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Getting your money to and from your account shouldn't be a hassle. We only recommend sites with a variety of convenient banking methods, including cryptocurrency and e-wallets. That's why you will find extensive games and betting opportunities on our recommended sites. Sports betting on gambling sites can be enjoyed in the UK, Australia, Canada and New Zealand, to name a few. Everyone has their own unique preferences when it comes to online gambling, so answer our simple questions to find your perfect casino or sportsbook. An online gambling site must be intuitive and easy to navigate for both newbies and experienced players.
Find out whether the top earner in the state is casino gaming online, poker, betting, or DFS. Regulated gambling sites are usually obliged by their regulators to confirm that you are who say you are. This is to help prevent fraudulent activity and ensure there is no money laundering taking place. Licensing organizations have strict standards about what sites can and can't do, including rules about regular third-party auditing to make sure the sites are provably safe and fair. GamblingSites.com is a well-established website that has been around for many years. The owners, staff, and contributors are all committed to ensuring it's a useful and accurate gambling resource.
Can Sports Bettors Wager on Sports Odds Through An Online Sportsbook?
Right now, you can't run your own sportsbook, poker room, or casino in the United States as it is illegal. The holidays bring with them a festive spirit that often encourages indulgence, especially with alcohol. Online casinos know that most gamblers cannot control their desire for alcohol during the holidays. Most end up making bad decisions, anyway and don't win the money in the end. First, all casinos have something that is referred to as a house advantage. With this, casinos do not need to cheat because they always win whatever the game.
Online gambling in the US is experiencing unprecedented growth, even in 2022. However, each state has a different set of online gambling laws, creating something of a jigsaw puzzle for gamblers. The best strategies for casino games depend on which game you are playing. That is why we created specific guides for the most popular casino games. If you use online sportsbook sites, you will definitely want to check out our sports betting guide. It has several resources and introductory information for beginners, but it also has advanced strategy tips that are useful for bettors at any level.
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These individuals are at-risk of developing more severe gambling problems, in addition to other mental health disorders . Gambling activities are diverse with markable differences between activities in terms of the mechanics, structural characteristics, and environment. For example, the same activity provided in venues or in online modalities may have unique characteristics that can lead to harms. The present study aims to isolate the unique relationship of specific gambling activities and modalities to problem gambling and psychological distress among Internet gamblers. This increased understanding of gambling disorder and psychological distress is essential in guiding treatment and prevention initiatives.
Here, players play against the house rather than against other players and can earn up to 100 times their buy-in. Additionally, our results confirm that there are at-risk subgroups within the population of Australian Internet gamblers. Specifically, younger adults were more likely to experience greater gambling problems and psychological distress. Associations between the frequencies of participation in each gambling activity were examined using a series of Spearman's Rho correlations.
Therefore, you can be confident that the welcome bonuses we recommend are not only lucrative but easy to get. Our top-rated sites also offer reload bonuses for existing customers, which provide similar value to any popular welcome offer for loyal players. Connecticut might not have as many online casinos as other states in the USA, but what it does have is impressive. In fact, the state's online gambling market is linked to the popular Mohegan Sun Casino.
This is why it is crucial to run a thorough background check on any site you think you might want to try. Sixth, the presence of correlations between activity frequencies may have contributed to suppression of some regression coefficients. This potential collinearity is owing to intrinsic overlap between online and venue participation (or non-participation). That is, some level of collinearity is unavoidable because of multimodal patterns of play. For researchers interested in controlling for multimodal behaviour at the activity level, there are limited methods for satisfactory addressing this limitation. Other approaches such as dropping variables are similarly limited.


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Obama Highlights Federal Response to Drought in Iowa
BOONE, Iowa - Touring drought-stricken Iowa, President Obama today showcased the power of incumbency as he touted his administration's response to the drought and announced new federal aid to help farmers and ranchers.
The federal government is buying up to $170 million worth of meat, poultry and farm-raised fish, the Obama administration announced this morning. "Because of the drought, there are a lot of folks out there that are trying to sell meat right now," Obama later told reporters while visiting the parched McIntosh family farm in Missouri Valley.
"So, just like you might buy more chicken when it's on sale and freeze it, we are going to stock up. Prices are low; farmers and ranchers need help; so it makes sense."
After accusing Mitt Romney's running mate, Paul Ryan, earlier today of blocking aid to farmers, the president reiterated that "the best way to help these states is for Congress to act."
"They need to pass a farm bill that not only helps farmers and ranchers respond to natural disasters, but also makes necessary reforms and gives them some long-term certainty. But the folks suffering from this drought can't wait for Congress to do its job. So in the meantime, I've made sure that my administration … is doing everything we can to provide relief to those who need it," he said.
"This won't solve the problem. We can't make it rain," he said of the new aid. "But this will help families like the McIntoshes in states across the country, including here in Iowa. And we're going to keep doing what we can to help because that's what we do. We are Americans. We take care of each other. And when our neighbors hit a rough patch, we step up and help out."
Get more pure politics at ABC News.com/Politics and a lighter take on the news at OTUSNews.com

subset: commoncrawl


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Sony Corp could take on an equity partner in its TV unit, which has racked up losses every year for a decade, but the Japanese consumer giant was not thinking about selling or exiting the business, its chief executive said on Thursday.
Sony plans to turn its struggling TV business into a separate entity – Sony Visual Products Inc – within a few months to boost transparency.
The splitting off of its TV unit had fired up speculation about a sale, which CEO Kazuo Hirai sought to dispel.
"We are not thinking about selling our TV operations or shutting them down or anything like that," he said.
"We're doing business in the competitive environment of a market. I wouldn't rule out the possibility of an equity tie-up, but right now we are not doing business under the assumption that would happen."
Hirai, speaking on Thursday at a briefing outlining Sony's annual strategy, acknowledged TV sales could fall below the company's forecast for an industry-beating 20 percent rise this fiscal year.
He said, however, that Sony had restructured the business so it could withstand external shocks.
"We're aware of criticism that the TV target of 16 million units this fiscal year is too high," he said.
"Even if those risks on volume are borne out, we've put in place the capacity to minimise the impact on profitability in the TV operations."
Sony, roundly criticised for its habit of making overly optimistic forecasts that it repeatedly fails to meet, has pledged that a blast of restructuring in its electronics division this year will return the troubled unit to profit.
The company said it would be possible to expand operating profit threefold in the 2015/16 business year to 400 billion yen, with its aggressive restructuring expected to yield annual cost savings of 100 billion yen.
Hirai's newly appointed Chief Financial Officer Kenichiro Yoshida said the company did not plan to change the focus of its electronics division away from the three core businesses of mobile, imaging and games through the next fiscal year at least.
Hirai also reiterated that there were also risks in the volatile smartphone market and that Sony would monitor conditions carefully.


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San Francisco, CA – One day after Matt Cain threw the 22nd perfect game in major league history, the Houston Astros made sure it didn't happen again, using a pair of long balls to take a 6-3 victory over the San Francisco Giants in the finale of a three-game set at AT&T Park.
J.D. Martinez clobbered a grand slam and Matt Downs added a solo shot for the Astros, who had lost three of their last four entering play on Thursday. Justin Maxwell contributed an RBI single and Jose Altuve added two hits in the victory.
"When you're down 0-2 in the series, you have to get out of here with a win," Downs said. "Cain obviously had the stuff last night and threw unbelievable. We had to bounce back today and put a couple runs on the board early."
Wandy Rodriguez (6-4) allowed three runs on six hits and two walks while fanning three in six innings of work to get the win. Brett Myers picked up his 16th save of the season with a clean ninth inning.
Brandon Belt crushed a two-run homer and Hector Sanchez added a sacrifice fly for the Giants, who had won five of their last seven coming in.
"It feels good to be comfortable at the plate," Belt said. "I've been searching for my swing pretty much all season and to get a few games where I feel pretty good, it feels great and I'm going to try to keep it going."
Barry Zito (5-4) surrendered five runs on five hits and three walks with three strikeouts over five innings. to absorb the loss.
Houston took a 1-0 lead on Downs' solo shot in the second and added more in the third.
Zito got himself into trouble by issuing three straight one-out walks. The former Cy Young Award winner compounded his problems by serving up a fastball over the heart of the plate to Martinez, who crushed it roughly six rows back in left field to extend the Astros' lead to 5-0.
Sanchez ripped a two-out single in the San Francisco fourth, and Belt followed by pulverizing a hanging curveball from Rodriguez high over the wall in right and into McCovey Cove to pull the Giants within three.
Angel Pagan singled to start the Giants' sixth and came around to score on Sanchez's sacrifice fly two batters later to cut the deficit to 5-3.
Maxwell's RBI single in the eighth accounted for the final margin.
Game Notes
Despite the loss, the Giants have gone 9-4 in June...Seven of Zito's 13 starts this season have been quality starts. The Giants fell to 7-6 in games started by Zito...Houston went 2-for-6 with runners in scoring position and stranded four, while San Francisco finished 0-for-4 with men in scoring position and left four on base.


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Court documents filed today by the defense team of the alleged Colorado shooter reveal for the first time that James Holmes was seeing a psychiatrist.
The documents also confirm news stories that on Monday, Aurora Police seized a package sent by Holmes to Dr. Lynne Fenton, a psychiatrist and assistant professor at the University of Colorado, Denver. The defense says Holmes was a "patient of Dr. Fenton."
"The materials contained in that package include communications from Mr. Holmes to Dr. Fenton that Mr. Holmes asserts are privileged," the defense team writes.
The defense claims that because the existence of this package and what was in it have been leaked to the media, it puts Holmes' "rights to due process and a fair trial by an impartial jury in serious jeopardy."
As Mark wrote, Fox News, The Wall Street Journal, CBS News, NBC and CNN quoted law enforcement officials saying that the package contained a notebook with drawings depicting the massacre.
The defense is arguing that under Colorado law, the notebook is part of James' communication with his psychiatrist, therefore it cannot be used in his trial without his permission.
The prosecution filed a separate motion saying that they are in the process of collecting evidence. The prosecution makes a reference to "the notebook." Prosecutors also argue that the defense's argument is not based on fact.
"To put it bluntly, the People are extremely dubious of the media assertions that 'law enforcement sources' exist," the prosecution writes.
After all the reports showed up in the media, Arapahoe County (Colo.) District Court Judge William Sylvester reminded all parties that they are under a gag order and are to "refrain from disseminating information that presents a danger to the fairness of a trial in this matter ... and are prohibited from disseminating any information or material that appears to possibly be privileged or that defendant alleges is privileged, until issues of privilege can be fully litigated."
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


text: A way of giving medicines and liquids, including liquid foods, through a small tube placed through the nose or mouth into the stomach or small intestine. Sometimes the tube is placed into the stomach or small intestine through an incision (cut) made on the outside of the abdomen. Gavage may be added to what a person is able to eat and drink, or it may be the only source of nutrition. It is a type of enteral nutrition. Also called tubefeeding.


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Genesis | 46:1 | And Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beer-sheba, and offered sacrifices unto the God of his father Isaac. |
Genesis | 46:2 | And God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Here [am] I. |
Genesis | 46:3 | And he said, I [am] God, the God of thy father: fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation: |
Genesis | 46:4 | I will go down with thee into Egypt; and I will also surely bring thee up [again]: and Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes. |
Genesis | 46:5 | And Jacob rose up from Beer-sheba: and the sons of Israel carried Jacob their father, and their little ones, and their wives, in the wagons which Pharaoh had sent to carry him. |
Genesis | 46:6 | And they took their cattle, and their goods, which they had gotten in the land of Canaan, and came into Egypt, Jacob, and all his seed with him: |
Genesis | 46:7 | His sons, and his sons' sons with him, his daughters, and his sons' daughters, and all his seed brought he with him into Egypt. |
Genesis | 46:8 | And these [are] the names of the children of Israel, which came into Egypt, Jacob and his sons: Reuben, Jacob's firstborn. |
Genesis | 46:9 | And the sons of Reuben; Hanoch, and Phallu, and Hezron, and Carmi. |
Genesis | 46:10 | And the sons of Simeon; Jemuel, and Jamin, and Ohad, and Jachin, and Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanitish woman. |
Genesis | 46:11 | And the sons of Levi; Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. |
Genesis | 46:12 | And the sons of Judah; Er, and Onan, and Shelah, and Pharez, and Zerah: but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. And the sons of Pharez were Hezron and Hamul. |
Genesis | 46:13 | And the sons of Issachar; Tola, and Phuvah, and Job, and Shimron. |
Genesis | 46:14 | And the sons of Zebulun; Sered, and Elon, and Jahleel. |
Genesis | 46:15 | These [be] the sons of Leah, which she bare unto Jacob in Padan-aram, with his daughter Dinah: all the souls of his sons and his daughters [were] thirty and three. |
Genesis | 46:16 | And the sons of Gad; Ziphion, and Haggi, Shuni, and Ezbon, Eri, and Arodi, and Areli. |
Genesis | 46:17 | And the sons of Asher; Jimnah, and Ishuah, and Isui, and Beriah, and Serah their sister: and the sons of Beriah; Heber, and Malchiel. |
Genesis | 46:18 | These [are] the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to Leah his daughter, and these she bare unto Jacob, [even] sixteen souls. |
Genesis | 46:19 | The sons of Rachel Jacob's wife; Joseph, and Benjamin. |
Genesis | 46:20 | And unto Joseph in the land of Egypt were born Manasseh and Ephraim, which Asenath the daughter of Poti-pherah priest of On bare unto him. |
Genesis | 46:21 | And the sons of Benjamin [were] Belah, and Becher, and Ashbel, Gera, and Naaman, Ehi, and Rosh, Muppim, and Huppim, and Ard. |
Genesis | 46:22 | These [are] the sons of Rachel, which were born to Jacob: all the souls [were] fourteen. |
Genesis | 46:23 | And the sons of Dan; Hushim. |
Genesis | 46:24 | And the sons of Naphtali; Jahzeel, and Guni, and Jezer, and Shillem. |
Genesis | 46:25 | These [are] the sons of Bilhah, which Laban gave unto Rachel his daughter, and she bare these unto Jacob: all the souls [were] seven. |
Genesis | 46:26 | All the souls that came with Jacob into Egypt, which came out of his loins, besides Jacob's sons' wives, all the souls [were] threescore and six; |
Genesis | 46:27 | And the sons of Joseph, which were born him in Egypt, [were] two souls: all the souls of the house of Jacob, which came into Egypt, [were] threescore and ten. |
Genesis | 46:28 | And he sent Judah before him unto Joseph, to direct his face unto Goshen; and they came into the land of Goshen. |
Genesis | 46:29 | And Joseph made ready his chariot, and went up to meet Israel his father, to Goshen, and presented himself unto him; and he fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a good while. |
Genesis | 46:30 | And Israel said unto Joseph, Now let me die, since I have seen thy face, because thou [art] yet alive. |
Genesis | 46:31 | And Joseph said unto his brethren, and unto his father's house, I will go up, and shew Pharaoh, and say unto him, My brethren, and my father's house, which [were] in the land of Canaan, are come unto me; |
Genesis | 46:32 | And the men [are] shepherds, for their trade hath been to feed cattle; and they have brought their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have. |
Genesis | 46:33 | And it shall come to pass, when Pharaoh shall call you, and shall say, What [is] your occupation? |
Genesis | 46:34 | That ye shall say, Thy servants' trade hath been about cattle from our youth even until now, both we, [and] also our fathers: that ye may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd [is] an abomination unto the Egyptians. |


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In our review of Verizon's first LTE-capable smartphone, the HTC ThunderBolt, we told you about a minor gripe we had with the device: battery life. It's true, powering a 4.3-inch screen and a handful of wireless radios can take its toll on battery life, so we were shocked to find that the ThunderBolt did not have a carrier-supported method for turning off the device's 4G radio. The handset is sold in markets where Verizon's next-generation wireless network is currently unavailable, and power-users often like to toggle the feature on and off as needed. While this functionality may not be included out of the box, the open nature of Android has brought a simple application to the Market to help you out. Dubbed LTE OnOFF, the 11KB application allows you to toggle LTE in three simple clicks. Open the app, click "OK" on the instructions page, and select "CDMA auto" for LTE-less operation. The applications creators describe the code as follows:
Like all the paid LTE "Switch" and "Toggles", just faster, smaller and free. Simple, to the point. Distribute freely.
LTE OnOFF is sitting in the Android Market, just waiting to be downloaded. If you're a ThunderBolt owner looking for an easier way to toggle your 4Gs, enjoy.
[Via Android Central]


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Codes, standards for mixed-use buildings
Engineering mixed-use buildings is a fine art—specifiers must combine multiple engineered systems for several business and residence types into one structure. Codes and standards from NFPA to IECC challenge engineers.
Robbie Chung, PE, LEED AP, Senior associate, Environmental Systems Design Inc., Chicago
Raymond Holdener, PE, Senior associate, Dewberry, Fairfax, Va.
Andrew Lasse, PE, LEED AP, Associate principal/senior mechanical engineer, Interface Engineering, Portland, Ore.
Gary Pomerantz, PE, LEED AP, Executive vice president, building systems, WSP, New York City
John Sauer, PE, LEED AP, Senior director, BSA LifeStructures, Indianapolis
LeJay Slocum, Assistant director, Atlanta regional office, Aon Fire Protection Engineering Corp., Suwanee, Ga.
CSE: How have changing HVAC, fire protection, life safety, and/or electrical codes and standards affected your work on mixed-use buildings?
Slocum: The past decade has seen significant changes with regard to the requirements for design, construction, and monitoring of smoke control systems. Many mixed-use buildings incorporate some aspect of smoke control, be it an atrium exhaust system, a pressure sandwich system for residential floor, or simply stair well pressurization. These changes impact every aspect of a project's engineering, including the fire protection engineering to prepare the smoke control rational analysis, the design of the HVAC ducting to exhaust smoke or supply makeup air, the emergency power systems, and the fire alarm or BAS system, which either individually or in tandem control and monitor the smoke control systems. Code changes impacting smoke control systems have broad impact on the design of mixed-use buildings and require the greatest level of coordination among design teams to successfully address all aspects of the system.
Chung: The recent implementation of the 2012 International Energy Conservation Code has been a learning experience for all parties. More stringent requirements have created challenges for architects and engineers, including design strategies on the building exterior façade, lighting design needs to meet lighting power density requirements, and proper implementation of daylighting control, just to name a few. However, all issues can be resolved with careful due diligence and early identification of potential concerns.
Pomerantz: Life safety codes tend to produce the most challenges in the design of a project. In general, codes address more simple buildings—single-use buildings. Each building type has its own specific code requirements associated with it. When designing a mixed-use building, which code is applicable? Does the designer use the most stringent of the codes that governs each of the constituents over the whole project? It is unclear and it is best to have discussion with the relevant authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) early in the design. And it is equally important to meet with them as the design develops. Items of concern often include egress stairs and elevators that serve multiple use groups, fire alarm systems, and the sequences of operation in user areas that are outside the area that is in alarm.
Holdener: Recent codes have changed with respect to required smoke-rated shafts—this has led to reduction in the number of smoke dampers and related smoke detectors, damper actuators, wiring, or access doors, often in areas of the project where spatial constraints and finishes impacted the design and installation of these dampers. There appears to be more emphasis on enforcement of annual fire damper inspection, testing, and documentation. Several fire damper manufacturers are advocating motorized fire dampers monitored by the BAS. This allows the fire dampers to be periodically cycle tested with automatic documentation via the BAS.
CSE: Which code or standard proves to be most challenging in this type of work?
Lasse: One of the keys is to work very closely with the local AHJ. In some areas, mixed-use buildings have been and continue to be constructed at a rapid pace, and local AHJs are responding by developing firm interpretations of the building code and specialty codes. Oftentimes there are local code guides, directives, and/or supplemental requirements for systems like combined dryer exhaust systems, generators, garage exhaust, and fire life safety systems. Checking in with the AHJ early on in design and having a complete understanding of the additional constraints is paramount.
Slocum: The building and fire codes present the greatest challenge when working on fully integrated mixed-use projects. While the code intent to apply the most restrictive requirements to all occupancies is clear, variation in enforcement of requirements, misunderstandings among team members regarding what is the most stringent requirement, and the extent to which the requirements must be applied are all challenges for this type or project. In addition to the general requirements of the building code, many municipalities and states also adopt the NFPA 101: Life Safety Code. Mixed-use projects that are subject to both the building code and NFPA 101 are often more challenging, as the two codes may have conflicting or different requirements necessitating the engineer thoroughly assess for each code-driven design decision to ensure compliance with the most stringent requirements.
Holdener: Codes that deal with providing and maintaining fire-rated assemblies and enclosures of ductwork are still somewhat challenging, especially in high-rise residential projects with multiple types of vertical duct systems such as outside air, toilet exhaust, residential kitchen exhaust, clothes dryer vents, and commercial kitchen exhausts where retail spaces are located below the residential portions of the building. Fire-rated architectural enclosures, fire-rated insulation, and a combination of both are commonly used to achieve code compliance. We see the zero-clearance fire-rated insulation products being used to help reduce the overall size of the rated ductwork assembly because physical dimensions are so critical in these types of projects. Ventilation codes in combination with UL fire and smoke rated doors on residential units have created challenges with the outside air supply systems. Today's residential doors do not leak as much as older designs. U.S. Green Building Council LEED pressure differential requirements between residential units also require tighter, lower leakage construction. Design engineers cannot rely on the old method of supplying outside air via the corridors as the only means of injecting outside air into the residential buildings.
Do you have experience and expertise with the topics mentioned in this content? You should consider contributing to our CFE Media editorial team and getting the recognition you and your company deserve. Click here to start this process.


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According to www.Elev8.com, gospel dynamic duo Mary Mary fame, are standing up for Trayvon.
According to their Facebook page they are joining the fight:
Fans responded immediately by agreeing in chorus. Here is what you had to say:
Sherry Harrison: First of all, I think the two of you have just as much influence as Stevie if not more…You are doing God's work EVERYDAY!
Christopher Akhir a no from you means that those that look up to you will see you standing with God and not the world. world gonna have to adjust. God is speaking
Charmaine Morgan Yes i agree , i am a Nurse my husband have his Doctorate in Education , I have two daughters away at College and a 15 year old left at home ,We had plan to move to Florida from California so we could be closer to Jamaica where we are from ,but in wake of everything that is going on we changed our mine right now,We think it's best our youngest leave for college before we venture down to Florida, If we haven't change our mine and go somewhere else..
Kimberly Tucker Moore I applaud you for this. Many let the dollar rule their decision. To make it worse I heard Zimmerman is suing his parents for ruining his life Really??!!! In awe….
Find the full story on www.Elev8.com. Tell us what you think.


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Ohio House Approves Crackdown On Internet Cafes
< < Back toThe Ohio House has voted overwhelmingly to approve a crackdown on storefront gambling-like operations known as Internet cafes.
The measure passed 66-29 Wednesday afternoon and now goes to the Senate. A similar House-passed measure failed to gain traction in the Ohio Senate last session.
The measure imposes operating restrictions, registration requirements and background checks on the more than 800 operations around the state.
State Rep. Matt Huffman of Lima told colleagues during the floor debate that the bill would clarify for law enforcement what's legal gambling and illegal gambling.
Opponents say the cafes allow illegal gambling. Backers say they are legal and help the economy.
Patrons buy cards for phone and Internet time with chances to play computer games that operate like slot machines with cash prizes.


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Absolute Beginners is a good takeoff film to compare with the current crop of movie musicals. Julien Temple's retro blast from London's 1958 teen scene attracted critical attention but nowhere near the public it deserved; even though Orion's American release included 70mm prints in some situations, the movie began as and has remained a cult item.
Fans have been wailing about the lack of a letterboxed version of Absolute Beginners in any format, and now on DVD they finally have it. This visually-active show is an entirely different proposition in Panavision widescreen.
David Bowie always got top billing over here, but the film really belongs to Eddie O'Connell and Patsy Kensit as the two hip lovebirds in the late 50's teen scene on the London streets. This very show-offy picture starts with a trucking shot to match or outdo anything in an Ophuls or Welles film; and every scene has its visual gimmick, so nothing is ever allowed to slow down.
American kids need a guidebook, or a history lesson to find out what Absolute Beginners is all about. The Rock'n Roll wave hit England every bit as hard as it did the States, and by 1958 or so, every corner of the media and commercial world was angling to get its piece of the pie. Drippy novelty singers were promoted as new pop stars, and agents, producers and variety shows were trying to find ways to cram the newfound rock 'fad' into marketable formulas.
Colin MacInnes' novel stressed the fact that the 'youth culture' that was emerging from the new prosperity wasn't just rock'n roll, and there's actually not a lot of period rock in the picture. His cipher character Colin is into jazz & photography. He recognizes that even in his rather earthy corner of London with its con artists, prostitutes and other vices, there's something happening that's never happened before, and the established hucksters and promoters are just ruining it for everyone.
That's sort of what Absolute Beginners is about, but not really. The plot chronicles Colin and Suzette's breakup and corruption by the 'enemy' until they get back together again. Suzette becomes the trophy wife of fey fashion king James Fox, who keeps her busy with La Dolce Vita -ish parties among the soulless rich. Colin also mingles with his cohorts who've turned to pimping and other crimes to make ends meet. At home, his foolish father turns a blind eye to his mother's philandering. And he watches helplessly while Teddy boys - reactionary thugs in Edwardian clothes - harass the non-whites in the neighborhood. The thuggery is initiated by a Real Estate developer, but when Neo-Nazis seize the opportunity, the streets erupt in violence.
Along the way there's literally dozens of plot sideshows, from Colin's Fellini-esque Lesbian neighbors, to the mindless creation of a 'teen scream' star called Baby Boom. Val Guest and Wolf Mankowitz's Expresso Bongo is a minor masterpiece about the same teen phenomenon in London, but Absolute Beginners blows it all up into a fantasmagorical musical apocalypse. This picture could easily go by the title Expresso Bongo Satyricon.
The film is rather disorganized, and its central romance more than a little trite, but where Absolute Beginners gets high marks is its conception as a visual musical. There's more happening here visually than in ten MGM musicals, which the frequent musical numbers constantly evoke. Contrary to the buzz on Absolute Beginners, it isn't cut like a music video, which in 1986 was the hot ticket. With the material between the music already moving at a fast clip, when the actual songs start, the screen goes nuts with clever choreography and camerawork. Add to that a constantly changing color palate, and you have a world every bit as artificial and exciting as a Minelli musical.
The colorful characters of the original novel become the strange denizens of an Oz- like dream world, complete with weird names and occupations. There's even one pal of Colin's named Wizard. The streets hum with a distinctive identity - like the world of Damon Runyon. The Mods and the Teds face off nightly. In the jazz clubs, Mr. Cool blows a mean trumpet, and Suzette knows how to turn a dull fashion show into a swingin' scene. The only judgment delivered is against the users and opportunists who feed off the fads. Colin documents the crazies on the street, but throws a fit when a sarcastic TV host chooses to make fun of them.
The film becomes a thematic mishmosh when real racial hatred enters the picture. The last half hour is a musical riot, where the violence is choreographed with dancers turning into fighters, and it's all a bit too much.
There are some great highlights on the way, however, with Suzette's freak-out at the fashion show, and her kissoff torch number delivered to an aghast Colin. Director Temple brings in a Jerry Lewis / Frank Tashlin exploded house set, to represent Colin's family's home, where Ray Davies sings about a paterfamilias in denial. Sade makes a welcome appearance near the end to belt out one of her stylized numbers. David Bowie has one grossly overproduced number, dancing on a typewriter like Busby Berkeley. It's good but it doesn't have quite the socko impact it's aiming for.
The dancing and camerawork are so thoroughly integrated, that we don't get the feeling that the film really stops for the songs. The best thing that can be said about Temple's camera and cutting is that he does let the performers do most of the performing, which definitely goes against currrent trends in musicals. 1 Those looking for simplicity or elegance will probably find Absolute Beginners one colossal headache, but fans of the new musical trends may rediscover a masterpiece.
MGM's DVD of Absolute Beginners is a stunner, with a bright & snappy enhanced picture that faithfully displays the show in all its prime colors. The movie begins and ends with solid fields of red, and for the first time on video, they don't turn into a buzzy red mess. There are two separate encodings on a flipper disc, but I doubt the flat version was necessary in this case. The stereo surround Dolby Digital track lets the music belt out ... this is a good-sounding track.
Absolute Beginners would have been a great title for extras, as the movie and its subject will be alien to 99% of American viewers, but there are no docus or interviews or commentaries. It would be nice to know if the street musicians under the music promoter's window sound like a real 'skiffle' group, for instance, or to get a full historical rundown on what's behind the Mods, Rockers and Teddy Boys.
On a scale of Excellent, Good, Fair, and Poor, Absolute Beginners rates: Movie: Very good Video: Excellent Sound: Excellent Supplements: photo selection Packaging: Keep case Reviewed: May 1, 2003
1. This will close a few ears to Savant's opinions, but I have almost zero use for the enormously popular musicals Moulin Rouge and Chicago, directors' movies that don't allow performers to really perform. The musical numbers are created almost entirely by the director's visual concepts and constantly cutting cameras. The performers in these films may be talented, they might be able to dance, etc, but since we never see more than 2 or three seconds of a performance without another relentless cut, we can't tell. Absolute Beginners does have fast cutting, and it is the showcase of a director who favors his sets and designs as much as he does the actors, but when the musical numbers get going, big pieces of performance - the singing and dancing, are left intact. Return
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Tracing Your Scottish Ancestors
Why not find out more about your Scottish ancestors. Who they were, what they did for a living, how they lived, etc.. By knowing who your ancestors were, you can also get know a great deal about your family. Just imagine, wouldn't it be great to know where you come from? Tracing ancestors isn't an easy job but it offers a lot of fun and often also an opportunity to get closer with your living relatives.
Getting Started
If you want to know who you are and where you come from, you have to start with your family. You probably don't need help with your grandparents even if they are no longer alive. But for many people, tracing ancestry comes to an end already at great-grandparents, while a generation earlier typically isn't remembered even by your oldest relatives. Nevertheless, they should be contacted anyway because they can tell you a great deal about your family which may not help you with your family tree but may help you a lot in your family history research. After all, wouldn't you like to know more about your ancestors other than what were their names and when they lived?
Looking for Information at the Right Place
Only a small minority of families record their history back for centuries. Most families, on the other hand, lose every trail of their ancestors at great-grandparents or in best case, at their great-great-grandparents. As a result, you cannot avoid the archives that keep the records (in Scotland, the earliest records date to the 16th century) of births, marriages, deaths, wills and testaments, etc.. But since they are dispersed throughout the country, it is good to know that you can access all the most important records via the Internet as well.
Accessing Genealogy Records Online
One of the best websites to look for your Scottish ancestors is ScotlandsPeople which enables you to access Statutory Records (certificates of births, marriages and deaths) from 1855 onwards, Old Parish Registers from 1553 onwards, Wills and Testaments from 1513 to 1925, Census Records up to 1911 and lots of other priceless resources for genealogy.
Getting Closer to Your Scottish Roots with Our Help
We are here to guide you in your search for your Scottish ancestors. Genealogy and family history research isn't always as straight forward process as it may seem at a first glance. But we are here to direct you to the right places, help you determine whether you are on the right track, answer your questions and offer advice on resources as well as the research itself. So feel free to browse our website and have fun rediscovering your Scottish roots.


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Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
BOSTON (AP) - Boston has banned smoking in city-run parks, joining a growing list of American cities to do so.
The Boston Parks and Recreation Commission on Monday approved a ban covering the 251 parks, squares, cemeteries and other spaces run by the Parks and Recreation Department, including Boston Common, the Public Garden and Franklin Park. No one spoke in opposition to the ban.
The ban takes effect immediately and applies to tobacco, marijuana and other "lighted or vaporized" substances. Violators face a $250 fine.
The City Council approved the measure last month.
"This amendment is necessary to maintain the health and safety of our public parks and ensure that these valuable resources can be enjoyed by all Boston residents," Mayor Thomas Menino said in a letter supporting the ban.
The Parks Department will post signs about the ban and the fine, and her department and the Health Commission will pass out informational materials, commission spokeswoman Jacque Goddard told The Boston Globe ( http://b.globe.com/19Y5Hok).
Police and park rangers will enforce the measure, which is an expansion of an existing law that prohibits smoking at playgrounds.
The ban will improve health, said Barbara Ferrer, executive director of the Boston Public Health Commission.
"Secondhand smoke in any concentration is dangerous," Ferrer said. "There's no safe level of exposure."
New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles are among other large U.S. cities with similar bans.
Information from: The Boston Globe, http://www.bostonglobe.com
(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)


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- Home
- Government
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- Fire Department
- Community
- Peer Assistance and Support Team
The DPVFD Peer Assistance and Support Team (PAaST) was implemented in 2014, by Fire Chaplain Ben Ellis, and the group consists of members who are trained in Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM). These members are privileged to provide both proactive and reactive CISM services not only to our department's members and their families, but also to our police officers, dispatchers, and their families by educating them about stress response syndromes and stress management techniques, providing emotional support, offering referral services, and providing other family support services - including marriage counseling and financial support both in-house and through our partnership with
Emergency Chaplain NetworkThe services offered are shown to:
- Reduce the intensity of the reaction to stress.
- Render the situations less harmful and reduce recovery time.
- Help members better identify their own coping mechanisms.
- Provide an avenue for members to discuss their actions, reactions, feelings, and ideas regarding a critical incident in a controlled and confidential environment.
This team has helped numerous members of our department and provided after scene care to members of DPVFD, DPPD, and our industrial district.
In addition to helping our local first responders this team also helps to identify individual and family needs during crisis and works to provide for citizen's immediate needs in the aftermath of the crisis.
All of the funds for assisting our first responders and citizens in their time of need are made available through fundraisers supported and funded by the generosity of citizens and businesses in our community.


text: I must say I was suprised by the wording of the CVE press release. "Boot cyber-defences"??? Please. Who writes this stuff? Maybe should be thrown a couple more keywords in there like 'cyber-terrorist' or 'cyber-perlharbor'. -- Aleph One / firstname.lastname@example.com http://underground.org/ KeyID 1024/948FD6B5 Fingerprint EE C9 E8 AA CB AF 09 61 8C 39 EA 47 A8 6A B8 01


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Lady Gaga makes rare public appearance with boyfriend, tweets kissing photo
It's clear Lady Gaga isn't one to shy away from the spotlight, considering the way she parades around in over-the-top ensembles and tweets semi-nude photos of herself to her more than 30 million followers.
But the "Born This Way" songstress rarely makes public appearances with her boyfriend of more than a year, actor Taylor Kinney. Last night, however, Gaga not only hit a party with her 31-year-old main squeeze, she shared a smooch with him at the event and (of course) posted it to Twitter.
[Related: Lady Gaga: I gained 25 pounds and I don't feel bad about it]
The NYC soiree where the two canoodled was held to celebrate the launch of his new NBC series "Chicago Fire." And Gaga seemed like she was gunning for the role of the series' publicist, posting several tweets touting the show on Wednesday. "My bf Taylor is on TV TONIGHT!!! for the premiere of CHICAGO FIRE on NBC at 10/9c in America. Monsters, wanna watch it with me+chat online?" she wrote yesterday morning.
[Related: Lady Gaga gets head tattooed at perfume launch]
Then came the pics she tweeted from the bash, which included the image of Gaga giving Kinney a peck while also standing next to his co-star Jesse Spencer. Later, she retweeted accolades for Kinney posted by the official "Chicago Fire" handle, then called out the fact the real mayor of Chicago made an "emotional" appearance on the episode. She finally ended the night by thanking her fans for watching. "The cast works so hard and are great friends."
Considering Kinney only has 36,000 Twitter followers, and the show itself has under 7,000, Gaga's support probably did make a difference in getting some Little Monsters to tune in.
The couple has been dating for just over a year and met while shooting the music video for Gaga's tune "You and I" in July 2011. They broke up briefly in May, but quickly reunited.
Over the summer Gaga, 26, was spotted taking her beau to her father's restaurant in Manhattan (the same eatery she recently blamed for helping her gain 25 pounds) and a few weeks later tweeted out a photo of her and Kinney skinny dipping. We're assuming Dad approved of the restaurant visit, not the nude swimming part.
More Celebrity Features on Yahoo!:


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iPad dominates when it comes to brand marketing email opens on tablets, according to Movable Ink's latest research, the US Consumer Device Preference Report: Q3 2013. The data reveals that despite the nearly equal market share between the two, consumers are 15 times more likely to open brand emails on an iPad than on an Android tablet.
"This quarter's report shows that tablets are gaining momentum, quickly becoming a primary driver of email marketing interactions," said Vivek Sharma, Co-Founder and CEO of Movable Ink.
The report, based on aggregate email open data from over 100 enterprise B2C brands, offers critical insights into the current email marketing landscape:
- The growing role that tablets are playing in the mobile shift
- The latest in the battle between iOS and Android
- Differences in email engagement across smartphones, desktops, and tablets
- Geographic variances in smartphone adoption
During the third quarter of 2013, 61% of emails were opened on either a smartphone or tablet device.


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More than a week after the arrest of the elusive North Pond Hermit, it remains unclear what led Christopher Knight to hide in the Maine woods for 27 years and what might become of him.
While Knight strived to avoid human contact, he depended on his neighbors in rural Rome and Smithfield, breaking into seasonal camps and cottages to steal food, batteries and other supplies that kept him alive for nearly three decades.
Behavior experts who were interviewed Thursday declined to diagnose Knight's motives or psychological makeup without examining him, but they offered various assessments and possible explanations for the reclusive, obsessive-compulsive and anti-social behavior described by police, neighbors and others.
"He's bright, you've got to give him credit for that," said Bill Thornton, a psychology professor at the University of Southern Maine.
"It's impressive that he was able to go undetected for so long and do the recon to know when people wouldn't be home," Thornton said. "If you took one of my students and dropped them in the middle of the woods and told them to survive, I don't think it would go so well."
Police say they believe Knight committed more than 1,000 burglaries before finally being caught in the act on April 4, while taking food from the Pine Tree Camp in Rome, one of his favorite targets. They say he was carrying a wad of cash that had grown moldy because he never ventured into a store.
Now 47, Knight was 20 when he went into the woods to live in isolation and deprivation, surviving as a petty thief. At the time, most of his peers were heading out into the world, getting jobs, going to college, forming relationships and starting families.
"It goes against what most people consider typical human behavior," Thornton said.
Knight has offered few clues to why he left society. He told police that he had a good childhood in Albion, that he has always been interested in hermits, and that he loved the book "Robinson Crusoe," about a man stranded on an island for decades.
Police say Knight told them he went into the woods after the explosion of the Chernobyl nuclear plant in the Soviet Union in April 1986. But he remembers the event more to recall his date of departure than to explain his motivation.
Behavior experts said painful social awkwardness, emotional trauma or the onset of mental illness, which can occur in the late teens and early 20s, may have prompted Knight to seek a permanent way to avoid human contact.
"It's possible that he had experiences in childhood and early adulthood that led him to disengage from society," said John DeLamater, a sociology professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who specializes in intimate relationships and communication.
Thirty years ago, society was less tolerant of, and educated about, challenges that crop up in childhood and adolescence, including sexual identity and orientation issues, learning disabilities and behavioral disorders that might lead a young person to seek isolation, experts said.
After several uncomfortable or undesirable experiences, avoiding human contact might evolve from a possible option to an actual objective, Thornton said.
Knight described behaviors to police that might indicate an obsessive-compulsive disorder or an extraordinary ability to focus that is common among people with autism spectrum disorders, Thornton said.
Knight told police that he stayed in his camp fashioned from brown tarps during the day and ventured out only at night, to avoid being seen.
He spent most days reading books that he stole from neighbors or meditating at his well-camouflaged campsite, sitting on a bucket, looking up at the sky and watching eagles. He walked on roots, rocks and stumps to avoid leaving tracks.
He usually gained weight in the fall so he could eat less during the winter and avoid making treks for food that would leave footprints in the snow. He spent freezing winter days wrapped in layered sleeping bags, rather than start fires that might draw unwanted attention.
"To be that hyperfocused is extremely unusual behavior, and he's apparently very good at it," Thornton said. "It's important to find out what was going on 30 years ago and before that. There had to have been something going on in middle school and even grade school."
Experts acknowledged that it's not unusual for people to seek social isolation. Some people have little social interaction other than in the workplace and the grocery store. But extreme examples such as Knight's are rare, said Dr. Jacqueline Olds, a psychiatrist who teaches at Harvard Medical School.
Olds recalled an Asian student at an American university who was so ashamed of his failing grades that he hid in the rafters of a church for more than seven years, surviving on food from the church's kitchen, rather than return home and face his family.
Given the extended period that Knight separated himself from humans, including family members in Albion, Olds said she would worry about his state of mind.
"When you're that out of touch with people for that long, you can get carried away with crazy thinking," Olds said. "Human interaction is what keeps us all reined in."
Facing burglary and theft charges, Knight has an uncertain future. His current stay at the Kennebec County jail could be especially difficult for a man who has kept his own schedule, lived outdoors and avoided people for most of his life, Thornton said.
Trying to resume a lifestyle sustained by stealing likely would prove troublesome. At the same time, working a regular job could be difficult for someone who considered fishing and hunting too taxing.
Knight's options might include living in a halfway house and having occupational training for low-intensity jobs such as stocking store shelves at night, Thornton said.
Experts said they hope he is being evaluated and supported by mental health professionals who will help him transition back into society.
"It's going to be a big step to get him to confront whatever he's been trying to avoid for 27 years," Thornton said.
Kennebec Journal Staff Writers Craig Crosby and Betty Adams contributed to this report.
Staff Writer Kelley Bouchard can be contacted at 791-6328 or at:
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Secretary Arne Duncan Testifies Before the House Education and Labor Committee
May 20, 2009Speaker sometimes deviates from text. Thank you Chairman Miller, Representative McKeon, and all the members of the committee for the invitation to be here today. It is my pleasure to share with you President Obama's plan for American education. It is a comprehensive plan that meets the educational needs of our youngest citizens from cradle to career. If we are going to be successful in rebuilding our economy, our early childhood programs need to prepare our youngest children for kindergarten so they're ready to start reading and learning, our K-12 schools need to make sure our students have all of the academic knowledge and skills that they need to enter college or the workforce, and our higher education system needs to offer whatever advanced learning students need to be successful in a career, whether they will become a plumber, a teacher, or a business executive. As federal policymakers, we need to improve preparation for college and expand college access and completion by increasing financial aid so that students of all income levels can pay for college without taking on a mountain of debt.
I'm proud to work for a President who has created a comprehensive agenda that addresses the needs at every level of our educational system, from expanding access to high-quality early childhood programs to improving the rigor of the academic programs in our K-12 schools to making college more affordable and accessible.
We have gotten off to a fast start. Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, we have laid the groundwork for reform on the K-12 level and made an early down payment on expanding access to early childhood education and increasing student aid for college students. The law made available almost $100 billion for education. That money will help prevent layoffs, fill holes in state and local budgets, and provide financial aid to college students. The money is needed to help our economy in the short term, but reforms efforts driven by these funds will be the key to our long-term economic success.
Under the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund, states will receive $48.6 billion to supplement their own budgets during these difficult economic times. The Recovery Act says that states must spend most of that funding on education. $39.8 billion of that should go to schools.
I want to assure you that I will be scrutinizing how states spend their stabilization money to make sure they are focused on education. I have heard that some states plan to use their stabilization money so as to maintain their rainy day fund and that others may rely on their stabilization grants to pay for tax cuts instead of investing in reforms. I will do everything in my power to reject any schemes that would subvert the intended purpose of the Recovery Act, which is to help schools through the economic downturn and push reform, thereby ensuring our economic prosperity in the future. When reviewing applications for the Race to the Top Fund, we plan to consider whether a state used their stabilization money to aggressively push reforms.
In addition to helping states solve their budget problems, the stabilization fund lays out a path to reform. To receive their money, states must make four commitments that are essential to reforming our K-12 schools. They will improve the effectiveness of teachers and make sure the best teachers are in the schools that need them the most. They will promise to improve the quality of their academic standards so that they lead students down a path that prepares them for college and the workforce and global competitiveness. These standards need to be aligned with strong assessments. In addition, states must work to ensure that these assessments accurately measure the achievement of English language learners and students with disabilities.
Under the third assurance, states must commit to fixing their lowest-performing schools. Finally, states must build data systems that can track student performance from one year to the next, from one school to another, so that those students and their parents know when they are making progress and when they need extra attention. This information must also be put in the hands of educators so they can use it to improve instruction. Right now, according to the Data Quality Campaign (DQC), Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Louisiana, and Utah are the only states that are reporting to have comprehensive data systems meeting the basic elements of a good system. With $250 million in the stimulus and another $65 million in our annual budget for fiscal year 2009 and again in fiscal year 2010, we expect these numbers to continue to grow, which is vital for reform.
In addition to the stabilization money, the Recovery Act gave us $5 billion to spur innovation in states and districts. Through the Race to the Top Fund, we will be awarding $4.35 billion in competitive grants to states built around the four pillars of reform outlined in the stabilization fund. Through the What Works and Innovation Fund, we also will be awarding $650 million in competitive grants to districts and non-profit organizations to scale up successful programs and evaluate promising practices.
Our fiscal year 2010 budget will expand our commitment to reforms in several important ways, addressing the needs from early childhood through K-12 education.
Under the Title I program, we will provide $1.5 billion for the School Improvement program. This money is vital for helping states and districts address problems in schools in the most trouble. We already have $3 billion for this program from the Recovery Act and another $545 million from fiscal year 2009. By adding $1.5 billion in fiscal year 2010, we'll have more than $5 billion to address the problems of our lowest-performing schools. I'd like to set a goal to turn around 1,000 low-performing schools a year for each of the next five years. I don't want to invest in the status quo. I want states and districts to take bold actions that will lead directly to the improvement in student learning. I want local leaders to find change agents who can fix these schools. I want them to provide incentives for their best teachers to take on the challenge of teaching in these schools. And where appropriate, I want them to create partnerships with charter school operators with a track record of success. I want superintendents to be aggressive in taking the difficult step of shutting down a failing school and replacing it with one they know will work. We've proposed a $52 million increase in funding to develop and expand successful charter schools.
Many of you have heard me say that I believe education is the civil rights issue of our time. I truly believe every child is entitled to a high-quality education. I will work closely with the Office of Civil Rights to make sure that we properly review compliance in all programs and policymaking.
The fiscal year 2010 budget starts new programs and expands existing ones to address our priorities in early childhood education and literacy. We will create the $300 million Early Learning Challenge Fund that will award grants to help states set up the support and services necessary to build quality early childhood education. We will provide $500 million in grants through Title I to help districts use their Title I money to establish and expand preschool programs. We will expand the Striving Readers program from a small $35 million program focused on middle school and high schools to a $370 million program that addresses the reading needs of children in elementary schools as well. The program will take a comprehensive approach to reading instruction, ensuring that students develop the basic skills as well as the reading comprehension that is so vital to their success in high school and beyond.
We also continue our focus on promoting the teaching profession. With $517 million in our fiscal year 2010 budget, we will continue and expand our support for local efforts under the Teacher Incentive Fund to develop comprehensive strategies for recruiting, preparing, rewarding, and retaining effective teachers. We also request $10 million to plan new Promise Neighborhoods, modeled on the successful Harlem Children's Zone. We are committed to acting on the evidence. And we request $72 million more for the Institute for Education Sciences, so we can identify what works based on rigorous research.
Our agenda from early childhood through 12th grade is focused on helping states do the right thing. And that's appropriate because States are responsible for establishing systems of education through the 12th grade. It's our role to make it a national priority to reform schools and help states and districts do that.
For more than 40 years, the federal government has played a leading role in helping students pay for college. Continuing this vital role, the total amount of aid for students has increased by $32 billion since President Obama has taken office. By subsidizing loans and by providing work-study programs and, most importantly, giving Pell Grants to low-income students, the federal government is fulfilling the dreams of students who want to go to college but might not be able to pay for it. President Obama has set a goal that, by 2020, the United States once again will have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world. That's an achievable goal but, to do that, we have to make college affordable.
The Recovery Act made an important down-payment on our plans to expand student aid. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act provided $17.1 billion so we could raise the maximum Pell award from $4,731 to $5,350. It also added $200 million to the Work-Study program, providing colleges and universities with additional money to provide jobs to students to help with their college and living expenses.
In our fiscal year 2010 budget, we make three important and permanent changes to ensure students have access to student aid and loans. The first thing it will do is move the Pell Grant program from a discretionary program into a mandatory, appropriated entitlement. This approach will provide more certainty to students and families applying for student aid about the aid that's available to them. In addition, the Pell Grant amounts will grow annually at a rate higher than inflation so that it keeps up with rising college costs.
The second thing this budget does is address the problems with the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) program. I think we can all agree that the FFEL structure is broken and the federal student loan programs are in need of a dependable, cost-effective way of providing college-bound students and their families with the resources they need to meet the growing cost of postsecondary education. The direct lending program is the best way to do that. Through it, we are able to leverage the government's lower cost of funds to finance and originate student loans and private-sector expertise to service the loans. The President's proposal provides a comprehensive and reliable solution for today's students while saving taxpayers over $4 billion a year. It will be more stable and efficient – reducing risk for students and lowering costs for taxpayers.
The third thing we are doing is boosting the Perkins loan program from $1 billion to $6 billion per year. The number of students served will rise from 500,000 to 2.7 million – and the number of schools that can participate in the program will increase from 1,800 to 4,400, which also means that we will serve more students. Also, to help keep college affordable our Perkins proposal allocates funds to schools based on their role in keeping tuition down and providing grant aid to needy students. This further builds upon Congress' recent mandate to create watch lists of colleges with high or excessive increases in tuition.
In closing, I'd like to remind you of one thing the President said when he addressed Congress in February. "In a global economy where the most valuable skill you can sell is your knowledge, a good education is no longer just a pathway to opportunity -- it is a prerequisite."
Thank you for your support so far in ensuring that our children and young adults have the education they need to ensure they enter the workforce with the knowledge and skills they need to be successful and to help rebuild our economy.
"A child's learning is the function more of the characteristics of his classmates than those of the teacher." James Coleman, 1972
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Duncan's Testimony
Duncan's testimony is largely a summary of previous statements. He begins the session with a discussion related to the recent report about student safety (this GAO report, released Monday, outlines). "I was deeply disturbed by some of the testimony coming out of yesterday's hearing," Duncan said. Was he disturbed by the reports about KIPP Fresno? The physical safety of our children is certainly important; the psychological and emotional safety should be a deep concern as well, a concept ignored by the charter chain gangs and philanthrocapitalists. We've banned pedagogical approaches that employ corporal harm; I hope we eventually outlaw pedagogical approaches that are psychologically and emotionally degrading, the kind of education designed to break children down instead of recognizing our human capacity and inherent value of every child.
This testimony is only what Duncan hopes to do - but he'll be backed by philanthrocapialists and the business community. His endless stream of bogus statistics and questionable logic needs to be demystified so that the rest of America can see that the Education Emperor is not wearing any clothes:
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After your GPX purchase, you can get GPX updates for free by re-downloading them from your My Adventure Cycling account.
GPX Data products consist of track and service waypoint files in gpx (GPS Exchange Format) file format to be used on a GPS device, smartphone, or tablet. These products are suggested as a companion product to the printed Adventure Cycling Route maps and feature the same services listed on the physical maps. More information about GPX Data for Devices can be found here.
Expect urban cycling conditions with traffic from Tempe to the turn northward toward Usery Pass. After turning onto SR 87, there is a five-mile section of narrow road with no shoulder. Full service towns include Tonto Basin, Roosevelt, Globe, and Safford. Services on U.S. 70 are minimal in eastern Arizona. In Duncan, replenish your stock of food and water. Services are limited for the next 77 miles to Silver City. A two-mile detour to Lordsburg is an option for full services. Once you reach Silver City, New Mexico, you have a choice. The main route goes through rolling terrain; enroute you'll pass the Santa Rita Open Pit Copper Mine. In comparison, the Gila Cliff Dwellings Alternate is 69 miles longer. The alternate goes through historic Pinos Altos and climbs and descends through thick pine forests before reaching the Gila River drainage. This very scenic road is narrow and winding and caution is urged, especially on the descents. After leaving the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, you ride through forests and meadows, and begin another gradual ascent to the Continental Divide. SR 152 is winding and steep with intermittent shoulders over Emory Pass, the highest point on the Southern Tier. In the next 35 miles you'll drop 3,800 feet to the Caballo Reservoir. From here to El Paso the route parallels the Rio Grande and I-25. SR 28 winds through small towns, farm fields, and pecan groves into El Paso. Click on enlargement for detail.
More information about this route is available here.
GPX Data Resources
* These products are delivered in compressed zip files. Instructions on extracting the data are located here.
**NOTE: Occasionally, the GPX data you purchase will be newer than the paper map currently being sold. They may still be used together. See the Tracks and Service Points FAQs for more information.**
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text:
Coach Richard La China is a Professional mountain bike racer, IMBA Certified Skills Instructor and a USA Cycling Certified Coach.
Richard works with beginner to pro mountain bike racers as well as non-competitive recreational riders seeking to become their best.
Tahoe 100 2015He is great coach for a mountain biker looking to improve their skills and fitness. Richard has been racing mountain bikes for the last 24 years.
Leadville 100 2015Richard's experience on the mountain bike, his race results, as well as his dedication and understanding of training principles and riding skills, show that he knows what it takes to help you achieve your cycling goals. When Richard isn't coaching, training or racing, he loves to spend time with his kids, fly airplanes / helicopters, listen to live music and play his guitar.


text:
What Do You Look For?
I'm asked this question all the time. Is it team? Is it the idea? Is it product? Is it market?
The answer is that it is all of them and most importantly it is the way they all come together in a single company. Why is this the right team to do this? Can they package their idea correctly for the market? Is the market ready for their product?
I saw this 15 second clip at the end of one of the startup stories videos and it does a good job of explaining this "the way they come together" notion.


text:
Tulip Arch Clay Cutter
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Ask a question
Our clay cutters are 3D printed from PLA and specifically designed to be used with polymer clay.
Cutters have a thin cutting edge, but are designed to be sturdy at the same time.
We clean any leftover strings from the 3D printing process but do not sand the cutters.
Clean gently by hand with soap and water and do not place in the dishwasher (it can cause warping).
⭐ We are located in Palm Beach Gardens, FL (USA)
⭐ Please see shop announcement for current shipping times.
⭐ International shipping available based on USPS availability.
⭐ The filament displayed on computer monitor may be different from what is shown. The color will not affect the quality of the cutters.


text:
BumperDoc Doral is your one stop shop for auto body, dent repair, window tinting and, of course, same day bumper repair. In most cases, we can fix your damaged bumper instead of replacing it, and save you hundreds of dollars in the process.
BumperDoc offers many other convenient services all under one roof, including: auto body and collision repair, professional auto detailing, door ding and dent removal, scratched and bent wheel repair, cloudy headlight restoration, interior repair, windshield replacement - all in addition to our same day bumper repair service. We can also work with your insurance company if you are making a claim. BumperDoc works on all makes and models of vehicles.


text:
Provital aims to lighten hyperpigmentation with an extract of Borhaavia diffusa. Melavoid (INCI: Propanediol (and) Water (aqua) (and) Boerhavia Diffusa Root Extract) has dual lightening action: it prevents hyperpigmentation by working on the initial phase of melanin synthesis, and it reduces dark spots in number and intensity.
The product is obtained from the roots of punarnava (Boerhaavia diffusa), standardized in boeravinones. An in silico screening demonstrated that boeravinone B, a component of Boerhaavia diffusa, is suitable to act as a natural agonist of PPARy. This material genetically modulates melanocytes, resulting in decreased tyrosinase expression and melanin synthesis.
In vivo clinicals on a panel of Asian volunteers showed the active decreased skin pigmentation intensity, resulting in a lighter, more uniform complexion. It also reduced the number and intensity of hyperpigmentation spots of various origins.
The active is recommended at 1-3% in facial lightening treatments, facial and hand spot lightening treatments, skin lightening body milks, neck and décolletage treatments, photo-aging repair treatments, anti-aging treatments, makeup lines and deodorants. It is soluble in aqueous solutions.


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Long before Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger picked up the nickname "Big Ben," there was a large clock tower just off the Thames River in London that had a bell that went by the same name.
Now the two Big Bens are coming together in advance of the Steelers' visit to Wembley Stadium to take on the Vikings during the 2013 season. Roethlisberger will be in the United Kingdom this week to promote that game as well as remind Londoners about why we're celebrating Independence Day this Thursday.
Mostly he'll be there to promote the game, though. Roethlisberger will hold a forum Tuesday with 30 fans selected to ask him questions about his career, playing in London and more. The fans have to be members of the Union Jax, the UK fan club for the Jaguars that NFLUK launched to celebrate Jacksonville's commitment to playing games in the UK for the next four seasons.
With a new member of the royal family coming any day now, Roethlisberger might also want to leave a few boxes of Terrible Towels at Buckingham Palace for Prince William. You can never have enough towels on hands with a newborn in the house, so you might as well take advantage of that by marketing the team to a potential new fan at the same time.


text:
Gabriel Bourque scores twice, Predators take Game 1
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Detroit Red Wings insisted they wanted the chance to open the postseason on the road. The Nashville Predators have given them a rude reminder of how tough life away from Detroit can be.
Gabriel Bourque scored two goals in his postseason debut, and Nashville held onto home-ice advantage by beating the Red Wings 3-2 on Wednesday night to open their Western Conference playoff series.
"We know the next game's going to be a lot harder than this one," Nashville coach Barry Trotz said. "We're OK with that."
Game 2 is Friday night in Nashville.
Paul Gaustad scored his first postseason goal, and Pekka Rinne made 35 saves. The Predators started at home after edging Detroit for the No. 4 seed, and they started their third postseason series against their Central Division rival with their first win in the opening game.
"It was amazing," Rinne said about the atmosphere. "It's unbelievable. These guys, they always have that extra gear, and for sure we try to take advantage of it."
Henrik Zetterberg and Tomas Holmstrom scored power-play goals for Detroit.
The Red Wings lost center Darren Helm in the first period, and coach Mike Babcock said Helm was having surgery for a cut on his right forearm. Babcock said he had no word on the severity of the injury except it was bad enough the center was taken immediately to a hospital.
Nashville gave Detroit 44 seconds of a 5-on-3 power play when Ryan Suter was called for slashing at with 3:52 to go. The Predators killed it off, but Holmstrom scored with 2:07 left to give Detroit a chance.
After Holmstrom's goal, Nashville took its timeout while Babcock pulled Jimmy Howard for the extra attacker. With 22.9 seconds left, Martin Erat went to the box for holding, but the Predators sealed up the victory.
"Anytime you lose Game 1, especially when you're the road team, I think it's a great opportunity to win a game for sure," Babcock said. "Now we just have to get refocused and we've got to win a game in here."
The action didn't end with the final horn and could result in league punishment. Nashville captain Shea Weber pounded Zetterberg's head into the glass, and Weber said Zetterberg hit him first from behind. Weber said the series is a battle with both teams wanting to win and not back down.
Trotz backed up his captain and noted Detroit right wing Todd Bertuzzi had a "big-time haymaker" on Gaustad after that.
"I just think Zetterberg was getting tired at the end," Trotz said. "He knew Webs was there and the game was over."
Babcock said he hadn't seen the replay and was far away on the bench.
Detroit came in with all the tradition thanks to 11 Stanley Cups against a Nashville franchise that has been using the Red Wings as its measuring stick since hitting the ice in 1998-99. Detroit also is the team Nashville has played the most in the postseason with nine of the first 12 games decided by two goals or fewer and the Red Wings taking first-round series in 2004 and 2008.
The Red Wings spent the past few days talking about how they enjoyed the chance to start on the road for a change, even though they went 17-21-3 away from home this season.
They came into a sold-out Bridgestone Arena with much less of the Detroit red the Red Wings usually see in Nashville. The Red Wings held the NHL's best power play in the regular season scoreless on six chances, which included 1:14 of a 5-on-3 in the first.
"That's why they call it a series," Detroit defenseman Brad Stuart said. "There's more than one game, and we have the opportunity to make up for it."
It was tied at 1 with Detroit firing away at Rinne, trying to take the lead when Matt Halischuk shot at the net just after crossing the blue line. Bourque tipped it into the far corner of the net for a 2-1 lead at 12:29 of the second for a shot Howard had no chance at stopping.
Bourque scored what wound up as the winner at 11:35 with a wrister from the slot off an assist from Nick Spaling and Patric Hornqvist.
The Predators played without one of their biggest trade acquisitions. Defenseman Hal Gill was scratched because of a lower-body injury.
But Gaustad scored at 6:59 for a 1-0 lead. Nashville sent Buffalo its first-round pick in June for Gaustad, and he responded by scoring his first postseason goal by throwing the puck toward the crease as he skated behind the net, and it banked off Stuart's left skate past Howard. It also was Gaustad's first goal with Nashville.
Commissioner Gary Bettman was in attendance, and that might be why officials stayed busy calling plenty of penalties with six in the first period alone and 17 overall for a combined 34 minutes.
During Nashville's second power play, Helm dropped a glove on the ice and raced to the locker room.
Nashville outshot Detroit 13-5 in the first. The Red Wings took the first seven shots of the second and took advantage when defenseman Roman Josi was called for cross-checking at 1:10 of the period. Zetterberg scored at 2:29 of the first, beating Rinne with the goalie sprawled out on his back.
Nashville had a power play of its own on a tripping call on Zetterberg but couldn't manage a shot. The Predators didn't take a shot until Weber nearly nine minutes into the period before Bourque's redirect put them ahead to stay.
"Let's be honest," Babcock said. "Their first goal and their second goal were kind of seeing-eye pucks. Those things happen in the playoffs. They won today. We're going to come back next game."
Game notes
Nashville also had a franchise-record 25 sellouts during the regular season. ... Gaustad came in with eight assists in 38 playoff games before scoring his first postseason goal. ... Nashville F Jordin Tootoo, one of three Predators who played in their first playoff against Detroit in 2004, was a healthy scratch. ... Nashville right wing Brandon Yip had an assist on Gaustad's goal. He has five points (2 goals, 3 assists) in seven career playoff games. ... Zetterberg's goal was his 50th in the postseason. He led Detroit with six points against Nashville during the regular season.
NSH leads 1-0
Game Information
- Linesmen:
- Scott Driscoll


text:
Not Screws and Bolts
The aim of these notes is to give you root access to a Debian "lenny" installation on on your existing computer without worrying about any hardware issues. To do this, you will not need to re-boot your computer, and will only append to the existing data on it.
The question of why1 you may want to do this is addressed in the last section, along with various philosophical issues. You may want to read that section, if you start wondering whether the steps described are worth all the trouble.
The instructions will assume that you are in at least one of the following categories of people:
- experienced user of Debian GNU/Linux
- developer of software on GNU/Linux
- experienced developer of software
The complexity of steps you need to carry out is directly proportional to the "distance" between your existing computer installation and Debian "lenny". The case when you are already running Debian GNU/Linux with root access is the topic of another article (available in Linux Gazette, as well). So we deal with the following cases:
- Your computer is running GNU/Linux, and you have root access.
- You are logged in as a non-root user on GNU/Linux.
- You are running some other operating/system on your computer.
These three cases roughly correspond to the three categories of users listed above in terms of skill required. In all cases, we will make use of network access (though this can be avoided) so your computer should have a reasonable speed link to the Internet.
- 1 The root suite
- 1.1 Doing the base thing
- 2 Root-less explorer
- 2.1 Polishing the UML
- 3 Birds of another feather
- 3.2 Adding some nuts
- 4 Why and eggs
The root suite
Start by getting root access to a GNU/Linux system. We don't
really care how you do it, though we encourage you to do the
lawful thing at all times! This system should have
, perl
, bash
, tar
, and GNU coreutils
You also need to have some block device with adequate space.
In what follows, we will assume that the bash
variable BLK_DEV
contains the full path to this
block device.
If you have disk space but no free partition, then you can do the following:
mkdir -p /var/lib/images
dd if=/dev/zero bs=1M count=2000 of=/var/lib/images/loop.base
BLK_DEV=$(losetup -f)
losetup -f $BLK_DEV /var/lib/images/loop.base
Doing the base thing
Create a new file system on the block device:
mke2fs $BLK_DEV
mount $BLK_DEV /mnt
mkdir /mnt/root
cd /mnt/root
Find the Debian
mirror that is nearest to you (in terms of network
connectivity), and set the variable DEBIAN_MIR
contain the URL of this mirror (including the trailing
). Browse the sub-URL
to locate a recent version of
, and let DEBOOTSTRAP_URL
contain the full URL for this version.
Download and extract debootstrap.deb
wget $DEBOOTSTRAP_URL -o debootstrap.deb
ar xv debootstrap.deb
tar xzf data.tar.gz
The next step is to set things up to run
chmod +x /mnt/root/usr/sbin/debootstrap
mkdir -p /usr/share
export DEBOOTSTRAP_DIR
Finally, use this to install "lenny" in /mnt
eval $DEBOOTSTRAP lenny /mnt $DEBIAN_MIR
Just a little clean up job at the end:
rm -rf /mnt/root/*
cd /
You then have a brand-new shiny Debian lenny image in
mounted at /mnt
. This can be
used in different ways, the simplest being something like:
umount /mnt
mkdir -p /srv/chroot/lenny
cat >> /etc/fstab <<EOF
$BLK_DEV /srv/chroot/lenny ext2 defaults 0 0
mount /srv/chroot/lenny
The command to use this image will then be
DEB_ROOT_CMD="chroot /srv/chroot/lenny"
You could also use the image with schroot, vserver, openVZ, kvm or Xen. The latter two will require the addition of an appropriate Linux kernel in a manner similar to that in the section on "Adding some nuts".
Root-less explorer
When you do not have root access to your GNU/Linux machine (or you have root access but do not want to use it), you must first perform some preliminary steps.
The most crucial step is to get User Mode Linux (UML) working on your GNU/Linux system. How easy this is will depend on your distribution and on how much software is already installed by your GNU/Linux system administrator. We will also need to use networking with UML. The method that does not need root intervention uses Slirp; this is what the steps outlined below use.
To check that your installation of this software is adequate for our purposes, you should run the following test:
UML_CMD='linux root=/dev/root rootfstype=hostfs rootflags=/ \
eth0=slirp,,slirp-fullbolt con0=fd:0,fd:1 \
umid=mkimg init=/bin/bash'
eval $UML_CMD
Of course, if you use something other than slirp
for networking, then you should use the appropriate
This should give you a root prompt. You should check that
networking works, and then shut down your UML with halt
. To set up networking you run a sequence of commands
like the following (which are for slirp
ifconfig eth0 up
ifconfig eth0 10.0.2.15 netmask 255.255.255.0
route add default dev eth0
Test it by trying to connect to some local service like ssh at
, or to some Internet service like your
nearest Debian mirror.
Also, set the variable UML_DIR
to the path that
contains the modules for your UML kernel.
At this point, you could skip the rest of this section and
install rootstrap
by downloading the source from the
sub-directory pool/main/r/rootstrap
of your nearest
Debian mirror. This can be configured to carry out the remaining
steps in this section automatically,
Proceeding manually, create a file to hold a file-system image:
mkdir -p $WKDIR
dd if=/dev/zero bs=1M count=2000 of=$WKDIR/uml.img
and boot the system with
eval $UML_CMD udb0=uml.img
You will get a root prompt in your UML.
Start by setting up some important filesystems like
, /dev
, /sys
and /verb/lib/modules. On a Debian system, this
would be done by executing commands given below. Do the right
thing for your system! (Hint: Look at what file systems are
listed in /proc/mounts
/etc/init.d/mountkernfs.sh start
/etc/init.d/udev start
mount --bind $UML_DIR /lib/modules/
mount -t tmpfs tmpfs /tmp
Also setup networking as outlined above. Next, create device
node for ubd0
and set it as the block device.
mknod /tmp/ubd0 b 98 0
The final step is to setup the PATH variable if that is not set automatically:
export PATH
You are now in a position where you can follow the instructions in the section on "Doing the base thing". After that, some more steps need to be carried out to setup this image to boot as a UML image.
Polishing the UML
If you have followed things so far, you should have used
to create a Debian lenny filesystem
under /mnt
Enter the image using chroot
mount -t proc proc /mnt/proc
chroot /mnt
Install udev
which is what Debian uses for
managing the /dev
apt-get update
apt-get install udev
If you don't want to use udev
, then you need to
create the device nodes manually; in that case, don't forget to
create /dev/ubd*
for the filesystem-image-based
block devices.
Next, create an appropriate /etc/fstab
cat >> /etc/fstab <<EOF
/dev/ubda / ext2 defaults 0 1
proc /proc proc defaults 0 0
tmpfs /tmp tmpfs defaults,size=768M 0 0
and the network configuration file:
cat >> /etc/network/interfaces <<EOF
auto lo
iface lo inet loopback
auto eth0
iface eth0 inet static
address 10.0.2.15
netmask 255.255.0.0
up route add -net 0.0.0.0 dev eth0
up route add -net 0.0.0.0 gw 10.0.2.2
Then, exit the chroot, and copy the modules directory:
cp -a $UML_MOD/. /mnt/lib/modules/.
Finally, unmount /mnt
and halt the UML
umount /mnt/proc
umount /mnt
halt -f
The command for entering the new system is:
DEB_ROOT_CMD="linux root=/dev/ubda ubd0=$WKDIR/uml.img \
eth0=slirp,,slirp-fullbolt \
con0=fd:0,fd:1 con=pty \
umid=lenny ro"
This will attach getty
s to your terminal and to
a number of pseudo-ttys on your system. You can use any of these
to login to your Debian "lenny" system; no root password is
Birds of another feather
The Qemu system is a way to run different systems inside another system. We will use it to run Debian "lenny".
The critical step is to get qemu
working along
with some usable GNU/Linux disk image. For example, the
archive contains vmlinuz
, initrd
, which can be booted as follows:
QEMU_CMD="qemu -hda image -snapshot -kernel vmlinuz -initrd initrd \
-append ' root=/dev/hda quiet console=ttyS0 ro single' \
-no-reboot -nographic"
eval $QEMU_CMD
At the prompt, you press Enter to get a root prompt.
On the other hand, you may have a bootable disk image
lying around, which you could test with some
command like:
$QEMU_CMD="qemu -hda hdimage -snapshot -boot c -no-reboot"
eval $QEMU_CMD
This image should have a working bash
, tar
and GNU coreutils (at the
very least). You should also have some way to transfer data from
inside the Qemu to the outside.
Note that the -snapshot
option to
ensures that you do not write to your image
file. After testing the image, you can halt the system, and it will
not have written anything to your image.
Now, create a qemu image to hold the file-system:
mkdir -p $WKDIR
cd $WKDIR
qemu-img create -f qcow2 lenny.img 500M
and boot the system with
eval $QEMU_CMD -hdb lenny.img
At the root prompt, set BLK_DEV=/dev/hdb
You are now in a position where you can apply the instructions in the section on "Doing the base thing". After that, you will need to carry out some more steps to make the image bootable under Qemu, as explained below.
Adding some nuts
At this point you should be in qemu
mounted at /mnt
. You need to
add a kernel to your Debian "lenny" file-system, to get it ready
to boot.
First, enter it with chroot
mount -t proc proc /mnt/proc
chroot /mnt
and install an appropriate Linux kernel, according to your architecture:
apt-get update
apt-get install linux-image-2.6-686
(Select the option to create an initrd image when prompted.)
Next, create some required files on this file-system. The
cat >> /etc/fstab <<EOF
/dev/hda / ext2 defaults 0 1
proc /proc proc defaults 0 0
tmpfs /tmp tmpfs defaults,size=768M 0 0
and the network configuration file:
cat >> /etc/network/interfaces <<EOF
auto lo
iface lo inet loopback
auto eth0
iface eth0 inet static
address 10.0.2.15
netmask 255.255.0.0
up route add -net 0.0.0.0 dev eth0
up route add -net 0.0.0.0 gw 10.0.2.2
We also setup the /etc/inittab
to use serial port
sed -i -e '/^#T[01]/s/^#//' /etc/inittab
You can now exit the chroot.
The kernel and initrd need to be extracted from the image and
put into the workdir $WKDIR
, so that you can boot
using them. For example, you could use the ssh client dropbear,
which is on the image (if you used the downloadable one).
cat /mnt/boot/vmlinuz* | \
dbclient firstname.lastname@example.com 'cat > $WKDIR/vmlinuz'
cat /mnt/boot/initrd* | \
dbclient firstname.lastname@example.com 'cat > $WKDIR/initrd'
Finally, you can unmount the image and halt the system:
umount /mnt/proc
umount /mnt
halt -f
The command for using the new system is:
DEB_ROOT_CMD="qemu -hda $WKDIR/lenny.img \
-kernel vmlinuz -initrd initrd \
-append ' root=/dev/hda console=ttyS0 ro' \
-no-reboot -nographic"
You can add the -snapshot
option to avoid
overwriting the image by mistake while you are playing with this
Why and eggs
Why would one choose this method of installing Debian, when there is the new and revamped Debian installer that even has a graphical installer?
This article was created primarily to help the people who belong to the categories listed in the introduction, and want to develop software for Debian. All such people need to have a nicely working Debian environment in which they can build and test their packages. They may not want to (or be able to) run the Debian "testing" distribution directly on their hardware. The environment created in the article forms a base where they can install a collection of useful packages and start hacking on Debian.
There is a more philosophical reason why I like this method of installing Debian. I appreciate the enormous amount of effort that people have put into getting all manners of diverse hardware to work with GNU/Linux. However, creating an installer that can be used by any new user of computers is only one way to achieve "World Domination".
There are a number of creative people who could benefit by using Debian to create text, programs, music, graphics, video, but cannot/will not use it natively on their hardware because:
- They own a computer or hardware that is not yet supported by Debian.
- They have hardware that "just works" with some (pre-)installed software (which may be GNU/Linux or some other operating system).
- They work on computers that are maintained by others.
Assuming some of these people actually want to use Debian to be creative, they represent a chicken-and-egg problem for those who advocate using Debian. I hope this article points one way out for them.
There is likely to be some criticism that the methods described above will be very slow, and use a lot of use of network bandwidth. Indeed, using emulation does need good hardware and some tuning. Moreover, using graphics, audio, and video at near-native speeds in such a sandboxed environment requires some work to set up, which should probably form the basis of a second article!
The great 20th century mathematician Andre Weil once said (in response to a request for motivation) something like: "I'm providing the mathematics. You can provide your own motivation." ↩
Talkback: Discuss this article with The Answer Gang
Kapil Hari Paranjape has been a ``hack''-er since his punch-card days.
Specifically, this means that he has never written a ``real'' program.
He has merely tinkered with programs written by others. After playing
with Minix in 1990-91 he thought of writing his first program---a
``genuine'' *nix kernel for the x86 class of machines. Luckily for him a
certain L. Torvalds got there first---thereby saving him the trouble
(once again) of actually writing code. In eternal gratitude he has spent
a lot of time tinkering with and promoting Linux and GNU since those
days---much to the dismay of many around him who think he should
concentrate on mathematical research---which is his paying job. The
interplay between actual running programs, what can be computed in
principle and what can be shown to exist continues to fascinate him.