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Necochea, Argentina: Is a 2013 UFO Flap Underway?
Necochea, Argentina: Is a 2013 UFO Flap Underway?
By Guillermo Gimenez, Planeta UFO
A massive UFO was seen over the coast of Necochea in the early morning hours of 27 January 2013, in the southeastern end of the Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Hundreds of witnesses saw a large white light over the sea, facing the coastline, surrounded by an "S" shaped cloud and with a red light toward its lower left side that appeared to sparkle at times. After several minutes and at sea level, it rose into the air, vanishing at high speed among the stars. The time was approximately 0230-0240 hours on 27 January. Among the witnesses were Alejandro Gimenez Franzoni, Matias Silvi, Matias Bugnar, Franco Cuervo – all of them in their 20s, and readily localizable in Necochea and the city of La Plata, as some of them were tourists.
Given the time at which this event occurred, and since it was a perfectly clear and starry night, the witnesses are deemed to rise into the hundreds, according to the testimony furnished by the people named above, since they could see many others along the coastline, and the beach itself, casting their gaze on the phenomenon. It made no noise whatsoever and was scarcely a few meters over the sea's surface, ahead of the ships waiting for clearance to enter the Port of Quequén.
A few minutes elapsed before the object – enshrouded in a very bright cloud – drifted upward, losing itself in the enormous expanse of starry sky.
Another Case
Albert Benitez is the protagonist of another phenomenon that occurred on 25 January 2013 at 23:30 hours, approximately, when he saw a large red fireball traveling at moderate speed from West to East over downtown Necochea. He adds that he could hear a squealing sound as it flew overhead, despite its distance. There may be other witnesses to this event. As we can see, UFOs keep spending their summers in Necochea.
Only a few days ago we published this case, which I myself witnessed.
At around 21:40 hours on 11 January 2013, a large number of onlookers saw a very bright red, strange object of considerable size and triangular in shape, flying south at a steady but by no means slow speed.
The object was seen by residents of Necochea and tourists alike, enjoying another very pleasant evening, since temperatures that day had been in excess of 36 centigrade.
Finally, the silent object lost itself in the southern sky among the stars. Its appearance was sudden in the airspace. I myself saw this along with other friends on the beach.
A Massive Nationwide Flap?
The Necochea UFO was seen at 02:30 and in Claromecó at 02:15 hours on 27 January. It was very likely also seen at Punta Alta. Was it the same one videotaped at Atucha (Buenos Aires) at 02:45? The case remains under investigation.
On January 29, 2013, Julio Gonzalez published the following report: On 01/27/13, minutes after two in the morning, a UFO was seen over the community, according to a tourist from Tandil. There were other cases on Friday and Saturday, as has emerged from eyewitness accounts.
An unidentified flying object was seen on Sunday in early morning hours from Claromecó and Dunamar (Necochea). This newspaper received a report submitted from a resident of Tandil, who provided exact information on the characteristics of the phenomenon. Sightings were also reported last Friday and Saturday.
The tourist told this newspaper that at around 02:15 on that day, "a strange object was seen in the sky over Claromecó-Dunamar, seen by at least 15 people. It was an intense light over the sea."
He added that the UFO "gained altitude and began morphing into a sort of blue colored spiral (like a three-vaned fan) with an intense light at its core. It then began issuing smaller lights. When it was near our position, it appeared to be at high altitude and traveling at considerable speed. The spiral then vanished and the central light dimmed until it, too, disappeared."
The tourist added: "We were with my nephews and some friends from Rosario at Dunamar, some 50 meters from the public bathrooms. There were more people at the beach. They saw it too."
In his story, the tourist remarked: "This is the first time I have seen anything of this sort, although 12 years ago, when I drove a truck, I saw a pair of large lights in the sky that subsequently vanished."
The summer visitor described his feelings after seeing the object in question: "I felt surprised. At one time we thought it was the moon, but we remembered that the full moon was right there behind us. Then the spiral shape became visible," he said, adding: "I usually travel a few days during the summer to visit Claromecó, this time it was due to the weekend, and we got to see that interesting light.
Another similar case:
"I took the photo I am submitting to your attention on Sunday at Claromecó, Province of Buenos Aires, 70 km from the city of Tres Arroyos. It caught my attention. The small spot fell rapidly while the large one remained static for a long time. Before that, I noticed a kind of glow in the sky, but thought it was a jet. They lost themselves in the fog over the sea. Could they be UFOs?" asked Sol Echarry on our website.
Meanwhile, a resident of Claromecó who preferred to remain anonymous, also noticed the presence of an unidentified flying object. It occurred at noon on Saturday, approximately at 11:30, when she saw "a white object suspended in midair" in the Tercer Salto y Medio area. We were alone with my husband and shortly thereafter it vanished. It ascended at breathtaking speed and was gone in less than a minute. It jumped upward and quickly vanished."
Claudio Menendez, a journalist for Radio Comunidad Claromecó and a contributor to this newspaper, said in his "Dias Distintos" program that an object similar to the one seen by the tourist from Tandil had also been reported in 1991.
Finally, last Friday at around 20:00 hours and hear the mouth of the creek, an unidentified flying object was reported, shining in the sky for several minutes until it was no longer readily visible.
(Translation (c) 2013, S. Corrales, IHU)


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There's something perverse about an entire industry predicated on the concept that excruciating pain is good for women. I'm talking, of course, about the natural childbirth industry, and the books, blogs, courses, videos and celebrities that comprise it. The"natural childbirth industry isn't always sure that the pain of labor exists, but they are sure that if it does, it's desirable that women feel it.
The unalterable bedrock of "natural" childbirth advocacy is that women should refuse effective pain relief in labor. The "ideal" situation is for women to embrace their pain and pretend that it is "good pain." Of course, there is no such thing as "good pain": they just made that up. The pain of contractions and the pain of vaginal distention do not differ in any way from any other kind of pain. It is not carried by different nerves, it is not conducted through the action of different neurotransmitters, it is not routed to different areas in the brain. It is exactly the same as any other kind of pain. So the take home message of NCB is that the excruciating pain of childbirth should be ignored.
And not merely ignored. What's worse is that the NCB movement pretends that women are improved by experiencing the agonizing pain of childbirth, although they cannot think of any other instance in which human beings are improved by agonizing pain. The irony is that "natural" childbirth advocates have beliefs that are strikingly similar to the Victorian clergymen who opposed anesthesia in childbirth when it was first introduced in the second half of the nineteenth century. The clergymen believed that is was wrong to abolish labor pain with anesthesia because God intended for women to feel the pain. NCB advocates appear to believe that it is wrong to abolish labor pain because "Nature" intended for women to feel the pain. There is precisely zero concern for the effect of that pain on a woman herself.
The natural childbirth movement routinely demeans women who do not want to tolerate the pain. They are portrayed as weak, as "giving in," as uneducated and uncaring because they don't understand the "risks." Or worse. The ultimate insult, implied, but not always stated is that "authentic" women can and should accept the pain, and that, therefore, women who opt for an epidural are somehow less womanly.
There is one strain of NCB advocacy that simply denies the reality of the pain. In this view, the pain of childbirth is psychosomatic in the true sense of the word. It does not reflect actual neurologic signals, but rather the social conditioning of women by a medical, technocratic culture. Pain is a manifestation of the fact that the woman has not "educated" herself that the pain doesn't exist, doesn't "trust" birth, and, once again, is not an "authentic" woman.
There is another strain of natural childbirth advocacy that acknowledges that the pain exists but that it can and should be "managed" in ways that are "natural" and inherently ineffective. The goal is not to abolish the pain; that would be wrong. The goal is to tolerate the pain so that the incentive to abolish it will be reduced. Hence the emphasis on hypnosis, water, and labor support. The pain is real, the pain is severe, and it is acceptable to reduce the pain. But it is only acceptable to reduce the pain in ways that involve no technology, and it is never acceptable to actually abolish the pain.
The "support" people in the NCB movement exist primarily for indoctrination. The childbirth educator exists to convince women that pain is good for her, and pain relief is bad. The primary function of a doula is to interfere with a woman's desire for pain relief. At every point, the doula counsels the laboring mother that she does not "need" pain relief, that she's doing "great" and she "can do it," with "it" being enduring labor without an epidural.
At the fringes of the natural childbirth movement is a group that not only denies the existence of the pain, but inverts it. Childbirth is not painful, it is pleasurable. No remotely plausible physiologic explanation is advanced for this claim, beyond the inane observation that the tissues that produce the pain of childbirth could, in different circumstances produce sexual pleasure. The explanation makes as much sense as the claim that kicking a man in the groin could induce orgasm because sexual pleasure can be produced by contact in the same area.
Why are NCB advocates so invested in the idea that women should experience excruciating pain in labor? Why are they invested in the idea that women benefit from experiencing labor pain? Why do they direct the bulk of their efforts, both before and during labor, to pressuring women to forgo effective pain relief? Why do these efforts include misinformation about the risks of epidurals, and insinuations about the fitness of the laboring women as a mother, and even insinuations about her fitness as a woman?
I don't know all the answers to these questions, but I do know this: it is inherently wrong to ignore the pain of women and to pretend that agonizing pain is good for them.
This piece first appeared in April 2010.

subset: commoncrawl


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In the fall of 2008 some biology grad students and faculty took up the beautiful game of soccer as a team way of bringing co-workers together….but what to name their team? Only the Flying Spaghetti Monsters would do! Since then the "FSM Montreal" has grown in leaps and bounds!! For some leagues popularity has been so much that FSM has put in 2 teams!! The team has members in Chemistry and Physics and now includes players from both McGill and Concordia University as well as friends not affiliated with either University!! We even have our own website: https://sites.google.com/site/fsmmontreal/
FSM Montreal has since won the CMSS Winter co-ed 7×7 soccer league, the CMSS Fall 11×11 Soccer league and were named the most social team of CMSS in 2008…this is because the league mistook the team's paying homage to the Flying Spaghetti Monster and his beer volcano by drinking at the local pub after games with trying to be social!
Here are some pictures of the Flying Spaghetti Monsters sporting their FSM Jerseys!!
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Henny Youngman
Date Of Birth:
16 March 1906
Date Of Death:
24 February 1998
Place Of Birth:
Liverpool, England
Best Known As:
The comedian who said "Take my wife -- please!"
Henny Youngman was one of the most famous stand-up comedians of post-vaudeville America. Columnist Walter Winchell dubbed him "the king of the one-liners," a tribute to Youngman's rapid-fire style. Henny Youngman got his start as a violinist, and he often carried a violin on stage with him as a prop. Among his most famous lines were "I was so ugly when I was born, the doctor slapped my mother," and "Take my wife -- please!" His 1991 autobiography was titled Take My Life, Please!
Copyright © 1998-2017 by Who2?, LLC. All rights reserved.
See also:


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Physical Sciences Home
Physics majors receive a broad but rigorous education in basic scientific principles that govern the behavior of matter and energy in nature.
The program provides hands-on experience in electronics, optics, nuclear physics, astronomy and solar energy. Students also take courses in chemistry, mathematics, computer science, and the liberal arts. Senior students pursue research projects. The College's planetarium provides a rich enhancement to the program. Most graduates pursue graduate study or enter highly competitive positions in industry and education.
The chemistry department at Wagner College is composed of four faculty members currently, all of whom are actively involved in teaching and research.
The areas of research cover the investigation of arsenic in drinking water, the synthesis of new polymers, studying the growth of crystals and the development of pharmaceuticals.
Chemistry majors will perform research closely with a faculty advisor as part of their senior RFT, and are expected to present their findings in either a paper or at a conference.
A wide variety of courses are offered by the chemistry department, designed to give our majors the best education possible and to prepare them for which ever career path they select, be that industry, graduate school or medical school.


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KIEV, Ukraine — Russian troops said to be 16,000 strong tightened their stranglehold on Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula Monday, openly defying the U.S. and the European Union and rattling world capitals and stock markets.
The West struggled to find a way to get Russia to back down, but with little beyond already threatened diplomatic and economic sanctions, global markets fell sharply over the prospect of violent upheaval in the heart of Europe.
For its part, Moscow reiterated its price for ending the crisis: restoration of a deal reached with the opposition less than two weeks ago to form a national unity government in Kiev that represents pro-Russian as well as Ukrainian interests, with new elections to be held by December.
Ukraine, meanwhile, accused Russia of piracy for blocking two of the besieged country's warships and ordering them to surrender or be seized.
The U.S. originally estimated that 6,000 Russian troops were dispatched to Crimea, but Ukraine's mission to the United Nations said Monday that 16,000 had been deployed. That stoked fears that the Kremlin might carry out more land grabs in pro-Russian eastern Ukraine.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry was headed to Kiev in an expression of support for Ukraine's sovereignty, and the EU threatened a raft of punitive measures as it called an emergency summit for Thursday.
But it was Russia that appeared to be driving the agenda.
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a U.N. Human Rights Council session in Geneva that Ukraine should return to an agreement signed last month by pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych — but not Moscow — to hold early elections and surrender some powers. Yanukovych fled the country after sealing the pact with the opposition and foreign ministers of France, Germany and Poland.
"Instead of a promised national unity government," Lavrov said of the fledgling new administration in Kiev, "a government of the victors has been created."
The latest flashpoint came when Ukrainian authorities said Russian troops had issued an ultimatum for two of the besieged country's warships to surrender or be seized.
"I call on the leadership of the Russian Federation. Stop the aggression, stop the provocations, stop the piracy! These are crimes, and you will be called to account for them," said acting Ukrainian President Oleksandr Turchynov.
"The commanders and crews are ready to defend their ships. They are defending Ukraine," Turchynov said in a televised address to the nation after a military spokesman said Ukraine's corvette Ternopil and command ship Slavutych were being blocked by four Russian navy ships in the Crimean port of Sevastopol.
Vladimir Anikin, a Russian defense ministry spokesman, dismissed the accusation as nonsense but refused to elaborate.
In Washington, the State Department warned of a "dangerous escalation" and said the U.S. would hold Moscow directly accountable for any threat to Ukraine's navy.
Russia is "on the wrong side of history" in Ukraine, President Barack Obama said, adding that continued military action would be "a costly proposition for Russia." Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Obama said the U.S. was considering economic and diplomatic options that will isolate Russia, and called on Congress to work on an aid package for Ukraine.
Still, it was not clear what the West could do to make Russia retreat. The clearest weapon at the disposal of the U.S. and the EU appeared to be economic sanctions that would freeze Russian assets and pull the plug on multibillion dollar deals with Russia. Late Monday, the EU threatened to freeze visa liberalization and economic cooperation talks and boycott the G-8 summit in Russia later this year.
Already the economic fallout for Russia was being intensely felt. Russia's stock market dropped about 10 percent Monday and its currency fell to its lowest point ever against the dollar. But the economic consequences of antagonizing Russia were also acute for Western Europe. The EU relies heavily on Russian natural gas flowing through a network of Ukrainian and other pipelines.
Global market reaction to the Russian seizure was furious. On Wall Street, both the Dow Jones industrial average and the Nasdaq composite closed sharply down, while oil prices rose on fears that Russia, a major oil exporter, might face sanctions. In European trading, gold rose while the euro and stock markets fell.
The greatest impact, however, was felt in Moscow, where the main RTS index was down 12 percent at 1,115 and the dollar spiked to an all-time high of 37 rubles. Russia's central bank hiked its main interest rate 1.5 percentage points to 7 percent, trying to stem financial outflows.
Gazprom, the Russian energy giant, was also a big loser, its share price down 13 percent as investors worried how it would get its gas to Europe if hostilities kept up, since much of it goes through Ukrainian pipelines.
Moscow has justified its military moves in Crimea as necessary to protect its country's citizens living there. At an emergency session of the Security Council on Monday, Russia's U.N. ambassador, Vitaly Churkin, told council members Russian troops were deployed at the request of Yanukovych.
Reading a statement he said was from the fugitive president, Churkin said the request came because, "as the legitimately elected representative," Yanukovych believes "Ukraine is on the brink of civil war."
Churkin quoted Yanukovych as saying "the life and security and the rights of people, particularly in the southeast part in Crimea, are being threatened" and there were "open acts of terror and violence."
By Monday, it was clear that Russia had complete operational control of Crimea.
Russian soldiers controlled all Crimean border posts, as well as all military facilities in the territory. Troops also controlled a ferry terminal in the Crimean city of Kerch, just 20 kilometers (12 miles) across the water from Russia. That intensified fears in Kiev that Moscow would send even more troops into the peninsula via that route.
Border guard spokesman Sergei Astakhov said the Russians were demanding that Ukrainian soldiers and guards transfer their allegiance to Crimea's new pro-Russian local government.
"The Russians are behaving very aggressively," he said. "They came in by breaking down doors, knocking out windows, cutting off every communication."
He said four Russian military ships, 13 helicopters and eight transport planes had arrived in Crimea in violation of agreements that permit Russia to keep its Black Sea fleet at the naval base in Sevastopol but limits the deployment of additional forces at the base.
Ukraine's Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk admitted his country had "no military options on the table" to reverse Russia's military moves into Crimea.
He appealed for outside help and said Crimea remained part of his country.
"Any attempt of Russia to grab Crimea will have no success at all. Give us some time," he said at a news conference with British Foreign Secretary William Hague.
Hague said "the world cannot just allow this to happen." But he, like other Western diplomats, ruled out any military action. "The U.K is not discussing military options. Our concentration is on diplomatic and economic pressure."
Tension between Ukraine and Moscow rose sharply after Yanukovych was pushed out by a protest movement among people who wanted closer ties with the EU. Yanukovych fled to Russia after more than 80 people were killed near Kiev's central square. He insists he is still president.
Russian President Vladimir Putin's confidence in his Ukraine strategy is underpinned by the knowledge that the nation's 46 million people have divided loyalties. While much of western Ukraine wants closer ties with the 28-nation European Union, its eastern and southern regions look to Russia for support.
Crimea is where Russia feels most at home in Ukraine: It is home to 2 million mostly Russian-speaking people and landlord for Russia's critical Black Sea Fleet at Sevastopol.
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VTX3D HD7970 PCIE2 vs PCIE3 Review
I don't think it would be either a great stretch, nor revealing a particular dark secret, to say that we never really took to the HD6970 here at OC3D. After the absolute magnificence that was the HD4870 and HD5870 AMD really dropped the ball with the HD6970 which was too hot, too loud and just not quick enough to even stay close to the high-end nVidia cards.
So it's with a certain sense of trepidation that we take a look at the HD7970. At least after the HD6970 our expectations are dampened somewhat, so we're hopeful that this will impress us.
VTX3D, the VTX standing for Vertex fact fans, have been around for a couple of years and stick solely to the Radeon line of products. But enough of the preamble, what's new?
Technical Specifications
To say the technical specifications of the HD7970 are lengthy is somewhat of an understatement. 3GB of GDDR5 is only the beginning. The major new feature is the new 28nm Tahiti XT core which comes with a stunning 2048 stream processors and enough bandwidth and polygon shifting abilities to excite even the most jaded user. The GCN (Graphics Card Next) architecture is a complete redesign of the old AMD GPUs, and should lead to a similar increase in performance that we've seen from things such as Sandy Bridge, where the pure numbers don't tell the full story of the available number crunching capabilities.
- Up to 925MHz Engine Clock
- 3GB GDDR5 Memory
- 1375MHz Memory Clock (5.5Gbps GDDR5)
- 264GB/s memory bandwidth (maximum)
- 3.79 TFLOPs Single Precision compute power
- 947 GFLOPs Double Precision compute power
- GCN Architecture
- 32 compute units (2048 Stream Processors)
- 128 Texture Units
- 128 Z/Stencil ROP Units
- 32 Color ROP Units
- Dual Geometry Engines
- Dual Asynchronous Compute Engines (ACE)
- PCI Express 3.0 x16 bus interface
- DirectX® 11-capable graphics
- 9th generation programmable hardware tessellation units
- Shader Model 5.0
- DirectCompute 11
- Accelerated multi-threading
- HDR texture compression
- Order-independent transparency
- OpenGL 4.2 support
- Partially Resident Textures (PRT)
- Ultra-high resolution texture streaming
- Partially Resident Textures (PRT)
- Image quality enhancement technology
- Up to 24x multi-sample and super-sample anti-aliasing modes
- Adaptive anti-aliasing
- Morphological Anti-Aliasing (MLAA)Â Â
- 16x angle independent anisotropic texture filtering
- 128-bit floating point HDR rendering
- AMD Eyefinity multi-display technology
- Up to 6 displays supported with DisplayPort 1.2 Multi-Stream Transport
- Independent resolutions, refresh rates, color controls, and video overlays
- Display grouping
- Combine multiple displays to behave like a single large display
- AMD App Acceleration
- OpenCL 1.2 Support
- Microsoft C++ AMP
- DirectCompute 11
- Double Precision Floating Point
- AMD HD Media Accelerator
- Universal Video Decoder (UVD)
- MVC (Blu-ray 3D)
- MPEG-4 Part 2 (DivX/Xvid)
- Adobe Flash
- DXVA 1.0 & 2.0 support
- Enhanced Video Quality features
- Advanced post-processing and scaling
- Deblocking
- Denoising
- Automatic deinterlacing
- Mosquito noise reduction
- Edge enhancement
- 3:2 pulldown detection
- Advanced video color correction
- Brighter whites processing (Blue Stretch)
- Independent video gamma control
- Flesh tone correction
- Color vibrance control
- Dynamic contrast
- Dynamic video range control
- Advanced post-processing and scaling
- Universal Video Decoder (UVD)
- AMD HD3D technology
- Stereoscopic 3D display/glasses support
- Blu-ray 3D support
- Stereoscopic 3D gaming
- AMD CrossFire⢠multi-GPU technology
- Dual, triple or quad-GPU scaling
- Cutting-edge integrated display support
- DisplayPort 1.2
- Max resolution: 4096×2160 per display
- Multi-Stream Transport
- 21.6 Gbps bandwidth
- High bit-rate audio
- Quad HD/4k video support
- 3GHz HDMI 1.4a with Stereoscopic 3D Frame Packing Format, Deep Color, xvYCC wide gamut support, and high bit-rate audio
- Max resolution: 4096×3112
- 1080p60 Stereoscopic 3D
- Quad HD/4k video support
- Dual-link DVI with HDCP Max resolution: 2560×1600
- VGA Max resolution: 2048×1536
- DisplayPort 1.2
- Integrated HD audio controller
- Output protected high bit rate 7.1 channel surround sound over HDMI with no additional cables required
- Supports AC-3, AAC, Dolby TrueHD and DTS Master Audio formats


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While this was taking place, Chavez was in Cuba to press on his anti FTAA agenda by promoting his ALBA nonsense whose only members so far are Cuba and Venezuela, more than likely the most inefficient economies in the Americas (1). That no one has paid more than lip service to the ALBA speaks volumes. FTAA might be pure incarnate evil but ALBA is pure incarnate stupidity.
Indeed, when one sees the steps taken to promote ALBA one wonders what is going in the mind of these people. Let's look at Chavez visit in Cuba this week to see plenty of examples of delirium (tremens?) I am not talking about the insensate flattery of senile Castro who one never knows if he is making fun of his guest or if he is really complimenting him. I am talking of the decision to open a PDVSA trading office and a commercial agency of Venezuela once too often bankrupted Banco Industrial (2).
Tal Cual has quite a coverage of the economic interchanges between Venezuela and Cuba. (in Spanish here). But other coverage can be seen all around, even in US blogs demonstrating that the wanna-be oil blackmailer is drawing more and more attention (I am sure he is quite happy about it). This goes all the way up to the Wall Street Journal wondering almost aloud whether Chavez is buying Cuba or whether he is installing his little off shore fiscal paradise so he can cause mischief more at ease.
But for today's concern I will stick to the Tal Cual report where we read two pearls by oil Minister Ramirez who must think that we are gullible sheep. The first one is the admission that since the recall election shipping of oil to Cuba has doubled whereas as far as this writer knows oil consumption in the island has not doubled. Indeed now that El Supremo has the country by the balls he has no qualms in giving away oil as if it were his. Long gone are the days when public opinion was against the Cuban deals and some appearances had to be kept. Now who cares if Venezuelans like Castro or not!
The second is even better. My translation:
It is logical to serve from here [Cuba] all of the Caribbean Islands, which are small and dispersed, and serving them from Venezuela does not make much sense.
I kid you not.
So, in the ever present obligation to inform and enlighten, this blogger has drawn specially for Minister Ramirez the following chart, assuming that the oil ministry does not have access to a good Atlas.
In this chart, the blue lines show how the oil must be carried to Matanzas and the unfinished (and totally outdated) Cienfuegos Soviet white elephant of a refinery. The fuchsia lines are the return of the supposedly refined product, surely at the very high technological standard of world famous Cuban industrial quality. And the green lines are the distribution DIRECTLY from Venezuelan refineries. I think that anyone with a minimum of critical mind will realize that the statement quoted above is total Hog Wash, Cuba makes NO geographical sense (3). So what is the truth Minister Ramirez? Do you think we are cretins?
The answer is very simple. It is not enough for PDVSA to hide from the US S.E.C. It is not enough for PDVSA to bar the entrance to its building to anyone who is not duly accounted in the revolutionary lists. No, Caracas is just not safe enough to hide all the plundering made by the revolution of the oil money that indeed belongs to ALL Venezuelans and not only those who embrace Chavez. Thus the need to set up offices in Havana where the hand of justice cannot reach and all sorts of shady deals can be made under the benevolent eye of Castro, the biggest capo de mafia of them all.
And dear Minister, if you think that I am trying to sabotage you, to slander you, I will suggest that in addition to the links already quoted you read the following other links: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and I could add a few more if I were going to look into all the reports form CITGO misdeeds and what not. We are onto you, Minister. And, dear Minister Ramirez, if I may ask, what the hell do you do in your office everyday?
=== === === === === === === ===
1) FTAA is a free trade deal promoted by the US for all of the American continent. It is justly resisted as the economies of LatAm are weak and need time to adjust so as to be able to compete with the US economy in fair grounds. But if there is significant resistance there also a significant will from both sides to maintain conversations. Some countries are already quite involved in an FTAA deal: Colombia, Chile, Central America, with Ecuador and Peru very interested. Brazil has its own agenda as it would be expected for the biggest economy and market in South America. Lula is more of a hard bargainer than an obstacle as a big economy like Brazil can only benefit from access to a big market as the US. Whatever anti FTAA folks say, the bucks are in the US.
ALBA, Bolivarian Alternative Trade, is simply an ersatz deal which claims to create a free trade agreement where the US will not participate. And where state initiatives to "improve" the fate of the people would be the principal motor of development. One needs just to look to the Eastern Europe economic history under the soviets and how they stampeded to join the European Union to see how such deals work. Apparently Chavez and Castro are not aware that the Berlin Wall fell, and even less why.
2) The opening of the BIV agency in Havana is another sweet deal for Castro. Apparently it will count to start with 400 million dollars to "finance" imports to Cuba from Venezuelan companies. Since Cuba is one of the foremost deadbeats of the world, and that its debt to Venezuela for oil is already lost in space, it is safe to assume the BIV: 1) will pay Venezuelan pro Chavez business willing to export to Cuba, 2) will have a hard time to collect the money from Cuba and 3) will be diligent in paying the commissions wherever these need to be paid, far from any indiscreet and inquisitive mind wondering where the monies of the state go and last but not least 4) it will add yet a bigger burden of the permanent semi bankrupt state of the BIV, constantly subsidized by the Venezuelan governments (yes, Chavez is not the first one to use the BIV as a cash cow).
3) Just to nail the point. The Dominican Republic has almost TWICE the GDP of Cuba, its per capita is 6,300 USD while Cuba is a paltry estimated 3,000 USD and the Dominican Republic has a much more central position than Cuba to "serve" the Caribbean if Venezuela does not want to do it anymore. In other words Dominicans can buy even more cars than Venezuelan (with a 5,800 USD per capita), consume way more oil derivatives than Cuba, and are closer to anyone else around and could even help Haiti by hiring Haitians to run the PDVSA business there. Is Mr. Ramirez that stupid to think we are that stupid? How far can ideological blinders go?


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Celebrate Lunar New Year 2019
Starting February 5 join us in the Hearthstone Tavern to celebrate the Lunar New Year! The Tavern will be decked out for the party, and we've got some treats in store to help get the year off to an auspicious start!
Get the party started with a bang! Just log into Hearthstone during the celebration to add a free Rare Golden Fireworks Tech card to your collection.
While the celebration lasts, increase your wealth with special Lunar New Year quests that award both Gold and Arcane Dust!
Greet your worthy opponents with a festive and firework-filled Lunar New Year emote!
Our Lunar New Year celebration only lasts through February 13, so be sure to join the party before it's over!
The Lunar New Year Bundle
The festival begins February 5, but you can get the year off to a prosperous start with an expanded Hearthstone collection right now! Open the Lunar New Year bundle to find 30 card packs (10 each from The Witchwood, The Boomsday Project, and Rastakhan's Rumble) for a special price.
Available now through February 13.
We wish you all a very happy Lunar New Year, and we hope that all your wishes are fulfilled!


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Search For Books - By Author, Title Or Keyword
If She Wakes (Hardcover)
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Two women fight for their lives against an enigmatic killer in this electrifying novel from a New York Times bestselling author and "master" of thriller writing (Stephen King).
Tara Beckley is a senior at idyllic Hammel College in Maine. As she drives to deliver a visiting professor to a conference, a horrific car accident kills the professor and leaves Tara in a vegetative state. At least, so her doctors think. In fact, she's a prisoner of locked-in syndrome: fully alert but unable to move a muscle. Trapped in her body, she learns that someone powerful wants her dead -- but why? And what can she do, lying in a hospital bed, to stop them?
Abby Kaplan, an insurance investigator, is hired by the college to look in to Tara's case. A former stunt driver, Abby returned home after a disaster in Hollywood left an actor dead and her own reputation -- and nerves -- shattered. Despite the fog of trauma, she can tell that Tara's car crash was no accident. When she starts asking questions, things quickly spin out of control, leaving Abby on the run and a mysterious young hit man named Dax Blackwell hard on her heels.
Full of pulse-pounding tension, If She Wakes is a searing, breakneck thriller from the genre's "best of the best" (Michael Connelly).
About the Author
Michael Koryta is the New York Times bestselling author of fourteen novels, most recently How It Happened. His previous novels -- including Rise the Dark, Last Words, Those Who Wish Me Dead, and So Cold the River -- were New York Times notable books, national bestsellers, and have won or been nominated for numerous awards, including the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. Koryta is a former private investigator and newspaper reporter. He lives in Bloomington, Indiana, and Camden, Maine.
Praise For…
One of South Florida Sun-Sentinel's Best Mystery Books of 2019!
"An edgy suspense story...that brilliantly plays on the primal fear of being buried alive."—Marilyn Stasio, New York Times Book Review
"Multi-award winning author Michael Koryta again shows his affinity for smoothly melding sophisticated action with solid character development - even when one of the individuals is in a coma... Koryta is such a polished writer that his plots zip by as he delves into the amorality of Dax and the humanity of Abby and Tara, whose personality emerges, despite being paralyzed. Believable twists propel the tense "If She Wakes" as it moves to a surprising finale."—Associated Press
"Another superb effort...a nail-biter throughout."—Chicago Tribune
"In If She Wakes Michael Koryta gives readers not one or two but four formidable female leads...Koryta writes them with confidence, and each is someone to be reckoned with."—Shelf Awareness
"Koryta keeps the action fast and furious, tempered with his characters' determination to persevere against all odds."—Bookpage
"A good thriller to kick up your feet and read."—BookRiot
"Adept at creating Hitchcockian moments, Koryta keeps the suspense high throughout."—Publisher's Weekly
"It's a measure of how good this book is that the chilling, masterfully sustained suspense is only one of its standout achievements. Koryta never brushes off anyone's death; he makes you feel for the victims. The relationship between Tara and her sibling is beautifully nuanced, full of revealing details going back to their childhood. Koryta has never been better than with this knuckle-biting thriller."—Kirkus
"it's the human element, the stories of two young women trying to reclaim their lives, that makes If She Wakes so compelling."—Tampa Bay Times
"Koryta tries his hand at psychological suspense with excellent results."—Crime Reads
"Instantly gripping, with realistic action, a breath-snatching twist, and a few untied ends that hopefully signal a sequel."—Booklist


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10 Unique Musical Instruments You'll Want to Hear
10 Ungilded Realities of Life in the Gilded Age
Top 10 Best Drumming Performances of All Time
10 Creepy Old Mysteries We Will Probably Never Solve
10 Movie Scenes That Really Happened without the Help of CGI
10 Wacky Comics Who Made a Mark as Musicians
10 Women Who Broke Down Barriers to Break the News
10 Tales about Historical Figures and Their Living Descendants
10 Totally Normal Foods That Were Once Considered Aphrodisiacs
10 Stories That Prove Animals Are True Masters of Mischief
10 Unique Musical Instruments You'll Want to Hear
10 Ungilded Realities of Life in the Gilded Age
Who's Behind Listverse?
Jamie Frater
Head Editor
Jamie founded Listverse due to an insatiable desire to share fascinating, obscure, and bizarre facts. He has been a guest speaker on numerous national radio and television stations and is a five time published author.
More About UsTop 10 Best Drumming Performances of All Time
10 Creepy Old Mysteries We Will Probably Never Solve
10 Movie Scenes That Really Happened without the Help of CGI
10 Wacky Comics Who Made a Mark as Musicians
10 Women Who Broke Down Barriers to Break the News
10 Tales about Historical Figures and Their Living Descendants
10 Totally Normal Foods That Were Once Considered Aphrodisiacs
Top 10 Human Reflexes and Natural Instincts
It doesn't matter what the color of your skin is or where you were born. It doesn't matter if you're rich, poor, young, elderly, sick, healthy, or unique. Everyone in the world holds an inherent set of instinctive behaviors. Some of the behaviors include a collection of reflexes. Scientists continue to examine the purpose of these instincts and develop hypotheses on their function. Many of the instincts remain an evolutionary mystery. For this article I have focused on reflexes in adults and left out the common primitive reflexes.
A primitive reflex is displayed by normal human infants and not neurologically intact adults. Some examples include the Palmar grasp reflex, which is the tendency for babies to close their hand around anything that strokes the palm. The swimming reflex occurs if you place a small infant in water. In response they will begin to paddle and kick. Up until the age of four months, an infant will turn its head towards anything that strokes its cheek or mouth. This is known as the rooting reflex and is used to assist in breastfeeding.
Post-micturition convulsion syndrome (pee shivers) is a human phenomenon in which a person feels a shiver running down their spine following urination. The event can produce a brief twitch. It is a form of myoclonus, which is the involuntary twitching of a muscle. Twitching is normal in humans and most widely seen in people as they fall asleep. Pee shivers are quite mysterious and not understood by the medical community. There is currently no agreed explanation for the phenomenon, but it is reported by men all over the world. Not every man experiences pee shivers and only a small percentage of women have described the event.
Scientists have speculated that the phenomenon could be related to the fact that people experience a drop in blood pressure following urination. Others have suggested that it may be a reaction to the loss of several ounces of warm fluid. Most intellectuals point to the parasympathetic nervous system. The parasympathetic system is responsible for stimulation of activities that occur when the body is at rest, including sexual arousal, salivation, lacrimation (tears), urination, digestion, and defecation. However, the explanation doesn't consider the fact that the phenomenon is only experienced by a percentage of the world population. Comedian George Carlin examined the topic: "pee shivers date back to pre-civilization days when men hadn't learned to do their own shaking."
Interesting Fact: Pee shivers shouldn't be confused with micturition syncope, which is a feeling of faintness following urination. During the phenomenon people become pale, nauseated, and sweaty before losing consciousness. Micturition syncope is responsible for 2.4 to 8.4 percent of all fainting by adults. In many cases it occurs after the individual has been sleeping for a long period of time. Some people have reported dizziness and a loss of balance while urinating at night, but not a complete loss of consciousness.
The Prisoner's Cinema is a phenomenon reported by people kept in total darkness, especially prisoners confined to dark cells for a long period of time. The sensation has been reported by truck drivers, pilots, and practitioners of intense meditation. Astronauts have also experienced a similar occurrence in space. The light show usually includes various colors and appears out of total darkness. The lights are said to have a succinct form, which is difficult to describe. The lights often transform into human form. Scientists believe the cinema is a result of phosphenes combined with the psychological effects of prolonged exposure to darkness.
A phosphene is a phenomenon characterized by the experience of seeing light without light actually entering the eye. In 1970, a scientist named Oster hypothesized in Scientific American that the prisoner's cinema may be the cause of some "ghost" sightings. Others have noted a connection between the lights and Neolithic cave paintings. Legend says that the ancient Greek philosopher Pythagoras retreated to pitch black caves in order to receive wisdom through visions.
Interesting Fact: The Ganzfeld effect is a similar phenomenon that has been reported for hundreds of years. It occurs when someone experiences a sudden loss of vision or hallucinations after staring at a uniform field of color, not just black. Arctic explorers who saw nothing but white snow for a long period of time also reported hallucinations and an altered state of mind. The Ganzfeld effect is the result of the brain amplifying neural noise in order to look for the missing visual signals. Many feel it is similar to dream production because of the brain's state of sensory deprivation during sleep.
Tickling is the act of touching a part of the body to induce involuntary twitching and laughter. Knismesis and gargalesis are the scientific terms used to describe the two types of tickling. In 1897, the terms were coined by psychologists G. Stanley Hall and Arthur Allin. In a general sense, knismesis is the light, feather-like type of tickling that doesn't induce laughter in humans. This type of tickling is often accompanied by an itching sensation. Knismesis requires a low level of stimulation and can be triggered by a touch or electrical current. Knismesis can also be triggered by crawling insects, which will prompt the individual to scratch the area.
Gargalesis is a different type of tickling. It refers to the harder, laughter-induced response. Gargalesis involves the repeated application of high pressure to sensitive areas of the body. This type of tickling is often associated with play and laughter, but can be considered highly unpleasant and even torture if used relentlessly. The gargalesis type of tickling works on both humans and primates. It has been hypothesized that the difference between the two sensations are produced by separate itch and touch sensors in the body. The strange thing about the two types of tickling is that people can trigger knismesis in their own body, but not gargalesis. The inability for humans to self-tickle is hard to understand.
Interesting Fact: Tonic immobility is a natural state of paralysis in animals. Some sharks can be put in a tonic state of paralysis for an average of fifteen minutes. This is achieved by placing your hands on the sides of the animal's snout and lightly rubbing (applying knismesis). In 1997, around the Farallon Islands off the coast of California, a female orca was seen purposely inducing tonic immobility in a great white shark. The orca held the shark upside down and kept it immobilized for fifteen minutes until it suffocated to death. The case was the first recorded eye witness account of predation on a great white shark by a species other than humans.
Blushing is the involuntary reddening of a person's face due to embarrassment or emotional stress. In many cultures it has become associated with being lovestruck or certain romantic situations. Blushing is related to flushing. However, flushing involves a more intense reddening of the skin and extends all over the body. Just about any situation can bring on intense blushing. It usually takes about one or two minutes for the reddening to disappear. Severe blushing can make people self-conscious and has been known to make it difficult to feel comfortable in certain situations. A collection of studies have determined that blushing is the result of an overactive sympathetic nervous system.
During the process of blushing, the person's sympathetic nervous system will cause the blood vessels to open wide, flooding the skin with blood, and resulting in a reddening of the face. In some people, the ears, neck, and upper chest may also blush. The reaction will also cause the person's face to feel hot. Several different psychological mechanisms for blushing have been hypothesized. In 2010, Crozier published a paper that suggested blushing was a visible rebound to the basic fight/flight mechanism found in humans. Charles Darwin was intrigued by blushing and described it as "the most peculiar and human of all expressions."
Interesting Fact: Alcohol flush reaction is a condition in which an individual's face and body experience a reddening as the result of alcohol consumption. The flushing is created by the accumulation of acetaldehyde in the body. Acetaldehyde is made by the oxidation of ethanol and is believed to be the cause of hangovers.
In human sexuality, the refractory period is the recovery phase after an orgasm during which it is impossible to achieve additional orgasms. Most men are unable to maintain or achieve an erection during this time. The penis may also be hypersensitive and stimulation may feel painful or uncomfortable. The effect has been linked to the hormone oxytocin and the protein prolactin. The length of the refractory period varies across species, ranging from a couple minutes to days. In contrast to men, most women do not experience a refractory period immediately after orgasm. However, some women have reported the phenomenon. According to studies, a 20 year-old has a refractory period of about 15 minutes, while people in their 70s take about 20 hours.
Interesting Fact: Sexual intercourse can sometimes lead to a feeling of melancholy in humans called post-coital tristesse (PCT). The feeling is more common in men than women and was described by philosopher Baruch Spinoza in 1677. English comedian Russell Brand described the phenomenon: "it's like, Oh my God, what have I done? A sense of profound existential angst, a sense of loss, and a sense that somehow I've let my mum down." Another sexually related phenomenon is the inability for males to control their urination after intercourse. This fact was featured in the Jim Carrey movie Me, Myself & Irene.
A cold chill is a tingling in the body accompanied by a cold sensation, and sometimes a shudder or shivering. Unlike body shivering or chills, cold chills are not caused by temperature, menopause, anxiety, or sickness, but are triggered by emotion. Cold chills occur when someone is deeply affected by music, video, speech, or recollection. They create goose bumps on the body. A similar sensation to cold chills is spine-tingling. Spine-tingling occurs when someone is scared by an event or experiences a strong emotional reaction. The sensation can be spontaneous, but can also be felt seconds before it happens, similar to a yawn or sneeze. The feeling may also cause goose bumps and cold chills. Some people have reported being able to recreate the spine-tingling sensation without being frightened.
Interesting Fact: Goose bumps appear on a person's skin when it is cold out or they experience a strong emotional reaction such as fear, nostalgia, pleasure, awe, admiration, or sexual arousal. Goose bumps are created when tiny muscles at the base of each hair contract and pull the hair erect. In animals covered with fur or hair, the erect hairs trap air and create a layer of insulation. Goose bumps can also appear as a response to anger or fear. The erect hairs make the animal appear larger, in order to intimidate enemies.
Emotional contagion is the tendency for humans to feel the emotions of people around them. It appears to be involved with mob psychology and related to the bandwagon effect. The bandwagon effect is a well documented form of groupthink. It says that human conduct spreads among people in a similar way as fads and trends. As more people come to believe in something, others "hop on the bandwagon." The idea of emotional contagion is clearly evident in human children. For example, if a parent is sad, the child will often notice and react with crying.
Emotional contagion covers a wide range of human emotions, including power, strategy, invincibility, and dominance. The ability to transfer moods between humans is innate. This is a powerful fact and behind some the world's religions, dictators, and the history of war. As you would expect, the transfer of emotions between humans has been studied in a number of different situations and settings. Unlike cognitive contagion, emotional contagion is less conscious and more automatic. It relies mainly on non-verbal communication, although it has been demonstrated to occur via telecommunication.
Interesting Fact: Folie à deux is a psychiatric syndrome in which delusional beliefs are transmitted from one individual to the next. The disorder was first conceptualized in France during the 19th century. It is related to Stockholm syndrome, which is a phenomenon that occurs when a hostage expresses empathy for their attackers. One of the most horrific examples of folie à deux is Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party.
A yawn is a natural human reflex. It involves the inhalation of air, stretching of the eardrums, and is followed by a large exhalation of breath. Yawning is associated with tiredness, stress, lack of stimulation, and boredom. It is one of the most bizarre human functions. Yawning can be infectious and is triggered by seeing others yawn, hearing a yawn, or talking on the phone with someone who is yawning. A number of theories have been proposed that attempt to explain why animals yawn, but nothing has been substantiated. One theory states that yawning occurs when a person's blood contains an increased amount of carbon dioxide and needs oxygen. However, other studies show that yawning decreases oxygen intake.
Another theory states that yawning is a person's way of controlling brain temperature. It has been suggested that a yawn can reduce or increase blood pressure in the brain. This theory has been supported by the fact that people get a desire to yawn while making a drastic change in elevation. Another speculated reason for yawning is the desire to stretch one's muscles. Contagious yawning may be a way of keeping a group of animals alert. It may be an instinctual reaction from one member of the herd to the next, reminding everyone to stay alert. Anecdotal evidence suggests that yawning helps increase the state of alertness.
Interesting Fact: It is possible that yawning is a territorial reflex, a process that is meant to make the body appear bigger by stretching out the arms and opening the mouth. When animals are witnessed yawning, the human reaction is to become aware of the creature's teeth and fighting potential.
Did you ever wonder how humans are able to move their heads from left to right and still focus on visual images? The vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) is a human reflex movement that stabilizes images on the retina. It accomplishes this by producing a rapid eye movement in the direction opposite to the head movement. For example, when the human head moves to the right, the eyes move to the left, and vice versa. The VOR is vital because people are constantly making small head movements. Individuals who have an impaired VOR usually can't read because small head movements blur the image.
The VOR works in total darkness and when the eyes are closed. The reflex is one of the fastest in the human body. It has been estimated that the eye movements lag the head movements by less than 10 milliseconds. Today, the VOR can be tested by doctors with the caloric reflex test, which involves injecting cold water, warm water, or air into the ear. When you inject water into the ear, the VOR is automatically triggered. A healthy cerebellum is also essential to the VOR in order to ensure accurate eye movements. People who experience brain damage to the cerebellum often have complicated problems with visual comprehension.
Interesting Fact: Did you ever wonder why you shouldn't drink and drive? Ethanol (alcohol) consumption can disrupt the VOR, greatly reducing your ability to see. The more intoxicated you become the more blurry your vision is.
The mammalian diving reflex allows people to stay underwater for extended periods of time. It is exhibited strongly in aquatic mammals, but also in humans. The diving reflex is triggered specifically when cold water contacts the face. Water that is warmer than 21°C (70°F) does not cause the reflex, and neither does submersion of body parts other than the face. As soon as the face hits cold water, the diving reflex is triggered in an attempt to maximize oxygen output. The human heart rate slows down by 10-25% and blood flow is constricted to the extremities. At extreme depths, the body intentionally allows fluid to fill the lungs and chest cavity to prevent organs from being crushed by pressure.
The mammalian diving reflex greatly increases the odds of survival during accidental submersion. It helps prevent drowning in humans and even works if the individual is unconscious before entering the water. Because of the reflex, a person can survive longer periods of time without oxygen in cold water than on dry land or in hot water. Another interesting fact is that the diving reflex lessens with adulthood. Children are more likely to survive extended periods of time in cold water. The reflex is particularly strong in seals, otters, and dolphins, which are mammals that spend a lot of time in the water. It remains unclear if the diving reflex occurs in extreme cold weather outside water.
Interesting Fact: The mammalian diving reflex has caused some to examine the aquatic ape hypothesis, which says that the common ancestors of modern humans spent time adapting to life underwater. The hypothesis is based on the differences between humans and other great apes, and similarities between humans and some aquatic mammals. The theory uses many human functions to support the claims including hair loss, hair location, the subcutaneous fat on babies, the descended larynx, the hooded nose, voluntary breath control, the waxy coating on newborns, and the mammalian diving reflex.


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UA Engineering Grad's Work With Germ-Killing Copper Could Save Thousands of Lives
Fast-forward four years, and Estelle says, "I love New York more and more every day. And the most rewarding thing for me is the ability to work on a project centered on a technology that will save lives. That's immensely rewarding."
The technology is based on copper alloys that kill bacteria, fungi and viruses. The metals can be fashioned into everything from IV poles to sinks to bed rails -- just about anything that is frequently touched in hospitals.
While these surfaces might look benign, they're covered with organisms that contribute to hospital-acquired infections, the fourth leading cause of death in the United States, killing more people than AIDS and breast cancer combined. That's 2 million infections annually, and 100,000 deaths -- one infection for every 20 people admitted to hospitals.
While disease-causing organisms can lurk on stainless steel surfaces for two weeks, according to a recent UA research study, 99.9 percent die within two hours on surfaces that contain at least 60 percent copper, Estelle says.
Estelle has been working with four other engineers at the Copper Development Association, a not-for-profit trade group, to develop a market for copper alloys in the health care industry. They also have been helping manufacturers gear up for producing copper alloy products.
Part of that effort has involved gaining EPA certification for the antimicrobial effects of copper so manufacturers can advertise the health benefits of these products.
The second part, which has been Estelle's major focus for the past two years, was to retrofit the Ronald McDonald House in Charleston, S.C., with copper alloy stair railings, door hardware, sinks, faucets, counter tops, kitchen tables, chair arms, and other surfaces that are frequently touched by patients, visitors and staff.
This has been a win-win for everyone, Estelle explained, creating a safer environment for families and children, while at the same time helping the first wave of manufacturers tool up and commercialize lines of copper products that can now be marketed to hospitals.
"One of our first commercial products is a beautiful seamless counter top and sink bowl manufactured by Elkay Commercial Products," Estelle said. "We installed about forty of these in the Ronald McDonald House." Elkay is among ten manufacturers now marketing antimicrobial copper alloy products to the health care industry.
Surfaces at the Ronald McDonald House were swabbed and tested for bacteria for ten weeks before the new copper alloy products were installed. "Follow-up tests on the items converted to copper showed they carried 94 percent fewer bacteria," Estelle said. "We are now trying to recreate the Charleston project at other Ronald McDonald Houses around the world to create a safer living and working environment for the children, families and staff."
Now, with the Ronald McDonald House pilot project completed and EPA approval secured, the next step is to convince hospitals to replace traditional surfaces that are not worn out with copper alloy ones. New policies from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services that go into effect next year should help spur this changeover. Treatment for hospital-acquired infections costs between $35 billion and $45 billion each year in the U.S., and Medicare and Medicaid will no long reimburse hospitals for that treatment if the infections are judged to have been preventable and a hospital mistake.
But even without the new rules, the changeover makes economic sense, Estelle explained. Under today's reimbursement system, individual hospitals spend $5 million on average each year to treat infections. "Even on the low end, it's $30,000 per infection," he said. Clinical trials at three hospitals funded by the U.S. Department of Defense have recently proved that copper surfaces can reduce infections in the intensive care unit by more than 50 percent.
Using published estimates, about 500,000 Americans will contract an infection this year in the ICU. This will cost our hospitals an additional $3.5 billion in treatment, and about 40,000 people will not survive the ordeal. The clinical trial results suggest that installing copper surfaces could cut these figures in half.
"By implementing these surfaces, hospitals can see real, continuous savings year after year," Estelle said. "This is a passive way to prevent infection that doesn't depend on human behavior, such as hand-washing or hydrogen peroxide vapor machines. There is no need for maintenance beyond the normal surface cleaning procedures that are already in place."
Working for a small company that is on the leading edge of developing a new market has been rewarding and challenging, Estelle said. While his engineering courses didn't teach all the skills he's needed, the problem-solving techniques he learned at UA certainly have helped.
"I get involved in everything from supply chain development and marketing to clinical trials, regulatory approvals, Congressional advocacy, and more," Estelle said. "This is really a multidisciplinary job, and a lot of it is business-oriented. There's a lot of on-the-job networking, and interfacing with different professionals."
"But the most rewarding thing for me is the ability to work on a project that centers on technology that will save lives," he said. "I'm a pretty lucky guy."


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Chapter 14
In the last days, Ephraim will repent and return unto the Lord.
1 O Israel, return unto the Lord thy God; for thou hast afallen by thine iniquity.
2 Take with you words, and turn to the Lord: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we arender the bcalves of our lips.
3 aAsshur shall not bsave us; we will not ride upon chorses: neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, Ye are our gods: for in thee the dfatherless findeth mercy.
4 ¶ I will heal their backsliding, I will alove them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him.
5 I will be as the adew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon.
6 His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the aolive tree, and his smell as Lebanon.
7 They that dwell under his shadow shall return; they shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine: the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon.
8 Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols? I have heard him, and observed him: I am like a green fir tree. From me is thy fruit found.
9 Who is awise, and he shall understand these things? bprudent, and he shall know them? for the cways of the Lord are right, and the just shall dwalk in them: but the transgressors shall fall therein.


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Declares an exception handler.
An exception handler may be declared to respond to a specific exception condition or one or more of the exception class groups SQLEXCEPTION, SQLWARNING or NOT FOUND. An exception handler that responds to one or more exception class groups is called a general exception handler.
A specific exception condition may be specified by using an SQLSTATE value or a condition name, see DECLARE CONDITION. An exception handler that responds to one or more specific exception conditions is called a specific exception handler.
The keywords CONTINUE, EXIT and UNDO affect the flow of control behavior subsequent to the execution of the exception handler.
If CONTINUE is specified, the flow of control continues by executing the SQL statement immediately following the statement that raised the error, after the handler has executed.
If EXIT is specified, the flow of control exits the compound statement within which the exception handler is declared after the handler has executed.
If UNDO is specified, all the changes made by the SQL statements in the ATOMIC compound statement, within which the handler is declared, (or by any SQL statements triggered by those changes) are canceled. Then the handler is executed and the flow of control exits the compound statement.
An UNDO exception handler can only be declared within an ATOMIC compound statement.
An exception handler must be either a general or a specific exception handler, it cannot respond to both an exception class group and a specific exception condition.
The same exception condition must not be specified more than once, whether by SQLSTATE value or by condition name, in an exception handler declaration.
Within a given scope, only one specific exception handler may be declared for a particular exception condition.
If string is specified, it must have length five and contain only alphanumeric characters.
Within a given compound statement, if both a general and a specific exception handler have been declared to respond to a given exception condition, the specific exception handler will handle the exception.
If no exception handlers have been declared to respond to an exception condition in the compound statement within which the error was raised, the exception condition is propagated out to the enclosing compound statement or to the calling environment.
The above does not apply to exception conditions with the NOT FOUND and SQLWARNING class, these are not propagated by the exception handling mechanism in absence of an exception handler defined to handle them.
SQLWARNING covers SQLSTATE values beginning with 01.
NOT FOUND covers SQLSTATE values beginning with 02.
SQLEXCEPTION covers all other SQLSTATE values (including implementation-defined values), except those beginning with 00.
For more information, see Return Status and Conditions or the Mimer SQL Programmer's Manual, Declaring Exception Handlers.
Standard Compliance
Standard |
Compliance |
Comments |
Features outside core |
Feature P002, "Computational completeness". |


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Spike Lee Wants to Adapt 1986 Film for TV
JONATHAN LANDRUM Jr., Associated Press
ATLANTA (AP) — Spike Lee says his wife persuaded him to adapt his 1986 film, "She's Gotta Have It," for television.
"For years, my wife Tonya (Lewis) kept telling me, 'That would make a great TV show,'" Lee said in an interview Thursday night. "Then I went to Showtime with the first initial meeting and we sold the idea. That's not something that happens every day."
Lee wants to adapt the movie into a half-hour comedy series. The original story focused on a woman's relationship with three men, exploring the issues of race, sexuality and gentrification in the neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York.
The film was a breakthrough project for Lee, and helped ignite the independent film movement.
Lee expects to take a contemporary look at the characters and plot for the adaptation. He's working on the pilot and feels confident about creating a strong script.
Showtime will decide whether the show gets picked up.
"I've always been confident in my ability, but it's not to be my decision alone," said the 57-year-old Lee. "All I can do is write the best pilot I can write. Hopefully, God willing, the people and powers-to-be at Showtime can say, 'We like it Spike, let's shoot the pilot.'"
Lee has also finished the script and is seeking more financial backing for the sequel to his 1988 film, "School Daze," based on life at Atlanta's historically black colleges.
He said he wants to explore the current issues faced by black college students.
"Anytime I walk the streets, people say how much they like to see them (the colleges) again," he said. "It'll be very interesting to revisit Mission College 25 years later. It's different than what students were dealing with in 1988 when that film came out. The world has changed."
Follow Jonathan Landrum Jr. on Twitter at http://twitter.com/MrLandrum31
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Brace yourself - I have a lot of pictures to show you...
Last weekend, I spent a couple of days in the beautiful village of Burley in the New Forest. Every year, they put on the Burley Show, which I was delighted to discover is as close as one can get to a village fair in this day and age. It was a day of vegetable and cake-baking competitions, tombola's, tractor displays and - my personal favourite - dog shows. There was even a very impressive falconry display from the Rutland Falconry and Owl Centre! What more could you possible want from a day out?
Following the show, we all went back to my bearded man's father's house to celebrate his wedding anniversary. They have the most beautiful garden, so I couldn't resist taking a few arty snaps of the incredible flowers and set up they have there.
If you've never been to the New Forest, I highly recommend a visit. Not only is it beautiful, but horses basically own the place and walk around completely freely! They also have some very tasty fudge.
How was your weekend?
Many thanks,
Swell Vintage


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(Motherhouse at Mt. St. Vincent-on Hudson, New York; not to be confused with the Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul founded earlier).
In 1817 Sister Rose White, Cecilia O'Conway and Elizabeth Boyle were sent by Mother Seton to found a community of the Emmitsburg Sisters of Charity in New York. It was the second branch of the new American institute, the first being at Philadelphia (1814). They took charge of the orphanage, a small wooden building at Prince and Mott Streets. In the early thirties, a young ladies' academy, St. Mary's, begun shortly afterwards, was located in Grand Street, and then transferred to East Broadway, where three generations of the young women of the old East Side of New York, now the heart of its Ghetto, were educated.
Meanwhile at the motherhouse at Emmitsburg negotiations were in progress for affiliation with the sisters of Charity in France. In consequence there had been for some time a tendency to abandon certain customs observed there, because these changes were required by the French superiors; for example, the sisters in charge of boys' asylums were everywhere to be withdrawn. The measure threatened at that period the very existence of the New York orphanage. At this juncture, also, sisters could not be obtained from Emmitsburg to carry on the work of a projected and much-needed hospital in New York, the St. Vincent's of today. The correspondence that ensued between Archbishop Hughes and Father Deluol, the director of the sisterhood, in relation to these matters, resulted in a notification that all the sisters were to be recalled to Emmitsburg from New York in July of the same year. This and other circumstances proved to the archbishop the necessity to supply the needs of the diocese. In 1846, therefore, a proposition to that effect was made to the Emmitsburg sisters, and the matter was amicably arranged. Those who wished to continue in New York were dispensed from the vow of obedience to their former superior, and of the forty-five sisters than in the diocese, thirty-five remained (8 Dec., 1846).
Sister Elizabeth Boyle became in December, 1846, the first superior of the new community. The novitiate of the New York community was at once opened at St. James's Academy, 35 East Broadway. In the fourteen year it was removed to the new motherhouse on an state purchased at Mcgown's Pass, situated within the limits of the present Central Park. Here, in 1847, the Academy of Mount Saint Vincent had its foundation, In 1849 the affiliation of the Emmitsburg Sisters with the community in France took place and in the same year a band of sisters was sent from Mount Saint Vincent to Halifax, Nova Scotia. The mission was most successful and in 1856, under Mother Xavier, a local community was formed of the sisters then labouring in the Diocese of Newark. Meanwhile in 1857 the "Old Mount" having been absorbed in Central Park, a new "Mount" rose on the east bank of the Hudson just below Yonkers, fourteen miles from the heart of the city. Here today are to be found the motherhouse of the community, the novitiate with a finely equipped training-school, and the Academy of Mount Saint Vincent.
The superiors succeeding Mother Elizabeth Boyle have been, Mother Jerome Ely, for over fifty years a prominent factor in New York's Catholic educational and charitable work; Mother Angela Hughes, sister of archbishop Hughes; Mother Regina Lawless, Mother Ambrosia Sweeney, Mother Rosina Wightman, Mother Mary Rose Dolan, Mother Melita McClancy and Mother Jesepha Cullen. Some idea of the growth in numbers of this community and of the importance of its present activities may be learned from the following statistics for 1908. It counts about 1400 members who conduct missions in the Dioceses of Albany, Brooklyn and Harrisburg as well as in the Archdiocese of New York. These establishments comprise 20 academies; 73 parochial schools with about 50,000 pupils; 5 asylums with 1800 orphans; high schools approved by the State; several homes containing 600 children; 11 hospitals in which 12,000 patients were treated during the year; 1 home accommodating 270 aged poor; an industrial school and a protectory with 1620 girls; a foundling asylum with 3340 children and 554 needy and homeless mothers; 2 small day nurseries caring for 100 little ones, and a retreat for the insane with 150 patients.
The superior general is the Archbishop of New York, and the community is governed by a council consisting of the mother superior and her three assistants. all residing at the motherhouse. to which the seventy-four missions are subordinate. These sisters retain the black cap and religious dress adopted by Mother Seton when she founded the American Sisters of Charity. They follow the Rule of the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul with some slight modifications. On 20 June, 1847, the Holy See extended to them all the privileges, Indulgences, and other spiritual graces already granted to the community of the Sisters of Charity at Emmitsburg.
APA citation. (1908). Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul (New York). In The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03607a.htm
MLA citation. "Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul (New York)." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 3. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1908. <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03607a.htm>.
Transcription. This article was transcribed for New Advent by Claudia C. Neira.
Ecclesiastical approbation. Nihil Obstat. November 1, 1908. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor. Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York.
Contact information. The editor of New Advent is Kevin Knight. My email address is webmaster at newadvent.org. Regrettably, I can't reply to every letter, but I greatly appreciate your feedback — especially notifications about typographical errors and inappropriate ads.


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When we last left off, the Hackaday Drone Testbed was just a box of parts on workbench. Things have changed quite a bit since then! Let's get straight to the build.
With the arms built and the speed controls soldered up, it was simply a matter of bolting the frame itself together. The HobbyKing frame is designed to fold, with nylon washers sliding on the fiberglass sheets. I don't really need the folding feature, so I locked down the nylock nuts and they've stayed that way ever since. With the arms mounted, it was finally starting to look like a quadcopter.
Using the correct screws, the motors easily screwed into the frames. I did have to do a bit of filing on each motor plate to get the motor's screw pattern to fit. The speed controls didn't have a specific mount, so I attached them to the sides of the arms with double-sided tape and used some zip ties to ensure nothing moved. In hindsight I should have mounted them on the top of the arms, as I'm planning to put LED light strips on the outside of edges of the quad. The LEDs will help with orientation and ensure a few UFO sightings during night flights.
Power distribution is a major issue with multicopters. Somehow you have to get the main battery power out to four speed controls, a flight controller, a voltage regulator, and any accessories. There are PCBs for this, which have worked for me in the past. For the Hackaday Testbed, I decided to go with a wiring harness. The harness really turned out to be more trouble than it was worth. I had to strip down the wires at the solder joint to add connections for the voltage regulator. The entire harness was a bit longer than necessary. There is plenty of room for the excess wire between the main body plates of the quad, but all that copper is excess weight the 'bench' doesn't need to be carrying. The setup does work though. If I need to shed a bit of weight, I'll switch over to a PCB.
Click past the break to read the rest of the story.


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- Home
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- Budget Information and Related Documents
- 2011-2012 Fiscal Year
2011-2012 Fiscal Year
FY 2011-2012 Town Council Adopted Final Budget
The Town Council adopted the Final Budget for the 2011-2012 fiscal year at their April 25, 2011 meeting. Watch a recording of the meeting.
Prior to adoption of the final budget, public hearings on both the municipal and school budgets were held on Wednesday, April 13, 2011 and Thursday, April 14, 2011, at which the School Committee was represented. Find the Notice of Public Hearings on the Town Council FY2011-2012 Preliminary Budget (PDF). Watch the meeting.
View the Town Council's FY 2011-2012 Preliminary Budget as adopted March 21, 2011. Watch a recording of the meeting.
FY 2011-2012 Town Manager Proposed Budget
View the Town Manager's Proposed Budget (PDF) for the 2011-2012 fiscal year.
The Town Council held the following work sessions to review the Town Manager's FY 2011-2012 Proposed Budget:
- Budget Work Session No. 1 March 7, 2011.
- Budget Work Session No. 2 March 8, 2011.
- Budget Work Session No. 3 March 9, 2011.
- Joint Work Session with the School Committee Tuesday, March 15, 2011.
Initial Public Hearing & Tentative Budget Schedule FY2011-2012
The Town Council and the School Committee of the Town of South Kingstown held an initial budget hearing on December 20, 2010 in the Town Council Chambers, 180 High Street, Wakefield, RI relating to the goals and objectives of the development of the 2011-2012 municipal and school budgets. Watch a recording of the meeting (MP4).
- View the Town Manager's PowerPoint presentation (PDF).
- View the School Department's PowerPoint presentation (PDF).
- Find a summary of the budget adoption process and tentative schedule (PDF).
Capital Improvement Program FY2011-2012 - FY2016-2017
The Town Council held 3 work sessions for review of the Town Manager's proposed Fiscal Period 2011-2012 through 2016-2017 Capital Improvement Program, including one joint work session with the School Committee. The Town Council held a Public Hearing on January 24th to adopt the FY2011-2012 - FY2016-2017 CIP.
- Find the FY2011-2012 through FY2016-2017 Town Manager Proposed Capital Improvement Program (PDF).
- View the School Department's January 13, 2011 CIP presentation (PDF).
- View the Town Manager's January 5, 2011 CIP presentation (PDF).
- View the Town Manager's January 4, 2011 CIP presentation (PDF).
- Find the CIP work session schedule (PDF).


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Fennemore Craig, a leading Mountain West regional firm has announced the addition of five new attorneys to the Phoenix office. Lauren Crawford, Jessica Gale, Brian Hawkins,Courtney Radow and Seth Schuknecht have joined the firm as associates and practice law in the area of litigation.
Crawford has helped businesses protect and enforce their rights at both federal and state levels under an array of insurance policies, including commercial general liability policies, commercial auto liability, and umbrella and excess policies. Before joining Fennemore Craig, Crawford worked as an associate at the law firm of Polsinelli PC in Phoenix, Arizona. Prior to her work at Polsinelli, Crawford clerked for the Honorable Patrick Irvine and Patricia Orozco on the Arizona Court of Appeals, Division One. She received her B.A., magna cum laude, from the University of Arizona and her J.D. from Arizona State University, Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law.
Gale earned a B.A., magna cum laude, from the University of Arizona and her J.D. from the University of Arizona, James E. Rogers College of Law. While in law school, she worked as a law clerk for Southern Arizona Legal Aid and mentored first year law students as an Ares fellow. Prior to law school, Gale served as a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar in Valparaiso, Chile.
Hawkins previously worked as a law clerk to the Honorable Timothy Tymkovich, Circuit Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, Denver, Colorado. Hawkins also served as a law clerk to the Honorable Neil Wake, District Judge, U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona. Hawkins received his B.A., cum laude, at Brigham Young University and his J.D., magna cum laude and Order of the Coif, at the University of Michigan Law School.
Radow'spractice involves commercial litigation, breach of contract, and simple and complex litigation matters. Before joining Fennemore Craig, she worked as a litigation associate at Gordon Silver in Phoenix, Arizona. While in law school, she served as a legal intern for then Governor of Arizona Janet Napolitano at Governor Napolitano's Office of General Counsel. Radow received her B.A., magna cum laude, from the University of Arizona and her J.D., cum laude, at the University of Arizona, James E. Rogers College of Law.
Schuknecht previously served as a law clerk for the Honorable James Teilborg, U.S. District Court, District of Arizona. Schuknecht served as a Naval Aviator for nine years on active duty in the U.S. Navy before becoming an attorney. Schuknecht received his B.A. with merit from the United States Naval Academy and his J.D., cum laude, from Arizona State University, Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law.
Fennemore Craig's Litigation practice includes more than 35 lawyers who practice in the areas of business and personal injury torts, commercial litigation, construction disputes and defects litigation, e-discovery, environment and natural resources litigation, financial restructuring and bankruptcy, patent litigation, product liability, professional liability, insurance litigation, real estate litigation and securities litigation.


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Home | Reviews | Extras | Forums |
The CockpitSynopsisThe Cockpit is a series of 3 OAVs focusing on three separate stories of the tragedy of war. The first, Slipstream, follows a Luftwaffe pilot who must choose between his duty to his country: to guard a bomber loaded with Germany's final hope of victory, the world's first atomic bomb - or his duty to the world, to let it fall in flames to enemy Spitfires and be a footnote in history. Of course, things are complicated by the plane's other cargo ... the woman he loves. The second story, Sonic Boom Squadron, follows the pilot of an Ohka bomb, the purest kamikaze desperation weapon of the Pacific war. He once dreamt of flying a rocket into space, but instead he is to fly a rocket into an American ship for the glory of Japan. If only they would have let him live another thirty years ... The third story, Knight of the Iron Dragon, is set on the Philippine island of Leyte, where a rusted old motorcycle tells the story of two Japanese soldiers who returned to a captured airfield to fulfill a promise, a promise that neither could ever keep. Based on a manga by Matsumoto Leiji (Captain Harlock, Galaxy Express 999) and directed by three of Japan's finest anime directors, Kawajiri Yoshiaki (Ninja Scroll), Takahashi Ryousuke (Armored Trooper Votoms), and Imanishi Takashi (Gundam 0083), these are stories of what it means to be a human at war. ReviewShort but intense, The Cockpit is a true masterpiece in dramatic film. Each story is well-plotted and well-directed, with masterful aerial sequences, sympathetic characters on all sides, and a very human drama that will tear at your heart. Though definitely controversial material for the United States, as it depicts World War II from an Axis viewpoint, the stories here are, sadly, universal, as these men who might have changed the world in peacetime go through hardships, are forced to make decisions that result in death and destruction. Again, this is one series that drives home the fact that war is a truly insane behavior of man, one that almost becomes its own beast: a beast that readily consumes men who didn't have to die. Only enhancing the quality of the series is the meticulous detail in which every plane and machine in the series is portrayed - from the Spitfires and Focke-Wulf Fw-190s in the first segment, the Ohka bombs and their carriers in the second, the cobbled-together motorcycle in the third...each is very real and recognizable to any World War II scholar. The art in this series is definitely signature Matsumoto, though some of his odder-looking characters in the latter two segments take some getting used to. The interaction between the characters is nothing less than realistic, and though the subject matter is truly heavy, some of the material (especially in the third episode) is on the comic side. The characters themselves, whether Harlock-style handsome or caricaturish, have distinctive, well-developed personalities, no matter what side they're on, which further illustrates the madness of a war that turns a man with hopes and dreams into another casualty, another number in the list of the dead. The Cockpit is a genuine masterpiece in the medium of anime, an opportunity to experience one of anime's more powerful stories - one of very human suffering and honor, and an unexpected sympathy and understanding for all of the victims of the war. The average Japanese or German was no less, and no more human than anyone else, and this anime tells the story or the front line just as effectively as Grave of the Fireflies depicted the tragedies of the home front. If any criticism can be made, it's that it does not examine Axis atrocities, nor does it examine the American motivation behind the bombing campaigns on the home islands, or the clearly racist antagonism presented by all parties involved. Those are stories better shown by other movies readily available, such as Schindler's List, Empire of the Sun, Grave of the Fireflies, or even contemporary propaganda such as Disney and Seversky's Victory Through Air Power, Leni Riefenstahl's Triumph of the Will or even proto-anime such as Seo Mitsuyo's Momotaro Umi no Shimpei. The Cockpit was never designed to outline both sides of the war - but as a series of vignettes, it does as much as it can, and then some. The Urban Vision release is currently out of print, so if you find a copy of The Cockpit, rent it, or better, buy it. It's an experience you won't regret. Often a difficult watch for many due to its subject content. People who can't handle tragic war stories or perceived anti-Americanism can drop this down a star or two. However, it should be stated that this film should properly be perceived as anti-war rather than pro-Axis. — Carlos/Giancarla Ross Recommended Audience: Too violent and intense for children, as this is a war drama that pulls very few punches. Older teens and adults would appreciate this dramatic work. Version(s) Viewed: digital source, VHS Review Status: Full (3/3) The Cockpit © 1993 Matsumoto Leiji / TNS |
© 1996-2015 THEM Anime Reviews. All rights reserved. |


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Pizza is one of those fail-safe, crowd-pleasing foods: fun, easy to cook, and endlessly versatile. Combine those friendly qualities with the freshest ingredients you can find, toss the whole thing on the grill, and you have a summer winner. These recipes work on either a gas or charcoal grill (see "Five Tips for Great Grilled Pizza,"), so get fired up for new takes on this family favorite.
Foolproof Pizza Dough
Makes three 9- to 10-inch crusts or thirty 2-inch crusts / All-purpose flour gives the dough a light, silky quality; whole-wheat flour adds fiber and nutrients. Prep tip: This is a snap to make in a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, but you can certainly do it by hand. View recipe.
Shrimp and Fresh Herb Pizza
Makes 16 / Citrus-flavored, bite-size appetizers. Prep tip: Because it's a little tricky to transfer loaded crusts to the grill one at a time, assemble these little pizzas on a metal screen or rack that can go directly on the grill. View recipe.
Leek, Goat Cheese, and Olive Pizza
Serves 8 (makes two 10-inch pizzas) / This is a riff on the flavors of Provence, especially if you use niçoise olives. View recipe. View recipe.
Grilled Peach, Sage, and Red Onion Pizza
Serves 4 (makes one 10-inch pizza) / This pie has great flavor hooks: sweet, sour, salty. The recipe may yield more onions than you'll need; save the rest for another pizza or as a topping on grilled sandwiches. Prep tips: This is a good use for semi-hard peaches, both in terms of texture and acid. It also works with sliced, grilled pineapple. If you're a carnivore, put thin slices of prosciutto on top of fruit before covering grill (step 3); or garnish with a sharp cheese, such as Asiago. View recipe.
Fresh Ricotta with Arugula and Flaxseed Pizza
Serves 4 (makes one 9-inch pizza) / Prep tips: Making ricotta is dead simple; leftovers are great on crackers. Of course, purchased ricotta would be fine, too. Whole flaxseeds provide a delectable crunch and added fiber; you could also use sunflower seeds. The combination of hot, creamy, cool, and crunchy is heavenly. View recipe.
Tomato, Mozzarella, and Zucchini Pizza
Serves 4 (makes one 9-inch pizza) / I like to call the squash mixture "squasage"—first, because I can't resist a pun, and second, because using the flavor profile of Italian sausage on grated zucchini serves the desire for meat without the need to actually eat it. View recipe.


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- Accession
- 1930 - 2013
Part of Fritz Spiess fonds
This fonds is divided into 5 series, divided by format. These are: Cinefilm, Video Materials, Audio Materials, Photographic Materials, Textual Records.
The first series, Cinefilm, contains original prints in both b&w and colour. It includes home movies, newsreels, as well as Spiess's debut film Die Thomaner.
The second series, Video Materials, contains Digital Betacam cassettes. These include transfers of commercials, home movies, and Die Thomaner.
The third series, Audio Materials, includes soundtrack elements and radio commercials.
The fourth series, Photographic Materials includes behind the scenes photos of commercial shoots, family portraits, and glass negatives by Spiess's father, Karl.
The fifth series, Textual Materials, includes papers relating to the formation of the first accrual of the Fritz Spiess archive. It also includes several periodicals that featured work by Spiess and technical literature about technologies of the day.
This fonds includes textual, photographic, graphic material relating to a number of productions/entities/products, including:
• The Canadian Society of Cinemathographers 1957- 2007 (2007)
• Upside Down: Les Artiques (2008)
• Upside Down: Les Artiques (2011)
• Eskimo Art Film
• Fritz Spiess fonds
• "Jamaican Pumpkin"
• Karl Spiess
• Pledge
This fonds includes audio-visual material relating to a number of productions/entities/commercial products, including:
• Spiess Family German home movies (1930 – 1941)
• Die Thomaner (1941)
• Spiess Family Canadian home movies (1950s)
• Canada 100 Centennial Film
• Carling Black Label
• Eskimo Art Film
• Gulf
• Inco


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CNN) — Nine months after the Sandy Hook school shooting tragedy, President Barack Obama seems to be borrowing one of the ideas first presented by the NRA, putting millions of dollars into funding armed police officers in schools across the country.
Friday afternoon the Justice Department announced about $45 million in funding intended to create 356 new school resource officer positions under the federal COPS grants.
"In the wake of past tragedies, it's clear that we need to be willing to take all possible steps to ensure that our kids are safe when they go to school," Attorney General Eric Holder said in the statement.
"Especially in a time of increased challenges and limited budgets, our top priority must always be the safety and well-being of our children."
Newtown Connecticut, the site of the Sandy Hook tragedy, will be given money to create two new police officers in local schools.
The COPS grants, which stand for Community Oriented Policing Services, are announced annually by the Justice Department. This year the priority is being given to grants for putting armed police officers in schools. About $125 million in total grants were announced to fully fund the hiring of new community policing officers by local law enforcement agencies for three years.
In the immediate aftermath of Sandy Hook, NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre proposed that armed guards, not necessarily police officers, be put immediately into every public school in America.
More guns, in schools and among the general population, have been the single most prominent solution offered by the NRA and other pro-gun voices in response to shootings at Sandy Hook and elsewhere, including the murder of 12 people earlier this month at the Washington Navy Yard.
"The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun," LaPierre said last year in announcing an NRA program that would help facilitate and train such armed guards.
That idea, of more "good guys with guns," has been repeated frequently since then. Gun rights advocates argue that mass shootings happen primarily in what they call "gun free zones" where firearms are banned. They argue that such shootings do not happen in areas where guns are common and that people need to be able to defend themselves.
For the most part, the Obama administration and the NRA have been at odds over solutions to preventing shooting violence.
Efforts to introduce universal background checks and other measures to prevent gun violence spearheaded by Vice President Joe Biden have failed to earn a 60-vote supermajority in Congress. They are opposed by gun rights groups and NRA-backed legislators who among other things fear a federal firearms registry that would one day lead to gun confiscation.
Even now, the Obama administration has not perfectly duplicated the NRA plan. Whereas the NRA called for armed guards and did not specify police officers, the COPS grants will go explicitly to trained law enforcement.


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On today's edition of Coffee and Markets, Brad Jackson and Ben Domenech are joined by Francis Cianfrocca to discuss the halt of Chevy Volt production, campaign proposals to encourage the manufacturing industry and why our corporate tax rate should be close to zero.
We're brought to you as always by BigGovernment and Stephen Clouse and Associates. If you'd like to email us, you can do so at coffee[at]newledger.com. We hope you enjoy the show.
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Christoph Zillgens
Great article.
For me it's important to tell the client that there are differences between the browsers and most of my clients understand that.
But there are always some pigheads, who want it being done their way. My best argument to convince them is money.
Just let the client decide:
"If you except the browser differences, it's okay, let's put the effort in styling for the modern browsers. If not, you have to invest more money to make IE show a similar layout like the modern browsers."
I try to convince the client that investing money in a browser that will go down during the next years is no good idea. Showing some graphs like this helps to prove that. Or even better try to prove it with their own stats.
If that doesn't help, do it as the client expects it and make sure you get paid for every single minute spent on improving hacking IE. I can live with that.
Ah, one more thing I'd like to know, Andy:
Do you completely skip the Photoshop/Fireworks process and design entirely in the browser or do you use these tools before you start HTML/CSS?


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Rachel Maddow has an update on Orrin Hatch's smear campaign against Carol Lam, the U.S. Attorney for San Diego who was recently fired by the Justice Department. Senator Hatch has now issued a just-barely-an-apology for telling the following lies about Lam this past Sunday on NBC's Meet the Press:
She was a former law professor, no prosecutorial experience, and the former campaign manager in Southern California for Clinton.
I've summarized this sorry saga in a pair of limericks called Truth On The Lam:
Truth On The Lam
By Madeleine Begun Kane
Orrin Hatch hatched big lies about Lam,
Won't admit that his claims are a sham.
She was wrongfully axed,
But he conjured up "facts".
About truth Hatch does not give a damn.
Under pressure, Hatch issues a letter
To Tim Russert that isn't much better
Than his televised lies.
Hatch just barely denies
That his Lam claims belong in the shredder. [tags]Carol Lam, Orrin Hatch, Senator Hatch, Tim Russert, Televised Lies, Rachel Maddow, Smear Campaign, U.S. Attorney, San Diego, Justice Department, NBC's Meet The Press, Prosecutorial Experience[/tags]