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23 Apr Kiobel Insta-Symposium: Piracy – Not Just Kiobel's Analogy
[Roger L. Phillips is an international criminal law practitioner. He also maintains Communis Hostis Omnium, a blog about maritime piracy. This post is cross-posted there.]
The majority opinion in Kiobel precludes Alien Tort Statute claims for foreign conduct against foreign victims, leaving a small door for potential future claims that involve extraterritorial conduct so long as they touch and concern US territorial interests. But, when does a claim "touch and concern" the territory of the United States? Roger Alford notes that piracy may present an incident of "cross-border" conduct that could clarify this issue. Indeed, two piracy cases will imminently arrive at SCOTUS' courthouse steps.
The piracy statute 18 USC 1651 shares much in common with the Alien Tort Statute: both were passed in the same time frame and both have reference to "the law of nations." The presumption against extraterritoriality applies to 18 USC 1651. However, the plain language of the piracy statute and its historical context clearly rebut the presumption for all conduct that occurs on the high seas. Further, neither the victim nor the defendant need be American (U.S. v. Klintock). That said, there remains an important subset of piracy cases that involve conduct both on the high seas and within the territory of another sovereign: acts of aiding and abetting piracy through financing or negotiating ransoms for acts of piracy; or recruiting of child pirates.
In US v. Shibin (4th Circuit) and US v. Ali (DC Circuit), currently on appeal, the underlying criminal conduct of hijacking vessels occurred on the high seas. But, the negotiators in these cases only boarded the vessels upon entry into Somali territorial waters. Hence the mixed loci delicti on the high seas and within the territory of another state. Does this type of mixed conduct touch and concern the territory of the United States?
First, the plain language of the piracy statute would not rebut the presumption against extraterritoriality for conduct occurring within the territory of another state (the statute merely applies to conduct on the "high seas"). However, the historical context of the piracy statute indicates that it was intended to prevent impunity for acts of piracy wherever committed. That is why the modern definition of piracy applies to conduct outside the jurisdiction of any state, as well as to the high seas.
Here is where a case-by-case analysis, suggested in Part IV of the Kiobel majority, could be determinative. In Shibin, the defendant is accused of negotiating the ransom of two vessels. The first vessel has a strong nexus to US interests; the victims were American nationals and the targeted vessel was flagged in the US. Although a vessel's flag does not designate its surface as territory of the sovereign, it is treated in much the same fashion (Lauritzen v. Larsen) which is to say that there are strong domestic interests in exercising jurisdiction over acts of piracy on one's flagged vessels. But the second course of conduct charged in Shibin involves a vessel with no links to the US apart from a general interest in suppressing acts of piracy. The same is true in Ali. As the district court described the case: "Defendant Ali Mohamed Ali, a Somali citizen, is accused of helping Somali pirates hijack a Bahamian ship, hold its Russian, Georgian, and Estonian crew hostage, and compel the ship's Danish owners to pay a ransom for its release." These latter facts would not prevent the exercise of jurisdiction if the alleged criminal conduct occurred on the high seas. The question is whether aiding and abetting conduct occurring within the territory of another state must touch and concern US interests. If answered in the affirmative, it would curtail the US's ability to suppress and prosecute acts of piracy, which is contrary to the historical purpose and intent of 18 USC 1651. It would also be inefficient as those who initiate an act of piracy on the high seas and continue acts of piracy in foreign territorial waters could only be prosecuted for the former conduct.
One significant factor Kiobel instructs to consider is the imperative to avoid enmeshing US courts in foreign affairs. In this regard, the specific facts of the Somali cases militate in favour of exercising jurisdiction. For the then Transitional Federal Government (TFG) of Somalia did not have effective control over the territorial waters where these acts of piracy occurred. The UN Security Council authorized States and regional organizations "to undertake all necessary measures that are appropriate in Somalia, for the purpose of suppressing acts of piracy and armed robbery at sea," including in its territorial sea. The UNSC took great pains to note the TFG retained full sovereignty, that these exceptional measures did not create customary international law, and that they were authorized because the TFG had requested this assistance. It has been argued that the UNSC Resolutions authorized enforcement and stopped short of authorizing the prosecution of acts of piracy or armed robbery in Somalia's territorial waters. Notwithstanding these provisos, the interest in preventing "unintended clashes between our laws and those of other nations which could result in international discord" (Morrison) that lies at the heart of the presumption against extraterritoriality, is greatly diminished in these piracy cases.
Justice Kennedy notes in his concurrence in Kiobel that in disputes not involving solely extraterritorial conduct, "the proper implementation of the presumption against extraterritorial application may require some further elaboration and explanation." Although the majority appears to exceptionalize piracy ("pirates may well be a category unto themselves"), such a reading is inconsistent with Sosa v. Alvarez-Machain which explicitly asked "who are today's pirates?" The terms "pirate" or "piracy" appear in the various opinions in Kiobel 50 times. Perhaps it is time to address piracy directly, and not merely by analogy. Such could elucidate the "touch and concern" requirement applicable in ATS cases.


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Dead Souls
Dead Souls
119 in stock
Author: Nikolai Gogol
Publisher: Vintage
Published: 03/25/1997
Pages: 432
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.91lbs
Size: 8.02h x 5.18w x 0.88d
About the Author
Nikolai Vasilevich Gogol was born in 1809; his family were small gentry of Ukrainian cossack extraction, and his father was the author of a number of plays based on Ukrainian popular tales. He attended school in Nézhin and gained a reputation for his theatrical abilities. He went to St Petersburg in 1829 and with the help of a friend gained a post in one of the government ministries. Gogol was introduced to Zhukovsky, the romantic poet, and to Pushkin, and with the publication of Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka (1831) he had an entrée to all the leading literary salons. He even managed for a short period to be Professor of History at the University of St. Petersburg (1834-5). Diary of a Madman and The Story of the Quarrel between Ivan Ivanovich and Ivan Nikiforovich appeared in 1934, The Nose in 1836, and The Overcoat in 1842. Gogol also wrote the play The Inspector (1836), Dead Souls (1842), and several moralizing essays defending the Tsarist regime, to the horror of his liberal and radical friends. He lived a great deal abroad, mostly in Rome, and in his last years became increasingly prey to religious mania and despair. He made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem in 1848, but was bitterly disappointed in the lack of feeling that the journey kindled. He returned to Russia and fell under the influence of a spiritual director who told him to destroy his writings as they were sinful. He burned the second part of Dead Souls, and died in 1852 after subjecting himself to a severe regime of fasting.

subset: commoncrawl


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In honor of yesterday's full moon eclipse, we share this meaningful literary offering by poet Ed Roberson.
Lunar Eclipse
Ed Roberson
You've seen only a planed circle of moon,
the white wafer; the low sky's flat penny
grow into that dime, flipped in the turn
taken by the earth,
until you see
what's won from behind its veil of brightness
by the lunar eclipse
a red marble,
a pinball of blood and it's your shot, a ball
of red clay before its pinch into a bowl,
what I want to say and its look
that far away from it.
I want to say it suddenly
turns three dimensional with shadow
shaded in at the drawn
earth-curtain's darkening;
and that darkness
makes shape-informed light clearer rounding out
midnight, and moon,
once it is that lighted ball,
falls above a night now floored with depth
so dark above you you can feel the feet
and meter fill with time. New Years confetti each
speck's fall a galaxy ago back into space.
Space back into space restored beneath the moon
to here in the shading of eclipse. The distances.
We have to feel the spatial in what we see
to see clearly the eye measure in hands and feet;
as when we kiss,
distance disappears, our eyes close,
and we see bodily
in raised detail
a measure deepen into our world
in each other. And what we are
in the shadow the world makes
of our love, by this earth shine, we see
ourselves whole, see in whole perspective.


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By the Book: Jacked: The Outlaw Story of Grand Theft Auto
Read a chapter from David Kushner's new book about Rockstar Games' industry-changing franchise and find out where the series got its lawless streak from.
Read a chapter from David Kushner's new book about Rockstar Games' industry-changing franchise and find out where the series got its lawless streak from.
Then-series developer DMA Design's Gary Penn says top-down title nearly shelved because it was "awful"; GTA: IV life-to-date sales sit at 17 million.
Daily Star admits it "made no attempt to check the accuracy" of story claiming development of GTA Rothbury, apologises unreservedly.
PSPs teaching Hilton hoteliers? Silent Hill artists training Special Forces with RPGs? Grand Theft Auto designers helping police and paramedics? It's all in a day's work for CEO Jerry Heneghan's ...
Rockstar's Dan Houser tells Edge that Chinatown Wars will include drug-dealing minigames, tells Nintendo Power franchise "didn't feel natural" on console.
Rockstar's Dan Houser explains to UK magazine ShortList why GTAIV will change the way people see games.
Variety's new game blog claims Take-Two and unnamed studios were thisclose to bringing popular franchise to the big screen. But Rockstar's Dan Houser said no such project was ever seriously ...
Publisher's entire back catalog of PC titles now available through Valve's online digital distribution service.
Learn about the history of this influential and controversial franchise in this special feature!
Check the details on the sequel to Grand Theft Auto.


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We deliver flowers bouquets in over 900 cities around the world. In each city, we work with reliable local florists as is the case with New York. Working with this network of local florists, we are able to ensure that we deliver top quality bouquets and that your flowers will stay fresh. We can take care of your last minute flower orders or you can reserve a beautiful bouquet of flowers, months in advance.
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Part of EC Global Promotions LTD.


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Homeowners Insurance: Time for an Annual Check-Up
By: G. M. Filisko
An annual check-up on your homeowners insurance can result in a healthier policy and a healthier pocketbook.
What type of coverage do I have?
The most effective type of coverage is known as "replacement cost," which covers, up to your policy limits, what it would take today to rebuild your house and restore your belongings, says Jerry Oshinsky, a partner at Jenner & Block in Los Angeles who has represented homeowners in litigation against insurers.
"Extended" replacement cost coverage provides protection to your policy limit, say $500,000, and then perhaps another 20% of the cost after that. Percentages vary, but in this example you could recoup up to $600,000 on a $500,000 policy, assuming your losses reach that high. Extended coverage can compensate for any unanticipated expenses like spikes in construction costs between policy renewals. Now harder to find due to the industry shift toward extended replacement coverage, "full" or "guaranteed" replacement coverage covers an entire claim regardless of policy limits.
A less attractive alternative is "actual cash value" coverage that usually takes into account depreciation, the decrease in value due to age and wear. With this type of policy, the $2,000 flat-screen TV you bought two years ago will be worth hundreds of dollars less today in the eyes of your claims adjuster. Kevin Foley, an independent insurance broker in Milltown, N.J., favors replacement cost coverage unless you can save at least 25% on the premium for going with actual cash value coverage instead.
Even if you have replacement cost protection for your dwelling and personal property, don't assume everything is covered. Structures other than your home on your property—such as a detached garage or swimming pool—require separate coverage. So too do luxury items like jewelry, watches, and furs if you want full replacement cost because reimbursement for those items is typically capped.
How much coverage do I really need?
OK, now that you're clear on what type of policy you have, you need to figure out how much policy you truly require in dollar terms. Let's say you purchased your home five years ago and insured it for $200,000. Today, it's worth $225,000. Simply increasing your coverage to $225,000 may nonetheless leave you underinsured. Here's why.
The key to determining how much dwelling coverage you need isn't the value of your home but the money you'd have to pay to rebuild it from scratch, says Carlos Aguirre, an agent for Liberty Mutual Insurance in Arlington, Texas. Call your local contractors' or homebuilders' association and inquire about the average per-square-foot construction cost in your area. If it's $150 and your home is 2,000 square feet, then you should be insured for $300,000.
There's no rule of thumb for how much your homeowners insurance should cost. Insurers use numerous factors—age, education level, creditworthiness—to determine pricing, so the same policy could run you more than your neighbor. In recent years the average annual premium was $804. Oshinsky advises against scrimping on insurance because big increases in coverage probably cost less than you'd think. He recently purchased a liability policy that cost $250 for the first $1 million in coverage. Adding another $1 million increased his premiums only $12.50 more.
How can I lower my premiums?
The higher your deductible, the amount you pay out of pocket before coverage kicks in, the lower your premium. Landing on the appropriate deductible level requires remembering that insurance should cover major calamities, not minor incidents, says Foley, the independent insurance broker. Most homeowners should be able to absorb modest losses like a broken window pane or a hole in the drywall without filing claims. If you can, then you're wasting money with a $250 deductible.
Foley's rule: If you're a first-time homeowner and don't have a lot of savings, moving up to a $500 deductible will probably stretch your budget. However, if you live in a ritzy home and drive an expensive car, then you should be able to afford a $1,000 deductible. In Milltown, N.J., for example, the premium for a $200,000 home with a $500 deductible would be $736, according to Foley; moving up to a $1,000 deductible drops the annual premium to $672. That's $64 in savings.
Every major insurer offers discounts to various groups, such as university employees or firefighters. Figure about 5%. Ask which affiliations would entitle you to a discount and how much. If an AARP membership would result in a $50 savings, pay the $16 dues and pocket the $36 difference. Many insurers also offer discounts ranging from 1% to 10% or more for installing protective devices like alarms and deadbolt locks, for going claim-free for an extended period, or for insuring both your car and your home with the same carrier.
G.M. Filisko is an attorney and award-winning writer who has been involved in insurance litigation. A frequent contributor to many national publications including Consumers Digest, Bankrate.com, REALTOR(R) Magazine, and the American Bar Association Journal, she specializes in real estate, personal finance, and legal topics.
Call Amy at (919) 818-5001 or firstname.lastname@example.com to schedule your initial Buyer or Seller Consultation.
This article was originally published on August 28, 2009 on https://www.houselogic.com/


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Terra Nova Recap: The Runaway (Season 1, Episode 5)
At this point, if I weren't reviewing Terra Nova, I'd probably stop watching it. It's not an egregiously bad show, just remarkably bland and lifeless, which in many ways is worse. By this point in similar shows, we didn't just care about the characters and their plight but their environments as well. Whether referring to the Lost island, the Galactica, or Serenity (especially Serenity), the homes became a character too. Here, Terra Nova is as soulless as the characters who inhabit it.
Tonight's episode, entitled The Runaway, follows one plot centered around feral orphan ex-Sixer Leah Marcos. (I call her feral because of the obvious homage to feral child from The Road Warrior. Unfortunately, no boomerang stunts.) She ran away from the Sixers (hence the title of the episode) because she was tired of eating scraps, and tries to ingratiate herself back into Nova. However, on her escape she lost her backpack, so two members of the security team scour the landscape to find it, end up captured by the Sixers, and used in a hostage exchange. Mira, the head of the Sixers, allows Leah to make the choice of where she wants to stay. She chooses Terra Nova, so Mira lets her and all her prisoners free. Since Terra Nova plots must never deviate from the formula (and, after all, the scheme is obvious from the get-go), it turns out that this was a ruse so that Leah can take some MacGuffin box from Mira's former home and bring it back to her. And since children can't be evil, she does this because Mira threatened to kill her brother.
Leah escapes from Terra Nova with the MacGuffin box and Jim (alone, again) goes out to find her, only to find himself trapped by Mira who takes him to Ewok village. Here, Mira tries to recruit him to overthrow Taylor. In the show's weak attempt to give Mira a backstory, it turns out that she has a child in 2149 who cannot come over until Taylor is gone. Jim praises Taylor's abilities as a leader and asks what's so bad about him. No answer. He asks who wants him gone. No answer. Jim asks what's in the box that's so important. No answer. It's one thing to build mystery organically, and it's another to try to shoehorn it into the story. Guess which approach Terra Nova takes. Also, when your excuse for telling a six-year-old that you were going to kill her brother is that you were never going to kill him, you just wanted to force her to get you your magic box- that's not a valid excuse.
At the end, Jim, Leah, Leah's brother, and the box come home to Terra Nova. (The Sixers allowed Leah's brother to return with Jim.)
In the closest thing this episode had to a subplot, and I hesitate to call it that because it only took up one scene, the person Maddie went on a date with last episode asks if he can begin "courting" her. Courting is old school on Terra Nova. Maddie's potential beau, a soldier in Taylor's army, must ask Taylor's permission, Maddie's father's permission, and go through all the dating rituals of the corset era. This is Taylor's decree.
The biggest problem is that this doesn't feel like Taylor's style. Taylor has never come across as a man attracted to the past, let alone the far past. A natural leader, a good soldier, sure. But not someone obsessed with the rituals of centuries before our time. This isn't to say that military leaders cannot be fond of world history, but it takes a very special type to pull it off. This trait was believable in Patton in Patton and Kurtz in Apocalypse Now because both men were well-educated cadets who breathed war from all eras while being a bit (or more than a bit) crazy themselves. Alternatively, someone like Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation loved old stuff, but he always came across as cultured and well-mannered and he grew up in a world where intellectual pursuits were encouraged. Taylor, however, does not fit into either camp. He might have the charisma that explains why people follow him, but he lacks the outside-of-the-box brilliance present in those other characters. Furthermore, if the world was the crap heap they want us to believe it was, it's understandable why he wouldn't bother reading Dating Rituals of the 17th Century and Pride and Prejudice in his spare time.
While I'm on Taylor, let me add that the show really needs to give him some ambiguity if it wants to become more than Terra Novans = Good; Sixers = Bad. We should start to wonder if his heroism really is more myth than truth, if he did shady things to rise to the top of the Terra Nova hierarchy, if he's willing to back stab his comrades. Instead he is good with kids, remembered the name of Leah and her brother, treats the Shannons exceedingly well, congratulates Jim for reuniting Leah and her brother despite not following orders, seems to believe in Terra Nova and humanity, and has never done anything to make us doubt his loyalty or command. If Jim is to be conflicted, we must be too.
Additional Thoughts:
• When the security team hunts for the bag, they carry a sonic handgun (a la Minority Report) and a knife. While the sonic gun seems to do well in stunning humans, the dinosaurs would probably be the bigger threat. It would be like using a stun gun against an elephant.
• Can people stop going into the forest of death alone?
• The CGI gets worse while the dinosaurs get fewer.
• When Leah comes to the camp, she moves in with The Shannons. Like I asked last week (or maybe the week before), why are the Shannons, the newest comers to Terra Nova who know less about the society than most people there, treated with such trust and faith? They're there for a week and become the second most important people at camp.
• For that matter, Elisabeth appears to be the head (only?) medical doctor. Did they not have anyone performing medical care during the first nine pilgrimages? Did all the other doctors die? Is she just that remarkably good? You'd think there would be some "I had that position!" arguments from the person who previously held her spot.
• We never do find out what's in the MacGuffin box, but Taylor asks Malcolm to work on opening it so I guess it will come into play later.
• Just when you thought it couldn't get worse, Jack and Jill is rated PG. I wonder if they'll re-edit it for a higher rating after the box office catastrophe of The Big Year.
To contact me, e-mail firstname.lastname@example.com.
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Our Facilities
Brea maintains parks and recreation facilities within its boundaries providing varied leisure needs to the community. The Brea Community Services Department coordinates park activities.
- Arovista Park (14.84 acres; lighted)
500 West Imperial Hwy (Imperial Highway at Berry Street)
Features: Play areas, barbecues, picnic tables, restrooms, ball diamond, soccer fields, volleyball court, amphitheater, concession stand, football field and basketball courts. - Birch Hills Golf Course
2250 Birch St. 714-831-0550, www.BirchHillsGolf.com
Features: Completely redesigned executive 18-hole course with new greens and tees and a lighted driving range. Rental electric and hand carts are available. Course hours are daily from 6 a.m.-sunset. - Brea Creek Municipal Golf Course (25.82 acres)
501 West Fir St., 714-529-3003
Features: A popular nine-hole community golf course, complete with driving range. Rental electric and hand carts and clubs are available. Reservations for the course can be made up to one week in advance. Course hours are daily, from 6 a.m. to sunset. - Brea Junior High School Park (13.06 acres; lighted)
400 N. Brea Blvd.
Features: Play areas, ball diamonds, soccer fields, tennis courts, volleyball, concession stand, football field and basketball courts. - Brea Sports Park (20 acres)
3333 E. Birch Street, 714-990-7103
Features: Ball fields, walking trail, children's play area and picnic area. Field use is prioritized for Brea-based organizations through arrangements with the Community Services Department. - Carbon Canyon Regional Park (131 acres)
Carbon Canyon Road (Lambert) at Valencia, 714-973-3160
(This is a County-maintained facility). - City Hall Park (4.47 acres)
401 S. Brea Blvd.
Features: Olympic-size swimming pool (Brea Plunge), restrooms, barbecues, play areas, basketball courts and gazebo. - Country Hills Park (6.21 acres; lighted)
180 N. Associated
Features: Restrooms, barbecues, play areas, picnic tables, ball diamonds, soccer fields, tennis courts, concession stand and football field. - Founder's Park
Central & Berry
Features: Tot lot, climbing wall, basketball court, 2 tennis courts, picnic area and restrooms. - Greenbriar Park (3.5 acres)
Greenbriar & Associated Road
Features: Barbecues, play areas, picnic tables and restrooms. - Lagos de Moreno Park -southeast corner of Birch and Flower Streets Features: children's playground and open lawn area
- Olinda Oil Museum and Trail (1.9 miles) 4025 Santa Fe Rd.
Carbon Canyon Road and Santa Fe
Features: Historic museum and Olinda hiking trail, working oil well drilled in 1898, outdoor displays, restrooms, parking lot and picnic area. For information, call 714-671-4447. - Olinda Ranch Park
Carbon Canyon Road & Santa Fe
Features: Children's playground, basketball courts, day use sports fields, picnic area and restrooms. - Tamarack Park (5.6 acres; lighted)
520 N. Tamarack
Features: Restrooms, barbecues, play areas, ball diamond, soccer fields, concession stand, football field and basketball courts. - Ted Craig Regional Park (129 acres)
3300 State College, Fullerton 714-973-3180
(This is a County-maintained facility).
Features: Restrooms, barbecues, play areas, picnic tables, ball diamonds, volleyball, racquetball courts, amphitheater, bicycle trails, basketball courts and fishing. - Tri-City Park (40 acres)
Kraemer at Golden, (Maintained by the County of Orange)
Features: Restrooms, barbecues, play areas, picnic tables, bicycle trails, lake and fishing. - Wildcatters Dog Park
3450 E. Santa Fe Road
Features: Separate areas for small dogs (less than 25 pounds) and large dogs (over 25 pounds), benches, drinking fountains with attached dog bowls, picnic tables, double-entry gates, grass turf, dog waste cleanup stations (The City is not providing clean-up bags at this time.) - Wildcatters Park (16 acres)
3301 E. Santa Fe
Features:Baseball field overlapping football/soccer field, basketball court, children's playground with shade structures and ADA swings and accessibility, various passive areas with picnic shelters, barbecues and turf, and a .6 mile perimeter walking trail, two restroom locations, concession stand, parking available in two parking lots with additional parking on Santa Fe Road - Woodcrest Park (.5 acres)
Woodcrest Avenue east of Puente
Features: Barbecues play areas and picnic tables
Contact Us
For parks information,
call 714-990-7103.
To view a map of the parks, visit Civic Sites.


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Mike Myers Biography
Mike Myers
actor, comedian
Born: 5/25/1963
Birthplace: Scarborough, Canada
Television and film actor and comedian best known for his role as Wayne Campbell, host of "Wayne's World" on Saturday Night Live and in the movie of the same name. Other famous Saturday Night Live characters include Dieter ("Sprockets") and Angus ("All Things Scottish"). Myers also has a hand in writing his films, which include So I Married an Axe Murderer (1993), Wayne's World (1992), Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997), Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999), and the voice of the animated ogre, Shrek, in Shrek (2001).
Mya Biography Entertainment Bios — M
See also:


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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Health authorities in the capital of the United Arab Emirates say a woman has died from a SARS-like virus that has been centered in neighboring Saudi Arabia.
The health authority in Abu Dhabi reported the death of the Jordanian woman from Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, or MERS, on Tuesday. Her husband and son have also contracted the virus. It says they are in stable condition.
The World Health Organization said in a separate statement issued Monday that two other patients confirmed to be suffering from MERS in nearby Qatar have also died, on November 19 and 29.


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When Steve Jobs introduced the "Think Different" advertising campaign on his return to the helm of Apple in 1997, the slogan was not just aimed at consumers. It was also meant to inspire those inside the struggling company to innovate for the future.
Of course, what followed is now the story of one of the most successful companies in American history: a decade when Apple transformed the music industry with the iPod, the mobile-phone industry with the iPhone, and now the publishing industry with the iPad.
Apple succeeded partly because it decided to take a different path than its competitors in the tech industry, and consumers followed. The history of business is filled with similar tales. Just look at what happened to Detroit's Big Three after the arrival of Japanese automakers in the United States.
Many in higher ed believe the analogy with businesses doesn't apply to them. They think they have a corner on the credential business and right now a credential is the ticket to most good jobs.
Whenever a new competitor enters the higher-education market and tries something different, those at traditional colleges criticize the newcomers as not understanding pedagogy. Just see the negative comments on recent Chronicle of Higher Education articles about online education or StraighterLine, which offers self-paced introductory courses but not degrees.
But what if higher ed lost its grip on the credential business? Perhaps then administrators and professors would be forced to think that there is more than one way to provide a college education.
The day when other organizations besides colleges provide a nondegree credential to signify learning might not be as far off as we think. One interesting project on this front is an effort to create "digital badges," which would allow people to demonstrate their skills and knowledge to prospective employers without necessarily having a degree.
Badges could recognize, for example, informal learning that happens outside the classroom; "soft skills," such as critical thinking and communication; and new literacies, such as aggregating information from various sources and judging its quality. And in a digital age, the badge could include links back to documents and other artifacts demonstrating the work that led to earning the stamp of approval.
Until now an interesting-but-somewhat-fringe idea, digital badges received a big boost last week, when the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation announced a -million competition to create and develop badges and a badge system. (The contest is also supported by Mozilla and the Humanities, Arts, Sciences, and Technology Advance Collaboratory, otherwise known as Hastac.)
At the announcement in Washington, the U.S. secretary of education, Arne Duncan, called badges a "game-changing strategy" and said his agency would join with the Department of Veterans Affairs to award ,000 for the best badge prototype that serves veterans looking for well-paying jobs.
Under a badge system, colleges would no longer be the sole providers of a credential. While badges could be awarded by traditional colleges, they could also be given out by professional organizations, online and open-courseware providers, companies, or community groups.
Of course, each of those groups would need to earn the trust of employers who would be asked to hire prospective employees with the badges and perhaps not a college degree. But we're already hearing complaints from employers about the quality of graduates being turned out by some colleges. So it's not a stretch to imagine some employers taking a chance on people with a different kind of credential.
Once that trust was earned, suddenly the competition in the credential market would get much more crowded. And for colleges charging ,000 a year, it would become a lot more difficult to persuade parents and students looking solely for a career credential to spend four years on campus.
From then on, colleges would have little choice but to "Think Different."


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There were 81 contributions to the December Theme Day, considerably down on contributions compared with the November Theme Day. However, on the surface there appeared to be more visiting in December than in November, with an average of 18.26 visits per contribution. The two most popular entries were 'Paris through my Lens' (54) and 'Paris and Beyond' (44). Paris DP received only 14 exit clicks, but generated 76 visits who had, presumably, already seen Eric's entry. Fascinating! |
54 Paris Through My Lens 44 Paris and Beyond 42 Rotterdam DP 28 Seattle DP 28 Speedway DP |
28 Out & About in NYC 28 Toronto DP 27 Sydney Emerald City 26 Nelson DP 26 Gabriola DP |


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• nay-sayer •
Pronunciation: nay-say-êr • Hear it!
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: 1. A pessimist, a disparager, someone who constantly disagrees or otherwise expresses negative opinions. 2. An opponent, someone who opposes something. The opposite of a yea-sayer.
Notes: The common positive and negative interjections in the English language around the world are yes and no. However, in parts of Scotland and northern England, nay and yea (or aye) are often preferred. A nay-sayer then is the same as a no-sayer, except that nay-sayer has stuck in the language, making no-sayer unnecessary.
In Play: Generally, nay-sayers are considered pessimists who say "nay" to everything: "The nay-sayers in management make it impossible for any innovation in this company." However, this word can also be used for those who say "nay" to only one thing: "There are nay-sayers who think William Arami will never find a wife, but I think he will and that she will be lucky to have him."
Word History: The use of yea and nay is most prominent in Scotland and northern England because the Viking influence was strongest there. Nay is simply the English spelling of Danish nej "no". The Slavic language preferred the E variant to the O-variant of the Proto-Indo-European negative interjection, too. Russian ne means both "no" and "not". Yea is less clearly a borrowing, though it is similar to ja "yes" found in many Germanic languages, including Danish, Norwegian, and German. When these words were brought to the New World, they changed to yeah and naw, particularly in the Southern US states. (We are certainly happy that Jack Gibson said "yea" and not "nay" to the idea of suggesting today's very Good Word.)
P.S. - Register for the Daily Good Word E-Mail! - You can get our daily Good Word sent directly to you via e-mail in either HTML or Text format. Go to our Registration Page to sign up today!


text: Kyle M. L. Jones, MLIS, is a Ph.D. student in the University of Wisconsin-Madison's School of Library and Information Studies. Originally from Byron, IL, Kyle received his BA in with honors from Elmhurst College in Elmhurst, IL in the spring of 2007 and his Masters degree with honors at Dominican University in River Forest, IL in their Graduate School of Library and Information Science in 2009. He defines his research as being in the e-learning informatics branch of the social informatics literature. Currently, he is investigating the student privacy conceptions and concerns related to learning analytics technologies.


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Decorating with white is nothing new - a completely bleached room that still looks interesting is the ultimate symbol of design flair. But now designers are loving this trend for fall, paired with autumn staples and accent colors. Here are some tips for combining fall decor with an all-white palette.�
Cream and white
Mixing cream with white is an excellent way to warm up a blanche color scheme. It allows you to adhere to the general theme without sacrificing coziness. The best way to utilize these two shades�is�to just go for it. It's hard to go wrong with the combination, so feel free to decorate with no holds barred. If you are truly nervous, do the simple thing: Keep the walls white, upholster your furnishings and custom window treatments in cream, and add a few gold accents to marry the two.�
Autumn naturals
What says "autumn is here" better than pumpkins and fallen leaves? Lucky for us, both of these things can be used in your interior design, and in your all-white room to boot. In addition to carving charming jack-o-lanterns to light up your porch, consider painting a few pumpkins white and decorating your mantle with them. You can line up a perfect row of tiny bleached pumpkins on your windowsill behind your discount window treatments, or arrange a few of varied sizes on your dining room table for a perfect seasonal centerpiece.�
Another fun DIY project is to gather fallen leaves from your yard and use them to fashion a wreath. Spray paint just the tops of the leaves white and leave the underside their natural color - this will create a dimension while allowing some of fall's natural colors to peek through.�
Fall patterns
Since the most important part of decorating a monochrome room is varying the patterns to add visual interest, take this opportunity to utilize some of the popular patterns for this fall. According to HGTV, one of the print trends this season includes nature-inspired�patterns�on a large scale. Try to find a wallpaper or fabric in a white, off-white combination that depicts graphic florals�or other plant-based motifs to adorn your all-alabaster room. Or find a low-contrast animal print that heavily features white to capitalize on one of fall's other popular patterns.�


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Calcium Ions (Ca II K) in the Sun's Atmosphere
Calcium exists in small amounts in the solar atmosphere. Since atoms in the Sun's atmosphere are extremely hot, they move around very, very quickly. The atoms often collide, and such collisions can knock electrons loose from an atom. Atoms with missing (or extra!) electrons are called ions. A calcium (chemical element symbol Ca) atom that is missing one electron is called Ca II. Normal, neutral calcium is called Ca I. Under conditions (temperatures around 10,000 kelvins) that exist in the Sun's upper photosphere and chromosphere, calcium loses 1 electron and becomes singly-ionized (Ca II). It then gives off light in the visible or near ultraviolet range at 393 nm (3,933Å). Light at this wavelength is extremely faint but when the brilliant photospheric emissions are filtered out, the Ca II K line provides important information on the large-scale magnetic field structure in the chromosphere. On Earth, calcium is a common gray metal that is found in chalk, limestone and the shells of mollusks. It is also crucial to the functioning of living organisms. It is essential for the growth of teeth and bones, helps control blood clotting and is used in transmitting messages along the body's nervous system. |


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If you're a bride-to-be and have access to TLC, chances are you're a fan of Randy Fenoli. If the name doesn't ring a bell, perhaps "Say Yes to the Dress" does. Star of the TLC hit series, Randy Fenoli helps countless brides find perfect dresses at New York City's acclaimed Kleinfeld bridal salon. Randy's passion and talent for bridal fashion has made him one of the most trusted and sought-after names in the industry.
After years of consulting brides from his NYC salon, Randy, along with TLC, has decided to take his expertise on the road in an effort to help brides across the country. Randy is packing a big rig full of his favorite gowns and hitting cities coast to coast, promoting his signature "head-to-hem" styling approach. This new series, "Randy to the Rescue," arrives in semi-truck style in New Orleans on February 26.
"A typical salon may have 1,500 gowns, but there are usually only a handful that are great, and all the brides want those few. So we're gathering the best of the best from the designers and salons and taking it to brides who don't have a trip to NYC in their budget," says Randy. "With hundreds of gowns, mirrors, chairs and drapery, we're creating a pop-up bridal salon."
Inside the event space created by The Wedding Guys, Randy will have a team of consultants from a local bridal salon working various fitting stations. Randy will start the event with a morning presentation of tips, trends, dos and don'ts. Following the presentation, brides-to-be will have opportunities to visit with exclusive exhibitors for help in creating the perfect wedding. Randy hopes to consult with as many brides as possible, and a few select brides will be featured on the show.
Brides interested in being featured are being directed to the TLC website, where they can download, fill out, and send in an application. After visiting the TLC website, select "Randy to the Rescue" under the "Shows" tab, and then click on "Get on the show!"
Tickets are $15 for general admission and $20 for an exclusive bridal appointment with an experienced consultant. A select number of appointments are available, and there is also limited availability for Randy's morning presentation. Tickets and additional information are available here.
Randy, who spent his high school years in Winnfield, Louisiana, is excited to return to the state, where he has resided off and on throughout his life. After attending beauty school in Pineville and working as a makeup artist and hairdresser, Randy developed an interest in costume design. He later attended the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York, where he won a number of awards for bridal design and achievement.
"The concept for the new show actually grew out of a business idea I had in 2005," remarks Randy. "After designing in New York for about 15 years, I decided to take a break and move to New Orleans. I was within weeks of opening a one-of-a-kind custom dress shop in the same building as my condo when Katrina hit."
Randy evacuated to New York and was forced to abandon his plans for the dress shop. At that time, Kleinfeld offered him a position in NYC. The rest is television history.
Randy's enthusiasm for New Orleans seems as abundant as his passion for assisting brides on the most beautiful of occasions. After spending February 26th with area brides-to-be, Randy says his extended stay will involve seeing old friends, doing some Royal Street antique shopping, and indulging in the local cuisine.
"There are great restaurants in New York," says Randy, "but I have yet to find a really good bowl of gumbo or great crawfish etouffée."
If only the perfect dish could lure Randy back to his roots for good. No storm could stop him now.


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Mullet Swimbait Fishing Lure | 9.5" Motion Minnow
- In stock, ready to ship
- Inventory on the way
Our Motion Minnow 9.5 Inch Mullet Segmented Swim-Bait Fishing Lure swims naturally through the water column, enticing trophy gamefish like slot to breeder size Snook, Bull Redfish, Triple digit Tarpon, and many other overgrown inshore species. Our Mullet pattern segmented fishing lure mimics the breeder size mullet found schooling along the beaches and backwaters throughout Florida's waterways. Held together with double matted Dyneema® Fiber that is 15x stronger than steel and similar to Kevlar found in bulletproof vests. Sometimes it's hard to find live bait , so we designed a bait that swims just like it!
Details / Specs :
- Length : 9.5 inches
- Weight : 4 oz
- Action : Sinking
- Bait Fish Pattern: Mullet
- Body Construction: Hard ABS
- 8-Piece Segmented Body which is held together with 2X Dyneema Fiber
- Realistic 3D Eyes
- Color pattern reflect the markings of native bait fish.
- (2) Black Nickel Treble Hooks included with Lure
Pro Tip:
- For Optimum results, simply cast and retrieve at a slow - medium pace to achieve maximum action. A faster, stop and go retrieve can also be very effective when fish are actively feeding on other forage and looking for genuine presentation. Also, be sure to adjust your retrieve speed according the the depth of water and speed of current or tide. A faster tide may require a slower retrieve and vice versa
- If you prefer single hooks, we suggest using VMC ILS Inline Single 4X hooks, size 4/0 - 5/0 for the Motion Minnow 7.3" Swimbait fishing lures
All Orders ship within 48 hours. We will email tracking once shipped. We normally ship via USPS First Class Mail. If you require another shipping method, please email or call us.
We pride ourselves on exceeding everyone of our customer's needs and are committed to providing total satisfaction, Every time. Guaranteed.
We only charge for the shipping cost of the item. Buyer is responsible for all Customs Duty's and Import Taxes. If you have any questions please let us know, we are here to help. Most international shipments are shipped via USPS Priority Mail.
We ship MOST orders via United States Post Office.
- All orders are usually processed within 1 business days after order is placed
- Most products are usually shipped 48 Hrs
- All orders will receive an email with shipment tracking Number once order is shipped.
If we are out of stock of any item you have ordered we will call you or send you an email and provide you with the following options:
- Wait for the missing item to be restocked and receive your complete order (We will give you a time frame for receipt of the missing item)
- A complete refund of your order.
Refused shipments:
If you decide to refuse any shipments from Marea Gear, you are responsible for the original shipping charges to you, any duties, taxes and/or customs charges that are incurred on the package (on both the original and return shipments) and the cost of returning the package to Marea Gear. This amount will be subtracted from your merchandise refund.
Damaged shipments:
If your package does not arrive in acceptable condition, DO NOT ACCEPT it from the carrier. If you accept the damaged package from the courier you may be responsible for the return shipping cost. Contact the shipping carrier if there is any damage, spillage or breakage -- they may return to pick the package up. Contact us as well so that we can open up a claim and track its progress. All packages typically leave our warehouse in good condition, but damages can still occur, even during transit. Oftentimes, a portion of the package is delivered and the damaged items thrown out. In this case please contact us for a claim and to reship the damaged items. Other times, the entire package may have been damaged, discarded or returned. In these instances, we will reship another package and open up a claim. Any reimbursements if applicable will follow a few days later, usually once the claim is closed.
International Shipping & Delivery
All international orders are subject to Customs inspections as well as possible fees and/or taxes. These charges are determined by the country to which the package is shipped, and payment is the responsibility of the customer, not of Marea Gear. Some packages may be delayed as much as 2-3 weeks, depending on Customs. Signature may be required upon delivery. Shipping charges, taxes and other country's fees are non-refundable. Marea Gear reserves the right to cancel any order.
The product can only be returned within 30 days from the purchase date and must be accompanied by the original invoice. Any refund claims after 14 days of the purchase will not be accepted. All products returned must be in like new condition in their original box / packaging in resalable condition. Unless there is an error on Marea Gear's behalf, a 15% restocking fee will apply to all returns to cover credit card fees, labor incurred, etc. The shipping cost is not refundable.
In the event that you would want to return a product,please contact us for a return authorization number. Items shipped back to us without an RMA will be returned to the customer.
"Customer is responsible for shipping cost of returns. Freight charges are NOT refundable"
All billing information provided must be truthful and accurate. Providing any untruthful or inaccurate information may result in order cancellation. Prior to accepting an order we may also request additional information from you. We reserve the right to refuse or cancel an order for any reason including limitations on quantities available for purchase, inaccuracies, or errors in product or pricing information, or problems identified by our credit and fraud avoidance department. Orders may be canceled within 24 hours of placing via, telephone or email. Otherwise a 15% restocking fee will be charged. We will contact if additional information is required to accept your order.


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15 Nights | Caribbean/Bahamas
About Tampa, Florida
You will visit the following 10 places:
Turks and Caicos Islands
The Turks and Caicos is a small archipelago nation known primarily for tourism and as an offshore financial centre. It's home to incredible beaches, abundant marine life, stunning tropical wetlands, luxury resorts and fine dining. There's so much to do and discover here in paradise. Quite simply, it's the best of the Caribbean!
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire "New England" region. The city proper had a 2009 estimated population of 645,169, making it the twentieth largest in the country. It is also the anchor of a substantially larger metropolitan area called "Greater Boston", home to 4.5 million people and the tenth-largest metropolitan area in the country. Greater Boston as a commuting region includes six Massachusetts counties: "Essex", "Middlesex","Norfolk", "Suffolk", "Plymouth", "Worcester", northern "Bristol" County, all of "Rhode Island" and parts of "New Hampshire"; it is home to 7.6 million people, making it the fifth-largest Combined Statistical Area in the United States.
Oranjestad, known as ("Orange Town"), is the capital and largest city of Aruba. In the local language, Papiamento, Oranjestad is also often referred to simply as "Playa". The city consists of hundreds of local stores where tourists usually buy their keepsakes. The city is also home to some of the island's local residents and also many governmental buildings. Along the main "drag" (Sasakiweg street) you will find most tourist walking around and shopping and can also see the cruise ships that bring more and more external tourism into the island everyday. Close to the cruise ships is the island's largest marina where you can find great docking space for your vessel.
San Miguel de Cozumel
Cozumel is an island in the Caribbean Sea off the eastern coast of Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula, opposite Playa del Carmen, and close to the Yucatán Channel. The island is covered with mangrove forest which has many endemic animal species. Cozumel is a flat island based on limestone, resulting in a karst topography. There are a number of visitors to the island's balnearios, scuba diving, and snorkeling. The main town on the island is San Miguel de Cozumel. The islands belongs to Cozumel Municipality of the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico.
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a sovereign state on the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean Caribbean region. Though known for its wonderful beaches, all-inclusive resorts and golfing, it has a varied terrain comprising rainforest, savannah and highlands, including Pico Duarte, the Caribbean's tallest mountain. For the adventure tourist this Caribbean country offers a diverse countryside comprising tropical rainforests, arid desert expanses, alpine ranges and steamy mangrove swamps. It's a playground for trekkers, mountain bike enthusiasts and water-sport junkies!
Tampa is a Gulf Coast Bay city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2000 was 303,447. According to the 2009 estimates, the city's population had grown to 343,890, making it the 54th largest city in the United States. The current location of Tampa was once inhabited by various indigenous cultures, most recently the Tocobaga. It was spotted by Spanish explorers in the early 16th century, but there were no permanent American or European settlements in the area until 1824, when the US Army established a frontier outpost called Fort Brooke at the site of today's Tampa Convention Center. The village of Tampa began as a small group of pioneers who settled near the fort for protection from the Seminole population in the area.
Havana, officially Ciudad de La Habana, is the capital city, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city is one of the 15 Cuban provinces. The city/province has 2.1 million inhabitants, the largest city in Cuba and the second largest in the Caribbean region, after Santo Domingo. The city extends mostly westward and southward from the bay, which is entered through a narrow inlet and which divides into three main harbours: Marimelena, Guanabacoa, and Atarés. The sluggish Almendares River traverses the city from south to north, entering the Straits of Florida a few miles west of the bay.
Grand Cayman
Grand Cayman is the largest of the Cayman Islands, a British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean. George Town, its capital, is home to the Cayman Islands National Museum, dedicated to Caymanian heritage. There are fast food restaurants, night clubs, and resorts on the western side of the island down to George Town. The eastern districts have more restaurants specialising in native Caymanian cuisine. Because of its clubs, resorts, and hotels, Seven Mile Beach has the largest concentration of visitors and tourists on the island. Watersports such as scuba diving and snorkeling are among the most popular activities on Grand Cayman as the island is known for its coral reefs and underwater sea walls along with a number of shipwrecks.
Little San Salvador
Little San Salvador Island, also known as Half Moon Cay, is one of about 700 islands that make up the archipelago of The Bahamas. It is a private island, owned by Holland America Line, which uses it as a port of call for the cruise ships it operates in the region. Prior to being owned by HAL, Little San Salvador was the private island of Norwegian Cruise Line. The island is also a significant nesting area for waterfowl. Activities offered on the island include swimming, sunbathing, scuba diving, jet-skiing, cycling, and snorkeling. Deep-sea fishing, parasailing, glass-bottom boat rides, and nature walks also are available. A variety of water toys are available for rent, including Hobie catamarans, Sunfish sailboats, windsurfing sailboards, and kayaks.
Falmouth is the chief town and capital of the parish of Trelawny in Jamaica. It is situated on Jamaica's north coast 18 miles east of Montego Bay. It is noted for being one of the Caribbean's best-preserved Georgian towns. Founded by Thomas Reid in 1769, Falmouth flourished as a market centre and port for forty years at a time when Jamaica was the world's leading sugar producer. It was named after Falmouth, Cornwall in the United Kingdom, the birthplace of Sir William Trelawny, the Governor of Jamaica, who was instrumental in its establishment. The town was meticulously planned from the start, with wide streets in a regular grid, adequate water supply, and public buildings.


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Discussing Open Data
Source: Think Links
Note this post has been cross posted at The theicecream.org the International Collaboration of Early Career Researchers
This past Thursday, I had the opportunity to participate in a mini-symposium held by the VU University Amsterdam (where I work) around open data for science titled Open Data for Science: Will it hurt or help?
The symposium consisted of three 15 minute talks and then some lively discussion with the audience of I think ~60 people from the university. We were lucky to have Jos Engelen the chairman of the NWO (the dutch NSF) discuss the perspective from research policy makers. The main take away I got from his presentation and the subsequent discussion is that open data (despite all reservations) is a worthy endeavor to pursue and something that research funders should (and will) encourage. Furthermore, just his presence means that policy makers are reaching out to see what the academic community thinks and that the community will have a say in how (open) data management policies will be rolled out in the Netherlands.
The most difficult talk to give was by Eco de Geus, who was asked to reflect on the more negative aspects of open data. He presented important points about incentive structures (will I be scooped?), privacy, and the tendency towards one size fits all open data policies. These were important points. I think what made the reservations more poignant is that Prof. de Geus is not anti open data indeed he is deeply involved in large open data project in his domain.
I talked about the view from a scientist starting out in their career. I told two stories:
- how open data really benefited a collaborator of mine in her study of interdisciplinary work practices. As a consumer it really of data, open data really removes a number of barriers.
- in an analogy to open code, I discussed how an open source code I produced during my PhD led to more citations, a new collaboration, and others comparing there work to mine. However, these benefits were contrasted with the need to do support and having to be comfortable exposing my work practices.
I ended by making the following points about open data:
- Open data is a boon to young scientists when they are acting as consumers of data.
- It's a more difficult position for producers of data. There are trade-offs including concerns about credit, time for support, and time to prepare data.
- Given 2, if we want to help scientists as consumers of data, we need to give support to producers.
- Clear simple guidelines for data publication are critical. Scientists shouldn't need to be lawyers to either produce or consume data sets.
- Credit where credit is due. For open data to succeed, we need data citation on par with traditional citation.
You'll find the slides to my talk below. Although they are a lot images so may not make much sense.
Overall, I thought the talks and discussion were excellent. It's great to see this sort of discussion happening where I work. I hope it's happening in many other institutions as well.
Filed under: academia Tagged: open data, science, symposium, vu university amsterdam


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Diseases of the adrenal gland have long been difficult to diagnose. But now, researchers have found an affordable and easy way to diagnose and monitor endocrine diseases of the adrenal gland by using saliva and a smartphone.
Researchers at Intermountain Medical Center in Murray, Utah, have developed new smartphone technology to help screen patients for a number of adrenal gland diseases, including Cushing's syndrome. The new tool also helps to identify adrenal insufficiency, monitor cortisol replacement and assess physiologic changes in adrenal function.
Adrenal diseases are commonly overlooked because measuring cortisol, the so-called "stress hormone" that is released by the adrenal glands as part of the fight-or-flight mechanism, is costly and complicated, especially for those with limited resources, say researchers.
"When cortisol levels are overlooked too many people suffer and die because of excess or insufficient cortisol," said Joel Ehrenkranz, MD, director of diabetes and endocrinology at Intermountain Medical Center, and lead researcher of the project."
To help solve this problem, researchers developed a simple saliva test that uses a smartphone and an attached device that inexpensively feeds the results of a saliva test into the smart phone. An app then quantifies and interprets the results of a salivary cortisol assay and gives results in five minutes at the point of care.
"The cortisol assay is similar in design to a home pregnancy test and urine sample drug tests," says Dr. Ehrenkranz. "It's like having an endocrine specialist in your phone."
Dr. Ehrenkranz and his team will present findings of this new smartphone technology at the 16th International Congress of Endocrinology on Tuesday, June 24, at 9:45 AM, CDT, in Chicago.
The idea for creating an easy and inexpensive test for cortisol first came to Dr. Ehrenkranz in 2007, while he was visiting Mulago Hospital in Kampala, Uganda. He was shown a 60-year-old woman suffering from Addison's disease, which occurs when the adrenal glands produce too little cortisol.
In order to help in the diagnosis, Dr. Ehrenkranz suggested testing the woman's cortisol levels, but her physicians resisted. Due to their current procedures, they felt the test would take too long and be too costly ($50) for the patient to afford. After drawing her blood, physicians would need to send the blood sample to a lab in Nairobi, Kenya, and by the time they received the results, the patient would likely have died.
"After my experience at Mulago, I knew I needed to develop a test and technology that would fix this problem of testing cortisol levels," said Dr. Ehrenkranz. "It needed to be inexpensive and easy to do."
The new technology will especially help diabetic patients.
For diabetics, controlling stress levels is key to controlling cortisol levels, which helps prevent and control the disease. Stress increases the levels of cortisol in their body, and elevations in cortisol impair the body's ability to metabolize glucose. This increases blood glucose levels. High cortisol levels also affect the body's ability to fight infections, lose weight and recovery from injury.
"What this means is when blood cortisol levels are too high, insulin will not lower blood sugar," said Dr. Ehrenkranz. "Elevations in cortisol decrease the effectiveness of insulin and other drugs used in the treatment of diabetes. Having the ability to easily and inexpensively measure cortisol levels is important in managing diabetes."
Other researchers involved with the project include Theodore Espiritu, and Randall Polson, PhD.


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Three-Way Tie in Agoura Hills |
By Jerry Hanken | |
January 29, 2008 | |
Bill has tried a number of formats and prize structures. Last year, the event was a 7 round 7-section affair with twenty thousand dollars guaranteed. About 180 showed up and the tournament lost money.( This was the last of the tournaments in which I participated before all my chess strength went on a long vacation. I won money in a tie for 2nd place Masters and even earned Grand Prix points.) This year Bill came up with a new idea. He expanded the tournament to 10 sections with odd class sections only on Saturday and Sunday (except the Masters' section), and based the prizes on 250, which it used to get regularly, with 6 rounds instead of 7. Still, no big cigar but it almost broke even with about the same number of players, and paid out a $16000 total. This did produce at least one anomaly. IM Andranik Matikozyan and I were the only to show up for the 2-day Master class section. Bill didn't think a 3 game match between us before the merge in round five would be appropriate so Andranik got two full point byes and I got 2 half point byes, and we moved to the 3 day schedule. Matikozyan went on to come in a 3 way unbroken tie for first with 4.5/6, along with the very powerful Bulgarian-American IM Valentin Yotov, rated 2625.The last member of that triumvirate is a story in itself. The thoughtful, focused, L.A. Master Matt Beelby, who recently turned 50 and is therefore a senior by USCF standards, overcame a first round loss to Yotov to claw his way back to the first place tie. His most significant victory was his 3rd round game with the February cover boy of Chess Life 11 year old Daniel Naroditsky, who was recently crowned World under 12 Champion. Last year Beelby won the Master prize in this event just below the titled players, and got a $900 payday. Matt had a remarkable performance after a long layoff from chess that year, finishing ahead of GM Yermolinsky in the standings. This year, he and his fellow winners each received $800. When asked if he had a statement for this report, he said "I want to thank Bill and Brenda Goichberg for putting on high quality Tournaments in Southern California even though they have lost money on them" Matt did not feel that any of his games were worthy of publication so I have honored his wish .Actually, I was quite impressed with his total refutation of my latest try at "Parting With The Lady" in round three. Matikozyan also had to make a big comeback. After his two full point byes, he lost to LA Master Michael Casella. Some of you may remember a whimsical profile I did on Mike Casella a couple of years ago for Chess Life when he told us that he had the pictures of Grandmasters he had prevailed over on his refrigerator door! Matikozyan rebounded with wins over LA Master Ron Hermansen and the congenial IM Enrico Sevillano, who is rated almost 2600. A three-way tie is unusual for a 22 player Swiss, but all the winners suffered a loss in this six round donnybrook. Yotov dropped a point to young LA. Master John David Bryant in the first round and he too had to scramble back up the ladder to tie for first. For those of you who don't know, Bryant is the stepson of Selvillano. Ironically, Yotov's crucial win was against Enrico Sevillano: 1587 With a last round win over Bryant, long time L.A. Master Ron Hermansen secured the $320 under 2400 prize. 1588 I know Ron has been around for quite a while and must be close to 40, but with his blonde good looks he still could pass for 25! That's from living the good life in southern California! I know, I sound like a travel brochure. Daniel Naroditsky and L.A. Master Eugene Yanayt tied for 2nd Under 2400 with 3.5 points each. I had a very pleasant talk with Eugene in California. He is an intelligent, well-educated 24-year-old who makes his living at poker! He must be on the verge of a big chess breakout, as I always seem to see him on high boards. Eugene, if only you put all your energy into the Royal Game?! Eugene and Daniel both won $160 which, goes a ways in explaining why Eugene stays with poker though he loves chess! What happened to last year's co-champ and the only GM this year, Melikset Khachiyan? After a long hard fought draw with Bryant in round 4 where, he was up an exchange most of the game, he withdrew and did not play Monday. 1586 Funny enough, two wins that day would have put Khachiyan in a tie for first. Another fine performance was the undefeated record of tall former Texan Greg Small! Greg made four draws in the games he played and could have won a prize if he had played and won his last round game. Go figure. My fellow Chess Journalist, Frisco Del Rosario, rated 2079 going in, won only one game but it was notable. In round 3 he upset Senior Master Joaquin Banawa. 1585 Banawa was not in good form as he had lost to Master Michael Pearson in the first round and withdrew after falling to Frisco. Nine-year-old Nicholas Nip of San Francisco made no progress this time in breaking the record of youngest U.S. Master ever. His two points shaved five rating points off his 2113 rating. He did beat a high expert but lost to Master Michael Pearson. 1584 He may make it yet. He certainly has both talent and enthusiasm. If you add it all up, a remarkable 43 players won prizes, about a quarter of the entries. I know they all feel good about chess and we hope they will come again to the elegant Renaissance Hotel in Agora Hills next year, when the tournament will go back to seven rounds and a more conventional format. The whole Shebang was smoothly handled by the Goichbergs and NTD and IA Randy Hough. The pairings were out on time and the wall charts were kept up to the minute. The Chess palace provided another fine display of books and equipment and I saw a number of folks using the Monrois to keep score, even though there was no live broadcast. On a final personal note, I played three games and sacked my Queen, aka, parted with my lady, in all three. Each looked good at the time and each was proven unsound and lost. Do you think I might be living a little in the past? Section Results In the Expert section, veteran Carlos Garcia collected $800 for clear first. Martin M. Nita III and Takashi Kurosaki (who took a reentry and got it right the 2nd time) tied for 2nd and 3rd with each getting a $320 prize. Derek Tan and Branko Sretenovic shared 4th and 5th. The seven-player 1700 to 1899, played at a fast time control, was won by Sergey Yurenok who came in unrated and won $800 with five and a half. Robert Xue and Michael Mulford each got $320 for 2nd and 3rd and David Portwood won $160 for 4th. (When was the last time more than half of a section won money?!) Playing the same no Monday fast schedule, 1400 through 1699, had fifteen entries. The winner of $800 and clear first was 1599 rated Dennis M. Neymit. Tied for 2nd thru 4th and winning $267 were Richard Yang, Terrence Sun, and Conner Reck. Now we move to the conventional classes. In class A, which had 25 entries, Kaylan J Burleigh outscored the field by a full point to take the $800 first prize. Tied for 2nd and 3rd and winning $320 each were Michael A.Schemm (A CPA from Washington State who broke my heart by beating The Old Man [YHR} in the 2006 Senior Open and keeping me from the Geezer {70 and over}) Trophy.) and Henry Castro. 4th and 5th were Zoran Djoric and Joseph Roth. Each got $80 ( By the way, Schimm got his expert rating back with his performance!) In Class B, the $800 clear winner was David Karapetyan. Second was Armen Samuelian, a full point back. He got $400. Third with a check for $240 was Hubert Jung. Tied for 4th thru 7th and getting a modest $40 prize were Edwin B. Silva, Ryan Polsky, Ed Isler, and Jeffrey Ding. In the 14 player class "C" championship. Yash Pershad was clear first with a prize of $800 and 4 tied for 2nd thru 5th. Receiving $200 each were Richard E. Martin, Shirolly Anand (A relative perhaps?) ,Steven J. Dahl, and Anna Karapetyan. (AT LAST, a female! ) In the class "D" section of 13 players, Ellie Simon won clear first along an $800 prize. Clear second, at a prize of $400, was Charles M. Morgan. Stand alone 3rd at $240 was John Kitapszyan and in 4th at $80 we had a tie between Jan Olderdissen and Wyatt Duvall. We now come to the largest single section, the Class "E" Championship of 28 players. First and with winnings of $800 was Sanjay Siddhanti. The runner up at $400 was Scott Xue. David Halajian placed third for $240. There was another 4-way tie at $40 each between David Alday, Daniel Mousseri, Robert Gardner, and John Gardner. Finally we have the under 900 Trophy section. First was Alexander Blaine at five, second at four and a half was Chantelle Field, and, tied for 3rd and 4th, were Aaron David Green and Ernesto Lim, who each had four of six in this dozen player class section. |
The Martin Luther King holiday weekend has long presented a problem for chess organizers. Not everyone gets that Monday off. In fact, less than half do in California. So how do you run a chess tournament over that weekend and secure the maximum turnout? Bill Goichberg, President of The Continental Chess Association, has wrestled with this conundrum for years now. The CCA puts on the highly successful North American Open in Las Vegas with NO weekend between Christmas and New Years. Bill and his wife Brenda, like to spend the winter in Southern California to escape the worst of the New York bitter icebox. Thus began The Western Class Championships in Agoura Hills over MLK weekend.


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The ASL/English Interpreting (INT) curriculum prepares students to work as professional interpreters with Deaf and non-deaf (hearing) people. The goal of the ASL/English interpreter is to make communication as complete and equal as possible for both Deaf and non-deaf participants by accurately conveying the thoughts, feelings, words, attitudes and meanings of the message, whether it is expressed in spoken English, American Sign Language (ASL) or other forms of signed communication. Thus, interpreters must be bilingual, skilled in both English and ASL, and bicultural, knowledgeable about the cultures of both Deaf and non-deaf people.
A skilled interpreter must also be versatile, mature and flexible in order to successfully work with people from a variety of backgrounds with diverse communication needs. The field encompasses a multitude of situations and settings, including medical, legal and psychological, that frequently contain sensitive and personal issues. In responding to these situations it is the interpreter's professional responsibility to thoroughly understand, and adhere to, the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc. Code of Professional Conduct. It is therefore imperative that interpreters also be of high moral character, nonjudgmental and well-informed in order to be able to meet the challenges which arise in these sensitive, diverse and ever-changing situations.
The INT curriculum covers a variety of subject areas, including Deaf culture, structure of ASL, comparative English and ASL, professional practices and ethics, interpreting processes in theory and application, and guided skill development in ASL and interpreting with diagnostic feedback. The INT lab offers practice opportunities in both video and digital formats in a small group, supportive environment.
In addition to traditional classroom lectures and laboratory activities, the curriculum utilizes hands-on experience through fieldwork, guest lectures, observations and internships. Cooperative relationships with professional and community agencies and organizations are maintained to provide opportunities for networking and interaction with the Deaf community, as well as the professional interpreting community.
The INT program prepares students for entry-level work as interpreters. It also prepares students for the national certification evaluation given by the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc. (RID). For the majority of students, however, several years of professional work experience after graduation are needed before certification can be attained. Students completing the curriculum receive an Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree. Beginning July 1st, 2012 RID will require a Bachelor's degree in any major in order to take the national certification exam. In order to meet that requirement, CCP has developed collaborations with baccalaureate institutions to provide suitable options to students graduating with the A.A.S.


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- Home
- Government
- Departments
- Public Safety
- Police
- Crime Prevention
- Home Security
- Operation Identification
Operation Identification
What is Operation Identification?
Operation Identification is a citizen's burglary prevention program for use in homes and businesses. Operation ID program involves the marking of property with an identifying number as a means of discouraging burglary and theft.
The Operation ID Program Has Two Parts
- First: Mark your valuables with your Drivers License Number so that your property can be traced and identified as yours.
- Second: Display a sticker which tells would-be burglars that your property has been marked.
What Makes Operation Identification So Effective?
Marked property is difficult for a burglar to dispose of or re-sell. It can be traced to the rightful owner with relative ease. If the burglar is caught with marked property, it is solid evidence of possession of stolen goods.
How to Participate
The Taylor Police Department suggests using an engraver to mark your valuables. One can be obtained relatively inexpensively at any hardware store. When marking your valuables, always use your Drivers License Number; never use your Social Security Number. Also, always use your two letter state identifier along with your license number. Notice there are no gaps or spaces in the number shown.
As you mark your items, always engrave the number on an area that cannot be easily dismantled, and which is not easily seen. After marking your property, make a list of your valuables and keep a copy of the list in a safe place. If you should subsequently become a burglary victim, you will be able to quickly describe the stolen property from the list. Of course some items cannot be marked and we suggest a photograph or video of the items. This will be of great help to the police department in our attempts to recover the stolen property.
Once property has been marked and a list made, display an Operation Identification sticker on a window which might be used for entry. By advertising your participation in "Operation ID" in this way, you are announcing that your valuable property has been marked and will be difficult for a burglar to re-sell. Often the presence of the sticker alone is enough to deter a burglar.
Items to Label
- Answering machines
- Bicycles
- Binoculars
- Camcorders
- Cameras
- Car audio systems
- Computer equipment
- DVD players
- Fishing rods, reels
- Golf clubs
- Guns
- Kitchen appliances
- Lawn mowers
- Mag wheels
- Microwaves
- MP3 players
- Musical instruments
- Outboard motors
- Radios
- Stereo equipment
- Tape recorders
- Telephones
- Tools (hand/power)
- Televisions
- Vacuum cleaners
- Wheel covers


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I have a layer of old, crumbly and very sticky vinyl tiles that I need to remove to bring the old tile back (see picture). What is the best way of removing these?
Bonus question: How do I get the adhesive off the floor underneath?
I have a layer of old, crumbly and very sticky vinyl tiles that I need to remove to bring the old tile back (see picture). What is the best way of removing these?
Bonus question: How do I get the adhesive off the floor underneath?
Use a heat gun to heat up the tiles and soften the adhesive underneath and pry it up with something (putty knife/scraper/pry bar).
You should be able to buy floor adhesive remover to get the stuff off of the bottom tiles you want to keep. I found some that was a sort of gel that you spread around on the floor and let it sit for 15 - 30 minutes. Then, scrape it up and it would pull some of the adhesive up too. It was not perfect for me (vinyl tiles glued to hardwood) but it worked OK.
The stuff I used is made by Klean Strip and was available at the local Lowes, http://www.wmbarr.com/product.aspx?catid=72&prodid=115
Use an iron! It is cheaper and less damaging to your lungs. Let the iron sit on the tile for about 30 seconds and it will pop right off, then move on to the next one. I renovate homes and have done it numerous times. I have well over 14000 sqft under my belt.
They are easier to remove if you heat them with a good hair dryer or a heat gun.
Unfortunately, I don't know how to remove the remaining glue.
I've been there, and it's really tough.
I had a stiff paint scraper which I heated up with a soldering torch, and it helped a little, but not much.
Realistically, use a sledgehammer and lay a new subfloor. That stuff is nasty to get off.
If old vinyl tiles are 9" x 9", do NOT attempt to remove! It is highly likely that these contain asbestos. Consult a professional haz mat service.
The Laundry pre-spotter "Shout" is a good adhesive remover, also "Pure Citrus" an air freshener found in the automotive section of most retail stores. Use a dry rag to wipe the adhesive off.
Try WD-40. It becomes quite gooey when it comes off the tiles. Just work it with a rag and clean off. I found this advice on a forum and it works for me.
I would use a "Wonder Bar" to remove the tiles and be careful not to scratch them too much or scratch them at all. A Wonder Bar is a short pry bar, made by Stanley. I have used that to do many tasks and consider it one of the most versatile tools in my tool box.
Unless you are only removing a small floor space like 3' by 3' feet the amount of effort put into your project will outweigh the results. You perhaps will not even get the original tile to be completely free of the glue/adhesive. You may want to consider removing all tiles and starting from scratch, as outlandish as that recommendation sounds. You can try some heat to remove the vinyl but I think the Wonder Bar will rock the heat on its ass. Hopefully you are not renovating one of the White House bathrooms because your project will probably not come out with the highest quality results but if the floor can be pretty good then you have a shot.
Good luck with it!
I am also doing the same. I tried the iron first and it is time consuming. Then I had this idea of hot water. I just poured some boiling water and hurray the tiles came out so easily.... And for the glue I used a paint scraper .
adhesive remover and elbow grease will do it. be patient and you will eventually get it all off
Too many scare notes on asbestos. Asbestos is only dangerous with repeated exposure. If you remove tiles whole and properly ventilate to the exterior (use a wet vac that I put a hose to and run out the house) it will be fine. Just don't sand it and wear a respirator.
dry ice works too. it essentially freezes the tile and it pops right off.


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I post a lot of freebies every week, and I know sometimes it can be hard to wade through which are still available, so each week I put together a list of samples and other freebies you can still request if you haven't already. Some of the best freebies disappear too quickly to make this list, but there are still some great ones available. Enjoy!
:: Free Food & Beverage Samples
- Join the Sbarro Rewards eClub (FREE Slice of Pizza)
- Join the California Pizza Kitchen Dough Club (FREE Small Plate)
- Join the Black Angus Steakhouse Prime Club (FREE Dessert)
- Join the BKCrown Program (FREE Burger on your child's birthday)
- Enter the Firehouse Subs Flavorful Challenge (FREE Sub)
- Join Grocery Savvy by General Mills (gifts and special promotions!)
- Join Ben & Jerry's Chunk Mail (FREE Birthday and Half-Birthday Treats!)
- Join the Sonic Ice Cream Social (Ice Cream Coupons)
- Join Club Cinnabon (FREE Minibon Cinnamon Roll)
- Join Mimi's Cafe eClub (4 FREE Muffins)
- FREE Burger from Mooyah (Facebook Offer)
- Sprinkles Birthday Club (FREE cupcake on your birthday)
- Chicken of the Sea Mermaid Club (FREE Samples)
- Buffalo Wings and Rings Club 84 (FREE Starter & FREE Wings on Your Birthday)
- P.F. Changs Warrior Rewards Program (FREE Lettuce Wrap)
- IKEA Family Program (FREE Coffee and More!)
:: Free Baby & Kid Samples
- FREE United States Tennis Association Junior Membership (exp. 12/31/14)
- Join the Radio Flyer Birthday Club (FREE $10 Gift Card on Your Child's Birthday)
- Price Chopper Baby Club (FREE Birthday Cake + More!)
- Club Jarritos (FREE Paper Toy)
:: Free Home & Office Samples
- FREE Tape Meausure, Multipurpose Scissors, Mini-Flashligh with Coupons at Harbor Freight (exp. 4/30)
- Enter the Lipton Movie Ticket Giveaway (exp. 4/30)
- M&Ms Pocket Back FREE After Shopmium Rebate (Plus a FREE Lindt Chocolate Bar)
- Join Tastemaker Mom (Free Samples + More!)
- Movie Tavern FREE Membership (FREE Popcorn & More!)
- FREE Jingit App (Earn while you shop!)
- FREE Credit Report from Experian (select states)
- FREE one year trial of Weather Underground (Redeem code FMUYZ)
- FREE "I Served" sticker (to those who served in Iraq, Afghanistan, Vietnam, Desert Storm, Korea or WW II)
- International Calls to the US via Google (military email required)
:: Free Beauty Samples
- Matrix Biolage Shampoo & Conditioner FREE Sample (exp. 4/30)
- Join ULTArewards (FREE Mascara on your birthday)
- Nivea FREE Sample (Facebook)
- Rogue Perfume FREE Sample (Facebook)
- Katy Perry Fragrance FREE Sample (Facebook)
- Join the Aveda Birthday Program (FREE Samples + Special Offers)
:: Free Health Samples
- Sensodyne Toothpaste FREE Sample (Costco Members)
- Beast Sports Nutrition FREE Sample (Facebook)
- FREE Emergen-C Sample (Facebook)
- FREE Metamucil and Align Samples (Costco Members)
- FREE Lifesource Vitamins Green Coffee Bean Extract Sample (Facebook Offer)
- FREE Bone Health Guide (when you sign up for the Know My Bones program)
:: Free Feminine Care Samples
:: Free Pet Samples
:: Mall Freebies
:: Free Books
:: Free Cookbooks
- FREE 25 Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes eBooklet from Gooseberry Patch (Facebook Offer)
- FREE A1 Steakhouse Favorites Recipe Booklet (Call 1-888-217-8325 and press 2.)
:: Free Magazines
:: Free Music
- 10 FREE Country Music Downloads (exp. 5/31)
- FREE Comedy CD Download (with valid military ID)
:: Free Photo Products
**shipping ranges from $0.49 to $14.99 for these offers.
- Five 5×7 Prints $1.99 (exp. 6/4)
- 25 FREE 4×6 Prints from Walmart Photo (new accounts)
If you come across a sample or freebie that is no longer available, please let me know so it can be taken off the list. I do my best to check each one before posting it here, but sometimes a sample appears to still be available when it isn't and sometimes they run out soon after I post!


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Slotted in the middle of HTC's Android phone announcements tonight in Barcelona, the CEO of HTC, Peter Chou, revealed a new development that is the handset maker's answer to Apple's iCloud: a deal with Dropbox, currently the name to watch in cloud storage.
HTC says that those who buy an HTC One, the company's new flagship device, will get 25 gigabytes of storage free for two years — a big deal, considering that currently it costs $9.99 per month for 50 gigabytes of storage (two gigabytes is the only free service offered).
The storage, Chou said, would be enough to store 10,000 high quality photos, and much more besides: the news was unveiled at the same time that HTC announced a series of content and service enhancements for its new line of Android devices, including improved cameras; a new music service that included an extension of its Beats audio service from last year; enhanced video services; and enhanced integration to use the device in-car.
This is all part of HTC's big fightback strategy, after last year seeing a decline in its momentum in smartphone sales against Samsung and Apple.
It long ago realized that in order to compete against Apple it needs to have compelling devices but also compelling services — and that is what it is trying to aim for with Dropbox and the rest of the content announcements it made today.
We're interviewing HTC execs later and getting a hands on with the devices and will update more as we learn it.


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Hannity Calls The Shutdown He Campaigned For "The Obama-Reid Shutdown"
Written by Justin Berrier
After insisting that House Republicans hold the line on budget negotiations, Fox News' Sean Hannity used the resulting government shutdown to attack Democrats, labeling it the "Obama-Reid shutdown."
On the October 9 edition of his Fox show, Hannity labeled the government shutdown the "Obama-Reid shutdown," claiming the Obama administration is targeting veterans and children with cancer as a way to cause political pain:
Hannity was one of the loudest voices in the right-wing media urging the House Republicans not to give in, even if it meant shutting down the government. On the October 1 edition of his radio show, Hannity said, "My advice to the Republicans: Hold the line. Stand on your principles. Stand with the American people. Stand for the best health care system."
Later that day on his Fox News program, Hannity told Sen. Rand Paul that he Republicans should not "give in at all" and "sit it out" even if the shutdown lasted months:
HANNITY: I think the worst outcome, though, for the Republicans in the House at this point -- as they have been reasonable and the president totally unreasonable, Reid unreasonable -- is to cave. I don't think they should give in at all. And if that means that they're going to sit this out for a month or two months or however long the president wants to be arrogant and not talk to anybody, then just sit it out.
In March, Hannity urged Republicans to shut the government down as a way to repeal the Affordable Care Act:
HANNITY: Republicans right now, if they really want to -- not just symbolically -- if they want to repeal health care, Dr. [Ben] Carson, Obamacare, they've got to shut the government down and be labeled 'the full faith and credit of the United States is in jeopardy.' Which is not true. But if they really want to do that, that's what it will take. I want them to do it.
While he has been one of the shutdown's foremost supporters, Hannity is far from the only right-wing media figure to advocate for it. His Fox colleagues Laura Ingraham, Erick Erickson, Sarah Palin, and Todd Starnes have all promoted the shutdown as a way to defund or repeal the Affordable Care Act.


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No Doubt have hinted they will return to touring in 2009 while simultaneously completing their first studio album in seven years.
The group made the announcement via an instant message transcript posted on its official website, but did not provide specific details.
"I have cabin fever. Maybe we should play some shows or something," guitarist Tom Dumont wrote.
Vocalist Gwen Stefani answered, "I think we should go out now. I don't think we should wait. Pack up the babies and get a bunch of nannies. So fun! Would be so inspiring to get out there and play all those songs again."
Then again, at the time of writing the band can't decide what time they should even liaise in the studio, so let's not hold our breath.
The group have been recording throughout 2008 but have not played live since mid-2004. No Doubt's last studio album was 2001's Rock Steady.
Since then, Stefani has released two critically acclaimed solo albums. Dumont, bassist Tony Kanal and drummer Adrian Young have pursued solo and session work. Recently, they all played on ex-Velvet Revolver singer Scott Weiland's new album, Happy In Galoshes (due 25 November).
Weiland could maybe have used their skills on his 21 November TV performance here. Ouch.


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WASHINGTON – Upgrades are on the way in the Washington, D.C. region in an effort to keep drinking water clean and the Chesapeake Bay less toxic.
The Maryland Board of Public Works on Wednesday approved more than $65 million for improvements to the state's water and sewage systems.
The counties that will receive funding include Prince George's, Calvert, Frederick, St. Mary's, Wicomico, Allegany, Baltimore and Montgomery.
In Prince George's County, funding to Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission will help design and construction a water distribution system to replace a deteriorating one that supplies the Potomac Vista community.
In Montgomery County, a loan to Poolesville will be used to rehabilitate part of the wastewater collection systme in the Westerly area.
Baltimore County will get more than $10 million, with more than $8.4 million going toward improvements to sewers at Stony Run in Baltimore City.
A large chunk of the nearly $7.6 million allocated to Calvert County will go toward reducing the amount of nitrogen and phosphorus discharged into the Chesapeake Bay. The Chesapeake Beach Wastewater Treatment Plant will expand its capacity and with upgrades will reduce nitrogen discharge by 62.5 percent and phosphorus discharge by 85 percent.
"Projects such as these are an important part of our effort to improve Maryland waterways, including the Chesapeake Bay, and provide quality drinking water to our citizens," said Gov. Martin O'Malley, one of three Board of Public Works members, in a news release.
Localities in Virginia also are working to improve their water systems.
Repairs to water distribution lines along the James River and into Powhatan began in June, according to the Richmond Times Dispatch.
Officials in Goochland and Powhatah also tell the paper, the improvements will further upgrade water lines in some of the state's correctional facilities.
Sewers in Rock Creek Park in D.C. could soon see improvements of their own.
The National Park Service is currently looking for feedback on proposed improvements to park sewers in Glover Archibold Park and Soapstone Valley Park. The sewers are more than 100 years old and cracks have developed in pipe segments.
"If they aren't repaired, there is a strong risk that they will fail, which could result in millions of gallons of sewage being spilled into the parks," says Ward 3 Councilmember Mary Cheh.
Part of the NPS plan is to repair damaged pipes, improve the infrastructure of the sewers and eliminate exposed pipes and manholes.
Follow @WTOP on Twitter.


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This is called the AMEX meme. I'd link to it, but I can't remember where I found it. I do recall reading that American Express was unhappy because not very many people answered Amex to the last question.
My Name:
Last Purchase:
I know, this is kind of a sucky meme, but I haven't had a lot of time lately. Feel free to make it less lame by getting rowdy in my comment section and making up suggestive answers.
Update on Dr. September. I haven't even e-mailed him yet to ask if he would be this month's calendar doc. And it's already September 4th . I know, I know. I'll do it this week.
9/5/07 Update: Amanda has meme'd. She did a great job considering the meme she had to work with. I didn't even understand half of the questions. Amanda's been a good sport and I guess she's out of the doghouse for questioning my womanhood. Although, now I'm a little hesitant to add this next update. I received this e-mail after someone read the confessions in my comment section about how us girls will occasionally check out other women's breasts: Apple announced today that it has developed a breast implant that can store and play music. The iTit will cost $499 or $599 depending on cup size. This has been hailed as a major breakthrough because women are always complaining about men staring at their breasts and not listening to them.


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Alternative Therapies
Which alternative therapies have been studied for cancer prevention or treatment? Do any herbs or supplements react harmfully with conventional cancer treatment? Our alternative medicine content shows you the options, and gives you the information you need to make informed decisions.
Physicians and pharmacologists write and review the alternative health information provided here. It is objective and evidence-based, and fully referenced and footnoted.