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VICTORIAN Racing Minister Denis Napthine has labelled a video of injured racehorses being shot at point-blank range at a knackery as "dramatic" and "overstating" animal wastage in the racing industry.
Animal activists, the Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses, secretly filmed the video which shows visibly distressed horses being held in pens not much larger than the size of their own bodies, before being shot by a man with a shotgun at close range.
Activists say the video highlights the issue of wastage in the horseracing industry, with as many as two-thirds of the horses bred for racing never seeing a race track.
While thoroughbreds can fetch millions of dollars at auction, failed or injured race horses can sell for as little as $70.
"These aren't your Makybe Divas, these aren't your Black Caviars; these are the horses who are slow, injured or didn't make the cut," said Ward Young from the Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses.
"The racing industry is deliberately silent on the issue of wastage because they know that sending thousands of healthy, uncompetitive horses to slaughter each year is unconscionable."
But Dr Napthine said that was an exaggeration.
"It was very dramatic but it certainly was overstating the issue," he said about the activists' video.
"In the horse industry there is a significant recycling program, if want to call it that. For example probably between 40 to 50 per cent of the horses racing are females and most of those go on to a career in the breeding industry. And even horses that don't make it to the racetrack that are female are used as brood mares, there's quite a high percentage of unraced brood mares.
"Then there are the geldings. There is a very high rate of those horses being used in a range of other horse-related activities whether that be equestrian, pleasure or the general horse industry."
But a leading racehorse re-educator Andrew McLean of the Australian Equine Behaviour Centre, said the demand thoroughbred and standard bred racehorses had waned in recent years.
"Although horse sports have grown more people are interested in purpose-bred horses and the European warm bloods as riding horses," Dr McLean said.
"But the fact is most people can't ride them very well."
He said compared with former racehorses warm bloods, which could cost tens of thousands dollars more, often had behavioural difficulties.
"They can be really cool one minute and then hot the next and they can be a little bit less predictable.
"[Shooting racehorses] is a real tragedy, it's such a waste. Most people would be better of with a sensible, well-trained thoroughbred or standard bred."
Dr McLean said some racehorses didn't need any retraining, while some owners could retrain their horses with some guidance.
But RSPCA Victoria president Hugh Wirth said while racehorses could be easily retrained their was no co-ordinated response to transition them from the track to the equestrian arena.
"All the of the things you have been told about rehoming standard breds or thoroughbreds is all correct but it's getting those homes, that's the problem," Dr Wirth said.
"There is just not enough people prepared to own a horse because it is an expensive outlay. You are talking about hundreds of dollars a week to get all geared up and then the rest of it and then you have got to find agistment.
"Frankly, it's Racing Victoria that has to supply the solution. They are the ones that register these foals, they are they ones who provide the racing, the are the ones who responsible ... for the excess number. They can't just walk away from the issue and say 'it's not our responsibility'.
Dr Napthine said he had was confident in Racing Victoria and Harness Racing Victoria's monitoring of animal welfare, but conceded more work needed to be done.
"Racing Victoria and Harness Racing Victoria ... are both working on projects and programs to improve the whole of life welfare of animals in their industry."
Racing Victoria spokesman Shaun Kelly said RV was funding the retraining of ex-racehorses for a life after racing in two Victorian-based programs.
"We actively promote a number of retrainers and in fact, this week we launched a new website, titled Off The Track, that is an information portal on the thoroughbred with a view to life after racing," Mr Kelly said.
WARNING: Graphic imagesBelow is a video posted by the Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses showing injured racehorse being shot.


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Confirmed: "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" Teaser Trailer to Debut July 29th via Satellite
Jul 24, 2008
It has now been confirmed by Warner Bros. that the worldwide satellite teaser trailer for the sixth film, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" will debut via Satellite this coming Tuesday, July 29th from 9:00pm – 9:15pm EST (6:00pm – 6:15pm PST). A second airing of the worldwide teaser trailer will air on Wednesday, July 30th from 6:00am – 6:15am EST (3:00am -3:15am PST) as well. The coordinates to pick up this feed are as follows:
Galaxy 28, Transponder 19, C-Band Analog
Downlink Frequency: 4080V
Audio Configuration: 6.2/6.8
We at TLC believe that the teaser trailer will go online soon after the satellite airing and we will update you as soon as we can.
In addition to this, WB included a short synopsis of the sixth film. Quoteage:
Voldemort is tightening his grip on both the Muggle and wizarding worlds and Hogwarts is no longer the safe haven it once was. Harry suspects that dangers may even lie within the castle, but Dumbledore is more intent upon preparing him for the final battle that he knows is fast approaching. Together they work to find the key to unlock Voldemort's defenses and, to this end, Dumbledore recruits his old friend and colleague, the well-connected and unsuspecting bon vivant Professor Horace Slughorn, whom he believes holds crucial information. Meanwhile, the students are under attack from a very different adversary as teenage hormones rage across the ramparts. Harry finds himself more and more drawn to Ginny, but so is Dean Thomas. And Lavender Brown has decided that Ron is the one for her, only she hadn't counted on Romilda Vane's chocolates! And then there's Hermione, simmering with jealously but determined not to show her feelings. As romance blossoms, one student remains aloof. He is determined to make his mark, albeit a dark one. Love is in the air, but tragedy lies ahead and Hogwarts may never be the same again.
"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" will be released in theaters on November 21, 2008.

subset: commoncrawl


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Help, discussion, magazine feedback and more
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Hello wrote:lol Does anyone on this forum like ms?
Hello wrote:lol Does anyone on this forum like ms?
wyliecoyoteuk wrote:moving from win2k to XP has far more retraining issues than moving from Win2k to KDE.
towy71 wrote:It is reported that Microparp are having to rewrite 60% of the code for Vista see here, well there is a surprise
wyliecoyoteuk wrote:...
BUT.... they make it harder and harder to fix things when the idiot's guide goes wrong.
When it goes wrong ,it really goes wrong, and it is harder to put right..
Just dont get me started on windows 2003 server or policy defaults....GRRR
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The Healthy Richmond Initiative is callingfor submissions for a logo that will represent the work of creating a healthier Richmond. The prize is $500 for the best submission.
Healthy Richmond is a 10–year partnership to create meaningful and lasting improvements in the health of children and youth in Richmond. Richmond is one of 14 communities across California taking part in a statewide initiative called Building Healthy Communities, sponsored by The California Endowment.
Click here for the flyer with all the information you need: Healthy Richmond Website Logo Contest


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reg wrote:
MP-68 LH would have to be the smallest market of all time.
Kinda where I was going w/ my opinion. To me, there would be a higher % of golfers who would fit better into the MP63 model. I know I would give them a go. But the 68? Nope.
Interesting indeed.


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Discover a selection of top forums loca on the internet. Come to share your passion on forums loca and meet other fans of loca. Then, why don't you create your own forum of loca ?
A place for discussing important issues because the whole of life is learning, therefore education can have no endings.
tennessee, football, party, great, recipes, music, books, movies, religious, topics, evidence, yourself, national, politics, income, fairtax, information, computers, public, school, local, political, federal, taxes, state, #loca


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Nnamdi Asomugha arrived in Philadelphia just as Juan Castillo took over as defensive coordinator. Part of the criticism Castillo endured, in fact, had to do with how he used Asomugha. When the news was released, Asomugha's name was often mentioned as a critic of Castillo's. After the Lions game, Asomugha openly wondered why the Eagles changed their coverage scheme in the fourth quarter of a 26-23 loss to the Detroit Lions. Asomugha said Tuesday that his remarks after the game were not intended as interpreted.
"I had a tough time when those stories come out. It's more so a character thing, and it's something I would never do as a player," Asomugha said. "There's no underlying -- this was said, but it might have meant this. I wouldn't do that to a coach, and especially Juan. Just because as far as the player-coach relationship, we had been so communicative. It wasn't a good feeling. But after speaking to him and letting him know that wasn't the case, that made it a lot better. But I don't think it had anything to do with him being let go or anything."
Asomugha also contended the notion that confidence in Castillo was eroding on the Eagles' defense. But it's a bottom-line business, and the Eagles lost fourth-quarter leads in consecutive weeks. Because of that, the issues that festered became too obvious.
"We all felt like, or feel like, we're a really good defense," Asomugha said. "We played well. I think there were moments we didn't play well. But I think just the bottom line is winning games. You win games, and none of this is talked about. It might be talked about still, but it's not going to get to the level it got to."
The Eagles returned to practice on Monday for the first time under new defensive coordinator Todd Bowles after Castillo's dismissal last week. Asomugha praised Bowles, his position coach, but also emphasized the respect he held for Castillo.
"It's part of the business of football," Asomugha said. We all respect [Castillo]. I respect Juan as a man and as a coach. He's going to land on his feet and do well. It was tough hearing it because I've seem him grow so much."


text: Meta Rate My Team PokéBase - Pokémon Q&A Login Register All Activity Questions Unanswered Tags Users Ask a Question Rules Chat What are all the Pokemon opposites? 1 vote 6,201 views Like dialga and palkia and mabye even deoxys and rayquaza rivalry asked Jan 3, 2013 by Generekt Please log in or register to add a comment. Please log in or register to answer this question. 3 Answers 10 votes Best answer Caterpie Family/Weedle Family Nidoran Family (Male/Female) Pidgey Family/Sparrow FAmily Abra/Machop Family (Brains Versus Brawn) Hitmonlee/Hitmonchan/Hitmontop Mew/Mewtwo Articuno/Zapdos/Moltres Eeveelutions Ledian/Ariados (debatable, but this whole thing is pretty shaky anyway) Raikou/Entei/Suicune Lugia/Ho-oh Darkrai/Cresselia Wurmple's split family Ludicolo/Shiftry Family Plusle/Minun Volbeat/Illumise Zangoose/Seviper Lunatone/Solrock Kabutops/Omastar Armaldo/Cradily Huntail/Gorebyss Regirock/ice/steel Kyogre/Groudon [email protected] Bastiodon/Rampardos Gastrodon (one Pokemon, but still multiple forms) Uxie/Azelf/Mesprit Dialga/Palkia simisage/sear/pour Sawk/Throh Arhceops/Carracosta Heatmor/Durant Zekrom/Reshiram Genie Trio Musketeers There are also the version exclusive Pokemon you could argue for, some of which are included in the list. There are a few more you could probably argue, but these are the ones I saw from the pokedex. answered Jan 3, 2013 by DarkTyphlosion edited Jan 3, 2013 by DarkTyphlosion dang it DT! commented Jan 3, 2013 by Cleric BeserkerELG13 deserve my upvote! commented Jan 3, 2013 by Cleric BeserkerELG13 My first time BAing DT lol commented Jan 3, 2013 by Generekt Please log in or register to add a comment. 2 votes -Nidoking and nidoqueen families(king and queen) -palkia and dialga(space and time) -mew and mewtwo(original and clone) -darkrai and cresselia(fullmoon and newmoon) -groudon and kyogre(sun and rain) -sawk and throh(strength and bulk) -beautifly and dustox(sun and moon) -sableye and mawile(no weaknessses and single type with most resistances) -vileplume and bellosom(moon and sun) -Deoxys-A and Deoxys-D(attack and defense) -volbeat and illumise(male and female) -milotic and gyarados(beauty and power/contest and attacking) -zekrom and reshiram(dark and light) -seviper and zangoose(rivals) -espeon and umbreon(day and night/sun and moon) -lunatone and solrock(moon and sun -alakazam and machamp(smarts and muscles) -heatmor and durant(hunter and prey) -lugia and ho-oh(sea and sku) -kyurem-B and kyurem-W(dark and light) -tornadus and thundurus(wind and thunder) -plusle and minum(positive and negative) -Latios and Latias(brother and sister) -hitmonlee and hitmonchan(kicking and punching) -rampardos and bastiodon(offensive fossil and defensive fossil) -i beleive that is it comment if I forgot anything. ill keep updating as I am searching for more. answered Jan 3, 2013 by CWegz edited Jan 4, 2013 by CWegz Show 7 previous comments i meant reshiram and zekrom sorry edited commented Jan 3, 2013 by CWegz I think there's also Growlithe and Vulpix (attack and wider movepool), and Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan (attack and defense) commented Jan 3, 2013 by Candle and its not rivals its opposites commented Jan 3, 2013 by CWegz But still not the eevee's commented Jan 3, 2013 by Generekt i only consider umbreon and espeon opposites commented Jan 3, 2013 by CWegz Please log in or register to add a comment. 1 vote reshiram and zekrom gengar and clafable braviary and mandibuzz seviper and zangoose. kyogre and groudon pulsel and minum thats all I can think of for now! answered Jan 3, 2013 by Cleric BeserkerELG13 Your missing some commented Jan 3, 2013 by Generekt ronnoc got the ones i missed. commented Jan 3, 2013 by Cleric BeserkerELG13 Please log in or register to add a comment. Related questions Why is your friend referred to as your rival in Pokemon games? Rivalry and Genderless Pokemon? Does having two of your Pokemon of opposite gender on the field simultaneously in a Double Battle activate rivalry? Is the Ability Rivalry good on Axew? My Axew has rivalry, is it worth keeping? Unnerve or Rivalry Litleo? Does the ability rivarly only affect you upon switching in? Is Rivalry a good choice for Axew or the Mold breaker? Useful Meta Posts How to change your username How to add a user avatar Why was my post hidden? The points system Question etiquette Flags vs Downvotes Anime FAQ


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Motherboard Guide
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A Z68 in P67's Clothing
A Z68 in P67's Clothing
Enthusiasts who have been holding off on jumping on the Sandy Bridge platform will finally have a reason to do so. Intel's Z68 Express chipset, which promises to merge the best of the P67 and H67 chipsets, is slated to debut early next month and we have already previewed ASUS' P8Z68-V PRO. The next manufacturer to send us a review unit ahead of time is Gigabyte, who kindly offered its high-end GA-Z68X-UD7-B3 board.
You may have read about it online, but apparently, the UD7 has been spotted for sale in retail shops in Taiwan. It's the same model that we'll be looking at here today, though we do have a few more shots than just the box. However, the packaging is indeed attractive enough to deserve its own shot, what with its profusion of logos and marketing slogans:
When we examined the physical Z68 board, we were slightly taken aback at how familiar it seemed. We weren't wrong, as a closer look, along with a check with our older P67 article showed that the new Gigabyte Z68 board was an identical twin to its P67 UD7 model. On hindsight, it's only logical that Gigabyte would replicate its P67 design with a Z68 chipset; the ASUS P8Z68V-PRO was also quite similar to its P67 boards.
There was nevertheless a major difference between this Gigabyte and the ASUS board - the GA-Z68X-UD7-B3 had no integrated display outputs at the rear panel like the ASUS. This makes this Z68 board even more like a clone of Gigabyte's P67 offering, as it offers only a discrete graphics option.
It also begs the question why Gigabyte went with a solely discrete option that appears to undermine the whole point of having a versatile chipset like the Z68 Express. From what we understand from Gigabyte, the manufacturer feels that the UD7 is a high-end SKU where the users are almost certainly going to have a discrete graphics card (or two), especially given the presence of an NF200 controller to allow for up to 3-way SLI/CrossFireX.
As for the other benefits of having the integrated graphics present, which we have highlighted in the ASUS Z68 preview, like Intel Quick Sync and Lucid's Virtu technologies, Gigabyte responded that Intel's Quick Sync was supported by a limited number of software currently for transcoding and it's not that essential for the target audience of the UD7.
The same too applies for Virtu, which while allowing dynamic switching between the integrated and discrete graphics, incurs a slight performance penalty (Gigabyte quotes between 1 to 3%) in the process. This is something that would not fly with users who have chosen to splurge on a high-end motherboard like the UD7. Those who wish to get the best of both worlds and enjoy the full advantages of the Z68 Express chipset, can look forward to Gigabyte's lower-end models, which will have Virtu and integrated display outputs for the Sandy Bridge processor.
Without knowing the rest of Gigabyte's lineup, it's a reasonable explanation for the UD7's design. It does make this Z68 board practically indistinguishable from its P67 cousins, except for the chipset's support for Intel Smart Response, or SSD caching, which should accelerate your system performance by a decent amount, depending on your applications and of course, your SSD.
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LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- The average electric customer of Consumers Energy will start paying $1.67 more per month.
The $89 million rate increase was approved Wednesday by state regulators. It's less than a $110 million rate increase the Jackson-based utility self-implemented in March.
The Public Service Commission ordered Consumers to refund some money, though it's not expected to affect residential customers.
Consumers is one of Michigan's two dominant utilities and has 1.8 million customers.
Regulators say rates are going up 2.3 percent over the last time Consumers raised rates, though they didn't provide an actual dollar amount. The $1.67 increase is above the utility's self-implemented rate hike two months ago.


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When thinking of answers to questions like that I find it impossible to separate cryptomonicon from reality.
As usual, wikipedia has some answers [wikipedia.org]
A rare Abwehr Enigma machine, designated G312, was stolen from the Bletchley Park museum on 1 April 2000. In September, a man identifying himself as "The Master" sent a note demanding £25,000 and threatened to destroy the machine if the ransom was not paid.
The important of cracking Enigma cannot ever be overstated. There is a general agreement amongst historians that the Allies ability to read the German's encrypted traffic shaved a couple of years off the war.
I would go as far and say that cracking Enigma prevented nuclear bombs over Europe. Nevertheless, the names of Rejewski, Turing and others have been forgotten or never known by the public. It's a shame.
The important of cracking Enigma cannot ever be overstated.
...and what should Britons read for further information? How about Canadians? Or is it only Americans who need a book list patronizingly offered up?
Might I suggest for them both "Everybody Poops?" [amazon.com] This will greatly aid you in understanding your American cousins. For advanced reading, see "The Gas We Pass, the Story of Farts." [amazon.com]
Matter of fact, when US forces did capture a U-boat with its Enigma machine, they came close to blowing the whole operation. A rather flamboyant Naval officer named Gallery planned and carried out the operation on his own initiative, unaware that the Allies already had the machine, and the Chief of Naval Operations went ballistic when he heard of it. There was quite a scramble to keep the capture secret.
You are aware that the Germans referred to the resistance movements in Europe as terrorists ?
Yes, I am. In fact, many of those groups actually WERE terrorists. Not all, thou.
I really can't say if most were terrorists or not, since I have no clue. I have an auntie who lived in Paris at the time, and whose father was part of the resistance. He was not exactly a terrorist, but neither from one of the more moderate groups. The point I want to make is that he told her (never met him myself) there were groups tha
Or a bombe
Then we really shouldn't have driven Alan Turing into suicide.
The thinkquest page is discussing the Bombe machine that Turing developed. It would take about 15 hours for it do one run. A modern computer can perform the same tasks in seconds. The Bombe machine had a very specific task. Its job was not to decipher the messages. Its job was to figure a few probable rotor combinations and settings from thousands of possibilities. The analyst would then test the resulting combinations manually on a block of text.
Also the
Original Bombe was used to break three rotor commercial enigma. M4 Project is trying to break four rotor Kriegsmarine Enigma messages. Read the ones that are broken. Short messages, non-english language, lots of short cuts, only some words are from dictionary. Even if you broke one, you still have to decypher what von Looks wants to say in his message.
Kriegsmarine has some security rules for Enigma transmissions. U-boat commanders usually followed them.
Not to invoke Godwin's Law here, but I thought that eBay refused auctions of WWII Nazi German wartime memorabilia? Is it just those items that bear the symbol of the Third Reich? It's a cool object to geek sensibilities. I would say that today, it symbolizes a particularly crafty bit of code-busting on the part of the Allies against Nazi Germany, even moreso than the crafty bit of code-creating clock-engineering work on the part of the Germans. But it's still Nazi memorabilia on some level, which I thought was against eBay rules.
THis place is _really_ worth a visit. The staff are all retired NSA staff and are glad to talk to you about the exhibits (now that the equipment is declassified!) They have an excellent exhibit on Cold War era supercomputers, with a Cray and a Connection Machine CM-5 on display.
You are in a maze of little twisting passages, all different.


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Nolasco is terrible
Printable View
Nolasco is terrible
Anyone think Cashman will pull something off?
Worth trying...do it now while that owner is still high or drunk.... Throw in a sign Clemens baseball or Mariano signed jersey.... All i can say is that deal is crazy!
He'd be off his rocker if he dealt Stanton. Dude makes 400K and is a beast. I'd be all for it though haha
You could call him now and say "wow, have you seen the backlash for that deal you just did? You favorite player is taking to Twitter now. I wouldnt allow that. You need to take control of this. Bring the fans back by trading Stanton for Arod. Arod is a home town guy and the fans would love the move (trying to hide your smile)......... Hell, you can throw in Zambrano as well since you know he will cause trouble. We will add Melky Masa to it to offset the trade.
I know.....but you just gotta try....especially with this looney toon...
i would do this trade in a heartbeat don't know if everyone else would
To Marlins
To Yankees
sign BJ Upton after to replace Granderson and sign a couple of good starters for this season


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Bluffton's Affordable Housing Committee threw its support behind using proceeds from Wharf Street Redevelopment sales to boost residential development in Old Town on Tuesday as discussion turns to future housing initiatives.
The town anticipates between $100,000 and $150,000 from the sale of the six Wharf Street Redevelopment homes that replaced two blighted structures in large part with federal stimulus money, and funding a small-home series topped committee members' priorities.
The initiative would make permit-ready architectural plans already approved by the town's historical preservation review board available to developers for purchase at a more affordable rate. Such a program would be "geared toward" affordable housing but "could contain an option for moderate income as well," said town planner Danny Wilson, who added the small-home series would fall within grant guidelines that require all proceeds go toward future affordable housing initiatives but specific program details will have to be established.
Mayor Lisa Sulka, also a realtor, said she suspects the standards enforced by the Historic Preservation Commission and the town's design ordinances could discourage residential development in Old Town Bluffton, and a small-home series might sidestep those hurdles.
"My frsutration right now is, looking...in our square mile (in Old Town), there's no residential construction," she said. "You look outside that square mile, and it's crazy. What do we not know?"
Committee Chairman Fred Hamilton, who first pitched a small-home series a year ago, praised the idea.
"It's definitely a positive alternative to mobile homes, because (residents) can see one of these homes will probably cost less than a mobile home and these homes increase in value," he said.
Another idea endorsed by the committee included establishing partnerships in which the town could front the costs for demolition of a blighted property or the purchase of a foreclosed property and a private developer constructs affordable homes. But any ideas coming from the committee must receive the approval of Town Council.
The $1.2 million Wharf Street Redevelopment has met some criticism for falling behind in homebuyer closings and experiencing large-scale withdrawals from applicants, who have to meet income and other requirements. To date, two homes have officially closed while another three-bedroom home is expected to close by Feb. 22 and a final three-bedroom home at 51 Wharf St. awaits final approval from a lender, which found credit discrepancies on a recent report, Wilson said.
Four new applicants have expressed interest in either the remaining one-bedroom home at 13 Robertson St. or the two-bedroom home at 48 Wharf St., Wilson said, but he hesitated to name a future date for another sale.


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OpenMAX Integration Layer (IL) is a standard API to access Multimedia Components on mobile platforms.
It has been defined by the Khronos group.
By means of the OpenMAX IL API, multimedia frameworks can access hardware accelerators on platforms that provide it.
Bellagio is an opensource implementation of the OpenMAX IL API that runs on Linux PC, including:


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This photo provided by Jordan Holliman shows a tornado moving through Hattiesburg, Miss., on Sunday. Emergency officials say an apparent tornado has caused significant damage in Hattiesburg, Miss., after passing along a main road. Major damage was reported in Hattiesburg and Petal, including on the campus of the University of Southern Mississippi.
ASSOCIATED PRESS Enlarge
HATTIESBURG, Miss. — An apparent tornado tore through Hattiesburg today as part of a wave of severe storms that downed trees, damaged buildings and caused at least several injuries.
The twister traveled down one of Hattiesburg's main streets and caused what officials described as major damage, officials said, hitting several buildings on the campus of the University of Southern Mississippi. Kyle Hopkins, emergency operations director for surrounding Forrest County, said officials hadn't confirmed injuries. There were reports of several people hurt elsewhere in the state.
"We had a tornado touch down. We have a lot of damage," Hopkins said.
The university released a statement saying that several buildings had been damaged but that no injuries were reported. Campus police have declared a state of emergency and asked anyone not on campus to stay away.
The storm overturned and damaged vehicles and threw debris around parts of the campus.
Pictures posted on Facebook by WDAM in Hattiesburg showed rows of trees flattened in the Oak Grove area and damage to commercial buildings.
To the west, Marion County emergency director Aaron Greer says three injuries have been reported in the community of Pickwick, about seven miles south of Columbia. He says two people were taken to hospitals, but the third didn't have the injury examined.
Greer says one mobile home was destroyed, three other structures have major damage and several have minor damage.
National Weather Service meteorologist Joanne Culin says there have also been reports of injuries in Marion County.
Nasty weather has settled in on much of Louisiana and Mississippi, including tornado or flash flood watches.
The National Weather Service says bad weather is likely to stretch into Fat Tuesday in southeast Louisiana. Jefferson Parish has canceled a Monday night parade.
Guidelines: Please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Comments that violate these standards, or our privacy statement or visitor's agreement, are subject to being removed and commenters are subject to being banned. To post comments, you must be a registered user on toledoblade.com. To find out more, please visit the FAQ.


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Erica By: Erica
Archived User
Erica By: Erica
Archived User
Production of NATURAL oxytocin directly increases production of endorphins, making mom relax which further increases oxytocin production. This is an essential feedback mechanism which makes labor more productive. This info is in The Birth Partner by Penny Simkin and the official Lamaze guide. Thus, an epidural can help her relax by reducing the pain. It's the pitocin that interferes with endorphin production because it is not the natural hormone.
Archived User
Henci Goer
According to Dr. Sarah Buckley in Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering, (c) 2005, p 119, the baby secretes beta-endorphins during labor from its own pituitary and from the placenta and hormone levels in the placenta are even higher than in the mother's bloodstream at birth. She cites:
Facchinetti F, et al. Fetal intermediate lobe is stimulated by parturition. Am J Obstet Gynecol 1989;161:1267-70.
Facchinetti F, et al. Changes in beta-endorphin in fetal membranes and placenta in normal and pathological pregnancies. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand 1990;69:3-7.
Jevremovic M, et al. [The opioid peptide, beta-endorphin, in spontaneous vaginal delivery and cesarean section]. Srp Arh Celok Lek 1991;119:271-4.
-- Henci
Archived User
I know I'm replying years later, but.... My understanding is that administration of edpidurals often slows contractions, leading to administration of pitocin. If pitocin is a concern, then an epidural could, indirectly, increase the likelihood of interference with endorphin production.
Childbirth is a complex process with many interdependent components. Changing one parameter can have many direct or indirect results down the line, in a domino effect.
--Diana McCleery
Henci Goer
No problem with posting years later. The issue is certainly still current! Yes, among its other defects, epidurals increase the use of oxytocin. According to a systematic review (an analysis of all the relevant research in a structured manner) of the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) (participants are assigned by chance to one form of treatment or another) of epidurals vs. other forms of pain relief, women are 20% more likely to be given oxytocin if they have an epidural. That percentage is actually probably much greater because results are analyzed according to assignment group ("intent to treat"), not according to what treatment the individual had. The strength of an RCT is that by assigning participants to groups by chance, you get rid of some potential sources of bias. For example, women experiencing slow, difficult labors that require oxytocin to make contractions stronger are more likely to want epidurals. If you analyze according to actual treatment, you remove that strength. Analysis by "intent to treat" generally works well because in most RCTs, all but a small percentage of participants get their assigned treatment. However, in, I think, all but one of the epidural RCTs, substantial percentages of women assigned to the "no epidural" group decided they wanted an epidural. For this reason, analyzing according to "intent to treat" inflates the number of women in the "no epidural" group who had oxytocin to strengthen their labors.
-- Henci
Anim-Somuah M, Smyth R, Howell C, et al. Epidural versus non-epidural or no analgesia in labour. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2005(4):CD000331.
Forum Disclaimer
Please note that this Forum is intended to help women make informed decisions about their care. The content is not a substitute for medical advice.


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He hasn't seen the field at all in the postseason, but that doesn't mean he isn't prepared if called upon in Super Bowl XLVIII.
Following advice from the player he backs up, Osweiler said that he has prepared this week just as he would for any other game.
"Peyton's advice to myself and the rest of the team was just to try to stick to your normal routine that you would for a normal game week back home," Osweiler said. "Just do your best not to deviate from that and just try to keep things as normal as possible."
For him, normal as possible means sticking to the same schedule that he has all year long.
"My normal week starts on Monday – there are certain things that I do after our previous game on Sunday at the facility," Osweiler said. "Same thing with Tuesday and leading all the way up to game time. There is a certain set of things I do every day – morning, afternoon and evening when I go home. I am going to do my best to stick to that. The only difference is that I'm spending a lot more time at the hotel or my room versus the facility and my condo. But, hopefully it won't be too difficult to stay on that schedule."
There have been some wrenches thrown into that schedule that aren't part of a normal week of preparation – such as doing interviews on a boat bobbing on the Hudson River.
"The feel as far as meetings go and practice, I would say everything is fairly normal except that the team seems extremely focused and locked in right now," Osweiler said. "It is hard for things to feel normal, when you're doing media on a boat, you're doing meetings and sleeping in a hotel and this and that. In saying that, the Hyatt here in Jersey City and the rest of the committee have done a tremendous job of trying to make us comfortable and feel at home."
Come Sunday, Osweiler feels like he will be well-prepared and ready to play if necessary – just like a normal week.
"That is something that not just the Super Bowl, but every single week, I go into preparation and that game like I'm going to play in the game," he said. "As far as the Super Bowl, I'm treating it just like a regular game. If my number gets called, I will be prepared to go in."


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My first column after a year away; I pay tribute to an excellent editor, both friend and mentor. Published on July 10, 2012.
A good number of names in almost any survey of the country's most influential opinion columnists make their home in the Inquirer's opinion pages. Some of these columnists have the advantage, not only of lucid analysis or illuminating prose, but of careers in television: I think, for example, of Randy David or Solita Monsod. Others equally gifted have become popular despite what may best be described as indifference to regular TV appearances: You have, for instance, someone like Conrad de Quiros or Michael Tan. Still others of similar talent become must-reads because they bear almost the entire weight of their profession on their shoulders: Consider Fr. Joaquin Bernas (law), or Ambeth Ocampo (history), or Amando Doronila (journalism).
It is an easy thing for me to suggest these and other names from the Inquirer's opinion pages, but the fact that I can also suggests something characteristic about the pages themselves. As the print (and, since about a decade and a half ago, also digital) equivalent of the public square, these pages have managed to attract some of the most powerful soapboxes of the last quarter-century. Continue reading


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Looking for nice beginner spot for 1 week vacation!
Post general kiteboarding discussion topics here!
Moderator: BayAreaKite
Re: Looking for nice beginner spot for 1 week vacation!
I second SPI or Hatteras. Wind not 100% guaranteed but everything else on your list is, plus SPI is cheap and fairly easily accessible. Fly into Harlingen, Brownsville, or (a little further) McAllen. Nightlife is kinda lame but you also have to know where to look. Haven't been to Hatteras for ages but went when I lived in Boston, and October is typically windy there, but not always beginner-friendly wind. Water is shallow and warm in the bay. Save the more exotic trips for when you have time (and skills) to explore.
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I doubt I'm the only one nursing a sore head after last night's Brit after show parties, which saw the big four record companies all trying to out do each other with lavish bashes for the plebs (us) and the celebs (them).
Universal Music pulled out all the stops for their HUGE bash at London's Tate Modern - it even had its very own and very important title - Universal Music Brits Party hosted by BACARDÍ at the Soho House Pop Up at the Tate Modern, to be precise.
We were there to see will.i.am take to the decks and the Black Eyed Peas star really did get the party started (ahem) with everyone from Nicole Scherzinger and Rizzle Kicks taking to the floor. But all eyes were on Dizzee Rascal and Chloe Green who were getting down and very dirty with each other. The rapper and Made In Chelsea star were all over each other on the dancefloor - even though her pops, Topshop owner Philip Green, was just a few feet away, we're guessing, averting his eyes (it was dark ok?)
We caught Brits host James Corden deep in conversation with Dermot O'Leary who told us he's finally set a date for his wedding. The X Factor host is set to walk down the aisle with his long term girlfriend Dee Koppang in September. We've already chosen our hat, Derm.
After performing at the awards show, Florence Welch was really letting her down as she joined will.i.am behind the decks and treated the crowd to a sing-a-long when he played a remix of Adele's Rolling In The Deep. Please can this musical marriage actually happen? Pretty please?
When we caught up with Jessie J she'd changed out of the sheer floor-length gown she'd worn earlier in the evening for a patterned jumpsuit that left even less to the imagination than her red carpet frock. Well, if you've got it, flaunt it eh, Jess?
There was no wardrobe change for Abbey Clancy though, who rocked up in the stunning (and very, very short) candy pink, retro mini-dress she'd worn to the bash. She won our totally unofficial and completely made-up-on-the-spot Best Dressed award - the prize for which was a drunken photo with the Huff Post Celeb team. Money can't buy you that kind of thing, Abbey!
Over at Warner Music's Brits after-party bash at the very swanky Two Temple (usually an art gallery) the theme for the night was Eyes Wide Shut meets Pop Art which is why (we think) the Gothic Tudor venue was decked out with gold balloons, neon signs and Bruno Mars rockets (us neither) for the night.
We bumped into Holly Willoughby and her NBF Caroline Flack as they arrived. Holly was definitely making the most of her night - not surprising really, as unlike the National Television Awards a few weeks ago - she didn't have to worry about getting up to present This Morning today. Her and Caroline joined Fearne Cotton and her current squeeze Jesse Wood (son of Rolling Stoner Ronnie) at the bar where they were serving (lethal) apple martinis, champers and cocktails courtesy of the team from celeb haunt Mahiki. Hic.
Fearne and fellow DJ Sara Cox kicked off their heels and shook their thang to a Whitney Houston medley and US star Juliette Lewis was doing her very best party animal impression as she danced on the tables to the tunes supplied by Nick Grimshaw.
Professor Green couldn't keep his hands off girlfriend Millie Mackintosh from Made In Chelsea - something that didn't go unnoticed by fellow reality stars Sam and Billie Faiers. We heard the TOWIE sisters saying how lucky Millie was to have bagged herself the Professor because he 'could do a lot better'. File for your fake nails, girls?
Now if you don't mind, we're off for a lie down in a very dark room.


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Konami has announced the North American and European release dates for the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection. Those of you living in the US can grab the game on November 8, 2011 for $49.99. Unfortunately, Europe has to wait until February 3rd, 2012. That extra three months is the time it takes Snake to swim the Atlantic Ocean with a bowie knife clutched in his mouth.
The collection includes MGS2, MGS3, Peace Walker, and MSX2 games Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake. As previously reported, those MSX games are included as part of the "Subsistence" version of MGS3.
If somehow you require even more Metal Gear, the Limited Edition comes with special package art and a book, "The Art of Metal Gear Solid."


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"Knitted" Wi-Fi Routers Create Failover Network For First Responders 97
wiredmikey writes "Wireless Internet routers used in homes and offices could be knitted together to provide a communications system for emergency responders if the mobile phone network fails, German scientists reported on Monday. In many countries, routers are so commonplace that they could be used by police and fire departments if cell towers and networks are down or overwhelmed by people caught up in an emergency, they say. This rich density means that an emergency network could piggyback on nearby routers, giving first responders access to the Internet and contact with their headquarters. The researchers suggest that routers incorporate an emergency 'switch' that responders can activate to set up a backup network, thus giving them a voice and data link through the Internet. This could be done quite easily without impeding users or intruding on their privacy, the study argues. Many routers already have a 'guest' mode, meaning a supplementary channel that allows visitors to use a home's Wi-Fi." This is a cool angle on mesh networking — reminds me of the emergency response capabilities of ham radio; if it sounds intriguing, remember that even sparse networks can make use of this kind of networking with the right antennas. Related: even without touching the hardware on your router, you can do some meshing around with Byzantium.


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Terri Reynolds
Grand Opening Ceremonies Held for New EKU Campus in Somerset
Addressing a large crowd that had gathered at grand opening ceremonies for Eastern Kentucky University's new Somerset campus, Terri Reynolds could hardly contain her excitement.
"Finally, Somerset has its first four-year, state-sponsored university," beamed Reynolds, coordinator for the campus. "The Lake Cumberland area has long awaited this morning."


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If you want to stay fit, lose weight or just feel better mentally, there's an easy and inexpensive way to do it — go for a daily walk. But who walks more? And where do they walk?
Several members of BIDMC's Walking Club recently were asked to wear a pedometer supplied by BIDMC for one day to measure the number of steps they took, and were told to make it a typical day, with instructions not to try to walk any more than on any usual day.
Richard Vellante, 49, executive chef and executive vice president of restaurants at Legal Sea Foods, logged 5,817 steps — or about two miles.
"Walking is not only a necessity for my work, but it also provides me with an alternative means of travel from restaurant to restaurant," he says. "Many times I choose to walk 15 minutes instead of drive. Fresh air and 'down time' help me recharge for a long work day."
DeShawn Jones, a 12-year-old from Dorchester, reported walking 22,160 steps on his day — more than 10 miles.
"I arrived at school at about 6:50 a.m., and walked around the building a couple of times, before going inside and walking up and down the halls throughout my school day," he says. "I played football at lunch, practiced basketball after school, and exercised on the treadmill for 45 minutes at night."
Kristi Cullinane, 36, of Rockland, a stay-at-home mom for three-year-old triplets, said she took 13,092 steps on her day. She says this included 60 minutes of Zumba, grocery shopping and household activities such as laundry, cooking and straightening up her home.
"If I'm not doing something, that means I'm not being as productive as possible," she says.
Former Red Sox lefthander Bill Lee and his wife, Diana, reported that they each walked just over 15,000 steps on their day to wear the pedometers. This included going for a walk in the hills of Marin County, California, going to the market, the civic center and the library, as well as attending a high school baseball game.
"There should be mandatory pedometer-wearing," he says. "The competitive nature of mankind would encourage people to walk farther."
Walking on a regular basis is associated with numerous health benefits, including reducing the risk of heart disease, improving blood pressure and blood sugar levels, enhancing mental well being and lowering the risks of obesity, osteoporosis, breast cancer and diabetes, according to the American Heart Association.
"Walking is an easy way for people to start exercising," says Dr. Joseph P. Kannam, cardiologist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston and Chief of Cardiology at BIDMC-Needham.
"All you need is a pair of sneakers," he says. "There are so many benefits."
Dr. Kannam stresses that the benefits are greatest when the walk is at a brisk pace that leaves the walker flushed or sweaty. "When you are walking briskly, you are going to expend more calories and you are going to get your heart rate going faster," he says.
He says people should walk briskly for 30 minutes five times a week.
Including steps up hill — up stairs or hills or inclines — is even more beneficial, he says. "But we're not saying that everyone has to walk up stairs," he says. "Just get started on a walking program. And don't use weather as an excuse."
Above content provided by Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. For advice about your medical care, consult your doctor.
Posted: May 2013


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General Community > Site Comments, Issues and Concerns
Policy Change: User Signatures
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Eliana Tamerin:
--- Quote from: Gazmanafc on July 20, 2008, 11:21:25 AM ---Yeah, Sophist Member. :P
--- End quote ---
That's it. Been so long since I was there, only three months. :P
Only 8,000 more to go and you too can be a super hero :)
I am glad that people understand the need to keep SMF from becoming a spam depot :)
I think this is a good rule. I hate spam!
I can understand the reasoning for this rule, but unfortunately I am two posts shy of the required ten posts (only one after this post). I've had this account for quite a long time and just realized today it is using an old email address (b/c of the automated birthday message), so I need one more post to fix that.
Thats a great rule, cuz @ the other smf powerd forums i been 2 are full of users that neva post.
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Howard Johnson Butler hotels are listed below. Search for cheap and discount Howard Johnson hotel rates in Butler, PA for your upcoming individual or group travel. We list the best Howard Johnson Butler hotels & lodging so you can review the Butler Howard Johnson hotel list below to find the perfect place.
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Nutrition Awareness Program Fulton County Nutrition Awareness classes are held every third Thursday of the month at the Senior Citizen Center in McConnellsburg, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. To register, call 717- 485-5688, Monday to Thursday, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Free HIV Testing Free, confidential HIV testing and counseling is available at the Fulton County State Health Center, Penn's Village Shopping Center, McConnellsburg. Information or an appointment may be obtained by calling 485-5137.
Infant Loss Support Group Fulton County Medical Center Pregnancy and Infant Loss Support Group will meet December 30 at the home of Cherry Hale, at 2255 Plum Hollow Road, Fort Littleton. More information may be obtained by calling 485-6141.
Tops Meeting TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) meets Monday evenings at 6:30 p.m. at Bedford-Fulton Head Start building. More information may be obtained by calling 717-485-4467 or 717-485-3874.
McConnellsburg AA Meetings The McConnellsburg Chapter of Alcoholics Anonymous will meet on Wednesdays at 8:00 p.m. every week at Lions Club Community building.
Immunization Clinic Immunization clinic is held at the State Health Center in McConnellsburg on Thursdays. Call 485-5137 for information and appointment.
Free Blood Pressure Screenings Free blood pressure screenings will be given at the following locations: Home Care Office, 213 South Second Street, McConnellsburg, the first Tuesday of every month from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.; McConnellsburg Senior Center the first Thursday of every month from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; Hann's Apartments the second Monday of every month from 11:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.; Warfordsburg Senior Center the third Wednesday of every month from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; and Hustontown Senior Center the third Thursday of every month from 11:15 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.


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No-Lift Jeep Wrangler, Part IIPosted in Project Vehicles on September 1, 2008
In our quest for fitting ever-larger tires on ever-shorter Jeeps, we bring you Part II of the YJ on 40s. Most people who put 40s on the front of a Jeep without lifting it to the moon either lose the fenders and cut the hood, or lose the fenders and go to a fiberglass "rock crawler" type of hood with the little built-in fenders that are really for decoration only.
We had heard rumors that Gen-Right Off Road was working on a high-clearance front tube fender to complement the company's kit for the rear and we were able to talk them out of the first production kit available and bring the story of installing it to you first.
By keeping the stock hood and cutting it, we save money over other kits that require hood replacement. Also, with the fenders, we got inner fenderwells to keep flung mud off underhood components, as well as steel fenders instead of fiberglass or plastic ones that will better take the occasional impact; we also opted for a 3-inch tubular flare to keep the amount of muck and water down inside the cab of the Jeep.
Since our stock hood and grille were mangled in an accident, we went to Scotty's Jeep, Truck & 4x4 in Fontana, California, for replacements. We were able to save some cash on a hood that had the lower edge (along the fender) bent and scratched since we were cutting off almost 4 inches of it anyway.
The fenders installed just like the directions said they should, so we won't bore you with a reprint of Gen-Right's instructions. Instead, we will share some of the tricks we learned along the way. Overall, for a solid day of work, we ended up with some near-bulletproof fenders that clear our 40-inch tires on a stock-height YJ Wrangler.
7PhotosView Slideshow


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DALLAS - There will be no rose ceremony for a 430-pound bachelor gorilla that failed to form any meaningful relationships with fellow apes during an 18-year stay at the Dallas Zoo.
Zoo officials on Monday announced the planned transfer of 23-year-old Patrick to the Riverbanks Zoo and Garden in Columbia, S.C.
Dallas Zoo officials for years tried to create social relationships for Patrick. His response to female gorillas ranged from indifference to aggression.
Zoo veterinarian Lynn Kramer says it's clear Patrick prefers a solitary life. Dallas Zoo officials will now concentrate on working with other male gorillas in a species survival plan.
No move date was announced for Patrick. He was born in New York at the Bronx Zoo but due to maternal neglect was moved to the Toronto Zoo, then Texas.


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Does This Headline Know You're Reading It? 140
Really? Is this really what we wanted??
But this is slashdot, where people only read the headline! Who needs sophisticated AI to tell us that?
Sheesh. A software system that can infer my intent? I can't even infer my own intent about half the time.
That's my wife's job.
I'll get off your fucking lawn now.
And take your soapbox with you. There's a reason most people are against this type of stuff. The applications it would be used for (note the word used for, not applied to) would be ads, ads, ads, and more ads. It's not about the technology, it's about the damned money. And it always has been for stuff like this.
Company that develops stuff like this: And for a nominal fee, we'll align your ads on the page so they are always in the forefront of the viewers eyes.
So yeah,
We like tech. What we don't like is the increasing aggression used to cause as much pain as possible with tech. Possibly wore is the snarky "Disney" presentation of tech whose next immediate application is more State control.
News: India holds the Guinness Record for the spiciest pepper.
Phobe-News: The US miliary has announced plans to "weaponize it".
It's like an instinct gone awry:
I'll make you a deal. Name any nifty new piece of tech and I'll churn out a way to make you miserable with it. Fair?
It's like a
The auto-bookmark when you look away might be nice, but dimming text you're not looking at that second is just plain stupid.
I think your right on this, but we may need to crowd source the job of finding these German researchers in order to apply the Duct Tape so they don't ever do this sort of research again.
Damn it, I guess this webcam built into my laptop has suddenly been rendered damned near completely useless.
Not necessarily the website, it need only feed to an application in your computer. The directed content would come from an outside source, but the camera feed itself does not have to leave the room. It's basically a glorified mouse. In fact the only information that would be of any use to spiders would be the metadata interpreted by the application, so the expense of a full video feed wouldn't be worthwhile. Cheers to being unimportant!
It's still very creepy and I wouldn't ever use it, but it's not as b
Webcams aimed at Slashdot users?
Who would like that, exactly, and why?
All men are gay, it's just to what extent...
Ron White [youtube.com]
"I've got eyes, pervert."
Yes it would.
You'd have to have the web cam turned on. Who in their right mind leaves the web cam on while surfing the web?
Yet another product that will fail. I am cross eyed no surgery will ever be able to straighten my eyes out enough for a computer to track corectly. Let alone what happens if you wear glasses. The refraction or in some cases polarized lens and bifocals will throw such setups into disarray.
What hapens if more than one person is looking at the screen? I forgot who but some one recently made camera with motion sensing that couldn't detect black people in less than perfect lighting. What happens if some is wearing a colored contact lens? Will that throw the system off?
These lab tests always seem to fail in the real world.
These lab tests always seem to fail in the real world.
True, but the concept is still pretty cool! What if you apply it to something else, like a "smart" book? What if the text automatically changes the appearance so that people with eye problems won't need to wear their glasses or will be able to read when even their glasses couldn't help. Those "details" you speak of are actually details. As a product, in its current state, Text 2.0 will fail... but don't forget, there are still many people with lots of money out there who are interested in these weird projec
I have two different lens each with a different prescription. that is pretty standard. unless they are wearing 3D glasses with each eye receiving it's own version of the text it is useless, and to do that you need special glasses that won't work for anything else.
there is no potential as I have a lazy eye, one eye is always pointing in the wrong direction if you look at it, however for me i see straight ahead, So even if I calibrated a device for me, someone else using my laptop would have to spen
These lab tests always seem to fail in the real world.
Until they succeed.
I forgot who but some one recently made camera with motion sensing that couldn't detect black people in less than perfect lighting.
You may be confusing reality with Better Off Ted. [tvfanatic.com]
Is it just me, or am I the only one who won't use it just because they used the hackneyed "2.0" thing?
Come on, even a clumsy forced acronym like "READ IT" (READable Interactive Text) would be more explanatory, and wouldn't date it at circa 2010 for the rest of its product life.
Would someone tell me how this happened? We were the fucking vanguard of Web tech in this country. The Web 1.0 was the Web to own. Then the other guy came out with a Web 2.0. Were we scared? Hell, no. Because we hit back with a little thing called the Web 3.0. That's three point zero with parallel synergetic AJAX. For multimedia. But you know what happened next? Shut up, I'm telling you what happened—the bastards went to Web 4.0. Now we're standing around with our keyboards in our hands, selling Web 3
My company is called "Web n+1" and it will thrive for a thousand years.
A great application for this would be as an overlay on glasses.
If I could get on-the-fly translations of shop-signs and menus projected on to my glasses, it would be awesome.
I could also see this as the next powerpoint whizz-bang animated presentation tool, and that doesn't make me quite as happy...
If I could get on-the-fly translations of shop-signs and menus projected on to my glasses, it would be awesome.
No - it means you'll always look at the trnaslations and never learn what the underlying words were.
Also, their "skimming" thing is not going to work at all for speed-readers, or people who read out-of-sequence.
No - it means you'll always look at the trnaslations and never learn what the underlying words were.
On the contrary, it means I'll pick up languages that much quicker since I'll have a ready translation of everything in the environment without needing to manually reference the dictionary.
Of course, they would need cameras essentially pointing both outwards and towards the eye, as well as the storage and processing capacity to perform OCR and translation on images. Still, it's nothing that a few years of Moore's law can't solve.
this would lead to great practical jokery when two webcam feeds get swapped. hey, that's not what i'm looking at! whoa, whoa, whoa!
and some times those seemingly irrelevant words can change the context of things.
That's why it is faded and not completely eliminated. If you're looking for a certain part of the document, this has the potential to be quite useful. Also, as I've stated and read way too many times on slashdot, just because you think something is useless doesn't mean a use cannot be found.
And for an added bonus, the software can tell you if you're a breasts man or a legs man.
As Seinfeld once said: why would I want legs? I've got legs.
Seriously, does the software understand the differences between:
Reading an article but being distracted by the ad on the side of the page
Reading an article but being distracted by the redhead walking by
Reading an article but I have a lazy eye that doesn't track
Reading an article but my ADD kicks in and
Psst. Hey.
You forgot to finish your reply.
Sounds like it could get a lot of us in trouble. I'm picturing "important" meetings where I'm called into the boss' office to give an opinion on something. No more sitting down in front of his screen and practicing my "oh yeah, that's great" voice.
I want this for my MOUSE. No, seriously. I'd pay decent money for this.
If the tracking gets that good, you could put three buttons just below the spacebar:
- Left Click
- Track
- Right Click
When I push the TRACK button, I want the cursor to go where I'm looking. Then I can click on the right or left mouse buttons as desired, and even hold the mouse button to select, etc.
The reason I would want a "Track" button is to keep the thing from tracking the cursor with my typing all the time.
but having.
Allow me to complete that sentence.
But having everyone in the office winking and blinking all the time just opens the door for unpleasant visits from HR for harassment.
Obviously, these are various ideas that may not turn up to be useful in practice. But it shows that an e-reader has the potential to actually enhance the reading experience as opposed to just being a less heavy version of the book. That's just amazing!
Regardless, I liked the fade-out-fill-words idea. I want a button for that in my browser!
PS: To all the nay-sayers: this is research (DFKI is a German research instution), it's not some company trying to sell you a product. Give them some slack.
I want web pages to stand still unless I type or click.
GUIs that respond to mouse position alone, with
- pop ups
- hover text
- raise/lower windows
- flashes or color changes
make me mental.
A GUI that responded to my eye movements...<shudder>...
popUp(" Please click the link");
It will happen It will happen, save us
Internet Advertising [feeddistiller.com] Feed @ Feed Distiller [feeddistiller.com]
I was going to take it one step further:
You can view the text of this article after you've looked at the Advertisement for 30 seconds.
I want the text. The FRAKKING TEXT. Please.
I don't want to go to a link for an overview of some cool product, hardware, or process, and get a VIDEO. that I can't skim, can't read quietly at my desk, can't even read at lunch because it is too noisy to hear the soundtrack.
The Web 2.0 is going frakking nuts over features. When do we get the next
And this idea has NOTHING TO DO WITH MY PREFERENCES. It has everything to do with tracking my eyeballs and fig
Unimportant words also fade out while you're skimming the text...
So... if text is fluffy... then why would you read it?
Isn't column-filling text an artifact of the pre-internet age?
We are one step closer to this: http://xkcd.com/462/ [xkcd.com]
some people might find them exciting, but that's just people who haven't been around computers long enough to know all the (similar) bad ideas, that already existed before...
Would that be the GNOME Usability Experts?
Yes. Everyone who uses the "mouse over = selection, single click = execution" UI scheme, is completely mental, and should be forbidden from ever designing an UI again by court order.
But on a related note: It's interesting how KDE4 chose to take every single of those bad choices from Windows. The only ones they added are an even more annoying fiddly disaster. (Plasma configuration UI, I'm looking at you. Especially at the Cashew, which has its own plasmoid called "ihatethecashew
Not that it would detect everyone, but I do feel like I tend to move the mouse close to a story I'm reading.
If you could tell the story closest to the middle of the page you might be able to infer it from scrolling as well. I tend to read about 1/3+ down the page. My head naturally rests so that I have to look up a bit to look at say the "slahsdot" logo on this page.
Or where they put the blinky ads. I find them extremely distracting, so I intentionally scroll them as far off-screen as possible, and keep them there as long as possible. So I might keep my reading at the 1st visible line of the page ('til the top blinky is gone), then quit scrolling 'til I hit the very bottom because another is lurking just below the fold. So the approach may not work for everyone
PS. Sadly, I've also pretty much stopped mouse-highlighting poorly-contrasting text as I read it ever sinc
Found this when I was looking for a way to make eye-tracking window focus changes because I was tired of typing into the wrong window
All that said - TFA points to the thought controlled computing article source, and
... will fade out text you aren't reading...
No no no hell no. Just because I'm not looking at the text doesn't mean I'm not reading it. Humans have this thing, see, it's call periphery vision.
The PS3 does this (as of it's latest "upgrade"). It presents you with a list of items-- say menu options, or a list of songs you've loaded. Then, after a few seconds, it FADES OUT all options that aren't highlighted. So if you want to see all the options at once, you have to to constantly jog the cursor up and do
How about we teach people to do purely visual (1000 wpm+) reading, so they can teach themselves what words mean, before we start putting shiny nonsense in the way of their comprehension?
As if I would give a website constant access to my webcam. I don't even give that to friends, because, who looks presentable when sitting in front of his PC alone? ^^
Protip: Look at chatroulette for the answer.
I'm not reading the article, I'm not reading any of the comments and any website that implements this will go in the hosts file to my local web server (on a non-standard port) that serves up a custom "Warning, retards built this site" message in whatever format requested - html, png, gif, or anything else. My webcam is turned around backwards to point at the undecorated, antique white walls and if they can think they see a face or eyeballs in that it's not going to be moving.
It's rare that I refuse a techn
It's been a while since I read Diamond Age, but wasn't there a human behind the technology?
That aside, I think this is pretty cool tech. I keep waiting for the eye trackers to check interpupillary distance so that focus works within rendered 3D enviros. But this is a nice start. I just hope they remove that awful background music from the production version.
Unimportant words also fade out while you're skimming the text, and ads automatically appears if you glance away. It can pronounce the words you're reading, and reading certain words can trigger the appearance of ads or even video ads, noisy ads or noisy video ads, almost like the truly interactive ads in Minority Report. 'With the help of an eye tracker, Text 2.0 follows your progress and presents tampon ads just in time,' the researchers explain in a video.
Fixed that for you.
%DCL-MEM-BAD, bad memory VMS-F-PDGERS, pudding between the ears


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Roberto De Anda co-authors article in Review of Black Political Economy
Roberto De Anda, Chicano/Latino Studies faculty, co-authored "Literacy Skills and Earnings: Race and Gender Differences" in the Review of Black Political Economy, Vol. 31, 2007. De Anda also authored the entry for Ernesto Galarza in the Encyclopedia of Race and Racism, Vol. 2, Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, 2008.


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By Ben Levisohn
China's flash HSBC/Markit Purchasing Managers' Index fell to 47.7 in July, down from 48.2 in June and the lowest since August 2012. The Shanghai Stock Exchange Composite Index fell 0.5% today.
The Reserve Bank of India limited the amount of cash banks can borrow from it, causing short-term interest rates to surge higher. The S&P BSE India Sensex Index dropped 1%.
Fitch Ratings kept Taiwan's credit rating at A-plus with a stable outlook. The Taiwan Stock Exchange Weighted Index fell 0.2%.
Indonesia's forest fires are getting worse, and have covered parts of Malaysia and Singapore in smoke. The Jakarta Stock Exchange Composite Index rose 3.3%, while the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI Index dropped 1%.
Philippine protests against "bullying" prompted China to shut its consulate. The Philippines Stock Exchange PSEi Index gained 0.9%.
Japan followed the European Union's lead and complained to the World Trade Organization about Russia's car tariffs. Russia's Micex stock index has dropped 0.1K%.
South Africa's gold miners threatened to go on strike if their employers didn't offer more than a 4% raise. The FTSE/JSE Africa Top40 Tradeable Index has dropped 0.2%.
Turkey's finance minister worries that his country could miss its 4% growth target. Turkey's Istanbul Stock Exchange National 100 Index has fallen 0.8%.
Emerging Market Stocks in the News
Apple's (AAPL) earnings have lifted the shares of its Asian suppliers: Taiwan Semiconductor (TSM) has gained 2.5% in pre-open trading, while LG Display (LPL) gained 2.4% in Asia.
Turkcell (TKC) said it will delay its second-quarter earnings release because it lack the board members needed to approve the numbers.
JPMorgan upgraded Embraer (ERJ) to Neutral from Underweight.


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This topic actually came up at SQL Saturday #70 - Columbia, SC. I spent the first 15 years of my life as a U.S. Marine dependent. Two years later I reported to The Citadel, the Military College of South Carolina. I spent four years there and then served four years on active duty with the US Air Force. Throughout all that time, there was a lot of leadership training. Some things were emphasized to me by my father. The rest were reinforced in the leadership lab that is The Citadel. And the USAF was where I really had a chance to put some of it into practice. If I were to distill what I learned, here's what it comes down to:
- Lead from the front.
- Lead by example.
- Never ask your men to do something you aren't willing to do yourself.
- Mission first, my men second, myself third.
I know I said "men" but you can use "personnel" instead. "Men" is traditional and it helps in the last one due to the alliteration. But the principles aren't limited to gender.
Today we'll look at the first one. The best example I have for this is the legendary Marine, "Chesty" Puller. I've heard numerous tales over the years about Puller's leadership style. Among one of them was when another commanding officer was looking for Puller's headquarters (HQ). This officer was used to the HQ being in the rear. But Puller's was up by the front lines. Puller believed in leading from the front. His fourth (fourth! and not his last) Navy Cross citation was this:
"For extraordinary heroism as Executive Officer of the Seventh Marines, First Marine Division, serving with the Sixth United States Army, in combat against enemy Japanese forces at Cape Gloucester, New Britain, from 26 December 1943 to 19 January 1944. Assigned temporary command of the Third Battalion, Seventh Marines, from 4 to 9 January, Lieutenant Colonel Puller quickly reorganized and advanced his unit, effecting the seizure of the objective without delay. Assuming additional duty in command of the Third Battalion, Fifth Marines, from 7 to 8 January, after the commanding officer and executive officer had been wounded, Lieutenant Colonel Puller unhesitatingly exposed himself to rifle, machine-gun and mortar fire from strongly entrenched Japanese positions to move from company to company in his front lines, reorganizing and maintaining a critical position along a fire-swept ridge. His forceful leadership and gallant fighting spirit under the most hazardous conditions were contributing factors in the defeat of the enemy during this campaign and in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service."
So outside of a combat unit, what does it mean to lead from the front? First, be visible. Your personnel need to be able to see you because they need to be able to talk to you. It means making a point of talking to them, asking them more than just about work-related matters. In other words, getting to know them as real people. It means keeping your eyes and ears open to get a sense of how they are doing. Are they calm but efficient? Are they fired up but lacking discipline? Or are they acting like they've gotten punched in the gut?
In a lot of places there is the expectation of a line between management and those they manage. The military is a great example of this. You don't have to cross the line to find out how your folks are doing, to care about what's going on in their lives, and to seek to help in non-work related matters. The fact of the matter is that if your folks are worried about things at home, they aren't going to be very productive at work. If you show that you care and if you look for ways to help when your help is needed, you can engender loyalty, both to you and to your organization. I'm reminded of Irving Berlin's White Christmas where two guys totally change their Christmas plans to help out their old general. Not only do they change their plans, but many from their old unit do, too. Why? Because that general led from the front. That was obvious in the opening scene. In today's world where the personal touch seems missing so much in business, your personal touch may make all the difference.


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After months of biting accusations, name calling and cross talk, the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly last week apologized to itself for the lack of required debate decorum during public meetings.
The apologies came during a Meeting of the Whole, prior to last Tuesday's regular meeting, and with little public attendance. Passed around with apologies were copies of Mason's Legislative Manual Chapter 13 — eight pages about maintaining decorum during debate.
What did not come from the gathering of borough leadership was a direct apology to the public, some of whom were direct targets of the assembly's verbal ire dished out along with the contentious debate during deliberations on the recently passed anadromous streams ordinance.
Assembly president Linda Murphy said that debate grew contentious, things got lax and bad habits developed.
"I think I am as guilty as any member," she said.
Not all members of the assembly overstepped decorum. And, not all that did have yet apologized publicly.
The communication issues began to build up in June and then grew again in July. Some members made improper remarks, others called each other names and some made faces.
District 1 Assemblyman Kelly Wolf, who opposed the passage of the salmon stream ordinance as an overreaching land-grab, said that some on the assembly were acting like "Nazis."
Wolf, a former state legislator, said that during his time on the assembly he's also been targeted, called names, been accused of being unethical and operating with conflict — all the kinds of talk that he said did not occur in Juneau at the state government level.
"Yes, I've taken offense to that," Wolf said, without acknowledging his own shortcomings.
Murphy said that the negative issues circling on-the-record assembly debate were not all verbal; some on the assembly roll their eyes when members or the public giving testimony speak.
"I'm a really emotional person," Murphy said, admitting that it shows on her face. "We want people to feel comfortable."
According to Mason's Legislative Manual, "disorderly words" thrown about by members can be objected too by any member and can be "taken down." A vote on the offensiveness is to follow and if the overall body agrees that those words are indeed offensive they should enter the official record via the meeting minutes.
"I've never been directed to take anything down," Kenai Borough Clerk Joni Blankenship said this week. She's been at the borough for 14 years. Taking action based on the legislative manual would come from Murphy, she said.
Last week's Meeting of the Whole was called in response to the July 2 meeting, the night the streams ordinance won the vote to regulate a 50-foot buffer along the shoreline of salmon bearing streams, public or private.
That night Murphy called out fellow assembly member Charlie Pierce and Wolf during the contentious anadromous streams debate.
Pierce on several occasions hurled insults at fellow assembly members within his on-the-record commentary, including a wish that all who voted for the salmon ordinance never be elected to public office again.
"Debate the issue not the names," Pierce said.
"I shouldn't have used their names," Murphy said about her public admonishment for their behavior, which she said somewhat mirrors the general lack of "civil discourse" in society.
"I don't want the assembly to be that way," she said.
District 8 Assemblyman Bill Smith offered a straightforward apology for his role. "I apologize for using Pierce's name," he said.
District 2 Assemblyman Hal Smalley smoothed the grievances over and encouraged the assembly make its amends and avoid the degraded debate in the future.
"We each suffer the failure of being human," Smalley said.
Smalley was on several occasions, since May, mocking and dismissive of public testimony and concerns. He offered no apology last week.
Regular assembly meeting attendee Michele Hartline spoke, during last week's regular meeting, about the lack of decorum among the assembly. Murphy disparaged her to a community member she said before calling for the assembly president's resignation.
"She has apologized, but this apology is not sufficient," Hartline said, before storming out of the meeting.
The salmon issue was undoubtedly emotion-filled and is indicative of the polarized nature in contemporary American society wherein some feel that government is the cause of all problems, Murphy said.
"Government looks different to some of us," she said. "Government can't fix all (problems), but it's not the cause of all problems either."
Between the July meeting and August meetings, Murphy and Wolf decided to take action. They considered holding a closed-door session to work through the issues away from the public that watched them violate the accepted norms of behavior.
According to Murphy, the borough attorney said the assembly could have legally gone behind closed doors with the issues and apologies and not violated the state open meetings act, but there was no real reason to not work through the apologies in public.
"Behind closed doors, people would have wondered what we were up too," Murphy said.
Reach Greg Skinner at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Two-day, 170 mile Trans-Florida 3- County Ride Seeks to Add to $1.6 mil. Raised for Sylvester in Past Two Years
The Miami Dolphins announced that the third annual Dolphins Cycling Challenge (DCC), a two-day, 170-mile trans-Florida charity cycling event to benefit Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, will take place on November 3-4, 2012. This major community initiative is a collaborative effort between the Miami Dolphins and the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, with proceeds going to directly to the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center. "Steve Ross and the Miami Dolphins are thrilled to be a part of this cornerstone philanthropic initiative for a third consecutive year," said Dolphins CEO Mike Dee.
"South Florida is a world-class community deserving of a world-class cancer center. We hope Sylvester can continue growing its footprint and positively impacting those in our community who face the challenges associated with this insidious disease."
The Dolphins Cycling Challenge is a tricounty charity cycling event founded by the Dolphins to increase cancer awareness, encourage healthy hobbies, and raise funds for UM's Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, which has facilities in Miami, Kendall, and Deerfield Beach. In its second year, the DCC was an enormous success, attracting more than 800 riders and raising more than $1,070,000 for cancer research at Sylvester.
Describing the 2011 ride as "inspirational," W. Jarrard Goodwin, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of Sylvester and co-leader of "Team Sylvester," said it "was a very special experience to ride with so many of my colleagues and patients through the three counties where Sylvester has a strong presence. I know the moral and financial support of our patients and friends will motivate us again this year."
Joining Team Sylvester in 2012 is the newly appointed Director of Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Stephen D. Nimer, M.D., who is eager to take part in the signature community fundraising event for the cancer center. "We work in teams at Sylvester to find new therapies and bring hope to patients and families. The Dolphins Cycling Challenge," said Nimer, "similarly brings teams together to work toward our common goal: fighting cancer."
Michael Mandich, whose father and Dolphins great Jim "Mad Dog" Mandich was treated at Sylvester, has been a vocal supporter of the DCC since its inception and rode the full 170 miles last year, working with the DCC to unveil the "88 Mad Dog Lane Water Stop" in honor of his father. "The DCC is near and dear to the Mandich Family, especially to my father. The inclusion of the 88 Mad Dog Lane Water Stop cements his imprint on this event, which has limitless potential for the South Florida community."
On the first day of the ride, entrants will have three options: (1) a 100-mile-long "Century Ride" from Sun Life Stadium to West Palm Beach, during which cyclists will travel through the City of Miami over the MacArthur Causeway to Miami Beach and then up Ocean Drive/AIA to enjoy an end of-the-ride celebration at CityPlace; (2) a Miami ride starting at Sun Life Stadium that gives riders the opportunity to take in 30 miles of South Florida scenery before ending up back at the Miami Beach Marina; and (3) a 30-mile Palm Beach Loop that provides riders with the greatest vistas West Palm Beach has to offer.
The second day features two unique routes, both of which give riders the opportunity to traverse a secured portion of I-595 before entering Sun Life Stadium: (1) a 70- mile ride from CityPlace in West Palm Beach to Sun Life Stadium; and (2) a 30- mile ride from Ft. Lauderdale to Sun Life Stadium. All Day 2 riders will enter Sun Life Stadium through the players' tunnel and join an on-field Finish Line Celebration.
For child and pre-teen riders, Dolphins Cycling Challenge will offer various courses set-up on the grounds of Sun Life Stadium
Individuals and teams interested in participating in the Dolphins Cycling Challenge are encouraged to visit www.rideDCC.com.
All adult riders will receive two (2) complimentary tickets to the Miami Dolphins game versus the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, November 25th. Riders who attend the game will be honored in a special on-field pre-game ceremony celebrating their fundraising efforts. There is a registration fee of $150 per rider and a fundraising goal ranging from $250 to $1200, depending on the ride selected. 100% of the rider-raised funds will go to the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center.
The DCC is actively seeking participants, corporate partners, and volunteers to assist the Miami Dolphins Special Teams volunteer corps. For more information, visit www.rideDCC.com.
The Miami Dolphins, owned by Chairman of the Board/Managing General Partner Stephen M. Ross, currently play in the AFC East of the National Football League. The organization has played in five Super Bowls, winning championships in 1972 (VII) and 1973 (VIII). The franchise also has won five conference championships and 13 division championships and is the oldest continuous major-league professional sports franchise in the state of Florida. For more information, visit the organization's website at www.Dolphins.com.
Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine opened in 1992 to provide comprehensive cancer services and today serves as the hub for cancerrelated research, diagnosis, and treatment at UHealth—University of Miami Health System. Sylvester handles 1,300 inpatient admissions annually, performs more than 2,400 surgical procedures, and treats more than 4,400 new cancer patients. All Sylvester cancer specialists are on the faculty of the Miller School of Medicine, South Florida's only academic medical center. In addition, Sylvester physicians and scientists are engaged in approximately 200 clinical trials and receive $55 million annually in research grants. Sylvester at Deerfield Beach opened in 2003 to better meet the needs of residents of Broward and Palm Beach counties, and now offers appointments with 30 physicians from 14 of Sylvester's 15 site disease groups, complementary therapies from the Courtelis Center, and education and outreach events. Sylvester also has clinical offices and treatment centers in Kendall and a recently opened facility in Plantation to better serve patients in southern Miami-Dade and Broward counties. www.sylvester.org
Abby Symonds, Dolphins Cycling Challenge, email@example.com , (305) 943-6608
Jason Jenkins, Miami Dolphins, email@example.com , (954) 452-7010
Lisa Worley, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, firstname.lastname@example.com , (305) 243-5184


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5.1 The Library collects manuscripts, archival records and other unpublished textual materials which form part of the documentary record of Australian history and society and which will meet the documentation, research, publication and exhibition needs of the Australian research community.
5.2 In the context of library collections, manuscripts comprise handwritten, typescript, electronic and other forms of unpublished textual records. They can be acquired as: (i) single items, such as a letter or a diary; (ii) organic or archival collections, i.e. papers created and acquired by an individual, family or organisation in the course of their day-to-day activities; (iii) artificial or non-organic collections, i.e. documents acquired deliberately by a collector on account of their research or aesthetic interest, or their historical association.
5.3 The historical or evidential value of organic collections, which make up the bulk of the Library's manuscript collection, derives not only from the information contained in the individual items but also from the context, including the physical connections that existed between some or all of the items. Collections are, therefore, generally kept by the Library as they were used during their active life and arranged and described in this order. Collections may contain a variety of records including pamphlets, issues of journals, leaflets, maps and other printed items and also photographs, sound recordings and objects. To preserve context it is important to keep these items together in their original order and relationships: the integrity of the whole collection is more important than the format of the items within it.
5.4 The manuscript collection currently contains over 2 million items (an item being a file or volume), amounting to more than 13 000 shelf metres. It relates predominantly to Australia, but there are also some important Papua New Guinea, New Zealand and Pacific manuscripts acquired as a result of Australia's close relations with these countries and regions. A number of European and Asian manuscripts or collections have been acquired, nearly always as part of formed book collections.
5.5 While many significant eighteenth and nineteenth century manuscripts are held, the greatest strength dates from the 1890s onwards, reflecting the Federation movement and Australia's development as a nation. Although single items, such as a diary or a literary manuscript, are often acquired, the collection consists predominantly of archives of individuals and families and of national non-governmental organisations. There is great strength in many fields, particularly maritime exploration, politics, public administration, literature and the performing arts, including classical music, dance and theatre. In varying degrees, strengths have also developed in areas such as exploration (including Australian involvement in the Antarctic), the pastoral industry, diplomacy, journalism, law, the women's movement, economics, tertiary education, historiography, publishing, the visual arts, librarianship and religion.
5.6 In addition to original manuscripts, the Library holds about 40 000 reels of microfilm of manuscripts and archival records. They were mostly acquired overseas and are primarily of Australian and Pacific interest. They include materials copied in the United Kingdom and Ireland by the Australian Joint Copying Project (1948–93) and records of Pacific interest filmed by the Pacific Manuscripts Bureau.
5.7 The collection has been assembled primarily to meet the need of historians and other researchers for primary source material relating to Australia and the surrounding region. The largest group of users are academics, postgraduate students, independent scholars and writers. Some items have been acquired largely for their symbolic value and are seen and admired through exhibitions and publications.
5.8 The Library gives the highest priority to collecting, firstly, personal papers of Australians who have achieved national standing and, secondly, the records of major organisations operating at the national and coordination or 'peak body' level. It does not confine itself to any particular subject fields, although, in collecting both personal papers and organisational records the Library seeks to build on existing strengths. While the national standing of the individuals or bodies is a major factor, the Library always assesses the value of the papers themselves as historical evidence and their ability to support extended research in different branches of scholarship. In all cases, the Library prefers that personal papers are transferred to the Library appropriately arranged, housed and with documentation sufficient to provide initial description prior to full arrangement and description.
5.9 The Library identifies areas of importance in Australian life that are inadequately documented, such as popular culture or multiculturalism. It tries to remedy those weaknesses by seeking papers from people or organisations that have been prominent in those areas at the national level.
5.10 Much of the acquisition activity concentrates on locating and preserving sources on aspects of contemporary Australian life. At the same time the Library is alert to opportunities to acquire earlier material. Papers dating from the first century of European settlement often relate entirely to a single town, district or colony and in such instances they are more appropriately housed in a state or local library. The Library, however, has an interest in acquiring manuscripts that document movements or events of a national character, such as maritime discovery, free immigration, the gold rushes, race relations and Federation.
5.11 In collecting manuscripts and archives that document such movements, the Library is not restricted to material written by or associated with famous names. The writers of diaries kept on immigrant voyages did not usually achieve any national or even local standing, but the papers they created are a valuable source on large-scale emigration to Australia. Similarly, in seeking to document major social movements in modern times, the first concern is with the historical value of the papers rather than the fame or otherwise of the individuals who created them. Papers relating to the conservation movement, multiculturalism or republicanism, for instance, are sought if they provide extensive and broad documentation of these movements. In each case, care is taken to distinguish between papers that essentially deal with activities at a local level and those that relate to policies, programs, debates or changes at the national level.
5.12 The Library is increasingly selective in seeking or accepting organisational records. It firstly considers the likely value of the material for academic and independent researchers. Secondly, it gives priority to bodies that exercise considerable power and influence at the national level and which are wide-ranging in the scope of their activities, such as political parties, multiple interest groups and major peak bodies. Thirdly, it gives attention to organisational records that relate closely to holdings of personal papers. Finally, special consideration is given to the records of organisations that have become defunct or have no staff able to care for them. The Library accepts organisational records only if these have been arranged and described by the organisation prior to transfer to the Library.
5.13 These priorities in the area of organisational archives need to be qualified in two respects. In accordance with the 1961 agreement with the Australian National University Archives Program (Noel Butlin Archives Centre), the Library does not collect or accept certain categories of organisational records, namely, those of companies, employer associations and trade unions. The Library encourages large organisations, which generate records on a huge scale, to make their own arrangements for the preservation of their records, preferably by employing professional archivists.
5.14 The Library continues to collect manuscripts that document the role of Canberra as the national capital and seat of government. In the past, records relating to local activities in the Australian Capital Territory and the surrounding region were acquired, but they are now referred to the ACT Heritage Library.
5.15 Increasingly, organisations and individuals are creating archives in digital or audiovisual forms. The Library is selective in accepting born digital records such as emails, electronic documents and databases, and audiovisual records such as cassettes, CDs, videotape and DVDs for permanent preservation.
5.16 The Library continues to acquire microfilm copies of unpublished records held in other libraries and archives in Australia and overseas. Priority is given to filming or obtaining film of records of Australian and Pacific interest that have hitherto been entirely or largely inaccessible to researchers in Australia. The Library sometimes acquires commercially available microfilms of non-Australian archives and manuscripts that are likely to be of value to a considerable number of Australian historians and other researchers.
Access to the Collections
5.17 Manuscripts and archival materials are unique and irreplaceable. They are frequently fragile and can be easily damaged. For these reasons, they should only be handled in conditions designed to ensure their long-term survival and accessibility.
5.18 Provided there are no preservation risks or copyright restrictions, copies of manuscripts can be made by readers or for readers within the Library or from offsite. Copies are also lent to other libraries. Some of the most heavily used items and collections have been microfilmed and copies of the film can be purchased or borrowed by other libraries. The Library is also digitising some of its most important manuscript collections, making them accessible to any users via the Internet.
Relations with other Institutions
5.19 Manuscripts are unique and are often of interest to more than one institution. Some collections could justifiably be housed in any of several institutions. In such cases the Library takes into account the collecting interests of other Australian libraries and archives, giving consideration to collection strengths and the need to maintain the integrity of collections. It also assesses the likely research value of particular collections on offer, recognising that in a large country some research will be hampered if the collecting of manuscripts is either too centralised or too decentralised.
5.20 The National Archives of Australia and the various state and territory archival authorities have statutory responsibilities in relation to government records. Other national institutions, such as the Australian War Memorial, the National Film and Sound Archive, and the Australian National University Archives (Noel Butlin Archives Centre) concentrate in their collecting on specific subject areas. State and territory libraries, and also some regional libraries and archives, have a strong interest in a wide range of manuscripts and private archives generated in or relating to their respective states, territories or regions.