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Between a Soft and a Hard Place
New York
The 14-foot storm tides that recently submerged lower Manhattan and battered waterfront communities across the city demonstrated the destructive force of naturally weaponized water. And in the days immediately following Sandy's retreat, engineers, planners and architects started to consider what preparations are needed to better battle the next storm. The discussion quickly devolved into a debate about hard infrastructure—sea walls, dikes and levees—versus soft infrastructure, as in wetlands, reefs, bioswales and water-permeable pavements.
Right away politicians joined in, with New York's Gov. Andrew Cuomo telling a radio audience the day after the storm that the city should consider installing storm-surge barriers or gates. Mayor Michael Bloomberg parried at a news conference on Nov. 1, saying "I don't know that I think there are any practical ways to build barriers in the oceans when you have an enormous harbor like we do, and Long Island Sound."
The arguments for and against the hard and the soft approach have been swirling around for several years. Traditional engineering tends to favor the first: a hard line that demarcates land on one side, water on the other, serving as a reminder that "infrastructure" is a word rooted in military terminology for defense mechanisms. Dikes are the ultimate example of effective hard infrastructure, basically making the Netherlands possible. But with the emergence of a technologically savvy, ecologically oriented landscape profession, a more holistic approach is attracting advocates.
It would be short-sighted to see hard and soft infrastructure as mutually exclusive solutions. Potentially more effective are methods that are a combination of both, with engineered walls supplemented by a layering of secondary measures. Above all, there needs to be a general acceptance that water management is a daily, not an emergency, reality.
"Saying 'sea wall' is a good sound bite. Barriers work, until they don't," said Marion Weiss of the New York architecture firm Weiss/Manfredi, echoing those who regard hard infrastructure much like an all-time sports record: It stands until it is topped. "We need belts and suspenders."
Weiss/Manfredi is the architect of Seattle's Olympic Sculpture Park on Puget Sound, which features structural platforms over highways plus graded green terraces and a restored beach to help mitigate wind and wave erosion. The local Department of Transportation, according to Ms. Weiss, had estimated a new sea wall would cost $50 million to $80 million. The architects shored up the coast instead with a more porous combination of gravel walls and terraces for $5.5 million.
Barriers are still appealing. They are recognizable, and their rate of success (or failure) is easily measurable, a favored characteristic in engineering. And they have worked for hundreds of years in the Netherlands. The Maelstrom Barrier, completed in 1997 and stretching almost 1,000 feet across Rotterdam's Europoort harbor, is the last piece in a decades-long project initiated after a 1953 storm flood killed more than 2,000 people in the Netherlands. In 2007, the gates closed automatically when sea rise exceeded nine feet, passing its first 100-year-storm test. In London, there is the Thames Barrier, operational since 1982, with 10 steel gates, some of them as tall as a five-story building, that protects central London from tidal surge.
In those same decades, however, the Dutch have also seen some collateral damage from the barriers. Blocking the ebb and flow of tidal waters has turned saltwater lakes into freshwater ones, killed off ecosystems and created other disturbances.
Roland Lewis, president of the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance, a five-year-old consortium of 677 water-oriented businesses and institutions in New York, thinks hardening of the infrastructure needs to start at a smaller scale—with such modest measures as moving generators to higher locations and making sure sewage systems are capable of handling storm-surge floods. "You don't start with barriers," he said. "They are huge, expensive and take a long time. They're not a quick fix, but the last resort."
By comparison, soft infrastructure is inexact and hard to define; it is more like a battery of approaches than a single solution. Soft infrastructure is about working in, on and with the water rather than fighting it. In 2009 and in the wake of New Orleans's devastation by flood, the Museum of Modern Art decided to explore, in an exhibition, alternative design ideas inspired by a Latrobe prize report produced by engineer Guy Nordenson and architects Adam Yarinsky and Catherine Seavitt. It was, according to Barry Bergdoll, the museum's chief curator of architecture and design, "a plea for broader thinking."
The ideas generated by five teams of architects, engineers, landscape designers and ecologists included proposals for restored wetlands around New York Harbor, new barrier islands linked with inflatable dams to protect the Verrazano Narrows, a buffer zone of oyster beds to diminish waves around Bayridge, and an artificial reef fabricated from recycled glass, along with other techniques for attenuating waves and absorbing storm surge before they can batter the shores of the city. The most potent message of the show: storm protection measures as a part of normal life.
Examples of this approach already abound. In Shanghai, in the historic Bund along the Huangpu River, shops are built directly into a river levee with a promenade on top, while the showcase Houtan Park, a linear waterfront park, is integrated with storm and pollution treatment marshes. Closer to home at the Brooklyn Bridge Park, there are gardens that thrive when waterlogged, as well as granite pavers that protect the shore and double as kayak launches. Most serendipitously, the massive earth berms installed in the park to block noise from the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway have turned out to be ideal wind and wave buffers too. Also in Brooklyn, landscape architect Susannah Drake is selecting plants for a Sponge Park (Ms. Drake has trademarked the name) at the Gowanus Canal with plants that will happily endure periodic inundations of salt water. For a development at Hunter's Point South, in Long Island City, Queens, Weiss/Manfredi is building up an existing bulkhead into a promenade while layering artificial wetlands to soften the shore's edge.
Larry Swanson, an oceanographer and director of the Waste Reduction and Management Institute at Stony Brook University, noted that such approaches need to be examined more closely. "Wetlands are clearly an effective tool in reducing wave energy," he said in a phone interview, "but when you are dealing with contaminated waters, as in the New York Harbor, you have to worry about concentrations developing that might be poisonous. Soft solutions need to be constantly nurtured. Will they still be there when you need them in 15 years?"
Mr. Nordenson agrees that soft infrastructure won't be enough to offset the destructive force of storms as strong as Sandy: "To the degree that damage is associated with wave impact, barrier islands and soft infrastructure will help. But the surge in sea level can only be held back by dams, levees or movable barriers. A combination of both is the best strategy," he said in an email.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has its ear to the ground, absorbing talk about storm-surge gates at the Verrazano Narrows, Arthur Kill and possibly the New York Bight. "There is a lot of talk about storm surge gates at various points," said Chris Gardner, a spokesman. "But first we would have to examine the potential environmental impact on the estuary and on navigation along with other issues." He added that Congress would need to authorize and fund a full feasibility report before recommendations were made. Right now, all potential options are on the table, but the best course would clearly suggest that we be as flexible, opportunistic and adaptive as nature itself.
Ms. Iovine writes about architecture for the Journal.
Copyright ©2019 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8


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Through the first week of play in real life of the NFL, some 81.5 million games have been played in Madden NFL, according to this video commissioned by EA Sports. The teams taken online most so far are the San Francisco 49ers and the Philadelphia Eagles (rated No. 5 and No. 3, respectively, as "teams to help you win" in the game's official Prima Guide.)
After that, no surprise that more than 11,000 gamers saw Dallas in a head-to-head matchup against its real world opponent New York, which the Cowboys won 57 per cent of the time. Far fewer gamers decided to take either the Redskins or Saints or the Bengals and Ravens.

subset: commoncrawl


text: Our talented engineers have built a great website that allows over 1.1 million students each year to find their student accommodation online, but we also understand that choosing right accommodation can sometimes require a human touch for multiple factors that comes in play - budget, location, tenancy period & so on. Our answer to this is our friendly team of amazing account managers, who are here to help you find best suited student accommodation and handle the entire booking process. The services of our account manager will start from the point you'll fill this form and will continue throughout booking process, check-in, and will stay till you checkout.


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Merion Golf Club, West
Ardmore, PA 19003-1033
Course Details/History
- Architect Name – Hugh Wilson/(R) William S. Flynn/Perry Maxwell, ASGCA
- Greens Grass Type – Bent Grass
- Regulation Length Holes – 36
- Twitter – https://www.pga.com/
About This Course
Merion Golf Club is a private golf club located in Ardmore, Penn., a course that is consistently rated among America's greatest golf courses, and will host the U.S. Open in 2013. The club contains two courses: The West course, and the East Course, which is the more highly regarded.
The Merion Golf Club dates from 1896, when members of the Merion Cricket Club (founded in 1865) opened a golf course in Haverford, Pennsylvania. In 1910, the membership decided to build a new course and chose 32-year-old club member Hugh Wilson, a Scottish immigrant, to design it. Merion East opened in September 1912, and the original course was closed. The West Course, also designed by Wilson, opened in May 1914. The Merion Golf Club did not officially separate from the Merion Cricket Club until 1941.
Merion has held 17 United States Golf Association (USGA) championship tournaments, more than any other course. The first two, the 1904 and 1909 U.S. Women's Amateur Championships, were held at the original Haverford course. The first USGA tournament held at the East Course was the 1916 U.S. Amateur, won by Chick Evans. This was also the first time Bobby Jones appeared in a national championship; he was 14 years old. Jones would win his first U.S. Amateur in 1924, also held at Merion.
Merion Golf Club was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1992.


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kiwitania needed a new other design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 11 designs submitted by 5 freelance designers.
I have 4 Characters that need to be bought to life to highlight the products they represent.
I have 4 stick characters that represent 4 different games.
- Sack Race
- Egg & Spoon Race
- 3 Legged Race
- Ring TossI would like to have them animated to move accross the screen in action. My marketing is done mostly online and I require something different to catch the eye. I target Families, Parties, Childcare Centres etc... Our positioning statement is "Something Fun for Everyone" and I would like to say this with these characters. They will be used in email advertising, powerpoint presention, within my website. Send message to recieve images.
Each Character must be doing his game. E.g Girl in the Sack to Jump across the screen. Boy with Egg & Spoon to run across the screen.
I don't want them to move in straight lines


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CARICOM Secretariat Meeting
Worldwatch's Climate and Energy team present initial findings from their Caribbean Sustainable Energy Roadmap and Strategy
The Worldwatch Institute, in conjunction with the Caribbean Community Secretariat (CARICOM) and supported by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), will meet with the CARICOM Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) to present initial findings from the Institute's research on sustainable energy solutions for the Caribbean.
Characterized by a heavy reliance on fossil fuel imports, but also having an abundance of renewable energy resources, Caribbean islands face a strategic turning point in deciding the region's future energy profile and ability to adapt to the dangers of global climate change. Worldwatch has been studying each CARICOM member state's energy sector and is developing a long term strategic plan to help set bold and realistic targets that will lead the way to a more sustainable energy future. This roadmap provides the Caribbean islands with opportunities for them to fully utilize home-grown resources, reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions, and become examples for other countries for doing the same.
This conference, taking place at the Port of Spain Hyatt Regency, convenes the leaders of CARICOM's energy unit with decision makers from each member state's energy ministry to focus on the finalization of the Regional Energy Policy and Agreement by Member States. Participants will discuss targets and strategies for renewable energy and energy efficiency under the first phase of the Caribbean Sustainable Energy Roadmap and Strategy (C-SERMS).
For more information and if you would like to attend this event, please contact Evan Musolino at email@example.com.
About the Worldwatch Institute
Worldwatch is an independent research organization based in Washington, D.C. that works on energy, resource, and environmental issues. The Institute's State of the World report is published annually in 15 languages. For more information, visit www.worldwatch.org. Worldwatch's Climate and Energy Program aims to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy based on sustainable use of renewable energy sources in concert with major energy-efficiency gains, sustainable agricultural practices, and low-emissions transportation. The group reports regularly on its work on the Institute's Re|Volt blog at http://blogs.worldwatch.org/revolt/.
About the Caribbean Community Secretariat
Started in 1972, the Caribbean Community Secretariat (CARICOM) seeks to strengthen ties among Caribbean islands through economic integration, functional cooperation, and coordination of foreign policies. Comprising fifteen member states and five associate members, the Secretariat focuses on work affecting human and social development, regional trade and economic integration, and foreign and community relations. For more information, visit www.caricom.org.
About the Inter-American Development Bank
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) supports efforts by Latin America and the Caribbean countries to reduce poverty and inequality. It aims to bring about development in a sustainable, climate-friendly way. Established in 1959, IDB is the leading source of development financing for Latin America and the Caribbean, with a strong commitment to achieve measurable results, increased integrity, transparency and accountability. For more information, visit www.iadb.org.


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High Speed Signal Chain University
High Speed Signal Chain University is your portal to relevant training material on High Speed Data Converters and High Speed Amplifiers including topics related to RF Sampling Converters, JESD204B SerDes standard, and RF Fundamentals.
Choosing the Best ADC Architecture for Your Application
This video series provides information about the differences between the architectures of successive approximation register analog-to-digital converters (SAR ADCs) and delta-sigma ADCs. These videos are intended to help you know how to choose the best ADC architecture for your application.
Additional Information:
Lessons for Precision DACs
This series provides lessons on some basic topics regarding precision digital-to-analog converters (DACs). The videos in this series cover a variety of topics including code-to-code glitch, calibration, common sources for error, and much more.
Three-part JESD204B training series
This three-part training series introduces fundamentals and tips for leveraging the JESD204B serial interface standard, which provides board area, FPGA/ASIC pin-count and deterministic latency improvements over traditional LVDS and CMOS interfaces. TI's JESD204B ADCs, DACs, clock ICs and development tools enable quick evaluation, design and implementation of designs utilizing the JESD204B interface. Learn more today through this on-demand series.
Anti-tamper Techniques to Thwart Attacks on Smart Meters
Non-technical losses ("theft") account for billions of dollars of revenue loss for utility providers around the world as individuals are able to hack meters to slow or stop the accumulation of energy usage statistics. This loss has driven increased requirements for enhancing the protection designed into new smart meters. This training session will discuss different methods of attacking smart meters and how TI's analog portfolio can be used to detect or even prevent these attacks. In one scenario magnets are used to saturate any transformers present in the system.
High Accuracy AC Analog Input Module for Voltage & Current measurement using High Resolution Precision ADC for Protection Relay
Welcome to the world of Power Systems. This Training session covers Quick Introduction to Power Systems and need for protection relay, Protection Relay Modular Architecture, AC Analog input Module (AIM), Key Specifications, Time and Frequency domain analysis, Coherent, Simultaneous and over sampling, Selection of ADC and other key components and TI solutions. Design details for TI design TIDA-00834 and Links to TI designs customer can refer when designing AIM.
Designing with Delta-Sigma ADCs: System design considerations to optimize performance
Delta-sigma analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) are oversampling converters typically used in applications requiring higher resolution. However, ADCs do not work by themselves. In fact, they require several key components around them, including a front-end amplifier, a voltage reference, a clock source, power supplies, and a good layout. Many devices integrate these features together with the ADC to offer a complete system solution, which simplifies the design for customers and minimizes board space.
Precision temperature measurement in heat and cold meters
PT100/500/1000 Resistance Temperature Detectors (RTDs) are widely used in grid infrastructure and factory automation applications where high precision temperature measurement is often required. Technical requirements include either 20 mK precise Differential Temperature Measurement (DTM) for heat and cold meters from 0 to 180°C or better than 400 mK precision over the full range of -200 to 850°C for industrial sensor transmitters.
The HART of the Current Loop: Designing SMART Field Transmitters and PLCs with TI's Very First HART Modem
Signal Acquisition system using TI's High Resolution SAR Converters
The report illustrates a differentially driven signal fed into TI's 20 bit SAR ADC. This results in raw data available for data processing. This has zero latency and high linearity.
This TI design illustrate the CW Doppler signal conditioning for an ultrasound machine. The input signal bandwidth up to 100KHz and 128 differential signals from AFEs are summed together in a differential high speed amplifier and digitized with TI SAR ADC.
This presentation also addresses :
An adaptive circuit for adjusting the cut off frequency of anti-aliasing circuit in our explanations.
Precision DACs (<=10MSPS) – Learning center
The Precision DAC Learning Center is a collection of technical content that will help guide you through the precision DAC design process. Whether you are learning the basics of digital-to-analog conversion or trying to understand how to implement a precision DAC in your system, this learning center provides a range of videos, articles, and blogs to help you along the way.
How to synchronize high speed multi-channel clocks?
2018 South Asia Industrial Webinar Series
The topics will cover system design issue and solution for Building Automation, Power Delivery and Test & Measurement. TI experts introduce the latest technology and innovation system reference design. Discover ways to enhance the time-to-market and create safer and efficient industrial systems.
Engineer It
Engineer It is an educational, "how-to" video series where TI experts provide customers with fundamental knowledge and solutions to overcome design challenges. Here, you can learn how to spin your motor in minutes, avoid amplifier input/output swing limitations, test and isolate power supplies and more from industry experts.
How to Measure ECG: A Guide to the Signals, System Blocks, and Solutions
Welcome to this training series: How to Measure ECG: A Guide to the Signals, System Blocks, and Solutions.
How High-Voltage Isolation Technology Works
Want to understand how high-voltage isolation technology works? Watch and learn about reliability testing for isolation. Filmed in TI's high-voltage lab, this series of videos will focus on capacitive isolation structure, working voltage reliability, withstand voltage capability, methods for testing reliability, and more.
Webinar Series
Join our webinar series, as we explore different industry trends and technologies across our diverse product portfolio. Over the coming months, our experts will cover the latest analog, power management and embedded processing topics, across both automotive and industrial applications.
How to design high-accuracy CT-based split-phase electricity meters using standalone metrology ADCs
As processing requirements for electricity meters gradually increase, it becomes increasingly difficult to find one device that meets both the processing requirements for adding advanced metrology features to smart meters while also accurately sensing metrology parameters, such as RMS voltage, RMS current, and active power. To deal with this design challenge, one option is to use a separate metrology microcontroller and a standalone ADC.
How to design 1-phase shunt electricity meters using standalone metrology ADCs
As processing requirements for electricity meters gradually increase, it becomes increasingly difficult to find one device that meets both the processing requirements for adding advanced metrology features to smart meters while also accurately sensing metrology parameters, such as RMS voltage, RMS current and active power. To deal with this design challenge, one option is to use a separate metrology microcontroller and a standalone ADC.
TI Precision Labs - ADCs
TI Precision Labs is the electronics industry's most comprehensive online classroom for analog engineers. The on-demand courses and tutorials include introductory ideas about device architecture in addition to advanced, application-specific problem-solving, using both theory and practical knowledge. Use these hands-on courses to predict circuit performance and move seamlessly from abstract concepts to specific formulae in an easy-to-follow format. Industry experts present each topic in order to help reduce design time and move quickly from proof-of-concept to productization.


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Lover Gold High Heel Pumps
Style Notes
These timeless 'Lover' high heel pumps feature the brand's signature cutout heart silhouette with criss-cross adjustable straps. Designed with a romantic style these pumps are crafted in gold mirrored leather with an almond shaped toe and slender heel. Pair yours with a midi skirt or dresses for a sophisticated look.
Final sale. This style is part of our archive sale therefore it is non-returnable & non-refundable.
Style Tip
- Fits narrow to size. Take your normal size or take the size larger.
- Made from 100% mirror calf leather (outer).
- Nude 100% kid leather lining.
- Buckled ankle strap.
- Heel height measures 105mm.
If you have any questions about our products, placing an order by telephone or on our website, queries with exchanges and returns and would like to speak to our Customer Care team directly, please contact us by sending us a message to: email@example.com
Our office hours are between Monday to Friday from 9.00am to 5.00pm (GMT). We are closed during weekends and Bank Holidays.
Tel: 020-8969-6966
Outside of these hours, or if no-one is available, please leave a message and we will return your call as soon as possible.
Alternatively, if you have a quick question, please use our instant messenger, and we will message back to you as quickly as possible.
To Return or Exchange an item, please email: firstname.lastname@example.com with your order number and we will assist you by sending you your returns label. Please do not send back goods using your own courier provider.
Our registered offices are located at: CAMILLA ELPHICK Ltd, 2-4 Exmoor Street, 3rd Floor, Unit 27, London W10 6BD United-Kingdom.
Your order will be processed by us as promptly as possible and we will dispatch your shoes within 24 hours. However during busy times please allow up to 5 working days for delivery.
Your order will be shipped once payment has been approved and the delivery/billing address has been verified. Orders have to be placed before 1pm (GMT/BST Monday to Friday) to meet our deadlines. All orders after 1pm will be dispatched the following working day.
The shipping charges for courier delivery are:
|UK Standard (4-5 days)
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|London Same Day (order by 1pm GMT)
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Deliveries are made between 9am and 6pm on working days and require a signature on delivery. Deliveries made to Russia must be sent to a business address. Please contact customer care prior to ordering if you have any queries. If the first delivery attempt is missed, the courier will leave a calling card for the receiver's attention detailing clear instructions of how to arrange a re-delivery. If you have not received your goods within 5 days please contact our customer care
UK VAT will be automatically deducted from merchandise shipped to non-EU countries but DDP charges are added to certain non-EU destinations. This is clearly indicated on the order sheet when purchasing
Please note that we are not responsible for any import duties, customs and local sales taxes levied by the country shipped to.
To a few selected countries we ship on a DDP (Delivery Duty Paid) basis, which means that all relevant import taxes and duties will be included in the product price. These charges are non-refundable when goods are returned to us.
The countries we ship DDP to are:
USA, Australia, Hong Kong
You can return your order within 14 days from receipt for a full refund. Refunds will be made via the original method of payment. You can exchange any item within 28 days for a different colour or size of the same style, as long as the replacement item required is in stock. If you would like a different item please contact us at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Returns or exchange requests received outside the outlined time frames will not be accepted and these items will be returned to you. Returns are usually processed within 48 hours of the return being received by our warehouse. During busy periods such as Christmas, New Year and sales, processing may take longer.
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We offer free UK returns. To return an item from the UK please email email@example.com or call 020-8969-6966 and quote your order number. We will then work with you to schedule a collection with our shipping provider for your goods at a convenient time for you. You must use the original shipping box provided. Please do not use your own box or shipping provider. Once a collection is booked, please enclose the returns slip inside of the parcel.
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Here's a chalk portal created by an unknown artist in an unknown city of an unknown state. Despite all the unknowns, the sidewalk drawing is absolutely fantastic. [James Stowe via NerdApproved]
Update: Thanks to some help from @izenmania and @Tom, we found the artist behind this chalk drawing. It's James Stowe and he entered this creation in the Frost Park Chalk Off held in Tacoma, Washington.
You can keep up with Kelly Hodgkins, the author of this post, on Twitter.


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Antiretroviral treatment for HIV reduces food insecurity
Can treatment with modern anti-HIV drugs help fight hunger for HIV-infected patients in Africa? Starting antiretroviral therapy for HIV reduces "food insecurity" among patients in Uganda, suggests a study published online by the journal AIDS, official journal of the International AIDS Society.
Treatment including antiretroviral therapy (ART) may lead to a "positive feedback loop" whereby improved functioning and productivity lead to increased ability to work—and thus to decreased food insecurity, according to the study by Kartika Palar, PhD and colleagues of University of California Los Angeles and RAND Corporation. The article is available on the AIDS journal homepage and in the November 28 print edition.
Food Insecurity Decreases in Year after Starting ART
The researchers studied 602 patients receiving first-time care for HIV disease at two clinics in Uganda. At one clinic, patients were started on ART, the most effective drug treatment for HIV. Patients at the other clinic were close to becoming eligible but not yet started on ART.
During the first year of treatment, the two groups were compared for changes in their level of food insecurity, defined as "the limited or uncertain availability of adequate food." Based on a simple questionnaire, about half of patients had severe food insecurity at the start of treatment (53 percent in the ART group and 46 percent of those not receiving ART).
In both groups, starting HIV treatment led to improved food security. However, the trend was more pronounced in the group receiving ART. By twelve months, the rate of severe food insecurity had decreased to 13 percent of the ART group versus 18 percent in the non-ART group.
Examination of other variables gave insight into the "pathway" by which ART may lead to improved food security. Patients starting antiretroviral drugs had greater improvements in work status and in mental health—particularly decreased scores for depression. Although physical health also improved during treatment—with or without ART—this did not seem to contribute to the reduction in food insecurity.
Changing the 'Vicious Cycle' to an 'Upward Spiral'
Researchers are just beginning to explore the socioeconomic and psychological benefits of ART for HIV-infected patients. In developing countries such as Uganda, food insecurity is a common problem with important effects on health. Previous studies have shown that patients with food insecurity are less likely to follow up with recommended treatment for HIV and have poorer treatment outcomes.
The new study provides evidence that starting treatment for HIV—especially treatment including ART—leads to improved food security. The reductions in food insecurity were achieved even though neither of the study clinics offered food assistance.
"Our results suggest that greater ability to work and reduced symptoms of depression may be the primary pathways through which ART improves food insecurity," Dr Palar and coauthors write. They suggest a "bidirectional relationship" between ART and food insecurity.
While ART alone can't solve the problem of food insecurity, the researchers believe that policymakers should consider interventions to halt the "vicious cycle" by which HIV leads to worsening social and economic outcomes. Dr Palar and colleagues conclude, "Well-integrated and implemented interventions in the context of comprehensive care have the potential to produce an 'upward spiral' where food security and ART can mutually reinforce each other for the benefit of all those in treatment."


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The following is a list of the specific funds to which you may contribute. If you do not wish to specify how you would like your donation to be used, the AAVSO will determine the fund where it is needed most and place it there.
General Fund
This fund is an unrestricted fund and supports the general operations of the Association.


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GameHitZone.com - Games For Free!
English | Русский | Español | Français | العربية | Português | Deutsch
Night Street Racing Gameplay Trailer
Download Free Game Night Street Racing
3D street racing game. Night street racing is a major attraction in big cities around the world. The racers are legendary for their need for speed, while the cars they drive signify the perfect union of consumer-grade auto manufacturing and extreme vehicular tuning. Now you can become a night street racer. You will take part in competitions, earning cash and winning new cars along the way. Racing skills and smart vehicular modifications will determine the winner.
File Size: 34.3 MB


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Growing up in Aberdeen, Scotland, Sheila had many friends whose parents worked in the oil industry. She was attracted to Shell from the very beginning and dreamed about having an international career with the company.
And that's exactly what she got when she joined Shell in 1990 after obtaining her degree in Electronics and Electrical engineering. "Early on, I worked on both onshore and offshore rigs as a well site petroleum engineer, followed by various roles in Petrophysics in the NAM (Nederlandse Aardolie Maatschappij) and The Hague. My role in The Hague gave me the opportunity to go on mini short-term assignments to countries needing additional Petrophysical support, Gabon and the Philippines being highlights. I moved from technical roles into economics while on a posting to Australia, and from there I moved into commercial roles."


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Job ID: 1193-000289
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National Corporate Profile
Interim HealthCare franchised offices employ nurses, therapists, aides, companions and other healthcare professionals who provide 25 million hours of home care service to 190,000 people each year, meeting a variety of home health, senior care, hospice, palliative care, pediatric care and healthcare staffing needs.
We offer the perfect combination of flexibility and stability you're looking for in a healthcare employer. As America's leading provider of home care, hospice and healthcare staffing, chances are we have the right assignment to fit your needs – as well as online training and other opportunities to help you advance your career.


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I can't believe how time flies. It's already time for me to send out my fabrics!
I have chopped 'em up and they are being mailed out tomorrow.
For my month, I'd like you to make a block inspired by these wall hangings:
Woven wall hanging by Eve Gulick - you can read a bit more about her here.
Please use this as the general idea and inspiration, but feel free to put your own spin on it as you see fit! I'd like for you to make a long rectangle – like one of the wall hangings in the photo.
How long you make it is up to you, but it should be 12 ½" wide. Please just make one block – I'd rather one longer rectangle than two shorter ones…
Please use the Kona Coal as the background fabric. Hopefully you have enough but if you don't, I can add outside borders once I get the block back - just let me know where to add the Coal if needed.
Lastly, if you could stick to the fabrics I've sent that would be great.
Thanks so much everyone - I can't wait to see the blocks you make!
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Caught up!
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Southwood youth auction; North Lenoir 'Wizard' gala; Herman Spence III Super Lawyer
Southwood youth plan auction
The kindergarten through fifth-grade youth group of Southwood Memorial Christian Church is having a fundraiser Saturday to raise money to visit the aquarium and the Pirates Voyage Show in Myrtle Beach, S.C. The doors will open at 5 p.m. to enjoy hot dogs, chips and drinks for $5.
The silent auction, with a variety of items, will start at 5 p.m. also, with bids closing at 6:20 p.m. The live auction will begin at 6:30 p.m. Items will include N.C. State University, UNC, ECU, Duke and Carolina Panthers baskets. Each basket will contain two throws, a watch, flag, cap, variety of Christmas ornaments, plus other school memorabilia items. Each basket is worth more than $100. There will be many other items as well on which to bid.
The event will be held in the Family Life Center, 1027 N.C. 58 S., Kinston.
�Wizard of Oz� gala today
The North Lenoir High School Gala is today at the Walnut Creek Country Club in Goldsboro.
The reception will begin at 6 p.m., with a buffet dinner at 7 p.m., followed by a Cabaret show at 8 p.m. A disc jockey spinning tunes will provide music and mood for dancing from 9 to 11 p.m.
Ray Kennedy will emcee and accompany the Cabaret show, featuring Michelle Braxton, Heather Shaw and Samantha Holland. Live and silent auctions will be going on during the evening.
The gala, sponsored by the North Lenoir Boosters Club, has been organized to raise $15,000 to fund the flying equipment and orchestra for the high school�s April 18-21 �Wizard of Oz� production � the 50th Broadway musical under the direction of Marian Kennedy, which also was her first at North Lenoir. Money also will fund college scholarships for the school�s Drama Club seniors.
Tickets are $28. Call Donna Goodson at 252-566-5119 or Loretta Butts at 919-778-7732.
Kinston native named �Super Lawyer�
CHARLOTTE � Herman Spence III recently was selected as a North Carolina Super Lawyer for 2013.
This listing is of outstanding lawyers around the nation who have a notable degree of peer recognition and professional achievement.
Spence is a tax attorney with Robinson, Bradshaw and Hinson in Charlotte.
He is the son of Louise Spence of Kinston and the late Herman Spence Jr.


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Do you want to delete all occurrences of the recurring appointment "Memorial Day - No Classes", or just this one?
Delete this occurrence.
Delete this series.
The Franklin County School Board is committed to nondiscrimination with regard to sex, gender, race, color, national origin, disability, religion, ancestry, age, marital status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law. This commitment will prevail in all of its policies and practices concerning staff, students, educational programs and services, and individuals and entities with whom the Board does business.


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Top KHL squad killed in passenger plane crash in Russia
There were 37 passengers and eight crew members on board. Of the 45 people, only two survived. Seven bodies from the crashed plane have been identified so far. It has become the worst tragedy to affect Russian sport in the country's recent history.
Full list of people on board of crashed Yak-42
The Yak-42 certainly appeared to overrun the take-off point. Witnesses report seeing clouds of dust as the plane took off at the very end of the runway where the concrete gives way to soil. The reason for this late take-off could have been insufficient engine thrust. This, in turn, might have resulted in the pilot making the mistake of attempting to take off when the plane had not gained sufficient speed, thus causing the aircraft to tilt to its left side and collide with the homing beacon mast some 450 meters from the runway, crashing on a bank of Volga River after that.
The Yak-42 needs a minimum speed of 215 km/h for a safe take-off and 420 km/h to gain the necessary altitude. Therefore, the possibility that a possible technical malfunction or a bird getting into one of the engines, preventing the plane from gaining the required speed, cannot be discounted. Still, the vehicle was moving so fast that the pilot obviously opted to take off anyway, as most certainly he would not have been able to stop the aircraft before the end of the runway.
Hockey plane crash: model and airfield facts
Local citizens were the first to arrive at the scene of the crash and it was they who saved the only two survivors.
Air-mechanic Aleksandr Sizov was pulled out of the water by a local man. Sizov had multiple fractures of his left leg, scalp lacerations and facial burns. He was in a state of shock and unable to speak. After being treated by a local paramedic he was taken to hospital.
Aleksandr Galimov, a forward for Lokomotiv Yaroslavl and for Russia's national team, was also saved from the Volga River by a fisherman who took the survivor to hospital in Yaroslavl. He received multiple fractures and sustained burns to over 80 per cent of his body, as well as severe damage to his respiratory system. According to the medical personnel, his condition has not improved overnight and remains critical.
"We heard a plane take off so we told our granddaughter: 'look, there is going to be an airplane.' Then I heard a bang and my daughter told me: 'mom, it is falling down, to the side.' Then came the flames and the smoke and we wanted to run away but didn't know where to run. Then we went to the river and saw the plane," an eyewitness of the disaster told RT.
"After the plane took off, I heard a noise like two cars colliding. Several seconds later we heard another bang. Then the plane started leaning to the right. After we heard the second bang, the plane suddenly dived and hit the ground. I didn't see it hit the ground, but we saw that its tail had broken off. The plane broke in two," says another witness.
The crash site is some 2,500 meters from the runway. The incident happened just next to the Volga River and some fragments of the aircraft and bodies of the victims fell into the water. So far 35 bodies have been recovered from the site, local rescue services say. The recovery operation will continue uninterrupted overnight, the regional department of the Investigative Committee said.
Ice hockey team Lokomotiv. Photo from the website of the KHL.
HK Lokomotiv confirmed that its entire 37-strong main squad was on board the Yak-42. They were traveling to the Belarusian capital Minsk. Eleven of the victims were foreign players for the club. The squad included three players from the Czech Republic, two Ukrainians as well as athletes from Belarus, Canada, Germany, Latvia, Slovakia and Sweden.
"Yaroslavl is my home team. We supported it. We loved this team and we were shocked when we found out. We went to all their games, knew all of them by name. It's very difficult," an eyewitness told RT.
The two survivors are in a serious condition and have been taken to hospital. One of them is team member Aleksandr Galimov. The other is a flight engineer, preliminary reports say.
"Galimov has burns to 80 per cent of his body, the crew member has broken bones and lacerations in addition to massive burns," Dr. Viktor Berezin from the hospital's burn trauma department told Interfax.
Aviation authorities say the Yak-42 underwent all the routine checks before being cleared for the flight and was in good condition.
It is the first-ever fatal crash involving a sports team in modern Russia. Soviet Union's worst incident of this kind was the 1979 mid-air collision of two Tupolev Tu-134s in Dniprodzerzhynsk, Ukraine. Seventeen players and staff of the then-Soviet top-division Pakhtakor Football Club team died in the crash.
Tragic roll-call of sports teams in air disasters
The Yaroslavl HC Lokomotiv were Russian Champions in 1997, 2002 and 2003. The squad was to play a match against Mink HC Dinamo on Thursday.
The heads of the KHL have held an urgent meeting to discuss the measures to be taken following the tragic crash and death of the Yaroslavl team. The Salavat Ulaev versus Atlant match, which is the opening battle of the league season, was cancelled by the KHL.
The tragedy marred the opening game of the KHL season in Ufa. Image by TV channel Rossiya-24.
President Dmitry Medvedev is to visit the crash site on Thursday. He offered his condolences to the relatives of the victims and to fans of the club over the tragedy.
Visitors of the International Political Forum, who are visiting Yaroslavl at the moment, held a minute's silence to commemorate the victims of the crash. The Russian Hockey Federation voiced its condolences to the Lokomotiv club, the families of the victims and the entire ice hockey community.
Leaders and officials from a number of countries, including Belarus, Ukraine, Latvia and Germany among others have expressed their regrets after hearing the news of the tragedy. The International Ice Hockey Federation and national hockey federations and other sporting organizations from Belarus, Georgia and other countries also offered their condolences.
Rescuers spent a lot of time searching for the bodies of the victims
Hockey fans in Moscow are gathering in Red Square near the Kremlin to honor the deceased Lokomotiv players and the other victims of the crash. In Minsk, people are laying flowers in front of the stadium where the team was scheduled to play on Thursday.
Yaroslavl fans have placed a giant club flag on the ground in front of its training base. They are also gathering at one of the city's squares to mark the loss of their team.
Divers are working at the spot to recover bodies and plane parts
Russia's Investigative Committee has launched a criminal investigation into the incident and sent a team of forensic experts from Moscow to Yaroslavl, according to the spokesman for the committee, Vladimir Markin.
The Interstate Aviation Committee, a regional regulating body, has launched its own probe into the cause of the crash.
Prime Minister Putin ordered Transport Minister Igor Levitin to organize the initial part of the investigation at the scene.
Investigators have only just begun collecting evidence and data from the fatal Yak-42 plane crash. All possible causes for the tragedy are being considered – but sources within the investigative teams say the main focus is on technical failure and human error.


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- About us
- Blogs
- Funding/Donations
- Challenges
- Chapters
- Papers
- Projects
- Code of Conduct
- Google SoC
- Recent posts
- Security Workshops
ORGANIZATION New Chapter lead: Sjur Eivind Usken (previous Einar Oftedal) Members: Einar Oftedal Tor Inge Skaar - CC2ASN and helping out running and updating the servers Roger Carlsen - helping out with honeycloud Atle Soma - helping out with networking setup Morten Krakvik Erlend Oftedal - looking into web malware, and client side attacks initiated from web sites Lars Haukli Øystein Fladby (Felix Leder) Left the chapter: Morten Rodal DEPLOYMENTS List current technologies deployed. honeywall Several VoIPHun (SIP honeypot) SSH honeypot (tried Kippo as well) Activity timeline: Challenge number 4 - VoIP challenge General progress during the year. RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT Honeycloud Setting up a private cloud for all Honeynet Members. This is currently 12 servers, but can be expanded. Working on a larger storage solution as well. Femtocell testing Testing femtocells for security issues. Mostly the Honeynet Telecom Special Interest Group (TSIG) Setting up automatic visits on top norwegian sites, and recording/detecting any malware in play. CC2ASN database: a kind of inverse ip-to-country lookup service. We have blogged about this on two occations; http://www.honeynor.no/2009/06/19/country-lookup/ and http://www.honeynor.no/2010/03/23/enhanced-cc2asn/. The override definition file for the enhanced database are being reviewed and updated. FINDINGS SIP honeypot The same attacks are present, but also botnets are starting to use SIPVicious and other tools. Missing: Honeebox version 2.0 !! PAPERS AND PRESENTATIONS Internal presentations on SIP security for several companies. Honeynet Project Tools presentation by Tor Inge Skaar at the ISF 2010 conference in Norway (http://www.honeynor.no/2010/09/02/isf-conference/) GOALS There were no specific goals for last year, but we would like to deploy Honeebox 2.0 as soon as it is ready. Goals 2011: Honeycloud ready (soon) Test out the new honeywall Get kippo up and running with a better management solution (automatic reporting etc) MISC ACTIVITIES Internal infrastructure maintenance and keeping server software up to date.
This blog post is a follow up to an earlier article, where I set out to conceive a system that could deliver the data needs to answer 5 specific questions.
The setup Read more »
Sometimes (actually, most times) you don't need advanced deception technology, but rather just a simple tool to answer some simple questions. I was recently in that situation, and needed the answers to the following questions: Read more »
Finally we can announce with great pleasure the first public beta of the Beeswarm project.
Beeswarm is an active IDS project that provides easy configuration, deployment and management of honeypots and clients. The project differentiates itself by two key items:
Active deceptions Read more »
The Conpot team recently introduced what we call the proxy module. Basically we forward the traffic from one service in Conpot to a service running on a real piece of hardware. This is a very successful technique when figuring out a unknown hardware or protocol. Next step then is to decode the messages logged in the proxy module. Most of this step is done by studying books of specifications, leaked manuals and offensive tools. This then gives us insight into the protocol, the commands sent and responses generated. Read more »
Norwegian Honeynet Chapter - Status Report For 2013
Existing members:
Sjur Eivind Usken - Chapter Lead
Einar Oftedal
Lukas Rist
Johnny Vestergaard
Phani Vadrevu
Erlend Oftedal
New members:
Daniel Haslinger - Security researcher from Austria
Aniket Panse - Successful GSoC student
Tor Inge Skaar - Busy changing diapers
A list of tools deployed by the Norwegian Honeynet Chapter:
Glastopf - Web application honeypot
Conpot - ICS/SCADA honeypot
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT: Read more »
List current chapter members and their activities.
New Chapter lead: Sjur Eivind Usken (previous Einar Oftedal)
Einar Oftedal
Tor Inge Skaar - Maintenance and new sensors
Roger Carlsen - helping out with honeycloud
Atle Soma - helping out with networking setup
Morten Krakvik
Erlend Oftedal - looking into web malware, and client side attacks initiated from web sites
Lars Haukli
Øystein Fladby
(Felix Leder)
List current technologies deployed.
Several VoIPHun (SIP honeypot)
SSH honeypot (tried Kippo as well) Read more »
This year we've got one new member; Erlend Oftedal. He is working for Bekk Consulting and is maintaining his blog at http://erlend.oftedal.no/blog in addition to ours. He's an expert in web application security. Also, Christian Stigen Larsen has left our chapter. It's excellent that the Honeynet Project finally got it's own SILC server, though we would wish more of the chapters would use it.
The norwegian chapter currently consists of the following members: Read more »
The team from the Norwegian chapter has our own webpage at http://www.honeynor.no
Please drop by!


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Bootlegging dramas come with a built-in sympathy clause in their contracts with the audience. C'mon! they plead. All these folks want is to get the government off their backs, follow their American dream and provide liquor to the masses. And by the way, wasn't Prohibition a joke?
Yes, and a bloody one, eternally ripe for the movies. "Lawless" comes from Australian director John Hillcoat and screenwriter Nick Cave (the musician and writer), adapting loosely Matt Bondurant's semi-true historical novel "The Wettest County in the World," concerning his great-uncles' exploits in the rural Virginia hooch wars.
This should've been a really good picture, especially with Hillcoat's crack ensemble. Instead it's a stilted battle waged between the material and the interpreters. It's up to you, the thirsty customer, to decide who won.
Tom Hardy is the reason to see it, though as a shady Chicago burlesque dancer who falls in with the Bondurant crew, the luminous Jessica Chastain doesn't hurt. The focal point of the story may be the youngest Bondurant, Jack, played by Shia LaBeouf, but he has a difficult time competing with the more seasoned and attention-grabbing characters. Hardy is Forrest Bondurant, the head of the Franklin County, Va., moonshine operation. With brother Howard (Jason Clarke) acting as the strong-arm, Forrest pays off the local sheriff (Bill Camp) and keeps ruthless competitors (Gary Oldman pops in eventually as a Chicago gangster) at bay as the boys make moonshine while the sun shines.
They're good family men, just looking out for themselves and willing to do what it takes in the Great Depression to stay afloat. As Forrest utters at one self-conscious point: "It is not the violence that sets a man apart. It's the distance he's prepared to go." Then, to mess it all up, The Government arrives, in the persona of a Chicago "special agent" played by an outrageously slimy Guy Pearce.
"Lawless" is considerably gory and often extreme in its acts of carnage. At the film's premiere at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival, screenwriter Cave described the story as a simple mixture of "sentimentality and brute violence." An honest assessment. Yet there's surprisingly little in that mixture, no interesting moral dilemmas beyond bootleggers, good; Guy Pearce, bad. (The antagonist makes the Jude Law weasel in "Road to Perdition" look like the picture of psychological health.) Shot in Georgia with actors from the U.S., Australia and England, Hillcoat's film lacks the visual detail and grit it needs to bring these people, this unruly landscape, to life. The romance between LaBeouf's upstart Jack and the sheltered, pious flower portrayed by Mia Wasikowska feels like a knockoff. Even the roughest standoffs between the Bondurants and their adversaries, no matter how many people are left dead, lack cinematic urgency.
Hardy is so charismatic, though, you may stick with "Lawless" through thick and thin anyway. (Or as Mel Brooks used to say, "through thin.") LaBeouf tops the billing and narrates this heavily romanticized tale, but Hardy anchors and dominates the proceedings, with his brass knuckles and amusing bearlike grunts of displeasure or doubt. Each scene is set off on its own, pristinely staged. Even a few more extras milling around, looking for work or ducking the bullets, would've helped "Lawless," which is very consciously more fable than fully fleshed historical fiction.
'Lawless' -- 2 1/2 stars
MPAA rating: R (for strong bloody violence, language and some sexuality/nudity)
Running time: 1:55
Opens: Wednesday


text: I keep getting this message. LoneStar22, you do not have permission to access this page. This could be due to one of several reasons: Your user account may not have sufficient privileges to access this page. Are you trying to edit someone else's post, access administrative features or some other privileged system? If you are trying to post, the administrator may have disabled your account, or it may be awaiting activation. Thanks for the help, please reply, thx again.


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Summerfest on the Rio
SummerFest on the Rio was started in 2001 as a way to promote the San Luis Valley's eclectic arts and crafts community. Since then, the annual festival has been held along the winding Rio Grande on the first weekend in June. It's a kick-off to summertime in Alamosa's spacious and picturesque Cole Park.
The park opens up Friday, June 1 at 4:00 p.m. This provides everyone a sneak peek to what the weekend offers. Unwind from a long week, walk along the park and enjoy the evening. Friday night is SummerFest's signature Concert in the Park. Food vendors and the beer garden will be open. Saturday proves to be a big hit with the families. 2018 marks the 6th Annual SummerFest Poker Run. Proceeds will go toward the Valley Humane League. Beginning at 10:00 a.m. the vendors will be ready to go. There will be entertainment on two stages as well as throughout the park. Sunday, starting at 10:00 a.m., visitors return for delicious food, entertainment and activities with more than 125 craft, food and activity vendors.
SummerFest weekend is jam-packed with live entertainers and something for everyone with no admission fee. We're excited to offer the opportunity to feature a wide range of entertainers, crafters and artists, amazing food, beer garden and activities for all ages.
contact us:
Held in Cole Park
PO Box 894 (Mailing)
Alamosa, CO 81101


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Unlock the Past History and Genealogy Cruise
Event Information
19 Mar 2011 2:00pm - 26 Mar 2011 6:00am
- Noumea, Lifou, Port Vila
- South Pacific Islands
- Australia
Other Information
- Cost: TBA
- email@example.com
- 08 8396 1110
Join us and 200 others for the first Unlock the Past conference cruise from 19-26 March 2011. We have chosen the Pacific Dawn, one of the larger cruise ships operating from Australia. Click Pacific Dawn to learn more.
Click here for full Conference-Cruise web site, details and booking form. To ensure you get the cabin of your choice and take advantage of early bird pricing book now for the inaugural Unlock the Past History and Genealogy Cruise.
- Duration - 7 days
- Date 19-26 March 2011
- Depart from Brisbane
- Return to Brisbane
- Ports of call - Noumea, Lifou, Vila
- Ship - Pacific Dawn (P & O)
A unique and great value conference package includes:
- Attendance at all conference presentations by a team of expert presenters
- An opportunity to enjoy both formal and informal conference activities
- Main presentations in the International Show Lounge
- More informal presentations & workshops on a variety of topics in the Dome
- Smaller special groups in other areas on topics for which there is sufficient interest
- the day to day interaction at meal and other times with those of similar interest
- A special cruise conference benefit voucher pack worth several hundred dollars
- Option to purchase a planned cruise DVD and photo book - a unique record of our cruise
Presenters - offering a wide variety of subjects
- Main presenters
* Ron Austin - Military publisher and historian
* Shauna Hicks
* Mike Murray
* Cora Num
* Jeremy Palmer
* and others we are still negotiating with.
- Supporting workshop and special interest group presenters
* Carol Baxter
* Jan Gow
* John Graham
* Rosemary Kopittke
* Allan & Joy Murrin
* Lesley Silvester
* Helen Smith
* and others to be confirmed
Book now for the best price and choice of cabins.
- Login to post comments


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If you're an avid follower of this blog (I mean, who isn't?), you probably know that I was recently held against my will in London by a horrible Icelandic barbarian. No, I'm not referring to musical demi-star Bjork...but rather Eyjafjallajokull, the evil Icelandic volcano. During my lengthy and unexpected stay in London, I managed to have some fun, ride a good bit and meet some great people. I also managed to acquire a fantastically pretentious fake British accent that will put Madonna and Gwenyth Paltrow's fake accents to shame. Additionally, my entire vocabulary has changed as a result of my prolonged stay. That's right folks...I now take lifts to people's flats, so I can take off my knickers and go to the loo (not to be confused with the Louvre, the fictitious museum that appears in the literary masterpiece The DaVinci Code). Why do I desperately need to go to the loo? Because I ate too many crumpets (not to be confused with trumpets, the instruments widely used in the cringe-inducing work of The Mighty Mighty Bosstones). So if you talk to me in the next few weeks, please excuse my inability to understand you when you tell me about your new apartment. Rest assured that I will soon tell all of you a good bit more regarding my stay in England...but in the meantime there's something else I must tell you about. See the name of this post? That's what I'm talking about. I'm talking about what we shall henceforth simply refer to as "The Jonathan Vaughters Incident". If you are a Bike Snob fan, you are also allowed to refer to it as "TJVI" if you wish, and if it will make you feel more at ease while visiting this humble little corner of the interweb.
"Please have your passports ready"
Having been finally released from the shackles of the evil volcano overlord, my wife and I boarded a USA-bound airplane this past weekend. Upon arriving to New York City's famed JFK airport, we made our way down into the dry-heave inducing passport control/immigration area, which lies somewhere in the piss-stained basement of that airport. As usual, the crowd going into the hellish passport control area was sizable, due to the arrival of a second large airplane from Brussels (according to what the largely unreadable and broken LED panels told me). As a legal permanent resident (but not citizen) of these United States Of America, I was kindly allowed by the security staff to join my wife in the lengthy line (queue, as we say back in England) intended for US citizens. The line was marked off by cheap velvet rope-type devices. We all made our way slowly though the winding line, often seeing the same people on the next parallel line over and over again. This sensation gave me flashbacks of standing in line at Six Flags waiting to go on a ride, while having to look at all the acne-filled teenagers around me. This time, however, it was not an overweight teenager who I saw coming towards me, but one Jonathan Vaughters. He was wearing a double breasted suit, a fancy dress shirt, and his sideburns were unusually pointy (even for him.) As we walked towards each other, I thought surely we would pass like two ships in the night. No words said, no acknowledgment. Just me in my stinky clothing from an unexpectedly long stay in London, and his pointy sideburns passing by each other. But then it happened. Out of nowhere, as I went by him I uttered the words:
"Good luck this season Jonathan."
They came out as easily and effortlessly as an old lady's uncontrollable fart. Unlike a stinky old-person fart (which usually smell like boiled cabbage), my comment was well received. Vaughters smiled, nodded and said "thank you." His reaction didn't make things any better. Why on earth had I wished him good luck? It's not as though I wish him or his team bad luck...but I was rather amazed by the fact that words of any kind had come out of my mouth. It's as though I had been suddenly overcome with a transient case of Tourret's Syndrome. Why did I have to acknowledge him? It's not as though he's a super-star celebrity. It's not as though I deeply care for him or admire him (as I do Dennis Anderson, driver of Grave Digger). I mean, he was a pro and he's done a great job getting Garmin/Slipstream/Chipotle/Transitions off the ground...but in the grand scheme of things, he's just some dude. A dude with with sweet sideburns, but still just a dude. I was embarrassed for having said anything at all. If I had to say something, why couldn't it have been something smart and insightful like:
"Are you contractually obligated, like much of the cycling press is, to state over and over again that Zabriskie is funny"
"Dude, just between us...you saw crazy amounts of needles and blood centrifuge machines in the US Postal team bus. Am I right or am I right? Is the sharpness and pointy nature of your sideburns an homage to the US Postal needles?"
"Can you show me how to do that trick where you make the one side of your face blow up like a tangerine? I need an excuse for having missed work for like ten days while I was being held hostage by a volcano in London."
But it was not to be. Instead, I had simply wished him good luck, and suddenly felt like a celebrity-stalking idiot for having even acknowledged him. Look, in my lifetime I've been around true celebrities...I'm talking about high level Hollywood heavy-hitters, so I'm not one to even acknowledge the existence of people such as Vaughters. For example, and I'm not saying this to show off: back in Colombia I once had the great honor of working with the guy who dubbed over ALF's voice into Spanish for the TV show. I'm serious. Again, I'm not saying this to show off or anything...but merely to explain to you that I normally wouldn't get all excited around someone who's managed to win a stage at Redlands, or managed to get his face to plump up like a fat lady's swollen foot. You see, I've been around A list stars....but somehow my tiny outburst while waiting in line would indicate otherwise.
After having seen me unexpectedly speak to a complete stranger, my wife rightfully asked who the person was. "He owns a cycling team", is how I put it, in order to keep things simple. My wife responded with, "He's all dressed up, and his sideburns look like he's in Beverly Hills 90210". I agreed, and told her he was kinda' known for his pointy sideburns, and for looking like he was an extra in 90210. I also acknowledged her keen eye, and accurate pop culture reference.
"Sir, please step over here with your bag" (Diverging points of view)
My wife and I successfully made it through passport control, with Vaughters right behind us on the same line. We now had to go through another security screening since we had a connecting flight.
My wife made it through the security screening without any trouble. I wasn't so lucky. While my place of birth (Colombia) is sometimes an issue, it was something else that created a problem this time. Namely, a big rock in my suitcase. As my carry-on luggage made it through the x-ray machine, the woman behind the screen called three of her colleagues over. I was told to step "over here" with my bag. I suspected that my idiotic souvenir from Roubaix might be the issue.
Checking in at Heathrow, I had been asked about it. "Is this a rock? Why does it have a screw going into it?" I had explained that it was the replica of a trophy, a souvenir I had bought. As soon as I said this, the security agent at Heathrow had given me the same pity-filled look that he'd give a grown man who has just soiled his pants while standing in front of him. Still, he had allowed me to continue my travels with the cobblestone in my bag. It was probably my fantastic fake British accent that had made him see that we were just two countrymen having a chat. But now, standing in a US airport, it seemed as though American authorities were not going to be as kind to me as the British ones had been. In their eyes, I was just a wetback with a godamned rock in his bag.
Sure enough, the TSA agent opened my bag and went right for the huge cobblestone. I suddenly became self-conscious. Sure, bringing back a cobblestone is a stupid thing to do. As a blogger whose writings are read by tens of people, I should be above buying such a stupid souvenir. I should be jaded and aloof, and to be honest, I am both of those things most of the time. But riding the Paris-Roubaix route was humbling, as I wrote in this lengthy post. Having been humbled lead to me buying not just one cheap replica of the trophy given to the winner, but two. This is because I purchased one for my brother as his birthday present. How could I not buy him one? His birthday was coming up, and we had done this ride together. How many of you are lucky enough to do such a ride with a sibling? If you are lucky enough to do such a thing, make sure you buy him/her a damn rock at the end of it. It's the least you can do. I mean, nothing says "you're super awesome" like a rock on a cheap wooden pedestal can. By the way, you can hear my brother's account of the ride on his podcast, which also includes some interesting interviews from the trip, like one with the guy whose job it is to put up the arrows to mark the Roubaix course.
Anyway, at the end of the ride, after I took my fake victory lap around the real velodrome, I broke down and bought myself the stupid cobblestone. Why? Perhaps because I was woozy from a long day of ridding, giddy from the fact that I was actually there, and probably hallucinating from extreme exhaustion and hunger. But that had been many days before my arrival to JFK airport. I was now in standing before a TSA agent who was asking me why I had a stupid rock in my bag. It was a perfectly good question to ask. He also wanted to know why this big rock had a screw coming out of it. I explained that it was originally attached to a base, but I had unscrewed it for the trip to ensure that the base wouldn't brake off. "Why would a rock have a base?", the guy asked. It was yet another perfectly good question to ask. You don't think about these sorts of things until you are confronted by a slightly pudgy guy in cheap polyester pants and an oversized polo shirt.
As the TSA agent angrily looked at me while holding the cobble in his hands, I looked over to my left to see my wife sitting a few yards away, waiting for me. As I began to answer the agent, I looked to my right, and saw Vaughters on the other side of the security screening, looking in my direction. Without putting much thought into it, I told the TSA agent that the rock was part of a trophy for a bike race, which takes place on cobbled roads. "And you won the race then?", he asked. "Yes, yes I did", I told him. How else would I explain the fact that I have this weird trophy? Why would I actually pay for a replica of a rock/trophy? I had to tell him I had won, in order for him to believe me.
In essence, I had just told this guy I was Fabian Cancellara, with Jonathan Vaughters being well within earshot. As soon as I said it, I imagined further interrogation in a dark room somewhere in a JFK basement. I imagined TSA agents comparing my face to pictures of Cancellara, and me being forced to stick out my jaw to match his brutal underbite. Luckily, none of this happened. The agent did continue to lecture me though, all in an animated and angry voice. "This could be a weapon you know? Think about it! The thing has a screw coming out of it! How can I not take this away from you right now?" He said. "Look, you won the race, it's your trophy. I see the base for it here in your bag, so I'm letting you keep it, but bringing it in your carry-on luggage was a stupid idea. I'm happy you won the race, but this was just dumb"
It's at this point of the story that two different points of view come into play. Mine and my wife's. Let me explain.
After getting my stern lecture. I was free to go, along with my cheesy souvenir. Mr Pointy Sideburns had seen the whole thing, which struck me as funny. My wife and I made our way to our gate, and I pointed out how funny it was that "the guy who owns the cycling team" had seen me being lectured about the cobble stone, and that I had lied about being the winner of the race...which he had most likely heard. My wife looked at me and said "but the guy with the sideburns wasn't there". I told her he was, but she disagreed. I told her that I was not just saying so because it made for a better story (which it did) but because I had seen him while I was answering questions from the security guy. She disagreed, she thought I was imagining this in order to make the story better. I soon realized that she had not seen Vaughter due to her vantage point. Much like JFK's assassination (which is just super funny, since we at the airport named after him), the Jonathan Vaugthers Incident is a complicated one, and many things have to be taken into account to fully understand the diverging points of view.
"Thanks to my tiny little glasses, I can clearly see a fourth-rate blogger being lectured by a TSA agent. I can also see him lying about being Fabian Cancellara."
Let me explain. My wife was sitting in a corner of the room, from which large x-ray equipment blocked her view of other passengers about to go through security. I, on the other hand, had a much better view of the room while I was being scolded by the angry TSA agent. She disagrees with this argument as well. In order to settle matters, I contacted airport security in order to have them pull the video from the surveillance cameras, which would in turn become like the Zapruder film of this ordeal. I told them that it was for a widely read cycling blog, and that it would help me prove that I was right to my wife...which is way more important than anything else in the world. Sadly, airport staff refused to release the video, and also asked me why on earth anyone would write a blog about cycling. I didn't have an answer to their question, so I silently hung up the phone and started writing this post.
Epilogue - Uncertainty and Vande Velde's punk rock jacket
So where does this whole story leave me? I don't know. It leaves me as a sad little man. It leaves me as a man who actually takes a brief moment in his life and dissects it to the point of making a long-ass post about it. It leaves me as a man who was already self-conscious about having bought a rock as a souvenir (two of them), and is now admitting to having done so on the internet to upwards of twelve people. With all this in mind, I feel unsettled...restless. What is a man to do? I don't know. The only thing I can think of is to share a picture of Christian Vande Velde wearing his sweet punk rock jacket (circa 1991), which was posted on Mr Vaughter's Twitter account. Just looking at it will make us all feel much, much better. Thanks to Cycling Inquisition reader Mr. Thomas for sending me the picture and giving me a timely heads up.
In closing I'd like to say that if for some reason Jonathan Vaughters reads this, perhaps he can help me settle the argument between my wife and me.
You know, now that I think about it, I'd rather not know. My wife is right. It makes for a better story this way.


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How Universal Life Insurance Works
You decide (up to limits regulated by federal tax law) when and how much premium payment to "pour in." The minimum premium is based on insurance company expenses, premium taxes, and the cost of pure insurance for your policy.
As you pay your premium, the insurance company deducts its sales expenses and premium taxes.
The remainder of your premium is credited to your cash value account. Each month, the company charges this account for its other expenses and the cost of pure insurance (net amount of risk coverage), or mortality cost.
Your cash value earns interest at a rate that fluctuates based on the rates earned by a segregated portfolio within the insurance company's general account. A minimum (guaranteed) interest rate will be stated in your policy.
If the company's portfolio earns more than the guaranteed interest rate, the company credits the excess interest to your policy.
If your remaining cash value is not sufficient to cover expenses and the cost of pure insurance, and you do not pour in more premium, the policy amount may then have to be reduced, or your policy will lapse. This would be similar to crushing the container at the top.
You may take a policy loan in an amount not to exceed the policy's cash surrender value less the annual loan interest. Repayment replenishes your cash value, but there may be a tax liability if the policy terminates before the death of the insured. Any loan balance outstanding (plus interest due) at your death is deducted from the policy amount paid to your beneficiary.


text: Driving around with a chip or a crack is extremely dangerous. If the damage is left unrepaired, there is a real risk that the crack could quickly spread or even worse, that your windshield could shatter completely. If your vehicle has damaged, it is absolutely essential to get a to fix problem as soon as possible.


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Henry County is under an ice storm warning until 9 a.m. Friday.
• The National Weather Service in Louisville Web site states that an ice storm warning is in effect for all of north-central Kentucky and southern Indiana.
"An area of low pressure is developing over the souther Plains and will move northeast toward the Ohio Valley tonight," a statement on the NWS Web site states. "Ahead of this system .... warm, moist air is spreading over the top of a preexisting cold air mass. This has set the stage for widespread freezing rain and sleet."
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University Of California Sides With Journal Publishers Over Its Own Struggling Libraries
from the and-against-the-taxpayers dept
There's been a push in recent years to open access to publicly funded research. The reasoning behind the push is solid: the public is paying for this research via federal funding, therefore it should have access to what it's paid for. The resistance usually comes from journal publishers who are very concerned about their main source of revenue -- access fees (usually on the "exorbitant" side) charged to university libraries. (Most publishers also charge writers a submission fee and grant themselves control of the copyright.)
Current law says that, for NIH funded research, there's a requirement for public access once the journals have been properly "windowed" by the publishers. After 12 months of publisher exclusivity, the publications are unlocked. A few recent bills have attempted to roll this back to six months, something the publishers have greeted with cries of dismay, including the hilarious assertion that opening public access six months early would "waste taxpayers' money."
California is another state exploring cutting the current window in half and, like every other attempt, it's been greeted by opposition from publishers uninterested in a 50% gravy train reduction. This is the expected response. What's completely unexpected is hearing a university side with the publishers against its own cash-strapped libraries.
The University of California system spends nearly $40 million every year to buy access to academic journals, even though many of the articles are written, reviewed, and edited by UC professors. So you'd think the cash-strapped UC system would leap to back any effort to undermine the absurd science publishing system.UC's letter seems to have the guiding hand of a concerned publisher behind it. It asks for the "embargo" to be set at the federal level -- 12 months -- expressing "concern" about a shorter time frame and saying that matching California's with the federal standard would "help avoid confusion and promote compliance with the law."
You'd think. But you'd be wrong.
Hearings into the bill were scheduled for last week, but were delayed so that the bill could be modified in order to earn the support of the University of California – the flagship higher education system in the state, and the host of millions of dollars in state-funded research.
When I first heard this I was excited. "Finally," I thought, "UC is stepping up to the plate and taking a strong stance in support of open access." Then I read the letter UC had sent.
Adrian Diaz, the University of California's Legislative Director, wrote that UC was "supportive of the legislation's intent" but would only support it if the embargo period were extended to one year, and if its own grant programs were exempted from the bill's requirements.
Oddly, the thought never occurred to UC to throw its support behind the bill seeking to set the national standard to 6 months in order to "avoid confusion." In other words, UC supports what's already in place and, if things do change, it should be exempt from the requirements. The letter also expresses a more real concern.
A twelve month embargo period will also allow publishers, including small publishers and scholarly societies, to meet their needs for revenue while ensuring long-term public access to published research.That's all well and good -- for the publishers. And this letter sides completely with the publishers, even adding a vague threat/warning that some journals may reject submissions coming from a state with only a 6-month "embargo" period. That's a rather stunning statement. It suggests that journal publishers will be more than willing to compile only the most profitable research, rather than the most pertinent or accurate.
On top of that, UC is siding against its own library system in its support of publishers.
[I]t is even more troubling that a university whose libraries are facing budget cuts every year while they try to keep up with the ever-increasing cost of journal subscriptions would cite publishers' need for revenue as their guiding principle when judging policies related to scholarly publishing.UC's letter of support for a system that extracts $40M in fees annually from the university system for research the government paid for (and authors paid to submit) is as baffling as it is infuriating. As it stands now, the system is unsustainable for the university and yet, it makes a statement asking for the status to remain firmly quo, even as its own librarians are cutting subscriptions to keep costs manageable.
How can Diaz DEFEND this system?? A system in which universities fork over billions of dollars of public money every year in order to buy back access to papers researchers gave to publishers for free? A system that is bankrupting our libraries? A system that denies people access to research their tax dollars paid for?
This research was paid for by the public but the publishers are primarily concerned with keeping knowledge locked up and the public at arm's length. It's disappointing (and alarming) that a major university would sympathize and support the expected publisher behavior.
Filed Under: california, open access


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Event is open to the public. Find out more HERE.
Sign the Live Monumental petition to help protect these five spectacular places, for you and for our future generations.
Nine weeks, 7,500 miles of canyons, petroglyphs, starry nights and breakdowns" in the summer of 2015, we took our 1976 Live Monumental RV on a classic American road trip to protect the places we play. 7,500 miles, 80 pit stops, one national monument designation, and one wilderness designation later, we've created a film to tell the story!
We've partnered with Wild & Scenic Film Festival to take the film on tour across the country. The Live Monumental Road Trip Continues.


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Re: RFA Voracek
Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2012 10:20 am
I think the only downside is that he counts against the cap+10% off season cap each year.Hockey Widow wrote:He is on LTIR, they get cap relief. If he cannot play anymore I doubt he retires. He will stay on LTIR to collect his insurance/salary and the Flyers can utilize his cap space.
We do know he won't start the season. He is a player with long layoffs before, one where everyone thought his career was done then. I can see him testing the waters in the New Year and seeing if he still has it. Of course if he can't play then he can't play but the Flyers will be fine.


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Posted by ESC on December 15, 2003
CROGGLED -- I found this word, new to me, in a mystery: "'Oh,' I said, croggled by the notion'" from "Aunt Dimity's Good Deed" by Nancy Atherton (Penguin Books, New York, 1996), Page 161.
Searching online I found this information:
Croggled -- Surprised/dazed/brought up short. From www.smithway.org/fstuff/termsC-E.html
croggle (v.) antedating 1959 Leah Zeldes submitted a 1959 cite from Fancyclopedia II. We would like cites of any date from other sources.
croggled (adj.) antedating 1962 Keith Stokes submitted a 1962 cite from "A Key to the Terminology of S-F Fandom". Keith Stokes submitted a 1966 cite from Bob Tucker's "A Neo-Fan's Guide to Science Fiction Fandom". Sue Surova submitted a cite for the form "becroggled" from a 1982 reprint of Marion Zimmer Bradley's 1980 article "A Darkover Retrospective". We would like cites of any date from other sources. From "SF Fandom Citations for the OED" at http://www.jessesword.com/SF/sf_fan.shtml Accessed December 15, 2003.