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A Labadieville man reported missing has been found dead off a Grand Isle beach, the Assumption Parish sheriff said.
A Labadieville man reported missing has been found dead off a Grand Isle beach, the Assumption Parish sheriff said.
Michael Blanchard, 51, a longtime manager of Scooter's NAPA Auto Parts in Labadieville, likely drowned, but officials will wait for autopsy results before announcing his cause of death, Sheriff Mike Waguespack said.
The Sheriff's Office heard he was missing Monday. He was found dead off of Grand Isle that night, Waguespack said.
Friends and family told detectives Blanchard did not show up for work at the auto parts store Monday morning, and they could not reach him on his phone or find him at his home, the sheriff said.
"He was a dedicated man. He always showed up for work. He was never late," said his friend, Karl Adams Jr., 43, who helped search for him on Grand Isle's beach.
Blanchard's cellphone signal led detectives to believe he was in Grand Isle, and the Grand Isle Police Department helped the Sheriff's Office find Blanchard's vehicle at a public beach there, Waguespack said.
Several agencies began searching for him, and as night began to fall, Blanchard's body was found on a rock jetty running parallel to the beach, he said.
Waguespack said he, his detective and two Jefferson sheriff's pilots found Blanchard as they flew above in a Jefferson Parish sheriff's helicopter.
"It's a good thing we did (use a helicopter) because he never would've been found by boat, the way his body was placed," Waguespack said.
Blanchard's body was on the side of the jetty facing the Gulf of Mexico, said Blanchard's brother-in-law Robert Sedotal, who also helped look for him Monday. That meant those on the beach couldn't see Blanchard's body, but boaters on the other side could not see him either because the jetty's pyramid shape keeps them from getting too close.
The Jefferson Parish Coroner's Office will handle the autopsy, the sheriff said.
If anyone has additional information, contact the Assumption Parish Detectives Division at 526-1627.
Blanchard drove to Grand Isle Saturday afternoon, Adams said. A ticket from Grand Isle State Park shows he left at 1 p.m. Sunday.
"He loved to fish. He loved Grand Isle," Adams said. "He went every chance he got."
Blanchard likely slept in his truck, on the beach or in the park overnight, Sedotal said.
"He liked to rough it," Sedotal said. "He liked to camp at night. ... He was very easy-going, wasn't one to have a nice, fancy hotel room."
Someone with a Grand Isle camp said they may have seen Blanchard walking along the beach Sunday evening, Adams said.
There were widespread thunderstorms on Sunday, and "it's possible he got caught in rip tide," Waguespack said.
Blanchard lost the use of his left arm when he was young, Sedotal said. He was riding his bike alongside his friends who were in a car. Someone grabbed him while the driver sped up, and Blanchard "was in the hospital for a long time," Sedotal said.
Blanchard was divorced and had two sons, Adams said. He graduated from Assumption High School.
"Mike always liked to talk about old times," said Adams, who grew up with Blanchard and worked in a shop next to his. They would talk a few times every day. "He always talked about things from years and years ago — how things used to be, and how things had changed in the world today."
Blanchard was good with people, whether he was helping a customer or spending time with his friends and family, Sedotal said.
"He was a very good friend and a very fun person to be with," Sedotal said. "He loved his Budweiser beer. He was a very fun and friendly person. There wasn't a soul he wouldn't talk to."
Adams, Sedotal, Assumption Parish Sheriff's Office, Grand Isle Police, the Grand Isle Fire Department, Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office and the U.S. Coast Guard aided in the search for Blanchard.
Staff Writer Katie Urbaszewski can be reached at 448-7617 or firstname.lastname@example.com.


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OAKLAND (CBS / AP) — Center Andrew Bogut was ruled out for the Golden State Warriors' game against the San Antonio Spurs on Friday night due to back spasms that will sideline him indefinitely.
Coach Mark Jackson said Bogut had an MRI earlier Friday. The team has not released the results of the exam.
Bogut has missed 43 of 55 games this season, most recovering from micro-fracture surgery on his left ankle. He also missed more than half of the 2008-09 season with a stress fracture in his lower back, one game with a mild back strain the following season and five games with a sore back during the 2010-11 season with Milwaukee.
The 7-foot Australian center is averaging 7.1 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 22.5 minutes over his 12 games this season.
(Copyright 2013 CBS San Francisco. All rights reserved.)


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Posts tagged 'buttons '
Once You Pop Swap – Springtime Edition
So, I'm in this swap on Craftster and the idea is to decorate a pringles can and then fill it with a bunch of handmade and some store bought things for your partner in a springtime theme. Here's what I made for my partner Jenn (SlyFox).
The can..
I made a cute little felt mushroom house pin cushion (or just decorative cushion). It's hand stitched and embroidered with button flowers.
A little jar of whimsy's. Decorated with polymer clay tree stump with mushrooms, waterfall/river, ladybug, and rainbow caterpiller.
Here's everything that was inside the jar of whimsy's.
A polymer clay tree with gnome and heart pin.
A blue bird pushpin from my partner's wist.
A button bracelet in rainbow colors.
My very first inchies! I painted the background with acrylic paint, cut them out (I so need a 1″ by 1″ square paper punch), did a black sharpie border, did a rough draft with black sharpie then painted over it. There's a raven, my partner's name Jenn, mushrooms, a tree, a robot, an owl, and an octopus.
Here's everything I sent together. My extras were: strawberry shaped tealights, rainbow wind twister, skull fabric, cupcake fabric, blue and pink fabric, 2′ of pink cherry print ribbon, 2′ of pink ladybug ribbon, JENN iron on letters, bag of wood pony beads, 24 little spools of thread in all different colors, 2 cute kawaii pencils, some glittery pencil top erasers, and halloween stickers.
This was such a fun swap! I sent out my package today and I hope my partner likes everything. 🙂
Ms Katie Marie
1 comment April 17, 2010


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May Interim Travels from Peoria to Seoul, South Korea
November 5, 2013
By: Savannah Jones '14
Assistant Professor Ji Young Kim takes the idea of a class field trip to a whole new level with her May interim course traveling to Seoul, South Korea May 27 through June 4. The COM 494 course teaches students about South Korean culture and business, a unique opportunity blending adventure with education. With an increased interest in the culture, a booming economy and new perspectives- students are guaranteed the journey of a lifetime.
"Seoul is definitely interesting. It's well developed in telecommunications with modernized industrial areas but also has natural areas like parks and historical areas," Kim said. "It's an introduction to how beautiful the city is."
Students will attend lectures and seminars presented by leading local and international businesses in Seoul along with visiting actual headquarters and offices of the businesses. Seoul is a leading producer of technology products like Samsung, LG and Hyundai. Students will learn the importance of globalization and networking in the business community. Tours of the city are provided, inviting students to experience the South Korean culture first-hand. By exploring the city, students can meet local artists, shop and interact with the people of Seoul. Kim plans to take students to the "Korean Folk Village", an outdoor museum celebrating South Korea's history, a place she enjoyed as a child.
"It's important to learn about other cultures," Kim said. "First-hand experience is highly recommended; you can't get enough first-hand experience."
Preference is given to communications majors but all majors are welcomed to sign up for the trip. The cost of the course is regular tuition plus $3,300 for travel. Class will meet May 19-23 on campus before leaving for Seoul. For more information, call Dr. Kim at 309-677-4116 or email at firstname.lastname@example.com


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Members can log in and read the current and back-issues of Vertiflite for free. Go to www.vtol.org/my-AHS and log in, then click on Vertiflite Online Library to flip through all issues since 2011, or go to the AHS Online Store and you can download and all of our issues back to 1953!
That's right -- we have all 60 years of the world's leading vertical flight technology magazine available online -- nearly 800 issues! Browse by year or search our comprehensive index of every Vertiflite article ever! All issues are available for download -- free for AHS Members!
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- Project Zero: The exclusive story of AgustaWestland's all-electric "technology incubator"
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By Navy Lt. Neil Myers
Special to American Forces Press Service
July 7, 2008 - As the security situation becomes more stable in five of this Afghan province's southern districts, coalition civil affairs teams are helping improve governance and infrastructure. Army Capt. Roman Skaskiw, 451st Civil Affairs Battalion, is responsible for the five southern Konar districts. Although these districts differ in the quality of governance and development, they all suffer from a lack of security, power and infrastructure.
"The overall security situation is becoming more stable," Skaskiw said. "The reason for the fighting is local animosities influenced by people who feel they are not getting their share of the redevelopment. However, development dampens the insurgency, as evidenced in the improving police, the roads connecting the people to the government, and the burgeoning health care system."
The civil affairs team works with the Afghan government and international humanitarian organizations to rebuild infrastructure and restore stability in areas stricken by war or natural disasters. Joint civil-military efforts are key components in winning the hearts and minds of Afghans, buttressing the authority of the government in Kabul, and providing a central effort in the U.S.-led counterinsurgency campaign, Skaskiw said. The teams work in partnership with representatives from U.S. government agencies such as the State and Agriculture departments and the U.S. Agency for International Development.
Provincial reconstruction teams were established to facilitate infrastructure development necessary for the Afghan people to succeed in a post-conflict environment. Most PRTs are run by Navy and Air Force officers and are the face of the U.S. redevelopment aid for millions of Afghans.
"PRTs fill specific needs and challenges, such as security and stability, which is apparent in Afghanistan's rebuilding process," said Navy Cmdr. Daniel Dwyer, the Konar PRT commander. "Development without security is unsustainable, and security without development is meaningless."
(Navy Lt. Neil Myers serves with the Konar Provincial Reconstruction Team.)
Monday, July 07, 2008
Teams Bring Security, Development to Afghan Province
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100 percent agree.
Google Calendar. When you need pretty reports you can even export one or multiple calendars to csv and do what you will.
Not only - but you can even use the GoogleAPI to completely automate stuff as far as you wish.
My lawn, get off it.
Well, I guess that's one way of keeping HR personel employed.
We use Google Calendar for this
How do you associate the number of vacation days to which an employee is entitled? How to do you forward vacation requests to a manage for approval? How does Google Calendar deduct taken vacation from the pool that the employee has? How does the pool reset at the end of the year? Does Google calendar automatically add vacation days as an employee accrues them? What about vacation carry-over from one year to the next? Is there a mechanism to notify HR / management if an
Define your own custom content type and date fields then build your calendar view from the calendar views template.
My early thought was Drupal as well, but I'm holding off on purpose to see if an off the shelf application works before I go all custom.
how about a spreadheet.
you could just hook a macro to a button that decrements x days from y employee when they take days off.
or a database with a simple html front end that lets the hr goon do the same thing.
A spreadsheet is a horrible idea. It does not scale well and only is effective if you have a single point of control.
My company uses spreadsheets to track the usage across 6 physical sites with 3 points of contact. There's essentially three sheets that are kept and must be periodically synced to verify data is identical. It's not reliable. I've seen one issue already where the number of days an employee had were off between the central point and the person who records for the site.
That doesn't work.
Because the larger the working group gets, the more people need to know that Frank has a week off in two months time - otherwise someones going to book that very important meeting with that very important client slap bang in the middle of it. People are going to see that someones off at the same time as they require, and they are going to mark themselves down for vacation anyway and just argue it out later on.
But a vacation calendar should actually track more than just vacation time - it should track all planned and plan-able absence time. Vacations, lates, earlies, shift patterns, moved time, training periods etc etc etc. It should ideally track person dependencies - who cannot be off at the same time without serious authorisation. It should track banked hours and lieu time. It should track vacation preferences (I dont agree with it, but some companies give preference to those with children and families during known school holidays).
Theres an awful lot that a simple calendar or "just let them sort it out like adults" simply won't handle for you.
In answer to the parents question - I wrote my own, with all the above, about 10 years ago. I'd opensource it if I still had the code.
I think Google's calendar can handle this very well. I'm sure Microsoft's Office365 and other calendar tools can handle it equally well.
We just have a single OoO (Out of Office) calendar for this exact reason.
We are spread all over, with remote people. When someone is looking for bob, its really easy to look at the OoO calendar, and see he's out for the afternoon.
We use zarafa for our email, and a public calendar, but pretty much any groupware (or even davical for just calendars) would work.
They'll still book the meeting because they'll forget to check the calendar.
But the audit logs will show who booked what first, and who checked what - which is the point of having such a system...
Plus you can always have the meeting calendaring as part of this system.
Because the larger the working group gets, the more people need to know that Frank has a week off in two months time - otherwise someones going to book that very important meeting with that very important client slap bang in the middle of it.
Hah! You think having vacation time on your calendar keeps them from doing that? Happens every friggin' time. Shared calendars aren't for YOU to manage your time, they are for the clerical staff to manage your time.
We use a table in an internal wiki. Going to be gone, shade the block for that day grey.
We're all engineers though.
Yeah, it does. I work for a ~1000 person company without any vacation tracking (you don't accrue vacation days, you don't spend vacation days, you take whatever vacation you want). It works just fine.
And just to prerebut: Yes, people take vacations. All the time.
I'm betting those employees in that 1000 person company are not necessary to the sale or production of a service or product. I own part of a local family owned restaurant and surprise, the entire kitchen staff along with part of the wait staff decided they needed the entire weekend off to see a concert and recover from the experience. Of course this couldn't happen without closing down so the requests were granted on a first come first serve basis with me and some family members filling in to accommodate mo
We're a tech company. I'm talking about every single person in the company, including the engineers responsible for releasing and maintaining critical services.
Sure, you can't have 75% of your employees taking the same time off. But if you've hired adults then you find that they can actually be pretty responsible about this sort of thing.
Hire adults and let them self manage how much time they need off. They won't abuse it, they'll love you, and you can avoid this complex project.
Which is fine and dandy unless you have to comply with labor laws that require documentation of the amount of leave granted. Or accounting rules which require you to report earned time off as a liability.
What he said. We had to roll our own. There is an astounding amount of "the devil is in the details" when dealing with this subject. For examples: How do you handle accrual of vacation/sick time for an employee whose start date is in the middle of a pay period? Is there a delay before they start accruing? Is there a maximum allowable amount? Does it increase based on seniority? How do you integrate your system with your time clock to deal with hourly employees (don't forget to credit them paid leave for hol
What he said. We had to roll our own. There is an astounding amount of "the devil is in the details" when dealing with this subject. For examples: How do you handle accrual of vacation/sick time for an employee whose start date is in the middle of a pay period? Is there a delay before they start accruing? Is there a maximum allowable amount? Does it increase based on seniority? How do you integrate your system with your time clock to deal with hourly employees (don't forget to credit them paid leave for holidays)? What if somebody is out for a span that includes the paid lunch hour? Will you allow entries that would cause the current balance to be pushed into the negative? If not, how will you forecast future remaining time, while taking all these rules into account?
This is one of those business cases where the ol' 80/20 rule just doesn't cut it. Just tracking who's here and who isn't is pretty simple, but when you start automating the payroll side of it, it becomes many times more complicated and customized.
Most of those can be answered with the term "pro-rate". Still, your point is valid - do you prorate or not?
What do you use to track days/hours worked? Isn't vacation accounting built into that system? If it's not, you're going to be running parallel non-communicating software which gives you multiple opportunities for the databases to get out of sync with reality, and each other.
The guy's question sounds like agonizing over the what color car to get before he has even picked out a car.
Vacation/sick days are something you track from within an employee hour tracking system that you should be worrying about first. And once you've chosen that, your solution is vacation/ sick day tracking becomes obvious.
There is no requirement to track employee hours for us, just days on leave. A spreadsheet on a shared drive worked for a while, but doesn't scale so we're looking for a distributed solution. We're primarily a Linux shop for servers (I'm sure we have some Windows servers as well) and will self host whatever solution is chosen.
You don't always need to track days/hours worked. For many salaried employees, you get paid an annual salary and your hours aren't really supposed to be tracked.
The vacation day policy lays on top of that. If you use more than you're supposed to, it's not that you're getting paid for more days than you're supposed to, it's that you're getting paid the right amount but you're also violating company rules/policies.
(This is how it is for my own job.)
The vacation tracking system doesn't really need to sync up
Yeah, I've worked "salaried - exempt" what have you jobs since 1990, no time clock, no overtime, no hour tracking.
Every single one of them tracked my days worked, sick days, vacation days, etc. with the same time tracking software used on hourly employees - only difference is that the "exempt" employees always get 80 hours, regardless of what's actually worked.
I even worked at a place that "didn't track" vacation time for higher level managers - some managers took two month long vacations
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.logan.bryan.ptotrack [google.com]
Or if you want to bust the bank and pay $.99 and not have ads - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.logan.bryan.ptotrackpro [google.com]
It's not Open Source, but if there's something specific you want, let me know and I can think about adding it. Or, if you'd like to purchase the entire source and open source it yourself, I'd be open to discussion.
Perhaps I am misunderstanding the app but from the page it seems like it can only track "your" time off. Can it track time for an business with many employees?
My own PTO days are tracked via a spreadsheet. My employer uses Excel, but I keep my own "shadow copy", usually in Google Docs spreadsheets (it has varied year-to-year).
There are plenty of open source spreadsheets. The first one that I really liked using, many years ago, was "sc", a curses/terminal-based spreadsheet that built upon the vi keyboard commands. It's still around somewhere. My housemates and I used it collectively (via shared directories with ACLs on NFS mounts) to track shared expenses. Th
Why the fuck you need open source? You aren't going to modify it, you just think open source is synonymous with free.
My company uses its book keeping / payroll software to do this, but from reading the comments here, apparently america doesnt have humane
vacation / sick days forced upon employers, I guess its that "free market" thing that works so well...
Not the OP but I will answer why I use open source when I can.
Yes the cost factor is nice, but I prefer open source because I have more trust that the system isn't leaking information to it's copyright holder. That and the endless update cycle.
I really with there was an effective way to use cash as a bounty to help pet projects along.
While open source is also a bias of mine, I've also already looked at the source of the packages I've been considering partially for documentation. I've also got a history of taking open source packages and making some tweaks to fit the requirements a bit more. An active developer community around a project is also a critical indicator of liveliness in software and whether it continues to be viable. Note that I said that non-free packages will also be considered, open source is just a preference.
Open Source Software usually has gaps in Business software.
First OSS developers tend to have a negative views towards companies. Making free software so a company can make more money just doesn't sit right. OSS does tend to give tools for the IT side of business but a lot less on the side of the people with Suits.
Second OSS developers are mostly on IT and really don't have a big picture understanding on how to operate a business. (some of them do, but most don't, judging by a lot of the idiotic comments from FSS supporters on how business need to operate) So most OSS Business systems tend to be small and only work for the company the product was designed for, and rarely ever useful in an other company.
It may be overkill, but TimeTrex Time and Attendance [timetrex.com] is open source and has a scheduling module with complete accrual tracking and employee self-service for requesting time off. It does a bunch of other stuff too (ie: attendance, payroll), but that can all be disabled in the permission system if you don't want to bother with it.
Definitely still a work in progress, but one to watch: http://www.kuali.org/KPME
The Time and Attendance module has been released and implemented in at least a couple places. Leave Management is the next module with an expected first release sometime in October.
set up a DB, make a web interface in PHP or ASP. call it done. that way employees can look and request without adding software, and HR can approve, deny and pull reports.
Honestly, less than a day's worth of work for someone that is mildly capable in web programming.
It's funny... Every company I've worked for has built this application over and over... different languages, different platforms to integrate with different generations of desktop / networked calendaring, etc... and even different versions for different departments when there's variation allowed on a per-manager basis. It seems like it's always a bespoke, in-house sorta thing. It's also usually treated as the "get started" application when switching technology platforms... "If we can figure out how to bui
It is a pretty large software package and support tends to suck if you don't pay but it is updated consistently is open, and once you get your head around things, pretty easy to extend.
This seems to be the most appropriate answer here.
How about Outlook, Excel, paper and pencil, Libre Office Calc, etc...
Write something in PHP, ASP, or whatever.
I wrote a program called Remind [roaringpenguin.com] and I use it to track vacation days, who has the support pager, etc.
It's very old-school UNIX. You enter all your data in a text file and it renders the calendar. I use git for revision control so it's easy to see who booked time off and when.
I'm guessing Remind will appeal to about 0.001% of the target audience.
We're a company of about 400 people so off-the-shelf calendar applications wouldn't fit. So when this issue came up, we decided to build our own. It took about a month for a sole programmer, but at least it matches our company requirements perfectly.
I've been looking at OrangeHRM for a couple of days and have it installed in a virtual machine. However a few things have made me cautious:
- The registration page on their website to download the documentation doesn't work.
- I called their "global" technical support number to report that their registration page doesn't work and got voicemail.
- They haven't called me back 2 days later.
- The wiki site for their community version has almost no content and has been polluted with spam links that haven't been cl
Sigmund Freud is alleged to have said that in the last analysis the entire field of psychology may reduce to biological electrochemistry.


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Editor's note: Nikole Rene Souza is a Dover resident, an avid traveler, actress by hobby, and occasional writer
MELBOURNE, Australia — During one of the first lectures we received on Semester at Sea, we were told we would be "using the F word a lot", which brought some natural chuckles from a room full of college-aged students.
After the laughter subsided, the lecturer told us the F word stood for "flexibility", and that it was something we were going to have to get good at.
Within the first four hours in our first port, the plans my friends and I had so neatly arranged were changed, and we realized just how flexible we were going to have to be.
I thank Semester at Sea almost every day for this lesson, because without it, I think that I wouldn't be able to survive Australia.
When I first booked my flight to Australia, my arrangement would be living and working for a family from January 2013-January 2014, which I was very excited about. They emailed me a few months later to let me know that they were expecting a new baby in March, and that because the mother would be on maternity leave, they wouldn't need me from April-October.
They offered me the chance to back out. This was about two months before I was set to leave.
I was excited about working for them, so I decided I would just stay with them for three months, and move back to the States in early May, giving me one month to travel.
My whole year I had planned out was suddenly completely different. I told myself: "Just be flexible."
The finish date we mutually agreed on was March 20, and from there I was planning on spending a weekend in Melbourne before moving up to Brisbane. About two weeks into February, I received a text from my host mom that essentially said, "We're shorter on money than expected, and need you to end February 26".
Oh. So my house and my only source of income is going to be gone in less than two weeks? Awesome.
I had a few moments of sheer panic, but then I remembered to just be flexible. So I found a job and I found a place to stay.
I was living with a couchsurfer who said I could stay with him as long as I needed, and I was excited about that. I started working a few days per week as a waitress while pursuing other babysitting jobs during the day, and actively handing out my resume.
Then my host told me I couldn't stay any longer, because his work/school schedule was just too hectic, which again gave me a moment of panic.
"Just be flexible," I said to myself again, and I thanked him for letting me stay with him while I could.
That's where I'm at right now. My boyfriend, who I met two months ago at a bank, is letting me stay with him here in Australia, which means I'm not homeless (fret not), but I do feel as if I'm almost stuck in limbo.
Australia, as it turns out, is horrendously expensive. I spent $18 on a chicken sandwich for lunch today because it was the cheapest thing I could find in my Melbourne suburb that isn't McDonalds. A draft beer is, at cheapest, around $8 a pint, and gas (here called petrol) is roughly $1.56 per liter (it takes about four liters to make up a gallon). So yeah, stop complaining about gas prices.
I'm trying my best to work as many hours as possible, and I'm constantly picking up random jobs to get that extra bit of cash in hand.
The other day a woman texted me, asking if I could come to her house in an hour to babysit for a few hours. My plans for the day were to run some much-needed errands, but money was more important, so I hopped on a bus and went across town. "Just be flexible"
I had a moment the other day where I was so frustrated I nearly called up my travel agent and switched my flights to take me home in early April. I'm glad I did not do that.
I continuously watch the plans I make fall apart and turn into something so absurdly different from what I've originally planned, but I'm doing my best to not stress out too much and to keep my flexibility intact, because I look around at everything that I do have and everything that has gone right, and I can't help but smile and be thankful for all of the things that went wrong...
Because if they had gone wrong, I wouldn't be where I am today, and where I am today brings a smile to my face.
Dover adventurer: Visiting Australia and the art of flexibility
Editor's note: Nikole Rene Souza is a Dover resident, an avid traveler, actress by hobby, and occasional writer


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Sorry but I think DA is forgetting the etiquette rule that says it's rude to comment on what others are eating. It did not only apply to comments like "ew you're eating THAT???"
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Photo Album Layout
Using the Photo Album layout, you can add some personalised pictures to each page of your site. Here's how:
- Choose 'photoalbum' from the list of templates and apply it.
- On each page of your site, edit the text in the page by selecting the little pencil icon.
- Insert a table into the page (it doesn't matter where!) and make a 3 row by 1 column table
- Set the table style to 'Photo Album Backgrounds'.
- In each 'cell' of the table place a square image, no smaller than 100x100 pixels.
Save the page, and your personalised pictures will sit in the template very neatly.
If you want to change away from this layout, your pictures will just sit tidily in each page as a small image gallery, so you can remove them at your leisure.


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Loyola Greyhounds at Cornell Big Red
Sunday, November 11, 2013 | 4:00 p.m.
Ithaca, N.Y. | Newman Arena
Quick Hits About The 'Hounds
Loyola University Maryland wraps up its season-opening road trip on Sunday, November 10, at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y.
The game is the first of a two-game series that will see the Big Red visit Loyola's Reitz Arena next season.
G.G. Smith won his first game of his head coaching career on Friday night at Binghamton. He became the 20th head coach in Loyola history on April 12, 2013, after spending the last six seasons as an assistant on the Greyhounds' bench.
The win was the Greyhounds' second-straight in season openers.
Loyola returns eight players from a team that went 23-12 last year.
Last Time Out
Loyola led for just over a quarter of the game (11:02), but came away with a 79-74 season-opening win over Binghamton University on Friday night in Vestal, N.Y.
Dylon Cormier and Jarred Jones scored 33 and 22 points, respectively, career-highs for both.
Cormier gave the Greyhounds the lead for good on a free-throw with 1:58 to play, as Loyola held the Bearcats without a field goal for the final 2:44.
Jones also blocked four shots, two coming on layups that would have given Binghamton the lead in the final 2:10.
The Greyhounds shot 50 percent from the field and held Binghamton to 39.1.
For Starters
Loyola opened its 2013-2014 campaign Friday night with a 79-74 win over Binghamton. The Greyhounds led for just 11 minutes, 3 seconds of the game, but they held the Bearcats without a field goal for the final 2:44.
Binghamton scored the first seven points of the game before Dylon Cormier scored out of a timeout at the 17:06 mark. The Bearcats extended their first-half lead to nine, 17-8, on two Jordan Reed free throws at 13:34, but Loyola scored the next seven points to get within a pair on Nick Gorski's first collegiate points, a layup at 10:19.
An Eric Laster three at 5:03 gave the Greyhounds their first lead of the game, 29-26, and his second three of the half, at 3:11, put Loyola up six.
Binghamton cut the lead to one at halftime and went back in front early in the second half. It led by six twice in the second half, but Loyola scored seven in a row after the second occurrence to take a lead of its own.
In The Final Five
Loyola outscored Binghamton, 14-4, in the final five minutes of Friday night's game, holding the Bearcats to 1-of-6 from the field. Meanwhile, the Greyhounds made 3-of-5 field goals and 7-of-9 free throws.
Dylon Cormier scored nine of the 14 for Loyola during that stretch, hitting a three, a transition layup and 4-of-5 free throws.
Defensively, Loyola forced three Binghamton turnovers, all coming on Greyhounds steals, two by Eric Laster and one by Cormier. R.J. Williams was involved in two of the three turnovers, forcing the action to create steal opportunities.
Jarred Jones also had two key blocked shots during the stretch (more later).
Cormier Leads The Way
Dylon Cormier rebounded from a slow start – he was just 3-of-11 from the field in the first half – to score 21 in the second 20 minutes. The senior guard was 7-of-11, and 2-of-3 from 3-point range, after the break.
His 31 points eclipsed his previous career best of 27, set last November in a win at Coppin State University. He also tied his career-high with 10 field goals made, and his 22 attempts were also a career-high.
Twelve of Cormier's points came in the game's final 10 minutes, and nine of them were in the last five.
Cormier's 31 points were the most by a Loyola player since Jamal Barney dropped 40 on NJIT in a January 14, 2009, game at Reitz Arena.
Jones Breaks Out
Jarred Jones had a career night in the season-opener against Binghamton, recording personal bests in points (22), rebounds (7), field goals made (8), field goal attempts (11) and blocked shots (4).
The sophomore carries Loyola's offense in the first half when it was otherwise stagnant, scoring nine points in just over five minutes. During that span, Loyola scored just two other points, but a Jones layup at 11:12 closed the Binghamton lead to four.
Jones tied for game-high, and led Loyola, with six offensive rebounds. His boards led to 10 Greyhounds points.
While his offensive production was critical, his four blocked shots were just as important. Jones swatted two Binghamton layups with weak-side help in the final 2:10 of regulation. The first block came in transition, and the second was on a drive from the left side. Both shots would have given Binghamton the lead if not for the blocks.
Bench Support
Led by Jarred Jones' 22, Loyola non-starters scored 32 points, and several of them were key during the first half when Binghamton had opened up a lead of nine.
In a three possession stretch, Nick Gorski scored his first career points by grabbing an offensive board and laying it back in, and then Tyler Hubbard hit a three from the top left of the perimeter at 9:40, making it a two-point game. The next trip down the court, R.J. Williams found Denzel Brito who knocked down a three for his first points in a Greyhounds uniform.
The points were the only of the game for Hubbard and Gorski, and Brito added two free throws with less than three seconds left to seal the victory.
The bench players also contributed 17 of the Greyhounds' 37 rebounds with Jones leading the team with seven and Brito chipping in six, all on the defensive end. Brito also led all players with three assists.
Dog Debuts
Three players made their Greyhound debuts on Friday night with two of them seeing their first collegiate action. Nick Gorski and Damion Rashford both played their first college basketball game, while Denzel Brito saw his first action for Loyola Maryland.
Brito transferred prior to the 2012-2013 season from Loyola University Chicago where he started 21 games, and appeared in 54, over two seasons for the Ramblers. He played 25 minutes in his Greyhounds debut after more than 20 months without playing a collegiate game.
Start Of The Smith Era
G.G. Smith was named the 20th head coach in Loyola University Maryland men's basketball history on April 12, 2013. Her garnered his first head coaching win on November 8, 2013, in the season-opener against Binghamton.
The 1999 graduate of the University of Georgia spent the last six seasons as an assistant coach at Loyola for Jimmy Patsos who took the head coaching position at Siena College in March.
Loyola amassed a 106-87 record (.549) during Smith's six years as an assistant. The 106 wins and the .549 winning percentage are the best of any six-year stretch during Loyola's Division I history (since 1982-1983).
As a player, Smith was a three-year starter and four-year letterwinner for the Bulldogs from 1995-1999. Smith helped the Bulldogs advance to the 1996 NCAA Sweet 16 and another tournament appearance in 1997. He left Georgia as the school's career leader in games played (129), wins in a season (24) and 3-pointers in a game (nine).
Smith is the son of current Texas Tech University Head Coach Tubby Smith. The elder Smith led the University of Kentucky to the 1998 NCAA Championship and is in his 23rd season as a head coach. G.G. Smith played for his father from 1995-1997 at Georgia.
Meet The Staff
Joining G.G. Smith on the Greyhounds' bench this season will be assistant coaches Keith Booth, Josh Loeffler and Dan Ficke and director of operations Kevin Farrell.
Booth spent the last two seasons as an assistant women's coach at Loyola after serving as an assistant to Gary Williams for seven years at the University of Maryland. An All-American and four-time All-ACC player at Maryland, Booth won an NBA Championship with the Chicago Bulls.
Loeffler brings considerable Patriot League experience with four seasons, and two League Championship Game appearances (2010 and 2011), at Lafayette College. He was also the head coach at NCAA Division III school Stevens Institute of Technology from guided the Ducks to a 46-13 record in two seasons and an NCAA Sweet 16 bid in 2007.
Ficke is a graduate and four-year lettermen of Loyola where he also earned his master's degree. The last three seasons, Ficke has been a member of the staff at Wake Forest University where he was the Special Assistant to the Head Coach and Director of Scouting and Recruiting.
Farrell returns for his second season as the Greyhounds' director of operations and sixth overall with the program. He was a four-year manager for the team as an undergraduate at Loyola.
Look Back At 2012-2013
Loyola finished the 2012-2013 season with a 23-12 record, marking the first time in the school's Division I history (since 1982-1983) that the Greyhounds have posted back-to-back 20-win seasons.
The Greyhounds finished their final season in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference with a 12-6 mark, tying for second place.
After falling in the first round of the MAAC Championships, Loyola its first-ever bid tot he CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament. Following the Greyhounds' 2012 appearance in the NCAA Tournament, it was the first consecutive postseason bids in school Division I history and the first since 1953 in any division of competition.
Erik Etherly and Dylon Cormier became the first set of Loyola teammates to be named to the All-MAAC First Team in the same year.
New Dogs
Seven players will make their Loyola debuts this season with the roster featuring two juniors who transferred from other schools, three redshirt freshmen and two true freshmen.
Denzel Brito will suit up for the Greyhounds after spending 2010-2012 at a different Jesuit school with a similar name: Loyola University Chicago. As a sophomore in 2011-2012, Brito started 21 games for the Ramblers and led the team in assists with 3.5 per game, while averaging 7.0 points and 2.5 rebounds. In their last four games, he averaged 11.0 points.
Stefano Mancini joined the team before the fall semester. The former Gatorade Player of the Year for the State of Maine spent the 2011-2012 season at the University of Maine.
Forward Josh Forney and guards Damion Rashford and Sean Tuohy Jr. all redshirted last season for the Greyhounds and will see their first collegiate action this season.
True freshmen Nick Gorski and Jevon Patton were the first signees by the new coaching staff at Loyola and joined the program this fall. Both Gorski and Patton led their respective high school programs to state titles in 2012-2013, Gorski at Benedictine Prep in Richmond, Va., and Patton at Olympic High School in Charlotte, N.C.
Gone, But Not Forgotten
Five players earned their Loyola degrees and left the program after exhausting their eligibility last season: forwards Erik Etherly and Julius Brooks, swingman Anthony Winbush and guards Robert Olson and Luke Wandrusch.
Etherly returned from an early-season shoulder injury to average 15.7 points and 6.5 rebounds while earning All-MAAC First Team and NABC All-District I Second Team honors for the second year in a row. He finished with 1,245 points and 669 rebounds in three seasons at Loyola.
Olson was the team's third-leading scorer with 12.7 points per game, and he also averaged 4.2 rebounds as a guard. A 2012 All-MAAC Third Team member, Olson graduated with 1,264 career points and the second-most 3-pointers made in a career (211).
Winbush was the quintessential multi-role player for the Greyhounds; he saw action at every position but center last season offensively, and he frequently defended the opponents' best player, regardless of position. He led the team in overall rebounds (197), was second in overall assists (76) and averaged 7.0 points per game.
Brooks provided toughness, rebounding and inside scoring for the Greyhounds, playing in 34 games and starting 10. He averaged 4.5 points, 3.4 rebounds and nearly a blocked shot a game as a senior.
Wandrusch was a four-year walk-on to the program who was a solid addition to the Greyhounds' scout team.
New Year, New Coach, New League
Many things associated with the Loyola men's basketball program have changed, such as first-year head coach G.G. Smith moving up after spending six years as an assistant on the Greyhounds' bench.
Loyola will also be a member of the Patriot League for the first time in 2013-2014. The school announced in August 2012 that it would make the move to the conference, and the move became official on July 1, 2013.
The Greyhounds will compete against American University, fellow Patriot League newcomer Boston University, Bucknell University, Colgate University, College of the Holy Cross, Lafayette College, Lehigh University, the U.S. Military Academy and the U.S. Naval Academy.
Preseason Patriot League Picks
Loyola senior guard Dylon Cormier was one of five players named to the Preseason All-Patriot League First Team, an honor shared by Bucknell's Cameron Ayers, Holy Cross' Dave Dudzinski, Boston University's D.J. Irving (player of the year) and Lehigh's Mackey McKnight.
As a team, the Greyhounds were slated to finish fifth, just six points out of third place. Boston University was the unanimous pick to win the league, followed by Lafayette, Army, Bucknell, Loyola, Lehigh, Holy Cross, Colgate, American and Navy.
Series History Versus Cornell
Loyola and Cornell will play for the second time in series history on Sunday afternoon, the first coming when the teams met in the Preseason NIT on November 18, 2008, at Boston College.
The Big Red won that decision, 82-72, as Ryan Wittman led four players in double figures with 24 points.
Tony Lewis scored a career-high 23 points for Loyola, while Brett Harvey added 18, and Isaac Reid had 13.
Turn The TV On
In a continuing agreement with the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN), five Loyola men's basketball games will be broadcast by the regional sports network this season. Additionally, those games will be carried by various other RSNs nationwide.
The Greyhounds' November 16 home-opener against former MAAC foe Fairfield University will be broadcast, as will the November 20 game at UMBC and the December 7affair at Mount St. Mary's. MASN will also broadcast the Greyhounds' February 15 game against Boston University. MASN will also pick up the ROOT Sports Pittsburgh feed of Loyola's game at West Virginia University on December 2.
Two Loyola games will air nationally on CBS Sports Network as part of the Patriot League's television package. The Greyhounds will be featured on back-to-back Mondaynights in January, starting with a January 13 game in Reitz Arena against Lafayette, followed by the January 20 contest at Boston University.
Another pair of games will also be televised, with SNY originating the November 26 game at the University of Connecticut and ESPN3 carrying the December 30 contest at the University of Miami.
Brito, Laster Spend Summer Overseas
Two Loyola players, – Denzel Brito and Eric Laster – gained valuable experience playing overseas during the summer of 2013.
Brito trained with the Cape Verdean National Team prior to their play in the FIBA African Championships. However, due to a FIBA exclusion, he was not able to participate in the event itself.
Laster played in five games on a tour that visited Belgium, England and The Netherlands. He was lauded for his wing play by writers who covered the events against professional teams in those countries.
Cormier On The Charts
Dylon Cormier enters his senior season at Loyola with a chance to climb many of the Greyhounds' career statistical charts. Here is a look at where he stands:
|1,244 points
|Erik Etherly, 1,245
|Field Goals Made
|412 field goals made
|Tracy Bergan, 416
|3-Pointers Made
|79 3-Pt. Made
|Anthony Walker, 81
|Free Throws Made
|341 free throws made
|Gerald Brown, 365
|172 assists
|Mark Rhode, 179
|142 steals
|Mike Powell, 154
Latham On Blocks List
Jordan Latham now has 57 blocked shots in his two-plus seasons at Loyola. He is 11th all-time in that statistical category, one shy of tying Mike Wagner (1987-91) for 10th and two away from Anthony Smith (1995-97) in ninth.
Latham blocked a team-high 37 shots last year.
High Marks
The Loyola men's basketball team scored the highest amongst squads in the State of Maryland in the most recent NCAA Graduation Success Rate report. The Greyhounds checked in with a 91-percent GSR, tops among the state's nine Division I schools, for players who entered the school between 2003-2006.
Up Next
The Greyhounds open the home portion of their 2013-2014 schedule on Saturday, November 16, with an 8 o'clock game against a familiar foe. Loyola hosts former MAAC opponent and fellow Jesuit school Fairfield in a game that will be televised on MASN.


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We can handle most of our outboard's routine maintenance-the simple stuff like oil changes, replacing filters and such, but where do we take the boat when it needs professional help? There are no easy answers to this one, just a few things to consider as we're seeking someone to heal our ailing vessel.
Boat Dealerships
A local factory-authorized, factory-trained sales/service dealership is your best bet, especially if you bought the boat from them. The technicians should know what they're doing, be familiar with the most advanced repair procedures, and their training certificates ought to be current. Talk to the service writer or shop manager and ask about the technicians' level of proficiency. A certified dealer will be proud to present the shop's credentials-certification is a big deal in the marine industry.
A factory certified facility will usually maintain a reasonable inventory of Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) parts, potentially expediting the repair process. Certified technicians working on your boat should provide top-notch service the first time, adding to your confidence level in the quality of the repairs. Another consideration is that factory-authorized dealers may perform warranty repairs, should the need ever arise.
Independent Shops
Many independent shops (those not officially affiliated with any manufacturer) are quite competent, and capable of repairing nearly any brand of outboard. In addition, these shops may be a good resource for taking care of older engines.
Freelance Technicians
Another type of marine mechanic is the freelance technician. These techs could have full-time jobs as certified technicians at a dealership, and take on side jobs to supplement their income, or be independent contractors who work for themselves. The beauty of freelancers is they'll often come to your place to work on the boat in the driveway, during timeframes that suit your schedule. As with any other boat repair situation, ask for references, certifications/experience and what, if any, warranty is provided for the service.
Assorted Service Tips
If you're new to boating (or from out of town), ask the locals hanging around the docks, launch ramps, and bait shops where you can find the best marine repair service in the area. Or, jump on the engine manufacturer's website to find the nearest dealer. For instance, to locate a Yamaha dealer, go to www.yamaha-outboards.com, click on Care and Maintenance, then select Service from the drop-down menu.
Do document the boat/motor's symptoms before taking it to the shop (I feel a vibration at 3500 rpm, the boat doesn't have the oomph to pull water toys, the engine is hard to restart on a hot day). The more information you can give the service writer/technician, the less time it'll take to diagnose and repair the problem. DON'T be vague when you drop off your boat (geez, it's not running right; this thing's a piece of junk, my buddy has the identical rig and his boat is faster than mine). The technician will usually spend a lot of time (charged to you at the shop's hourly rate) trying to figure out what's wrong and fixing it.
A sharp service writer/technician will not only make sure your boat/motor is repaired to cure the problem you brought it in for, but will note on the service order other potential items/issues that will need service in the future. Be an active participant in the upkeep of your boat and motor; it'll increase the longevity of both and save you money in the long run.
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The Institute communicates its scientific and educational information in a number of ways. One major outlet is peer-reviewed publications and reports. Cary Institute staff regularly publish in the best-rated journals in their respective fields.
Export 11 results:Sort by: Author Title Type [ Year]
Filters: Author is Gutiérrez, A. G. [Clear All Filters]
Increased Drought Impacts on Temperate Rainforests from Southern South America: Results of a Process-Based, Dynamic Forest Model", PLoS ONE, vol. 9, no. 7, p. e103226, 2014., "
Interactions among patch area, forest structure and water fluxes in a fog-inundated forest ecosystem in semiarid Chile", Funct. Ecol, vol. 24, p. 909-917, 2010., "
Old-growth temperate rainforests of South America: Conservation, plant–animal interactions, and baseline biogeochemical processes.", in C. Wirth et al., eds. Old-growth Forests, 2009, p. 367-390., "
Structural and environmental characterization of old-growth temperate rainforests of northern Chiloé Island, Chile: Regional and global relevance", For. Ecol. Manage, vol. 258, p. 376-388, 2009., "
Gap-phase dynamics and coexistence of a long-lived pioneer and shade-tolerant tree species in the canopy of an old-growth coastal temperate rain forest of Chiloé island, Chile", Journal of Biogeography, vol. 35, p. 1674-1687, 2008., "
Regeneration patterns and persistence of the fog-dependent Fray Jorge forest in semiarid Chile during the past two centuries", Global Change Biol., vol. 14, p. 161-176, 2008., "
Diversity in fragmented forests of Chiloé, are all the fragments equal?", in A. Grez, J. Simonetti and R. Bustamante (eds.). Biodiversidad en Ambientes Fragmentados de Chile: Patrones y Procesos a Diferentes Escalas, 2007, p. 159-189., "
Ecological impacts of harvesting scenarios for temperate evergreen rain forest in southern Chile - a simulation experiment", For. Ecol. Manage, vol. 252, p. 52-66, 2007., "
Process-based modelling of regeneration dynamics and sustainable use in species-rich rain forests", in A.C. Newton (ed.). Biodiversity Loss and Conservation in Fragmented Forest Landscapes: Evidence from Mexican Montane Forests and the Temperate Rainforests of South America, 2007, p. 244-275., "
Rain forest islands in the Chilean semiarid region: Fog-dependency, ecosystem persistence and tree regeneration", Ecosystems, vol. 9, p. 598-608, 2006., "
Disturbance and regeneration dynamics of an old-growth North Patagonian rain forest in Chiloé Island, Chile", J. Ecol., vol. 92, p. 598-608, 2004., "


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MOFGA's Pest Alert - October 23, 2012
Compiled by Eric Sideman, PhD - MOFGA's Organic Crop Specialist
Another Garlic Pest - Bulb mites (Rhizoglyphus spp) - It is garlic planting time and we thought we saved the most beautiful heads for our seed. But, when we broke open the heads we were shocked to see the amount of damage to many of the cloves. Again, this year has proved to be a very challenging growing season for a handful of crops. This time it is garlic. I have never before seen this level of damage by bulb mites. And now that my awareness has been raised, I am getting calls from other growers seeing this damage and wondering what it is.
The mite itself is nearly microscopic so it is not a surprise that growers cannot figure out the culprit. Of course, Becky can see the little critters, but I had to use my dissecting microscope. They live down in the tiny, tight space between the cloves or between a loosened wrapper and the clove. If you see damage similar to the picture below, carefully dissect the lower part of the head of garlic, especially down near where the roots and the bulb come together and look under layers of scales. With a hand lens you can identify the bulbous shaped mite. In addition to the mite, we also found thrips living under the scales of the garlic. I am not sure yet whether this thrips is contributing to the damage, or is a predatory thrips feeding on the mites. I will get samples to experts and figure it out soon, so stay tuned and be sure to come to MOFGA's day at this years Agricultural Trades Show (at the Augusta Civic Center, January 8 - 10) where I will again do a talk on pests of the 2012 season.
Garlic and onions plants are not only damaged from the direct feeding by bulb mites, but also by pathogens to enter through the wounds caused by the mites. My garlic that was wounded had Rhizopus (black bread mold) and Penicillium (blue mold) growing in some of the wounds.
This bulb mite has a wide range of hosts, including many flower bulbs. It sure loves garlic. These mites are shiny, creamy white. They have four pairs of legs that seem to be more forward than on most mites, making their rear end look bulbous. They survive the winter in crop debris and decaying vegetation in the field, and in heads of garlic. Hot water treatment of the bulbs is recommended in lots of literature. Contact me if you want the details. But, I would not recommend it after the stories I have heard this year with growers who hot water treated garlic to control the bloat nematode only to find they killed the garlic and it did not sprout.
Crop rotation, sanitation, and planting clean seed is the only recommendation I have at this time. And of course, at this time the seed you have is probably what you will plant, so at least plant the cleanest of it. Try not to plant the cloves infested with mites. Avoid planting in fields with lots of decaying vegetation, especially cole crops which can harbor very high populations of the mite. Fallow fields with completely decomposed organic matter would be best.


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Another "iPad killer" in the dustbin. You are not going to compete with Apple with some cobbled together piece of junk. The iPad is positioned to be as dominant as the iPod in the mp3 player market.
There's very little wrong with the Kindle fire that can't be fixed with software.
I owned one, and returned it. I returned it because I prefer the e-ink screen of the Kindle DX for reading. If you want a tablet, the Fire is fine.
The problem is that the operating system is not ready for release, it feels like it's in a beta state. There's no way to customize most of the things you look at and think "Hmm, I wish I could
The volume button position is weird, but you can simply turn the device over and the screen flips. It's no issue. Some people bellyache about the external volume control, but so what? Does that kill a device that comes in a less than half it's competitors' price point?
The Silk browser was reportedly sped up greatly after the first software update - I returned mine before taking it.
The Kindle Fire was rushed out before the OS was ready. A couple updates down the road, it will be a very nice competitor to the iPad.
(sorry, I meant "The power button position is weird...")
There's very little wrong with the Kindle fire that can't be fixed with software.
You state that as though good software is so easy to write, it can be treated as an afterthought.
Sadly, many hardware makers share your view, which is one of the major reasons why every. single. iPad "killer" has failed miserably.
The issue isn't that it can't be done it's that they typically don't have the incentive to do so. B&N greatly improved the first gen Nook after release. They added a full fledged web browser, greatly improved the page flip speed and generally making it function better than it did on launch.
Realistically, that stuff ought to be done before the product launches, but if the company cares it definitely can be done, you just don't always know where the bug lies, in software or hardware.
"... but if the company cares it definitely can be done..."
Simplistic answer. It's not whether or not they care. Do they have the expertise? Do they design by committee, with everyone and their kid bother sticking their opinion into the mix? Do they have the time? Do they have the money?
The later two boil down to commitment? HP looked at what it would take to compete in the marketplace, and threw in the towel.
A friend of mine bought a nook and modded it into a very nice android tablet. I was amazed how simple it was to do it. Nice touch screen on the nook by the way. Very responsive.
The volume button position is weird, but you can simply turn the device over and the screen flips. It's no issue. Some people bellyache about the external volume control, but so what? Does that kill a device that comes in a less than half it's competitors' price point?
The most direct competitor to the Kindle Fire is either the B&N Nook Color ($50 more than Fire when Fire was launched, now the same price, lower hardware specs in general, but does have an SD card slot, and many reviews have the Kindle Fire performing worse on many common tasks) and the B&N Nook Tablet (released shortly after the fire, at a $50 higher price point, similar processor specs to the Kindle Fire, but more RAM, local storage, SD card slot, and most head-to-heads I've seen find it performs better overall.)
Neither B&N device has the power button placement issues or lack of external volume controls that the Fire has, either.
Amazon clearly wants people to compare the Fire to the iPad on price, because a not-quite-iPad at half the price sounds like a good value proposition, and the best chance Amazon has at succeeding with the Fire is if that's how people see it, but its closest competitors on price, form factor, and features aren't from Apple.
Which is precisely where apple (usually) succeeds and others fail. Apple would NEVER have released a product in the same state Amazon released the Fire. Generally speaking (and there are most certainly exceptions,) Apple won't release a product until it's "done." Other tech companies really should learn from this example.
I'm often stunned by the crap that modern "consumers" are willing to accept.
There's very little wrong with the Kindle fire that can't be fixed with software.
Providing, of course, that they want to fix it. Both I and my wife have a Kindle 3 , and it's fine at what it does, but except for its form factor, the Fire isn't really a tablet. They're just calling it that because of the buzzword factor
Who are these mythical people that were claiming that this was somehow supposed to be some sort of "iPad killer"?
It think this whole thing is just a bogus false strawman.
Book readers predate the iPad. This is perhaps just a slightly better Book reader and is sized and priced accordingly. I think all of the people whining about "iPad killers" want to set up false expectations and some sort of hollow non-victory.
Book readers predate the iPad. This is perhaps just a slightly better Book reader and is sized and priced accordingly
The Kindle Fire (like the Nook Color and Nook Tablet from B&N) are marketed as tablets (the Nook Color was originally marketed as "the reader's tablet"), and marketing for both the Amazon and B&N devices often includes the e-Ink devices from the same vendors as preferred devices as readers while the LCD devices are pushed as tablets.
While the iPad may not be the most relevant comparis
I'm conflicted here because the Kindle Fire is not for me; the form factor and CPU are good but I'm going to wait for a 7" pad with an SD card slot. (Other than the overpriced Galaxy.) On the other hand, I used an iPad for a week and gave it back; clearly that overpriced and overhyped device is not for me either. I guess I'm not a fanboi.
I followed some of the links, trying to find where Amazon has called the Fire an "ipod killer", and the only place I can find that phrase used is by various media pundits. (For instance, one PCMag article cites an earlier PCMag article. Wow, we're not CREATING news, are we?)
It appears that Amazon was trying to create a reader on a code base that they don't have to maintain themselves, that was compatible with Kindle content and also had some browsing capability. (Someone will surely correct me if I'm wrong.) I personally think it doesn't have enough memory or expandability to be a serious contender in the tablet marketplace, but that isn't important.
The Nook Color has some issues too. If we had the processor of the Fire and the features of the Color running full Android 3+ including Marketplace instead of dinking around with crippled versions of the OS, at that price point, or even a little more, well, I'd buy one. Some day it'll happen.
The Fire will either succeed (with a much needed firmware update) or it will fail. It doesn't really matter, as there will be alternatives. Some day, someone will take Amazon's idea of not trying to compete with the iPad as a boutique item but actually make a usable tablet for a reasonable price, and it'll really take off. But it'll have to be, you know, usable.
But I'm uncomfortable with "X will be a Y killer" especially when "Y" has a near-hysterically devoted fanbase. Rather, I think there is room in the marketplace for multiple products, including ones for people who are looking for a certain set of capabilities, and ones for people looking for a certain logo engraved on the trendy stainless back.
(And yes, I'm being intentionally provocative, as I found the tone of the parent article irritating and fanboi-ish.)
Might as well buy a Kia and complain that it's not as polished of a driving experience as a BMW.
Oddly enough, I rented a Kia several months ago and found it a highly competent car. Didn't have leather seats or seat warmers, but it still accellerated well, was comfortable to ride in and handled well in rain and snow.
As go the Kindle Fire, I saw somewhere there's a planned update for it to address some of the complaints. Once again - Sell now, fix bugs later - as a business model. So this is the future, eh? What next, hand you a box of components you take to a store for them to assemble?
Sell now, fix bugs later - as a business model. So this is the future, eh?
It's the past, present, and future.
Except by all accounts, nearly none of these problems exist for the Nook Color which is the same price. The Nook Color is slower than an iPad, but it is generally responsive and fairly well polished, especially after a year of updates. The Kindle Fire by comparison is a shoddy rushed product.
So this is like buying a Kia when you could have gotten a better Hyundai for the same price.
I have a Kindle Fire. I generally like it but the gripes above apply (no volume control, no security/locking for reading history, etc).
I can't wait to install a replacement version of android that's more like what you find on other tablets and phones: http://liliputing.com/2011/12/cyanogenmod-7-performance-on-the-amazon-kindle-fire-video.html [liliputing.com]
(I have no association with whatever site that is, I'm just exciting to be getting cyanogenmod on the fire).
Steve Ballmer, is that you?
I picked up my kindle fire about three weeks ago. I will not even try to hide the fact that it has flaws. However, the feature list for the price is exactly what I wanted.
It's no iPad killer, but anyone who thinks they're going to get a 200 dollar product to replace a 500 dollar+ one is delusional.
anyone who thinks they're going to get a 200 dollar product to replace a 500 dollar+ one is delusional.
Or involved, however tangentially, in the tech field. Like a
Kind of like how my new TV would have sold for about 10x what I just paid for it many years ago. Or I can't even buy a 4 GB SSD, but if they were out there, an extrapolation of current prices shows they'd sell for about a 50th what I paid for mine some years ago.
Its interesting that the latest ipod touch sells at exactly the same price as my ancient first
i-devices don't seem to drop in price like everything else in the tech world, they just gain in performance.
That's because i-devices are made by one supplier. When they start selling the next model, they discontinue the previous. They're removed from the market before their price begins to appreciatively decrease.
Well, yeah. From the moment of its announcement til now, it's been heralded as the most serious competitor to the iPad yet. Nevermind that this was said before a single product had shipped, or even a single reviewer had gotten one to write up about. So of course consumers are going to buy into it thinking that it'll do just as good of a job, if not better, as the iPad at every task they want to use it for.
That's something that Apple has figured out that others are still struggling with.
There are tons of people who will happily spend $500+ on a toy once or twice a year. They're very happy with their iPads. There are lots of people who won't spend $200 on a toy. They're not tablet customers at the moment. The number of people who have rational expectations, will spend $200 on a toy known to be more limited than the $500 toy, but who won't spend $500 on the iPad is... small.
Another way to look at it is chronologically over a persons lifetime.
Large segments of my life, theres no way I could afford to blow $200 on a toy or even a useful $200 tool simply because there's no way I could scrape up that kind of cash. So who cares about the ipad or the fire. The question is more like "homemade mac n cheese" or "homemade pizza". Medical insurance would have been nice in my 20s as a college student, but crazy me, I decided to gamble I'll stay healthy, and eat instead. I'm sure if I stopped eating I'd soon need the health insurance.
Large segments of my life, basically the last 15 years or so, I can blow $500 on a toy without blinking too hard (as long as I don't make a regular habit of doing this kind of shopping weekly or monthly, I can do it without blinking, anyway). Years of shopping when I was poor at walmart taught me the whole "penny wise pound foolish" thing. So I don't buy junk, I'd rather wait a couple months and save for an ipad than buy something inferior. Which is exactly what I did WRT buying an ipad.
The interval of my life where I could afford to spend $200 on a toy, but cannot afford to spend $500 on a toy... Honestly, I donno, like maybe two whole weeks of my life? The two weeks between getting my first "real job" paycheck catching up on past bills etc and getting my second "real job" paycheck? Those two weeks would have been a great time to buy a Kindle Fire. The rest of my life I was either out of the market entirely, or I'm buying the gold standard aka the ipad.
Pretty much people are either cash flow negative or scraping along the bottom just barely not drowning for now, or they're cash flow positive and little expenses like this are no big deal... To me, as a homeowner, a big expense is replacing the water heater, $2000 of repair work. Or my beautiful $6000 roof job including replacing the water soaked attic insulation quickly before it molds. Or my $800 new dishwasher. Those are big expenses. Trying to excite me with an also ran for $200 instead of $500 isn't really
Volume buttons aren't exactly 'feature rich'. I had a hands on and yes, I could tell the touch capability was worse than my Android phone, but I thought it sufficient and understandable given the price point. Given the frequency and urgency that frequently comes with volume adjustment made the lack of volume control a deal breaker however.
Sicker yet of all the frigin people complaining about a $200 dollar device because they think it should be as polished and as feature rich as a $500+ device.
Many of the articles I've seen have been noting that while it's been hyped as an iPad killer, not only is it not in that league, its also got some work to do to catch up with the $250 Nook Tablet from B&N.
The iPad comparison is one that Amazon has invited because it would rather be granted passes based on how much cheaper it is than the iPad than be
"There is no privacy on the device; a spouse or child who picks it up will instantly know everything you have been doing."
I don't know the situation for the complainers, but my Kindle Fire has a passcode enabled.
Settings > Security > Lock Screen Password
All this can be fixed with software
There's the fundamental disconnect. From my perspective, I don't accept the premise that your issue with the basic functionality of the device is something that should be considered "broken" per se. In fact, if the default behavior were as you wanted it, I would consider it to be a negative. We simply have differing opinions on how personal such a device should actually be.
Indeed, I do imagine this in the hands of a six-year-old, and that would be a nightmare. Thankfully, it's password-protected, because it
The problem is that the device is not sharable (in the family).
Umm, which tablet currently available in the marketplace *does* sport an OS that is easily shared? I'll grant you the password protection for digital purchases, but the rest is par for the course for tablet devices.
Actually many hardware problems can be fixed with software.
You can not change physical switch position, but with software you can change how long you need to keep switch in specific position until it will do something. So you can fix most of the problems with software when problems are that device is turned off or put on sleep mode by accident touch.
Of course software can not add a external volume buttons, but with software you can bind some existing buttons to work as such (if there is such buttons). Or you can add a easy to access virtual button to offer those functions. It is more a hack but can work for many.
The sensitivity of touch screen can be fixed with software, as software rules again how the input data is being used. Better to have very sensitivite input touch screen and then slow down outpus what with software.
What comes to privacy, well, that can be fixed with software as well, place PIN code or something similar. Add lock to every application and make a easy way to delete history of web browsing or book history etc.
"a spouse or child who picks it up will instantly know everything you have been doing"
So don't sit around the house looking at porn.
I thought that was exactly what tablets were for?
So don't sit around the house looking at porn.
You're missing the point, this isn't about what you are doing with the tablet while a kid is in the room.
It displays a history of what you have been doing when you start it up as a carousel of images so that you can go back to the book you were reading or the website you were browsing quickly next time you pick it up
The problem is, if the tablet is used by more than one person, is it really approapriate that everyone sees what you've been reading/watching/br
really, what twit came up with that type of button and its location?
The browser was actually worse than I expected, however I still keep the Fire on the breakfast table for catching up on email. Why? Because it is very one hand friendly. That form factor is great for just holding one handed while eating with another. I know it sounds silly to some, but I like tend to read by holding a paper or such in my left hand it is sized just right to do so. The iPad actually doesn't work so well because of is size.
Math is hard!
Was this article funded by Apple? It's very biased, as demonstrated by the fact that they cite the 22% of people who don't like the Fire rather than the 88% who clearly do.
When I read consumer reviews, it's always the negative reviews that have the most useful information. And FWIW, 22% dislike rate is pretty damn high. Over one-fifth of the purchasers are unhappy with their purchase? Ouch. That's quite a hit to brand reputation.
It's designed to consume Amazon services. It does that quite well. It also plays angry birds.
there is no external volume control.
You know you have problems when you have fewer buttons than the equivalent Apple device.
I'm an owner, and am VERY satisfied with my device.
The complaints I have are minor. It can take a little bit for it to connect to a wifi network, but that's not a huge deal. Sometimes, it's a little sensitive in registering taps, but that's once again not a big issue. The carousel is a little too speedy for my liking, but I rarely use it, and when I do, it's usually just to open the very most recent thing I've opened.
I haven't noticed any real speed issues with it; at least, nothing show-stopping. Books read fine. If you're trying to fly through a bunch of pages like you're thumbing through a book to find a certain page, sure, it can slow down there, but I almost never do that. Games & streaming content perform perfectly.
I didn't notice any real issue with the browser; I was able to load websites faster on my Kindle than a local iPad owner, over the same wifi connection.
Typing is easy for me; in landscape mode it can be slightly difficult, but not unusable. I usually use portrait mode, anyway.
The lack of physical volume controls doesn't bother me at all. It's stupid-easy to get to, and keeps me from accidentally raising/lowering volume.
I do wish I could change the lock screen photo(s) easily, but that's not exactly important.
Regarding the lock/power button, I have NEVER accidentally tripped it, and I'm using it on a daily basis in a variety of situations.
If you look at reviews on Amazon, there are a good number of 4 and 5 star reviews; more than 3 or less.
$199 tablet not as good as $499 tablet. News at 11:00.
All these negative reviews focus too much on the lack of polish of the UI is compared to the actual usefulness of the device. It's UI lags behind iOS, but it is about the same as a mid range Android device, which are widely successful.
I own the Kindle Fire, and its flaws are really just minor annoyances with device, but the overall experience is good enough. I can surf the Internet, watch videos and play graphic intense games no problem and the small form factor makes it comfortable to hold in one hand. Just because you occasionally have to double tap on a button or experience a 1/2 second lag every once in a while, doesn't mean that the $200 tablet is a failure.
This device was never intended to be an iPad killer. Amazon itself said as much. The linked article makes it sound like it was set to be an iPad killer by "important people," but the link just links back to another pcmag.com article. What a joke.
The fire is not intended, has not been intended to be an iPad killer. It's a cheap tablet device that does what many people need it to do without all the extras that the iPad has that some people will never use. It's one of the primary reasons I returned my iPad and got a Color Nook and rooted it - the Nook did everything I wanted a tablet to do at a fraction of the price. If I were to do the same thing today, I would buy a fire instead of a Nook.
I have as many Apple devices as the company (literally 5 or more computers, three ipods in the house, and an ipad). I like their products a lot and I love the ipad for web browsing and such. I use it daily.
I bought a Kindle Fire last Friday and I think it's great. Is it an iPad? Well, no. But it's a nice device that doesn't have to be compared to the iPad. It stands on its own and is a fine device. It actually fits in some of my pants pockets, so I like the size even if the screen's a little smaller. It plays Angry Birds and a lot of other games, it has nice built-in software (I like Silk), and I have no problem changing the volume on-screen. The batter also lasts a long time.
I feel like this comparison is similar to the comparisons made between the iPad and some low-end netbooks or notebooks when the iPad first came out. The iPad was a different device but quite useful, and now the Kindle Fire is also a slightly different device but also quite useful. It might not be what every wants, but I think it's a fine device.
I am extremely happy with my Kindle Fire, far more than I would be with an iPad if someone had given me one for free. The form factor is right for the airplane and for reading in bed, much more useful for what I want it for than a 10" tablet would be.
It's true that exactly like the iPad, the iPhone, every Android phone, every other Android tablet, HP's ill fated WebOS tablet, most default OSX, Linux, and Windows installation with auto-login enabled, etc. that there is no privacy protection. It's a single user device, and anyone who sees the device can pretty easily determine what its user was doing on it recently (and in general). That is indeed perhaps a weakness, and I wouldn't mind having Android devices (especially tablets, but perhaps phones also) be multiuser (likewise for the iWhatever stuff).
During my most recent plane trip with my Kindle Fire, which unlike an iPad fits in my pocket, I:
* Read a variety of documents sent to the device from web pages using the Firefox Readability plugin
* Read some PDF documents
* Read (part of) some books that I purchased from Amazon
* Watched a video that I downloaded directly onto the device from a 3rd party website (in anticipation of flight)
* Listened to some music I had put locally onto the device
* Played a few moves of Words with Friends before takeoff
* Played Plants vs. Zombies while in flight
* Checked GMail and Facebook and Google+ quickly before takeoff (using Wifi connection to hotspot)
In every respect that I can see, not least including price, but even more so including Freedom, the Kindle Fire is a far better device than the iPad is.
Profanity is the one language all programmers know best.


text:
Tony Gonzalez is joining a new NFL team: CBS. The network announced on Tuesday the just retired future Hall of Fame tight end will join the cast of the 'The NFL Today' Sunday pregame show, starting with the 2014 season. The other part of the shakeup: two current Hall of Famers, Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino and fellow former tight end Shannon Sharpe won't be returning.
Gonzalez will instead be working with returning cast members James Brown, Bill Cowher and Boomer Esiason. Sean McManus, CBS Sports' chairman, beamed about getting Gonzo fresh off his final year with the Atlanta Falcons.
PHOTOS: Best players of all-time without a Super Bowl ring
"Having just stepped off the playing field, Tony brings a fresh and insightful perspective," McManus said in a statement. "As a future Hall of Famer, we are excited for him to share his knowledge, experiences and opinions with our viewers. Tony was one of the most respected and hardworking players in the NFL and a tremendous teammate. We look forward to him bringing these attributes to CBS Sports."
Meanwhile, Marino and Sharpe are moving on in pursuit of other professional opportunities. Marino came in with Esiason in 2002, while the sharp-tongued and sharp-dressed Sharpe replaced Deion Sanders in 2004. Cowher was the most recent analyst change on the set, in 2007.
I will not be a part of the Nfl today on CBS this fall. Although sadden and disappointed, I'm grateful of 10 yrs I was.
— shannon sharpe (@ShannonSharpe) February 18, 2014
I'll find a new platform to share my passion, love and opinions on NFL/NFL related topics. I leave gr8 friends behind. You're in good hands.
— shannon sharpe (@ShannonSharpe) February 18, 2014
As Gonzalez replaces Sharpe after playing 17 years in the league with the Falcons and Kansas City Chiefs, he also is the leading tight end in NFL history in both touchdowns (111) and receiving yards (15,127).


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text:
But you read it first here on Althouse, on April 3, 2011: "The reason why Obama should not want to run for a second term in 2012." I wrote (based on a conversation I'd just had with Meade, who proposed the idea first):
If he is reelected, then that will be the end of running for President. He'll be 54 years old, and what will he do? Move to Hawaii and play golf? But he could move to Hawaii and play golf in January 2013, if that's an enticing prospect. And, if he does, he won't have maxed out his eligibility for being President. He can tantalize us, year after year, with the possibility that he would run for another term — a fascinatingly out-of-sequence term. The thing he's best at is running for President. Why let that game expire? He could toy with it in 2016, when he's 58, and in 2020, when he's a clear-visioned 62, and in 2024, when he's a well-seasoned 66, and in 2028, when he's a beneficent elder, offering his services once again, because his country longs for the golden days of 2011. It will never end, as long as the icon of hope and change... walks the face of the earth... unless he serves that second term.Morrissey emphasizes Obama's low poll numbers, the difficulty of reelection, the problem of dragging down some key Senate races, and the possibly exciting prospect of a Hillary Clinton candidacy:
She can step into the void with promises to return America to the economic policies of her husband. The Left may not have much love for Hillary any longer, but she was winning the very working-class Democrats in the 2008 primaries that Obama is losing to the Republicans now....Please refer to my analysis of Obama's psyche. I'm portraying it as an exciting positive for him. I don't see how the Democrats can sink into pushing their man out. There has to be positive energy pulsating through the entire maneuver or it's not worth doing. Hillary isn't going to look good stepping up over the prostrate body of the man she couldn't best in '08. That whole scenario is grim. Too desperate. But if Obama wants to act very grand about being above running for President, it could be handled well.
Democrats might be loathe to push the nation's first African-American President into an early retirement, but they may eventually balk at committing political suicide if Obama's numbers and the economy keep going south in the next few months. Under those conditions, even Obama might be ready to walk away without much pushing.


text:
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Argentina refused late Friday to give up its long fight against bond holdouts seeking $1.45 billion for their piece of defaulted debt on which most other bondholders accepted steep discounts years ago as the country climbed out of an economic crisis.
U.S. Judge Thomas Griesa gave Argentina a midnight Friday deadline to say whether it would accept his remedy and begin paying the holdouts next month.
Instead, Argentina's government said it was not giving up its appeals. Argentina's lawyers argued that the funds used to pay sovereign debt are immune from U.S. court judgments and that the judge's remedy threatens the value of trillions of dollars in debt issued by governments around the world. Those arguments were already dismissed on appeal, but Argentina is counting on the full appellate court overturning its own panel — something that rarely happens.
Argentine President Cristina Fernandez has vowed to continue paying those who accepted discounts on their bonds, while never paying a cent to billionaire Paul Singer's NML Capital Ltd. and other holdouts.
Griesa, however, said that whether or not Argentina appeals, he is determined to force the Fernandez government to comply with his remedy, which is to pay the holdouts an equal amount whenever it makes payments to restructured debtholders. The next such payments, totaling more than $3 billion, are due in December, and NML told the judge this week that its $1.45 billion should also be paid, in full.
Argentina's filing, which essentially ignores the judge's remedy in hopes of overturning it on appeal, will raise even more uncertainty in a bond market that has already devalued Argentine debt by 30 percent since the judge's remedy was upheld last month. Griesa has threatened unspecified sanctions in his effort to force Argentina to comply, including forcing the Bank of New York, which processes Argentina's payments, to effectively become an enforcer.
One potential scenario is that Argentina would send its $3 billion to the Bank of New York, washing its hands of what happens to the money after it leaves Argentine soil. The judge could then order the bank to pay holdouts part of that $3 billion, effectively lowering the payments to others. Some analysts have said this would cause a technical default, effectively breaking Argentina's promises and possibly causing another financial crisis for the country.
The Bank of New York on Friday refused to play along. It filed a response to the judge saying that its only responsibility is to process payments to restructured debtholders, not the holdouts. If it does otherwise without clear rules provided by the judge, the bank said, it also could be sued, by both sides.
Holders of restructured bonds also objected Friday, led by Sean O'Shea, who argued for Gramercy Funds Management that their money was being "held hostage" by the judge's remedy.
Griesa said he would act quickly on Friday's motions and fine-tune his remedy in time for December's payment dates.
The restructured bondholders have hired attorney David Boies, the heavyweight lawyer who represented Al Gore in his unsuccessful U.S. Supreme Court fight over the 2000 presidential election.