ITT Exelis, Gracia C. Martore of Gannett Co., C. Michael Petters of Huntington Ingalls Industries and Thomas C. Schievelbein of The Brink's Co.
ITT Exelis and Huntington Ingalls became separate, publicly traded companies last year after being spun off by ITT Corp. and Northrop Grumman Corp., respectively.
Alliant Techsystems, ITT Exelis and Huntington Ingalls made their first appearance on the list this year, as did Northrop Grumman Corp. (which moved its headquarters from Los Angeles to Fairfax County last year) and James River Coal Co.
In terms of overall value, Northrop Grumman CEO Wesley G. Bush, 51, led the way with a total pay package that approached $21 million. As Northrop Grumman completed its relocation last year, Bush got a 10 percent salary bump to $1.47 million and a performance-based cash bonus topping $4 million, up 33 percent. Nearly $13 million of Bush's compensation came in the form of long-term stock grants or options tied to performance metrics.
Between the performance bonus and equity awards, 92 percent of Bush's direct total compensation was incentive-based, the company said in its proxy.
Smithfield Foods Inc. CEO C. Larry Pope pulled down the highest guaranteed pay: $14.3 million in salary and cash bonuses. The pork processor boosted sales 7 percent to $13 billion last year, producing net income of $361 million, which was the second-highest total in the 76-year-old company's history. Shareholder returns grew by 26 percent.
Pope's $1.1 million base pay did not change year over year, but his $13.2 million bonus reflects a one-year surge of 784 percent. Pope also netted $4.2 million worth of Smithfield stock, bringing his total annual compensation to $18.7 million.
Richard D. Fairbank, 61, the CEO at McLean-based Capital One Financial Corp., collected $18.7 million in total compensation, with nearly all of it ($18.5 million) in stock and long-term equity. As has been his custom, Fairbank prefers to forgo a salary in favor of shares of Capital One stock. Performance-based shares represent 50 percent of Fairbank's total target compensation, making it "twice the percentage represented by performance shares in the 2011 CEO comp package," according to Capital One's proxy in March.
Another big winner was Jay L. Johnson, the 65-year-old head of defense contractor General Dynamics Corp. In 2011, Johnson's total compensation rose 17 percent to $16.06 million. Of that amount, $10.5 million stemmed from performance-based stock awards. Johnson, who is retiring in December, took a 2011 cash bonus of $3.6 million bonus, up 16 percent from $3.1 million in 2010. His salary of $1.4 million did not change.
Energy giant Dominion Resources conferred total compensation worth more than $12 million on its 57-year-old CEO, Thomas F. Farrell II. That included a $1.2 million base salary, a $1.1 bonus, multiyear cash incentives of $6 million and equity awards valued at $3.5 million. On a year-over-year basis, Farrell's total compensation actually fell 19 percent.
Raw numbers don't always tell the entire tale, Boyd says. For example, the total pay given to since-retired CEO Michael E. Szymanczyk of Altria Group fell 51 percent from $20.7 million in 2010 to $10.2 million last year. The change reflects Altria's strategy of paying long-term cash incentives over multiple years, Boyd says.
In addition to Szymanczyk and General Dynamics' Johnson, chief executives at two publicly traded defense contractors also announced their retirement plans: Paul M. Cofoni of CACI International and Walter P. Havenstein of Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC).
Also stepping down was Michael D. Fraizer, the founding CEO at Genworth Financial Inc., who departed in May, and Craig Dubow at Gannett, who resigned last year for medical reasons. Dubow's departure cleared the way for Martore, the only female CEO on the list.
Directors at the 34 Virginia companies last year implemented "say-on-pay" shareholder votes on executive compensations. Although nonbinding, the advisory votes are mandated for all public companies by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, passed in 2010. None of the say-on-pay votes here resulted in changes being made to CEO compensation packages.
In fact, while say on pay is routine, experts say it has yet to make much impact in reshaping executive pay at U.S. companies.
"Companies don't appear to be having trouble getting shareholders to approve executive compensation," with only 1 percent to 2 percent of say-on-pay votes reversing pay proposals, says Mike Halloran, a compensation consultant with New York-based Mercer Inc.
Another aspect of Dodd-Frank is still developing: so-called "clawback" policies, which enable companies to recover executive compensation in the event of financial restatements or ethical misconduct by its top executives. Although a requirement for all public companies, securities regulators have yet to finalize clawback provisions.
"That's making it hard for compensation committees to plan for 2013," says Alan A. Nadel, a compensation expert and principal at Buck Consultants in New York.
Economic uncertainty, coupled with Wall Street protesters and still-emerging regulations, have the potential to intensify the spotlight on executive pay in 2013. The outcome of the presidential race could be a factor as well. Experts predict Virginia's public companies, and their counterparts nationally, will fine-tune their focus on performance-driven executive compensation. "Companies are engaging shareholders more directly and explaining why they paid their CEOs what they did," Boyd says. "That's creating better dialogue and feedback on pay and policies. And that's a good thing."


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HeatScanBatman wrote:Nice review, but I think it's 8/10, for first it's best DLC for Arkham Series, much better then Harley's Revenge.
- 2 from 10 for not adding Worst Nightmare skin, little glitches, not full Gotham City available, and for incompatibility with the main game (no character trophies, no XE Suit in challenge maps). Other everything is just perfect.
P.S. Add Robin origin story, with playable Robin and Worst Nightmare Skin (for main story and challenge maps) in upcoming DLC, and Arkham Origins will be best game in Arkham series
(Bad english, sorry )
Deathstroke wrote:Do you think this will be the only DLC for Origins? Or do you think there will be another one? We need some more batman before Arkham Knight comes out!
HeatScanBatman wrote:Deathstroke wrote:Do you think this will be the only DLC for Origins? Or do you think there will be another one? We need some more batman before Arkham Knight comes out!
I hope so I want DLC for Robin and Batgirl
HarshFact wrote:Based rather loosely to some extent and heavily on others, A Cold, Cold Heart is an adaptation of the Animated Series episode "Heart of Ice" with the narrative of the DLC focused on the origins of the infamous Mister Freeze. retelling the tragic tale of Dr.Victor Fries as he's life is destroyed when he is betrayed by the gothcorp CEO Feris Boyle.
The DLC opens up with the humanitarian of the year award being presented to Feris Boyle as he's momentarily attacked By freeze after forcing Bruce Wayne to enter the cave and suit up to rescue Boyle from Freeze. the intro section is done with great care and i would go as far as pointing out that it is the most enjoyable section of the DLC with refrences towards Arkham Origins itself and the problems which are caused by Bane's attack on the cave and so on and it is great to see anther entry to the cave which Bruce uses along with recurring characters such as Vici Vale and Alfred which make up for an awesome time in the intro.
however in terms of narrative the pace does get a bit slow and tedious this is particularly sad to see considering the team have really put great effort into designing a building such as Gothcorp but the amount o mini-tasks and complications that present themselves between the final freeze encounter and the very little story there is can be very tedious and unbalanced. the fact that you have to accomplish tasks such as obtaining access codes (which are turning into an Arkham cliche itself at this point) and leaving the Gothcorp building itself twice for very weak narrative reasons does get annoying at times. especially with the addition that you spend the majority of the time of the third task after something called "ice drill" and on contrary to what you might believe is not an actual gadget but rather used for breaking an ice wall and that's pretty much it. it would be a better decision to have the XE suit development suit and other unlockables and narrative happening within a hugely designed Gothcorp and giving a better immersive experience instead of breaking the narrative for very poor reasons.
the gameplay additions of the new XE suit are very great, besides from looking insanely cool it does bring a couple of new moves and sort of does alter some equipment but not to a very impressive level should be pointed out, however for what it is it's actually very welcomed however the lack of freedom in the complete map (like HQR) or being able to return to Batcave the very least and change suits back to free-roam with the default origins suit or any other is a big disappointment to me at least.
The Boss Fight with Mr.freeze felt like a step-down from Rocksteady's incarnation and not on par with the different feeling WBGM pulled off with the remarkable Deathstroke. though to be fair there was really no other way to take this one home, however i would say that i find the addition of thugs entering the room as i do with the two-face and the harley Boss fight in AC and other similar ones quite annoying and the largely designed spaces does take away from the enclosed and therefore more stressful mouse & cat game feeling that AC had and the sense of being psychically not capable of taking Freeze head on was accomplished much better in AC than here. i had no fear of freeze in this DLC simply because vantage points were all available and his health was much more vulnerable to attack than Ac however the final moments of Actually trying to save freeze as Boyle was trying to beat him down had a cleverness to it dues to the fact of working for exactly the reverse and trying to take down Boyle before Freeze's health depletes.
which brings me to he slightly "altered" version of Freeze's own back-story and my main problem with the DLC apart from the mentioned so far. in The animated Series Boyle terminates Victor's research because he's losing funds due to victor working towards curing his wife while in the DLC it's mentioned that Victor made a deal with Boyle and apparently he was tricking him to learn more about his technology in return to do research on his wife. the main issue with this is that the fact that freeze made a deal with Boyle diminishes two brilliant aspect of Freeze as a whole, firstly if Nora was sick and Boyle knew this before actually making a deal with Freeze than the origin loses the stone-cold feeling of Boyle being insanely cruel to Freeze and pulling the plug off on Nora hence the majority of his motivation to take revenge on Boyle in the first place! so basically in this DLC freeze is pissed at Boyle and kidnaps him just cause Boyle bailed out on him in the deal? i may have missed something here so please do correct me if i'm wrong. they try to make up for this in the end by having Boyle beat the crap out of Nora and trying to kill her which seemed like a bit of over dramatic "villain-iaztion" on WBGM's part. also the TAS version adds a grey moral ground since freeze was in no position to make a deal, he was just an old friend who begged Boyle for help and he threw him away and when you think about it although very cruel but for good reasons if Boyle hadn't shut down the project, someone else would it sort of acted as a commentary on industrial companies while in the game they try to make Boyle extra evil by having a secret cryogenic weapon department as well.
As a whole for me it's on par with HQR, however in HQR's defense it actually gave us an insight to a post-AC world we didn't know about (such as Bruce not talking to anyone) plus a more interesting and sinister premise , A Cold, Cold Heart however seems to make most of the mistakes HQR did while somehow losing the moral glory and the brilliance of a classic TAS episode in the process, however DLC is equipped with a very cool looking new suit, the city actually does look much better and has a certain color to it while maintaining the coldness, the designers have simply done great work on both Gothcorp and wayne manor.
my final score on this DLC would be 6/10
Mani-Man wrote:Also i think the DLC would have worked better, without the "open world" possibility.
Gothcorp looks awesome, the buildings in the arkham series have a strong atmosphere, so having the DLC completley inside Gothcorp would have been a better idea IMO.
Mani-Man wrote:The DLC shows again the good and the bad sides of WBM.
The story and design is great, the small new additions and extras are nice.
But the story would have needed a couple of more cutscenes or something that goes deeper into the story.
They arent brave enough to do more new things, this is what rocksteady does good, they find something new and do it fully, while WBM is to careful and holds back on what they could do.
Also i think the DLC would have worked better, without the "open world" possibility.
Gothcorp looks awesome, the buildings in the arkham series have a strong atmosphere, so having the DLC completley inside Gothcorp would have been a better idea IMO.
Also we have the storywise rushing again, it feels like Mr freezes "transformation" and the whole story happended in a month or less, i dont know how much time passed in the comics from freezes "accident" to his first apperance, but it feels rushed.
I feel that WBM has an extreme problem in general with the timeline and all that, the main game messed up pretty much on some parts......but i digress.
What i really like, is the feeling of the DLC.
It felt like a good old animated show episode.
Not too long and not too short, the overall feeling is really good for the DLC.
I will play the DLC a couple of times, that is sure.
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text: The latest, greatest hunt for dark energy has begun, with a massive camera installed on a Chilean mountaintop returning the first of millions of photographs that should help astronomers learn more about the strange forces driving our universe's evolution. The photos were released Sept. 12 by the Dark Energy Survey Collaboration, operators of the 570-megapixel Dark Energy Camera, the most powerful astronomical imager ever built. "It works like other digital cameras, only it's much larger, much more sensitive, and mounted on a large telescope," said astronomer Josh Frieman of the University of Chicago, the Dark Energy Survey's director. "We're using it to get a much better measurement of cosmic expansion in the universe," Frieman continued. "We're going to measure the evolution of structure in the universe. And the way to do both those things is to do a really big survey of the sky." Over the next five years, the camera, set inside the Blanco telescope in the arid mountains of Chile's high-altitude Atacama desert, where stars shine with a clarity seen in few other places on Earth, will photograph no fewer than 300 million galaxies. After categorizing those galaxies according to age, form and distance from Earth -- the camera is sensitive enough to detect light emitted 8 billion light years away -- astronomers should better understand how galaxies swirl and cluster over deep time, and also how the universe expands. In the 1990s, images from the Hubble telescope showed astronomers that the universe, which had been thought to expand at a steady speed, is actually expanding at an ever-accelerating rate. Dark energy was the name given to the hypothetical force that must drive that strange acceleration. In addition to measuring the dynamics of expansion, researchers will also search images from the Dark Energy Camera for subtle distortions caused as dark-energy tugs on photons traveling through space, a sort of universe-scale blur. On the following pages, Wired looks at some of the Dark Energy Survey's first pictures. Above: Fornax Cluster Detail Detail of Dark Energy Camera image of the barred spiral galaxy NGC 1365, part of the Fornax cluster of galaxies.Fornax Mosaic Full mosaic image of the Fornax cluster of galaxies, which lies about 60 million light years from Earth. "We're not studying the galaxies themselves, but using galaxies as tracers of the structure of the universe," Frieman said.47 Tucanae Detail Mosaic detail from photographs of the center of the globular star cluster 47 Tucanae, a mere 17,000 light years from Earth. The Dark Energy Camera will ultimately detect galaxies some 8 billion light years away. "This is a relatively nearby cluster, and we'll eventually be counting 100,000 clusters like this," said Frieman.Small Magellanic Cloud Mosaic Full mosaic image of the Small Magellanic Cloud, which is about 200,000 light years from Earth. To make sure the Dark Energy Camera is working properly, the first photographs were taken of well-known galaxies -- Frieman called them "famous bright things" -- which astronomers can use as baseline reference images.Dark-Energy Camera Sensor array inside the Dark Survey Camera, the most powerful space camera on Earth.The Telescope The Dark Energy Camera is set inside the Blanco telescope, which is set on a mountain high in Chile's Atacama desert. The sky is as clear there as anywhere on Earth.All images: Dark Energy Survey Collaboration


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Field Notes From Kenya
A few weeks ago we heard from John "Buck" Banks, a professor of Environmental Science in the Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences program at UW Tacoma, and an adjunct professor with the School of Environmental and Forest Sciences (SEFS).
Banks has just wrapped up a month in East Africa conducting field research at a forest regeneration site on the Kenya coast. The work is part of an ongoing, interdisciplinary project in collaboration with local ornithologists and a forestry faculty member from Michigan State. "We were doing a second expedition to look at the recovery of the restored forest during the dry season," says Banks. "We did a wet season sampling back in May and June."
The project site is a five-hectare section of forest about three miles inland from the ocean. It had previously been farmland until 20 years ago when the area was replanted with native tree species. After two decades, the forest looks fairly mature and developed, says Banks, but it has fewer birds and insects, and generally hasn't recouped the biodiversity of surrounding healthier forests.
Using 27 test plots, Banks and his collaborators were looking at different components of the forest's biodiversity, including tree recovery rates, arthropods and birds. Among the questions they're trying to answer is why the bird and insect populations haven't returned to the levels they find in nearby reference forests.
In the next few years, Banks plans to broaden the project and continue monitoring the forest's growth and recovery. It follows similar research he's previously conducted during the past few years looking at the links between forest birds and the arthropods they eat, and elephant disturbance in nearby Arabuko-Sokoke Forest.
Banks posted regular updates on his blog, so check out some of his recent notes and photos—including their struggles with forest antelopes and "rambunctious" monkeys sabotaging their fieldwork!
Photos © Buck Banks.


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Last night, I posted a piece about female participation in parliamentary elections in Kuwait. Noting that this was part of a trend towards increased voting rights for women, I concluded that "this development deserves more attention from our media and our feminists than it has received." So far, so good I think.
But then I added as my title, "The Silence of the Feminists," suggesting that feminists were giving the trend no attention. As my friend David Schraub points out, however, a number of feminist blogs have lauded the fact that women participated in the Kuwait election. Thus, feminist blogs are not ignoring this matter entirely, and the title of my piece was inaccurate.
Next, perhaps David will send me links to feminist blogs that praise the efforts of the Bush administration to promote women's rights in Iraq — efforts that cost my old law adversary Fern Holland her life.


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There have been two stories going around recently, about writers and publishing. The first was the whole harlequin vanity press. The more recent story has to do with pay rates for different markets. I'm a beginning writer. I have submitted a single story to the Tesseracts 14 anthology, which pays $50 for stories under 1500 words, rising to $100 for 5000 words. That works out to 3 cents a word for low word-count stories, and 2 cents a word for longer stories. This doesn't meet SFWA requirements for a pro market -- although it would have prior to 2004 -- but it's certainly better than the 1/5 of a cent per word that Black Matrix is offering.
The fact that Tesseracts is a well respected anthology of Canadian imaginative literature (SF/F/H etc) year is great. The editors of the anthology this year are John Robert Colombo, a much respected editor of Canadiana, and Brett Alexander Savory, publisher of ChiZine publications. I believe that having a publication in Tesseracts would enhance my career. Do I think this particular story will make it? I'll find out soon, as they have a short reading period, but I'll likely receive my first rejection.
As Jim C. Hines notes, "most of us suck when we're new". Rejection can be horrible, but it's also a reason to get better. It's one of those Calvin and Hobbes "character building" exercises. I would rather submit a reasonably good story and have it rejected than submit crap that does get published. Don't get me wrong, I look forward to seeing my name in print someday, but I'm not looking for fast self-validation.
One thing that Scalzi notes, but which has been overlooked in some cases, is that there is a difference between "for the love, no one is making money" publications, and businesses launching multiple magazines, as well as two book lines.
Shaun Duke has thrown his two bits in. Small markets, such as the Survival by Storytelling magazine, are perfectly justified in their pay scale: a portion of royalties only. In fact, from their magazine's submission guidelines, 2/3 of all profit goes to the issue's contributors, while the remaining third goes to Young Writers Online. Duke isn't making anything from this.
In regards to publishers such as Black Matrix, I can't currently justify submitting a story to a for-profit company that pays so poorly. This is no longer a "for the love" market. Rachael Swirsky guest-blogged on Jeff VanderMeer's blog about the value of certain publishing credits. I would have to agree with her, and with Cat Rambo, editor for Fantasy Magazine. Too many unknown credits on a cover letter are a possible sign that the author may have been underselling their work, and may be used to lower standards. As a slush reader, I have anecdotal evidence to support this.
Markets like this exist. They will likely continue to exist. The moral question here, is whether the publisher is making money without paying their writers adequately. What else do they offer? Why would an author submit to markets like this? I won't, but others have and will. So long as they know what they're getting into, that's great.
Scalzi may have come across a little harsh. But really, when has he ever shown gentle softness and tact? This is the man who has published a Hugo-winning essay collection criticizing the hate mail he's received. He may have seen a few more hits on his blog than usual from this incident, but he already has a big audience. Instead, he's using his platform to call out a group that appears to be underpaying writers for profit. He's trying to help the community out. It's unfortunate that this comes across as an attack on all publications.
Jeff VanderMeer writes about goals in Booklife, suggesting that "many writers never progress in their careers -- except in a shambling, two-steps-forward-one-step-back way -- because they always focus on the moment, and the moment after that" (p 20). What does submitting to a market such as this accomplish for your long-term career goals, that submitting to a better paying market doesn't? Maybe having to wait a little longer by submitting to multiple, more discriminating markets first might be worthwhile? After all, the story is written, you can start writing the next while shuffling the manuscript between markets. Writing and publishing books is a lengthy task. Use some discretion, and some patience.
New blog posts to this story include another Fantasy Magazine slush reader, and also now assistant editor, Molly Tanzer, which is full of fantastic advice.
Another post is from Nick Mamatas, a very "to the point" kind of response.
There has also been a followup to Rachael Swirsky's posting on Jeff VanderMeer's blog.


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The 2010 Distinguished Alumnus Award is presented to Professor
John F. Looney, Jr., EdD. Professor Looney has had a distinguished
career at the university as an educator, researcher, and mentor,
initially in the Department of Earth and Geographic Sciences and
subsequently in the presently merged Department of Environmental,
Earth and Ocean Sciences.
Looney joined Boston State University in September of 1968 and continued as a professor when Boston State merged with the University of Massachusetts Boston.
Looney also served as the chair of the Environmental, Earth and Ocean Science, Department from 2006 to 2009. This was during a crucial period where the merger occurred between a totally undergraduate program in the Department of Earth and Geographic Sciences with a graduate program in the Environmental Science Department. His people skills, intellect, and resiliency provided the direction and stability for this merger to be very successful.


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The H2O is a brand new model from Santini and it has a cunning trick up its sleeve: it's highly water resistant while still being as breathable as a normal jersey.
The H20 is made from a new fabric that's exclusive to Santini for the next year. Manufactured by an Italian company called SITIP, it's called Acquazero and it's a mix of nylon and elastane so it's very stretchy and very breathable. It doesn't feel like a water resistant fabric in the slightest – there's no membrane hidden away here – it feels like a soft and fleecy Roubaix but it helps keep the rain out.
This fabric isn't waterproof like a hard shell but, if you're interested in the tech, it gets a Grade 4 water repellency rating in the international standards (with Grade 1 being the lowest, and Grade 5 being the highest).
Okay, but what does that mean in practice? Drizzle: no problem, it beads up and rolls off with very little being absorbed. Light rain is okay too. Water starts to seep in slowly, but on one of our showery test rides we stayed drier in the H20 jersey than we did when we slung a waterproof jacket on top because of the higher level of breathability. You just have to look at the clouds and make the call as to which is going to be most comfortable.
When rain starts to come down harder, lots of it still rolls off but you will start to get wet, particularly if the water pools in folds in the fabric, and the seams aren't taped so it can get through there. That means you're better off with a waterproof jacket in hard rain – but the H20 will keep you much drier than a standard jersey.
Ours has been through the wash just a few times so we can't yet report on the long-lasting durability of the treatment yet, but it's still performing as well as it did to begin with so far and the manufacturer claims that it will carry on doing the business after repeated laundering.
As for other features, the H20 comes in a slim, sporty cut, and because it's as stretchy as a pair of Roubaix tights, you can get a close fit without any tightness at all. The collar is high, you get three pockets in the lower back, and both the waist and the cuffs are elasticated so you don't get any draughts. There's plenty of reflective trim too – the zip and logos are reflective, and all that white stitching is holding more reflective material in place.
It's as insulating as you'd expect of a Roubaix fabric – it's a warm winter weight, although it's not windproof, so you'll want something over the top to stop the air getting in on really cold rides.
All that stretchiness meant the pockets sagged a little more than usual when we loaded them up to the max for a recent sportive, but not so much that it was a problem. The only other issue we've noted so far is that the reflective material on the side of the zip has begun to look a little tatty, with little slivers coming away with use.
Available in black and red.
Stretchy, breathable jersey in a highly water-resistant fabric – a useful addition to your winter wardrobe
If you're thinking of buying this product using a cashback deal why not use the road.cc Top Cashback page and get some top cashback while helping to support your favourite independent cycling website
road.cc test report
Make and model: Santini H2O Jersey
Size tested: Large, black
Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?
Santini say, "Long sleeves jersey in Acquazero (80% Poliammide, 20% Elastan), exceptionally elastic fabric, warm and totally water-proof, it maintains maximum breathability thanks to the Acquazero treatment. Minimal design with contrasting colour stitching and reflective piping to assure maximum visibility on the road. Long reflective zipper. Elasticated band on wrists and bottom for improved fit. Triple back pocket with vertical zip on central pocket. Reflective details on the back to improve visibility."
"Totally waterproof" is pushing it. If you're expecting this to keep the water out as well as a standard waterproof jacket, you'll be disappointed. If you compare it to a standard jersey, you'll be amazed.
We'd say that it's highly water resistant and see it as a halfway house between a standard jersey with no water repellency and a full-on waterproof shell.
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes
Would you consider buying the product? Yes
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes
About the tester
Age: 39 Height: 190cm Weight: 74kg
I usually ride: My best bike is:
I've been riding for: Over 20 years I ride: Most days I would class myself as: Expert
I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, sportives, general fitness riding,
Mat has been in cycling media since 1996, on titles including BikeRadar, Total Bike, Total Mountain Bike, What Mountain Bike and Mountain Biking UK, and he has been editor of 220 Triathlon and Cycling Plus. Mat has been road.cc technical editor for over a decade, testing bikes, fettling the latest kit, and trying out the most up-to-the-minute clothing. We send him off around the world to get all the news from launches and shows too. He has won his category in Ironman UK 70.3 and finished on the podium in both marathons he has run. Mat is a Cambridge graduate who did a post-grad in magazine journalism, and he is a winner of the Cycling Media Award for Specialist Online Writer. Now pushing 50, he's riding road and gravel bikes most days for fun and fitness rather than training for competitions.


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SAN vendor Compellent completes IPO
Compellent goes public at a higher price than expected but still has its work cut out to succeed against established SAN vendors EMC, IBM, HP and NetApp.
SAN vendor Compellent Technologies went public today after pricing shares higher than expected and will use the cash to compete with storage giants EMC Corp., Hewlett-Packard Co. (HP), Hitachi Data Systems (HDS), IBM and Network Appliance Inc. (NetApp).
Compellent priced 6 million shares at $13.50 Tuesday night and began trading today. The price was above the vendor's expected range of $10 to $12. Compellent got a higher than expected price although it has never had a profitable quarter, losing $6.8 million in 2006, $4.1 million in the first half of this year and a total of $45.7 million since it started up in 2002. Compellent closed its initial day with a share price of $24.19, making it one of the most successful first-day IPOs of the year.
Compellent said it would use the net proceeds of approximately $75.3 million for sales and marketing, R&D and working capital. According to its prospectus, Compellent's strategy is to move beyond the small to medium-sized enterprise market where it started and into large enterprises.
Besides giving it working capital, going public can help a small company compete with market leaders, because many customers will not store mission-critical business data on systems sold by startups.
Compellent's strategy is to sell storage systems that are less expensive and easier to use than those from its larger competitors. Unlike those larger companies, who offer separate platforms for entry level, midrange and enterprise storage, Compellent has one platform, called Storage Center. The company also has thin provisioning and dynamic block architecture software, which Compellent claims can help customers easily scale their storage environments. However, Storage Center's scalability into larger enterprises may be limited by its support for only two controllers.
Compellent supports Fibre Channel and iSCSI on the same system and recently added network attached storage (NAS) support though Microsoft Windows Storage Server 2003 R2.
Compellent is one of the companies major storage vendors refer to as "ankle biters," and the company is small even for an ankle biter. Of the four storage system vendors who have filed for IPOs, Compellent has the least revenue, despite having more than 600 enterprise customers. Compellent had $23.3 million in revenue in 2006, compared to $68 million for EqualLogic, $66 million for 3PAR and $42 million for BlueArc. Compellent disclosed revenue of $20.9 million for the first six months of 2007, far behind EqualLogic's $53.2 million for the same period and even less than 3PAR's $23.1 million for the second quarter of 2007.
Compellent and the other storage system vendors looking to go public will try to avoid the fate of clustered storage vendor Isilon Systems Inc., which had a successful IPO last year despite failing to register a profitable quarter. But after two disappointing quarters, the price of Isolon shares have since plummeted. Isilon's stock price fell from $13 at its IPO last December to $6 at close Tuesday.
Financial analyst Kaushik Roy of Pacific Growth Equities gives Compellent predicts Compellent's market success will be short-lived. Roy says Compellent lacks a strong emerging technology to build its products around, such as data deduplication in the case of Data Domain or iSCSI for SAN builder EqualLogic.
"I don't ever hear about Compellent in the marketplace," Roy said. "I hear about EqualLogic, but not Compellent. Do they do anything that nobody else does with their systems? They might do all right in the seasonally strong fourth quarter, but reality will set in during Q1 and Q2 next year."


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Current Law Students / Re: Does Julie Fern Still Post?« on: August 05, 2010, 06:16:05 AM »
Less life period by the looks of it. Did you drive everyone away?
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Wow blast from the past. Good to see both of you BL and PC. How are things?Things are going pretty well. Doing some nice fed. gov't work this summer and trying to find a job for next year. I don't mean to sound like a depressed bears, but it's amazing how different this profession is today when compared to the time when we were all applying to schools 3 years ago.
wow... this still exists.Ya! I posted here the other day and it was like a time warp. How have you been, PC?
good morning MAS.
I haven't been here in forever.


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A longtime star of British soap opera "Coronation Street" has been charged with two counts of rape involving a 15-year-old girl about three decades ago, prosecutors and police said Wednesday.
William Roache, 81, was arrested at his home earlier Wednesday for the offenses, which allegedly took place in Haslingden, a town north of Manchester, between April and July of 1967.
He has played Ken Barlow on the series since its first episode in 1960, and some call him the world's longest-serving soap star.
The soap, set in a fictional working-class district in northwestern England, is among the most popular and longest-running programs on British television.
Roache will appear at Preston Magistrates' Court on May 14.
In March, Roache issued an apology after he appeared to suggest in an interview with New Zealand television that victims of child sex crimes had behaved badly in a previous life. He also said that the public should not be judgmental about people accused of child sex offenses.
He later apologized for causing offense and clarified that he never meant to say that sex abuse victims are responsible for the crimes they suffer.
The actor's arrest is not part of Operation Yewtree, the sex abuse investigation established after revelations about the late entertainer Jimmy Saville.


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No office, no boss, no boundaries -- rise of the nomadic rich
It's 12:20 p.m. and I'm 19 stories high in a Bangkok hotel, settling down to the start of what was meant to be an 11 a.m. conference.
I nurse a Singha beer and look around at a motley bunch of co-attendees: mostly single men in their twenties and thirties, wearing flip-flops or Converse sneakers, blazers or tank tops.
One would never guess this was a conference for Internet entrepreneurs and business owners from around the world, most of whom earn an annual income well into six figures.
I'm one of them, and to many, I'm living the dream -- no boss, no permanent office, disposable cash and the freedom to move and work wherever I please.
I'm part of a new breed of location-independent entrepreneurs, what Timothy Ferriss, author of The 4-Hour Workweek, has dubbed the "New Rich."
We have few commitments, a freedom of choice most can only dream about. Our life is a traveler's dream.
Last year, I saw the Taj Mahal, the Great Wall of China and Machu Picchu in a span of three months. I hiked a volcano and a glacier 2,000 miles apart within seven days of each other. I visited 17 countries, and will visit another 10 this year.
It's possible because I have chosen, like many others, to remove myself from the grid to live nomadically.
The idea is to use the Internet to scale and automate businesses quickly, and then leverage my location-independence to create a greater wealth of experiences through travel and adventure rather than accrue material possessions.
Where the "New Rich" hang out
For a group of people spread all over the planet, the New Rich actually run into each other a lot. We're highly networked online and we all have a penchant for the same handful of locations.
Asia is ground zero for many start-up entrepreneurs due to the low cost-of-living and high quality of life: Chiang Mai and Bangkok in Thailand, Saigon in Vietnam, Bali in Indonesia, Cebu in the Philippines are hot spots. Recently, Medellin in Colombia has become popular.
Then there are the entrepreneurs bent on cashing in on emerging markets -- places like Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo, Beijing and Kiev. Conferences and meet-ups are organized in places like Las Vegas, Berlin, Tokyo, Miami and Bangkok.
The price of this freedom is a social life that can be bizarre, and often lonely.
The line between business networking and friendship is a blurry one -- the handful of people on the planet who can relate to my lifestyle are also possible joint-venture partners and/or clients.
Conversation and support is therefore always a confusion of intentions.
The other strange aspect of this lifestyle is that the people I'm most connected to are those I see infrequently. I see my best friend maybe once, sometimes twice a year.
Then there are the friends you never actually see.
Sitting at the table with me in Bangkok is Jay. I attended one of Jay's webinars a few months ago and hosted him on one of my site's podcasts. He briefly lived in Bali with a friend of mine.
Despite "knowing" Jay for six-plus months and strategizing about our businesses regularly, I've never met him in-person until today.
Also with us is Tom -- a top-dollar online business consultant who lives in the Philippines and is now mentoring one of my good friends back home in Boston.
Tom and I and half a dozen other entrepreneurs are members of a group that hold weekly hour-long calls to discuss our businesses and our lives.
The price of freedom: loneliness
Despite speaking to Tom weekly for the better part of a year, often discussing personal matters, this is the first time I've met him in the flesh.
Yet this feels normal now.
It doesn't occur to any of us that none of us actually know each other. We run in the same private forums and are members of the same email lists.
We've cut our teeth building our businesses while living in the same half dozen places around the world.
Yet we don't know each other. There's a simmering loneliness beneath the surface.
One successful entrepreneur, in a rare moment of vulnerability, recently wrote that he burst into tears in a small suburb in Japan watching families ride their bikes together in a park.
It struck him that this simple, mundane pleasure was something he'd never know.
Back in the conference room in Bangkok, empty agreements to meet up and hang out are made.
A pair who will be in Barcelona around the same time agree to email each other; a sub-group mulls over meeting in Berlin in spring.
For a group of people who all fight the silent battle of isolation, we sure are fickle with each other. But when you have so many opportunities before you it's easy to avoid commitment, even to a friendship.
As I sip and sulk, it occurs to me that the New Rich, for all of our impressive values, are just as guilty of materialism as the old rich. It just takes a different form.
Instead of an addiction to status and possessions, we're addicted to experience and novelty.
The end result is the same. Our relationships, our connections to what's important, suffer.
For the first time in three years of non-stop travel, I wish for a home.


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Rihanna Looks Pretty in Pink at TIME's 100 Most Influential Gala
Rihanna was honored as one of Time's 100 Most Influential people for 2012, and last night (April 24) at the accompanying gala event, the singer stunned in a bright pink Marchesa dress.
The stunning 'Red Lipstick' songstress, who was nominated for the TIME list by fashion designer Stella McCartney, stepped onto the red carpet at Lincoln Center in New York City wearing the strapless fuschia high-low gown with a pleated bodice. She kept her Skrillex 'do very classy with big curls and sweeping bangs, and her black Louboutin pumps played off of her newly dyed hair.
While at the event, Rihanna discussed her love her comedian Chelsea Handler, but apparently the Bajan beauty gets physical when it comes to showing her affection for peers. When asked who she was excited to see, she said, "Chelsea Handler. And I hope I get to squeeze her bum later." We wonder if Handler really did let Ri get a handful!
Inside the gala, Rihanna paid tribute to one of the most influential artists on her own career, Bob Marley. The vocalist took to the stage to perform a rendition of 'Redemption Song' for the crowd, which included fellow musician Raphael Saadiq, actress/comedian Kristen Wiig, news anchor Matt Lauer, plus many more.
What do you think of RiRi's red carpet gown? Leave us a comment and check out a clip of her belting out Bob Marley's 'Redemption Song' below.
Watch a Clip of Rihanna Performing 'Redemption Song' at the TIME 100 Gala