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To the EDN:
Don Schiltz, it's time for you to resign from the Estherville Lincoln Central School Board. Investigations 101 requires that you investigate before taking sides and you don't ruin someone's reputation and air out the dirty linen in public. I have heard nothing but bad things about you ever since I have come back to Estherville. This is not your and I repeat your Board of Education. You are equal to each and every other member who has been elected to this board.
Now let's get back to the issue. You should have had someone investigate the complaint and not in a public forum. You never embarrass a manager in front of his or her peers without making sure your facts are correct and you can't do that without hearing from all sides. I have known Mr. Grems for several years and I have never heard him be disrespectful to anyone in my presence. And since it is apparent you are either bias in this matter, another board member such as Molly Anderson or Mr. Karels should conduct an impartial investigation.
Just remember, you are supposed to be representing the people who have children in the school district and that doesn't mean you take matters personally but do it with a level head so that this matter can be resolved and no one gets embarrassed especially if the investigation turns out to vindicate the individual you attacked.
John Hanson,


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RV historian and renowned RV collector David Woodworth was presented with the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association's (RVIA) prestigious "Spirit of America" award in recognition of his two decades of service to the industry as an enthusiastic ambassador and media spokesperson.
The presentation came during "Outlook 2010: Let the Sun Shine," the kickoff event to the 47th National RV Trade Show held Tuesday (Dec. 1) in Louisville, Ky.
Woodworth spoke to the audience of 1,000 RV industry members about the growth of the RV industry over the past 100 years, the evolution of RVs and RVIA's plans for the RV Centennial Celebration, to kick off in 2010, according to a news release.
Tracing the history of the RV industry since its inception in 1910, Woodworth said that, after a slow build in popularity from 1910 on, "The RV industry exploded. In fact, in the mid-20s, The New York Times estimated that there were 15 million auto campers on the road." He added, "It wouldn't have been unusual for a family traveling in an autocamper in the 1920s to visit a park with 800 campsites, a movie theater, a nine-hole golf course and a salon."
Woodworth went on to say that the Great Depression damaged the RV industry following its "Roaring '20s" heyday, but that the freedom of the open road appeals to Americans just as much now as it did then.
RVIA Public Relations Committee Chairman B.J. Thompson said in presenting the award, "David has been of great service to our industry as a media spokesman over the past two decades. He's been an enthusiastic ambassador on 18 RVIA media tours throughout America, and he's always put a friendly and memorable face on RV history."
Following the breakfast, Woodworth spoke to show attendees at the RV Centennial booth, where some of his antique RV memorabilia is displayed.
In April, Woodworth will lead a two-week RV Centennial Media Tour from New York, N.Y., to Elkhart, Ind. The Tour is slated to feature antique and modern RVs to showcase the advancements the industry has made.
RVIA is also planning to offer media interviews with David Woodworth on location with antique and modern RVs via satellite to generate more coverage of the 100th anniversary in media markets across the country.
RVIA's Spirit of America Award was established in 2002 to recognize prominent Americans for their extraordinary dedication to the values of freedom espoused by the RV industry. Woodworth joins previous honorees including Olympic Gold Medalists Kerri Strug and Rulon Gardner, the actor and RV fan Matthew McConaughey and NBC Today Correspondent Mike Leonard, who chronicled his family's RV journeys.


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Possible Duplicate:
Risks/Disadvantages associated with Wine
According to many articles like this one, it says that windows is more vulnerable to virus.
I recently installed wine on my Ubuntu to run some windows programs by
sudo apt-get install wine
It when I looked into the directory structure I got to know that the windows program regedit.exe has been installed along with other simple windows programs.
As per my knowledge some of the windows viruses give network access to registry making windows vulnerable for attacks.
I am worried that installing wine would make the system vulnerable. Is it so? Are there any solutions to this problem?


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Quantum Information and Graph Theory: Emerging Connections
Constructing good quantum LDPC codes remains an important problem in quantum coding theory. We contribute to the ongoing discussion on this topic by proposing two approaches to constructing quantum LDPC codes. In the first, we rely on an algebraic method that uses a redundant description of the parity check matrix to overcome the problem of 4-cycles in the Tanner graph that degrade the performance of iterative decoding. In the second we use the fact that subsystem coding can simplify the decoding process.
We investigate which families of quantum states can be used as resources for approximate and/or stochastic universal measurement-based quantum computation, in the sense that single-qubit operations and classical communication are sufficient to prepare (with some fixed precision and/or probability) any quantum state from the initial resource. We find entanglement-based criteria for non-universality in the approximate and/or stochastic case. By applying them, we are able to discard some families of states as not universal also in this weaker sense.
Quantum computers provide new resources to solve combinatorial optimization problems (COPs). Using techniques borrowed from quantum information theory, I will present a quantum algorithm that simulates classical annealing processes, where the (quantum) annealing rate greatly outperforms other classical methods like Markov chain Monte-Carlo based algorithms. Our quantum algorithm provides quadratic speedups to find both, the solution to particular instances of COPs, and the preparation of (quantum) Gibbs\' states.
I will present a new protocol that was developed entirely in the measurement-based model for quantum computation. Our protocol allows Alice to have Bob carry out a quantum computation for her such that Alice\'s inputs, outputs and computation remain perfectly private, and where Alice does not require any quantum computational power or memory. Alice only needs to be able to prepare single qubits from a finite set and send them to Bob, who has the balance of the required quantum computational resources.
We consider the question of forward and backward translation between measurement-based quantum computing, called patterns, and quantum circuit computation. It is known that the class of patterns with a particular properties, having flow, is in one-to-one correspondence with quantum circuits. However we show that a more general class of patterns, those having generalised flow, will sometime translate to imaginary circuits, quantum circuits with time-like curves.
I will talk about a scheme of the ground-code measurement-based quantum computer, which enjoys two major advantages. (i) Every logical qubit is encoded in the gapped degenerate ground subspace of a spin-1 chain with nearest-neighbor two-body interactions, so that it equips built-in robustness against noise.
One-way quantum computing allows any quantum algorithm to be implemented by the sole use of single-qubit measurements. The difficult part is to create a universal resource state on which the measurements are made. We propose to use continuous-variable (CV) entanglement in the optical frequency comb of a single optical parametric oscillator with a multimode pump to produce a very large CV graph state with a special 4-regular graph. This scheme is interesting because of its potential for scalability, although issues of error correction and fault tolerance are yet to be fully addressed.
We construct a family of time-independent nearest-neighbor Hamiltonians coupling eight-state systems on a 1D ring that enables universal quantum computation. Hamiltonians in this family can achieve universality either by driving a continuous-time quantum walk or by terminating an adiabatic algorithm. In either case, the universality property can be understood as arising from an efficient simulation of a programmable quantum circuit. Using gadget perturbation theory, one can demonstrate the same kind of universality for related Hamiltonian families acting on qubits in 2D.
In this talk, two specific directions of research in quantum information are presented which could potentially gain from graph theory. The first is the study of quantum communication using systems of perpetually interacting qubits (or spins) as a databus. After introducing the topic through the simplest examples of linear chains of spins as transmitters of quantum information, we briefly mention existing work on quantum communication through more general graphs of spins.


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Induce – Dancing, Thinking, Loving, Listening
Thursday, July 4 2019
It all started with these words from Induce, "Bout to get on and play some weird stuff @dublab till about 4. Tune in!" Then the lightning split the sky and all the sounds from the dublab studio on this oblate spheroid called Planet Earth were pulled into the cosmos in a single beam of high lumen energy. From this newly elevated point they hit the universal prism of memory reflection and were split throughout the wide universe. We're happy you got your radio attuned to Induce's transmission. Whether you're hearing this 2 billion years from now or simply right now we know you'll enjoy the "weird stuff" being offered.
See more events at this location »


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Plan Specifications:
Customizations are available to this plan. If you would like to inquire about modifications to this plan and pricing, please feel free to contact us at [email protected], use the live chat feature located below, or call 1-843-986-0559. We would love to help.
Plan Notes:The purchasing of this plan includes up to 20 hours of customization to the plan. Please allow up to 4 weeks for delivery.
First Floor Plan (768 sq ft)
We have many styles and collections to search from.


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(AP) — United Airlines pilots have agreed to a new joint union contract, bringing the airline closer to finalizing its merger with Continental.
The new four-year contract, which includes raises averaging 43 percent and bigger retirement contributions, covers those who came from United as well as pilots who flew for Continental before the carriers merged in 2010 into United Continental Holdings Inc. Pilots now only fly under the United name.
As part of the deal, the airline's roughly 10,000 pilots also will divide a $400 million lump sum. In exchange, the contract gives United Continental the ability to launch a major expansion of the use of larger regional jets with 70 or more seats. Those jets, most ranging in size from 50 to 76 seats, are operated by regional airlines.
United and other carriers have been especially eager to expand usage of the larger 76-seat planes because they can be flown profitably even at higher fuel prices. But pilots at the big airlines generally oppose them because they don't want the airline to shift too much flying to the smaller, cheaper planes.
The raises and some other changes take effect immediately. However, United and former Continental pilots are still flying separately, a practice that will continue until they finish sorting out the seniority list.
Seniority is important to pilots because it governs who gets the most desirable schedules and who gets to fly which planes, which is a big factor in their pay. Seniority integration is expected to take several months and often includes binding arbitration.
The Air Line Pilots Association said Saturday that 67 percent of the United and Continental pilots who voted elected to approve the contract. All told, nearly 98 percent of the 10,193 eligible pilots participated in the ratification vote.
For pilots who came from United, the new contract replaces a deal made in 2005, when that airline was operating under bankruptcy protection. Union representatives for United and Continental pilots said the contract hails the end of bankruptcy and concessionary contracts.
"For too long, the pilots of United and Continental have had to shoulder more than their share of the burden as our respective airlines struggled through the difficult economic times of the past decade," the union representatives said in a statement. "We now stand ready to embark on a fresh start for the pilots and the airline."
United Continental, based in Chicago, called the contract ratification an important step for its pilots, as well as the company, which now will get to use more regional jets. Right now, United is using just 153 jets with 70 seats. The new contract allows it to add 68 more in that size range starting in 2014, and more in future years if it also adds planes with more than 100 seats. The new contract represents an even bigger departure from Continental's old limits on regional jets.
United is the world's biggest airline by traffic. Its main competitor is No. 2 Delta Air Lines Inc., where pilots over the summer approved a contract that also allows it to add more 76-seat regional jets. Pay under the new United contract is also similar to Delta's, which is widely considered a model in the industry.
At American, a new deal approved by pilots on Dec. 7 will allow the addition of 76-seat regional jets and an expansion of the number of larger regional planes. Currently American has 47 regional jets seating a maximum of 65 passengers, while the rest of its regional jets all have 50 or fewer seats.


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YOU ARE WATCHING: My Only One
Have a nice day! All The Best
My Only One
"My Beautiful Side" is a drama about a woman who loses everything one day, when she discovers that her parents are not her biological ones, and that they are also murderers. It is the story of someone who will live boldly while putting back together the pieces of her life broken by love.
Genres: Drama, Romance
Country: South Korea
Movie: My Only One
Production Co:
Release: 2018


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Post-Racial Society? Never
We need to start using our limited intellect in contemplation of the big picture----in the meantime, we could make life here on Earth a lot more pleasant by simply recognizing that just as President Barack Obama is demonstrating that the Black experience has contributed to unique qualities in Black people that can benefit the world, the very same thing is true of Hispanics, Asians, Jews, Native Americans, and every other cultural group.
[Beneath The Spin]
I recently read a letter to an editor suggesting that race should stop being used as a descriptive element in news stories.
While I fully understand the writer's sentiment, isn't the fact that President Barack Obama the first Black leader of the free world news? And beyond that, I don't think our goal in this country should be to do away with difference, but rather, to embrace and promote it.
The primary characteristic that makes the United States different from virtually every other country in the world is that we are a quilt as oppose to a blanket, and that very patchwork of varying cultures is what makes us more, rather than less. That isn't to say that we're the only country that's made up of different cultures, but rather, we are the only country that is defined by difference. Thus, one of the greatest gifts that America can contribute to the world is the understanding that "difference" is a good thing rather than the reverse.
It is a given that all cultural groups have identical intellectual potential, but to confuse that with thinking that different cultures don't have differing culturally developed skills to bring to the table is a fallacy. To say that Blacks tend to have "soul" is a fact. But that isn't the same thing as saying that soul is innate to Black people and not others. The reason that Black people tend to have soul, and a highly developed sense of creativity, is because that's an area that has been culturally rewarded in the Black community due to the limitations that's been placed on Black people in other endeavors.
But as President Obama is clearly demonstrating, creativity is an associative quality, and it's not limited only to a 12 bar blues. The very same creative genius that goes into the making of a Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, or John Coltrane, can easily be transferred to finding a cure for cancer, or indeed, leading the free world; and the very same unique cultural assets are true of every culture.
But this nation, and this world, is being divided by a minority of people who, due to their own personal insecurities, feel the need to validate themselves–not based on their level of individual development, but by virtue of the fact that they are part of a group that has distinguished itself.
In short, these people take the position that, I may seem to be eminently mediocre, but proof of my personal value is that I'm wearing the same color shirt as Thomas Jefferson, or Malcolm X, or Moses.
The stupidity of such an argument should be as transparent as the claim that a golden cocker is superior to a black cocker spaniel, but the human need to validate one's self has had an overwhelmingly negative impact on our common sense.
But it's only when we consider the true insignificance of the differences in man that the true silliness of this mindset comes into focus. Consider the fact that, in just the vastness of our solar system alone, the entire planet Earth constitutes nothing more than a dust particle from a grain of sand, and with respect to our galaxy, our solar system is but another particle of dust.
Then when you go on to consider the fact that in just our galaxy alone there are a million billion times the number of such solar systems than there are grains of sand on every beach on the planet Earth, it is only then that the relative insignificance of the differences in man really begin to take focus.
But it goes even farther than that.
If you lined up all of the "grains of sand" in our galaxy side by side so that they're almost touching, it would take us four years and four months, traveling at 136,000 miles per second, just to get to the next closest grain of sand–and even with those vast distances within our own galaxy, our galaxy is but yet another particle of dust from a grain of sand in our universe—which scientists suspect is only one of many, many other universes.
Thus man's need to hate and kill one another based on who's superior and who God likes most, suggests much more about his unmitigated arrogance and limited intellect than his superiority. If it weren't for man's arrogance, he would clearly recognize that it is mathematically impossible that we're the only beings in this universe. The universe, in fact, our galaxy, has to be literally, teaming over with intelligent life.
The only things that keep us separate from other beings who are really actually different, is that the vast distances in time and space serve as a barrier. But our oceans here on Earth also once served as a barrier, but eventually those barriers were conquered; just as the barriers of time and space will eventually be conquered.
So man needs to wake up, grow up, and stop wasting his time arguing over whose navel is the prettiest. We need to start using our limited intellect in contemplation of the big picture, because eventually someone's going to show up at our front door and show us what being different really means–and we can only hope that they're not the cosmic equivalent of Terminix.
But in the meantime, we could make life here on Earth a lot more pleasant by simply recognizing that just as President Barack Obama is demonstrating that the Black experience has contributed to unique qualities in Black people that can benefit the world, the very same thing is true of Hispanics, Asians, Jews, Native Americans, and every other cultural group.
So why would we want to downplay the beauty and unique qualities of cultural differences?
God painted the beauty of difference into his creation, so the contrast of difference is clearly his will. He painted males different from females, the planet Mars much differently than the planet Earth, and he painted the bright and expansive sky with a much different hue from the mysterious fathoms of the sea.
So man's attempt to second-guess God, and interpret his masterpiece in a way that meets man's liking over God's, not only represents the height of human arrogance, but the very depths of human ignorance, and stupidity.
To read more beautiful writing by Black Star News columnist Wattree please visit wattree.blogspot.com
Latest comments
- Ann GarrisonFebruary 22,2018 @ 08:03 PM
I think you have "Filtered HTML" turned on here. If you switch to "Full HTML," it will probably...
googletag.pubads().definePassback('6785150/BENN/BlackStarNews', [[300,250]]).setTargeting('fold',['BTF']).display();


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DailyDirt: Robots Making Their Move...
from the urls-we-dig-up deptRobot locomotion doesn't seem very natural so far -- and there's almost an "uncanny valley" for how some robots move that make them look undead. But it won't be long before robots are moving more fluidly. Here are just a few projects that are developing machines that can move like animals and people.
- Low-pressure air pumps can power "soft robots" that mimic the locomotion of invertebrates like starfish and squid. Watch them wiggle. See them jiggle. [url]
- The RoboBee is communicating with bees in their own "waggle dance" language. This robot bee isn't quite fluent yet, but it can almost give directions to real bees -- and it doesn't get attacked as an intruder to the hive. [url]
- The University of Michigan's MABEL biped robot can run a little over 6 mph -- beating Toyota's walking robot and ASIMO by a pretty good margin. MABEL will probably catch up to human marathon runners soon, but it isn't a wireless robot yet... [url]
- To discover more interesting robotics-related content, check out what's currently floating around the StumbleUpon universe. [url]
Filed Under: biomimicry, biped, locomotion, mabel, robobee, robots, soft robots


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The following quotes are the direct screenplay transcript of Scene 14, "Let's Vanish", from the film The Avengers.
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Make the right decisions when purchasing appliances
Whether you're making a new dress from scratch or hemming that favorite pair of jeans, a collection of versatile sewing equipment makes it easier to complete any type of sewing project.
From sewing machines and cabinets to ironing boards and styling mannequins, Sears carries a wide selection of sewing accessories to help you express your creativity. Start with a classic mechanical sewing machine or upgrade to a computerized or embroidery model. The add-on software packages make it easy to add lettering and embellishments to clothes, backpacks and drapes. If you can imagine it, you can do it with the right sewing equipment.
Sewing accessories come in a number of styles to assist with a range of sewing tasks. Start with a carrying case or tote to keep your thread, sewing needles and supplies organized and easily accessible. With a specialty memory card, you can even save your favorite embroidery designs and patterns for future use. Stock up on easy-to-install replacement parts to ensure that your favorite sewing equipment always maintains the highest level of precision and efficiency.
With garment care accessories like irons, ironing boards and garment steamers you can keep your clothes looking fresh and wrinkle-free when they come out of the washer and dryer. Create one-of-a-kind clothes and home decor with sewing equipment from Sears.


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Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Ooh, shiny
The lace is purple, as well as shiny. Need I say more?
Me and the Lace will be watching Boston Legal until it's cast off...
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Wordle is a wonderful thing...
Although, as a colleague has just said, "they didn't need to put help right in the middle".
This sort of word-count-analysis on its own used to earn people PhDs, and now it makes pretty pictures...
Sunday, April 19, 2009
3:15 project update 7
We probably need some detail on this; so here's a view from the front door. Spring, sprung; grass, riz; etc... All of a sudden.
Photo 2, no change; so no new photo... Here's photo 3.
Main changes - well, the standard euonymus has had quite a dramatic tonsure. Mainly from the left-hand-side; the whatever-it-is which grows in from the communal gardens cut off the light to that side quite dramatically. I think I need to talk to my friendly neighbours on that side and find out who's in charge of that particular shrub...
I also cleared up a lot of climbers from the right-hand-side; and realised that the fence really is leaning quite a lot into my garden (about a foot, which given that it's only about 10' wide in the first place...); probably due to the weight of climbers which have grown through NextDoorChap's fence through to mine. I need to talk to him, too; that should be easier... We generally say hi several times a week but we're usually both dashing in different directions... I don't think he's actually getting any benefit from these climbers; so we can probably come to an understanding where he hacks them down near the ground and clears what he can, and I do the same, and we sort them out better in future.... surely?
Photo 4: not a lot of change, except for the allum-looking thing next to the pots... It's a pretty shing thing from B&Q; the very wonderful (but sadly blogless) Sue gave me a lift over there to buy a new stepladder after my last one was nicked; and we saw these stained-glassed-y solar lights. Have yet to find out if they actually work; but it's been sunny today, and aren't they pretty...
And this is an extra for Rosie - this is what the saxifrage looks like in bloom, and lovely to see you on Tuesday night (and thanks in advance for the birthday presents!)
Sunday, April 12, 2009
3:15 project update 6
Anyway; so here we are again (and as ever, click to embiggen photos). Shots 1 and 2 haven't really changed since last time - although there are leaves starting to appear on the limes, they're so tiny that you can't see them in the general gloom. The weather's been grey, but not cold, all weekend, and although it's rained a bit, it hasn't been as bad as the forecast; so I've been out there for a couple of hours so far this weekend, and if it cheers up will do some more tomorrow.
The main difference in the Abomination of Desolation shot (which is starting to look slightly less like its name) is that I've hacked down a vast amount of dead creeper from the right-hand bed - a mix of clematis, a very dead jasmine and some honeysuckle.
Meanwhile, and appropriately for this time of year, there are other signs of life - the alpine strawberries are flowering,
and the wisteria is reminding me why so many Art Nouveau artists and architects used it as a motif.
Happy Easter, everyone.
Friday, April 10, 2009
At least it's not a sleeve
This is despite having to be quite obsessive about keeping my place in the increases while reading 3 cable charts...
And this is purple sleeve #2, from Primrose Path. This is great train and bus knitting - there's a bit of pattern at the bottom of the sleeve and then just 3x2 ribbing for the rest...
So anyway; it was all sleeves, all purple, all the time; so I thought I'd like another project on the go, and I haven't knitted much lace since Christmas - one shoulder-shawl, to be precise. And I love the Aeolian shawl from this time's Knitty (despite it containing my personal nemesis, the nupp). So I dug out the yarn I thought I'd use, and some beads I'd toddled up to Covent Garden to get; and took them out in the garden to photograph; and only at that point did I realise what colour I was intending to use.
(The yarn, by the way, is 2-ply laceweight dyed by Wibbo in a colour she called High Priestess, and was a Christmas present...)
So I stared thoughtfully at my shoes, wondering whether knitting three purple objects simultaneously was insane...
I guess that's my answer then. I'll be casting on later. So I'll be knitting a purple Primrose Path, a Purple St B in a colour called Pagan, and a purple Priestess shawl... the alliteration just kills me.
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
An unexpected walk
The walk from Green Park starts at The Ritz. (Or THE RIT7, if you believe this photo). Click to embiggen photos but be warned, they're from the little camera.
And as an aside, I don't know when businessmen and civil servants started carrying backpacks rather than briefcases. I'd love to think it was all due to The West Wing's Josh Lyman, but I think he was probably reflecting a trend rather than creating one...
The Queen's Walk in Green Park is very pretty at this time of year even as the daffodils start to fade; complete with one lonely deckchair.
At the bottom of the walk, there's this unassuming little residence here... Personally, I think Buck House is hideous - which makes me determined to go to the Summer Opening this year and either confirm or deny this impression.
Crossing the road over the Mall we get to St James's Park, and some more varied trees and water. It wasn't a great day, but still very pretty.
There were birds. I'd hazard a guess that this is some sort of coot, but more exotic than the ones we get on the Cam. I am not, however, Ornithologist-Girl, so I'll leave it at that...
There was blossom. I think this was some sort of willow but the sign on the tree was too far away...
Thanks for accompanying me on my morning walk...
Monday, April 06, 2009
An FO, and a WIP
But my Dad had a birthday on Saturday, and he's appreciative of handknit socks;
These are the Primavera pattern by Natalja - the pattern is in the sidebar of her blog. I saw them on Franklin's blog and thought they looked interesting without being lacy. The yarn is Panda Wool from Crystal Palace, bought from Woolly Workshop at Textiles in Focus. The colour's called Menswear, appropriately enough. I got the socks out of 2 balls with very little to spare, but Dad has size 8.5 feet - if you're making them for someone larger, you'd probably need a third ball...
And here's the current WIP - photographed at The Sanctuary in Hove. Since then I've finished the body and started a sleeve. The yarn is Debbie Bliss Prima, an 80% bamboo, 20% merino mix. Unlike the Panda Wool, which had a tendency to be a little bit splitty, this is very smooth stuff but not quite as hard on the hands as cotton. The pattern is Primrose Path from the latest Twist Collective edition...
I have a day off today; I was intending to go somewhere, maybe to Norwich or Kings Lynn, to do a spot of shopping and walk around in the sun; but after the prettiness of the last few days, it's cold and miserable here this morning, although it's showing signs of brightening up. I think it might be a day for knitting and watching DVDs, and maybe some lugging of boxes up to the loft.
2009 books, #15-17
Cold in hand, by John Harvey. London: Arrow, 2009.
After years of saying he'd never write another Resnick novel, John Harvey has given us one; and although it's well-written, well-plotted and incredibly moving, I almost wish he'd left Resnick in his happy hinterland...
Something quite unbelievable happens in the middle of this book; it's a moment where you sit back and think He can't do that, can he? and then you think yes, it's his book; yes, he can... Doesn't mean you have to like it, though.
Dave Barry's complete guide to guys by Dave Barry. New York: Random House, 1995.
A complete contrast. Predictable, silly, and quite funny. I didn't find it "a laugh-out-loud book" as advertised; but there are some nice moments. I don't think anyone but Dave Barry could have got away with making guys quite so stereotypical, but it's a line he's been holding for many years, and he's pretty good at it.
Adventures on the high teas : in search of Middle England by Stuart Maconie. London: Ebury Press, 2009.
This one, in contrast, is "laugh-out-loud" material; one which got me a double seat to myself on the train three mornings last week - I don't think anyone fancied sitting next to the mad chai-drinking chortling lady if there was any sort of alternative. I loved both his previous books, Cider with roadies and Pies and prejudice : in search of the North; this is possibly even better. Maconie's described as "the English Bill Bryson" on the cover (by Tony Wilson, of all people) but this is a bit unfair - he's much better. He's genuinely affectionate about the people he's describing without any of the disdain you occasionally get with Bryson; and he weaves in high culture and popular culture and makes sense of it in context. There's a passionate defence of folk music and Vaughan Williams; a sideways look at Donald McGill's seaside postcards; an examination of the fondness of Britons for cosy murders in places like Midsomer and Oxford; a bit of an elegy on country railway stations; and a search for Trumpton, Chigley and Camberwell Green. He visits Midsomer and Adlestrop, Bath and Beaconsfield, Tunbridge Wells and Burton-on-Trent, and makes them all fascinating... He doesn't quite manage it with Grantham... And while he's doing all this, he's also very, very funny.
Sunday, April 05, 2009
Lovely Sunday
We had lunch; we nattered; we looked at the garden. Gill is a wise woman and brought both inhabitants of the house their drug of choice. [Chablis, in my case]. There are many, many reasons why the Bug loves Gill; but a new, refillable, washable, catnip mouse may well come quite high on her list.
Come back soon, Gill, or I'll come over and we can do the Midsomer Morse Murder tour! And thanks again... Even though I won't be at Wonderwool Wales, some of my hand-dyed yarn will be, on the Woolly Workshop stand!
Gill also exhibited her bee-shepherding skills. Which reminds me of the extremely funny YouTube clip that spinningfishwife had on her blog:
Obama in Downing Street
This is from earlier in the week (demonstrating that shooting-into-the-sun foolishness started earlier than this afternoon)... Wednesday morning, to be precise. Due to the absence of a lot of City folk from their offices on April 1, I got into work quite early for my 10 o'clock start, so I wandered along to the end of Downing Street with my baby camera to see if I could get a glimpse of the fuss.
Not a lot, really; although those were part of the Obama motorcade... As it turned out a) they were using the other end of Downing Street for entrances and exits and b) Obama attended the Cabinet meeting so wouldn't have come out for another hour. But it was interesting standing there watching the security people go about their business. All the people in black in the background, standing on a sort of terrace-thing, were press photographers. There's a very good picture of the view in the opposite direction from the Evening Standard.
It all struck me as pretty well done and relatively low-key.
3:15 project update 5
but evidently I failed to remember that shooting straight into the sun isn't wise (sorry, Dad; you did tell me this when I got that first Instamatic)... These photos were taken at 4:45 rather than 3:15 because I had a lunch guest today (of which more in another post)...
But lo. A somewhat undecorative and neglected herb bed, but one in which all the herbs are actually things I deliberately planted. Miracles never cease...
This picture is because fennel is just pretty; and furry. And, unlike cats which are also pretty and furry, nice in salads.
These are Mystery Bulbs. I've planted bulbs in the top bed several times and they've failed to come up; these certainly weren't planted last year, or the year before; I'm going to be interested to see what they are!
All photos can be clicked to embiggen.


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5 Tips for How to Make Jello Naturally
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Check out the slideshow above to learn the step-by-step process of making jello along with additional dessert recipes.
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Several ruminations, mostly numerical, about three subjects:
1. When Bode Miller finished second Friday in the downhill at Chamonix, France, it was the 21st top-three finish for a U.S. alpine skier this season. With any luck, that means Team USA will have its highest number of podium finishes since the 2007-08 season.
That sounds pretty good. But a closer look at the record suggests the U.S. may be living on borrowed time.
*Of the 21 top-threes, 20 have come from the four exceptional veterans who have made the United States an alpine power since the 2006 Winter Olympics. Miller has four, Ted Ligety three, Lindsey Vonn ten and Julia Mancuso, three. The only interloper among the Big Four is Mikaela Shiffrin, the 16-year-old who finished third in a Dec. 29 slalom.
*Other than Miller, 33, and Ligety, 27, only one other U.S. man has finished in the top nine in 24 races this season.
*Other than Vonn, 27, Mancuso, 27, and Shiffrin, only one other U.S. woman, Stacey Cook, has made the top six in 21 races this season, and she also is already 27 years old.
*The numbers are more telling over a longer period: of 162 podium finishes in the last six seasons (including the current one), the Big Four have produced all but nine -all but two of the 49 in this season and last.
*In the past six seasons, Shiffrin is the only woman other than Vonn and Mancuso to make the podium.
*In the past six seasons, the Big Four have 72 of the 73 U.S. World Cup victories. The outlier: Marco Sullivan, who won a downhill in January, 2008.
Meanwhile, the other traditional ski powers -- Austria, Switzerland, Italy and France - are getting podium finishes this seasom from a younger and/or newer generation, including Federica Brignone (21) of Italy, Anna Fenninger (22) of Austria and Beat Feuz (24) of Switzerland.
What to make of all those numbers? Barring an injury to one of the Big Four, the U.S. alpine team should be in good shape through the 2014 Olympics. Barring stunning improvement from the less decorated skiers on the team or continued success from an aging Big Four, the future beyond 2014 doesn't look promising.
2. What can you say about Hannah Kearney except "Wow?"
Over and over and over again.
Thursday night at Deer Valley, Utah, the 25-year-old from Norwich, Vt., won her 13th straight World Cup moguls competition. Her World Cup unbeaten streak now stretches more than 12 months.
The streak is even more impressive, considering 75 percent of a skier's result in moguls comes from essentially subjective judging.
Kearney's competitive resume also includes the 2010 Olympic gold medal, the 2005 world title and three other world championship medals, including two at last year's running of the biennial world meet.
3. It's time for figure skater Jeremy Abbott, now 26, to prove he can be a medal contender in a global championship - even if Abbott insists (for public consumption, at least) that erasing his past failures is not his priority at the March world championships.
"When I get off the ice, regardless of the placement, I just want to be happy with what I do at the end of the day," Abbott said Sunday, after winning his third U.S. title in the past four years.
As a reigning U.S. champion, he has competed in one Olympics, finishing 9th, and two world championships, finishing 11th (2009) and 5th (2010). Moreover, the fifth is deceiving; it followed the 2010 Olympics, when four of the nine men who beat Abbott in Vancouver did not compete at those worlds.
(Abbott also was 11th at his first worlds, 2008, when he made the team after Evan Lysacek withdrew with an injury.)
How bad were Abbott's finishes? Much worse than just going 0-for-3 in podiums, even if it has became a lot easier for a champion to implode in the next competition under the new judging system.
Before Abbott, no reigning U.S. champion had finished lower than seventh at that year's Olympics since 1936. Prior to Abbott in 2009, no reigning U.S. champion ever had finished as low as 11th at worlds. (A new nadir was established last season, when Ryan Bradley took 13th.)
The sad thing is Abbott's performance at the 2010 U.S. Championships was good enough to win the Olympic gold and the world title that season.
The good thing his performances at nationals also looked worthy of a world medal this year.


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The fin whale, the second largest living mammal, has been severely impacted worldwide by commercial whaling. Nearly 750,000 animals were killed in areas of the Southern Hemisphere alone between 1904 and 1979, and they are rarely seen there today. Their current status is unknown in most areas outside of the North Atlantic.
Fin whale, common rorqual, fin-backed whale, finback, finner, herring whale, razorback; Baleine fin, baleine à nageoires, baleinoptère commune, rorqual commun (Fr); Ballena aleta, ballena boba, rorcual comùn (Sp)
IUCN: Endangered
19 - 20 m
Dark grey to brownish black, with pale or white undersides
Scientific Name
Balaenoptera physalus
Approximately 30,000 individuals
About 70,000 kg
Physical DescriptionThe fin whale is the second-largest living animal, after the blue whale. This animal is very streamlined in appearance with a distinct ridge along the back behind the dorsal fin, which gives it the nickname "razorback". The dorsal fin, which is about 60 cm high, is set two thirds of the way along the back. The jaw is large and when the mouth is closed the lower jaw protrudes slightly beyond the tip of the snout.
Fin whales are slimmer and not as heavy as blue whales. On average, 85 ventral grooves run along the underside of their body and there are 350-400 baleen plates in their mouths.
Fin whales are found in all the oceans of the world, but their migration patterns are not well understood. In the Southern Hemisphere, fin whales migrate south to feed on krill and other plankton in the summer, and north to likely give birth in warm waters closer to the Equator in the winter. However, it is not clear whether all of the population engages in this migration every year.
In the Northern Hemisphere there are similar north-south migrations, and many whales appear to return to the same feeding grounds every year, but the pattern is not so clear, perhaps because of the influence of the Gulf Stream in the North Atlantic. Populations of northern and southern hemispheres never meet.
Adult fin whales are about 19 m long for males and 20 m for females, with a maximum of 25 m in males and 27 m in females. It is estimated that a 25-metre whale would weigh about 70,000 kg.
Fin whales are dark grey to brownish black, with pale or white undersides. The undersides of the flippers and flukes are also white. Some fin whales have a pale grey chevron on each side behind the head and there may be a dark stripe running up and back from the eye, and a light stripe arching down to where the flipper joins the body.
This species has a rare characteristic among mammals, known as asymmetrical pigmentation: the lower right jaw is bright white, the lower left jaw black. The reason for this unusual coloring is unknown, but some scientists have speculated that fin whales circle schools of fish with the white side facing the prey and frightening them into denser schools that are easier for the whale to catch.
Ecology & Habitat
Social Structure
Although the species is mostly observed as single animals, fin whales are also sometimes seen in pairs, or in groups (or pods) that commonly count 6 to 7 individuals. However, up to 50, and occasionally as many as 300, travel together on migrations. Social structure seems to vary by area, and may be related to differences in age or feeding strategies.
Life Cycle
Young fin whales nurse for 6-7 months. Having reached approximately 12 m in size, they follow the female to the high latitude feeding areas. Sexual maturity is reached between 6 to 11 years. The life span of a fin whale is around 85 to 90 years.
It has been assumed that mating occurs when the whales are in warm waters, but no breeding grounds have been observed. Females give birth every 2-3 years and the gestation period is 11 to 11.5 months. Usually a single offspring is born, reaching 650 cm long and weighing almost 2 tons.
During autumn and winter, there is almost no feeding, at which time whales are found in lower latitudes. The diet varies between areas and seasons. Herring, capelin and other shoaling fish are eaten in both the North Atlantic and North Pacific, along with squid, and euphausiids (krill - shrimp-like crustaceans) and copepods which are small crustaceans.
The fin whale, like other baleen whales, strains its food from the water through baleen plates.
Population & Distribution
Prior to the invention of the steam engine, whalers were unable to match the amazing speed of the fin whale, and they were largely saved from commercial whaling. That all changed in the early 20th Century, and the global fin whale population was quickly reduced by commercial whaling. Almost 750,000 fin whales were reportedly killed in the Southern Hemisphere between 1904 and 1979 - almost half of these in a single decade in the 1950s.
Current population and distribution
The fin whale has a global distribution, occurring in the north Pacific, north Atlantic, Indian and Arctic Oceans, as well as in the Mediterranean. In the North Pacific, fin whales are found in the Bering and Chukchi Seas, and along the coast of Alaska while in the North Atlantic, they can be seen around Canada, Greenland, Iceland, northern Norway, Spitsbergen and the Barents Sea. They are relatively rare in tropical or iced polar seas. In areas of the southern hemisphere where the species was once hunted intensively, they are rarely encountered today.
The total population in the North Atlantic probably exceeds 46,000.
Angola, Argentina, Australia, Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, Ecuador, Faroe Islands, French Polynesia, French Southern Territories, Greenland, Hong Kong, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Korea, Madagascar, Mexico, Myanmar, Namibia, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Russian Federation, South Africa, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Svalbard and Jan Mayen, Taiwan (China), United Republic of Tanzania, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom
Ecological Region
Antarctic Peninsula and Weddell Sea, Bering-Beaufort-Chukchi Seas, Barents-Kara Seas, Mediterranean Sea, Northeast Atlantic Shelf Marine, Grand Banks, Chesapeake Bay, Yellow Sea, Okhotsk Sea, Patagonian Southwest Atlantic, Southern Australian Marine, New Zealand Marine, California Current, Benguela Current, Humboldt Current, Agulhas Current, Western Australia Marine, Panama Bight, Gulf of California, Galapagos Marine, Canary Current, Nansei Shoto, Sulu-Sulawesi Seas, Bismarck-Solomon Seas, Banda-Flores Sea, New Caledonia Barrier Reef, Great Barrier Reef, Lord Howe-Norfolk Islands Marine, Palau Marine, Andaman Sea, Tahitian Marine, Hawaiian Marine, Rapa Nui, Fiji Barrier Reef, Maldives, Chagos, Lakshadweep Atolls, Red Sea, Arabian Sea, East African Marine, West Madagascar Marine, Mesoamerican Caribbean Reef, Greater Antillean Marine, Southern Caribbean Sea, Northeast Brazil Shelf Marine.
What are the threats to the fin whale?
Fin whales are also threatened by habitat degradation. In some regions they have been shown to carry high levels of pollutants such as heavy metals, PCBs and other organochlorine compounds that accumulate with age and transfer between mother and calf during nursing. These substances can cause health and reproductive problems in cetaceans.
Ship strikes
Boat collisions are another serious cause of fin whale mortality, particularly in areas with high-speed vessel traffic. A dead fin whale that was washed ashore in south-west England in early 2010 is believed to have been the victim of a ship strike.
They are also vulnerable to incidental catches in fishing gear, but less so than many other cetacean species.
Whaling remains a threat for this species. In 2006 Iceland resumed commercial whaling and in 2009 set a quota for 150 fin whales over 5 years – to date 125 fin whales have been harvested – despite the species' status as "Endangered".
What is WWF doing?
The majority of WWF's global conservation work to protect whales and dolphins takes place within the context of the International Whaling Commission (IWC).
How you can help
- Support efforts to improve fishing gear by only buying seafood that is MSC certified. This can help to reduce the incidence of marine bycatch, which kills whales and other marine life like turtles, dolphins, and seabirds.
- Vote Earth by taking part in Earth Hour! As climate change is a growing threats for whales, we need to send a message to our leaders that warming must be limited to under 2 degrees Celsius.
- Spread the word! Click on the button to share this information with others via email or your favourite social networking service.
Make a donation
Did you know?
- The fin whale can sustain a speed of around 37 km/hr, and can leap completely out of the water.
Learn more about WWF's work to make the world's oceans safe for whales, dolphins, and porpoises.


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Views: 693
But, doesn't this irritating guy have a first amendment right to spout off in a public city park?
When does "acting strange" give evidence of a troubled, unpredictable, out of control person and just a harmless stranger? That sad episode of the woman who lost control in a class discussing contraception, abortion and whatever else was the topic, and she flew off the handle. Or the young man who was murdered by a deranged stranger? We really do need to keep first amendment right in mind, even as we are able to stop a person before a crime has been committed.
We have a strange man that walks in our neighborhood every day and argues with some unseen person. The other day he assaulted my next door neighbor. She was not harmed but terribly frightened. The assault was real. So ... what is the prudent thing to do? In this case, an assault had been committed, although not a serious one.
I agree, Dogly. While he may have been escorted out of the community center because he was causing problems (public nuisance or something), he does have the right to speak in a public place, as long as he's not really causing real problems, like inciting a riot or threatening harm to others. Obviously, if he's not safe, the police have to do something about it, but if he's just an obnoxious religious jackass, there's not much you can do. I think harassing these types of people just makes us look as bad as the religious already think we are. Most of us are trying to show you can be "good without god(s)," not "see? we're just as hateful and spiteful as you are!"
Some of you would do better here if you actually read what I have posted. I respect equal citizenship, freedom and speech and freedom of religion.
But this does not give a creepy self appointed evangelist who tells us who is going to burn in hell and who should be put to death the rigth to bother people on public property. There is some allowance for political protest being a right, and hence relaxation of property rights.
But weekly bothering people in the community center is outside of that. I had nothing to do with the expulsion, but I congragulated city staff for having done so.
This guy does the same thing in city parks and it certainly bothers me. I have not decided yet, but I may seek his removal from there too.
I can read just fine. I know you're saying you respect those things. But words are words, and your many posts about intimidating people who are proselytizing (I think it's annoying as well, and it pisses me off) in public places, or trying to goad them into violence, trying to figure out ways to trick them into getting in trouble, these things aren't examples of your respect for freedom of speech or religion.
And this is just my opinion, so it really shouldn't matter much to you. But my point was that your behavior towards these people just makes the entire group of atheists or secular humanists or whatever group you identify with look bad. I just don't see that being so violently antagonistic is going to help the cause in any way. Again, just one little person's opinion. You're certainly free to do as you see fit.
First of all, I don't identify with any group.
Second, they way I am seen is as an anti-born again.
Provoking them into violence is a tactic when they show fundamental disrespect for my person hood, and say in sulting things, sugar coated with Christianism. Exposing their malice works well.
They have a right to free speech, but never has this mean the right to say absolutely anything anywhere. I had to lecture a city attorney about the first amendment once. All it means is that their can't be laws specficially against religion or free speech. This is all it means, no more.
You or I would be expelled from a public park if we were bothering people. I may seek to have this done with this evangelist. Not decided yet.
But you are right if you detect that I decline the Live and Let Live doctrine with Born Again Christianity as a movement. I am not the government. I am not restrained by the first amendment.
The religious right has taken the term, "public square" and twisted the meaning. They accuse secularists of trying to remove religion from the public square. In fact, most atheists consider the religious orator standing on a soapbox in the "public square" of a municipal park to be within his rights. It doesn't matter if he offends us. We have no constitutional right to not be offended. We, too, can set up nearby and give our own speeches.
What we are working against is the religious incursion into the halls of government and into public schools. Prayers at County Commission meetings, bible readings and ten commandments posted in public schools are good examples of violations of the establishment clause of the first amendment. This is because our taxes support these institutions as they are part of the government. Therefore the government would thus be establishing a state religion by conducting religious prayers and ceremonies.
Unless this evangelist is touching people, using a megaphone, or doing something else that is illegal, he has a perfect right to bother people with his oratory. Google a bit about the history of the soap box orators in Boston Common. Even Obama gave a speech there!
IMO one of the most effective tactics to use around fanatical soap box tirades is to giggle, or laugh loudly, (or shout, "Tits to the wind!"), and walk away.
They can't stand to be ignored.
Yes, I agree. But that's why it comes down to a turf battle. See, these religious groups are wound into all manner of community functions. So its not so much just the park, its that this evangelical creep has taken over a regularly scheduled event.
But you know that I've mocked him and sang to him.
I've told him, "Born Again Christianity is a lot like alcoholism, BAC, Born Again Christianity, Blood Alcohol Content."
And, "Have you been drinking that New Wine again?"
This guy is a long term alcoholic, never sober since he was a teen ager, until he "got Saved" and started preaching that very day.
He is basically a homeless man who goes around anywhere he can and preaches. He boasts about all the places he's gotten kicked out of.
A little church lets him park his mom's car on their grounds, which he sleeps in.
Some people give him money, I guess about $20 per week. Sometimes people pay his car insurance or fix his car for him.
He denounces other fundamentalist preachers saying that they are only in it for the money. But if he could, he would love to be one of them. He says, "Some day I'm going to have my own congregation.
Anyway, it is basically a turf battle.
MLK I admire very much. He gets my feet tapping, moral high ground, yes sir.
I also admire the Black Panthers.
A case in point was one person, let me call him P. P. is a much larger man than I.
There had been a meeting and some discussions. P. can be have like a reasonable person. Its just that when he gets on Born Again turf he becomes a jerk.
I walk in the room and he says, "Have you found God yet?"
Again, though I respect those who make a profession of literal atheism, I do not do this. I do not make any professions.
So I said to P., "I consider that to be an extremely rude thing to say." He responds with a disengenuous, "Oh sorry."
So I walk up to him and get within 4 inches of his face. "The only kind of person who would say something like that is an asshole." I continued in this vein for quite a while, until it was clear to all that I was trying to provoke him and that the only way I would stop would be if he became totally docile.
Oh, one other thing. Though it was handled face to face. I read later on his myspace page the guy wrote for others to read, "Okay, next time I'll keep my mouth shut. I'll let God do it."
So yes, he learned part of the lesson. But the other part no, in that he still thinks I needed some sort of inducement to be brought to God.
Over all though, I think he was taught a lesson and the exercise was constructive for everyone else in the room.
When dealing with door to door evangelists I only get beligerant and invade their person space when they are men larger than I. They may be large, but in such a situation I am prepared to do real harm to a much much greater extent than they, and they see that.
I also start the interaction, "These are homes. You are knocking on the doors of people's homes. Is there something wrong in your head that you don't respect people's homes? "
I do this as they are rapidly backwards running to the property line.
Concretized? Don't you mean cretinous?
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Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary is saddened by the death of Narges Moshiri, wife of Professor Chris Elwood. Moshiri was 54.
Born in Abadan, Iran, Moshiri grew up in Teheran and moved to the United States in 1977 to attend university. A student of art history and the history of religion and culture, in early adulthood she turned to academic administration at Harvard University and later at the Waldorf School of Louisville.
She later discovered her true vocation as a teacher and nurturer of young children. She taught kindergarten at the Waldorf School of Louisville and then founded The Cottage Garden kindercare.
A graduate of the Iranzamin International School in Teheran, Moshiri earned degrees from Boston University and Harvard University Divinity School, and held a diploma in Early Childhood Education from Rudolf Steiner College.
Moshiri is survived by her husband Chris Elwood, daughters Josephine Soraya and Isabelle Simin Elwood, mother Ghamar and sister Laleh Moshiri, many extended family members, and a host of persons young and old whom she taught and touched and who cherish the miracle of her gentle, loving, life-giving spirit.


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Run by the National Education Policy Center, the Best Education Blog collects posts on almost all education issues.
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System Center 2012 Service Manager (55009A)
Target Audience
This course is designed for IT professionals and business analysts who already have prerequisite technical knowledge of the underlying infrastructure and components that integrate with Service Manager 2012. These IT professionals are primarily responsible for implementing a service desk and need in-depth knowledge of Service Manager 2012.
- Windows Server 2008 R2 operating system.
- Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS).
- PowerShell and SQL Server Reporting Services.
- Service Manager (helpful but not required).
- Administration of other System Center 2012 products (helpful but not required).
- Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) or Microsoft Operations Framework (MOF) (helpful but not required).
- Explain the role of Service Manager 2012 and the entire System Center suite.
- Describe the fundamentals of MOF and ITIL as they relate to Service Manager 2012.
- Discuss the overall architecture and design considerations for Service Manager 2012.
- Install and configure Service Manager 2012.
- Import and configure management packs.
- Populate Service Manager 2012's Configuration Management Database (CMDB).
- Establish role-based security.
- Extend the functionality of Service Manager 2012 using connectors.
- Utilize lists, queues and templates.
- Implement incident, change, release and service level management.
- Design workflows for automated incident routing and escalation.
- Configure the Service Manager 2012 environment.
- Create service offerings and request offerings and customize the Self-Service Portal.
- Implement runbook automation activities with Orchestrator 2012.
- List System Center 2012 Service Pack 1 updates.
- Integrate Service Manager 2012 with the System Center 2012 suite.
Module 1: Introduction to System Center 2012 Service Manager
This module introduces students to Microsoft System Center 2012 and Service Manager 2012. It provides a brief overview of the products in the System Center 2012 suite, covers licensing, reviews service management best practices, and takes a deeper look into the purpose and function of Service Manager 2012.
- History and Evolution of System Center 2012
- System Center 2012 Product Suite
- System Center 2012 Licensing
- System Center 2012 Service Manager
Module 2: Overview of ITIL and MOF
This module provides an overview of the ITIL and MOF standards and ways in which Service Manager 2012 fulfills these standards. It also defines the role of a service desk and how it differs from a help desk and call center.
- Introducing ITIL and MOF
- Defining the Role of a Service Desk
- Applying ITIL and MOF to Service Manager 2012
Module 3: Design and Deployment Considerations for Service Manager 2012
This module prepares students to deploy Service Manager 2012 by introducing its architecture and roles of key components. Students will gain a basic understanding of the four steps in the design process. They will also learn how to determine what size deployment they need by getting answers to key questions and analyzing different deployment scenarios. Finally, students will review service accounts to configure hardware and software requirements and SQL Server installation.
- Examining the Service Manager 2012 Architecture
- Designing Service Manager 2012
- Analyzing Deployment Scenarios
- Preparing to Deploy Service Manager 2012
Module 4: Installing and Configuring Service Manager 2012
This module introduces students to the different workspaces in Service Manager 2012. It also prepares students to run reports by introducing the data warehouse and registering it with the Service Manager management server. Finally, students will review management packs and how they extend the functionality of Service Manager 2012.
- Installing the Service Manager Management Server
- Installing the Service Manager Data Warehouse Management Server
- Navigating the Service Manager Console
- Registering the Data Warehouse
- Working with Management Packs
Module 5: Managing Service Manager 2012 Security
This module introduces students to role-based access control. Service Manager 2012 implements security through the use of user roles. In addition, security in Service Manager 2012 includes Run As accounts that will also be explored.
- Defining Role-Based Access Control
- Examining Service Manager 2012 Security
- Configuring User Roles in Service Manager 2012
Module 6: Extending Service Manager 2012 with Connectors
This module defines the role of connectors and introduces students to the six connectors that can be created in Service Manager 2012. It also discusses the benefit of importing data from a comma-separated value (CSV) file and how to perform the import. Finally, students will be introduced to PowerShell cmdlets and use them to manage data warehouse functions.
- Defining the Configuration Management Database
- Considering the Role of Connectors
- Installing and Configuring Connectors
- Importing Data Using CSV Files
Module 7: Incident Management
This module introduces students to incident management and problem management. Students will learn how to customize settings, views, lists and templates related to incident and problem management. These skills will be used to create incidents and problems, and then complete incident and change management processes.
- Introducing Incident Management
- Configuring Incident Management Settings
- Configuring Problem Management Settings
- Customizing Incident Management Lists
- Customizing Incident Management Views
- Creating Incident Requests
- Creating Incident Request Templates
- Using Templates with Incidents Requests
- Creating Incident Management Event Workflows
Module 8: Change Management and Activity Management
This module introduces students to change management and activity management. Students will learn the various components of change management, including activities. They will also learn how to customize settings, views, lists and templates related to change and activity management. These skills will be used to create change requests and complete the change management process.
- Introducing Change Management and Activity Management
- Implementing a Change Management Process
- Examining Activities in Service Manager 2012
- Customizing Change Management Lists
- Customizing Change Management Views
- Creating Change Requests and Activities
- Creating Change Request Templates
- Creating Change and Activity Management Workflows
Module 9: Release Management
This module introduces students to release management. Students will learn how to customize settings, views, lists and templates related to release management. These skills will be used to create a release record and complete the release management process.
- Introducing Release Management
- Customizing Release Management Lists
- Customizing Release Management Views
- Creating Release Records
- Creating Release Record Templates
- Creating Release Management Event Workflows
Module 10: Service Level Management
This module introduces students to service level management. Students will learn the various components of incident service, how to customize settings related to incident and problem management, and how to create calendars, queues and metrics. These skills will be used to create and monitor service level objectives.
- Introducing Service Level Management
- Creating a New Calendar Item
- Creating a New Metric Item
- Creating a New Service Level Objective
- Configuring Notifications
Module 11: Using the Self-Service Portal
This module introduces students to the Self-Service Portal and the service catalog within the Service Manager 2012 console. Students will learn the various components of incident service and how to create and publish service offerings and request offerings. These skills will be used to create incident requests using the Self-Service Portal.
- Introducing the Self-Service Portal
- Introducing the Service Catalog
- Creating Service Offerings and Request Offerings
- Customizing the Self-Service Portal
Module 12: Managing the Data Warehouse and Reporting
This module introduces students to the data warehouse and the reports that are available.
- Introducing the Data Warehouse
- Navigating the Data Warehouse Workspaces
- Defining Data Warehouse Jobs
- Exploring Different Data Warehouse Reports
- Configuring Data Retention Settings
- Using Windows PowerShell cmdlets
Module 13: Orchestrator 2012 and Service Manager 2012 Integration
This module will teach students how to publish a request offering and a runbook activity in the Self-Service Portal. To do this, students will first learn the basics of Orchestrator 2012: a powerful automation tool.
- Introducing Orchestrator 2012
- Navigating Orchestrator 2012 Interfaces
- Creating Runbooks
- Working with Integration Packs
- Integrating Orchestrator 2012 with Service Manager 2012
Module 14: System Center 2012 Service Pack 1
This module introduces students to the Service Pack 1 (SP1) updates for the System Center 2012 suite of products. They will also learn about improvements to Configuration Manager 2012, Operations Manager 2012, Data Protection Manager 2012 and Virtual Machine Manager 2012. Students should feel confident in explaining the Service Manager 2012 SP1 improvements and how they will improve the operation and function of the service desk in their environments.
- Introducing System Center 2012 Service Pack 1
- Deploying Service Pack 1
- Exploring Service Pack 1 and Service Manager 2012
Module 15: System Center 2012 Integration
This module consists of three labs. They are meant to be done either at the end of one of the System Center 2012 classes or as a stand-alone lab. There may be steps that students have already covered in previous labs.


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Cut to the chase: Women in lust and jeopardy
Call me a perv (I'll answer), but I've never had a desire to see Meg Ryan naked. Maybe it goes back to when I was punished for playing doctor with the girl next door, but I no longer think of girls next door as sex objects. And Ryan's got the girliest-next-door image since Doris Day.
She changes that image in In the Cut, or at least updates it to what girls next door are really like in the 21st century. Her Frannie Avery, an English teacher living in lower Manhattan, is a sexual being, though not as sexual as her half-sister, Pauline (Jennifer Jason Leigh), a nymphomaniac– or is that "free spirit"?
In the Cut is a woman-in-jeopardy movie, one of the few directed by a woman– and that makes all the difference. Jane Campion, who adapted the script with Susanna Moore from Moore's novel, shows great appreciation for what frightens a woman, what turns her on, and how closely related they sometimes are.
Most male directors who make this kind of film are thinking more from the viewer's perspective– especially the male viewer– than the protagonist's. Campion understands both but ultimately falls down on some of the story's thriller aspects.
One night in the dark hallway of a club, Frannie sees a young woman giving a blowjob to a man with a tattoo on his wrist. Later that night the woman is murdered and "disarticulated." Detective Malloy (Mark Ruffalo), a man with a tattoo on his wrist, comes investigating. He may be the man Frannie saw, but he denies it when she tells him. Ordinarily you can rule out anyone who's so obvious so early, but this is not an ordinary thriller.
Frannie is able to overlook the danger because the sex is good, or maybe the sex is good because of the danger. She's also being stalked by her last lover, John Graham (an unbilled Kevin Bacon), who "played a doctor in a soap. Now he's studying to be one."
Because there's a fine line between their dates and interrogations, Malloy is often accompanied by his partner, Detective Rodriguez (Nick Damici), who hasn't been allowed to carry a gun since he pulled one on his wife, "to scare her."
If you're going to generalize, in Campion's New York all men are crazy, all women are vulnerable, all streets are dark, and anyone might be a serial killer, even Frannie's student Cornelius (Sharrieff Pugh), who turns in a blood-trimmed paper defending John Wayne Gacy's innocence.
Alfred Hitchcock believed in creating suspense by giving the viewer all the facts. Mystery, he said, is not suspense, but an intellectual puzzle. Campion takes the opposite tack, with diminishing returns.
In retrospect, there's a terrible mistake when someone gives away the killer's identity, but it's not picked up on. Many viewers will guess it ahead of the characters, most of whom are too busy acting suspicious to give it any thought.
In the Cut is still worth seeing for its atmosphere, given a uniquely feminine perspective though Campion's lens, and for the chance to see Meg Ryan grow up. In her scenes with Jennifer Jason Leigh it's often possible to forget which one is the actress and which the movie star.


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|General Assembly
General Assembly
4.2.1. The General Assembly shall consist of the officers of the Union and of delegates appointed by the Regular
Members, Regional Federations and International Affiliate Members, and the Standing Committees
(See Article 4. of the IUIS Constitution for the G.A. terms of jurisdiction, membership, office, meetings and voting)
The IUIS Executive Committee has set the following guidelines for General Assembly delegates:
The most recent elections were held during the 16th IUIS General Assembly (Sunday, 21. Aug 2016)
Executive Committees and Council members
Regular Member Society (GA) Representatives
Regional Federation Representatives
ALAI President
Dr. Oliver Pérez
Instituto de Ciencias Básicas y
Preclínicas "Victoria de Girón"
Universidad de Ciencias Médicas de la Habana
146 and 31, Playa, Havana, PC 11300, Cuba
Tel.:+53 72715135
EFIS President
René A.W. van Lier
Sanquin Blood Supply Foundation
Plesmanlaan 125
1066 CX Amsterdam
FAIS President
Henry C Mwandumba (Malawi)
MBChB (Hons), FRCP, DTM and H,PhD
Wellcome Intermediate Clinical Fellow & Clinical Senior Lecturer
Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Trust Clinical Reserach Programme
Tel: +265 1 876 444 / +265 1 875 774
Fax: +265 1 873 871
FIMSA President
Shigeo Koyasu
Department of Microbiology and Immunology
Keio University School of Medicine
35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku
Tokyo 160-8582, JAPAN
Tel: +81 3 5363 3768
Fax: +81 3 5361 7658


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Go beyond the standard loan shopping experience and engage your members with a pre-qualification solution that consistently delivers 30 percent more loans at a fraction of your current cost. Realize the power of "No Credit Impact" messaging and the latest in lending technology.
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Learn how re-evaluating your credit card operating model could lead to an increase in balances and keep your credit union competitive.
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Don't miss crucial strategic and tactical information necessary to run your institution and better serve your members. Join Credit Union Times now!
- Free unlimited access to Credit Union Times' trusted and independent team of experts for extensive industry news, conference coverage, people features, statistical analysis, and regulation and technology updates.
- Exclusive discounts on ALM and Credit Union Times events.
- Access to other award-winning ALM websites including TreasuryandRisk.com and Law.com.
Copyright © 2019 ALM Media Properties, LLC. All Rights Reserved.


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Items where Author / Artist / Editor is "Chong, G."
|See full list of headings
Group by: Item Type | No Grouping
Jump to: Article
Number of items: 1.
Parsa, Sepideh, Chong, G. and Isimoya, E. (2007) Disclosure of governance information by small and medium-sized companies. Corporate Governance: The International Journal of Business in Society, 7 (5). pp. 635-648. ISSN 1472-0701


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Meets on the 2nd Thursday of the month. For persons with memory loss and their care partners. No judgement or expectations. Just companionship, great food & fun! No cost, except for items ordered from menu.
Sponsored by Full Life Care, a non-profit provider of a memory care day program, small assisted living homes, in-home care, and more.
Questions? Doug Harkness at 206 224-3757 or firstname.lastname@example.com
To learn more about Alzheimer's Cafes and about other locations, click HERE .


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BEIJING (AP) — Nearly 40 minutes have been chopped from China's version of the soon-to-be-released Hollywood film "Cloud Atlas," deleting both gay and straight love scenes to satisfy local censors despite a movie-going public that increasingly chafes at censorship.
It premiered Tuesday in Beijing in a red-carpet ceremony with actor Hugo Weaving and China's own Zhou Xun, but won't start running in Chinese theaters until Jan.31. The filmmaker's local partners have slashed that version from the U.S. runtime of 172 minutes to a pared-down 134 to expunge "passionate" episodes.
Chinese citizens have become more outspoken with their complaints about censorship of imported films as well as homegrown movies and news. Awkward cuts by censors to the most recent James Bond offering "Skyfall" prompted calls for a review of China's film censoring system.


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Buying stylish jewelry from reputed jewelry store
There is significant & vital number of the high end & reputed jewellery store in Milford CT that are operating in market for catering the need for the high standards as well as best valued of the engagement rings in New Haven. Investing the money in vintage jewelry, through Victorian period, for instance, will also have the lasting mark on entire portfolio. Moreover, there are several beautiful pieces that are made from the base metals & the garnet stones and the vintage engagement rings in Fairfield county CT of post periods that are made of yellow gold & luxurious gemstones there for taking. Moreover, you can also find the vintage jewelry that have not been scratched and ruined so they also will have the ageless appeal as well as completely lasting value.
There are many jewelry stores in North Haven that are famous for providing the wonderful design of jewelry. The High end & renowned Jewelry Store In Wallingford strive to offer the most exclusive collection about some most non-conventional as well as the creative designs of various cultural periods. Through benefits of the modern-day tactics of business, you will be able to search the pieces in most sensible range of price for you.
You should be always ready to check the jewelry store in Branford and to consider the traditional pieces of vintage as well as most fashionable item of costume jewelry. At the same time, the high-end of the stores keep proper & perfect collection of the traditional as well as the contemporary vintage products. So, if you are looking for the most attractive & appealing vintage jewelry then let me tell you that it will be complete fun. Moreover, you can also check for the online jewelry stores by using the appropriate keywords
If you are looking for the high end online stores that are dealing in the fine jewelry, high estate jewelry as well as vintage jewelry products by using the important keywords to the pieces that you are looking for. The number of websites will also show up in the pages of search result and so you will also be able to refine the search based on findings & also your favoured criteria. You may also weigh the negative as well as positive online reviews that are posted for the high end of the jewelry stores through the buyers of the vintage jewelry similar to you.


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The Ghost Writer is only the third feature that Roman Polanski has directed in the new century, which makes us miss his superb storytelling skills all the more. The director is noted for his vibrant adaptations of modern thriller novels as well as classic works, and this time around he collaborates with the popular author Robert Harris. The intelligent and perceptive story has a direct reference to recent history, as it concerns the reputation of a former British Prime Minister who may or may not be complicit in the United States' extraordinary rendition of terror suspects for purposes of torture. Anyone aware of Polanski's ongoing legal problems will pick up on the fact that a main character's primary concern is to avoid being extradited to another country to stand trial on charges that may or may not be legitimate.
These tensions loom in the background as Polanski keeps us riveted to the film's mystery. Our view is limited to the experiences of the main character, a person never referred to by name. The Ghost Writer (Ewan McGregor) secures the plum job of rewriting the memoirs of ex- Prime Minister Adam Lang (Pierce Brosnan), the work to be done under heavy security at a remote Maine beach house. But the Ghost is soon unnerved by the friction in the Lang household: Lang is preoccupied and impatient, and his wife Ruth (Olivia Williams of An Education) expresses bitter resentment. A Brit politician publicly accuses Lang of committing high crimes in office, forcing the retired PM to take time out for image control and legal consultation. As his memoirs are considered an important part of this public relations push the Ghost stays on the job. But he soon discovers that his predecessor -- who was found washed up dead on the beach -- had learned details that link Adam Lang to the C.I.A., through an old colleague, Paul Emmett (Tom Wilkinson). Emmett denies everything. Complicating matters is the unhappy wife Ruth, who makes moves to seduce the Ghost Writer. Realizing that he may "know too much", the Ghost soon comes to believe that whoever killed Lang's first ghost writer, may be after him as well.
The Ghost Writer has tension, intrigue and refreshingly interesting characters. Polanski helps Pierce Brosnan flesh out a fascinating statesman, a "great man" who in person comes off as thoughtless and insubstantial, a Brit George Bush. Under Polanski's careful gaze, all the expected types -- suspicious mystery man Paul Emmett, efficient personal secretary Amelia Bly (Kim Cattrall) -- seem more intense than characters in thrillers by others. By placing name actors (James Belushi, Timothy Hutton, Eli Wallach) in smaller roles, Polanski doesn't allow us to dismiss their importance to the story. We expect any one of these people to return in a malevolent context.
The Ghost Writer keeps us thinking and rewards our intelligence. Clues are found in traditional ways -- hidden messages in texts and photos hidden away by a dead man, but a car's computer guidance program (why didn't someone think of this before?) also leads the Ghost to the truth behind Adam Lang. None of the usual coincidences and confections of normal thrillers are present. Finally, our hero is truly vulnerable, a given in Polanski films. The Ghost knows he's no match for the security men that follow him around, and although he's not afraid to confront people with potentially dangerous questions, he feels intimidated by Lang's personal assistants. The "ghost" of the previous ghostwriter is also there to remind The Ghost to stay on his toes.
How does The Ghost Writer score among the director's work? Polanski's skill at first-person film narratives is more impressive than ever. We feel marrooned with the Ghost on this Maine island, in the fog, wind and rain. Polanski's somewhat similar horror thriller The 9th Gate worked marvelously, until its confrontation with a real "devil" brought it down to earth. The Ghost Writer conjures a convincing atmosphere of intrigue. Yet it never quite overwhelms us with its fantasy, as had Rosemary's Baby and Chinatown. In retrospect, it seems that the Ghost is too sophisticated to do certain things, and to trust certain people. It's far too obvious that the only logical thing for him to do is to sleep alone, find a rowboat and get the hell out of there.
The movie also gives us a heavy feeling of deja vu, Polanski style. The moody, somewhat remote setting reminds us of Knife in the Water. The groundskeeper at the Lang estate putters about much like the Japanese gardener in Chinatown. The high-security manuscript aligns with The Ninth Gate's mystery book and the picture and text clues evoke memories of Rosemary's Baby. And the (unnecessarily) nihilistic conclusion, although impressively staged, seems like a re-run of Chinatown as well. Forget it Ghost, it's the impenetrable, evil intelligence community, a conspiracy as effective as the witches in Rosemary's or the ghouls in The Fearless Vampire Killers. Other elements make the story seem closely related to Orson Welles' Mr. Arkadin. I will no doubt flip-flop several times more in my opinion on The Ghost Writer; while watching it I felt transported back to a time when mystery thrillers were smarter than the audience, and were that much more enjoyable for it.
Ewan McGregor carries the movie well even though he hasn't the charisma of earlier film stars (who does?). Kim Cattrall doesn't have a great part but does it more than justice, while Olivia Williams' deceptively "uninvolved" missus is a finely crafted character performance. Ruth Lang at first seems spoiled, spiteful and hungry for affection, and it's easy to take her at face value. It's also important to praise Pierce Brosnan's portrait of an impatient, uncommunicative politician, who may be distracted, clueless -- or a calculating villain. His is the kind of role that needs to be seen twice to appreciate everything that's going on -- like Faye Dunaway in Chinatown.
Roman Polanski, had he not sabotaged his career, looked poised to be one of the greatest directors of all time. He's still a strong favorite, the maker of sometimes-commercial hits that are often original works of art. It's a miracle that he's had any kind of career after 1977, but the man is an incredible survivor. The best movies of "the second half" -- Tess, Frantic, The Pianist -- are achievements that would cement the reputation of any other director. Is The Ghost Writer good enough to join that group? I don't know yet.
Summit Entertainment's Blu-ray of The Ghost Writer is actually a Blu-ray + DVD combo. In contrast to earlier combo presentations, both encodings are on opposite sides of the same disc, which means that you can't loan out the DVD copy to your parents. The HD transfer is a beauty that emphasizes the movie's moody overcast weather and texture details in Adam Lang's designer house. Cinematographer Pawel Edelman's images and the invisible special effects come off extremely well.
I didn't notice it on first viewing but The Ghost Writer is relatively profanity-free. As it turns out, the original film had more than its share of four-letter words. To ensure the widest possible theatrical run during Polanski's house arrest in Europe, Summit redubbed many lines. This U.S. Blu-ray uses the same track, but I'm told that a Canadian disc carries a pre-censorship mix. Although I'd be surprised if the profanity adds a great deal, the fact that distributors feel pressed to dilute their movies for American audiences isn't very flattering. This is the first alteration of this kind I've heard of since Stanley Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut . (Thanks to Gary Teetzel for this information.)
The disc's featurettes reveal that Lang's beach house is actually a stage interior and that all of the seaside exterior views were added digitally. This is only a surprise because Polanski films scenes as though unimpaired by any physical limitations. Although most of the film was shot overseas for obvious reasons, we're told that a few pickups became second unit shoots in the United States.
One EPK-like featurette covers the production and another centers on interviews with the cast. We don't know if extras producer Laurent Bouzereau's third video piece, an interview with Roman Polanski, was made before or during the director's house arrest. We understand that much of the film's post-production was accomplished while the director's movements were restricted.
The Ghost Writer is an entertaining thriller far superior to what passes for this kind of show nowadays. The first time around I was distracted by outside context concerns; I'm confident that it will become an even richer experience on repeated viewings.
On a scale of Excellent, Good, Fair, and Poor,
The Ghost Writer Blu-ray rates:
Reviews on the Savant main site have additional credits information and are often updated and annotated with reader input and graphics.
Also, don't forget the 2010 Savant Wish List.
T'was Ever Thus.
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