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Wikipedia Will Soon Be Available Via Text Messages 34
pigrabbitbear writes "Even as we all love to debate the scholarly merits of Wikipedia, there's no denying that it's an immensely powerful research and learning tool. That goes doubly so in poor nations, where access to education materials can be limited to nonexistent. To that end, Wikimedia started the Wikipedia Zero project, which aims to partner with mobile service providers to bring Wikipedia to poor regions free of charge. It's a killer strategy, because while computer and internet access is still fleeting for much of the world, cell phones are far more ubiquitous. Wikimedia claims that four mobile partnerships signed since 2012 brings free Wiki service to 330 million cell subscribers in 35 countries, a huge boon for folks whose phones have web capability but who can't afford data charges."


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Blue Streak Hap {Labidochromis Caeruleus}
General Information
The Blue Streak Hap is most commonly known as Yellow Labid or Electric Yellow Mbuna. It ranges in the wild in East Africa, at various depths and habitats in Lake Malawi. It generally reaches a size between 4 8 {10-20cm}. It is a Cichlid and other suitable companions for this fish would be other cichlids of similar size and aggressiveness.
The forehead is curved and the body is elongate. The body color is a extremely bright yellow and the iris of the eye occasionally has a short black bar running diagonally through it. The median fins are yellow with black margins and the pelvic fins are black with blue streaks along the leading edges.
Aquarium Suitability
The aquarium should be having some rock structures that come up almost to the water surface and with hiding places within the rocks. The substrate should be coral sand in order to buffer the pH and keep the water alkaline. They thrive in an environment with a pH of 8.2 and a temperature of 28 degrees Celsius. To tell the sex apart males have the black on their dorsal, pelvic and abdominal ventral fins.

subset: commoncrawl


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Did you miss the double feature of "True Grit" at the Egyptian Theatre on Sunday?
No worries. From what I can tell (having made it to page 111 of the 267-page book), the book is better than the movie. As usual.
"True Grit" isn't the type of novel I'd normally read, but as it's the selection for The Big Read of DeKalb County 2013, I picked up a free copy at the showing of the 2010 film starring Jeff Bridges and Matt Damon. (The role did not show Damon at his most attractive, and while Bridges was nominated for an Academy Award for this performance, I found his gritty accent hard to understand.)
In "True Grit," an aged Mattie Ross tells the story of how she, a heavy and heavy-drinking federal marshal, and a Texas Ranger rode out into the Choctaw Nation in pursuit of an outlaw who murdered her father.
The Texas Ranger does not remind me in the least of Chuck Norris, but it's hard not to love 14-year-old Mattie. She drives a hard bargain and displays a quick wit, as well as a headstrong naiveté emblematic of her age. We learn early in the book that Mattie chose Rooster Cogburn as the marshal she paid to pursue her father's killer because he was known as a man with grit, but I suspect before I'm done with the book that Mattie will convince me that she – not Rooster – is the book's namesake.
If you'd like your own copy, organizers are passing out paperbacks at most of The Big Read events. The next one is at 7 p.m. Thursday, when Chief Inspector Steve Prosser from the U.S. Marshals Service will discuss the organization's history at the DeKalb Public Library, 309 Oak St. in DeKalb.
Then, at 7 p.m. Friday, library officials will start showing the Ken Burns documentary "The West." A new installment of this documentary will be shown every Friday this month.
Activities aren't limited to DeKalb, either. There will be discussions of the book at 6 p.m. Oct. 15 at the Sycamore Public Library's Masterpiece Book & Film Club, 103 E. State St. in Sycamore. It also will be discussed at 7 p.m. Oct. 22 at the Hinckley Public Library, 100 Maple St. in Hinckley.
For more information on The Big Read, see www.dkpl.org.
Speaking of libraries: If you go to the Malta Township Public Library today, you'll find chains and padlocks on the front door.
The library will be closed all day to highlight the dangers of banning and challenging books. Banned Books Week was hosted nationwide by the American Library Association last week, but Malta Township library Director Peggy Wogen emphasizes its message through October.
"If we give the government [including public libraries] the right to ban what we don't like, that means we give them the right to ban what we do like," Wogen said.
This is the first time the library has closed because of a banned books program, but Wogen said she's tried to find different ways to highlight the issue since she joined the library 10 years ago.
One year, she used a wrought iron fire pit to build a display with paper flames and commonly banned titles. Another year, she wrapped commonly banned titles in paper, marked them with the reading level, and let patrons check out the books without knowing what they were.
This year, it was decided months ago to close the library today as part of an extended recognition of Banned Books Week, so patrons could plan in advance.
"If the kids have homework, I know it's going to be difficult," Wogen said, "but we let them know in advance."
• Jillian Duchnowski is the Daily Chronicle's news editor. Reach her at 815-756-4841, ext. 2221, or email firstname.lastname@example.com.


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HONESDALE — It was an eye-opening experience on Thursday for middle school students from this region.
HONESDALE — It was an eye-opening experience on Thursday for middle school students from this region.
The annual Occupation Exploration Day was held at the Wayne County Fairgrounds. The event is put on each year by the Wayne County School to Work Committee.
"This is to start children talking about a career path before they schedule their high school classes," said Debbie Kussoff, chairman of the committee which organizes this event.
Dan O'Neill, chairman of the Wayne County School to Work Committee, said he thinks this is a vital program because it gives the students some ideas about choosing a career path.
"It exposes them to people in the community," said O'Neill.
Most of the students who were at the event on Thursday were in seventh grade. They came from Preston Area, Damascus, Wayne Highlands and Forest City Regional schools.
Organizers have been putting on this event for well over a decade. It used to be called "vehicle day" but has since turned into a much larger gathering with a wide variety of career information.
O'Neill pointed out that some high school students were at the event helping out as chaperones. He said each year the high school students talk about when they went through the program. He said they have "fond memories" of the program.
Kussoff said she believes the students take a lot away from the program because they get to speak with people who are in various careers.
"They don't know what kind of careers are available," said Kussoff. "And they get to talk to a real, live person."
That, she says, is critical. One reason is in today's information-rich world, sometimes people gather information electronically but they don't talk to actual people in the field.
O'Neill said as part of the program, organizers ask the presenters to be specific in outlining their careers.
Here are the guidelines they are given:
• Describe your career or business and how you arrived at your goals.
• Types of career or employment opportunities available in your business or field.
• Courses in high school that might be helpful for preparing for a future in this field.
• Education necessary for a career in this field.
• Personal characteristics that are necessary for a successful career in this field.
• Volunteering or community service available to explore this field.
• Qualities that are desirable in potential employees at this business.
• Describe a typical day in your business.
• What benefits are available to employees as well as business owners.
• Ballpark salaries.
"We ask them to keep it brief," said O'Neill.
The reason is there are many businesses represented at the event.
There were 25 different fields represented on Thursday.
Another thing which has happened over the years is the new kids of businesses which are being featured.
For instance, this year there was an internet marketing station as well as massage therapy.
Kussoff said because of technology and other reasons, new careers are forming all of the time and they make an attempt to expose those to the students.
Another bonus of the program, she said, is it goes with the new state standards required for education.
Many teachers, too, will have the students who attended write essays about what they learned during the event.
The Wayne County School to Work Committee is an all-volunteer organization comprised of people from various walks of life.
Those range from the school districts to libraries to high education.
Kussoff said without the volunteers it would be impossible to put on successful events like the one held Thursday.
She also thanked all of the businesses who attended, saying they rarely are turned down when inquiring.
The presenters were:
• Civil Air Patrol
• DNF Brass and Woodwind
• Honesdale National Bank
• J and C Awards
• Lindsey John Deere
• M3 Internet Marketing
• PennDOT
• Pennsylvania State Police
• Waste Management
• Wayne Conservation District
• Wayne County Public Library
• Luzerne County Community College
• Wayne Memorial Hospital
• Honesdale Chiropractic
• Ant Hill Farm
• Wayne County Human Services
• Wayne/Pike Adult Literacy
• Wayne Bank
• Re/Max of Wayne County
• Gina Lenz Photography
• Sam Tallo
• Texas #4 Fire Company
Sponsors of the event were:
• Wayne Bank
• Honesdale National Bank
• Fox Ledge
• Lackawanna College at the Hawley Silk Mill
Lunch was catered by The Red School House.


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I love black eyeliner – oh how I love deep dark black eyeliner. But I realised a few months ago that it is really easy to go overboard and look panda eyed in the day. I bought a number of brown eyeliners but I found that it was hard to find the right tone for me, and the right texture.
I like dark browns that look brown rather than a slightly lighter black, as I found some liners to be.
I bought all three of the liners in the Creer Beaute La Rose de Versailles range – I bought them one by one mind:
I have the pencil liner, liquid liner and gel liner. There is also a range of eyeliners from Creer Beaute, called the Oscar collection which are all black. So how would I describe this brown?
I'd say it is actually a warm brown but it is dark enough for it not too look too warm which I can find a bit wishy washy.
I don't know why but this shade works well with my olive skin and medium brown eyes – it adds definition without being really harsh. If you like cool browns only you may find this range a bit too warm for your liking. If you have say, a lot of red in your hair, you may find these liners look even redder on your skin.
I do struggle to find good brown liners but I love this entire range! It's also quite affordable – I paid around £6 per item.
The liquid liner is my newest haul – this is the lightest of all three product and it looks nice on but doesn't give the strongest definition. I still like it for a really natural look altho I would still wear black liquid for day to day quite happily.
The pencil liner is perfection – it's hard but still soft enough to use on the waterline. I like the hardness because you can get a defined line without it smudging everywhere. (Full review here).
The gel liner is nice too; it takes a minute to set though, but once it does it lasts quite well. The shade is quite hard to find in gel liners I think. (Full review here).
Do you substitute brown eyeliner for black liner on natural days?
*I buy Creer Beaute from adambeauty.com


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The TR300 EX weighs 7.7kg. It measures about 230x496x482mm (W x L x H). We included the add-on on the left side panel in the measurements.
One side panel has a 12cm fan that will come in handy with hot graphics cards, SLI or CrossFire setups. Since the fan is technically outside the case, it won't get in the way of tall CPU coolers.
Hanjung offers a version of the case with a classic, metal side panel, which is dubbed the TR300.
We were pretty pleased with build quality of the TR300 EX, despite the few minor oversights. Hanjung used plastics of lesser quality in order to knock the price down, but the plastic is still tough enough and has a quality finish. The left side panel, entire top panel and parts of the front panel are made of plastics.
One of the minor issues we've found is that fact that users must break the metal covers on the expansion slots on the back of the case. While this is not a too hard task in itself, we'd advise users to get some gloves in order to do this. Namely, the covers are tough and not easy to take out. The TR300 EX has seven expansion slots in total.
Next to each of the slots is a blue square, suggesting that there is a toolless mechanism for expansion cards.
The thick blue cable you see on the picture below is that of USB 3.0 connectors coming from the control panel. This cable should be connected to a USB 3.0 connector on motherboards. Hanjung already showed how to take the cable out of the case.
Hanjung made sure that the case has adequate cooling and the TR300 EX comes with four fans. The first fan is on the rear panel; second is on the front panel; third on top whereas the fourth is the one sitting in the left panel.
The front panel fan is a blue LED one and will glow through the mesh grill on the front. There are also some LEDs on top of the front panel, which show up as a blue line when the computer is running.
The front panel has four 5.25'' optical drive bays and there's also the 5.25'' to 3.5'' adapter. As you can see, the front panel was spared of holding any keys or connectors. Power and reset keys were instead moved to the top control panel, which also holds the connectors.
All the connectors are lined up on the left edge of the panel. You'll tell the USB 3.0 connectors from 2.0 by color, as the 3.0 connectors are blue while 2.0 ones are black.
The top of the front panel holds a hot-swap unit that's used for quickly connecting 3.5'' or 2.5'' drives. The drives are removed by a simple tug, although it's not as simple as it sounds since there is very little room for grabbing and pulling the drive with your hands. Hanjung could have perhaps used a mechanism for this - even a simple one would've done well. When the hot-swap unit is not used, you can use the room for smaller gadgets such as phones or USB sticks. In order to prevent slipping and sliding, Hanjung included a rubber pad in the accessories bag.
The TR300 EX also comes with fan regulation. Unfortunately, Hanjung used a button that only allows for two fan speed choices – fast or slow. All the fans use standard, three pin connectors so users can use their own fan controllers or connect the fans straight to the mobo.
The largest fan is a 200mm one and is hidden in the top panel.
The top panel hole (between the flaps and connectors) can be used to mount a 3-in-1 adapter and there is a cable hole in the middle of it. To the right is the fan speed control key.
The TR300 EX has rubber feet. Below the PSU is an air outlet, protected with a mesh grill filter. The filter cannot be removed for cleaning.


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I forget my *own* birthday if nobody reminds me of it! Now, if my birthday *did* matter to me, I think the correct way to go would be to bring it up and to suggest going to do something together for it, rather than steaming silently about it or letting the disappointment build. But for me, whether someone thinks of my birthday is certainly not a hill to die on. My hill to die on is: absolutely no surprise parties. That is something I have told my SO from the very beginning. No. Surprise. Birthday. Parties. EVER. Not even a surprise outing with the two of us. If I have to go somewhere on any day, I need to mentally prepare myself for that.
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Yes, yes, you may be sick of games in the MOBA gold rush chasing the success of Dota 2 and League of Legends, but if I were to say you could play as Batman in one, wouldn't part of you be a little bit excited beneath the bewilderment? Well, you'll be able to in Infinite Crisis, a free-to-play Dote 'em up which draws characters from across the DC Comics Multiverse.
Infinite Crisis will bring heroes and villains together to push lanes and throw down, Warner Bros. announced today. As well as the main characters from the Prime world, we'll see counterparts from the steampunk Gaslight, supernatural Nightmare, and robotastic Mecha worlds.
As befits a super-powered dustup, you'll be able to mess up and reshape the environment by doing things like throwing cars and calling down meteors. WB also teases "map-altering events."
A peek at the announcement screenshots and character list suggest it follows the LoL model of one passive skill and four active, plus another two skills from a pool any hero can use. The map shown also resembles LoL's Dominion mode arena.
It may sound quite an odd idea but so did Monolith's Bat-FPS Gotham City Impostors, and our Steve certainly had fun with that. WB's already dabbled in licensed MOBAs too, turning The Lord of the Rings into Guardians of Middle Earth.
Developed by The Lord of the Rings Online maker Turbine, Infinite Crisis is slated to launch on PC later this year. Check the official site for more info and to sign up for the beta.
BOOM video 15023


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Men's 2XU Cruize L/S TopItem #TXW264
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Men's 2XU Cruize L/S Top :: Built from 2XU's ECO MESH, engineered from 100% recycled polyester, this essential long sleeve piece delivers unparalleled moisture management. HIGH FIL MESH front chest and side panels provide ventilation and breathability to keep the wearer comfortable and odor-free, while raglan sleeves assure a premium fit.
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Thanks go to Una for this chapter.
1. The chapter is called "Promised", why? What is the significance?
2. How did you feel about the family's reaction to Bella's first hunting trip and her actions towards Renesmee? Where they valid? Did Edward deserve the chastisement?
3. How do you feel about Jacob's behavior with Bella's first meeting with Renesmee? Was it justified? Or do you feel that Jacob was overreacting?
4. Now that you have finally met her, what do you think of Renesmee? Are you surprised she is gifted? What do you think of her gift and other special abilities?
5. Do you think Bella was wrong in her reaction to Jacob's news regarding his relationship with Renesmee? Did you appreciate that Jacob didn't tell Bella what the situation was, that she had to figure it out?
6. We are left knowing that Bella attacks Jacob. Is she justified in her actions or is she overreacting? If you were in Bella's shoes, what would you have done?


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Industries › Commercial Real Estate
American Registry renews lease at Avion Office Park
- August 15, 2011
- |
The American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN) has renewed its 14,817-square-foot lease at 3635 Concorde Parkway, one of the buildings at Avion Office Park in Chantilly.
Stephen H. Spencer with NAI KLNB LLC represented ARIN in the transaction, while David J. Fisher, senior vice president and regional managing director for the Washington region of Advance Realty, represented his company, the building's owner. Advance, based out of Bedminster, N.J., owns seven buildings at Avion totaling 576,000 square feet. Located four miles from Washington/Dulles International Airport, the 188-acre Avion Office Park offers a deli, fitness center and three miles of jogging trails.


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MONTGOMERY, Ohio (AP) - Rep. Steve Chabot of Cincinnati would seem an ideal Republican to be open to compromise with President Barack Obama.
He comes from a competitive district. He says bipartisanship is essential to accomplishing anything in Washington.
But Chabot tells constituents he toes an unyielding conservative line on nearly every big federal issue. He opposes new taxes even if they might open to the way to cuts in costly entitlement programs. He opposes any new gun laws. He wants deeper spending cuts.
Chabot proudly says it's hard for any politician to get to his right.
That's a boast being made by many House Republicans who want to make sure they never get defeated by another Republican who accuses them of being too cozy with Democrats.
(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)


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by John Calvin (compiled by John H. Kromminga)
Bible Text:
Thus saith the Lord of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you. —Zechariah 8:23
The prophet at the same time not only commends humility, but also exhorts all God's children to cultivate unity and concord. For whosoever tears asunder the Church of God, disunites himself from Christ, who is the head, and who would have all his members to be united together.
We now then understand that God ought to be sought in order to be rightly worshipped by us; and also that he ought to be thus sought, not that each may have his own peculiar religion, but that we may be united together, and that every one who sees his brethren going before, and excelling in many gifts, may be prepared to follow them and to seek benefit from their labors.
It is indeed true that we ought to disregard the whole world, and to embrace only the truth of God; for it is a hundred times better to renounce the society of all mortals and union with them than to withdraw ourselves from God; but when God shows himself as our leader, the prophet teaches us that we ought mutually to stretch forth our hand and unitedly to follow him. —Commentaries
John Calvin was the premier theologian of the Reformation, but also a pious and godly Christian pastor who endeavored throughout his life to point men and women to Christ. We are grateful to Reformation Heritage Books for permission to use John Calvin's Thine Is My Heart as our daily devotional for 2013 on the OPC Web site. You can currently obtain a printed copy of that book from Reformation Heritage Books.
Dr. Joel Beeke, who is editorial director of Reformation Heritage Books, has this to say:
"Calvin shows us the piety of a Reformed theologian who speaks from the heart. Having tasted the goodness and grace of God in Jesus Christ, he pursued piety by seeking to know and do God's will every day. He communed with Christ, practicing repentance, self-denial, and cross-bearing. Moreover, his theology worked itself out in heart-felt, Christ-honoring piety. The selections of this devotional bear this out, and hopefully will be used by God to direct pious hearts in our own day."
These devotional readings from John Calvin were compiled by John H. Kromminga. Be sure to read his "Introduction" to John Calvin's Thine Is My Heart.


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Pierre Police to Reduce Urban Deer Herd by 20
PIERRE, S.D. (AP) - Pierre commissioners have approved a plan to kill 20 deer within city limits this year.
That was the recommendation of the city's Deer Management Task Force. Chairwoman Jeanne Goodman says the group tried to reach a "socially acceptable" number. Twenty deer is the lowest number in the six years the city has been reducing the urban deer herd to cut down on property damage and vehicle accidents.
The city will request a permit from the state Game, Fish and Parks Department to kill 20 antlerless deer between Nov. 15 and March 1. Police will conduct the hunt. The deer carcasses will be made available to the public on a first-come, first-served basis.
Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. Material may not be redistributed.


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WHEATON — Questions regarding district finances dominated the discussion among candidates running for the Community Unit School District 200 Board of Education at a candidate forum March 14.
All nine of the candidates running for four board positions were present at the Wheaton Chamber of Commerce and League of Women Voters' candidate forum. This gave voters an opportunity to hear candidates speak on a variety of issues chosen by the attendees themselves. Candidates for the Wheaton City Council and Wheaton Park District Board of Commissioners also participated in the forum.
The candidates running for CUSD 200 include incumbents Ken Knicker, Barbara Intihar and Joann Coghill, and newcomers Brad Paulsen, Bruce C. Fogarty, Janet "Jan" Shaw, James Mathieson, Kyle Nenninger and Harold Lonks.
Much of the CUSD 200 candidate discussion focused on whether educational funding in the district will be able to meet students' needs, as well as what each candidate would propose to do regarding district pensions, depending on what happens at the state level.
Candidates acknowledged the role of the state in the future finances of the district, but many focused on the importance of preparing for state decisions so that additional funds do not need to come from the taxpayers. Some candidates, including the three incumbents, discussed CUSD 200's policy to have a balanced budget to ensure its finances are in order.
Candidates also were asked whether they supported the proposal for a new Jefferson Early Childhood Center.
Paulsen, Fogarty, Intihar, Coghill and Knicker said they supported the new Jefferson Early Childhood Center, while Shaw and Lonks said they did not, although both agreed something needs to be done to address the issues with the current Jefferson facility.
Mathieson and Nenninger did not say how they will vote on the referendum measure. Mathieson said he will look at Jefferson as part of the total work that needs to be done on all district properties, while Nenninger said he is still looking into whether a less-expensive option makes sense.
Races for four out of the five open seats on the Wheaton City Council will be uncontested, with incumbent John K. Rutledge running in the south, incumbent Todd Scalzo in the west, W. Thoreson "Thor" Saline in the east and John R. Prendiville for the at-large seat.
Saline currently sits on the council as an at-large member after being appointed to complete Jeanne Ives' term following her resignation to serve in the Illinois General Assembly, and Prendiville is a former councilmember and mayoral candidate.
The only contested race for the city council is in the north district, where candidates J.T. del Alcazar, Alberta Adamson, incumbent Phil Suess and Ted Rodgers are all vying for the seat.
During the forum, candidates were asked about their ideas to fill empty storefronts in the downtown area.
Rodgers said the key is to have a central vision and comprehensive plan to create excitement for the area. Del Alcazar suggested creating a team that would interview businesses that went to other towns to find out what made them decide against settling in Wheaton.
Adamson said the city should use its cultural and historic sides to draw people to the area while Seuss said the city should ensure the downtown is an affordable place to do business, making it competitive with other areas.
There are three open positions on the Wheaton Park District Board of Commissioners. Four candidates are running for the positions, including Jane Hodgkinson and incumbents John F. Kelly, Steve Fieweger and Mark C. Schobel. Although Hodgkinson is a new candidate for the board, her previous experience includes serving as the executive director of the Western DuPage Special Recreation Association for 30 years.
Fieweger was unable to attend the forum, where candidates discussed finding ways to increase funding for the park district without increasing taxes and partnering with other park districts whenever it makes sense.
The Wheaton municipal election will take place April 9. Early voting will begin March 25.


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At one with nature: the psyche of traditional Chinese painting
Lecture and ink painting demonstration
The story of Bada Shanren (1626-1705) is one of drama and trauma at the fall of the Ming Dynasty. A child prodigy, he laid out a path for many Chinese artists to follow. Join Dr Richard Wu, practising psychiatrist, artist and historian, as he takes us into the art, life and psyche of this deeply troubled art genius.
After the lecture, Chinese-Australian artist Andrew Lo demonstrates his contemporary approach to the Chinese xieyi style of ink painting favoured by Bada Shanren. Andrew's painting is the embodiment of xieyi, which literally means 'writing meaning', as he paints his feelings for the Australian bush.
Presented by the Australian Chinese Painting Society.
Image: Ink painting demonstration by Andrew Lo
Sunday 2 February 2014, 10.30am
Duration 2 hours
Location: Domain Theatre
Related exhibition: The connoisseur and the philanthropist
Related program: Chinese New Year 2014
Related gallery: Asian galleries


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Linked by gsyoungblood on Tue 20th Jul 2010 18:01 UTC
On July 15th the latest Android super-phone was released by Motorola and Verizon Wireless. All hail the Droid X. The release was not without controversy though. The Droid X, while greatly raising the bar for Android phones in general, does so at the expense of the very power users and community that made the original Droid the gotta-have phone it became. Alienating this group may have far reaching consequences for Motorola.
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RE[4]: Don't freakin buy the damned thing then
by phoenix on Thu 22nd Jul 2010 16:28 UTC in reply to "RE[3]: Don't freakin buy the damned thing then"
Are you sure the consumer wouldn't be happy if they heard about planned obsolescence?
Hard to parse that grammatically, but I get the gist.
A (regular) consumer only wants a phone that will last them until their next upgrade cycle.
Define "regular consumer". Everyone I talk to at work, home, and play wants devices that will last more than 2 years, and continously lament the whole "planned obsolescence" thing. Everywhere I turn I hear complaints about yesteryear when even simple appliances like a toaster would last for 10 years or more. Now, everything is "throw-away after 10 months of use".
Perhaps you are talking about pre-teens/teens/early-20-somethings who don't know any better as they've grown up with the "throw-away tech"?
If TDMA towers were still operational, I'd still be using my original cell phone, Panasonic TX-220. A nice ruggedised phone that's survived 2-storey drops onto concrete. Compare that to the crap being pumped out now that can rarely survice a 3 foot drop onto carpet.
Oh, for the days when quality mattered, and longevity was king. :stares wistfully into the distance:


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It could be that they don't know what to say, and they overcompensate by running their mouths.
So I'm gluten free. Honest to goodness nasty painful reaction gluten free. I'm fine with being gluten free. It's a first world problem that I don't give a second thought to unless I'm reading a label to make sure what I am about to eat is safe. Okay, I will admit, I do sometimes sigh wistfully (on the inside) when I see yet another tray of yummy goodness I can't eat. Especially since the office I work at is big on pastries and other treats so there is often something on the official "help yourself to the food" counter.For the record: I don't talk about being gluten free, I mention it so people don't think I'm a snob for not eating their offered treats. Beyond that, I shut up about it. it is what it is, and I don't feel the need to make a production. That said:It's the way other people react that is working my ever loving nerves. There are two types of reactions:1) The over dramatic imagined victim: This person Goes on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on (bangs head on desk) about how horrible it is to gluten free, how it must be so tragic to not eat certain foods anymore, How "if it were me I couldn't bear it", I mean it's just so terrible, you must suffer so much. Blah blah blah blah.I am grateful that I have food and I am not starving. I have seen true suffering, believe a gluten allergy in a major city isn't even in the same solar system as a tragedy. I usually shrug, mumble about all the great gluten free products there are and change the subject.2) The gloater: The ones who have to stand over me and say over and over "Wow, Auntie Mame, it's too bad you can't have any of this, it's sooooo gooood. But you can't eat it. Too bad, it's good. I mean really good." etc etc etc...Yes, I know I can't, but gosh thank you so much for telling me how good it is and what I'm missing out on. It's also good that continually remind me I can't have gluten, because if you don't the information will just leave my fuzzy little brain. With these people I smile, say "oh that's nice" and change the subject.I don't know how much longer I can tolerate this, it is wearing on my last nerve. I know it's not malicious, but people need to know how incredibly annoying this is (and believe me, there are several repeat offenders). How do I shut these comments down permanently? Bean dipping doesn't worker because the repeat offenders keep coming back. I need to ready some phrases to stop this once and for all before I say something that isn't very nice.Thoughts?Also, why do people feel the need to do this? Honestly!
2) The gloater: The ones who have to stand over me and say over and over "Wow, Auntie Mame, it's too bad you can't have any of this, it's sooooo gooood. But you can't eat it. Too bad, it's good. I mean really good." etc etc etc...
I get the gloating from my friends sometimes. My allergy is a fairly new development and it's shellfish which is something a majority of us love. So now when it's one of the seafood fests at Red Lobster I get gloaty text messages about how awesome it's going to be when they go there for dinner.
Also, why do people feel the need to do this? Honestly!
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Nets-Grizzlies Preview
(AP) -- The Brooklyn Nets got off to the best start in franchise history before a disastrous 26-day span in December cost coach Avery Johnson his job. With P.J. Carlesimo now patrolling the sideline, the Nets are back to their early season form.
Brooklyn looks to win for the 13th time in 15 games since Carlesimo was named interim coach as it continues a four-game road trip Friday night with a matchup against the defensive-minded Memphis Grizzlies.
The Nets were excited after opening with 11 wins in 15 contests and seeing Johnson named Eastern Conference coach of the month for November, but a 3-10 stretch last month was enough for Brooklyn to make a change.
Carlesimo has re-energized the Nets, who improved to 12-2 under him following Wednesday's 91-83 victory at Minnesota. Brooklyn (26-16), which trails first-place New York by one game in the Atlantic Division, has held opponents to an average of 85.7 points during a three-game win streak.
The Nets also moved to 9-1 when they go with a starting lineup of Brook Lopez - the NBA's highest-scoring center at 18.6 points per game - guards Deron Williams and Joe Johnson, and forwards Gerald Wallace and Reggie Evans. Williams and Johnson scored 18 points apiece against the Timberwolves.
"We just have a number of great guys who are very talented individually, and we're just playing well together," said Lopez, who had a game-high 22 points. "That's the best part."
But even with the Nets playing well under Carlesimo, they still have some areas needing improvement. They are averaging 91.0 points and 17.3 turnovers while shooting 42.2 percent during the three-game run.
"We're grateful for the win, but hopefully we realize we need to play a little more consistently than we did (Wednesday)," said Carlesimo, whose team has won five of six away from home.
Brooklyn may not be able to get on track offensively against Memphis (27-14).
The Grizzlies are among the NBA leaders in opponent field goal percentage (43.5) and scoring defense (89.5), and those numbers are even better recently.
Memphis is allowing teams to average 81.5 points while holding them to 40.1 percent shooting in winning three of four following a three-game skid in which it gave up 102.0 points per game and opponents shot 50.9 percent.
But like Brooklyn, the Grizzlies have struggled on the offensive end. They went six straight games without topping 85 points before beating the Los Angeles Lakers 106-93 on Wednesday.
Memphis played for the first time since trading reserves Marreese Speights, Wayne Ellington and Josh Selby to Cleveland on Tuesday for Jon Leuer, a move made to clear about $6 million in salary and get the team under the luxury tax threshold this season.
The Grizzlies dressed only 10 players, and Darrell Arthur provided a spark by scoring a season-high 20 points and tying his season best with nine rebounds in nearly 28 minutes off the bench.
"When we are faced with adversity, we show that we can win," starting guard Tony Allen said. "When adversity comes, when guys get hurt, we pull together."
Memphis avoided a third straight loss in this series with a 105-100 road win last Feb. 15, getting 94 points from its starters.


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2009 Track and Field
Head Coach Gary Labonte
Contact Information for Coach Labonte
Office phone: 419-358-3898
Gary Labonte, from Adrian, Mich., is Bluffton University's new head men's and women's cross country/track and field coach. Labonte was the assistant track and cross country coach at Adrian College in Michigan for two years before accepting the head coaching position at Bluffton.
"I am excited to announce that Gary Labonte will join our athletics program as head cross country and track and field coach for both our men's and women's teams," said Phill Talavinia, athletics director. "Coach Labonte's NCAA Division II and III coaching experience and his awareness of the high schools in our region and southern Michigan are key elements that will help Bluffton recruit outstanding student-athletes from the area."
Labonte gained post-season experience as a graduate assistant at the University of Findlay where he mentored 12 sprinters and hurdlers who competed at the NCAA Division II National Championships. All 12 were awarded All-American honors and one was named National Champion.
In addition to athletic performance, Labonte's teams have a tradition of excelling in the classroom. At Adrian, both the men's and women's cross country teams earned national recognition with Academic All-American Honors.
"Coach Labonte's post-season experience and his attention to his student-athletes performance in the classroom is a perfect match with Bluffton's athletics tradition," said Talavinia.
Labonte obtained his bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Findlay. In 2000, he was named an NAIA Outdoor Track and Field All-American and in 2003 he was named an NCAA Division II Indoor Track and Field All-American.
Assistant Coach Thomas Smith
Contact Information for Coach Smith
Office phone:
Tom Smith, a graduate of Wittenberg University, is returning for his third season as a graduate assistant with the cross country and track and field programs at Bluffton University. As a Tiger, Smith earned his bachelor of arts degree in communication, participated in four years of track & field and was involved with several clubs on campus.
Smith is an assistant coach for both the cross country and track & field programs at Bluffton University and he is currently pursuing his master's degree.
Assistant Coach Travis Lepley
Travis Lepley is currently in his sixth season as the throws coach for the Bluffton track team. He has a level one certification from USA Track & Field. Lepley returned as a coach after spending four years as a member of the Bluffton track and field program as well as four-year player on the football team.
A 2003 graduate of Bluffton University, majoring in mathematics with an integrated math license, Lepley served as the Student Senate President for the 2002-03 school year. Lepley was selected as a tri-captain of the 2003 track team, was a member of the 2000 HCAC championship football team and was named honorable mention All-Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference in 2001 and 2002 as a center on the offensive line.
Lepley is currently teaching mathematics at Lima Perry High School where he serves as an assistant coach for the Perry varsity football team. He resides in Lima with his wife, Kelly, who is the assistant volleyball coach for Bluffton.


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RD wrote:phil_m wrote:nordle wrote:RD is not a troll, just because someone doesn't like something for good reasons doesn't make them a troll.
The confusion is not about RD disliking OS X. It's about his post not making any sense even in a "Hi, I've just had a lobotomy" kind of way.
not quite!
so that you are clear because it would seem you cannot or would not work out what i said here is the SIMPLE formnelz wrote: RD wrote:
i found the unix side of os x a warted down version.
Love it!
Linux - Unix with attitude!
MacOS - Unix with verucas!
get the connection now
It would still aid discussion if you could
a. Write in English not some weird derivative of it
b. Try and learn some punctuation
c. try and be logical.


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Where are you going to play next season? As for other free agents from the NBA are you interested in the strongest European clubs?
Let's not about names, my primary desire is to stay in the NBA.
If you believe the information from the
, U.S. wants you to remain a Celtic, and you may return to Boston in the heart of Dallas . Texas
There is interest, but we have to wait and see if there will be "lockout" or not. Last year's experience has taught me to have patience. Remember that I came into the season without a club, then did -day contracts with
and Dallas and eventually signed with New Orleans , with whom I was pleased. Boston
At that time you had a
offer on the table... Dallas
Everyone wants the title, and so do I, but if you ask me if I feel too much regret, I can not say that because I played in Boston with four future Hall of Famers and worked with a coach who brought the championship back to the Boston Garden after nearly two decades.
The source is from an interview given to a Serbian newspaper yesterday and translated into English via google. It seems Pavlovic is just waiting to see what is going on with the new CBA talks. In the meantime he may have his sights on returning to the Celtics next season. At least he seems decided to continue playing in the NBA, unlike Nenad Krstic.
P.s. If anyone can find more subtle information from the original Serbian, please feel free to add it in the comments
Stay tuned for more updates.
Bohemian 6/21/2011 06:46:00 PM Tweet Edit


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Congrats on your first goat!!!
Congrats on your first goat!!!
Congrats! You will be addicted now!
Cool. You will only go bigger from there. Good job
Very nice. I saw a ton of goats bowhunting SW SD and NW NE, but nothing with any real size to it. Good one!
Congrats!! It's true, you will be addicted forever!
Congrats, you definitely will be addicted once you taste the meat!
Congratulations on a nice buck and a very nice photograph of it.
Congrats on your first buck. I went for the first time a couple years ago and can't wait to get back.
Thanks everyone and yes the addiction has bugun.


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SAN FRANCISCO -- Just two years ago, the Pac-12 was considered the weakest of the country's major conferences in men's basketball.
Only two Pac-12 teams were invited to the NCAA Tournament in 2012, and one of them -- Colorado -- only got there because it won the Pac-12 Tournament and received an automatic bid. Otherwise, the conference might have had just one entrant.
With the 2013-14 season about to start, the Pac-12 is now in the conversation as one of the country's best.
"Maybe we deserved to take a little bit of a beating a few years ago," Washington State coach Kent Bone said Thursday during the annual Pac-12 media day at the Pac-12 Studios. "But those years are gone. Those are definitely behind us."
The resurgence of the Pac-12 was one of the main topics of discussion during Thursday's media day.
Five Pac-12 teams made it to the dance last season and as many as seven have been projected as NCAA Tournament teams this upcoming season.
In the USA Today preseason coaches poll released on Thursday, Arizona (No. 5), Oregon (No. 18) and UCLA (No. 23) were ranked among the top 25, with Colorado (No. 27), California (No. 34) and Arizona State (tied-No. 42) also receiving votes.
"I think the league is going to be probably as good as it's been in the five years that I've been here," Oregon State coach Craig Robinson said. "And it's going to be exciting for everyone. I don't think you're going to have a night off this year."
It wasn't long ago that the Pac-10, as it was known then, was regarded as one of the most talented conferences in the country. Six of the 10 teams in the league made it to the NCAA Tournament every year from 2007-2009.
UCLA, led by Kevin Love and Russell Westbrook, reached the Final Four three years in a row from 2006-08.
It was after the 2009 season, however, that the conference began to take a dip. Two teams got in to the tournament in 2010, and four in 2011. Then, just two again in 2012 -- the first season of the Pac-12, after the additions of Colorado and Utah. The conference has not had a Final Four team since 2008.
"I think we have always been a good conference," said Arizona State coach Herb Sendek, in his seventh season with the Sun Devils. "And I don't know that we were as necessarily as down as we were made out to be at times. I think the teams that eventually got into the tournament proved that to be the case."
Nevertheless, the conference did take a hit for a few years after the tremendous success it had from 2007-09. That success may have contributed to the recent struggles.
"We went through a period of time when we had more NBA draft picks than any conference in the country," Sendek said. "We were spitting out lottery picks like nickels."
The Pac-10 had four first-round NBA picks in 2007, seven in 2008 (including six taken in the top 15) and six more in 2009. The conference had more top-10 draft picks in 2009 (three) than it has had in the four drafts since then combined (two).
"Recruiting couldn't keep pace with that, when you coupled that with the senior graduation we were experiencing," Sendek said. "So not unlike any sport or any level of sports, a lot of times things go in ebbs and flows."
The conference is clearly on the upswing now. The Pac-12 has not produced a lot of top draft picks in recent years, but that could change very soon.
"I think that in the last few years we have been in the process of replenishing (the talent) within our conference, and I think that time is here," Washington coach Lorenzo Romar said. "I think that's why we're starting to see conference play pick up. And I think our conference is definitely headed in the upward trend to becoming a better conference. I think it's here."
Coaches mentioned the good recruiting classes that have come in, the tougher non-conferences schedules -- and producing wins in those games -- and continuity at the top as reasons for the upswing. Nine of the 12 coaches are entering at least their fourth season in their current jobs, with Utah's Larry Krystkowiak heading into year No. 3. Only UCLA (Steve Alford) and Southern Cal (Andy Enfield) have new coaches.
It all adds up to the Pac-12 becoming, once again, one of the elite conferences in the country in men's basketball.
That should make the upcoming season an entertaining one for fans and a stressful one for coaches.
"You've got to stay hungry and humble in this league because you can get knocked off if you don't come to play," CU head coach Tad Boyle said.
Contact staff writer Brian Howell at email@example.com or twitter.com/BrianHowell33.


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Debian Sarge 3.1
When I run ifup, the network connection is ok.
Lynx will connect to the internet via eth0 & run without problems.
If I start an X session then kde & gnome startup both hang after a few seconds .
Icewm starts ok.
If I open a browser in icewm and click on a link I am taken to the url.
If I try to type an address, the browser freezes as soon as I touch the keyboard.
If I run ifdown at a command prompt, both kde & gnome start ok.
Can anybody give me a clue where to look to try & fix it?


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Decision : 28 COM 14B.48
Nominations of Cultural Properties to the World Heritage List (Varberg Radio Station)
The World Heritage Committee,
1. Inscribes the Varberg Radio Station, Sweden, on the World Heritage List on the basis of cultural criteria (ii) and (iv):
Criterion (ii): The Varberg radio station at Grimeton is an outstanding monument representing the process of development of communication technology in the period following the First World War.
Criterion (iv): The Varberg radio station is an exceptionally well-preserved example of a type of telecommunication centre, representing the technological achievements by the early 1920s, as well as documenting the further development over some three decades.
2. Encourages the State Party to collaborate with other States Parties in considering a possible transboundary serial extension of similar properties.
DocumentsDecisions Report
Context of DecisionWHC-04/28.COM/14B Add
WHC-04/28.COM/14B Rev
WHC-04/28.COM/INF.14A Add


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I don't think you are a troll just a bit unrealistic. There is a huge difference between what users expect from Cell phone OSes and what they expect from Computer OSes. In particular Computer OSes need to support custom applications easily.
Apple would lose their place in the IT market, the scientific market, the music market, the video market with a limited lockdown system. They would lose their margins with a high level of control and supervision for a highly capable system. Yes they would love to have the control and the homogeneity. So would Microsoft, so would Linux. Its just that the order on computers is:
a) features -- can do what I want
b) reliability -- does what I want consistently
c) price --
d) convenience -- does what I want easily.
For cell phones the order seems to be
a) basic features
b) form factor
c) other features
Apple wants to kill the Mac OS desktop. Thus far I've been called a Troll, Naive and Insane. Now I am vindicated as developers have said the same thing.
How does the speculation of a few developers vindicate you?
Steve Jobs himself has already addressed this topic and said traditional PCs won't go away. They'll be like trucks; the people who need them will simply be fewer than those who just drive regular cars.
Steve Jobs himself has already addressed this topic and said traditional PCs won't go away.
Believing any CEO's pronouncement is like believing a whore who tells you "you're the best".
You have to watch what Apple does, not what Jobs says.
Odd. There isn't a single mention of DRM in the entire article. The summary is just an alarmist piece. It's only natural that features from one end up in the other, just as features from Windows end up in Mobile, and I would expect features from Mobile will end up in Windows if they are useful in a desktop environment.
iOS4 received feature parity with OS X (some 23 features from OS X ported to iOS in addition to IPV6 and DNS functionality). The article fails to mention any of this. It only talks about iOS4 influence on the desktop while ignoring the return path.
As a Mac user. I'm not concerned in the slightest.
As a Mac user. I'm not concerned in the slightest.
Apple wants to kill the Mac OS desktop. Thus far I've been called a Troll, Naive and Insane. Now I am vindicated as developers have said the same thing.
Apple doesn't want to kill the desktop, the desktop will be around for quite some time, and they want to be there until the end.
Apple isn't going to kill the Imac and Macbook lines, they will simply replace the current NEXT based OS with the future versions of IOS and naturally more complex systems are more prone to unexpected issues.
iOS is Nextstep, just with (mainly) UIKit replacing AppKit (there are more differences between Mac OS X and iOS, but this is main difference in terms of its relation to Nextstep). As for replacing Mac OS X with iOS, this doesn't make any sense. iOS is designed for small multitouch screens. This notion of iOS on the desktop is just as misguided as the idea of an iPad running Mac OS X. It can be done, but it would make the product worse.
Having two disparate OS lines is detrimental to the long term success of this goal [homogeneity].
Perhaps, but the gain in homogeneity would not offset the loss in quality of the Mac platform.
Control. Fanboys may defend Apple's control for various reasons, mostly using cognitive dissonance
FYI, when you get called a troll, it's for bullshit like this. Calling those who disagree with you "fanboys" makes you a troll, de facto. You may not realize it, leaving you to wonder "what the hell did I say that makes me a troll?" leading you to a conclusion that it must be just a bunch of "fanboys" who just don't want to hear the truth (hence your claim of cognitive dissonance), reinforcing your notion that we're just "fanboys", and therefore our arguments are dismissed out of hand.
Anyway, my point being, if you don't want to be seen as a troll, drop that word from your vocabulary completely, even when you think that there's a situation where it incontrovertibly applies.
They want to stop the hackintosh, they want to prevent more clones and they want to control what the end users experiences.
And this is why you are wrong, whether you get called troll or not. The above, which is pretty much the extent of their "control" is fairly limited, and very weak grounds upon which to base any sort of grand notion that Apple wants to increase control over their users.
The "control" over the hackintosh is obviously very limited, and not the sort of control which leads to any sort of slippery slope issues. They want you to buy a Mac if you want to run Mac OS X. The Mac and their OS are a whole. You may not like that that's how they see it, and that that's how they go about it, but some sort of overarching "control" it is not.
As for "controlling what the end user experiences". That's overstating things quite much. They don't want to control what the user experiences, with the fundamental exception that they want to exclude a set of very rational things. Primarily, buggy software, spyware, and ports which fail to make good use of the platform. They don't want control over my experience other than to help see to it that I don't have to deal with such crap. And when us "fanboys" say (as you said in your post) "it's for your own good and other such excuses", what we're saying is that "it makes the product better". That's why we willingly choose Apple products, so we don't have to deal with a bunch of crap. It's also a huge part of why Apple products do so well even when surrounded by competition whose primary advantage is less "control".
This wont happen overnight, not even the RDF turned to eleven could pull that one off. It will happen over time in baby steps and be hailed by the fanboys.
It (although not the "it" you've been going on about) will be hailed because it will make our lives better. The "it" won't be locking down the Mac, or replacing M
leading to a single DRM-locked OS on your MacBook and your iPad.
There is zero evidence that any such convergence (beyond the fact they already share the same Darwin core and Foundation classes) would be "DRM-locked." You threw the phrase in there as flamebait to ignite discussion. Don't be an alarmist site.
If I were Apple I'd make a desktop iOS a user option like the current Parental Controls. Locking specific users into a walled garden of uncomplicated settings and apps sure would be nice for grandparent support.
If I were Apple I'd make a desktop iOS a user option like the current Parental Controls.
Apple tried this before; it was called At Ease [wikipedia.org].
If I were Apple I'd make a desktop iOS a user option like the current Parental Controls.
Apple tried this before; it was called At Ease [wikipedia.org].
And it genuinely kicked ass at the time.
I had a Macintosh Performa 6300 that was being used as a shared family computer back then. At Ease allowed me to set up a relatively safe and secure way to share that computer with our kids, without giving them access to absolutely everything.
I remember that software on the school Macs (back when the school HAD Macs)
And I still remember being able to use some sort of "delete file" option in one of the Microsoft Office for Mac applications to delete the At Ease software file and defeat the software. No clue if they ever solved that loophole.
There is already a Simple Finder option in the current OSX, which only provides the very basic functionality to the user. My mom is using - and loving - it. No chance to break stuff, and incredibly easy for her to use.
Yeah, that's the "current Parental Controls". This would be an order of magnitude simpler. I know, because I setup my grandmother with a Mac and even Simple Finder was too much. Multitasking, settings, windows, etc. Ideally we'd be able to setup a iPad-like screen with big buttons that runs one application at a time with absolutely zero user configuration possible (email accounts and the like having been setup by the admin account).
If you listened to all the fanboi rumblings, you'd have given up years ago and bought an abacus.
I did but had to give it up when I could not get the new gaming graphics card I bought to work with it...
If you need to relate to past stories then they should be about how Apple restricts developers/users and not the tenacious ramblings of Dvorak and his ilk. Your "and then Apple will die!!!" strawmen add nothing.
Is Apple showing any signs of dying? No.
Does Apple tend toward restricting developers in a way considered stifling by many developers? Yes.
Is TFA unlikely speculation? Possibly, but that doesn't mean it isn't worth thinking about.
The "walled garden" won't be the death of Apple. The alternative of a similar garden without walls will.
The "walled garden" won't be the death of Apple. The alternative of a similar garden without walls will.
I doubt it.
Operating System Market Share [hitslink.com]
Windows 91%
Mac 5%
Linux 1.1%
iPhone 0.6%
iPod Touch 0.1%
iPad 0.1%
These are global stats, not US, remember.
Apple's "walled garden" - despite the price of admission - is well on its way to becoming a larger presence on the web than the Linux PC or mobile device.
Please, this talk of walled gardens and apples is only going to fuel Jobs's God complex. Let's come up with some other metaphors.
Let's see, they asked a bunch of IOS developers whether they thought their particular platform of choice was going to take over. Surprisingly, many said yes.
This has always been an idiotic conspiracy theory and completely forgets that IOS is a cut down version of OS X. Same language, same classes except for a few UI ones. Are the two SDKs going to merge? They already are. IOS is slowly gaining more and more functionality ported over from OS X.
... they won't even be selling Macs anymore. Mene, mene, tekel, upharsin, the big bucks are coming in elsewhere.
Remember, the name of the company no longer even contains the word "Computer."
I believe Sasser sums it up rather nicely: "I could see a gradual, slow merger between iOS and Mac OS X styles and approaches," he said. "It doesn't make sense for them to be developing two of everything, one good, one not as good--two calendars, two address books--it's got to merge somehow."
Apple should learn from Microsoft's mistake of trying to have two rather diverse platforms (Windows and Windows mobile). Granted, Microsoft seems to be moving in a better direction these days with their mobile platform,
I guess it depends on which parts you're talking about - a certain OS kernel that runs everything from mobile phones to supercomputers seems to get a lot of praise around here. Presentation can be a rather thin layer compared to everything below you can share.
You mean like the Mach kernel that both the iOS and OS X share? Or the BSD-based Darwin subsystem? Or some of the Cocoa frameworks?
Probably with the DoJ watchdogs on their tail (anemically, but there), Microsoft didn't dare start a Windows AppStore.
Ironically, it's the linux distributions that have had the 3rd-party software distribution infrastructure for ages. Is anybody selling commercial software running yum/apt repos with SSL client identification required?
"It doesn't make sense for them to be developing two of everything, one good, one not as good--two calendars, two address books--it's got to merge somehow."
It doesn't make sense for Ford to be making both cars and trucks. It means they have to have at least two separate lines for most of the components. They should just merge the two concepts.
Except that's not the case. iOS and OS X already share a ton of code, with the exception of the highest-level UI stuff, which Jobs has repeatedly argued is necessary to do separately for each form factor. In order for MacOS and iOS to merge, Apple would have to do a 360 on this policy. Otherwise, they already are more or less the same OS (I'd even argue that they're already more closely related than KDE and GNOME are to each other).
The "walled garden" approach to the App Store may have had a time and pla
"Microsoft seems to be moving in a better direction these days with their mobile platform"
You haven't been following very closely then, have you? It's a jumbled mess of mutually incompatible systems, all with the label "Windows" on it. They almost seem to be trying to emulate the diversity of Linux systems. Microsoft's mistake, however, isn't with having multiple OSes, but having multiple OSes that are all UI clones of each other (without the common code base) regardless of the platform.
Jobs and his lieutenants have talked at length about what a mistake it was to try to put desktop Windows (with extensions) on tablets. This is why the TabletPC platform has been such a snoozefest in the market: it's the wrong UI for the hardware. Apple could have released a MacBook Touch (a laptop with a touch screen or a slate, either running OS X) five years ago, but they knew it wouldn't work, so they didn't. The same story applies to Windows Mobile: wrong UI for the hardware. Same outcome: dismal sales for something with the Microsoft brand on it.
Clearly Apple believes that "iOSX everywhere" is the wrong approach. Adobe CS would make no sense on a phone or slate, and neither would Tap Tap Revenge make sense on a desktop or server. They put a whole lot of effort into developing a new OS for slates and phones, using the parts of OS X that fit that platform, and engineering new parts for the rest. They'd be fools to throw out the parts of OS X that still make all kinds of sense for the desktop or traditional laptop just to merge it with iOS, and I see no evidence that they're fools of that sort.
If you're uncertain what FUD stands for, please re-read the summary. Fear. Uncertainty. Doubt.
Or Female Urination Device. [wikipedia.org].
I was afraid that might be what it means...but I wasn't sure.
I suspect the next few OSX and iOS revisions to start merging and sharing APIs, and maybe OSX will go away, but it won't be replaced by iOS.
Yes, this would be interesting. It might even be nice to be able to use certain iOS apps on OS X since many of them are very useful utilities.
They already share APIs - iOS is heavily based on OS X with a touch UI on top.
This article is just total FUD. It's the same sort of "analysis" as that story from a couple of months ago how Apple "will definitely" move to an App Store model for OS X. There's just no sense in it at all, given the direction that Apple are taking OS X.
They forked OS X, for want of a better term, and created iPhone OS (now iOS), and continued development on OS X itself. There is nothing to suggest they will merge the two again.
Will this be like when IcarOS and DaedalOS merged into HeliOS?
I was going to make a joke about the change to the name "iOS" meaning that iMacs will also run it on one of the last Apple articles... never thought it would come true.
Then again, I'm not a Mac user, so meh...
The article discusses how developers expect iOS and OS X to merge from an API perspective - cross pollination between the developments (mostly from iOS to OS X) will lead to a unified development environment. This is *not* the same as the DRM/App Store, which is just the distribution method chosen for the iPhone and iPad. There's nothing technical about this - it's a business choice to make this the sole channel, one that doesn't seem to make sense for desktop computing, and one that I doubt they'd pursue.
Whilst I expect an App Store on the Mac, I would be shocked if it were the only distribution method available. In truth, I suspect we'll see a situation similar to downloading apps via Safari now - the first run, you get a warning about possible unsafe code, you tell it you're fine with that, and then everything carries on as normal. The Mac still represents a vast chunk of their revenue - only marginally less than iPhone in terms of income, and probably more in terms of profit. They're not going to kill a fully functioning golden goose, though I do expect some experimentation with it.
This experimentation is long overdue. For most people, something much simpler than a full desktop would be ideal - my iPad passes my parental approval filter far more than their desktop computer, the complexity of which causes more trouble than benefit. Now, the iPad is *not* a suitable desktop replacement - using my parents as an example again, there's no really useful document processing, no ability to hook up their TomTom, no easy printing. However, I can certainly see some hybrid iMac/iPad (or Android setup, I don't care who makes it) being a *much* better proposition for them than buying another desktop of the current ilk - be it Windows, Mac or Linux.
Now, the iPad is *not* a suitable desktop replacement [...] there's no really useful document processing
There's Pages. That should be enough for all of the basic needs. You'll probably have to hook up a real keyboard though.
no ability to hook up their TomTom
TomTom offers a fully-featured iPhone app, so no need to hook anything up.
no easy printing
Sure there is one way. [wired.com]
what will we develop mac applications on? Windows boxes?
The summary or TFA?
"It doesn't make sense for them to be developing two of everything, one good, one not as good--two calendars, two address books--it's got to merge somehow."
I can't imagine how a calendar developed for a 2" touchscreen could have the same interface as a calendar developed for a 21" keyboard-and-mouse, and not have it be terrible. Similarly, a copy of Word on the iPhone and a copy of Word on a PC would necessarily need to have very different interfaces... You can't get hover tips on a touchscreen, people don't gesture with keyboards, mice aren't multitouch, and iPhone screens are tiny.
The idea that you can write one app and have it work on such disparate devices shows a fundamental lack of understanding of good design.
What, did you think because the actors changed the play would be different?
a certain expectation that iOS and MacOS will merge, leading to a single DRM locked OS on your MacBook and your iPad.
Without a doubt, Apple will try to make them more similar to develop for. This is plain obvious and the same like for example the Qt toolkit has been adding multitouch support while still being a Win/Mac/Linux GUI toolkit. Or Microsoft making Windows and Xbox360 similar to develop for, if you want another example. This is clearly beneficial both for developer time, a consistent user experience, creating reusable code and more.
The other part, does the DRM lockdown come to OS X? Well, that's not really a rela
There will probably be a market for high-end applications on your phone (navigation?, media player?) but honestly, how many of those are on your phone?
Nearly all the apps on my iPod touch are games. And no, you cannot currently do what they do this with HTML5 and Javascript (or, at least, they would be very slow to write and have terrible performance).
The main difference between Mac OS and iOS is you can't code on iOS. It's partly a security feature and partly an anti-complexity feature. iOS is for a non-coding approach to all tasks. You may not know this, but a Photoshop pro writes a ton of code. The home user working with their photos doesn't need to.
Another feature of iOS is no custom drivers. The USB audio interfaces that work with iOS are the "class compliant" ones that work with the system's universal driver. This provides stability and ease of use, but it limits the quality to consumer-quality 16/44 stereo. Audio pros still need a system to hook on an 8 channel 24/192 interface. OS X has a pro audio subsystem the likes of which you can't find anywhere else. Are we going to just abandon that and tell music producers to use toy Windows? The iPod app on iOS is filled up by people using Mac OS.
The mouse is going away, no doubt. But you will still have a consumer OS and a pro OS. Web developers need Apache and Ruby and PHP to make websites for iOS users, movie makers and graphic artists need to code workflows, and app developers need to code apps and Apple needs to code OS X itself. The idea that Mac OS can go away is just so fucking stupid and ignorant and disrespectful when you consider how much of our fucking culture is made on Macs.
Anyone who thinks there is no longer a need for Mac OS is an iPad user. Get an iPad ASAP and enjoy! STFU about Mac OS otherwise. You probably don't know what the fuck you are talking about.
monopoly and censorship are just some of things that apple will face if they try to do this even right now the FCC does not like the cell phone lock in / lock down.
But doing this to a laptop / desktop?? M$ was not able to pull this carp with IE and was forced to stop forcing OEM from loading it's os on all systems. and apple things they can force DEV's to pay $99 year just for free apps or $99
http://www.macstories.net/news/steve-jobs-no-mac-app-store/ [macstories.net]
I don't think IOS will replace Mac OS/X but I am really shocked that there isn't an Mac App store.
Why and app store?
Because people would like and use it. Right now if I go to Best Buy or any place else that sells software there may be a small section of Mac software. Also it is expensive to produce retail software. You have to have a pretty box, Press CDs get the stores to carry it... And I will bet you the stores take at least as much as Apple does. Yes you can always put up a website and sell your softw
This makes complete sense. You can use all your iPhone/iPod/iPad apps on your iMac. Your iMac has a multi-touch capacitive screen and accelerometers.
Oh, wait.
Apple takes pride in the right interface for the right device. This will never happen.
This is a stupid, flamebait, troll's topic. "iOS and OS X will merge, THEREFORE... all apps will be solely distributed by Apple in a walled garden."
Where's the logical connection there? How do you get from one to another? Why not conclude that since iOS and OS X will merge, the app distribution model will completely open up like on OS X? Mac OS X doesn't even have an activation key, for goodness sake. Apple is the patron of many an open source project, including WebKit which is the most prolific rendering e
After reading the article, it seems some developers interviewed by Ars Technicia is speculating that Apple might introduce more iOS interfaces into OS X. However any merger if at all will take a long time. The start of the article however immediately told it may be lacking technical details.
Though concrete answers are hard to predict, the truth is that the Cocoa APIs are built on the 20+ year-old NextStep and use Objective-C, a language that until recently lacked many features common to modern development environments, such as automatically managed memory.
You mean like C++ which is still used by many programmers. Yes, there are newer languages out there but many environments like Windows, PS3, etc use C++.
...this new OS would need to be much more than the current iOS. You'd need to be able to *develop* iOS apps on it, for starters.
Anyway, everybody who thinks that the future will just an extrapolation of the past should think again. Computers *will* change drastically. The traditional PC will sooner or later just be some office machine or developer machine, with most actual users on things that are more like appliances. There is no way around that and the time is ripe for that. Smartphones and tablets will b
Who goeth a-borrowing goeth a-sorrowing. -- Thomas Tusser


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Nice work! Enjoy the show!
Link Copied!
French parliament passes tough asylum bill
Opening Sequence
Trump demands campaign surveillance probe
Many Venezuelans stay at home on election day
Spurned advances may have provoked Texas shooting
Man injured as Hawaii lava flow advances
Investigation underway as Cuba mourns plane crash
Pope appoints new cardinals to cement legacy
Mnuchin: U.S.-China trade war 'on hold'
No honeymoon just yet for newly wed royal couple
'Goosebumps!' Fans elated at royal wedding glitz
Closing Sequence


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For something that has almost unlimited potential, the sandwich has become staid and unimaginative. In part this is because we don't have as many leftovers as we once did (we don't cook as much), so a meatloaf sandwich is nowhere near as common as it once was. But it's mostly because we've allowed sandwich-making to become something that is either done by someone else or a task to be squeezed in between breakfast and taking the kids to the bus.
But now and then, for a brunch or a party or a laugh, it's worth showcasing a variety of unusual ingredients and allowing individuals to throw them together, producing post-Dagwood creations that are beyond the ability of others to imagine. Given the same array of options, you and I would surely come up with radically different creations.
It all starts with good bread, a commodity that's easy enough to find. It continues with spreads, which need not be that out of the ordinary but should be seasoned assertively enough to not disappear. The "body" of the sandwich — which may be open-faced or not — is the key, of course, and it's here that it pays to open the vault: not just tuna but anchovies, not just ham but prosciutto, not hamburger but beef tartar and so on.
Toppings can make a huge difference, and if you don't have time to crisp-fry some onions or mushrooms, you can grate some radish or chop some chives or even some olives. Making sandwiches, after all, isn't so much about cooking as assembling.
Read the rest of this article here.


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"Simply put, bundling the station and maintenance facility construction into one contract has hamstrung the tendering process, limited competition, stifled innovation and isolated the small- and medium-sized construction and design firms," said CDAO Chair Clive Thurston. "This procedure will cost taxpayers more in the end. It is a case where bigger is not always better."
In the case of the CA$4-billion (US$3.9 billion) Eglinton Crosstown line, the size and scope of the project alone has resulted in only two consortiums expressing public interest in the massive project. One consortium is Canadian-based and the other is led by foreign multi-national firms, says Thurston, who is also president of the Ontario General Contractors Association (OGCA).
An analysis done by OGCA, on behalf of CDAO, reveals had the tender been broken down into smaller bites and stations been tendered individually, up to 10 small- and medium-sized, Ontario-based construction and design firms would have bid on each of the smaller projects, resulting in increased competition and lower costs to taxpayers. The OGCA notes that such a process has the potential to save up to CA$500 million (US$482 million).
"CDAO is not opposed to bundling, but it is a procurement tool that has to be done in the right place, at the right time and for the right reasons with the right market research to support the decision," said Thurston.
"We believe the Eglinton Crosstown project is just too big to be handled under a single contract," he explained. "The current scale of the project is such that there is a huge risk profile and even some of the largest companies in Canada are not willing to bid. Breaking it up into smaller chunks would result in better value for taxpayer dollars."


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It promises to be the edgiest election contest in recent memory as the twists and turns continue in the lead-up to the September 14 federal election for the seat of Lyne.
Below is a summary of the main points made when we asked both David Gillespie and Rob Oakeshott to outline the major issues they'll face at the September 14 election and beyond.
FOR FULL VERSIONS OF BOTH MEN'S ISSUES ... buy today's Port News.
By Rob Oakeshott
Regardless of the politics, and regardless of whether or not I stand for the 44th Parliament, the following issues are important to our region and our country.
1. Bringing home local infrastructure projects
* A record $190m Commonwealth investment in construction works are under way at Port Macquarie and Kempsey hospitals.
Making sure the upgrades finish on time and on budget will be a focus. Construction at Port Base is on target for a 2014 finish date.
* The $20m University of NSW/Newcastle University/North Coast TAFE course and building expansion is under way. A DA will be lodged soon. This project involves a massive expansion of course offerings in health services, including the first full medical degree (from 1st to 6th year) in the one regional location – Port Macquarie. Courses start in 2015.
2. Progressing local 'human infrastructure'
* There is work still to be done with the successful local education and skills forums and, together, working on the great challenge of improving our region's access to higher education. This builds a more resilient and entrepreneurial community.
It creates jobs, new career opportunities and wealth.
At the 2008 election, just 12 per cent of locals aged 25-35 years of age had a bachelor degree or higher.
The aspirational goal we've been working on for four years is to reach 40 per cent by 2025. Any improvement has a direct link to stronger local employment data, and to the individuals involved.
3. More local projects to deliver
Charles Sturt University/Port Macquarie-Hastings Council's Food, Soil and Water Research Centre is an excellent proposal but it's unfunded. I'm trying to deliver the $4 million needed to get this project off the ground.
4. National Projects/Economy
* Comprehensive tax reform must and, in my view, will happen in the next three years. While I have been successful in some areas of reform (tripling of tax-free threshold this year to $18,200, increasing small business instant tax write-off to $6500, loss carry back for small business introduced, the low income superannuation tax removed), there is much more to do. There are 125 taxes in Australia, and just four do 90 per cent of the work. About 55 are state taxes. Delivering a fairer, simpler tax system is one of the big aspirations of the next three years.
* In the next two years, a bipartisan push will happen to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in our Constitution. Currently, local Aboriginal people could be dismissed as "non-human" for population and voting purposes under Section 25 of our Constitution. Read it – it has to change for a better Australia.
5. Vision and Values
I hope voters consider vision and values important. Every vote delivers a better Parliament, if we all commit. If we want a better Parliament, and better public policy, the adversarial, fear n' smear, personality attacks need to stop. People need to vote against the repeat offenders who drag our Parliament down, and reward MPs who work on lifting standards.
People should vote for those who respect the experts in their field, whether it's science, health, education or tax, and vote against those who dismiss these experts for political advantage. Respect for evidence and knowledge is what our Parliament desperately needs.
Finally, people should be wary of, and vote against, vested interests invading public policy.
Political donations are at record highs. It is naïve to believe these donations do not impact on policy.
Our political systems will be stronger if more people become aware of how a small handful of very rich individuals are corroding our system of government. Only the voter can fix this.
By David Gillespie
I'm running as The Nationals candidate for the seat of Lyne because I want to help put our community and our country back on track.
I've lived in the area for over 20 years and want to make sure that our children have the opportunity to live and work in a prosperous Mid-North Coast.
We need a strong and stable federal government to achieve this, and as a Nationals MP locally I will be able to make sure we get a fair go after the next election.
I've been travelling the electorate and talking to people from all across our region ever since I first put my hand up for The Nationals in 2010.
What I've found is that the overwhelming local concern is the state of our roads, whether it be the Pacific Highway, state highways and or our local roads.
The Nationals and I have already committed ourselves to completing the Pacific Highway by guaranteeing $5.6 billion to the project, making us the only ones with all the money on the table to finish the duplication.
Border control
My second major concern is the state of our nation's borders.
At the last election Julia Gillard said she would stop the boats. Since then over 400 boats carrying more than 25,000 people have breached our borders and unlawfully arrived on our shores.
The cost of dealing with these arrivals runs into the billions at a time when our budget is already too deep in the red.
If I'm elected, I will vote with a Coalition government to reintroduce Temporary Protection Visas, give orders to the Navy to turn back the boats, where safe to do so, and give priority to offshore asylum seekers over unlawful boat arrivals.
Lower Taxes
Another priority for me is lowering our taxes.
We need to create an environment in which communities like ours can prosper and develop. This will stimulate job growth and opportunity so we can get our economy back on track.
We need to have a government that understands that the people of Lyne do not want the government digging any deeper into their hip pockets.
Stable Government
Establishing a stable government in Canberra.
After the last election we all heard a lot about a new paradigm and a new approach to federal government.
We need a government that will restore control and bring back confidence for local families and businesses – a government that will stop the spin and just get on with the job.
I have practiced as a doctor for over 30 years and have met many residents over this time.
It has been a pleasure to be able to help and get to know so many of you.
Importantly, my career has shown me how critical it is to get health policy and infrastructure right.
That's why I will push for the reinstatement of the private health insurance rebate, local boards looking after our hospitals and improved mental health services.
What I hope to offer the people of the Mid-North Coast is a positive plan for our region's future.
With a commonsense Liberal and Nationals government we can fix the mess left by Labor and give local families and business the confidence and support they need to thrive.
FOR FULL VERSIONS OF BOTH MEN'S STORIES ... buy today's Port News


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Princes of the church face unenviable task in quest for new spiritual leader
MICHELANGELO'S intimidating fresco of the Last Judgment towers over the altar in the Vatican's Sistine Chapel, where the princes of the Catholic Church will gather in four weeks to choose God's representative on Earth.
The 117 voting cardinals will come to the altar where their vote is cast one by one and swear to God to make the right choice, as above them Christ judges the souls of the dead and the damned and unworthy plunge into Hell, claimed by hideous, grinning demons.
By all reports the fresco's symbolism is not lost on the cardinals - elderly gentlemen, contemplating mortality and their eternal souls as they make one of the biggest decisions of their lives.
During the vote, known as the conclave, there are no speeches, concessions or promises. There is silence and prayer. ''If you could watch what happens inside, you'd be bored to tears,'' Cardinal Franz Koenig once said.
However, the lead-up to the mid-March conclave will be ''the most brutal three weeks up there in centuries'', said one well-connected Vatican observer, gesturing towards the Holy City.
Beware the Ides of March, indeed. This is not just a church solemnly electing its leader. It is a geopolitical crossroads, a choice that will crystallise the conscience, beliefs, politics, governance and direction of the church and its billion-strong flock. Fallible men must make a man infallible.
Over the past year the Holy See has been riddled with scandal, leaks and infighting, appearing a church in crisis. ''The reputation of the pontificate is on the line,'' a source said. (Rome is a town of diplomacy and ''la bella figura''. Most who spoke to Fairfax for this story - within the Catholic Church, or with regular contact with the Vatican at a senior level - asked not to be identified.)
Canon David Richardson, head of the Anglican Centre in Rome, said the decision has wider implications.
''The Roman Catholic Church has people in every country of the world and over a billion followers, and so it is a force to be reckoned with politically,'' he said.
John McCarthy, Australia's ambassador to the Holy See, sits at his desk and looks at the Pope's private apartment windows. ''The Holy See promotes peaceful co-existence and international development,'' he said. ''Australia works with the Vatican, and the Pope, on issues such as human rights, disarmament and food security.''
According to doctrine, the conclave is guided by God. But, as one cardinal told the National Catholic Reporter's John Allen, ''I was never whapped on the head by the Holy Spirit. I had to make the best choice I could, based on the information available.''
So, these are men, in a room, under pressure to choose a candidate before Easter in the tight deadline imposed by Benedict XVI's shock resignation.
But the real debate takes place in the weeks before, as cardinals gather from around the world. A General Congregation reviews issues facing the church, though no individual candidates - the ''papabile'' - are discussed there.
That happens privately, in an ''informal, subterranean'' process as friends and allies meet in private apartments and colleges, over dinner, espresso and cigarettes.
It is inappropriate to argue for yourself, though you can frame the needs of the church to favour your candidacy. One source said few want the job: ''It is a lonely and very frightening position,'' he said.
Others disagree. ''[The cardinals] are sincere people praying in God's gardens but they are also worldly and ambitious. There will be jockeying, that's inevitable in any election. There will be gross lobbying and backstabbing.''
The cardinals critique the last eight years. ''Do they regard [Benedict] as a success or a failure?'' a source explained. ''If the latter, do they want to do something about it, do they want a substantial course correction?''
Many who spoke to Fairfax considered Benedict an intellectual, humble and caring man who had not lived up to the hopes of eight years ago. ''Some say the only great gift to the papacy was his resignation,'' a source said.
One of the biggest concerns is the state of the Vatican. Benedict, an ageing academic who never wanted the job, wrote beautiful words and anchored the faith on a strong conservative base. However, ''the obvious weakness of the present pontiff is the fact he has aged rapidly over the last five years'', said a member of the Vatican bureaucracy, the Curia.
''Everything slows down … If you had someone strong at the top it would be felt all the way down the line.''
A well-connected church figure visited a Vatican department that had five porters to open doors - but its head could not afford a secretary. ''It is a messy bureaucracy and you can slate that to the Pope,'' he said. ''It is a centralised government but the centre is weak.''
Another said: ''I think the Holy Father just thought it was beyond him, who to turn to and how to manage. He took up the role at 78. It can't have been easy.''
Then there were the scandals. Reports of sexual abuse by priests multiplied, and the Vatican was accused of being slow to respond.
Last year the head of the Vatican Bank stepped down because of ''failure to fulfil the primary functions of his office'' and suspicion of money laundering. In 2012's ''Vatileaks'', documents leaked to journalists exposed power struggles, intrigue and infighting within the Vatican, allegations of corrupt contracts and abuses of power.
''The cardinals will robustly discuss this,'' Fairfax was told. It suggests the need for a canny administrator-Pope, to pull things into line. One thing the cardinals may not discuss - though sources disagree - is whether the church needs to modernise its views on issues such as abortion or contraception. ''Don't bother with that,'' one source said. ''That's outsider stuff.'' Another source said: ''One view is that the church doesn't need to modernise, it needs to hold firm to traditional faith. The other is they are looking to have someone who can, while not throwing the baby out with the bathwater, speak to the contemporary world in a language they can hear. This is a fundamental argument going on in the Vatican.''
A Pope must communicate on the world stage. ''The Pope doesn't just administrate the bureaucracy, he is a world figure,'' a source within the Curia said. Another said: ''Benedict was not a performer, he was an academic and solitary.'' After John Paul II, it was a bitter comedown.
Italian newspaper La Stampa editorialised that the next Pope should be tech-literate, in tune with the 24/7 news cycle. Then there's the question of age. Some argue the resignation changed the game: the best man for the job could be old, give his last good years, then step down. Others say the opposite.
It will be significant to those who hope to move the church from its conservative course, or reform the Curia. ''You can force change only if you are not so young that you will have to fight people for 25 years, but also not too frail,'' Fairfax was told.
One thing is certain: Australia's George Pell is an unlikely candidate. ''Pell was one of the prime backers [of Cardinal Ratzinger's papacy],'' a source said - just as Ratzinger was close to John Paul II. He is an intellectual and influential force in Rome, who knows a lot of cardinals. But this is not eight years ago: Pell's influence may have waned.
Anyway, Australia is too close to the US. ''There is a long understanding in the college of cardinals that it is not in the interests of the church to have a Pope from a superpower or its allies,'' one source said. ''Though that doesn't mean they can't be kingmakers.''
Despite a push to choose someone from Latin America or Africa, the likely candidates are mostly European. Some say this is a shame. ''The Pope lives here and rarely gets out, he is surrounded by Italian and European culture,'' one said. ''While the Pope lives in Vatican City he won't understand the needs of the church.''
Don't rule out a surprise factor. Last time it was the ''funeral effect''. The worldwide focus on John Paul II's funeral stunned the cardinals, making them turn to Ratzinger, in the hope of a similar figure.
Finally a word of caution to those predicting a revolution in the Vatican.
''There's nothing extraordinary about this at all,'' a dry voice from the Vatican's Curia said over the phone. ''If you are talking to Romans on the street their attitude is 'Il Papa is dead (or, now, resigned), so we will get another'.
''The Roman Catholic Church, after all, has survived two millennia. There's not much around that the church hasn't seen before. It will take it all in its stride.''
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An assistant village manager is expected to be one of the only significant new expenditures in the village of Lombard's 2013 budget, and officials say the new employee's goal will be to save the village money.
Lombard spends about $900,000 a year on insurance claims and liabilities, Village Manager David Hulseberg said, but hiring an assistant village manager to oversee risk management should cut down on that cost.
The new employee will oversee risk management, the village clerk and the communications and marketing departments starting in January, Hulseberg said.
The village board supported hiring an assistant village manager with a law degree and experience in human relations to better address issues with workers' compensation, disability claims and workplace safety issues, Acting Village President Peter Breen said.
"We are identifying this individual as someone who can provide assistance with labor law, someone who can provide assistance with risk management," he said.
Interviews with six finalists from among 49 applicants were conducted Tuesday and Wednesday, and the village expects to choose the assistant village manager within the next two weeks.
"That person will be able to take some of the managerial load away from the village manager so that the manager has fewer direct reports and instead can focus on bigger-picture items," Breen said.
Nine department heads report to Hulseberg, but once the assistant village manager starts, that number will drop to five.
Lombard also is working to decrease the amount it spends on claims, including workers' compensation and lawsuit settlements, by pooling with three other governmental organizations to contract with an outside risk manager and claims adjuster, Hulseberg said.
"The goal is to reduce our exposure by making certain improvements," he said.
Trustees on Thursday night discussed fund balances, technology reserves, police training and other elements of the 2013 budget, which is the first after a switch to budgeting by calendar year instead of a fiscal year that began June 1 and ended May 31.
A public hearing on the proposed budget is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 6 at village hall, 255 E. Wilson Ave.


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The game will support dedicated servers, and is sticking with four selectable classes (referred to as "the sweet spot"). Forming up into squads is also getting tweaked, but Bach is holding those details close to the vest for the time being.
Some fans might be disappointed to learn that mod tools are taking a back seat to polishing the main game for the time being. "We will not deliver mod tools in the way we delivered them for Battlefield 2," said Bach. "Creating mod tools today -- dumbing them down -- takes a lot of energy and what we are discussing more every day is, 'Where do we put our focus?'"
He continued, "Right now our focus is to create the best possible multiplayer, single-player, and co-op game -- the core game of Battlefield 3. We're still discussing how we handle modifications of any kind."
More Battlefield 3 information is planned for GDC 2011. A beta, which shipped with select copies of Medal of Honor, is also in the works but has yet to be dated.


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Google is in the process of bringing together all of their products so that you reach your customers no matter what they are doing online or where they are spending their time online. Google will soon become the place for social interactions and search, so why not get ready now?
Scooped by
The New Company
onto The Google+ Project


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GRANTHAM, Pa. – No. 11 Messiah took an 11-1 lead into halftime before defeating McDaniel 16-4 in non-conference women's lacrosse action on Wednesday.
Monica Parcell (Prospect Park, Pa./Interboro) led the Green Terror (1-1) with two goals.
Lizzy Keeney scored five times to pace the Falcons (1-0) in their season opener.
Marybeth Bindel converted a free-position goal just 43 seconds into the game before Parcell knotted the score off a Kerry Campbell (Gaithersburg, Md./Damascus) assist just 1:36 later.
A Claire Strikeleather tally with 25:15 to play in the first half sparked a 13-0 run for the hosts, however, to put the game away with 19:58 to play in the contest.
Kinney had all five of her goals during the run, including back-to-back markers 1:39 apart to push the lead to 10-1 with 10:06 to play in the first half.
Carly Bajus, who had a goal and two assists, pushed the lead to 11-1 nearly three minutes later.
Samantha Barbeito (Myersville, Md./Middletown) broke up the lengthy stretch, hitting the back of the net with 14:49 to play.
Kiersten McGreer responded 2:34 later before Paige Messersmith (Phoenix, Md./Dulaney) found Parcell to make it a 15-3 game with 6:33 to play.
McGreer and Bridget Bopst (Westminster, Md./South Carroll) traded markers in the final 4:35 for the final margin.
Messiah finished with a 26-14 edge in shots and 17-5 advantage in draw controls.
Messersmith and Kaylee Hoover (Winter Garden, Fla./West Orange) had five ground balls each. Messersmith added three caused turnovers while Hoover had two.
The Green Terror returns to action at Bridgewater on Saturday, Mar. 9. Game time is 1 p.m.