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The president of Brazil, Dilma Rousseff, spoke this morning at the United Nations and delivered a powerful indictment of spying by the NSA on behalf of the United States. She said, "Without respect for a nation's sovereignty, there is no basis for proper relations among nations," adding that "Brazil knows how to protect itself. Brazil … does not provide shelter to terrorist groups. We are a democratic country."
The Brazilian president is so outraged at American spying, both on her country and on her personal emails and her personal life, that she canceled a state dinner with President Obama.
While most Americans see this as a rift between Brazil in the United States over the issue of our spying on them, President Rousseff highlighted the most important point of all elsewhere in her speech this morning.
She said, "Without the right of privacy, there is no real freedom of speech or freedom of opinion, and so there is no actual democracy."
This is not just true of international relations. It's also true here within the United States.
Back before the Kennedy administration largely put an end to it, J Edgar Hoover was infamous in political circles in Washington DC for his spying on and blackmailing of both American politicians and activists like Martin Luther King. He even sent King tapes of an extramarital affair and suggested that King should consider committing suicide.
That was a shameful period in American history, and most Americans think it is behind us. But the NSA, other intelligence agencies, and even local police departments have put the practice of spying on average citizens in America on steroids.
As Brazil's President points out, without privacy there can be no democracy.
Democracy requires opposing voices; it requires a certain level of reasonable political conflict. And it requires that government misdeeds be exposed. That can only be done when whistleblowers and people committing acts of journalism can do so without being spied upon.
Perhaps a larger problem is that well over half – some estimates run as high as 70% – of the NSA's budget has been outsourced to private corporations. These private corporations maintain an army of lobbyists in Washington DC who constantly push for more spying and, thus, more money for their clients.
With the privatization of intelligence operations, the normal system of checks and balances that would keep government snooping under control has broken down.
We need a new Church Commission to investigate the nature and scope of our government spying both on our citizens and on our allies.
But even more than that we need to go back to the advice that President Dwight Eisenhower gave us as he left the presidency in 1961. Eisenhower warned about the rise of a military-industrial complex, suggesting that private forces might, in their search for profits, override the protective mechanisms that keep government answerable to its people.
That military-industrial complex has become the military-industrial-spying-private-prison complex, and it is far greater a threat to democracy then probably was envisioned by Eisenhower.
Government is the protector of the commons. Government is of by and for we the people. Government must be answerable to the people.
When the functions of government are privatized, all of that breaks down and Government becomes answerable to profit.
It's time to reestablish the clear dividing lines between government functions and corporate functions, between the public space and the private space.
A critically important place to start that is by ending the privatization within our national investigative and spying agencies.
It takes longer to read this sentence than it does to support our work.
We don't have much time left to raise the $15,000 needed to meet Truthout's basic publishing costs this month. Will you take a few seconds to donate and give us a much-needed boost?
We know you are deeply committed to the issues that matter, and you count on us to bring you trustworthy reporting and comprehensive analysis on the real issues facing our country and the world. And as a nonprofit newsroom supported by reader donations, we're counting on you too. If you believe in the importance of an independent, free media, please make a tax-deductible donation today!


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Paddle Hair Brush
Using a paddle brush makes your cuticles lie flat, and this is great for smoothing and detangling hair and boosting its shine and sleekness. Paddle brushes are perfect for all different hair types and textures (from baby-fine to thick long hairstyles), and a good one can last for years.
A paddle brush is usually quite large, flat and wide, and typically made of plastic, timber or ceramic. The head of the paddle is commonly oval or rectangular, and its bristles might be pure boar (which tend to be softer), nylon, ball-tipped nylon, or a mix of boar and nylon. The bristles usually sit on an air cushion, which means they contour your head and provide a stimulating scalp massage while distributing the oil evenly from your roots.
Ion bristles are a great innovation in paddle brushes. An ion is basically an electric charge, and these bristles generate ions from the energy created by your brushing motion and its reaction with the natural crystal in the brush's resin. Ions are said to reduce static and help close the hair cuticle.
Military Hair Brush
Military hair brushes typically have no handle and are held in the palm of the hand. They're mostly a guy's hairbrush and are the kind of thing used for slicked-back conservative hairstyles. You can probably imagine a guy standing there, cigarette in mouth, with one hand running the brush through his hair and the other patting his hair smooth- very Humphrey Bogart.
Like most hair brushes, military brushes come in a basic range of sizes and materials. Depending on how much you want to spend, bristles are either natural boar or nylon, and you can also pick up extra soft military hair brushes (with more bristles placed closer together). These brushes can come with the bristles set on an air cushion for greater scalp stimulation- making them similar to paddle brushes.
Military hair brushes are perfect if you're old school and you like that slicked-back look without the separating lines that a comb can leave. For super smooth grooming, and if you're in a bit of a rush, try 2 military brushes- one in each hand!
Radial/Round Hair Brush (Timber, Ceramic and with Vents)
A radial hairbrush has bristles around the entire head of the brush; in other words the bristles make the brush look round like a roller. If your hair's quite thick, you've got a good blow-dryer, and you want some delicious big curls, then a radial brush is essential.
There are various kinds of radial brushes. They come in different sizes and the larger the brush the bigger the curl you can achieve when blow-drying. Radial hairbrushes are also either timber or ceramic with natural or nylon bristles, or a mix of both. Ceramic brushes are said to hold the heat from the blow-dryer, and these can help mold the hair, protect it from damage caused by heat, as well as reduce static.
Vent holes in the barrel are an effective way of allowing the heat from the blow-dryer to circulate at the roots of the hair and create more volume. Brushes with vent holes are sometimes referred to more generally as vent brushes.
Radial hairbrushes are great for creating curls, but the correct blow-drying technique is probably even more important. Wrap your damp hair around the brush, roll towards the base and dry with heat, then (and this is the essential step) give your hair a blast of cool air to make the curl set.
Half-Radial Hair Brush
A half-radial hair brush is the tool for you if you like wearing your hair flicked up or flicked under; for example, if you've got a bob and you'd like the ends of your hair curved under.
A half-radial hair brush looks like a radial brush that's been cut down the center- in other words it's half a radial brush (curved bristles on one side and flat on the back). The two basic types are timber or plastic, with either natural or nylon bristles. Plastic half-radial hair brushes sometimes have bristles sitting on an air cushion (similar to paddle brushes), and these are great for massaging your scalp.
The best thing about half-radial hair brushes is that they're perfect for someone with thick hair looking for a nice wave without too much volume. For maximum volume you need a radial hair brush.
Hair Brush Tips
- Make sure that you have the correct hairbrush for the style that you are trying to achieve and for your hair type and texture. A baby-soft bristle is great for fine hair and coarse bristles are perfect for thicker hair. Ask your stylist for more advice.
- Wash your hairbrushes regularly in warm water with a little shampoo and allow the bristles to dry naturally.
- You don't need to buy the most expensive hairbrush- just make sure the bristles are soft enough (natural bristles are usually softer though, and more expensive).
- Use a hairbrush with bristles long enough to reach your scalp. This way they will release your hair's natural oils.
- Use a comb instead of a brush to detangle wet hair (some people even say don't comb it when it's too wet because your hair is weaker when it's wet).
- Regardless of the quality of your hairbrush, you always need to use heat protection products on your hair before blow-drying.
- Don't brush thick, frizzy hair- use a pick comb instead.
Now that you know which hair brush to use, get the right hairstyle with TheHairStyler.com's virtual hairstyler. Finding the right hairstyle is easy at THS, and so is finding the right hair accessories like hair brushes.

subset: commoncrawl


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Good Morning Fellow Crafters and Elisabeth Bell fans,
Wow - What gorgeous creations last month!!!
You all did an amazing job!!!
You all did an amazing job!!!
Are you all ready for a brand new challenge?
Alright I won't hold you up any more, how about we get to the good stuff?
The winner of last months "Summer" challenge is.....
The winner of last months "Summer" challenge is.....
Woo Hoo....Congratulations
Here is her gorgeous creation using "Sweet 'n Sassy" from Whimsy Stamps
please use the "Contact" button on the side bar to claim your prizes, and to set up your project to join us next month if you can.
You may also get your "I WON" blinkie on the side bar.
And of course our top 3
aNNie's Style: Summer Gazeebo 2.
Congrats and THANK YOU for playing with us last month!
You may grab your top 3 blinkie from the side bar. We hope you will wear on your blog with pride!
You may grab your top 3 blinkie from the side bar. We hope you will wear on your blog with pride!
This month our challenge is
"For The Boys"
Will you join us this month?
Remember you MUST use an Elisabeth Bell image.
If you are not sure of the rules for our challenge they can be found at the top of the blog just under the header.
This month, we are sponsored by
PLUS as always, this months winner will have their choice of 2 digital images from
and a chance to join us next month as our guest.
Joining us this month is our last months winner, Linda Simpson.
"Tommy Splashing in Puddles" (Elphine House Australia)
Now....how about a little bit of inspiration from our regular DT?
"Party Present" (Sweet Pea Stamps)
"Little Jack and Bobbin Snoozin'" (Whimsy Stamps)
"Sailing" (Flower Soft USA)
(Coming Soon)
"Duckie" (Elisabeth Bell's Digital Collection)
We can't wait to see what you have to share with us this month.
You have until August 22nd, 6PM Arizona Time to enter.
The Digi Bell's
The Digi Bell's


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KEY Industries Workwear
KEY committed itself to altering the value equation in work wear. To KEY, value does not equal just a low price. Instead, we believe value is what you get for your money. Nowhere will you find greater value than at KEY. This concept is in everything we do, from our products to our services.
As a clothing company, value begins with our products. For instance, at KEY, regardless of the label, all of our adult outerwear is premium 12 oz duck; we reserve 10 oz duck for kids. Where competitors opt for cheap tricot lining, KEY uses high quality fleece and Berber linings. Where competitors opt for zippers to the knee or hip, our zippers are always the maxium length comfort and utility allow. When we claim that a pocket is reinforced, we mean what you think it means: two plies of the same fabric. Other work wear companies slip by with cheesecloth.
KEY Industries History
In 1908, C.A. Lakin and Harry McKey created the Lakin-McKey Manufacturing Company to make premium bib overalls for local miners and railroad workers in Southeast Kansas. Over the next thirty years, Lakin-McKey gained a reputation for its quality work wear.
In 1938, the founding family of Oshkosh B Gosh bought Lakin-McKey and shortened its name to KEY. The family remains committed to the core values set forth by its founders over a century ago: to provide the best clothing possible at the best price possible.
You deserve quality work clothing and KEY aims to provide it.


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Microblogging super service Twitter has revolutionized the social media world. You have even finally jumped onto the band wagon and started following and collecting followers. You might not have over 6 million followers like Ashton Kutcher (of course, who does?), but you're steadily developing your community.
What's next? What else can you do to stand apart from the crowd? You want that wow factor. Short of being a celebrity or sports super star, you can start off by customizing your twitter page background to match your personal or professional brand. But you're not a graphic designer, right?
Dress Your Twitter Background To Impress
If you want to dress your Twitter profile for success, here are six resources that can help you with designing the perfect Twitter background.
Simple to use, though a limited number of backgrounds to choose from, this service will do the heavy lifting for you, and if you choose to log into your Twitter account will actually upload your background directly where it needs to go. Oh, and it's free!
This post has an amazingly thorough, step by step break down of how to use your skills and proficiency with Power Point to create your own, highly customized twitter backgrounds. Just don't create a background that puts your followers to sleep.
Volusion Twitter Background Designs
Perhaps your company is looking to up its game with respect to social media marketing? If you've spent good money to have your company's online presence renovated, the folks at Volusion will take from that work and develop compatible designs for your twitter background as well as tying in the twitter logos on your company website.
Not technically a service per se, this article has a listing of 10 absolute, must know techniques that any quality design service should follow. Whether you are outsourcing your twitter background creation, or you are going for it yourself, checking this tutorial out will provide you with the knowledge and confidence to develop a top notch twitter look.
This studio has created a download that packages a number of backgrounds you can instantly upload to your twitter account. These are professionally created and very slick. Perhaps the best aspect is they are provided to you for free! And if what you can get for nothing is not enough, checking into their paid design services is just a click or two away.
Tweet with Style will provide you with the absolute, most perfect twitter background you could ever imagine. If you've messed around with the free services, and tried some of the low cost downloads but are still not getting the warm and fuzzy affect you've been looking for, you might be well served to pay a little more for a service like this one.
The great news about these folks is that you have unlimited revisions. This means you don't like where that line is, they'll change it for free. Now you don't like the color of that image, they'll change it for free. They will continue to tweak and manipulate your twitter background until you are completely satisfied.
Your Choice
In the world of online marketing, image and first impressions can make all the difference in the world. Aligning your brand message across your website, your Facebook pages, and your Twitter account is one sure way of knocking the socks off of your competition. What resources did you use to design your Twitter background?


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The global carbon market in 2008 grew faster both in terms of volume and value than estimated, dramatically bucking the current downturn that has depressed most global commodity trading, according to a report by Point Carbon, a provider of market intelligence and analysis.
Overall, 2008 saw 4.9 billion tonnes (gigatonnes or Gt) of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) change hands, up 83 percent on 2007, a recent "Carbon Market Monitor" report says.
"Even Point Carbon did not fully predict the extent of the dramatic expansion in global carbon trading. This overshoot of our original forecast is largely due to brisk EU allowance (EUA) trading in the fourth quarter and to high activity in the secondary CER market," said Endre Tvinnereim, senior analyst and author of the report.
The carbon market's total value for 2008 was estimated at €92 billion (US$125 billion), more than double the €40 billion it was worth in 2007. This results in a present weighted average, global carbon price of $26 (€19) per ton of CO2e.
Taking each market segment separately, within the EU's Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS), a total of 3.1 billion EUAs were bought and sold in 2008, double the 2007 figures and with a total value of €67 billion ($90 billion). Over 350 million EUAs changed hands in October alone, taking the 2008 total to over 3.1 billion, according to Point Carbon figures. These figures illustrate that the EU ETS accounts for two-thirds of the total carbon market volume and three-quarters of its value.
Veronique Bugnion, managing director of Trading Analytics and Research at Point Carbon noted that, "This is all the more remarkable since the prices of EUAs have in fact dropped significantly in the past months. Lower allowance prices also highlight the flexibility of a cap-and-trade scheme in automatically adjusting the price of carbon in the face of lower emissions."
The largest trading platform was still the over-the-counter (OTC) market, which traded 49 percent of the volume, with the share of carbon deals traded by exchanges, such as Bluenext and the European Climate Exchange (ECX), up to 37 percent. In the final month of 2008, Paris-based Bluenext saw the majority of carbon deals, enabling it to overtake the European Climate Exchange (ECX) as the world's largest carbon exchange.
Meanwhile, within the Clean Development Market (CDM) segment of the global carbon market, some 1.6 Gt CO2e changed hands last year, worth €24 billion ($32billion). The secondary market in Certified Emissions Reductions (CER) totaled 1 Gt in 2008, corresponding to two-thirds of the total CER market volume. In all, the CER market is up 70 percent from 2007 and has doubled in value.
Other markets saw 123 Mt CO2e change hands, valued at €481million ($640 million). The largest segment in this category was the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), the first mandatory, market-based effort in the United States, where 70 Mt CO2e changed hands last year with a value of €180 million ($240 million). These figures show that when it comes online later this year, the RGGI will become the world's third largest carbon market. Added Bugnion, "the addition of RGGI only furthers the potential growth of this market."
This free educational webinar will provide a detailed process for climate-driven "pre-response" in a variety of key areas including: Supply Chain Disruptions, Employee Safety and Productivity, Regulatory and Compliance Risks …and many more areas.


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Displaying photographs of favorite people and places is the one thing that transforms a house into a home. I love the growing popularity of gallery walls that showcase beautiful images, but imagine the possibilities beyond just photographs – artwork (whether children's or professional), fabric, papers, maps, whatever you treasure in paper form can be framed in a gallery wall to decorate your many spaces.
Recently, I was introduced to Change of Art, a company which carries several collections of gallery frames and makes the process of hanging a gallery wall so easy. The approach is really smart, they've taken the hassles out of matting & framing, just slide your print in and out of the unique backer, you don't have to move or touch the glass.
Switch out art prints & update photos whenever you want. Arrange your gallery wall with their set of paper templates and button hangers before you even pick up a hammer and nails. If you want to get creative you can fill in with other artwork or wall decor you already own.
Change of Art's frames come in several colors (not just black!) and they are all Made in the USA. They are sponsoring this week's giveaway and one winner gets their choice of any set of gallery frames (up to $230 value).
Eligibility to win the wall gallery of your choice from Change of Art:
1) Hop over to Change of Art and pick your favorite gallery then name it in a comment.
2) For a second chance to win, link to this giveaway on either Facebook or Twitter, then leave a second comment on this post telling where you linked (FB or Twitter.)
Giveaway ends Sunday March 3rd at midnight PST, one winner, US and Canada only. By entering this giveaway you agree to this site's giveaway policies and Official Rules of Entry.
Looking for gallery wall inspiration? Check out their Pinterest board devoted to the topic for hundreds of ideas!
Winner: #586 Kristin at Little Corbin Hill, notified via email.


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"LEGO Star Wars: The Padawan Menace" Premieres July 22 on Cartoon Network
via Cartoon Network press release:
LEGO(R) STAR WARS(R) Premieres an All-New, Original Animated Special on Cartoon Network
Premiering Friday July 22, LEGO Star Wars: The Padawan Menace(TM) Will Feature Signature Family-Friendly Fun, Spirited Action and Irreverent Humor
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (July 7, 2011) – After the runaway success of their wildly popular building sets, video game collaborations and animated shorts, The LEGO Group and Lucasfilm will join forces once again for an all-new adventure – their first-ever original television special. Premiering on Cartoon Network on Friday, July 22 at 7:00 p.m. (ET, PT) in high-definition computer animation, the 30-minute original standalone special – LEGO Star Wars: The Padawan Menace – will feature the charm, action and irreverent humor that have become the signature style of LEGO Star Wars animation collaborations.
Featuring situations, characters and locations from throughout the entire Star Wars Saga, the original adventure is written by Emmy(R) Award winner Michael Price (The Simpsons) and produced by Academy Award-winning Animal Logic, the production company behind Happy Feet.
"We're certain that fans of LEGO play and the Star Wars universe will be as excited by this new original animated LEGO Star Wars episode as we are," said Jill Wilfert, vice president of licensing and entertainment for The LEGO Group. "Developing original animated content leveraging the LEGO and Star Wars brands is incredibly rewarding for us because it not only engages and entertains fans in original stories and adventures that further their imaginative play, it authentically delivers on the inherent values and fun that LEGO play brings to the partnership."
To date, Star Wars is the first and most successful LEGO licensed product collection in the company's history, generating more than 200 LEGO models and approximately 275 LEGO minifigures inspired by the Saga, which has also spurred a blockbuster collection of videogames, selling 25 million units to date worldwide. In addition to its popularity among younger fans, a significant portion of the LEGO Star Wars consumer fan base is made up of nostalgic adults and franchise collectors.
LEGO Star Wars: The Padawan Menace is scheduled to air multiple times on Cartoon Network during the weekend including: Friday, July 22 at 7 p.m. (ET/PT), Saturday, July 23 at 10:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. (ET/PT) and Sunday, July 24 at 4:30 p.m. (ET/PT).
A routine Jedi Academy field trip is turned into a rip-roaring comic adventure in LEGO(R) Star WarsTM: The Padawan MenaceTM. Tour guide Master Yoda leads a group of rambunctious Jedi younglings through Senate chambers when he senses a disturbance in the Force. Summoned to help save the Republic, he discovers that one of the younglings secretly boarded his ship… and has a taste for adventure! Meanwhile, C-3PO and R2-D2 are put in charge of the boisterous group and find themselves in over their heads. As the evil Sith prepare to wreak havoc, it's up to Yoda and the droids to ensure that their young charges aren't torn to bricks!
Lucasfilm, Star Wars(TM) and related properties are trademarks and/or copyrights, in the United States and other countries, of Lucasfilm Ltd. and/or its affiliates. TM & (C) Lucasfilm Ltd. All rights reserved. All other trademarks and trade names are properties of their respective owners.
LEGO, the LEGO logo, the Brick & Knob configurations and the Minifigure are trademarks of The LEGO Group. (C)2011 The LEGO Group. All rights reserved.


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This page has been obsoleted and replaced: https://systemd.io/userdocs/MY_SERVICE_CANT_GET_REATLIME.html.
My Service Can't Get Realtime!
So, you have a service that requires real-time scheduling. When you run this service on your systemd system it is unable to acquire real-time scheduling, even though it is full root and has all possible privileges. And now you are wondering what is going on and what you can do about it?
What is Going on?
By default systemd places all system services into their own control groups in the "cpu" hierarchy. This has the benefit that the CPU usage of services with many worker threads or processes (think: Apache with all its gazillion CGIs and stuff) gets roughly the same amount of CPU as a service with very few worker threads (think: MySQL). Instead of evening out CPU per process this will cause CPU to be evened out per service.
Now, the "cpu" cgroup controller of the Linux kernel has one major shortcoming: if a cgroup is created it needs an explicit, absolute RT time budget assigned, or otherwise RT is not available to any process in the group, and an attempt to acquire it will fail with EPERM. systemd will not assign any RT time budgets to the "cpu" cgroups it creates, simply because there is no feasible way to do that, since the budget needs to be specified in absolute time units and comes from a fixed pool. Or in other words: we'd love to assign a budget, but there are no sane values we could use. Thus, in its default configuration RT scheduling is simply not available for any system services.
Working Around the Issue
Of course, that's quite a limitation, so here's how you work around this:
- One option is to simply globally turn off that systemd creates a "cpu" cgroup for each of the system services. For that, edit
and setDefaultControllers=
to the empty string, then reboot. (An alternative is to disable the "cpu" controller in your kernel, entirely. systemd will not attempt to make use of controllers that aren't available in the kernel.) - Another option is to turn this off for the specific service only. For that, edit your service file, and add
to its[Service]
section. This overrides the default logic for this one service only, and places all its processes back in the root cgroup of the "cpu" hierarchy, which has the full RT budget assigned. - A third option is to simply assign your service a realtime budget. For that use
ControlGroupAttribute=cpu.rt_runtime_us 500000
in its[Service]
or suchlike. See the kernel documentation for details. The latter two options are not available for System V services. A possible solution is to write a small wrapper service file that simply calls the SysV script's start verb inExecStart=
and the stop verb inExecStop=
. (It also needs to setRemainAfterExit=1
Note that this all only applies to services. By default, user applications run in the root cgroup of the "cpu" hierarchy, which avoids these problems for normal user applications.
In the long run we hope that the kernel is fixed to not require an RT budget to be assigned for any cgroup created before a process can acquire RT (i.e. a process' RT budget should be derived from the nearest ancestor cgroup which has a budget assigned, rather than unconditionally its own uninitialized budget.) Ideally, we'd also like to create a per-user cgroup by default, so that users with many processes get roughly the same amount of CPU as users with very few.


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The Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo has announced the retirement of W. R. "Bob" Watt, Jr. In honor of Watt's more than 40 years of service to the organization, Fort Worth Mayor Mike Moncrief will host a public ceremony proclaiming May 4th, 2010 as W.R. "Bob" Watt, Jr. Day in the City of Fort Worth. (See details below). Watt will continue his service to the Show as President Emeritus; he will retain an office at the organization's headquarters and consult on an on-going, pro-bono basis.
Watt became Secretary and General Manager of the Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show (otherwise known as the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo) in 1973. He assumed the office of President and General Manager in 1978, and since 2007 has continued to serve as President after stepping down as General Manager.
Under his direction, the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo has grown significantly. Since Watt assumed the presidency, the Show has expanded from 12 to 24 days, and has grown from five to 16 full-time employees. Livestock entries have increased more than 50 percent, from 14,560 animals shown in 1978 to more than 22,000 animals this year. Additionally, the number of livestock auctions has grown from seven to 17 with sales receipts increasing more than six-fold from $744,000 to more than $5 million. In 1978 the Grand Champion Steer sold for $16,000 and in 2010 the Grand Champion Steer sold for a record $210,000. The Stock Show currently hosts nearly a million visitors each year, up from 610,000 in 1978. Watt has also been instrumental in advancing the Show's international appeal and prominence, last year hosting some 648 visitors from 41 foreign nations. Due to the ever-increasing stature of the Show, many of the international guests now come with the intention of purchasing high-quality livestock from many of our country's most respected breeders.
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In 1978, 500 rodeo contestants were hosted with a total of $138,000 in prize money and entry fees.
In 2010, 1,287 rodeo contestants from 20 states and Canada competed for $594,000 in total purse. Watt is also responsible for the addition of a number of highly popular events, including: Best of the West Ranch Rodeo; Bulls' Night Out PRCA Extreme Bull Riding; Best of Mexico Celebración; and most recently, the Cowboys of Color Rodeo.
In addition, under Watt's leadership significant additions and improvements have been made to the Will Rogers Memorial Center, home to the Stock Show since 1944. These improvements include the Amon G. Carter Jr. Exhibits Hall in 1984, the world-class Will Rogers Equestrian Center encompassing The Burnett Building, The Richardson-Bass Building and the Equestrian Center Parking Garage in 1988, the Charlie & Kit Moncrief Building in 1996, marking the Stock Show's Centennial Year, and the Ticket Office and Visitors' Center in 1999. Since the event's move to Will Rogers in 1944, the Stock Show has contributed more than $50 million to the City of Fort Worth in additions and improvements to the Center (stated in today's dollars).
Stock Show Chairman Edward P. Bass praised Watt's service, saying "Bob's leadership skills along with his passion for the Stock Show and the City of Fort Worth have left a legacy for future leaders of the Show. His contributions will help guide the organization to continued success. He is a true friend of the City, of agriculture and rodeo, and of mine."
Bradford S. Barnes, newly elected President and General Manager, stated, "Bob exemplifies the spirit upon which the Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show was founded; that is, to promote continuing improvement in the breeding, raising and marketing of livestock and to encourage the pursuit of excellence generally throughout the livestock and agricultural industry. It has been a privilege and an honor to work with Bob these past 25 years, which is when I started at the Show as a committeeman. I am humbled to have been elected to carry forward his legacy of maintaining tradition in a changing world."
A native of Fort Worth, Watt grew up at the Stock Show under the guidance of his father, the late W.R. Watt, Sr., who was President of the Show from 1946 until his death in 1977. Watt received a Bachelor of Science degree in animal husbandry from Oklahoma A&M (now Oklahoma State University) at Stillwater,
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Oklahoma. During his college years, he became involved on a part-time basis with the annual Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show.
For several years in the late 1950s and early 1960s, he held various Division Superintendent positions. From 1963 until 1968 he served as Assistant to the Livestock and Horse Show Managers.
Watt was named to the Stock Show Board of Directors in 1958, and became Executive Assistant to his father in 1969. The following year he advanced to Assistant General Manager. In 1973 he assumed the dual post of Board Secretary and General Manager. Upon his father's death in 1977, Watt was named President and General Manager. In 1996, his father was honored posthumously with the naming of the W.R. Watt Arena in the Charlie & Kit Moncrief Building located at the Will Rogers Memorial Center.
Watt will continue to be active in the Watt Cattle Company, a family ranching operation in Throckmorton County. Watt currently serves on the Board of the First Methodist Church of Fort Worth Foundation and the Board of the Jane and John Justin Foundation. He is a past member of the Harris Methodist Hospital Board as well as past Vice President of the Board of Harris Methodist Hospital and past President of the Board of the First Methodist Church of Fort Worth Foundation. Watt, and his wife Jerri, have two children and nine grandchildren.
About the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo
The 115th Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo is scheduled for January 14 through February 5, 2011. Celebrating Fort Worth's historic ties to livestock and the people who raise them, the Stock Show provides visitors with a host of entertainment and educational events for the whole family. For more information call (817) 877-2400 or visit www.fwssr.com.
NOTE: The public ceremony recognizing W.R. "Bob" Watt, Jr. will be held at 7:00 p.m. during the regularly scheduled Fort Worth City Council Meeting, where Mayor Mike Moncrief will present Mr. Watt with a proclamation naming May 4, 2010 as W. R. "Bob" Watt Jr. Day in the City of Fort Worth. The event will take place in the City Council Chamber, on the 3rd Floor of City Hall, which is located at 1000 Throckmorton Street, in downtown Fort Worth.


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DETROIT – The Detroit Lions announced today that they have entered into a six-year partnership with the Big Ten Conference for a bowl game that will be played at Ford Field beginning in 2014.
The game will be officially named once sponsorship agreements are in place. The inaugural game is tentatively scheduled for December 30, 2014 (pending TV broadcast schedule).
"We are thrilled to be hosting a new bowl game in Detroit that will be anchored by an annual commitment from the Big Ten," said Detroit Lions Team President Tom Lewand. "In addition to showcasing our city and its rich football tradition, this game will be an opportunity for fans to enjoy a postseason matchup featuring one of college football's best conferences."
At the end of each college football season, the Big Ten and a conference to be named will determine their team representatives after discussion between bowl and conference officials to create the best possible matchup.
"We are pleased to join with the Detroit Lions in creating this new postseason bowl game in Detroit," Big Ten Commissioner James E. Delany said. "The city of Detroit has played host to as many big-time sporting events as any other major city in America, from NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four and Regional games to the Super Bowl, World Series and NBA Finals. The support of the business and community leaders of Detroit coupled with a world-class facility in Ford Field and Detroit Lions' management of the game will result in a meaningful experience for Big Ten teams and their fans."
The Big Ten has sent a representative to Detroit for a bowl game three times (Northwestern, 2003; Purdue, 2007 and 2011) for the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl, also played at Ford Field.
The Detroit Lions become only the second NFL team (Houston Texans, 2006) to officially host and operate a college football bowl game.


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I have three questions about when you can show there is an isometry between metric spaces.
(1) If there is an injective non-expanding map from $X$ to $Y$ and an injective non-expanding map from $Y$ to $X$, are $X$ and $Y$ isometric?
I think the answer must be no, just let $X=[0,1]$ and $Y=[0,1/2]$ with the Euclidean metric on each and let the morphisms just shrink each of the intervals by a 1/2. But $X$ and $Y$ are not isometric as metric spaces. The only reason I ask is that this question seems to imply that this is true for compact metric spaces. So maybe I am just missing something.
(2) If there is an isometric embedding from $X$ to $Y$ and an isometric embedding from $Y$ to $X$ is it true that $X$ and $Y$ are isometric?
Here by an isometric embedding I mean a map that preserves the metric.
(3) If the answer to (2) is yes, is there something to be said about which concrete categories this result holds for, with respect to embeddings?
Here I am taking the definition of concrete categories and embeddings from Adámek, Herrlich, Strecker.
I know this question sounds a lot like this question, but unless I am confused, they are talking about injective maps (monomorphisms) which make sense in any category, whereas I am talking about embeddings which are only defined for concrete categories.
EDIT: Edited to remove jargon and make clearer.
Thanks very much for any information.


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GeForce RTX 2080 Gainward Phoenix 8GB Game Requirement Analysis
Overview The GeForce RTX 2080 Gainward Phoenix 8GB is a High-End Graphics Card based on the Turing Architecture and is suitable for 1440p or 4K gaming. This is a dual-slot graphics card with a triple-fan cooling design, VR Ready certification, and Expertool II software. This video card has below average overclocking potential. Architecture It equips a Turing GPU Codenamed TU104. More specifically, it uses the TU104-400A-A1 variant which means factor overclocks are permitted. This is a First Gen Turing GPU and has 20 SM activated, offering 2944 Shader Processing Units, 184 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. The Turing architecture provides the world's first consumer support for real-time ray-tracing (RTX) technology. It also has 368 Tensor Cores for AI purposes. GPU The central unit runs at 1515MHz and goes up to 1740MHz in Turbo Mode, a 2% overclock compared to the reference specs and 3% slower clock speeds than the Founders Edition. Memory The GPU accesses an 8GB frame buffer of Second Gen GDDR6 through a 256-bit memory interface, while the Memory Clock Operates at 1750MHz, or 14GHz effective. Total memory bandwidth is 448 Gb/s. Power Consumption With a rated board TDP of 215W, it requires at least a 650W PSU with available 8-pin + 6-pin power connector. Performance The performance of the GeForce RTX 2080 is slightly faster than the GTX 1080 Ti, making it a suitable graphics card for 4K gaming. System Suggestions GeForce RTX 2080 Gainward Phoenix 8GB is best suited for resolutions up to and including 3840x2160. We recommend a High-End Processor and 16GB of RAM for Optimal Performance.
Source [ Jon ]


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Golden Coast is a distributor of pool, spa, sauna and steam products to the UK and European wet leisure industry.
From our warehouse in Barnstaple, in the centre of the South West of England, we run a national distribution service that covers the whole of the UK and Northern Ireland and extends into the continent.
Since opening for business in 1977, our family-run firm has grown to become the largest independent distributor of wet leisure products in the country. That growth has been achieved not only by supplying our customers with the right product at the right price, but also by constantly sourcing innovative products and technologies from around the world, keeping our customers up to date on the latest technical and marketing knowledge and providing customer service tailored to each individual customer's needs.
If you are looking to open a trade account, search through the thousands of products that we hold in stock or see what information, advice and support we can offer for you to grow your business, this site should be able to provide what you are looking for.
If you would rather ask on the phone than search on-line, please give Adam Clark or any member of our sales team a call on +44 (0) 1271 378 100


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Most of the consumers don't understand the difference between the diamond shapes. There are two different properties of the stone. The shape is just an external outline. However, the cut is about shaping rough stones into sparkling gems. If you closely observe the top surface, you will see the edges refracting light. This is something you can call the cut which determines the brilliance of the stone. The cut of a diamond actually reveals the hidden beauty of the stone. The old European cut diamond has a round shape but it is geometrically different than a modern diamond. The only difference is the both diamonds have the same round shape but their cutting style is different. The old European round shaped diamonds are popular for increased colors. Whereas, the modern diamond gives more sparkles and brilliance.
The old diamonds was so popular since 1800s and until the round brilliant was invented by Marcel Tolkowsky in 1919. The round brilliant cut gives more glittering effect so it is more popular in today's world. However, there are antique lovers or people who prefer classic jewelry still like the old European cut. The modern technologies was invented in early 1900s and due to the advancement, few diamond became obsolete.
The Rose Cut Diamond
The rose cut was introduced in early 1500s. This particular diamond resembles the petals of a rose flower. The rose diamond cut was so popular for love, and engagement rings. After 4 centuries of its discovery, it became outdated in 20th century. The rose diamond has 24 facets.
The Single Cut Diamond
This is the basic of a round shaped diamond. You may consider it as a simple form of a round diamond. It is one of the oldest diamonds with only 18 facets. With the passage of time, jewelers invented ways to cut a round diamond for more brilliance so it became obsolete. However, there is a modern form of single cut diamond is available in the market which has the same style but it is without a culet.
The Old Mine Cut
The old mine cut diamonds were used in Victorian and Edwardian Eras. The old mine cut has a variety of facet patterns and its shape possess a high crown, larger culet, and small table. It was very prominent in 18th century. Now it is considered as an antique diamond.
Old European Cut
This is earlier version of today's round brilliant diamond. Old European cut diamond has 58 facets with a smaller table and higher crown. Market is full of antique diamond but the old European cut is one of the most classic diamond. It is still in demand and it has more value than modern round brilliant diamond if the stone is still in its original setting.
The market study shows that round cut diamond engagement rings are top selling than any other diamond and there are many consumers who still prefer the old European engagement rings.


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Introduction SQL*Plus (pronounced "sequel plus") is an interactive tool for the Oracle RDBMS environment. SQL*Plus can be used simply to process SQL statements one at a time, process SQL statements interactively with end users, utilize PL/SQL for procedural processing of SQL statements, list and print query results, format query results into reports, describe the contents of a given table, and copy data between databases. SQL*Plus originated from the beginning of the Oracle RDBMS days as a product called User Friendly Interface (UFI). UFI was used primarily to administer the Oracle environment. UFI was later renamed to SQL*Plus with the advent of Oracle Version 5. There have been some improvements to SQL*Plus from the UFI days; however, most of the commands and the ease of formatting results are as easy today as they were with the UFI product. There have been additions to several of the command capabilities, additional ways of starting SQL*Plus, and a changed role for SQL*Plus through the major releases of the Oracle RDBMS kernel. For example, before Oracle Version 6, using UFI or SQL*Plus was the only way to administrate the Oracle database. With Oracle Version 6 came a new tool called SQL*DBA that took over many of the database responsibilities such as backup and recovery and startup and shutdown. SQL*Plus also exists in the world of client/server and is available with all the major graphical interfaces. SQL*Plus is the main ad hoc, character-mode interface to the Oracle RDBMS. SQL*Plus can easily be used to produce a variety of types of character mode reports. SQL*Plus can also be used to create dynamic SQL*Plus scripts or even dynamic operating-system specific command language programs. SQL*Plus can be used for some Oracle administration functions, and it can be programmed to be interactive during a specific terminal session. SQL*Plus can process ANSI SQL as well as PL/SQL blocks. SQL*Plus Commands There are five types of SQL*Plus commands: Those that initiate the SQL*Plus environment SQL*Plus Execute commands SQL*Plus Editing commands SQL*Plus Formatting commands Miscellaneous commands SQL*Plus Execute Commands The execute commands are used to initiate the processing of SQL statements and PL/SQL blocks, measure the processing time of SQL or PL/SQL statements, execute non-Oracle programs, execute SQL*Forms programs, or attain additional help. / - Execute the SQL statement or PL/SQL block currently in the SQL buffer. (This is probably the most used of the SQL*Plus commands.) HELP - Provides online assistance with SQL, PL/SQL, or SQL*Plus commands. HOST - Execute non-Oracle commands (operating system-dependent) without leaving SQL*Plus. RUN - Displays and executes the contents of the SQL buffer. RUNFORM - Execute a SQL*Forms program without leaving SQL*Plus. TIMING - Displays the system CPU time with the SQL prompt. SQL*Plus Editing Commands The SQL buffer is a work area assigned to the SQL*Plus environment. This buffer contains only SQL or PL/SQL syntax. You can use the following commands to load, save, and manipulate the contents of this buffer: A new text or APPEND new text - Appends text to the end of the current line of the SQL buffer. C/target text/new text/ or CHANGE/target text/new text/ - Changes the target text to the new text on the current line in the SQL buffer. DEL - Deletes the current line in the SQL buffer. EDIT filename - Utilizes an operating system-dependent text editor. To edit the SQL buffer with an operating system-dependent text editor, simply leave off the filename. GET filename - Reads an operating system-dependent file into the SQL buffer. I text or INPUT text - Adds the text after the current line in the SQL buffer. L number or LIST number - Displays the contents of the SQL buffer. When the number syntax is used, LIST will display the line number and make that line the current line in the SQL buffer. SAVE filename Saves the contents of the SQL buffer to an operating system-dependent file. START filename param1 param2 ... - START will execute the contents of the SQL*Plus command file named in filename and pass any input parameters to the SQL*Plus command file. SQL*Plus Formatting Commands The SQL*Plus formatting commands are used to manipulate the result set from a SQL query. BREAK ON column_name and options This command controls the organization of rows returned by the query. BREAK can manipulate the appearance of the output by specifying under what conditions a BREAK should occur and what actions should be taken at the BREAK. The appearance of the output can be controlled by skipping a line or skipping to top of next page and providing totals when used in conjunction with COMPUTE. Any number of lines can be skipped at a BREAK point. BREAK points can be defined at the column level, for multiple columns, on a row, on a page, or on a report. Entering BREAK by itself at the SQL prompt will display the current BREAK settings. BTITLE print_options and/or text or variable options BTITLE is used to place text at the bottom of each page. There are various print options that position text at various locations. BTITLE will simply center the text if no print options are specified. print options include BOLD, CENTER, COL, FORMAT, LEFT, RIGHT, SKIP, and TAB. BTITLE spelled out by itself will display the current text setting. Other options that can be specified are ON and OFF. BTITLE is ON by default. CLEAR and options CLEAR resets any of the SQL*Plus formatting commands. You can also use it to clear the screen. The options include BREAKS, BUFFER, COLUMNS, COMPUTES, SCREEN, SQL, and TIMING. COLUMN column_name and options COLUMN is used to alter the default display attributes for a given column (column_name) of a SQL query. There are a variety of options, but the more common ones are FORMAT, HEADING, JUSTIFY, NEWLINE, NEW_VALUE, and NOPRINT. The FORMAT option is useful in applying editing to numeric fields, date masks to date fields, and specific lengths to variable-length character fields. The HEADING option overrides the SQL*Plus default heading for the particular column. The JUSTIFY option overrides the SQL*Plus column alignment to the heading default. The NEWLINE option will print the column on the beginning of the next line. NEW_VALUE assigns the contents of the column to a SQL*Plus variable . This value can then be used in conjunction with TTITLE or to store intermediate results for master/detail type reports, and is useful to store and pass information between two or more separate SQL statements. COMPUTE function OF options ON break options COMPUTE calculates and prints totals for groupings of rows defined by the BREAK command. A variety of standard functions can be utilized. The most common option is the name of the column in the query on which the total is to be calculated. The break option determines where the totals are to be printed and reset, as defined by the BREAK command. Miscellaneous Commands This section presents a variety of commands that enable you to interact with the user, comment on the code, and enhance coding options. ACCEPT variable number or char PROMPT text ACCEPT receives input from the terminal and places the contents in variable. This variable can already have been defined with the DEFINE command. If the PROMPT option is specified, then the text will be displayed after skipping a line. The variable attributes of number or char can be defined at this time. The variable will be a char if not otherwise defined. DEFINE variable DEFINE creates a user-defined variable and assigns it to be of char (character) format. This variable can be assigned a default value at this time. DESC or DESCRIBE database object DESCRIBE displays the columns associated with a table, view, or synonym. PAUSE text PAUSE prints the contents of text after skipping a line, and then waits for the Return or Enter key to be pressed. PROMPT text PROMPT simply skips a line and prints the contents of text. REM or REMARK SQL*Plus will ignore the contents of this line when it is used in SQL*Plus command files. REMARK enables documentation or other comments to be contained in these SQL*Plus command files. SET SQL*Plus System Variable The SET command controls the default settings for the SQL*Plus environment. You can automatically alter these settings for each SQL*Plus session by including them in the LOGIN.SQL file. The following are some common SET options utilized for reporting: SET LINESIZE 80 Controls the width of the output report line SET PAGESIZE 55 Controls the number of lines per page The following are some common SET options that suppress various SQL*Plus output: SET FEEDBACK OFF - Suppresses the number of query rows returned SET VERIFY OFF - Suppresses the substitution text when using &variables, including command line variables SET TERMOUT OFF - Suppresses all terminal output; this is particularly useful in conjunction with the SPOOL command SET ECHO OFF - Suppresses the display of SQL*Plus commands SPOOL filename or options The SPOOL command is used to open, close, or print an operating system-dependent file. Specifying SPOOL filename will create an operating system-dependent file; filename can contain the full pathname of the file and extension. If no file extension is given, the file suffix, LST, will be appended (filename.LST). Options include OFF or OUT. If OFF is specified, then the operating system-dependent file is simply closed. If OUT is specified, then the operating system-dependent file is closed and sent to the operating system-dependent printer assigned as the default printer to the user's operating system environment. UNDEFINE variable UNDEFINE removes the previously Defined variable from the SQL*Plus environment.
SQL*Plus, the primary interface to the Oracle Database server, provides a powerful yet easy-to-use environment for querying, defining, and controlling data. SQL*Plus delivers a full implementation of Oracle SQL and PL/SQL, along with a rich set of extensions. The exceptional scalability of the Oracle Database, coupled with the object-relational technology of SQL*Plus, allows you to develop your complex datatypes and objects using Oracle's integrated systems solution.
Some Tips with SQL PLus Many times we may open several SQL*PLUS windows meaning serveral database consoles. In order to identify the right console we can do, Code: SQL> host hostname Queen SQL> show parameter db_name NAME TYPE VALUE ------------------------------------ ---------------------------- db_name string kidas SQL> show user USER is "SYS" to be sure on which database as which user we are actually going to run commands. So after three commands we would run a sql. By setting SQL*plus environmental variable connection identifier we can get rid of it and be sure on which console we are connecting to. Like, Code: SQL> SET SQLPROMPT "_USER'@'_CONNECT_IDENTIFIER > " SYS@kidas > And now rename the session as of hostname. cheers
SQL*Plus file command allow you to execute commands (or programs) stored in an external file, input or output data from/to a file, and save SQL commands typed during current session. Some SQL*Plus file commands are: * SAVE filename. This allows you to save buffer contents into a file. * START filename. This allows you to execute a batch of SQL statements stored in a file. * SPOOL filename. This allows you save SQL statements together with their outputs to a file. * GET filename. This retrieve a file and places it into the buffer. * @ filename. This allows you to execute a PL/SQL procedure(s) stored in a file.
Oracle SQL * Plus is a command-line utility program that can run SQL and PL / SQL commands interactively or from script. SQL * Plus operation is relatively simple tool, as a basic command line interface. Programmers and database administrators often use it to provide the basic interface as the default, almost all of the Oracle software installation.
Hi All, SQL* Plus has been deprecated by Oracle since the release of Oracle 11g. Oracle has recommended the use of Command prompt for the execution of SQL scripts


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The budgets of most federal government programs and agencies will shrink on March 1.
Congress could prevent that from happening, but it's not likely to do so before the deadline.
It's still unclear, however, whether Congress would let the so-called funding sequester stay in effect for long.
So one way or another, here come the cuts.
What is the sequester exactly? It's just a fancy word for automatic, across-the-board cuts in funding.
How much will be cut? The sequester would slash how much federal agencies are allowed to spend by $85 billion over seven months.
The White House estimates that funding for nondefense programs would be cut by 9%, while defense programs would be cut by 13%, for the seven months remaining in fiscal year 2013, which ends Sept. 30.
The funding reductions would come primarily from what's known as discretionary spending. Discretionary spending supports a vast array of programs, agencies and services from the FBI to the FDA to support for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
There would also be some cuts in mandatory spending, which unlike discretionary spending isn't subject to annual review by Congress. But popular entitlements such as Medicare and Social Security would be largely protected. So would safety-net programs such as Medicaid and food stamps.
Also exempt: military personnel and Veterans Affairs, although veterans may be hit in other ways, especially since they're a big part of the Defense Department's civilian workforce.
Related: 57 ways budget cuts could sting
What would be affected? Most federal programs and activities.
Indeed, the cuts on non-exempt areas will be broadly felt. Food inspections, border security, weather monitoring, medical research, disaster response, education programs and Meals on Wheels for seniors would be compromised.
Federal workers at different agencies would face furloughs. They may be told not to come to work one or two days every week or every pay period until September. And they won't be paid for those furloughed days.
"Core operations would have to be shut down or curtailed across nearly all federal agencies," White House Budget Office Controller Danny Werfel said in testimony before the Senate Appropriations Committee.
How quickly will the cuts hit? It depends.
Anticipation of the sequester has already caused federal agencies to slow or freeze hiring and to limit the contracts they issue for future services and products. They've also reduced travel and training costs.
But come March 1, it's not as if all the reductions that are planned will happen overnight.
Practically, federal workers facing furloughs must be given at least 30 days' notice. Even though a number of federal agencies said they will do furloughs, official notices aren't expected to go out until March 1 at the earliest. So actual furloughs may not occur until April.
Second, the White House budget office can tell agencies how to apportion their reduced budgets so that the effects of the funding cut might not need to occur right away. "There's some discretion," said Pete Davis, a former Capitol Hill staffer who now runs a Washington research firm.
That kind of leeway might allow lawmakers some time to figure out how to avert the full effects of the sequester.
So there's a chance the sequester could be replaced? Yes, increasingly policy observers expect Congress will at least try to replace it by March 27, although there are no guarantees.
March 27 is the day funding for the government expires. To prevent a government shutdown on March 28, lawmakers must pass another funding bill -- if not for the rest of the year, then at least for a few weeks or months.
If lawmakers choose to replace the sequester, they would likely do so with a set of savings -- some real, some gimmicky -- elsewhere in the budget. And it's possible the savings would be realized over 10 years, rather than all in 2013.
What's wrong with the sequester? It's a thoughtless, abrupt, poorly targeted way to cut spending. Sure, it will help reduce deficits in the near-term. But it won't do so in areas that are actually drivers of the country's debt.
In fact, the sequester was never intended to go into effect. The mere threat that it might was supposed to prod lawmakers to find a smarter, more gradual way to reduce deficits.
But Democrats and Republicans still can't agree on how, despite knowing this day would come for over a year.
House Republicans have proposed replacing the defense cuts with more nondefense reductions. Senate Democrats want to replace all the cuts with a mix of targeted spending cuts and tax increases. Each side rejects the other's solution.
How much will the sequester reduce deficits? Between now and 2023, projected spending would be reduced by more than $1 trillion if the sequester plus related spending caps in subsequent years are left in place, according to Congressional Budget Office estimates.
Will the sequester hurt the economy? Yes, if it stays in effect for the rest of the calendar year.
The CBO estimates that it could reduce economic growth by at least 0.6 percentage points and reduce job growth by 750,000 jobs.
Coupled with this year's payroll tax cut expiration and the higher tax rates on high-income households, the CBO estimates growth will be curtailed by a total of 1.5 percentage points.


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The Easy Star All-Stars have given The Beatles' classic album Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band a reggae makeover.
The remake follows the success of Easy Stars' Dub Side Of The Moon: 2003's take on Pink Floyd's Dark Side Of The Moon and, more recently, Radiodread: 2006's play on Radiohead's Ok Computer.
'Lonely Hearts Dub Band is all set for a 14 April release, preceded by an iTunes exclusive first single, With A Little Help From My Friends, on 10 February. Fingers crossed for this lyric: "Ooh, I get by with a little dub from my friends."
Seriously, though, check out the Easy Star All Stars brilliant live cover of Radiohead's Electioneering for a taste of what to expect…


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Product Description 2012 Melissa 135 Wakeboard:
Melissa is one of the best female riders in the world and continues to charge things year after year that impress anyone that has ever ridden, male or female. She needs a board that excels equally well behind the boat or dropping large gaps with her WSR crew. She's found that in the Melissa Hybrid... This year's model is her first "true" Hybrid and features the tech that our other Hybrids have that has changed the industry standard for high end performance. With the LF Exclusive Liquid Rails, it's ready for any punishment Melissa or any aggressive rider dishes out. Not wanting to abandon the smooth behind the boat feel, Melissa kept the aggressive continuous rocker in the shape for a smooth and consistent pop off the wake. For the multi faceted rider wanting the best of both worlds, look no further then the Melissa Hybrid!
Product Features:


text: I am trying to make some cloths for my oryoki set as you cannot easily get oryoki sets in the UK. I have downloaded intructions which give the sizes of the cloths. However, I have cut out the bowl folding cloth according to these instructions (18"x18") and it looks and feels too small to me. Can anyone help by measuring their cloths & letting me know.


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Creating sustainable, culturally appropriate improvements in health care
GHRF is a nonprofit providing tools of technology and IT expertise to create sustainable health development in medically resource poor areas throughout the world. GHRF provides IT tools, including rapid data analysis training, mobile technology and data utilization tools, to support sustainable health development. With a focus on rapid return of health outcomes, GHRF targets expertise to ensure programs have access to and are able to use their own data, allowing resources to be effectively aimed, working solutions supported and nonfunctioning efforts eliminated.
Watch a short film about GHRF's use of mobile and health information technology to help health care providers and rangers in Nepal and Bhutan collect, warehouse, and report disease and environmental data together.
Video overview of the new POEMS mobile application.
See our photos from our Patient Outcomes and Environmental Monitoring System (POEMS) project in Bhutan. See more about this project that we are doing in partnership with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Nepal and Bhutan Ministries of Health.
All donations to GHRF are fully tax deductible and go directly to project implementation. A tax receipt will be sent for every donation.
Donations can be earmarked to specific project, and can be made directly through this website.
All Donates are Tax Deductible in the US under section 501(c)(3) of the IRS Code. Our Federal Tax ID number is 208752666.


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The Standards and Assessments Peer Review– Pg 9
Critical Element
Report participation and assessments results for each of the required subgroups for the required tested grades and grade ranges at the school, LEA, and State level.
Required subgroup reporting for assessment reports includes: gender, race/ethnicity, English proficiency status, migrant, students with disabilities, and economically disadvantaged. For LEA and State Report Cards, comparisons of students with disabilities vs. non-disabled and economically disadvantaged vs. non-economically disadvantaged are also required. Provide sample reports for the required grades.
Critical Element
Ensure that personally identifiable information about an individual student is not reported
Documentation on alternate achievement standards must include all five criteria.
Critical Element
Provide documentation on how the State ensures student confidentiality.
Produce individual interpretative, descriptive, and diagnostic reports following each administration of its assessments. The reports must include the following:
- valid and reliable information regarding achievement on the assessments in relation to the State's academic content and achievement standards;
- information for parents, teachers, and principals in a format and language that is understandable, helps them address a student's specific academic needs, and is accompanied by interpretive guidance; and
- how the State disseminates these reports as soon as possible after the assessments.
Critical Element
Ensure the identification and inclusion of migrant and other mobile students in the assessment system in the required tested grades.
Evidence may include examples of the individual student reports for the required grades tested, interpretive guides, scoring and reporting timelines.
Critical Element
Ensure that student-level assessment data are maintained securely to protect student confidentiality
Evidence should include policies and procedures on access to student assessment data.
Critical Element
Produce itemized score analyses so that parents, teachers, and principals can interpret and address the specific academic needs of students.
The itemized score analyses should include results for each of its academic content standards and each of the sub-domains/strands within these standards, to the extent that these sub-scores are based on enough items or score points to be meaningful
- If different assessments are used the state must demonstrate how the results are aggregated to yield valid and reliable scores.
- Provide evidence on how the state monitors the quality of reports.
- School and student report cards should provide comparison data for student performance (e.g., how the student compares with his classmates, his district and the state in reading).


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$304.27 $1,014.24
"Transform your space with our Beni Ourain rugs, renowned worldwide for their minimalist beauty and unparalleled quality 🤍.
Each piece is a work of art, meticulously handcrafted by Moroccan artisans using age-old techniques passed down through generations.
Our moroccan rugs are a unique fusion of traditional Moroccan craftsmanship and modern sophistication. With their distinctive diamond patterns and natural color palette, they are a statement of timeless elegance, effortlessly enhancing any living space 🤍.
Crafted from 100% high-quality wool, these rugs not only look magnificent but also offer a luxuriously soft underfoot experience. They are known for their durability and comfort, making them a valuable addition to any home and a delight to touch.
By choosing our Beni Ourain rugs, you are bringing a piece of Moroccan heritage into your home while supporting local artisans. Each purchase helps preserve the traditional craft, contribute to fair trade practices, and promote sustainable living. Elevate your decor and experience the luxury of tradition with our morocco rugs - where artistry and comfort meet
*Made from the natural Wool
*Our morrocan rugs are made by hand with Love and Care ♡
*Exceptional Craftsmanship: Lovingly hand-knotted by expert Moroccan artisans, our rugs represent the epitome of traditional rug-making techniques and unparalleled attention to detail.
• We make sure your Moroccan rug is very clean before we ship them out,
Benefit from free delivery WITH FEDEX EXPRESS or DHL EXPRESS, Your order will be processed within 1-2 business days. The transit time is as follows:
North America: 1-3 business days/ Europe: 1-2 business days/ Asia Pacific: 3-5 working days
Australia & New zealand: 3-5 working days
And Easy returns up to 45 days. Retun & exchange condition
By purchasing this rug, you're directly supporting the Moroccan artisan community. We believe in fair trade practices, ensuring that our artisans are paid a fair wage and work in safe conditions. Together, we are preserving traditional craftsmanship and empowering artisans to thrive.
Also, we are working on an innovative project to support the development of local crafts in the Middle Atlas region that we will launch in June 2024
DON'T WAIT! CLICK 'ADD TO CART' and make your dream home a reality with our handmade beni rugs!"
Thank you for shopping at IBABA
©2018-2024 IBABARugs All Rights Reserved
1-2 business days
I'll do my best to meet these shipping estimates, but can't guarantee them. Actual delivery time will depend on the shipping method you choose.
Buyers are responsible for any customs and import taxes that may apply. I'm not responsible for delays due to customs.
Just contact me within: 14 days of delivery
Ship items back to me within: 30 days of delivery
But please contact me if you have any problems with your order.
Because of the nature of these items, unless they arrive damaged or defective, I can't accept returns for:
Buyers are responsible for return shipping costs. If the item is not returned in its original condition, the buyer is responsible for any loss in value.
We ship worldwide every business day. the order will be processed within 1-2 business days.
The transit time is :
North America: 2-4 business days.
Europe: 2-3 business days.
Asia, Australia, New Zealand: 4-6 business days.
Please note that we provid the tracking number within 24h so you can follow your package.
All Orders are processed within 1-2 days and we start making your custom piece. The whole process from shearing, spinning, and dying the wool to weaving, washing, and transporting the rug, takes roughly 2 to 3 weeks In the winter months, the drying process takes a bit longer, so please allow an additional 3 to 5 days for delivery
Dust and dirt that accumulate in your rug can erode the fibers over time. The best way to combat this is to take your rug outside and give it a good shake once a week. Depending on how large it is, you may need to recruit a friend to help.
If shaking it out isn't possible, you can vacuum it instead, just be cautious, and don't use a rotary vacuum, because it can damage the fibers. Once or twice a month, use the suction attachment gently, from side to side. Once or twice a year, flip your rug over and vacuum the back.
Once a year, let it sunbathe. Hang it in the sun for a few hours when it's hottest, and flip it over midway through, to expose both sides to direct sunlight. This sun-bleaching helps further sanitize the wool
We do our best to make sure rug colors are represented as accurately as possible. The photos that we take of our rugs are color corrected to match the actual color of the rug as seen in person. Keep in mind that if the lighting conditions in your home are different than natural daylight the colors will appear slightly differently than on the website.difference.
Apr 7, 2020
Amazing quality. It's a bit of a darker color than shown in the photo but that's to be expected given colors on screen vs in real life.
Aug 7, 2019
Fantastic customer service, quick response times, and surprisingly fast shipping. Most importantly, the rug is plush, thick, of great quality and super soft. I am already planning to purchase a second rug from this shop.
Jul 30, 2019
Great service and fast delivery. Beautiful authentic product and premium quality. I highly recommend this seller.


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This thread was originally made in the old Beast's Lair to ask anything related to the Type-Moon Works, and so does this one.
Useful resources, which you should consult before posting:
TMDict, a compilation of Nasuverse dictionary entries.
Complete Material PBWorks, containing much of the data from Complete Material III, and some miscellaneous other Q&As and translations.
Our own Translation forum.
Tsukikan's translated sets of interviews.
Chaldeum, for Grand Order translations we can actually vouch for instead of whatever random crap you turned up in the depths of OBD.
Supplementary materials to these, from many and varied BL discussions, have been collated in a Google Document. You might end up fruitlessly resurrecting an old and solved debate if you ignore it too.
Beast's Lair: Useful Notes
(Lightweight | PDF)
Updated 17/05/15
If you've got a question that relates to fanfiction, and not canon material, bring it over here: http://forums.nrvnqsr.com/forumdisplay.php/5-Fanfics
"I'M SICK AND TIRED OF THESE MOTHERFUCKING FANFICS IN THIS MOTHERFUCKING THREAD!" - LeopardBear, once an esteemed moderator


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by Tomezclao
Bailando con dos is a medium fast tune very much danceable. It is about seeing this guy dancing with two women.
" Tomezclao" new release is a manifestation of Latin American Music on one album, it is a gem and melting pot of so many different genres all over" A melting pot of all Caribbean and Latin American genres and fusion makes them number one party dance group of all Latin Bands.
Artist: Tomezclao
The best thing to come out of Cuba in recent times! So asserts Tumi label boss Mo Fini, who waxes long and rapturous about this indisputably vibrant collective in the accompanying DVD. And the Havana-based To'Mezclao are indeed very good: a seven-strong crew of music enthusiasts whose versatility (a more


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As discussed in the SAR, the change in the net irradiance at the tropopause, as defined in Section 6.1.1, is, to a first order, a good indicator of the equilibrium global mean (understood to be globally and annually averaged) surface temperature change. The climate sensitivity parameter (global mean surface temperature response Ts to the radiative forcing F) is defined as:
(Dickinson, 1982; WMO, 1986; Cess et al., 1993). Equation (6.1) is defined for the transition of the surface-troposphere system from one equilibrium state to another in response to an externally imposed radiative perturbation. In the one-dimensional radiative-convective models, wherein the concept was first initiated, is a nearly invariant parameter (typically, about 0.5 K/(Wm-2); Ramanathan et al., 1985) for a variety of radiative forcings, thus introducing the notion of a possible universality of the relationship between forcing and response. It is this feature which has enabled the radiative forcing to be perceived as a useful tool for obtaining first-order estimates of the relative climate impacts of different imposed radiative perturbations. Although the value of the parameter can vary from one model to another, within each model it is found to be remarkably constant for a wide range of radiative perturbations (WMO, 1986). The invariance of has made the radiative forcing concept appealing as a convenient measure to estimate the global, annual mean surface temperature response, without taking the recourse to actually run and analyse, say, a three-dimensional atmosphere-ocean general circulation model (AOGCM) simulation.
In the context of the three-dimensional AOGCMs, too, the applicability of a general global mean climate sensitivity parameter (i.e., global mean surface temperature response to global mean radiative forcing) has been explored. The GCM investigations include studies of (i) the responses to short-wave forcing such as a change in the solar constant or cloud albedo or doubling of CO2, both forcing types being approximately spatially homogeneous (e.g., Manabe and Wetherald, 1980; Hansen et al., 1984, 1997a; Chen and Ramaswamy, 1996a; Le Treut et al., 1998), (ii) responses due to different considered mixtures of greenhouse gases, with the forcings again being globally homo-geneous (Wang et al., 1991, 1992), (iii) responses to the spatially homogeneous greenhouse gas and the spatially inhomogeneous sulphate aerosol direct forcings (Cox et al., 1995), (iv) responses to different assumed profiles of spatially inhomogeneous species, e.g., aerosols and O3 (Hansen et al., 1997a), and (v) present-day versus palaeoclimate (e.g., last glacial maximum) simulations (Manabe and Broccoli, 1985; Rind et al., 1989; Berger et al., 1993; Hewitt and Mitchell, 1997).
Overall, the three-dimensional AOGCM experiments performed thus far show that the radiative forcing continues to serve as a good estimator for the global mean surface temperature response but not to a quantitatively rigorous extent as in the case of the one-dimensional radiative-convective models. Several GCM studies suggest a similar global mean climate sensitivity for the spatially homogeneous and for many but not all of the spatially inhomogeneous forcings of relevance for climate change in the industrial era (Wang et al., 1992; Roeckner et al., 1994; Taylor and Penner, 1994; Cox et al., 1995; Hansen et al., 1997a). Paleoclimate simulations (Manabe and Broccoli, 1985; Rind et al., 1989) also suggest the idea of similarities in climate sensitivity for a spatially homogeneous and an inhomogeneous forcing (arising due to the presence of continental ice sheets at mid- to high northern latitudes during the last glacial maximum). However, different values of climate sensitivity can result from the different GCMs which, in turn, are different from the l values obtained with the radiative-convective models. Hansen et al. (1997a) show that the variation in l for most of the globally distributed forcings suspected of influencing climate over the past century is typically within about 20%. Extending considerations to some of the spatially confined forcings yields a range of about 25 to 30% around a central estimate (see also Forster et al., 2001). This is to be contrasted with the variation of 15% obtained in a smaller number of experiments (all with fixed clouds) by Ramaswamy and Chen (1997b). However, in a general sense and considering arbitrary forcing types, the variation in l could be substantially higher (50% or more) and the climate response much more complex (Hansen et al., 1997a). It is noted that the climate sensitivity for some of the forcings that have potentially occurred in the industrial era have yet to be comprehensively investigated.
While the total climate feedback for the spatially homo-geneous and the considered inhomogeneous forcings does not differ significantly, leading to a near-invariant climate sensitivity, the individual feedback mechanisms (water vapour, ice albedo, lapse rate, clouds) can have different strengths (Chen and Ramaswamy, 1996a,b). The feedback effects can be of considerably larger magnitude than the initial forcing and govern the magnitude of the global mean response (Ramanathan, 1981; Wetherald and Manabe, 1988; Hansen et al., 1997a). For different types of perturbations, the relative magnitudes of the feedbacks can vary substantially.
For spatially homogeneous forcings of opposite signs, the responses are somewhat similar in magnitude, although the ice albedo feedback mechanism can yield an asymmetry in the high latitude response with respect to the sign of the forcing (Chen and Ramaswamy, 1996a). Even if the forcings are spatially homo-geneous, there could be changes in land surface energy budgets that depend on the manner of the perturbation (Chen and Ramaswamy, 1996a). Furthermore, for the same global mean forcing, dynamic feedbacks involving changes in convective heating and precipitation can be initiated in the spatially inhomogeneous perturbation cases that differ from those in the spatially homogeneous perturbation cases.
The nature of the response and the forcing-response relation (Equation 6.1) could depend critically on the vertical structure of the forcing (see WMO, 1999). A case in point is O3 changes, since this initiates a vertically inhomogeneous forcing owing to differing characteristics of the solar and long-wave components (WMO, 1992). Another type of forcing is that due to absorbing aerosols in the troposphere (Kondratyev, 1999). In this instance, the surface experiences a deficit while the atmosphere gains short-wave radiative energy. Hansen et al. (1997a) show that, for both these special types of forcing, if the perturbation occurs close to the surface, complex feedbacks involving lapse rate and cloudiness could alter the climate sensitivity substantially from that prevailing for a similar magnitude of perturbation imposed at other altitudes. A different kind of example is illustrated by model experiments indicating that the climate sensitivity is considerably different for O3 losses occurring in the upper rather than lower stratosphere (Hansen et al., 1997a; Christiansen, 1999). Yet another example is stratospheric aerosols in the aftermath of volcanic eruptions. In this case, the lower stratosphere is radiatively warmed while the surface-troposphere cools (Stenchikov et al., 1998) so that the climate sensitivity parameter does not convey a complete picture of the climatic perturbations. Note that this contrasts with the effects due to CO2 increases, wherein the surface-troposphere experiences a radiative heating and the stratosphere a cooling. The vertical partitioning of forcing between atmosphere and surface could also affect the manner of changes of parameters other than surface temperature, e.g., evaporation, soil moisture.
Zonal mean and regional scale responses for spatially inhomogeneous forcings can differ considerably from those for homogeneous forcings. Cox et al. (1995) and Taylor and Penner (1994) conclude that the spatially inhomogeneous sulphate aerosol direct forcing in the northern mid-latitudes tends to yield a significant response there that is absent in the spatially homogeneous case. Using a series of idealised perturbations, Ramaswamy and Chen (1997b) show that the gradient of the equator-to-pole surface temperature response to spatially homogeneous and inhomo-geneous forcings is significantly different when scaled with respect to the global mean forcing, indicating that the more spatially confined the forcing, the greater the meridional gradient of the temperature response. In the context of the additive nature of the regional temperature change signature, Penner et al. (1997) suggest that there may be some limit to the magnitude of the forcings that yield a linear signal.
A related issue is whether responses to individual forcings can be linearly added to obtain the total response to the sum of the forcings. Indications from experiments that have attempted a very limited number of combinations are that the forcings can indeed be added (Cox et al., 1995; Roeckner et al., 1994; Taylor and Penner, 1994). These investigations have been carried out in the context of equilibrium simulations and have essentially dealt with the CO2 and sulphate aerosol direct forcing. There tends to be a linear additivity not only for the global mean temperature, but also for the zonal mean temperature and precipitation (Ramaswamy and Chen, 1997a). Haywood et al. (1997c) have extended the study to transient simulations involving greenhouse gases and sulphate aerosol forcings in a GCM. They find the linear additivity to approximately hold for both the surface temperature and precipitation, even on regional scales. Parameters other than surface temperature and precipitation have not been tested extensively. Owing to the limited sets of forcings examined thus far, it is not possible as yet to generalise to all natural and anthropogenic forcings discussed in subsequent sections of this chapter.
One caveat that needs to be reiterated (see IPCC, 1994 and SAR) regarding forcing-response relationships is that, even if there is a cancellation in the global mean forcing due to forcings that are of opposite signs and distributed spatially in a different manner, and even if the responses are linearly additive, there could be spatial aspects of the responses that are not necessarily null. In particular, circulation changes could result in a distinct regional response even under conditions of a null global mean forcing and a null global mean surface temperature response (Ramaswamy and Chen, 1997a). Sinha and Harries (1997) suggest that there can be characteristic vertical responses even if the net radiative forcing is zero.
Other reports in this collection |


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La Niña has been linked to historical droughts, including the Dust Bowl
Driven by a combination of natural climate variability, manmade global warming, and plain old bad luck, drought conditions are so widespread in the U.S. that it's possible to take a cross-country flight from Washington, D.C. to San Francisco — a distance of approximately 2,400 miles — without once overflying an unaffected area. With about 81 percent of the lower 48 states experiencing at least abnormally dry conditions, and 63 percent mired in moderate-to-exceptional drought, it's becoming harder and harder to find an oasis. And the dog days of August are yet to come.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) already ranks this drought as one of the worst on record, comparable to the drought events of the 1950s. The last time there were such widespread drought conditions in the corn-growing region of the country was in 1988, and that drought cost at least $40 billion.
Given this summer's punishing 1-2 punch of dry weather and heat, this drought is also being compared to the Dust Bowl era of the 1930s.
According to Richard Seager, a professor at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory at Columbia University and a prominent drought researcher, this drought has one key thing in common with the Dust Bowl and the 1988 drought events: its origins can be traced to the tropical Pacific Ocean, where a periodic cooling of sea surface temperatures — a phenomenon known as La Niña — helped reconfigure global weather patterns during the past two years.
Seager's research has shown that La Niña is closely tied to many historical drought events in the U.S., since it shifts weather patterns in a way that favors a northern storm track, bypassing the southern tier of the country and depriving the already arid Southwest of much-needed moisture. Even though La Niña conditions are no longer present in the tropical Pacific — in fact, there is talk of a coming El Niño, with warmer sea surface temperatures — the weather pattern in the tropical Pacific is still behaving in a manner that is more consistent with La Niña. This may be giving the 2011-12 La Niña an extended lifespan in the U.S., Seager and other climate scientists said.
"La Niña conditions are perfect for getting drought in the southern parts of the U.S. There is absolutely no doubt that that has been a large part of what's been going on here," Seager said.
Seager and other experts noted that factors besides La Nina are also playing a part in this drought, however.
Unlike the droughts of the 1930s, this one is occurring in a much warmer climate, a byproduct of manmade global warming. Seager said that although it most likely didn't trigger the drought, it's possible that global warming is making this drought worse than it would otherwise be.
"I think what we're seeing is largely a naturally occurring event, but it's occurring against the background of a warming environment," Seager said.
Global warming may be affecting the feedbacks that take place between dry soils and the atmosphere. When soils dry, very little evaporation occurs and very little moisture is released from vegetation to the air. This can accelerate warming, making droughts hotter, and therefore even drier. Mark Svoboda, a climatologist at the National Drought Mitigation Center in Lincoln, Neb., said this phenomenon is known as drought "feeding on itself."
Such feedbacks have helped the current drought rapidly balloon in size, overtaking some regions so quickly that it's referred to as a "flash drought." At the start of the year, just 28 percent of the contiguous U.S. — mainly the southern tier — was in at least moderate drought. Between mid-April and mid-July, the moderate to exceptional drought area went from 37 percent to 63 percent, a clear indication of the toll that the hot, dry spring and summer have taken.
Kevin Trenberth, a senior scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colo., said global warming helps make droughts hotter, and therefore drier, than they would be without a human influence. Manmade global warming, he said via email, ". . . means more energy that has to go somewhere. In dry conditions it amplifies drying and goes into heating, creating heat waves. It is small on a day-to-day basis, but is always in one direction and it creates stronger, more intense, and longer-lasting drought. No doubt about it."
Seager pointed to the lack of snow cover from the 2011-12 winter as another key factor in the drought's expansion. In Colorado, for example, there was an unusually thin snowpack that melted earlier than average. This primed the state for destructive wildfires and record warm temperatures during June. The thin snow cover and early melt across the High Plains also may have helped dry soils in that region, and may have affected larger-scale weather patterns.
According to Svoboda, the below-average snowpack was one of the factors, along with a dry and warm spring, that made the U.S. more vulnerable to drought come early summer. "We had two strikes against us before even getting to the summer or the heat wave that would follow," he said in an email conversation.
"I don't attribute this drought to global warming, but we do see what increased temperatures can do to exacerbate droughts, and if higher temperatures become a more persistent feature in some regions not used to it, then this isn't a good combination," Svoboda said.
There is some evidence that this is already happening. A recent study found that global warming made the Texas drought and heatwave 20 times more likely to occur than under similar large-scale climate conditions 50 years ago. Other research shows that warming driven by human activities made the same heat wave and drought more severe than it otherwise would have been. As for whether global warming made the current drought more likely to occur, such "climate attribution" studies can take several months to complete, and the drought is still underway.
If indeed we're already seeing more intense droughts as a result of global warming, it doesn't bode well for the future, judging from what climate studies show. For example, climate research consistently shows the Southwest U.S. will become much drier as the climate continues to warm.
Seager's own research has revealed a disturbing history of North American "megadroughts" that have lasted for decades, making the current event look quaint by comparison. And one study published in 2011 found evidence for a global warming-induced increase in aridity over global land areas since the 1970s, and noted that climate models project a huge expansion of drought areas in the coming decades, depending on whether and by how much greenhouse gas emissions are reined in.
In other words, if you think this drought is bad . . . just wait.
A version of this post also appears at Climate Central, Climate Watch's content partner.


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Note: If you don't see anything, just apply the following steps in sequence and stop when you see the schedule: refresh, refresh, log out from your google account, log in to your google account, close your browser, open again, dance around the computer, change your navigator/os/computer, try again with the previous navigator/os/computer.
We will have some parallel tracks. Here are the talks per room:


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Morgan Freeman Backs Gay Marriage in New Video, Evokes Civil Rights Comparison
Actor Morgan Freeman has put his famous voice behind same-sex marriage in a new 30-second ad that hails the recent victories for gay advocates and compares the movement to the civil rights era.
"Freedom, justice and human dignity have always guided our journey toward a more perfect union," Freeman says as the video shows images of the civil rights movement and its leader, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. "Now, across our country, we are standing together for the right of gay and lesbian Americans to marry the person they love. With historic victories for marriage, we've delivered a mandate for full equality."
Human Rights Campaign President Chad Griffin, who is behind the ad, issued a statement along with the "Dawn of a New Day for Marriage Equality" video, stating:
"As we continue the march toward full equality in legislatures and the courts, it is crystal clear that the prospect of an equal future is no longer up for debate; the question now is how soon it will arrive," Griffin said. "While we celebrate today, we will keep fighting until full equality has reached every single person in every corner of this vast country."
The ad mentions the recent victories for gay marriage advocates in Washington State, Maine, Maryland and Minnesota, where voters decided on Election Day in November to legalize the practice, joining seven other states. It was the first time a voter referendum backed gay marriage, as it had been rejected in all previous attempts.
Before the General Election on Nov. 6, Freeman also made a popular video extolling the virtues of President Barack Obama, who went on to defeat his GOP challenger Mitt Romney by a comfortable margin in the polls. Obama has said that his position on gay marriage has "evolved," and back in May he voiced his full support for its legalization.
Conservatives in the U.S. have strongly opposed comparisons between the civil rights movement and gay marriage, however. Earlier this year, the Southern Baptist Convention, the largest Protestant denomination in America, publicly denounced any attempt by gay rights activist to compare the two movements.
The June resolution, titled "Same-Sex Marriage' and Civil Rights Rhetoric," served as a response to President Obama's affirmation of gay marriage.
"This was a specific statement regarding the use of rhetoric that we find to be a misappropriation, certainly with people who read a lot of history that talks about the godly Christian influences of the Civil Rights Movement," said Kevin Smith, pastor of Watson Memorial Baptist Church, Louisville, Ky., and Assistant Professor of Christian Preaching at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.
In either case, gay marriage remains a hotly debated issue in American politics, and the Supreme Court will meet on Friday behind closed doors to decide which cases related to the issue it will take up. Among them is Proposition 8, the controversial California bill that banned gay marriage in 2008. The Supreme Court's course of action will have far-reaching consequences for gay marriage, and it has the power to ban or legalize it nationwide.


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The output view can be used to view any messages that have been generated as a result of actions performed in the System Browser. This largely consists of compilation and load messages that are generated when system plans or individual actions in a plan are executed.
Click on the Output tab to switch to the output view. The System Browser appears as in Viewing output in the System Browser.
Figure 26.4 Viewing output in the System Browser
The output view has the areas described below.


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Let's Not Overthink This: Opening Streets Is Easy
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