text:
Car Travel
Carefully weigh the pros and cons of car travel before choosing to rent. If your plans are to see Vienna and one or two other urban destinations, you're better off taking the train, avoiding hassles, and saving money. Bear in mind that in addition to the not inconsiderable cost of renting, you'll have to pay for gasoline (which costs more than twice what it does in the United States) and frequent tolls. In addition, you might find yourself dealing with heavy traffic on the main roads. Added to that is the constant headache of finding a place to park. Central Vienna is completely restricted and the situation is not much better in the smaller cities.
On the other hand, if you have the time and your plan is a more leisurely tour of the country, including back roads and off-the-beaten-track destinations, then car rental is certainly an option. You'll have more freedom—and roads are mostly very well maintained, even in rural districts and mountainous regions. Bear in mind that if you're traveling in winter, your car should be fitted with winter tires and you should also carry snow chains. Even in summer you can come across sudden winterlike conditions on the high mountain passes.
Vienna is 300 km (187 miles) east of Salzburg and 200 km (125 miles) north of Graz. Main routes leading into the city are the A1 Westautobahn from Germany, Salzburg, and Linz and the A2 Südautobahn from Graz and points south.
Gasoline and diesel are readily available, but on Sunday stations in the more out-of-the-way areas may be closed. Stations carry only unleaded (bleifrei) gas, both regular and premium (super), and diesel. If you're in the mountains in winter with a diesel, and there is a cold snap (with temperatures threatening to drop below -4°F [-20°C]), add a few liters of gasoline to your diesel, about 1:4 parts, to prevent it from freezing. Gasoline prices are the same throughout the country, slightly lower at discount and self-service stations. Expect to pay about €1.38 per liter for regular gasoline and slightly less for diesel. If you are driving to Italy, fill up before crossing the border, because gas in Italy is even more expensive. Oil in Austria is expensive, retailing at €14 or more per liter. If need be, purchase oil, windshield wipers, and other paraphernalia at big hardware stores. The German word for "receipt" is Quittung or Rechnung.
Renting a Car
Rates in Vienna begin at about €80 per day and €100 per weekend for an economy car with manual transmission. This includes a 21% tax on car rentals. Rates are more expensive in winter months, when a surcharge for winter tires may be added. Renting a car is cheaper in Germany, but make sure the rental agency knows you are driving into Austria and ask for the car to be equipped with the Autobahnvignette, an autobahn sticker for Austria. The answer will usually be that you have to buy your own vignette, which you can get from service stations near the border. Get your sticker, also known as a Pickerl, before driving to Austria . When renting an RV be sure to compare prices and reserve early. It's cheaper to arrange your rental car from the United States, but be sure to get a confirmation in writing of your quoted rate. Extremely big savings can often be made by renting from a company that has partnered with your chosen airline—airline websites will have the link—or use Arguscarhire.com, which has connections with a range of car rental companies and often comes up with the best prices.
The age requirement for renting a car in Austria is generally 19 (the minimum age for driving a car in Austria is 18), and you must have had a valid driver's license for one year. There is no extra charge to drive over the border into Italy, Switzerland, or Germany, but there may be some restrictions for taking a rental into Slovakia, Slovenia, Hungary, the Czech Republic, or Poland. If you're planning on traveling east, it's best to let the agency know beforehand.
In Austria your own driver's license is acceptable. An International Driver's Permit (IDP; $15), while not strictly necessary, is a good idea; these international permits are universally recognized, and having one in your wallet may save you a problem with the local authorities. Check the AAA website (www.aaa.com) for more info.
Road Conditions
Roads in Austria are excellent and well maintained—perhaps a bit too well maintained, judging by the frequently encountered construction zones on the autobahns. Secondary roads may be narrow and winding. Remember that in winter you will need snow tires and sometimes chains, even on well-traveled roads. It's wise to check with the automobile clubs for weather conditions, because mountain roads are often blocked, and ice and fog are hazards.
Roadside Emergencies
If you break down along the autobahn, a small arrow on the guardrail will direct you to the nearest emergency (orange-color) phones that exist along all highways. Austria also has two automobile clubs, ÖAMTC and ARBÖ, both of which operate motorist service patrols. Both clubs charge nonmembers for emergency service.
Emergency Services
ARBÖ. 01/891–21–0; www.arboe.at.
ÖAMTC. 0810/120–120; www.oeamtc.at.
No area or other code is needed for either number.
Rules of the Road
Tourists from EU countries may bring their own cars into Austria with no documentation other than the normal registration papers and their regular driver's license. A Green Card, the international certificate of insurance, is recommended for EU drivers and compulsory for others. All cars must carry a first-aid kit (including rubber gloves), a red warning triangle, and a yellow neon jacket to use in case of accident or breakdown. These are available at gas stations along the road, or at any automotive supply store or large hardware store.
The minimum driving age in Austria is 18, and children under 12 must ride in the back seat; smaller children require a car seat. Note that all passengers must use seat belts.
Drive on the right side of the road in Austria. Unmarked crossings, particularly in residential areas, are common, so exercise caution at intersections. Trams always have the right of way. No turns are allowed on red.
When it comes to drinking and driving, the maximum blood-alcohol content allowed is 0.5 parts per thousand, which in real terms means very little to drink. Remember when driving in Europe that the police can stop you anywhere at any time for no particular reason.
Unless otherwise marked, the speed limit on autobahns is 130 kph (80 mph), although this is not always strictly enforced. If you're pulled over for speeding, though, fines are payable on the spot, and can be heavy. On other highways and roads the limit is 100 kph (62 mph), 80 kph (49 mph) for RVs or cars pulling a trailer weighing more than 750 kilos (about 1,650 pounds). In built-up areas a 50-kph (31-mph) limit applies and is likely to be taken seriously. In some towns special 30-kph (20-mph) limits apply. More and more towns have radar cameras to catch speeders. Remember that insurance does not necessarily pay if it can be proven you were going above the limit when involved in an accident.
If you're going to travel Austria's highways, make absolutely sure your car is equipped with the Autobahnvignette, a little sticker with a highway icon and the Austrian eagle, or with a calendar marked with an M or a W. This sticker, sometimes also called a Pickerl, allows use of the autobahn. It costs €82.70 (valid for one year) and is available at gas stations, tobacconists, and automobile-club outlets in neighboring countries or near the border. Some rental cars may already have them, but you need to check. You can also purchase a two-month vignette for €24.80, or a 10-day one for €8.50. Prices are for vehicles up to 3.5 tons and RVs. For motorcycles it's €32.90 for one year, €12.40 for two months, and €4.90 for 10 days. If you're caught without a sticker you may be subjected to extremely high fines. Get your Pickerl before driving to Austria from another country. Besides the Pickerl, if you are planning to drive around a lot, budget in a great deal of toll money: for example, the tunnels on the A10 autobahn cost €11, the Grossglockner Pass road will cost about €34 per car (you can buy a ticket for €10 for a second ride over the pass in the same calendar year and in the same car if you show the cashier the original ticket). Driving up some especially beautiful valleys, such as the Kaunertal in Tyrol, or up to the Tauplitzalm in Styria, also costs money—around €23 per car for the Kaunertal.


text:
Chet Ramey announced Version 4 of Bash on the 20th of February, 2009. This release has a number of significant new features, as well as some important bugfixes.
Among the new goodies:
Associative arrays. [1]
Example 37-5. A simple address database
#!/bin/bash4 # fetch_address.sh declare -A address # -A option declares associative array. address[Charles]="414 W. 10th Ave., Baltimore, MD 21236" address[John]="202 E. 3rd St., New York, NY 10009" address[Wilma]="1854 Vermont Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90023" echo "Charles's address is ${address[Charles]}." # Charles's address is 414 W. 10th Ave., Baltimore, MD 21236. echo "Wilma's address is ${address[Wilma]}." # Wilma's address is 1854 Vermont Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90023. echo "John's address is ${address[John]}." # John's address is 202 E. 3rd St., New York, NY 10009. echo echo "${!address[*]}" # The array indices ... # Charles John Wilma |
Example 37-6. A somewhat more elaborate address database
#!/bin/bash4 # fetch_address-2.sh # A more elaborate version of fetch_address.sh. SUCCESS=0 E_DB=99 # Error code for missing entry. declare -A address # -A option declares associative array. store_address () { address[$1]="$2" return $? } fetch_address () { if [[ -z "${address[$1]}" ]] then echo "$1's address is not in database." return $E_DB fi echo "$1's address is ${address[$1]}." return $? } store_address "Lucas Fayne" "414 W. 13th Ave., Baltimore, MD 21236" store_address "Arvid Boyce" "202 E. 3rd St., New York, NY 10009" store_address "Velma Winston" "1854 Vermont Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90023" # Exercise: # Rewrite the above store_address calls to read data from a file, #+ then assign field 1 to name, field 2 to address in the array. # Each line in the file would have a format corresponding to the above. # Use a while-read loop to read from file, sed or awk to parse the fields. fetch_address "Lucas Fayne" # Lucas Fayne's address is 414 W. 13th Ave., Baltimore, MD 21236. fetch_address "Velma Winston" # Velma Winston's address is 1854 Vermont Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90023. fetch_address "Arvid Boyce" # Arvid Boyce's address is 202 E. 3rd St., New York, NY 10009. fetch_address "Bozo Bozeman" # Bozo Bozeman's address is not in database. exit $? # In this case, exit code = 99, since that is function return. |
See Example A-53 for an interesting usage of an associative array.
Elements of the index array may include embedded space characters, or even leading and/or trailing space characters. However, index array elements containing only whitespace are not permitted.
Enhancements to the case construct: the ;;& and ;& terminators.
Example 37-7. Testing characters
#!/bin/bash4 test_char () { case "$1" in [[:print:]] ) echo "$1 is a printable character.";;& # | # The ;;& terminator continues to the next pattern test. | [[:alnum:]] ) echo "$1 is an alpha/numeric character.";;& # v [[:alpha:]] ) echo "$1 is an alphabetic character.";;& # v [[:lower:]] ) echo "$1 is a lowercase alphabetic character.";;& [[:digit:]] ) echo "$1 is an numeric character.";& # | # The ;& terminator executes the next statement ... # | %%%@@@@@ ) echo "********************************";; # v # ^^^^^^^^ ... even with a dummy pattern. esac } echo test_char 3 # 3 is a printable character. # 3 is an alpha/numeric character. # 3 is an numeric character. # ******************************** echo test_char m # m is a printable character. # m is an alpha/numeric character. # m is an alphabetic character. # m is a lowercase alphabetic character. echo test_char / # / is a printable character. echo # The ;;& terminator can save complex if/then conditions. # The ;& is somewhat less useful. |
The new coproc builtin enables two parallel processes to communicate and interact. As Chet Ramey states in the Bash FAQ [2] , ver. 4.01:
There is a new 'coproc' reserved word that specifies a coprocess:
an asynchronous command run with two pipes connected to the creating
shell. Coprocs can be named. The input and output file descriptors
and the PID of the coprocess are available to the calling shell in
variables with coproc-specific names.
George Dimitriu explains,
"... coproc ... is a feature used in Bash process substitution,
which now is made publicly available."
This means it can be explicitly invoked in a script, rather than
just being a behind-the-scenes mechanism used by Bash.
Coprocesses use file descriptors. File descriptors enable processes and pipes to communicate.
#!/bin/bash4 # A coprocess communicates with a while-read loop. coproc { cat mx_data.txt; sleep 2; } # ^^^^^^^ # Try running this without "sleep 2" and see what happens. while read -u ${COPROC[0]} line # ${COPROC[0]} is the do #+ file descriptor of the coprocess. echo "$line" | sed -e 's/line/NOT-ORIGINAL-TEXT/' done kill $COPROC_PID # No longer need the coprocess, #+ so kill its PID. |
But, be careful!
#!/bin/bash4 echo; echo a=aaa b=bbb c=ccc coproc echo "one two three" while read -u ${COPROC[0]} a b c; # Note that this loop do #+ runs in a subshell. echo "Inside while-read loop: "; echo "a = $a"; echo "b = $b"; echo "c = $c" echo "coproc file descriptor: ${COPROC[0]}" done # a = one # b = two # c = three # So far, so good, but ... echo "-----------------" echo "Outside while-read loop: " echo "a = $a" # a = echo "b = $b" # b = echo "c = $c" # c = echo "coproc file descriptor: ${COPROC[0]}" echo # The coproc is still running, but ... #+ it still doesn't enable the parent process #+ to "inherit" variables from the child process, the while-read loop. # Compare this to the "badread.sh" script. |
The coprocess is asynchronous, and this might cause a problem. It may terminate before another process has finished communicating with it.
The new mapfile builtin makes it possible to load an array with the contents of a text file without using a loop or command substitution.
#!/bin/bash4 mapfile Arr1 < $0 # Same result as Arr1=( $(cat $0) ) echo "${Arr1[@]}" # Copies this entire script out to stdout. echo "--"; echo # But, not the same as read -a !!! read -a Arr2 < $0 echo "${Arr2[@]}" # Reads only first line of script into the array. exit |
The read builtin got a minor facelift. The -t timeout option now accepts (decimal) fractional values [3] and the -i option permits preloading the edit buffer. [4] Unfortunately, these enhancements are still a work in progress and not (yet) usable in scripts.
Parameter substitution gets case-modification operators.
#!/bin/bash4 var=veryMixedUpVariable echo ${var} # veryMixedUpVariable echo ${var^} # VeryMixedUpVariable # * First char --> uppercase. echo ${var^^} # VERYMIXEDUPVARIABLE # ** All chars --> uppercase. echo ${var,} # veryMixedUpVariable # * First char --> lowercase. echo ${var,,} # verymixedupvariable # ** All chars --> lowercase. |
The declare builtin now accepts the -l lowercase and -c capitalize options.
#!/bin/bash4 declare -l var1 # Will change to lowercase var1=MixedCaseVARIABLE echo "$var1" # mixedcasevariable # Same effect as echo $var1 | tr A-Z a-z declare -c var2 # Changes only initial char to uppercase. var2=originally_lowercase echo "$var2" # Originally_lowercase # NOT the same effect as echo $var2 | tr a-z A-Z |
Brace expansion has more options.
Increment/decrement, specified in the final term within braces.
#!/bin/bash4 echo {40..60..2} # 40 42 44 46 48 50 52 54 56 58 60 # All the even numbers, between 40 and 60. echo {60..40..2} # 60 58 56 54 52 50 48 46 44 42 40 # All the even numbers, between 40 and 60, counting backwards. # In effect, a decrement. echo {60..40..-2} # The same output. The minus sign is not necessary. # But, what about letters and symbols? echo {X..d} # X Y Z [ ] ^ _ ` a b c d # Does not echo the \ which escapes a space. |
Zero-padding, specified in the first term within braces, prefixes each term in the output with the same number of zeroes.
bash4$ echo {010..15} 010 011 012 013 014 015 bash4$ echo {000..10} 000 001 002 003 004 005 006 007 008 009 010 |
Substring extraction on positional parameters now starts with $0 as the zero-index. (This corrects an inconsistency in the treatment of positional parameters.)
#!/bin/bash # show-params.bash # Requires version 4+ of Bash. # Invoke this scripts with at least one positional parameter. E_BADPARAMS=99 if [ -z "$1" ] then echo "Usage $0 param1 ..." exit $E_BADPARAMS fi echo ${@:0} # bash3 show-params.bash4 one two three # one two three # bash4 show-params.bash4 one two three # show-params.bash4 one two three # $0 $1 $2 $3 |
The new ** globbing operator matches filenames and directories recursively.
#!/bin/bash4 # filelist.bash4 shopt -s globstar # Must enable globstar, otherwise ** doesn't work. # The globstar shell option is new to version 4 of Bash. echo "Using *"; echo for filename in * do echo "$filename" done # Lists only files in current directory ($PWD). echo; echo "--------------"; echo echo "Using **" for filename in ** do echo "$filename" done # Lists complete file tree, recursively. exit Using * allmyfiles filelist.bash4 -------------- Using ** allmyfiles allmyfiles/file.index.txt allmyfiles/my_music allmyfiles/my_music/me-singing-60s-folksongs.ogg allmyfiles/my_music/me-singing-opera.ogg allmyfiles/my_music/piano-lesson.1.ogg allmyfiles/my_pictures allmyfiles/my_pictures/at-beach-with-Jade.png allmyfiles/my_pictures/picnic-with-Melissa.png filelist.bash4 |
The new $BASHPID internal variable.
There is a new builtin error-handling function named command_not_found_handle.
#!/bin/bash4 command_not_found_handle () { # Accepts implicit parameters. echo "The following command is not valid: \""$1\""" echo "With the following argument(s): \""$2\"" \""$3\""" # $4, $5 ... } # $1, $2, etc. are not explicitly passed to the function. bad_command arg1 arg2 # The following command is not valid: "bad_command" # With the following argument(s): "arg1" "arg2" |
Editorial comment Associative arrays? Coprocesses? Whatever happened to the lean and mean Bash we have come to know and love? Could it be suffering from (horrors!) "feature creep"? Or perhaps even Korn shell envy? Note to Chet Ramey: Please add only essential features in future Bash releases -- perhaps for-each loops and support for multi-dimensional arrays. [5] Most Bash users won't need, won't use, and likely won't greatly appreciate complex "features" like built-in debuggers, Perl interfaces, and bolt-on rocket boosters. |
Version 4.1 of Bash, released in May, 2010, was primarily a bugfix update.
The printf command now accepts a -v option for setting array indices.
Within double brackets, the > and < string comparison operators now conform to the locale. Since the locale setting may affect the sorting order of string expressions, this has side-effects on comparison tests within [[ ... ]] expressions.
The read builtin now takes a -N option (read -N chars), which causes the read to terminate after chars characters.
Here documents embedded in $( ... ) command substitution constructs may terminate with a simple ).
Example 37-9. Using a here document to set a variable
#!/bin/bash # here-commsub.sh # Requires Bash version -ge 4.1 ... multi_line_var=$( cat <<ENDxxx ------------------------------ This is line 1 of the variable This is line 2 of the variable This is line 3 of the variable ------------------------------ ENDxxx) # Rather than what Bash 4.0 requires: #+ that the terminating limit string and #+ the terminating close-parenthesis be on separate lines. # ENDxxx # ) echo "$multi_line_var" # Bash still emits a warning, though. # warning: here-document at line 10 delimited #+ by end-of-file (wanted `ENDxxx') |
Version 4.2 of Bash, released in February, 2011, contains a number of new features and enhancements, in addition to bugfixes.
Bash now supports the the \u and \U Unicode escape.
echo -e '\u2630' # Horizontal triple bar character. # Equivalent to the more roundabout: echo -e "\xE2\x98\xB0" # Recognized by earlier Bash versions. echo -e '\u220F' # PI (Greek letter and mathematical symbol) echo -e '\u0416' # Capital "ZHE" (Cyrillic letter) echo -e '\u2708' # Airplane (Dingbat font) symbol echo -e '\u2622' # Radioactivity trefoil echo -e "The amplifier circuit requires a 100 \u2126 pull-up resistor." unicode_var='\u2640' echo -e $unicode_var # Female symbol printf "$unicode_var \n" # Female symbol, with newline # And for something a bit more elaborate . . . # We can store Unicode symbols in an associative array, #+ then retrieve them by name. # Run this in a gnome-terminal or a terminal with a large, bold font #+ for better legibility. declare -A symbol # Associative array. symbol[script_E]='\u2130' symbol[script_F]='\u2131' symbol[script_J]='\u2110' symbol[script_M]='\u2133' symbol[Rx]='\u211E' symbol[TEL]='\u2121' symbol[FAX]='\u213B' symbol[care_of]='\u2105' symbol[account]='\u2100' symbol[trademark]='\u2122' echo -ne "${symbol[script_E]} " echo -ne "${symbol[script_F]} " echo -ne "${symbol[script_J]} " echo -ne "${symbol[script_M]} " echo -ne "${symbol[Rx]} " echo -ne "${symbol[TEL]} " echo -ne "${symbol[FAX]} " echo -ne "${symbol[care_of]} " echo -ne "${symbol[account]} " echo -ne "${symbol[trademark]} " echo |
The above example uses the $' ... ' string-expansion construct. |
When the lastpipe shell option is set, the last command in a pipe doesn't run in a subshell.
Example 37-10. Piping input to a read
#!/bin/bash # lastpipe-option.sh line='' # Null value. echo "\$line = "$line"" # $line = echo shopt -s lastpipe # Error on Bash version -lt 4.2. echo "Exit status of attempting to set \"lastpipe\" option is $?" # 1 if Bash version -lt 4.2, 0 otherwise. echo head -1 $0 | read line # Pipe the first line of the script to read. # ^^^^^^^^^ Not in a subshell!!! echo "\$line = "$line"" # Older Bash releases $line = # Bash version 4.2 $line = #!/bin/bash |
This option offers possible "fixups" for these example scripts: Example 34-3 and Example 15-8.
Negative array indices permit counting backwards from the end of an array.
Example 37-11. Negative array indices
#!/bin/bash # neg-array.sh # Requires Bash, version -ge 4.2. array=( zero one two three four five ) # Six-element array. # 0 1 2 3 4 5 # -6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 # Negative array indices now permitted. echo ${array[-1]} # five echo ${array[-2]} # four # ... echo ${array[-6]} # zero # Negative array indices count backward from the last element+1. # But, you cannot index past the beginning of the array. echo ${array[-7]} # array: bad array subscript # So, what is this new feature good for? echo "The last element in the array is "${array[-1]}"" # Which is quite a bit more straightforward than: echo "The last element in the array is "${array[${#array[*]}-1]}"" echo # And ... index=0 let "neg_element_count = 0 - ${#array[*]}" # Number of elements, converted to a negative number. while [ $index -gt $neg_element_count ]; do ((index--)); echo -n "${array[index]} " done # Lists the elements in the array, backwards. # We have just simulated the "tac" command on this array. echo # See also neg-offset.sh. |
Substring extraction uses a negative length parameter to specify an offset from the end of the target string.
Example 37-12. Negative parameter in string-extraction construct
#!/bin/bash # Bash, version -ge 4.2 # Negative length-index in substring extraction. # Important: It changes the interpretation of this construct! stringZ=abcABC123ABCabc echo ${stringZ} # abcABC123ABCabc # Position within string: 0123456789..... echo ${stringZ:2:3} # cAB # Count 2 chars forward from string beginning, and extract 3 chars. # ${string:position:length} # So far, nothing new, but now ... # abcABC123ABCabc # Position within string: 0123....6543210 echo ${stringZ:3:-6} # ABC123 # ^ # Index 3 chars forward from beginning and 6 chars backward from end, #+ and extract everything in between. # ${string:offset-from-front:offset-from-end} # When the "length" parameter is negative, #+ it serves as an offset-from-end parameter. # See also neg-array.sh. |
[1] | To be more specific, Bash 4+ has limited support for associative arrays. It's a bare-bones implementation, and it lacks the much of the functionality of such arrays in other programming languages. Note, however, that associative arrays in Bash seem to execute faster and more efficiently than numerically-indexed arrays. |
[2] | Copyright 1995-2009 by Chester Ramey. |
[3] | This only works with pipes and certain other special files. |
[4] | But only in conjunction with readline, i.e., from the command-line. |
[5] | And while you're at it, consider fixing the notorious piped read problem. |

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Cuba, Where Time Is Not Money
Danae Suarez
Modern society lives immersed in feverish pace. The rapid development of technology, the high competitiveness in a market produced by a society sick for consuming, the immediacy in which information flows around the world based on the Internet and financial speculation are only a few examples of the principles that mark the lives of today's world citizens.
"Time is money" is an old Anglo-Saxon proverb that underlines the need to optimize time to the maximum.
In Cuba, however, every day ambles by marked more by stagnation and the lack of any seeming need for promptness. Here, no one is in a hurry. To waste time, sometimes out of simple apathy or because there's no other alternative (which is usually the case), is the fate of Cubans.
We waste countless hours waiting for the bus, or in line at the fish market, or when taking care of any legal matter, or even at our own jobs.
"You'll have to wait" is the slogan of those people dedicated to rendering services in Cuba.
To only cite two examples: In 2006 I made a request to the ETECSA telephone company for a new line. When I asked how long it would take, they only told me that they would have to put me on a list due to a shortage of materials.
"But I have the materials," I replied. "I have the wiring, I have the phone and I have the box."
"Sorry darling, you'll have to wait for the line," was the dry response from the other side of the receiver.
Five years later, I'm still waiting for them to come with the new line.
Similarly, a few days ago I called for a taxi that charges in CUCs (hard currency), a service recognized for assisting the privileged since it's not affordable to all Cubans. In my case though, I had to pursue this option since I urgently needed to take my grandmother to the doctor.
Forty-five minutes went by, so I called them again to ask how much longer it would be.
"You'll have to wait," they said. "There are few cars and everybody wants one."
It's not necessary to go into detail on many more examples. It's common to hear that magic phrase in any cafeteria: "You'll have to wait. I'm only one person."
Or at the doctor's office: "You'll have to wait. This is done calmly."
Or at the bank: "You'll have to wait. The teller stepped out for a moment…or went to lunch."
Or at a dollar store: "You'll have to wait. We're doing inventory."
Or at the money exchange (CADECA): "You'll have to wait. We're counting the money."
In short: in Cuba, it's always a situation of "you'll have to wait."
I wonder what will happen the day that each Cuban finally gets tired of waiting and takes the initiative to "change everything that must be changed," as was so well stated in the "Concept of Revolution" defined by comrade Fidel.


text:
"Quantum Degenerate Fermi Gas
Brian DeMarco finished his undergraduate education at SUNY Geneseo in 1996, graduating summa cum laude with honors. As an undergraduate researcher, Brian worked on calibrating and developing neutron detectors for laser driven inertial confinement fusion experiments. Brian began his graduate research with Eric Cornell at JILA at the University of Colorado in 1996, switching advisors after his first year to start his thesis work with Deborah Jin. After two years of effort, Brian and Debbie succeeded in producing the first Fermi gas of atoms in 1999. This accomplishment was selected by Science magazine as one of the top ten scientific achievements of 1999 and earned Brian the first JILA Scientific Achievement Award. After defending his dissertation in 2001, Brian secured an NRC postdoctoral fellowship to work with David Wineland at NIST Boulder on quantum computing experiments with trapped atomic ions. Brian's current work with the Ion Storage Group at NIST Boulder concentrates on implementing improved quantum logic elements and "scaling-up" the complexity of quantum information processing tasks with trapped ions.
Deborah Watson (Co-Chair), Reinhold Blumel, Ron Olson, Steve Lundeen, Mark Kasevich


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Suffragan diocese of the Archdiocese of Santiago, comprises the civil provinces of Orense and Pontevedra, is bounded on the north by Pontevedra, on the east by Orense, on the south by Portugal, and on the west by the Atlantic Ocean. The city has a population of 3000, and is of very ancient origin. Ptolemy calls it Toudai and attributes its foundation to Diomedes, son of Tydeus (just as the foundation of Lisbon is attributed to Ulysses). During the Roman period it belonged to the conventus juridicus or judicial district of Braga. The city seems to have been at first situated on the top of Mount Alhoya whence it was moved to its base, where it was in the time of the Goths. When King Egica shared the government with his son Wittiza he made him live at Tuy, probably at the site known as Pazos de Reyes (palaces of the kings). The See of Tuy is very ancient; one of the four bishops of Galicia at the first Council of Braga (561) was Bishop of Tuy. The first historically known bishop was Anila who attended the second Council of Braga (572); he signed as suffragan of Lugo. Neuphilias lived under the Arian King Leovigild, by whom he was exiled and the Arian Gardingus put in his place. Gardingus abjured his heresy at the third Council of Toledo. Anastasius was present at the fourth and sixth Councils of Toledo; Adimirus at the seventh; and Beatus sent the cleric Victorinus to represent him at the eighth. Genetivus was present at the third Council of Braga (675) as a suffragan of Braga, and also at the twelfth Council of Toledo. Oppa was present at the thirteenth, and Adelphius at the fifteenth.
Tuy fell into the hands of the Mahommedans, but was not entirely destroyed as it is numbered among the cities reconquered by Alfonso I, but not recolonized until the time of Ordono I. The exiled Bishop of Tuy took refuge in Iria (Compostella), and a parish was assigned to him for his support. The first known Bishop of Tuy after the Saracen invasion is Diego (890-901), present at the consecration of the Church of St. James the Apostle (899), also at the Council of Oviedo in which this see was raised to the rank of a metropolitan (900). Hermoigius founded the monastery of San Cristóbal of Labrugia, resided in Tuy, and in 915 began the reconstruction of the cathedral. At the battle of Valdejunquera he was made prisoner by the Arabs and taken to Cordova where he was forced to leave as a hostage his nephew, St. Pelagius, a child of thirteen. The latter suffered martyrdom in defence of his chastity; his relics were transferred to Oviedo and he was declared the patron of Tuy. Naustianus (926) retired to the monastery of Labrugia to avoid the assaults of the Norsemen who had come up as far as Tuy along the River Miño. His successor, Vimaranus (937-42), retired to the monastery Rivas de Sil, as did the next bishop, Viliulfus (952-70). The Norsemen led by Olaf were encamped at different times at Tuy and ravaged it cruelly (1014), on which account Alfonso V placed it under the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Compostella. Bishop Alfonso I and his priests had been made captive, and thereafter, until the time of Doña Urraca, a sister of Alfonso VI, a period of forty-seven years, the See of Tuy was vacant. Doña Urraca re-established it and made Jorge (Georgius) bishop. He took up his residence in the monastery of San Bartolomé, whose monks were canons of the cathedral. The decree of the restoration of the see is dated 13 Jan., 1071. Bishop Adericus (1072-95) succeeded Jorge. The bishops, by concession of Raymond of Burgundy and Alfonso VII, were lords of the city, and Bishop Alfonso II began building the new cathedral, which was finished a hundred years later by Esteban Egea (1218-39). In the time of Bishop Pelayo Meléndez (1131-55) the canons adopted the Rule of St. Augustine. Among the bishops who deserve special mention are: Lucas de Tuy, called "El Tudense", annalist of Doña Berenguela, to whom we owe the compilation known as the "Cronicón de España"; Juan Fernández de Sotomayor, councillor of Queen Doña Mariá de Molina, who was present at the Council of Vienna (1312); and Prudencio de Sandoval, a Benedictine, celebrated annalist of Charles V.
The Western Schism caused a division in the ranks of the clergy of Tuy, the bishop giving allegiance to the Avignon pope, others to the pope at Rome, whom Portugual also obeyed. Martin V commanded the latter to recognize the legitimate bishop, and when some resisted this order their churches were allowed to be governed by vicars residing in Portugal (1441). The cathedral of the diocese, which is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin, resembles a medieval fortress, as it is built on the crown of the ancient castle fort (Castellum Tude). It belongs to the early Gothic period and, on account of its height, the importance of its side naves, its clerestory (now walled up, but preserving its ancient arches and columns), the interior is well worthy of note. The ground plan is that of a Latin cross (the four arms being extremely short) with four naves, those on the side terminating in the apse. The chapel of San Telmo (San Pedro Gonzalez), built by Bishop Diego de Torquemada (1564-82) who transferred to it the relics of the saint, is worthy of note. Between the altar of the Visitation and that of the Seven Dolours is the unique sepulchre of Lope de Sarmiento (d. 1607). To the cathedral is attached a handsome Gothic cloister. The churches of the old Dominican and Franciscan convents have been converted into parish churches, the convent of Santo Domingo being used for a barracks and that of San Francisco for primary and secondary schools. Tuy has a fine hospital (built by Bishop Rodríguez Castañon) and a home for the aged in charge of the Little Sisters of the Poor. The seminary, which is dedicated to St. Francis of Assisi and the Immaculate Conception, was founded in 1850 by Bishop Francisco Garcia Casarrubios y Melgar. Among the illustrious men of the diocese may be mentioned St. Teutonius, the humanist Alvaro Cadaval y Sotomayor, and Francisco Avila y La Creva, author of a history of the diocese.
Florez, Esp. Sagrada, XXII-XXIII (Madrid, 1798-99); Marguia, Esp., sus monumentos: Galicia (Barcelona, 1888); Davila, Teatro ecles. de Tuy; Sandoval y Argaiz, Episcopologios.
APA citation. (1912). Tuy. In The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15105a.htm
MLA citation. "Tuy." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 15. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912. <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15105a.htm>.
Ecclesiastical approbation. Nihil Obstat. October 1, 1912. 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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WASHINGTON, March 23, 2011 — Coalition task force operations in Libya continue to go well, and partner nations are picking up more of the workload, the chief of staff of Joint Task Force Odyssey Dawn told reporters today.
"Our efforts have been going well," Navy Rear Adm. Gerard P. Hueber told Pentagon reporters by telephone from the USS Whitney in the Mediterranean Sea on the sixth day of operations. "This is a multiphased operation. Our coalition partners are assuming more and more responsibility."
The 13-member coalition has achieved its objective to set up a no-fly zone over Libya, and no Libyan aircraft has flown in the past 24 hours, Hueber said. Libyan forces have not used surface-to-air missiles in four days, he added.
Of 175 sorties that flew over Libya yesterday, 113 were by U.S. forces and 63 were by coalition partners, Hueber said. Three days ago, U.S. forces flew 85 percent of missions, he noted.
Sortie airstrikes have rendered Libya's air defense "severely degraded or destroyed," the admiral said.
Hueber said the coalition's mission is clear, as mandated in U.N. Security Council Resolution 1973: to protect civilians from attacks or the threat of attacks, to establish a no-fly zone to protect civilians and prevent mass atrocities, and to enforce the trade embargo against Libya.
To end the mission, Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi must stop Libyan forces from firing on civilians, he said. But forces loyal to Gadhafi continue to advance on Benghazi on Libya's northeastern coast, and are not pulling back from Misurata on the northwestern coast and Ajdabiya, just south of Benghazi, Hueber said. Widespread reports indicate Gadhafi's forces continue to fire on civilians and civilian sites in those cities, he added.
"He must stop advancing on those cities," Hueber said. "Clearly, Gadhafi's forces have not met those requirements and are in clear violation" of the U.N. Security Council resolution.
"We are pressuring Gadhafi's forces that are attacking those civilian populations," he added.
The coalition started out small, but quickly established the no-fly zone, obtained maritime superiority, put the embargo in place, interdicted ground forces, suppressed enemy air defenses and put humanitarian operations in place, Hueber said.
"This is a fully integrated coalition operation," he said. "Coalition ships, aircraft and staff are focused on the single mission of enforcing [Resolution] 1973."
The coalition has "accomplished quite a lot together," the admiral said, "and will continue to work together" until the resolution's objectives are met.
U.S. Department of Defense
Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs)


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I've deleted my WhatsApp account according to the official instructions.
Unfortunately I'm still visible to my friends and they can still send me messages. But with a deleted account that shouldn't be the case — at least in my opinion.
I've already contacted WhatsApp's support but to no avail. Until now I haven't gotten a response.
Do you know what I could do about this issue? Have you already experienced such a problem yourself?


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Ray Blount
I am an African American male and recent high school graduate.
Throughout the duration of my high school career, I gained a great deal of knowledge as to what the key factors are that drag us to the depths of society. Whether derived from a cultural and or social setting, habits and ideas such as "saggin" and broken English are extracting the beauty and power which our race possesses.
Despite the endless efforts we've taken to plead our case that "we're grown," the situation remains the same. However, nothing beats a failure but a try. Still, many of us African American youth are unable to muster up the energy to try and give even an ounce effort toward acting as adults would. In a nutshell, this is sheer nonsense, stupidity and lunacy.
Everyone ought to take a deep breath and analyze themselves, from time to time. Whenever anyone is among the public and or body of people, their aim is to appear tried and true. Your image alone can write a book about you. Most will declare they do not care about their image, but if you do not care, you do not care about yourself.
About five years ago, I sat in a meeting where the speaker spoke on "saggin". The speaker broke down how the word spelled backwards reads, "niggas". When I took the time to analyze this, it served as a revelation to me because at that time, I was doing it every day.
It makes me cringe to even think I was a part of that, but this discovery is what was necessary to mold me into the man I am today. My mother told me that my mouth can get me in trouble, but I address the unaddressed – it's in my blood. Anytime you have the audacity to "sag" your pants, you're missing something and that something is order. Additionally, when you care about yourself, you will not allow yourself to be viewed by the world as useless or just another statistic. Often times, I stare in dismay because this is MY race behaving this way.
Another question: Since when have males begun dying their hair with colors of the rainbow? You're a male, but this is a feminine approach in building a persona. If everyone on Earth can be categorized as women, it goes without saying this would bring imbalance. Men should reflect strength as leaders of families and their communities. As a man, you don't ever want to be known as "soft" or "weak," and I'm not speaking on how many one-armed push-ups you can do. You don't want to be taken as a joke when it comes to your strength in standing for what you believe in and what is right. When a male dyes his hair this symbolizes a lack of strength.
Verbiage is essential in communication, regardless of the language. If you cannot communicate, you are simply unheard. Some of us can speak proper English, and some can't. However, some of those who can speak proper English are not speaking at all. They'd rather mumble and or utter sounds instead of pronouncing words correctly. If you didn't know better, you would swear they were humming. You could classify this as ignorance, but they are fully educated on how to speak grammatically correct; therefore, that makes this idiocy. It also shows a lack of intelligence. Open your mouth and speak.
The genre of music accepted and loved by African American youths of today is Hip Hop/Rap. Due to the evolution of this art form, the sound and value of this music has transformed into a platform stressing murder is perfectly fine. We are killing ourselves. Some of us males hear this music and feel the need to act it out, which causes multiple problems including death. And you wonder where so many criminal cases come from? We must break away from negativity and prove our endowed worth.
Though it may seem as if African American males are the main source of the problem in our community, there are some females who engage in these exact same activities. Luckily, there are some ladies who do not, and strive to steer clear from this way of life. Still when it comes to looking for a male companion, I have seen some of the most beautiful and intelligent women settle for less.
The standard for what is considered "ok" or reasonable in terms of a mate is at an all-time low for African American women. People should want the best out of life, not just the bare minimum, and that relates to everything including your significant other. Why should a woman want a man who can barely speak English and wears his pants around his ankles? Some young women are not only attached to men like this but are excited by them because they do not know any better. They don't know what a real man is. They must be introduced to how a real man behaves.
In conclusion, we, African American adolescents can be so much better if we just try. I understand some are accustomed to this way of life and thinking, but we have to break through these barriers. We are the future, but as of right now, tomorrow would be a sad place to be if these behaviors continue.
Just take life one day at a time. We can take the dark clouds of shame and hopelessness and turn them into rays of sunshine for a better future. It is my hope that we start to change things for the better which is why I have written this letter to you.
Ray Blount is a social critic and aspiring entrepreneur. He may be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com


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An official website of the United States government
News Release 2010-1 | January 7, 2010
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Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council
The Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC) released an advisory today reminding institutions of supervisory expectations for sound practices to manage interest rate risk (IRR). This advisory, adopted by each of the financial regulators,1 reiterates the importance of effective corporate governance, policies and procedures, risk measuring and monitoring systems, stress testing, and internal controls related to the IRR exposures of depository institutions. It also clarifies elements of existing guidance and describes some IRR management techniques used by effective risk managers.
The financial regulators recognize that some IRR is inherent in the business of banking. At the same time, institutions are expected to have sound risk-management practices to measure, monitor, and control IRR exposures. The financial regulators expect each depository institution to manage its IRR exposures using processes and systems commensurate with its complexity, business model, risk profile, and scope of operations.
The financial regulators remind depository institutions that an effective IRR management system does not involve only the identification and measurement of IRR, but also addresses appropriate actions to control this risk. If an institution determines that its core earnings and capital are insufficient to support its level of IRR, it should take steps to mitigate its exposure, increase its capital, or both.
1 The financial regulators consist of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the National Credit Union Administration, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Office of Thrift Supervision, and the FFIEC State Liaison Committee.


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Death of soldier who died during Skype session with wife is under investigation
(CNN) -- The death of a U.S. Army captain who died while engaged in a video chat with his wife from Afghanistan remained under investigation Saturday, May 5th the family said.
Capt. Bruce Kevin Clark was in Tarin Kowt, about 85 miles (140 kilometers) north of Kandahar, when he died during a Skype session with his wife.
Clarence Davis, a spokesman for the William Beaumont Army Medical Center in El Paso, Texas, where Clark was based, said that it has not been determined how Clark died and that the case is under investigation.
Clark's family said in a statement that they'd hoped for "a miracle" after his wife Susan saw what happened to Clark during their chat on Monday, but "it was not to be." They did not elaborate as to what took place.
"Although the circumstances were unimaginable, Bruce's wife and extended family will be forever thankful that he and his wife were together in his last moments," Clark's wife and family said Friday.
Clark -- known by many as Kevin -- was a chief nurse in the Army who amassed many honors in his military career, according to his family. Those include an Army Commendation Medal, Military Outstanding Volunteer Service, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and an Army Service Medal.
The longtime resident of Spencerport, New York, joined the Army in September 2006 and served, among other places, at the Tripler Army Medical Center in Hawaii, according to a Beaumont Army Medical Center statement. More recently, he was based at that medical facility in southwest Texas and assigned to the Army's A Company, Troop Command.
"He loved being in the military," his sister-in-law Mariana Barry told CNN affiliate WHAM in upstate New York. "He was absolutely willing to make any sacrifice, and it's just horrible that this is the sacrifice he ended up making."
His commander described Clark, 43, as "awesome," "professional" and "a great asset, leader and friend," the family said.
After his death, special operations troops from the United States and Australia lined up to give him his final send-off from Afghanistan.
And on Thursday, his casket was wrapped in an American flag as it was transported off a military plane onto the tarmac of Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, according to the U.S. Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operation.
While no dates have been given, the family said that Clark's funeral will be in Spencerport and a memorial service will be held in Addison, Michigan.
In addition, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo directed that all flags at state government buildings be flown at half-staff Monday in Clark's honor, as he's done with other Empire State troops who have died in combat zones.
In addition to his wife, Clark is survived by two daughters.
Dozens have posted comments on a Facebook tribute page set up in Clark's honor, some of them from people who knew him and his family personally and others from strangers wishing to thank him for his service.
"He was an excellent nurse, a fierce patient advocate, and loved to teach students. But what I remember most about him is the great love he had for his wife and beautiful little girls," one woman wrote. "I have no doubt that Bruce will be watching them and loving them forever more."
Barry said that her sister Susan is "being strong" for her daughters and that the entire family is committed to stepping up -- just like Clark did.
"We're going to try to take care of my sister and my nieces the way that Kevin would have taken care of them, and the way he would have wanted us to take care of them," Barry said.
CNN's Carma Hassan and Greg Botelho contributed to this report.


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A huge thank you to Serena & Lily for partnering with me on this space.
Oh man. I am so excited to share this photo tour with you! This was months and months in the making. When we first moved into The Treehouse, and explored the house for the first time, we imagined this space as a reading loft right away. In my head, it was going to be weekend project — throw down some flooring, paint it up, add comfy chair. Done and done. But as I actually started working on the space, I found that I wanted to take my time with decisions and really put thought into what would work best.
Back in September, I thought I wanted wall to wall carpet in the loft. Then, I decided to experiment with a concrete overlay on the floors (which has held up wonderfully by the way). Then, I spent weeks and weeks figuring out what I wanted to do for shelves, and eventually decided on a DIY approach (tutorial coming!). Then, I ordered a chair with custom upholstery — which is a 6 week wait. Then, the room was 95% finished, and I realized I wanted one wall to be blue.
It's a tiny space, only 7 x 9.5 feet, but I really wanted to make the most of it, and to make it completely inviting and appealing for all the kids, both little and big. It took me quite awhile to get it just right.
So let's get to the tour!
Let's start with some wide angle shots from each corner of the room so you can get a sense for the loft overall. I know the wide angle lens makes it look deceptively big! But it's actually only 7 x 9.5 feet — and has a low slanted ceiling over half of the space. Take a look:
So. That's the loft overall. A really happy colorful space. Now let's get into some details for a bit and discuss some of my decision making:
As I mentioned, the paint color came at the last minute. In fact, we painted it on Friday night! But I think it's a great addition. The color peeks through the crate shelving and the shade of blue is wonderful. It's called Undercool by Sherwin-Williams — it's bright but not too bright, and has a touch of turquoise in certain lights. It's cheerful and calming.
The globe lights are from Ikea (they were part of last year's holiday collection), and the Man in the Moon Garland DIY is here.
The chair is the Spruce Street chair from Serena & Lily. The size is ideal! It's comfortable for a an adult, but it's not oversized, so it has good proportions for kids as well. As I worked on the loft, I was going for a mostly yellow + blue palette, and this chair was one of the first decisive decisions I made.
The Fox Pillow and Pom Pom Blanket are also from Serena & Lily.
Speaking of color, check out this crazy easy DIY poster! I saw this in the office of my book editor, Lia Ronnen and instagrammed it that day. The poster is a piece of foamcore with postcards attached. The postcards are book covers from Penguin, and you can buy them as a set here.
In the main floor of the house, I've focused on neutrals and whites with touches of green and natural woods — which I've loved. But in the family room (where the reading loft is), I've been using the same white on the walls, but using it as a backdrop for lots of bright color. Which has been fun!
The rug is a cotton Rope Rug that I am completely in love with! It's good looking, and also super thick and soft. So comfortable. It fits perfectly in the space and looks really handsome with the DIY concrete floor.
As I mentioned, the shelves are DIY, made from very affordable sheets of plywood. I love how they turned out. There are 3 different sizes and they can be combined in endless combinations and adjusted to make room for whatever you need — like the handsome Studio Task Lamp pictured.
I should note here that I've been coordinating my books by color since 2009. I don't do it on every shelf in the house, just where it makes sense. I've written about it a few times and I know some people find it maddening. Hah! But if you're a visual person (I am), it's actually quite ideal. When I think of a title in our book collection, a picture of the cover is what comes to my mind. So finding my books by color works really well.
We knew we wanted a footstool so our kids could really relax while they read, and this Moroccan Pouf is just right for the job.
One of the wonderful things about the loft is that it has two windows that let in beautiful light. I didn't want to block it out, but I wanted something to filter the light, and I happened to have just the thing in my linen closet.
The sheer mesh curtains have a bit of a story. I bought them for our very first nursery over 16 years ago! And they have moved with us from house to house. I remember buying them clearly, because I bought them from Kmart and it was the first time I'd been to Kmart in years. I went there because I wanted to check out the brand new Martha Stewart line (remember that?) and I went home with these mesh curtains from her collection.
Because some of the shelves are stacked quite high, I knew we would need a stool so that even little June could access every book. This 3-legged Dip Dyed option was pretty much irresistible, and worked with the blue and yellow palette I was putting together.
Behind the stool you might notice a green palm frond basket — and there's a similar blue one across the loft. We use them to store stacks of paperbacks — like Magic Treehouse and Time Warp Trio.
The Read Instead print is fantastic. It lives by the ladder to the loft and tempts readers up the stairs. : ) My friend here in Oakland, Erik Heywood, created the print. He owns a little store in Temescal Alley called Book/Shop. If you ever get a chance to visit, you will be glad you did.
The sewn paper garland DIY can be found here.
For extra seating, I think these oversize Floor Cushions in Aqua and Navy are ideal. They're filled with bean-bag like material and you can squash them around as you like. I knew that sometimes the kids would want to retreat to the reading loft with a friend or two, and I wanted to make sure there was more than one comfy spot to hang out.
The small yellow throw pillow was already in The Treehouse when we moved in and belonged to the previous owners.
Here are a few more shots that I had a hard time editing out:
Lastly, here's a peek at what the reading loft looks like at night — because everyone knows sometimes you must stay up past your bedtime to finish that last chapter:
I think that about covers it. I hope you enjoyed the tour, and I'd love to hear what you think of the space. Wishing you a cozy, happy reading spot at your own house!


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Central Florida basketball player Marcus Jordan, the son of former NBA great Michael Jordan, was arrested in Omaha early Sunday following a disturbance outside a downtown hotel.
According to a news release, police responding to a call at the Embassy Suites found hotel security trying to subdue Marcus Jordan, who was having an argument with two women in the hotel driveway at 2:11 a.m.
The release said Jordan was "very animated, intoxicated and uncooperative," and it took multiple officers to control and handcuff him.
Jordan was booked at the Douglas County Department of Corrections for resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and obstructing. He had been released by Sunday night.
Jordan, a rising senior, averaged 13.7 points for UCF last season


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TechRadar Verdict
- +
Decent performance
- +
Dedicated graphics
- +
- -
- -
Multi-tasking performance
Why you can trust TechRadar
It's a very rare thing to find a large widescreen machine at such a low price, but that's exactly what the eMachines G420 offers.
While not suited for those after portability, this is a great option if you're looking for a large, comfortable desktop replacement system.
The 17.3-inch panel impressed us immensely. The 1440 x 900-pixel resolution allows for a very detailed picture, and colour reproduction is also decent. The sheer size of the screen allows you to easily juggle numerous windows at the same time – ideal if you multi-task applications – while at the same time providing an immersive experience to view anything from word documents to your holiday snaps and DVDs.
The shiny Super- TFT screen coating produces distracting reflections, but only in very bright conditions and you'll be fine if you plan to primarily use the machine indoors.
eMachines has employed a functional design and the matt-black chassis and lid are attractive enough. The materials used are very durable and provide decent protection for the components inside, which is ideal if young children will be using the laptop.
The keyboard is particularly comfortable to use. The typing action is crisp and concise, while the size of the laptop means the keys are comfortably spaced apart.
The keys are also sharply tapered, making them hard to miss-hit when typing at speed. As with the Asus X5DC-SX025V, a dedicated numeric keypad is also included.
The AMD 2.1GHz Sempron SL-42 processor produced the second best performance benchmark results in this test, despite the laptop having the least amount of memory here. Running standard office applications won't be a problem, but the lack of memory means that multi-tasking programs isn't this laptop's forte – unlike the Lenovo G550.
Excellent graphics
In contrast, the Nvidia GeForce 9100M graphics card is fairly powerful and will allow you to carry out basic photo editing tasks. Inevitably for this low price, all but the most basic video editing and gaming are out of bounds, however.
The 160GB hard drive provides average storage space for your digital content, meaning those with a wealth of data might want to consider the Asus X5DC-SX025V instead.
Gigabit Ethernet is included for fast wired networking and there's also four USB ports allowing you to connect more peripherals (such as an external mouse or smartphone) to the machine.
The G420 is a very comfortable desktop replacement machine which ticks a lot of boxes. Portability doesn't happen to be one of them, but it impresses as a usable machine for all the family.
Follow TechRadar Reviews on Twitter: http://twitter.com/techradarreview


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Note: This is not a current version of the policy. View current version. »
The University's performance evaluation system is called Performance Evaluation (PE) and offers a consistent approach and operating philosophy for providing feedback and assessment of employee performance through annual evaluation.
1) Performance assessments shall occur, as appropriate, under the provisions of the following:
- Human Resources Policy and Procedure (HRP&P) 61:0 Performance Evaluation, and/or
- HRP&P 62.0: Corrective Action.
2) The PE system is designed to
- Promote and document performance assessments based on essential job functions and clear, realistic job standards; and
- Promote a high level of employee performance through consistent feedback from supervisors via annual or semi-annual performance assessments.
The responsibility for the University's PE system lies with the department heads and supervisors.
Performance Evaluation
Evaluation is an on-going process that results in a year-end review. A midyear review is optional.
1) The first two steps of a PE involve a review of the following:
- The employee's performance during the last review period as conducted by the supervisor; and
- The essential functions of the position held by the employee and the amount of time spent performing each function of the job. This will be conducted jointly by the employee and supervisor. If changes are necessary, adjustments to the Job Analysis Questionnaire (JAQ) for the position will be made.
2) A Performance Evaluation Form, consisting of essential job functions with job related standards, shall be prepared by the supervisor with revisions made jointly with the employee. Completion of this form is the responsibility of the supervisor.
- An optional self-evaluation may be submitted to the supervisor by the employee. The supervisor completes the PE and reviews the evaluation with higher level(s) of management prior to final discussion with the employee. The supervisor then holds the year-end PE meeting with the employee. As applicable the annual pay increase is determined and subsequently communicated to the employee by the appropriate administrator. Pay adjustments shall normally take effect July 1 or October 1, as appropriate.
- The higher-level supervisor or department head/chair will sign the PE form. The form is signed by the supervisor and employee at the time of the final discussion of the form contents.
- If an employee does not receive a PE, the employee should appeal compliance through the appropriate chain of command.
- The employee's signature indicates the employee has read the form, but does not necessarily indicate the employee's agreement with its content. The employee may complete the self evaluation and attach it to the form.
- The employee may address questions or concerns about the content of the evaluation with the appropriate supervisor. If issues are not resolved, then the employee may follow the departmental chain of command to resolve PE content issues.
- If the employee receives an unacceptable rating (less than three) on any essential job function, a performance improvement plan shall be completed. The supervisor shall meet with the employee on an ongoing basis to provide regular feedback and coaching on performance issues for a period of 30 to 90 days. After this period of time, the supervisor shall re-evaluate that plan to ensure that steps have been taken to improve performance in relevant areas.
Feedback and Coaching
Feedback and coaching should occur on an ongoing basis and at the optional mid-year review. The purpose of feedback and coaching is to provide supervisors with an opportunity to recognize effective performance and provide coaching for improvement. As a part of the feedback and coaching components, employees are encouraged to gather informal feedback as appropriate throughout the year.
1) Supervisors should provide timely feedback to motivate employees toward improved performance.
2) The mid-year review is an optional progress meeting which should provide an opportunity for supervisors and employees to discuss and update job standards set at the beginning of the year and focus on employee performance to date.
Performance Evaluation Form Performance Evaluation - Performance Improvement Plan (PIP)
Performance Evaluation Form Instructions Performance Evaluation - PIP Instructions
Performance Evaluation Form Example Performance Evaluation - PIP Example


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"Against All Odds," Lovin' Spoonfuls has survived and thrived on Campbell Avenue's ultra-competitive restaurant row. Featuring a globe-hopping menu, from American to Middle Eastern to multiple Asian cuisines, Lovin' Spoonfuls offers a food court's worth of choices—all without meat. Making textured soy and tofu palatable and even flavorful for visiting carnivores takes skill and just a little magic. It doesn't hurt that owner/founder/den mother Peggy Raisglid has a Ph.D. in chemistry. The elegant wood and brick décor, in reddish tans and rich browns, adds a zen-like simplicity to the dining experience. There are also gluten-free options offered. Lovin' Spoonfuls makes being socially responsible and environmentally sensitive taste good.
Runners up:
2. Govinda's Natural Foods Buffet
711 E. Blacklidge Drive
792-0630, govindasoftucson.com
Blue Willow
2616 N. Campbell Ave.
327-7577, bluewillowtucson.com
Casbah Tea House
No longer in business
Garland Bistro
119 E. Speedway Blvd.


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21 August 2013
Hungry Planet Episode 29
In this Episode: Indian farmers are leading healthier lives by following organic standards derived from the Codex Alimentarius.
In Kenya, farmers are now working together to conserve water resources by protecting rivers and planting trees.
A joint project between WFP and the European Union helps Haitians help themselves.


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Firearms are projectile weapons that use directed chemical explosions to propel projectiles at high speeds and are the most commonly used weapons in the world today. Firearms first emerged in China around 1100 and in Europe around 1300, after which they evolved into a form which made them a primary weapon of war by 1500. Over the next five centuries, developments in firearm technology would move warfare more and more towards ranged combat, with melee becoming a minor consideration in war.
Types of Firearms
- Muzzle Loader: The earliest firearms were loaded by cramming powder, wadding, and projectile(s) down the barrel of the weapon from the front. Various subtypes appeared as trigger mechanisms improved over time.
- Handgonne/Firelance: The first firearms developed consisted basically of a small metal (or in the very earliest instances, bamboo) tube that was sealed off at one end with a hole drilled on its backside on a wooden handle. These first appeared during the Song Dynasty in China and began appearing in Europe around the 14th century. They were fired by putting a burning stick or wick into the drilled hole. Handgonnes were inaccurate and mainly used for their intimidating effect (especially against horses), though they did have good armor penetration and were successfully used against Knights by the Hussites during the Hussite wars (July 30, 1419 – May 30, 1434).
- Arquebus/Matchlock: A more refined version of the Handgonne, an arquebus has a mechanism which brought a flaming wick (sometimes referred to as a match) to the powder to fire (often no more complex than an S-shaped bar bolted to the side of the weapon) to make it easier to fire, load and allow a greater degree of control. Maximum range was about 100 meters and these weapons, rate of fire was limited to at best three or four rounds per minute (which would remain constant for muzzle loaders). As such Arquebuses were most effective when fired in volleys by soldiers in tight formation. Arquebus-armed soldiers often used special staves as gunrests in the field. Arquebuses would remain the most common type of firearm from the mid 15th to the mid 17th century due to their simplicity of manufacture.
- Wheel-lock: Wheel-locks use a spring-driven wheel grinding against a flint to generate a shower of sparks to ignite the powder. These had several advantages over arquebuses (they did not require a wick to be lit before firing and could be fired in the rain), but were more expensive and maintenance intensive, needed to be wound up before firing and was mostly used by cavalrymen.
- Flintlock: Flintlocks use a piece of flint to strike a spark into a pan of powder to ignite the charge and fire. The flint is part of a spring loaded mechanism attached to a trigger. These were cheaper than wheel locks and more reliable and easier to use than Arqebuses. As such Flintlocks were the most common category of firearm between the mid 17th to mid 19th centuries.
- Caplock: A caplock uses an explosive cap that can be detonated by a strike from the hammer to ignite the powder. This was the final form of muzzle-loading firearm to be developed and see widespread use. These became common from around 1840 to 1870, before being superseded by breachloaders.
- Pistol: Any compact, short-barreled firearm which can be fired easily with one hand. Particularly small pistols are known as Derringers. Due to the short length of their barrel and lack of stocks, pistol are low-range firearms. Early pistols were first used as cavalry weapons.
- Smooth-Bore Musket: The primary gunpowder weapon before the invention of the rifle. Even after the invention of the rifle, the Smooth-bore, notably the British Brown Bess, was still the primary weapon of almost all armies as most early rifles were incapable of being fitted with a bayonet and were much slower to reload. Even when rifles were designed with a bayonet in mind the slow reload times still made them less desirable with general armies. Smooth-bore muskets were cheap and easy to manufacture resulting in their being deployed even into the American Civil War and didn't leave army service until the general deployment of breach loading rifles.
- Shotgun: A shotgun is a smooth-bore weapon designed to fire shot rather then solid ball ammunition. Starting with the Blunderbuss and evolving into the shotgun as we know it today. Some early shotguns were simply large caliber muskets used for sport hunting. With the invention of breech-loading and cartridge ammunition, came the creation of the double-barreled coach gun. John M Browning is famous for his multiple shotgun designs.
- Rifle: Any firearm with a barrel that has several spiral groves cut into it to improve ballistics. Rifled firearms have a longer effective range than smoothbore guns. Rifles first emerged in the 16th century and were used by skirmishers and hunters, but they came to replace smoothbore guns by 1850. While rifles had a longer range than smoothbore firearms, they were also more labor intensive to produce and, until the invention of the Minie Ball, required wadding, a fact that slowed down loading time. The term eventually applied to any long-barreled firearm.
- Breech-loader: A single-shot weapon with a "door" or "hatch" that allows it to be loaded from the back end, as opposed to stuffing the shot down the length of a barrel. Breech-loading rifles were the primary type of rifle around the 1860s to the 1890s, although some experimentation occurred earlier (such as the Ferguson Rifle, developed in 1776).
- Repeater: Any firearm which can store multiple shots inside itself to minimize the time between firings. Although there was some experimentation with the idea earlier, these weapons only became common and practical in the 19th century. One of the earliest widely-used types of repeater was the Colt Revolver. The term has fallen out of use because modern firearms are typically repeaters.
- Revolver: A revolver is a type of repeating firearm that stores ammunition in a rotating cylinder.
- Bolt-action Rifle: First developed in Germany in 1836, a bolt-action rifle has a mechanism that the wielder unlocks and draws back to open the barrel and eject a spent casing. The wielder then returns the "bolt" to its original position to insert a fresh cartridge. The first bolt-action rifles were breech loaders, but they were later replaced by repeaters. Bolt-action rifles would be the primary service rifles in use from the 1880s to the 1940s
- Semi-automatic Firearm: Semi-automatic weapons use reaction force from the weapon discharge to eject the empty casing from the firing chamber and load a new round from the magazine. Some experimentation with semi-automatic firearms began in the 19th century, though they began to become common in the first years of the twentieth century with the adoption of semi-automatic pistols.
- Automatic Firearm: A firearm that can discharge repeatedly by pulling the trigger and holding it. Such a weapon can continue firing on one triggering until it runs out of ammunition or suffers a mechanical failure of some kind.
- Gatling Gun: An early rapid firing weapon and the first to be adopted on a large scale by various militaries of the world, the Gatling Gun was conceived of by Richard Gatling during and for the civil war. Gatling weapons have multiple barrels that revolve, bringing in new cartridges and ejecting old ones. The original Gatling Guns, while having rates of fire of several rounds per second, were technically not automatic being hand cranked and fed by gravity magazines. While they were capable of firing off large volumes of fire per minute, they were also somewhat unreliable and were overshadowed by fully automatic weapons starting with the Maxim gun. However, in the 20th century Gatling Weapons were revived as motorized fully automatic weapons. Having multiple rotating barrels, said guns could achieve rates of fire of thousands of rounds per minute due to the fact that they had multiple barrels firing.
- Submachinegun A fully automatic personal weapon firing pistol-caliber ammunition. These weapons were first used by the German army toward the end of the Great War as part of a plan to overcome enemy trench lines, and they would be the primary handheld automatic weapon during World War II. Modern submachineguns are mostly used by police and as secondary weapons. Pistol-scale submachineguns now exist.
- Assault Rifles A fully automatic personal weapon firing specialized rifle-calibre ammunition. The first assault rifle (the Federov Automat) was developed in 1916. Assault rifles were first issued en mass by the German army during World War II and became the primary infantry weapon in the 1950s. The primary characteristics of assault rifles are small caliber ammunition, high fire rates, high-capacity magazines, and the ability to quickly reload by replacing the magazine.
- Anti-materiel Rifles: These rifles shoot large bullets at high velocities, making them powerful enough to significantly damage vehicles and equipment.
Related Items
- Black Powder: The first propellant to be devised that is used by firearms, a mixture of Saltpeter, Carbon (usually charcoal) and Sulfur.
- Smokeless Powder: A propellant used in firearms developed after the 1880s, smokeless powder gets its name because it burns more efficiently than black powder, thus reducing the amount of smoke released, significantly decreasing the amount of waste that accumulates inside the barrel, and providing more energy per gram.
- Musket ball: The first purpose-made type of ammunition was a simple lead sphere. Balls would gradually be superseded by the more aerodynamic "bullet" shape, improving range and firepower.
- Cartridged Ammunition: Cartridged ammunition consists of a projectile in an external casing with propellent and a percussion cap for ignition. The first cartridges were made of paper, but metal casings later became the norm. This massively simplified loading and made breach loading and repeating firearms practical.
- Bayonet A blade attached to the front of a firearm, allowing it be used as a spear in close quarters. Bayonets began to emerge in the 17th century in France, allowing infantry armed with firearms to fend off cavalry charges.
- Magazine: An internal compartment in a firearm that contains multiple bullets to be moved into the chamber. A magazine is a necessary component in many repeating firearms. When repeaters began to become common, most magazines were built-in components of the firearm itself, containing individual rounds or rounds held in place by a metal clip. Modern firearms have detachable magazines that are removed and replaced to reload the weapon.
Firearms in Science Fiction
In various science fiction series (especially those set in or close to modern times), firearms are often the primary form of small arms.
- The United States Colonial Marines in the Alien series make use of various firearms
- The TR-116 is a firearm made by the Federation in Star Trek.
- In Stargate, the forces of Earth make use of various projectile weapons and have exported firearms to their allies when needed.
- Firearms are used in the Star Wars universe, generally by civilians among the more backwards sections of the Galaxy.
- Firearms known as "autoguns" and "stubbers" are used by the Imperial Guard in Warhammer 40,000, usually on primitive worlds that can not get more modern lasguns.
Firearms in Fantasy
Many fantasy writers steer clear of gunpowder weaponry, preferring to have their fiction in worlds in which gunpowder is absent or at least unrefined for military purposes, for several reasons.
- The most common reason for this is that most fantasy is based on mythology conceived of well before the development of firearms.
- Many fantasy writers are interested in pre-gunpowder means of warfare and romanticized conceptions about pre-gunpowder warfare, particularly the need for martial skill. One of the key reasons why firearms displaced earlier weapons of war was the ease with which it is possible to train conscripts in their use (especially with the introduction of movable type printing allowing for the mass production of training manuals), thus making it possible to cheaply train armies of peasant Arquebusiers in months who could defeat heavily armed and armored knights who had been trained from childhood in various ways of war. Firearms also represent a certain level of unwanted modernity on a thematic level.
- In some settings, supernatural abilities are fairly commonly available which are more useful than at least early firearms and could conceivably divert societies from going along lines of development which would lead to the development of firearms (such as Bending in Avatar: The Last Airbender).
Their are exceptions to this rule, however, such as the Warhammer Fantasy and Iron Kingdoms tabletop fantasy games, which involve heavy use of firearms.
Firearms in Politics
Their is a divide in ideology in regards to civilian firearm ownership. This is between those who believe that believe in tight regulation and restriction of firearm ownership for the purposes of preventing and limiting their use in violent crime and those who believe that such laws are counter productive and infringe on individual liberties (the latter viewpoint being common in the United States). There is some division of opinion of this matter among SD.net's population, and debates on the subject can get heated.


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The Glenwood Springs City Council approved a sales tax rebate program to serve as an economic incentive for businesses located in Glenwood Springs. Eligible applicants may submit the application provided in the right column to the Director of Finance (contact information to the right).
Eligible Businesses:
Tier One Rebate:
Tier Two Rebate:
Complete the application in the right hand column and submit to the Director of Finance or Economic Development Specialist.


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"For her pioneering research on developing fundamental understanding and control of novel quantum systems and finding applications for a wide range of scientific fields including quantum metrology and emerging interface between AMO, condensed matter, and quantum information science."
Background:Ana Maria Rey was born in Bogotá, Colombia. She obtained her bachelor degree in physics in 1999 from the Universidad de los Andes, Bogota. She pursued her graduate studies at the University of Maryland at College Park and NIST-Gaithersburg and received a PhD degree in 2004. Her doctoral thesis entitled "Ultracold bosonic atoms loaded in optical lattices" was recognized by the American Physical Society with the best doctoral AMO thesis award in 2005 and by the Fundacion Alejandro Angel Escobar with the Natural Sciences Prize in 2007. Rey was granted an ITAMP postdoctoral Fellowship from 2005 to 2008 and joined JILA, NIST and the University of Colorado at Boulder faculty in 2008. She is currently a JILA fellow and a research associate professor in the physics department.
Rey research is on how to control and manipulate ultra-cold atoms, molecules and trapped ions for use as quantum simulators of solid state materials and for entanglement generation, quantum information and precision measurements. She has initiated a new direction of studies that involves the use of alkaline earth atoms.
Rey is a member of the American Physical Society. She was selected as APS Woman Physicist of the Month in 2012, and received in 2013 a HENAAC Award and a MacArthur fellowship.
Vidhya Ramachandran, Chair; E. Monsay; F. Ozel; M. Safronova; F. Sammarruca


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Working Group on Adaptation
Building resilience
The effects of climate change are already being seen in towns and cities across Europe.
As major social centres with concentrated populations and critical infrastructure such as
transport networks, power grids, water supplies and substantial building stock, they are particularly vulnerable to extreme weather events. Such events can have dramatic consequences for economic development and social cohesion.
Focusing on climate change mitigation alone will not be enough. Cities and towns are increasingly being forced to anticipate the adverse effects of climate change and make their territories more resilient to its impacts. While taking action to prevent or minimise damage, cities are, however, also making their territories more liveable. They are seizing upon the opportunity to engage the public and other stakeholders and to embark on multi-sectoral approaches that facilitate interactions between research, science and policy.
To foster the exchange of views, knowledge and experiences on key issues around adaptation to climate change, Climate Alliance launched the Working Group on Adaptation in spring 2015. The working group brings together climate experts and political leaders from Climate Alliance member municipalities and several partner organisations to help generate an accurate picture of adaptation challenges and possible solutions at the local level. The group explores possibilities for local practitioners to consider mitigation and adaptation in an integrated way while finding solutions to mobilise much needed political and financial support. The group's work also feeds into the EU's Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy (of which the former Mayors Adapt initiative is now part).
The working group in action
The Working Group on Adaptation offers participants biannual meetings within the framework of the Climate Alliance International Conference and other events. Members also receive regular briefings on topics of special relevance, for example, adaptation in the EU context, new solutions tested by peers and possible financing schemes for adaptation efforts. The group's experiences and opinions are fed into the preparation of Climate Alliance resolutions as well as political position papers, helping convey key messages to national and international decision-making processes. The group offers opportunities for collaboration with the Mayors Adapt Group of Practitioners, including participation in its consultation meetings as well as cooperation with other key institutions such as the European Commission's Directorate General for Climate Action and the Committee of the Regions. Group members also have the opportunity to prepare joint protect proposals, take part in site visits and engage in a variety of other activities.
The Working Group is open to all Climate Alliance members. Passive membership, choosing only to receive information via the mailing list, is also possible.
Want to learn more? Download the Working Group concept note or contact adaptation(at)climatealliance.org


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We're nearing the end of our whirlwind Disney World and Disneyland back-to-back trips, and there's lots of news and info to share! Here are a few of the main items:
- Free Dining in Disney World for Visa Cardholders
- Wishes Dessert Party in WDW is booking dates through August 14th
- Disney's California Food & Wine Festival News and Reviews
And now, on to the round-up! The first batch of links are from some colleagues of mine who attended the recent "From 5 Stars to Mickey Bars!" Disney World dining event with me.
What Now?!?!?, a fun blog written by Disney World Moms Panelist, Kathie F., showcases some shots from our Disney dinner at Flying Fish Cafe. Be sure to scroll through her other posts from our WDW weekend, too!
About.com: Theme Parks shares a photo gallery and review of Walt Disney World's Sanaa Restaurant.
Chef Druck Musings has an awesome article covering some great counter-service finds in Epcot's World Showcase.
Haute Travels reviews Todd English's bluezoo.
Live and Learn has a fun break-down of what happened during our culinary weekend, as well as a hat tip to some great blogs and publications.
Studios Central tells us why NOT to book the Fantasmic Dinner Package.
GrubGrade shares the latest about Burger King's Whiplash Whopper, created to commemorate Disney's Iron Man 2.
Babes in Disneyland has some fun facts about Disneyland dining.
Passport To Dreams Old and New shares a piece about Ben Franklin, a mysterious Disney World portrait, the Hall of Presidents, and Liberty Tree Tavern.
Chip and Co has a fun look at creme brulee in Disney World.
Scott Joseph Orlando brings us to Victoria and Albert's Queen Victoria Room.


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Content-type: text/html
#include <wchar.h>
double wcstod(const wchar_t *restrict nptr, wchar_t **restrict endptr);
float wcstof(const wchar_t *restrict nptr, wchar_t **restrict endptr);
long double wcstold(const wchar_t *restrict nptr, wchar_t **restrict endptr);
double wstod(const wchar_t *nptr, wchar_t **endptr);
The wcstod(), wcstof(), and wcstold() functions convert the initial portion of the wide-character string pointed to by nptr to double, float, and long double representation,
respectively. They first decompose the input wide-character string into three parts:
1. An initial, possibly empty, sequence of white-space wide-character codes (as specified by iswspace(3C))
2. A subject sequence interpreted as a floating-point constant or representing infinity or NaN
3. A final wide-character string of one or more unrecognized wide-character codes, including the terminating null wide-character code of the input wide-character string.
Then they attempt to convert the subject sequence to a floating-point number, and return the result.
The expected form of the subject sequence is an optional plus or minus sign, then one of the following:
• A non-empty sequence of decimal digits optionally containing a radix character, then an optional exponent part
• A 0x or 0X, then a non-empty sequence of hexadecimal digits optionally containing a radix character, then an optional binary exponent part
• One of INF or INFINITY, or any other wide string equivalent except for case
• One of NAN or NAN(n-wchar-sequenceopt), or any other wide string ignoring case in the NAN part, where:
n-wchar-sequence: digit nondigit n-wchar-sequence digit n-wchar-sequence nondigit
In default mode for wcstod(), only decimal, INF/INFINITY, and NAN/NAN(n-char-sequence) forms are recognized. In C99/SUSv3 mode, hexadecimal strings are also recognized.
In default mode for wcstod(), the n-char-sequence in the NAN(n-char-equence) form can contain any character except ')' (right parenthesis) or '\0' (null). In C99/SUSv3 mode, the n-char-sequence can contain only upper and lower case letters, digits, and '_' (underscore).
The wcstof() and wcstold() functions always function in C99/SUSv3-conformant mode.
The subject sequence is defined as the longest initial subsequence of the input wide string, starting with the first non-white-space wide character, that is of the expected form. The subject sequence contains no wide characters if the input wide string is not of the expected form.
If the subject sequence has the expected form for a floating-point number, the sequence of wide characters starting with the first digit or the radix character (whichever occurs first) is interpreted as a floating constant according to the rules of the C language, except that the radix character is used in place of a period, and that if neither an exponent part nor a radix character appears in a decimal floating-point number, or if a binary exponent part does not appear in a hexadecimal floating-point number, an exponent part of the appropriate type with value zero is assumed to follow the last digit in the string. If the subject sequence begins with a minus sign, the sequence is interpreted as negated. A wide-character sequence INF or INFINITY is interpreted as an infinity. A wide-character sequence NAN or NAN(n-wchar-sequenceopt) is interpreted as a quiet NaN. A pointer to the final wide string is stored in the object pointed to by endptr, provided that endptr is not a null pointer.
If the subject sequence has either the decimal or hexadecimal form, the value resulting from the conversion is rounded correctly according to the prevailing floating point rounding direction mode. The conversion also raises floating point inexact, underflow, or overflow exceptions as appropriate.
The radix character is defined in the program's locale (category LC_NUMERIC). In the POSIX locale, or in a locale where the radix character is not defined, the radix character defaults to a period ('.').
If the subject sequence is empty or does not have the expected form, no conversion is performed; the value of nptr is stored in the object pointed to by endptr, provided that endptr is not a null pointer.
The wcstod() function does not change the setting of errno if successful.
The wstod() function is identical to wcstod().
The watof(str) function is equivalent to wstod(nptr, (wchar_t **)NULL).
Upon successful completion, these functions return the converted value. If no conversion could be performed, 0 is returned.
If the correct value is outside the range of representable values, ±HUGE_VAL, ±HUGE_VALF, or ±HUGE_VALL is returned (according to the sign of the value), a floating point overflow exception is raised, and errno is set to ERANGE.
If the correct value would cause an underflow, the correctly rounded result (which may be normal, subnormal, or zero) is returned, a floating point underflow exception is raised, and errno is set to ERANGE.
The wcstod() and wstod() functions will fail if:
ERANGE The value to be returned would cause overflow or underflow.
The wcstod() and wcstod() functions may fail if:
EINVAL No conversion could be performed.
Because 0 is returned on error and is also a valid return on success, an application wishing to check for error situations should set errno to 0 call wcstod(), wcstof(), wcstold(), or wstod(), then check
errno and if it is non-zero, assume an error has occurred.
See attributes(5) for descriptions of the following attributes:
Interface Stability |
wcstod(), wcstof(), and wcstold() are Standard.
MT-Level | MT-Safe |
iswspace(3C), localeconv(3C), scanf(3C), setlocale(3C), wcstol(3C), attributes(5), standards(5)


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This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2010, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Provo • In a move that will alter the college athletics landscape in the western United States and its own destiny in intercollegiate sports, Brigham Young University announced Tuesday afternoon that it is going independent in football and placing most of its other teams in the West Coast Conference.
BYU and WCC officials said the move would be effective for the 2011-12 academic year, meaning the upcoming school year will be the last one for the Cougars in the Mountain West Conference.
The school said in a news release that it would have no further comment until a noon news conference today at LaVell Edwards Stadium. However, BYU football coach Bronco Mendenhall said after practice on Tuesday that the move is a "positive one" for the football program.
"I support our administration's decision," Mendenhall said. "I think there will be a chance for tremendous exposure for our [football] program. … As far as I am concerned, I am supportive of it and anxious to coach the team in a new situation."
The announcement came just a day before the MWC's deadline for BYU to announce its intentions for the 2011-12 school year. It ended two weeks of frenzied behind-the-scenes negotiation between the school and the Western Athletic Conference which made a play for BYU's non-football sports as well as a series of nonleague football games with the Cougars and, of course, the WCC. The West Coast Conference is an eight-team collection of parochial schools stretching from Southern California to Washington.
The Cougars were forced to renegotiate with the WAC two weeks ago after their plans to join that conference were scuttled when the Mountain West jumped in and lured away Fresno State and Nevada to weaken the league that also includes Utah State.
USU's athletics future is further clouded by BYU's decision Tuesday; the Aggies had hoped for BYU to join the WAC, or to get an invitation to the MWC if BYU chose to remain.
Dozens of other questions remain for BYU as well. Chiefly, which teams will constitute BYU's future 12-game football schedules, which postseason bowl or bowls will the Cougars play in if they become eligible for the postseason, and what happens to the football program's dream of making it to a big Bowl Championship Series (BCS) game?
"The BYU brand, and the BYU team, and the BYU production is a marketable thing," Mendenhall said, expressing his belief that all the "worrisome" details will be worked out.
Several schools that remain in the Mountain West and were longtime BYU rivals reacted angrily to Tuesday's announcement. Wyoming athletic director Tom Burman told the Casper Star-Tribune that he doubts the Cowboys will be interested in playing the Cougars again in any sports.
However, WCC members such as Loyola Marymount cheered the addition of the Cougars.
"We are excited to compete against any athletic program the quality of BYU," said William Husak, LMU athletic director. "They will offer a great challenge, but our teams have always looked forward to playing the very best competition possible."
Triggered when longtime rival Utah announced in June that it was bolting the Mountain West for the Pac-10, BYU officials finally had the impetus to re-examine thoughts of going independent in football they say had been festering for more than three years.
Better television exposure was the driving force.
It is not known what kind of television arrangement BYU has negotiated for 2011-12. Officials at television sports giant ESPN said last week that they had been engaged in discussions with BYU to televise several home football games. The school also plans to televise at least some games on BYU-TV, which reaches 60 million homes nationally.
The simultaneous departure of BYU and Utah, its two flagship athletic programs, leaves the Mountain West's own television contract in jeopardy, sources told The Tribune.
Commissioner Craig Thompson issued a statement after the news broke Tuesday.
"Our board of directors' diligent exploration of options to advance the membership's objectives is ongoing. This includes conversations with our television partners to address issues of mutual importance, as well as determining the optimal configuration for the conference and investigating the possibility of various collaborative alliances," he said.
Officials at Utah State, which helped broker the initial agreement that would have sent BYU to the WAC, declined comment until today.
BYU has 12 sports that are offered by the WCC. It is unclear what will happen to its softball, swimming/diving and track and field teams because the WCC does not sponsor those sports.
However, it appeared late Tuesday that some kind of arrangement with the WAC perhaps to take those three sports and maintain a scaled-back version of the football partnership might still be in the offing. BYU press conference televised
BYU's press conference scheduled for noon Wednesday at LaVell Edwards Stadium will be broadcast live on BYUtv (Dish Ch. 9304, DirectTV Ch. 374, Comcast Ch. 21))


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MANITCHOTPISIT, PENNAPA - Rangsit University | |
Leathers, Timothy | |
Peterson, Stephen | |
Skory, Christopher - Chris | |
Price, Neil | |
Rich, Joseph |
Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only Publication Acceptance Date: 8/31/2012 Publication Date: 8/31/2012 Citation: Manitchotpisit, P., Leathers, T.D., Peterson, S.W., Skory, C.D., Price, N.P., Rich, J.O. 2012. Biotechnology of Aureobasidium pullulans: A phylogenetic perspective [abstract]. International Congress on Yeasts. p. 194. Interpretive Summary: Technical Abstract: Aureobasidium pullulans is a fungus historically included among the "black yeasts." Although many strains are predominantly yeast-like, the species is actually polymorphic, exhibiting complex forms ranging from blastic conidia and swollen cells to pseudophyphae, hyphae, and chlamydospores. A. pullulans is now considered to be a filamentous ascomycete in class Dothideomycetes, subclass Dothideomycetidae. The fungus is ubiquitous and a cosmopolitan saprophyte routinely found on the surface of leaves, wood, painted walls, etc. Biotechnologically, A. pullulans is perhaps best known as the source of the commercial polysaccharide, pullulan. Pullulan has unique film- and fiber-forming properties that have found uses in the food and pharmaceutical industries. Besides pullulan, A. pullulans produces a number of other valuable bioproducts, including enzymes such as xylanase, esterase, mannanase, laccase, lipase, pectinase, and protease. The fungus also produces the biopolyester, poly(beta-L-malic acid) (PMA), which has potential as a platform molecule for second-generation bioplastics. A. pullulans is also the sole source of a novel heavy oil with potential as an anti-cancer agent and biosurfactant. We recently developed a multilocus molecular phylogeny for A. pullulans and have now expanded this study to include nearly 100 strains isolated from around the world. Thus far, more than a dozen phylogenetic clades of A. pullulans have been identified. Many clades exhibit characteristic phenotypic traits, such as colonial and cellular morphologies. Strains in certain clades produce distinctive pigments of pink, red, yellow, purple, olive, or deep black. More importantly, the production of specific valuable bioproducts such as pullulan, xylanase, PMA, heavy oil, laccase, and lipase is associated with specific phylogenetic clades. These results will be useful in the further development of biotechnological applications of A. pullulans. |