text:
California Attorney General Bill Lockyer, Colorado Attorney General Ken Salazar
File Brief on Behalf of 46 States Urging Protection Against Unsolicited Commercial Calls
(SACRAMENTO) – California State Attorney General Bill Lockyer and Colorado Attorney General Ken Salazar today filed a "friend of the court" brief on behalf of the Attorneys General from 46 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, urging the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit Court to uphold the National Do Not Call Registry to protect consumers from unsolicited commercial phone calls.
"There is no constitutional right for telemarketers to invade the privacy of our homes to pitch products we don't want and didn't ask for," Lockyer said. "The right of consumers to block unwanted commercial calls by registering phone numbers on a Do Not Call list trumps the right of uninvited commercial telemarketers to interrupt us at home."
In the "friend of the court" brief, the Attorneys General argue the Do Not Call regulations enacted by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) are constitutional and should be upheld. The brief notes that when the federal agencies approved the national regulations, 27 states already had enacted Do Not Call laws to protect consumers in their states. Most of those laws were carefully drafted to recognize legitimate First Amendment rights.
The Attorneys General brief points out the desire of consumers to have peace and quiet in their own homes was carefully weighed against the ability of commercial telemarketers to conduct business: Individuals who are willing to accept some commercial calls may choose to register their telephone number on the Do Not Call list, and then provide authorization to select companies whose calls they are willing to accept. Individuals who do not register their phone numbers on the national list may inform individual companies that they do not wish to receive their calls and ask to be placed on the company's internal do-not-call list.
"Because of this flexibility," the Attorneys General argue, "there is no reason why a telemarketer will be blocked from calling a willing listener."
Joining the California and Colorado Attorneys General were their colleagues in: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wyoming.
More than 6.1 million California phone numbers are among the 50 million numbers on the Federal Trade Commission's National Do Not Call Registry.
As president of the National Association of Attorneys General, Lockyer has taken the lead on behalf of the state Attorneys General in defending the federal program. The "friend of the court" brief, filed today in the federal appellate court in Denver by the Colorado Attorney General's Office, supports the position of the FTC and the FCC in Mainstream Marketing Services, Inc., et al. v. Federal Trade Commission. The lawsuit challenges the constitutionality of the FTC Do Not Call regulations.
California was poised to implement its own, state-operated Do Not Call statute in January 2003. The Attorney General's Office devoted considerable resources to develop the regulatory and technological infrastructure needed to create the list and enforce the prohibition on calls to phone numbers on the list. During the state's preparations, the Federal Trade Commission announced it would establish and maintain a national list. After consulting with the FTC and consumer advocates, the California Attorney General's Office opted to revise its state-only plan, and enforce state and federal laws against businesses that continue to call California numbers on the FTC's list. Having one list saved the state and consumers more than $2 million, eliminated confusion for consumers faced with two separate registries and cut costs for businesses that would have had to purchase both a state and federal list.
If the federal appellate court strikes down the FTC and FCC regulations, California may have to return to its original plan after already suffering a year-long delay in providing relief to those consumers who believed registering with the FTC would block telemarketing calls to their home and cell phone numbers. Such a ruling also may hamper the ability of other states to enforce their laws and regulations.


text:
The Conservative party holds a 14-point lead in Canada, according to a poll by Angus Reid Strategies. 40 per cent of decided voters would support the Tories in the next election to the House of Commons.
The Liberal party is second with 26 per cent, followed by the New Democratic Party (NDP) with 15 per cent, the Bloc Québécois with 10 per cent, and the Green party with eight per cent.
The poll gives the Tories a big lead in British Columbia and Ontario, with Quebec split down the middle. I suppose you can fluff off these polls, but in mind, there is no question we have a trend. This poll is the first I can remember that puts Harper in majority terrority, and it should give everyone pause.
The calendar is the Conservative's friend, hard to see a scenario where they are hurt by a feel-good budget. The latest polls certainly make a spring election more likely, Harper may orchestrate his own demise after the budget.
As an aside, my earlier post on the Quebec ads having no effect may have been pre-mature. Those numbers in Quebec are the highest I have seen for the Conservatives in some time. Take this poll in isolation, everything comes up roses for Harper, and the Liberals are in serious trouble. I just hope this is bottom.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
BOSTON (AP) -- P.J. Hairston ignited a first-half run and scored 14 points before he was taken off the court on a stretcher after a scary fall late in the opening half of North Carolina's 82-70 win over Boston College on Tuesday night.
Hairston banged the back of his head on the floor after colliding with teammate Dexter Strickland. A North Carolina spokesman said he suffered a concussion, but was not going to be taken to the hospital.
James Michael McAdoo led North Carolina (14-6, 4-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) with 17 points and 10 boards. Strickland added 14 points.
Olivier Hanlan scored 22 points, Ryan Anderson 16 and Patrick Heckmann 12 for the Eagles (9-11, 1-6).
Boston College lost its fifth straight game.
North Carolina, which entered its sixth straight week out of The AP Top 25 after spending 33 consecutive weeks ranked, opened a double-digit lead midway into the first half and coasted to the win despite losing Hairston.


text:
Moon and Aldebaran [1]
The stars are constantly changing. The Sun, for example, is "fusing" together hydrogen in its core to make helium. As it consumes the hydrogen, the core shrinks and gets hotter. The extra energy pushes on its outer layers, making the Sun get bigger. It's a gradual process, though -- it takes tens of millions of years to notice any difference.
A star that lines up near the Moon at dawn tomorrow is also going through some changes, but at a much faster rate.
Bright orange Aldebaran, the leading light of Taurus, the bull, is to the right or lower right of the Moon at first light.
Aldebaran is much farther along in its life cycle than the Sun is. It's consumed its original hydrogen, so its core is made of helium.
Right now, Aldebaran appears to be in a fairly quiet phase. The core is shrinking, and the temperature is getting hotter. Eventually, it'll get hot enough to trigger the next set of nuclear reactions, in which the helium fuses together to make carbon.
As the core heats up, it pumps more energy into the layers of gas around it, causing them to expand. Right now, Aldebaran is more than 40 times wider than the Sun. Over the next few million years, though, it's likely to get much bigger -- and shine much brighter.
Even now, though, Aldebaran is no slouch. It's one of the brightest stars in the night sky. Look for it to the right or lower right of the Moon at dawn.
We'll talk about two bright lights in the evening sky tomorrow.
Script by Damond Benningfield, Copyright 2010
- Aldebaran [2]
- Lifecycle of Stars [3]
- Nuclear Fusion [4]
- Red Giants [5]


text:
Karen Stintz, chair of the Toronto Transit Commission and Councillor, Ward 16 (Eglinton-Lawrence) along with Glenn De Baeremaeker, TTC vice chair and Councillor, Ward 38 (Scarborough Centre), detailed the plan in a letter to their Toronto City Council colleagues. The letter stated that the OneCity plan was "designed to bring transit to every corner of the City of Toronto."
The letter stated that OneCity brings together many years of discussion and transit planning and includes 170 km (105.6 miles) of new transit lines spread between six subway and train lines, 10 light-rail lines and five bus and streetcar lines.
"The first project we propose is replacing the Scarborough RT (SRT) with a Scarborough Subway, which would run from Kennedy Station, through Scarborough Town Centre, on to Sheppard Avenue...Replacing the SRT with a Scarborough Subway will mean no service interruptions and greatly improved services," said the letter.
The second project according to the plan will be a streetcar line on Waterfront East, to help serve the 2015 Pan-Am Games and new residents of the area.
TTC staff will prioritize 20 addition projects including
• Building a Don Mills Express line from Queen Station to Eglinton to alleviate the current pressures on the Yonge/Bloor subway line
• Upgrading the Bloor-Yonge subway station
• Extending the Yonge subway to Steeles
• Extending the Sheppard East LRT line to Malvern
• Extending the Eglinton Crosstown LRT line to Pearson Airport
As far as how the plan will be paid for, Stint and De Baeremaeker introduced CVA Uplift as a viable transit funding option for Toronto. As the Current Value Assessment (CVA) of a property increases, OneCity would like to capture some of that increase, or uplift, and use it to fund the plan.
"The CVA Uplift model will capture some of the property value increase – known as 'uplift' – to build a dedicated transit legacy fund. Currently, as property values increase annually, the city can only collect the same amount of property taxes every year because of provincial revenue-neutral requirements. The plan will ask the Province of Ontario to allow the city to capture 40 percent of the uplift, which is equivalent to a 1.9 percent property tax increase per year for four years. This idea was first suggested in the March 15, 2012, Report of the Expert Advisory Panel Regarding Transit on Sheppard Avenue East," said the letter.
"Most Torontonians and many major political organizations in Toronto have implored all levels of government to build and improve transit in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). The OneCity Transit Plan will be Toronto's contribution to the financing plan required to make the GTA plan work. It will improve Toronto. It will create jobs. It will get us all to work and home faster," the letter said.


text:
And who said modern art isn't worth a dime!
Instead (oof) they just added (ugh) this stupid (c'mon, move) locking wheel (dammit) to the cart. If it goes out of range (ow!) of the store (umph) then the wheel locks.
Of course, sometimes the wheel locks inside the store too., and sometimes it just breaks and locks permentantly...
But at the very least (kick) no one is would ever try and (let go of the wheel already!) steal one...
Its not "his site"
Its Radio Userland's site AKA radio.weblogs.com AKA the company that Dave Winer [harvard.edu] founded. Winer is the RSS / OPML / XML guy who is now at Harvard.
Piquepaille == spammer [weblogs.com]. Instead of using email to spam [weblogs.com], he spams [weblogs.com] sites like Slashdot (and many others) using his blog.
Piquepaille == scammer [weblogs.com]
Here is a direct quote from Piquepaille's Blogads advertising entry:
My stories are often mentioned by Slashdot, BoingBoing or Nanodot. Smart Mobs and Mindjack Daily Relay are also sites where I put summaries of my stories, giving this blog a traffic of 150,000 visits per month. So if you have an interesting technology to promote, put your ads on this blog.
Why doesn't he just say "So if you want to associate yourself with a spammer [weblogs.com], give me your money."?
Ignore the fact that he has no "stories" of his own, offers no original content and zero insight.
Like most spammers [weblogs.com], he has no incentive to stop because it's profitable for him to spam [weblogs.com] Slashdot and other sites.
Make it unprofitable. Stop visiting his weblog. Express your displeasure to the editors. Express your displeasure to Radio Userland (they are a quiet participant in his spamming [weblogs.com] since Userland has a small ad on the blog). Express your displeasure to the advertisers. Let them know you won't buy products they advertise there. Last of all, express your displeasure about his spam [mailto] to Piquepaille himself.
You make Piquepaille's continued spamming [weblogs.com] possible with your traffic.
(As for all the spam [weblogs.com] references in this post, some might call it poetic justice. Maybe Google will pick it up and let everyone know.)
They should take pictures in the morning of the mutated DNA straind that is Homeless Erectus. I am sure all those shopping carts are a magnet for the vagrants.
Seriously though, how much money was wasted on this. I don't even think it looks like DNA. It looks like a double helix of shopping carts. It was a complete waste of time, shopping carts, and my break.
Who here couldn't have designed this? The pictures really don't seem to demonstrate any originality on the artist's part IMO if that really was the commission given to him.
I guess my point is that given the problem "create some sort of helix -- like DNA -- made out of shopping carts" you couldn't hardly do anything other than what she
The chemis spent his teen years in this house; the sculpture is located right outside his bedroom window where he had his first lab.
I mean seriously, she was given an interesting project (DNA representation) and certainly an original and interesting medium, and all we get is shopping carts welded to a stick-figure style double helix frame. It's boring and unimaginative as hell.
On the whole, yes it came out nice and it is engaging visually, but I feel like there could have been a lot more interesting variations on this. Perhaps build the helix itself out of carts, rather than just stick them on a prebuilt frame. Maybe use cables to create a self-supporting tension structure. Actually cut up some of the carts with a plasma torch and use the pieces to create individual molecules (G T C A) on the helix, there's lots of interesting structures to be built with the steel grids and wheels and legs, etc.
To me it seems like the end-result of this project was something that could have been built by any welder given the task "make a DNA helix from shopping carts." It was interpretted 100% literally by the artist and doesn't seem to convey any sense of insight, elaboration, or conceptual development.
I like the cutting idea. You could cut the cart one way to produce the two molecules for a GC pair and another way to produce a TA pair. So if the left half of a cart represents G and the right half of a cart represents C, you've got a visual reminder that the two molecules are al
The pure arrogance of the commission beggars belief...
- not only are UK supermarkets pushing all the local grocers out-of-business so we only have one place to go to for all our essentials (supermarkets!)
- not only are they forcing us to have 'loyalty cards' (secret tracking cards to you and me) so they can track what we buy and then use it to shove junk mail through our letter box and put up the prices of our favourite goods and make secret pay-offs to jam jar poison
- but now
According the the article, this is some kind of Fallis-symbol.
DNA's role in passing along genetic information was discovered ten years earlier by Osgood Avery - who should have received a Nobel prize, but the committee was to timid to award him one.
No, I think that's it. -Except I somehow doubt the commissionaires saw this creepy little metaphor. I can't imagine that they did; why advertise such a horrific thing unless they were deliberately trying to force the public into submitting to the idea?
Somehow, I don't think the fine gents in charge of grocery store chains are entir
Dear Anonymous Coward,
This is not the first time that someone like you writes a virulent comment about myself and my blog. I decided today it was time to answer, even if my comments are buried in the middle of many others, and if I doubt it can change your point of view.
First, you say there is no original content. on my bog. You really chose the wrong day to say this. Where in the press have you read about this DNA sculpture made from shopping trolleys? Do your own search and you'll be surprised.
Am I the only one reminded by this of Terry Pratchett's Reaper Man [harpercollins.com]?
For those not familiar with the story, Death gets outsourced. In the ensuing chaos, shopping trolleys appear as the larval stage of a city-eating mall.
Matter cannot be created or destroyed, nor can it be returned without a receipt.


text:
Page loads kind of slowly, because there are so many pictures. Great pics.
Moderator: Andrew
Saint John wrote:Awesome pics. Amazing quality. I feel sorry for those that couldn't make it or simply didn't want to. They missed a great time, a greater show and the greatest website owner, Mr McNiece. I feel privileged that I was there.
Blue Radio Girl wrote:Loading that site cause my laptop to go crazy...
But the pics (I saw) are great!
and the greatest website owner
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest


text:
HARRISBURG - The multi-sided world of nonprofit organizations in Pennsylvania is evident with the release of a legislative study examining what hundreds of nonprofits spend on administrative expenses, compensation and other activities such as lobbying.
The study focused on nonprofits receiving state aid to deliver human services as part of a charity mission. In this same category are community nonprofits with annual budgets in the $1 million range and large health care providers with budgets that can amount to hundreds of millions of dollars.
A finding by the legislative Budget and Finance Committee illustrates the scope. Of 662 nonprofits in the study, 24 had net revenues (minus expenses) of more than $10 million, 90 in the $1 million to $10 million range, 198 in the $100,000 to $1 million range, 133 in the zero to $100,000 range and 241 reported negative net income.
These nonprofits, regardless of financial standing, fall under a 1997 state law that sets criteria to determine what a public charity is, and therefore, tax-exempt status. This law is under challenge due to a state Supreme Court ruling last year that gives preference to a 1985 court case in defining charities.
Lawmakers are considering a proposed state constitutional amendment to uphold the legislative branch's authority to determine criteria for standards. If that amendment makes it on the ballot, statewide voters could be asked in an oblique way to weigh in on the role of nonprofits.
The important thing is that any criteria be applied consistently by local governments, said Tony Ross, president of the United Way of Pennsylvania.
"Our concern is there be consistency across the commonwealth," he added.
Otherwise, the tax-exempt status of a nonprofit could vary based on what county or municipality it's providing services in, said Ross. He said consistency takes on added importance because community nonprofit organizations are under pressure to consolidate, thereby often creating larger service areas that reach across more local governments.
The nonprofits are facing a perfect storm with reduced state and federal funding, a 6 percent drop in charitable giving in Pennsylvania from 2005 to 2010, increased demand for services and reduced capacity to meet needs, said Ross.
The impact of this on 800 Pennsylvania nonprofits surveyed in 2012 by United Way shows that 51 percent implemented layoffs, 38 percent eliminated programs, 48 percent reduced hours and 47 percent expanded waiting lists for services.
The nonprofit issue is surfacing in Washington, too, with proposals to put a dollar limit or percentage cap on the federal charitable tax deduction as part of the tax reform debate.
These proposals would compound the problems with state and federal budget cuts and the decline in charitable giving due to the recession, Ross said at a recent hearing before the U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means.
"Such proposals would damage nonprofits' ability to address some of the most serious challenges in our communities," he added.
Robert Swift is Harrisburg bureau chief for Times-Shamrock Communications newspapers. Email him at email@example.com.


text:
Least stressful jobs
CareerCast, a career advice site, ranked the careers that come with the least amount of stress. Factors that went into measuring the amount of stress included amount of travel, having to work in the public eye, physical demand and degree of danger. See if your career made the list.
By Dan X. McGraw
Photo: Gary Conner/Getty Images


text:
In one month and one week, I will leave to join YGGG #2 in the panhandle of Nebraska. We will decorate graves (many graves) paying pre-Memorial Day homage to our ancestors and loved ones. Once done we will pack and repack Lil' Red and drive to Cheyenne, WY. Staying there with my nephew (YGGG #2's son), we will spend a few days of research in the archives and library before packing and repacking for the trip on to Salt Lake City.
Oops, we better not forget the jelly beans!
You Go Genealogy Girl #1 -- Ruby
Well, I get to carry the printer which is for us both-that is another big case(1/2 yours)! I am the old fashioned type who still has to use some paper files so that is a couple more notebooks. A reminder, I don't carry shoes and a purse for every outfit. As "Go Hubby" would say--If you need it, Mom (YGGG #2, me) will have it! "Enuf said"! P.S. If you would ride with me in the big silver beast (Excursion) just once, we could even take the kitchen sink with space to spare and if we get thrown out of the Plaza Hotel for being too rowdy, we would still have a place to sleep. He He.........!!!
You Go Genealogy Girl #2 --Cheri


text:
SAVE Dade Honors LGBT Advocates
Setting an example means doing the right thing - but it sure helps when someone recognizes the effort. That's exactly what SAVE Dade will be doing at its upcoming Champions of Equality awards ceremony.
The night will be devoted to paying homage to people who've had a positive effect on the LGBT community in South Florida. On May 11, the public is invited to attend the cocktail reception, silent auction and showcase. The 19-year-old organization, devoted to protecting LGBT people against discrimination, will award a senator and a law firm for their advocacy. The event will also highlight six advocates who will be inducted into SAVE Dade's Hall of Champions.
"We have to reward elected officials just like when we remind our community when somebody acts against the LGBT community, voting against freedoms or against a pro-LGBT initiative," said CJ Artuno, SAVE Dade's executive director. "That doesn't mean that the folks who do good things will always do good things, but we have to recognize them when they do good deeds."
The idea is that other politicians will see that working on behalf of the LGBT community is not a political risk, according to Artuno. This way, SAVE Dade is not only supporting the community but awarding those who do.
"I think the event, fundamentally, also serves as a way to highlight what good behavior is like, what types of actions and initiatives that ultimately support the equality movement," he said. "For us it literally is recognizing our good guys, the folks who are on our side, and in an interesting way shaming those who think that LGBT Americans shouldn't have equal rights."
The honorees this year are Senator Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) and law firm White and Case. The two are partly responsible for getting rid of the ban on LGBT people serving openly in the military.
Otherwise known as Don't Ask Don't Tell (DADT), the ban forbade LGBT service men and women from disclosing their sexual orientation or discussing it while in service. According to SAVE Dade, more than 13,000 service people were discharged for violating this ban. Nelson's vote against the ban helped end it in December 2010.
For-profit law firm White and Case was at the time defending service people pro-bono. The firm's main client was the Log Cabin Republicans, a national LGBT Republicans grassroots organization. The LCR argued that the government had to defend itself on the ban and why it was of any importance to intrude on and violate the privacy of LGBT service people.
The second part of the award ceremony will be inducting six people into SAVE Dade's Hall of Champions. According to a SAVE Dade spokesperson, this hall was implemented in 2011 as an effort to honor long-term volunteers that have done a lot for Miami Dade.
Elizabeth Schwartz is one of the six. She's been practicing law in South Florida for 15 years, a lot of work benefiting the LGBT community. The local and national lecturer has worked pro-bono to end Florida's ban of LGBT couples adopting children, and serves on several boards in the area, including Miami Beach's Bar Association, where she's President-Elect, and the city's Human Rights Committee.
Richard Milstein and Eric Hankin are also being inducted into the hall. The two activists have proven themselves with their work for the LGBT community. From working with AIDS victims and developing the Pride Seder (and its Haggadah) to fighting for the passage of the Human Rights Ordinance and domestic partnership protections, the two have aided South Florida's LGBT in more ways than can be counted.
Next is Joan Schaeffer, the first woman to serve on the board of the Dade Human Rights Foundation. She's served on several other pro-LGBT boards and played a part in starting Project YES from the YES institute. She's a founding member of Ru'ach, the LGBT community at Temple Israel, where she's Vice President for Administration and Vice Chair of the Social Justice Committee.
Finally are Mark Steinberg and Dennis Edwards, who met in the 80s while being volunteers for the Health Crisis Network (today's CARE Resource). While serving on its board, Edwards created the first-ever AIDS Walk Miami, according to SAVE Dade. The two volunteered for organizations ranging from Pridelines Youth Services to the Human Rights Campaign and National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. The couple, which married in 2009, have been recognized by cities, counties, the state and the nation for their work.
The event will also act as a fundraiser for SAVE Dade, which survives from donations and events like this. Cristy McLelland, who was a co-chair of the committee that selected the honorees, said that the organization always looks to improve its ceremonies, which are part of the community SAVE Dade tries to protect.
"We're looking to raise very serious money - this is truly a team effort. Without the community and the things that they do, we wouldn't get as far as we are," she said. "People are coming to us and asking us how they can help."
Visit SaveDade.org for more information.
[If You Go]
Come for the silent auction and honorees, stay for the cocktails
Friday, May 11, 6:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
55 NW 36th Street
Miami, FL, 33127
How Much:
$95 in-advance (www.savedade.org)
$125 at the door


text: UMW News BureauUniversity of Montana English professor Deirdre McNamer will be the featured reader at the Nov. 1 University of Montana Western Dances with Words reading, 7:30 p.m. at The Cup. By Kaitlin Ens University of Montana English professor Deirdre McNamer will be the featured reader at the Nov. 1 University of Montana Western Dances with Words reading. Montana Western's English department sponsors the Dances with Words series, which features spoken word by both local and visiting writers and poets. The public is always welcome to this free series. The presentation will be in UMW's coffee shop, The Cup, located on the lower level of the Swysgood Technology Center on Monday, Nov. 1 at 7:30 p.m. McNamer plans to read from her fictional novel "Red Rover" for half an hour and will be available for questions after her reading. The author of multiple books, McNamer favors fiction as her genre of choice. "I write fiction because I've found that it is a wonderful way to travel without leaving one's chair," McNamer explained. "The trips can be anywhere, in any era. They can go into anyone's mind, imagination, memories." Her enjoyment of fiction is shared by her readers. McNamer, who received her M.F.A. from the University of Montana in 1987, has an impressive list of published novels including "Rima in the Weeds," "One Sweet Quarrel," and "My Russian." Her most recent novel, "Red Rover," was published in 2007. Jim Shepard, a published author and professor at Williams College, described the novel as "a tale of the heartbreak of beautiful young lives wrecked by the great grinding machinery of governments going about their business." In addition to her novels, McNamer also has publications in the New Yorker, Ploughshares, Doubletake, and the New York Times opinion page. McNamer's busy schedule of teaching at The University of Montana does not impede her ongoing projects. She is currently working on another novel, which is about "a comic mystery involving elderly people and condominiums," McNamer explained. She hopes to complete the story during the upcoming winter. McNamer's invitation to read at Dances with Words marks her first reading appearance on the University of Montana Western campus. The university and local patrons fund the Dances with Words series. The next Dances with Words will feature Jenni Fallein on Nov. 18.


text:
Discussion in 'The Bar' started by Diogenes1, Feb 8, 2013.
you watch n' see . . .
You're obsessed dude/chick
suck a dick
the one gif loser
whatever . . .
you're just trying to bore me now
its workin'
this thread should of taken care of that
I wish I knew what you look like so I could make fun of you properly . . .
do it anyway
nah, tomorrow is another day


text:
Endangered Sumatran rhino dies at Cincy zoo
CINCINNATI (AP) — One of the Cincinnati Zoo's most famous residents has died.
The zoo says an endangered Sumatran rhino that fathered the first Sumatran rhino calve born in captivity in more than a century died Monday.
The rhino named Ipuh had fathered three calves since 2001, the most ever in captivity.
The zoo estimates that Ipuh was at least 33-years-old and believes he was one of the oldest Sumatran rhinos on record.
Sumatran rhinos are seriously threatened by loss of habitat and poaching. Fewer than 200 live in Indonesia and Malaysia today.
The Cincinnati Zoo says there about 10 in captivity worldwide. Ipuh had spent the last 22 years at the zoo.
Don't Miss a Story
Sign up for our newsletter to receive daily news directly in your inbox.


text:
The residence in the "The Flat" belongs to the director's grandmother, Gerda Tuchler. It's a tastefully appointed apartment in Tel Aviv, featuring a remarkable library and an impressive collection of purses, rugs, formal gloves, and snout-to-tail fur outerwear. Her grandson Arnon Goldfinger begins his documentary not long after her death at 98, and for about half an hour, it's helplessly cute. The family fills the space in order to empty it. Decades of a life are stuffed into garbage bags or tossed over the balcony, usually while an oboe whines, a piano twinkles, or something chimes on the soundtrack. Why do filmmakers do this? It's not artistic or mood inducing. It's just musical busywork.
It's like a nervous tic in this movie, something that surfaces in the face of the discomfiting scandal at the film's center. All that mirthful emptying out turns up a mystery. Gerda and her husband, Kurt, were German Jews who lived most of their lives as Zionists in Israel. But for many years after WWII they maintained a friendship with the von Mildensteins, a baron and baroness of sorts. The baron, Leopold, was a propagandist and SS officer. He traveled with the Tuchlers and was a German who viewed Zionism, in part, as a practical means of getting Jews out of Germany and to Palestine. Goldfinger asks his mother, Hannah, whether she'd ever heard about these friends of her parents. She says no. Hannah's mother never talked about the past, and it's obvious from Hannah's tense demeanor that she'd prefer not to as well.
What ensues is a stressful search for an approximation of the truth. Goldfinger tracks down the von Mildensteins' genial daughter Edda, who appears to enjoy a comfortable life in the German town of Wuppertal. She proves accommodating with photographs and details, but you're nervous it won't last. Goldfinger narrates the events as though he's reading a story to children who couldn't follow along otherwise, and labels Edda a Nazi's daughter. So there's tension there, too. But he's genial in his way, as well.
Edda and Hannah are in the unenviable position of having to learn uncomfortable news about their parents. They were raised to believe one set of things, only to discover after all these decades that their parents' lives and allegiances were far more complicated than they knew. Regarding Hannah's grandmother, who appears to have perished at the Theresienstadt concentration camp, the truth is even murkier. The scope of Goldfinger's detective work expands to include more relatives and repeated trips to Germany.
The movie is worth seeing, so what's settled by these exchanges of selective memory and the public record shouldn't be ruined. But the moral questions about friendship go beyond the Tuchlers and the von Mildensteins. At some point the idea is raised that Goldfinger's generation has the luxury of nosiness. Survival for his mother and his grandparents — and for Edda and her parents, to a different extent — hinged on disregarding the rearview mirror and just pressing forward. But there's something touching about the way Goldfinger obeys his moral compass. He doesn't seem at all happy with that luxury. It's a burden by a more extravagant name.Wesley Morris can be reached at email@example.com. Follow him on Twitter @wesley_morris.


text:
"Both genders welcome to come enjoy good times, genuine friends, and lasting memories!"
Top site lists are a simple, but powerful system for exposing your site to millions. If accepted into our exclusive network this is a great opportunity to grow your site.
Pick a unique URL: top-site-list.com/your-name. Add a custom logo and background. Your choice of over 275 styles for your toplist, or provide your own custom HTML layout.
4,407 Top Site Lists
248,794 Members
1,039,050 Listed Websites
313,198,002 Total Votes
559,525,311 Total Hits


text: Do you have a cupboard full of drugs you can't use any more? Expired, not needed, damaged or just plain old? Or maybe something you shouldn't have around the house at all? Don't flush them down the toilet! These drugs can get into the water system and hurt others.To find out what you can do with them, read Friday's edition of the Newport Daily Express for April 26, 2013.


text:
WEST GOSHEN — Following the sudden termination of interim executive director Russell "Wolf" Harper, the Chester County SPCA said the shelter is "on the right track."
"This SPCA is on the right track, and will continue to improve and deliver high-quality care to our animals," said Board President Pat Biswanger. "That is thanks to the staff, not any executive director."
Biswanger said that despite some criticisms of the shelter's move, it was done with the animals in mind. Community members have criticized Harper's firing on social media, with many blaming the board and questioning its motives.
"I am constrained from telling the entire story, but anything we do, we do for the benefit of the animals," said Biswanger. "There should not be any doubt about that. This wasn't about politics or egos or any of the other motivations that are ascribed to us."
She called Harper a "very talented, passionate guy" but said that "his talents work better in a different setting."
Harper, who was brought on in April as interim executive director of the shelter, confirmed Thursday that he was let go by the shelter's board.
Harper, who is a co-founder of Justice Rescue, an animal rescue group, said on Thursday that he felt that he was beginning to change procedures and implement procedures in the shelter during his short tenure. He said that he was "shocked" that he was let go before his contract expired.
"I had the support, the community and all the stakeholders involved to make this a world class shelter over time and I see now where the mistakes in the past have been to make it from being that," Harper said Thursday. He did not immediately return requests for comment Friday.
The shelter has been hit with controversy over the past year, beginning in the summer of 2013 when former volunteers and staff members alleged the shelter was being mismanaged. Following the installation of a new board in October, the CCSPCA has continued to be criticized following the heated resignations of board members and two police incidents that involved staff and volunteers.
The board said that it will begin the process of searching for someone to permanently fill the position within the next two weeks, with the goal of having an executive director by mid-fall.


text:
It is about to happen, the Zellers store that is twenty-years-old will be closing in the next ten days. It will be all cleaned up and turned over to Target Canada by the 29th of the month. Construction will then begin on the new Target store for the Orchard Plaza shopping centre.
Ledcor Construction is set to start the reconstruction of the Kelowna store by the end of the month. The Ledcor Group is doing thirteen incredible makeovers of Zellers stores in the province for Target Canada.
In the Kelowna store they have some major construction because, to start with, the builder is going to move the south wall ten feet to make the square footage of the store larger. Then they have another outside job with changing the look of the front of the building and closing up the space that was formally the restaurant. In the end Target will have spent somewhere in he neighbourhood of $11.5 million. It should be opened in May.
That restaurant was the number one food server in all of Zellers' Canada stores. They captured the breakfast and lunch trade with their menu and made the best Denver sandwich. I was wondering when I was writing this column where all those people have gone. It was a meeting place.
It seems like just yesterday when the Minneapolis based Target stores made their offer to The Hudson Bay Co. to buy the Zellers chain of store location for $1.8 billion. Target has 139 stores on their list for remodeling. The first thing Target did was sell 39 stores to the Walmart stores. There are sixty-four Zellers locations that The Bay still owns and according to their source, these will be closed although some of them have long leases.
But let me tell you, I have been following that rumour for at least ten years. At the time my son-in-law who was also marketing his wares to these big box stores would sit in those archaic waiting rooms for companies ready to pitch the big guys. The rumours in the room were priceless and he would feed them to me each time something new came up. At one time the lead was on the fact that Target would buy The Bay stores, but that didn't last long. It switched to Zellers where it continued to build for years but there was really no admissions from Target headquarters that they were even looking towards Canada as their next expansion. When the Target officials came to Toronto and called a press conference we then knew something was about to happen. It will be a new shopping experience for most Canadians. Target already has over 30,000 credit card users in this country from Canadians cross border shopping.
The Canadian stores will be supplied with food products by Sobeys who are second behind Loblaws in retail food sale in the country. I don't know exactly what foods will be featured but it will be a major department. Sobeys have such a good reputation. The stores I have had the pleasure shopping in have always been outstanding. I was always impressed with their deli offerings
We just got our Sears Christmas Wish Book. I immediately thought about those days when I was a youngster and how the catalogs meant so much to me. We received a catalog from Simpson's and Eaton's - both of them gone now. Simpson's was bought by Sears and Eaton's just went out of business. The catalogs would always come in the mail.
I would read those books for hours and make lists of all the things I wanted from Santa Claus. It never did work but I never gave up. They were books made for the kids in the family. I never did get tired of looking at the things in those catalogs. They took me into another world.
This past weekend Sears closed their store in downtown Vancouver after a massive closing out sale that brought $25 million into the till. Now reconstruction will begin to make over the building totally. Nordstrom, the giant Seattle merchant hopes to open their store in that location in Vancouver in 2015.
Nordstrom has plans for stores in Calgary, Ottawa and Toronto. The Calgary store will be the first to open.
The Vancouver location will be completely changed as the owner adds more retail to the ground floor. The Nordstrom store will start with a street location and go up two more floors. I believe they are also going to add some office space to the complex.
I read some facts in Canadian Business magazine that are quite impressive for the Saskatchewan Roughriders. The team made a profit last season of $3.7 million dollars. This is the team that has a sea of green facing the TV cameras every week because the fans who are so loyal to this organization buy these expensive shirts and wear them to every game no matter what the weather is. They lead the league in sales of team stuff with $7 million in sales.
He has been my friend for thirty-four years and Doug Rutherford was in town for a little golf on the weekend with his wife and they have bought a home here for the future.
Doug was the news editor at Walter Gray's CKIQ radio station way back when and that was an award winning news room. Then onto news director at New Westminster's CKNW and later being named the production manager of that station.
His next move was to Edmonton where he was the GM in charge of the Corus (Shaw Media) radio stations in the province then became a VP at Corus and was in charge of their stations across the west. He was an executive who brought Howard Stern to Canada for his Toronto station. I'll bet there is a good story there.
I read your column regularly and thought I would bring to your attention to an attempted fraud that we recently experienced.
My son had an engine for sale with ads posted on both Castanet and Kijii. On Saturday, he received a call from someone from Penticton stating they were interested in buying the engine. He also received a text. All my son had to do was open a Paypal account and they would deposit the funds and arrange for getting the engine moved. My son opened a Paypal account and prepared the engine for shipping. A couple of days later, he received an official looking email from Paypal stating that the full amount had been deposited at Paypal plus the shipping charges. All my son had to do was to go to a Western Union Office and send $850 to a shipping company. He started getting suspicious about how this was going to work. Why would it cost $850 to ship an engine to Penticton?
As it turns out, he replied to the email and it went to a different email address not associated with Paypal. The shipping company was out of the States and all funds were payable in US dollars. We checked with Paypal and sure enough it was a scam. This isn't the way they do business. The $850 would have gone to a company in the States and the scammers would have been able to claim the funds.
The email he received was sent to Paypal for them to upload onto their files as potential scams.
I was in talking to Marlon Weidlich, the director of the SelectYourTickets operation at Prospero Place. I was there on some other business but I asked why the phones were so busy. His answer surprised me. He said it's all about the Grand Slam of Curling coming in December. The Kelowna tournament will feature 18 men's teams from around the world. There is $100,000 in prize money. It will be televised. Tickets are on sale now.


text:
When you're spending other people's money, and taking a cut for yourself ("adminstration"), the object is to waste more, not less.
There are teachers (like any industry) that are notorious for thinking they know more than the techs that have dedicated their lives and education to it.
That's human nature. Think Dilbert's boss.
There are teachers (like any industry) that are notorious for thinking they know more than the techs that have dedicated their lives and education to it.
That's human nature. Think Dilbert's boss.
http://failblog.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/homework-class-test-school-of-fail-stop-being-all-defiant-and-right-about-things-dammit.jpg [wordpress.com]
I work in Education. As unfortunate as that example is, things like this are not that uncommon. I get reminded at least weekly, sometimes daily, how STUPID (yes, I'll use that word) our educators really are, especially when it comes to Technology. However they have a pieces of paper that tells them they are "smart and smarter than everyone else" via their degree and teaching credential.
And 45 Million for technology is not that steep for a school district. Infrastructure (LAN, WAN, Servers, Cabling etc). When people complain about 45 million being too expensive, they haven't done larger projects like upgrading infrastructure. Infrastructure costs money, and needs to be replaced about every ten years for networking equipment. While I'm sure there is what some people call "waste" in the 45 million, it probably isn't quite as bad as many think.
And if they are doing a 45 Million dollar bond, I'd make damn sure it went primarily for infrastructure and not computers or peripheral equipment. In a school system that size, 45 Million should just about cover top down infrastructure coverage.
Really? No letter head? Adolf Hitlers birthday? smart quotes in 1994? misplaced comma? no 'edge' of the photocopy? Reads like someone trying to write how they think a teacher would write?
Use your brain.
This 'letter' fails into peoples preconceived notions and as such gets circulated around as truth; when in fact it is highly likely to be a hoax.
$2700 and change per student seems a little high for a tech budget...
I don't see any reason why they couldn't be doing this with free recycled computers. It's not that uncommon for some systems only a couple of years old to get dumped with nothing more than malware causing trouble. Recycle and put OSS to work. Get students involved, and when going through computers to use, take some that are not quite up to spec and set them up to handy out to needy students or local poor people. Surely there are also some talented parents willing to volunteer time and help. They can do
$2700 and change per student seems a little high for a tech budget...
A referenced earlier article [annarbor.com] has more details:
"The 2012 bond plan would be phased-in over the course of 10 years in three separate series, spending $27.27 million in 2012, $10.57 million in 2015 and $8.01 million in 2018."
So that's an average of something like $270 per student per year, which doesn't sound particularly high to me.
But then honestly I have no basis for comparison here--how much does a typical school district (or other comparable organization) budget for this kind of thing?
And as the summary s
They don't get bonds every year, $2700 per seat (more like $2500, see below) is a pittance when you consider they probably have to account for the entire 4 year (or more) career of secondary students, who really do need decently performing computers if they are going to not only learn how to work with technology, but leverage technology in other areas of learning. And don't forget about the teachers and faculty (unless you think they should have to bring their own computers, too) which probably adds 1,500
Apple stopped production on the eMac line back in 2006. Assuming they got the last one for sale, that means a 6 year lifespan. Sounds like they're due for a replacement.
It's worse than that -- the last revision of the eMac was in May of 2005, with the 1.42 ghz G4. I believe that the machines would choke running a modern browser hitting a script heavy site. Plus, I think Apple stopped providing security updates to non-intel macs a long time ago.
And no way they'd run InDesign 4 much less 6. Which is what most newspapers do actual design & layout on.
They run ID 4 fine and at a good speed too. It's 5 that dropped PPC support.
Dude, ID 4 wouldn't 'run fine' on a dual core 2GHz PowerMac. Much less an underpowered eMac.
I know because we had to get quad core PowerMacs for production when we rolled it out.
Due for replacement? That's putting it mildly. Especially since:
a) They're way unsupported, even by Open Source. First off, they're PowerPC chips - the highest version of Mac OS you can put on them is 10.5, which quite a lot of programs don't support - even some open-source ones. And I've tried installing Linux on an eMac - I never actually got it working. So their best option may be upgrading.
b) The eMac was the "cheap, low-power" Apple computer. It used cheaper, lower-end parts, often already outdated (it used G4 chips until the end, while iMacs made the jump to G5 two years earlier). I can totally believe that they're unable to run Illustrator. Even current versions of Firefox might be a bit of a stretch, since I doubt the PPC builds are as heavily optimized as the x86 ones. Keep in mind, this is a machine with 256MB of RAM and, at best, a 1.4gHz, single-core processor, about on par with a Pentium II. Most of the students probably have more processing power in their phones.
c) It's a freaking CRT screen. A 1280x960 CRT screen. I would absolutely hate trying to do graphics work on one of them.
A G4 is certainly not on par with a P2, that would be the PowerPC 603e or similar.
A G4 is more similar in performance to a P3 or P4.
My bad - meant to type III. Keys seem to be sticking a bit today...
My bad - meant to type III. Keys seem to be sticking a bit today...
Eh... even then... the G4 did far more per cycle than even the Pentium 3 did... plus it had a full SIMD set that exceeded even the SSE3 standards.
I had a G4 PowerBook at the time, and I regularly compared the processor to twice the MHz on the Intel side... meaning my 500 MHz laptop was performing about as well as my 1GHz Pentium 3. And then the Pentium 4 was really half the performance per MHz from the Pentium 3, so that puts it as essentially equivalent to a 2GHz Pentium 4.
So, really a 1.4GHz G4 compares r
b) The eMac was the "cheap, low-power" Apple computer. It used cheaper, lower-end parts, often already outdated (it used G4 chips until the end, while iMacs made the jump to G5 two years earlier). I can totally believe that they're unable to run Illustrator. Even current versions of Firefox might be a bit of a stretch, since I doubt the PPC builds are as heavily optimized as the x86 ones.
> Even current versions of Firefox might be a bit of a stretch, since I doubt the PPC builds are as heavily optimized as the x86 ones.
I was just trying to load up my G4 Mac Mini a few days ago, which was still running Leopard, only option on a PPC mac...
There are no current Firefox builds for G4/Leopard OS. At the time I was last running on this machine, Firefox for Mac available was at 2.0.0.x, and today, you can't even download a recent Firefox 3.6.x, let alone a build of the newer Firefox 4-10 series
The e-Macs are really long in the tooth...modern software will not run these machines (even Firefox 4... and FF is now up to something like 10). The OS is no longer supported (Macs have a very short OS support lifetime). I don't think CS5 runs on PowerPC. The CRT monitors are power, space and A/C hogs. The harddrives are about to go. No the request for new machines isn't unreasonable....Whether to replace with Macs or PCs is another discussion.
It's a freaking CRT screen. A 1280x960 CRT screen. I would absolutely hate trying to do graphics work on one of them.
I can see complaining about the pixel count -- that's comparable to many laptops these days. But complaining about it being a CRT? I'd rather have a CRT for serious graphics works with all other things being equal. And until Apple went to the glass-front LCD screens, I wouldn't have put an LCD in a classroom as they're so obnoxious to keep fingerprints off 'em.
If you're going to complain
My favorite part was the line "InDesign CS6 has not been released yet and its system requirements are unknown". Can't just look at the previous release's specs and project from there? Jesus, what kind of non-IT fella wrote this garbage?
I don't think their request is unreasonable - as it even states within the summary itself that it'll also be used to upgrade the infrastructure as well.
Speaking form experience in the NP field you only get big spends once in a while, otherwise you make due. So when you upgrade you really want to get something that's going to literally last seven or so years. Because (fingers crossed) you might be lucky to get new system in seven years.
Emacs were a great choice back in 2005/6 , they had great speed and good sized displays at a great price. and I'm sure in their six or seven years they have done well.
Though I like the idea of Google docs (for education it
We need to get on a "bring your own device" model. If it is laden with viruses, your problem, grades will suffer. People need to own and maintain their own devices anyway. ITS FOR THE CHILDREN! Children have parents--sometimes. If we start with the BYOD model people will adapt. It is not that big of an inconvenience.
As a Computer Science teacher from Michigan, I am disappointed by the lack of resourcefulness exhibited by the Ann Arbor school administrators. Currently, I am in a room filled with equipment from:
Selfridge ANGB
U.S. Navy
Many local sources
All of this equipment was acquired for FREE. All that I have had to occasionally pay is shipping. The lowest end equipment that I have is P4 2.8Ghz. We run Untangle as an Internet gateway through Comcast for FREE. I suggest that Ann Arbor School
As TFA says, "more than half of the $45.8 million, about $25 million, would be spent to replace the districtâ(TM)s computers â" both laptops and desktops.". So that comes down to 1520/student.
Is that really the right metric? The quote you cite doesn't state those computers are necessarily for student use. The TFA lists it as: "Replacing 8,142 of the district's approximately 8,250 computers." So it sounds like the $25 million is going to replace nearly all of the computers the administration us
They really are pretty much useless these days, I have just retired an office full of them that have been soldiering on for years but the number of websites that were simply not available to them became too great.
They were Apple's very last system to use a standard CRT monitor instead of a flat panel. That alone relegates them to the realm of "antiquated hardware" in many people's eyes, no matter what else they're capable of doing.
I'd venture to say the Apple eMac is generally looked upon as the least desirable Mac Apple released ever since the dawn of OS X. Not sure that's really a fair assessment -- but it's the reality of the situation.
CS5 dropped PPC support (which eMacs are) also, so CS6 would require an intel Mac.
Going though this is a the problem of the legacy software requiring older OS which is only supported on older hardware where the internet tools are requiring ever newer OSs which require new hardware.
Its not that the old stuff is useless, its just that its hard to support it when the new stuff changes the requirements.
The new $999 MacBook Air to education buyers is to small screen and under powered for CS 5 / CS 6 (2 GB RAM max).
I use InDesign CS5 on my Acer Aspire 1 (Win XP) netbook with 1 gig of RAM. Just sayin'.
eMacs not good enough? But I never know vi costs so much!
Thanks you letting us known how ignorant you are on these subjects.
The thing about Michigan is that about half the local school taxes go to the state and get redistributed. The law that allows that also prevents localities from passing separate taxes to compensate, and it limited the rate properties could appreciate That was a good heal fro districts like Klalaska that weren't paying their fair share, but for districts like Ann Arbor that were full of educators and professionals willing to pay taxes for good public schools it slashed their budgets.
The way around the rule is to put any link of hardware or property improvements in a separate tax do more of your allocation can pay for teachers.
... it's about the children, it's never about the children.
False, of course its about the children. Is it the best thing for the children? well that's a different question.
In all cases such as these, look to the people in charge... either a powerful teacher/board member/it lead/administrator has it in their head that these purchases are necessary and have gathered hoards behind their cause. Wether or not they do need them is not necessarily an issue, it is the IDEA that they need them that counts in these minds. Politics is everywhere. Also, someone should alert Redmond, as there is a school district using other than Microsoft Produkts with which to compute.
I think it's premature to rule one way or the other without looking very carefully at it.
If it's 45M for journalism classes and only that... then I feel it's probably a waste because we don't have a pressing need for huge numbers of journalists. The industry is already saturated.
If they wanted 45M for programming classes or something more practical then I might see it differently. But for journalism? Page layout is not that complicated. Why do high school students need to learn how to layout a newspaper whe
45M, over 10 years. Infrastructural improvements, system replacements. So,no. It's not a big deal.
People are acting like the got a 45M dollar bond are just taking it to the apple store for one giant purchase.
for a high school journalism program it is excessive.
If that is what ti is for, then yes.
It is not. Journalism just happens to be the example they use in the article.This is for the entire ditrict.
Yes, just for journalism I would be right their with you.
I don't just read headlines and then jump into a rage..most of the time~
You couldn't GIVE them away today. You would literally have to pay someone to come and dispose of them as eWaste.
We're not talking cutting edge - we're talking 40 gig hard drives, 128 meg of ram, 16" viewable area CRTs. Some of them are still only usb 1.
Would it be worth upgrading them? Not really - even if you did stuff 2 gig into them, it can only use 1 - and that old-style slow ram is getting expensive.
The same is true for most Macs - the one I am using right now is from 2006 and it has a Core 2 Duo and can easily handle things like Google Docs. It's getting a little long in the tooth in terms of the GPU, but for the bulk of the things I do with it it is absolutely fine.
These eMacs were budget (and out of date) machines even back then - they are using PPC G4 chips and CRT screens, even after the rest of the Mac line had gone first to G5 PPC and then to Intel. That doesn't mean all Macs of that era are qui
There are so many factors in the state of the education system, it's hard to pick any one of them as the keystone. A bajillion dollars is not enough to substitute for parents who don't participate in their kids' education. A bajillion dollars is not enough to correct a society who tells kids it's more important to be a football star than learn math. A bajillion dollars won't make a dent in a stodgy, horribly outdated pedagogical culture that is protected and perpetuated by entrenched interests (teacher's unions, colleges offering degrees in education, textbook publishers, testing companies, etc etc). A bajillion dollars won't improve the performance of obese kids too whacked out on high-fructose corn syrup, junk food, and ritalin to pay attention.
It is true that it is hard to teach a computer class without computers. It is not true that you cannot teach a computer class with old computers. It is not true that you cannot teach a computer class without expensive computers.
In the end putting outsized requests like this in sounds like the timeless bureaucratic game of, grow your budget with ridiculous requests to SAVE THE CHILDREN, then point out how big the budget is that you're now managing, and cry about how much more work it is to manage that large budget and how you can't possibly handle it without a 25% increase in the size of your staff and a 25% bump in your pay.
Well, the eMac is a PowerPC G4 machine with a CRT screen. This isn't just "we want faster computers! wah!" it's "we really need to get computers with Intel CPUs in them". The 2006 eMac was obsolete when it was new.
Whether they buy a fleet of new Windows boxes or new Macs, the fact of the matter is they *do* need to get something newer than what they have if they're going to be able to use them effectively with things like Google Docs and CS5/CS6 etc.
Having worked with eMacs and being familiar with their specs, I'm sure it's pretty miserable to work with (and doesn't support semi-modern software). These compare to 700-1GHz Pentium III with 128MB RAM - they were the cheap Apple computers of 7+ years ago. Replacing them is a matter of wanting to teach relevavnt technology, not just "ooo shiny".
I grew up and now work in Ann Arbor. Posting as anonymous, for obvious reasons. First, some background. Ann Arbor Public Schools has become a reference model for how not to run a school district. The district routinely has nationwide searches at great expense to find a new superintendent, simply because (1) the average tenure of a superintendent in Michigan is less than two years and (2) none of them are stupid enough to come to a district as dysfunctional as Ann Arbor.
The current superintendent came from a rural district in Pennsylvania, and was old enough to actually retire from her old district to take the job here. But hell, at least she was available.
The tech crisis is at least real. Those really are eMacs being used in the classrooms... yes, the eMac that Apple stopped making in 2005. The district has a budget deficit of $14 million, due to a perfect storm of decreasing state funding (Michigan is not exactly a bastion of tax revenue), decreasing local property values, and fewer students (the #1 local tax payer and #2 employer, Pfizer, pulled out in 2007).
The odd thing is, the district is, by many measures, not bad. But that's due primarily to high student achievement due to the relatively educated population (over 70% of Ann Arbor residents have a 4-year degree or more). Meanwhile, we have high schools that are too big, middle schools that are a disaster, and elementary schools that are actually OK (but not great). On a side note, did I mention that my father teaches for AAPS, and I went to private school? Yeah...
haha, oops... So... about that "anonymous" part... guess it's time to change my
Why, are you ashamed of what you posted? Is it somewhat less than the whole truth?
At $1000 per machine, that would be 4,500 PCs in their budget. One machine for every 4 students.
At $500 per machine, a reasonable price for such a bulk-volume purchase, that would be 9,000 PCs, or one machine for every 2 students.
Methinks that kind of money would be better spent on hiring better TEACHERS than buying equipment.
Any organization which approves a $1000+ budget for a bulk purchase of machines in this day and age should be fired and investigated to find out how they got their kickbacks from the winning vendor.
Because you can go to Dell, Lenovo, HP-Compaq, and even Apple and get machines in such quantities for FAR less than $1000/pop.
God helps them that themselves. -- Benjamin Franklin, "Poor Richard's Almanac"


text:
Big Ten Conference action gets underway this Saturday, as the Purdue Boilermakers pay a visit to the 24th-ranked Wisconsin Badgers.
Purdue is 1-2 on the young season, having sandwiched its lone victory (20-14 over FCS foe Indiana State) with losses to both Cincinnati (42-7) and most recently, intrastate rival Notre Dame (31-24). The Boilermakers, who will play their final non-league game on the schedule next Saturday versus Northern Illinois, would love to give new head coach Darrell Hazell a win in his first Big Ten bout.
Standing in their way is a Wisconsin club which began the season at 2-0, but dropped a 32-30 decision at Arizona State last weekend in controversial fashion. The Badgers seemingly had a shot late, but a botched kneel-down attempt by QB Joel Stave meant the Sun Devils would hold on and send the visitors packing with a gut-wrenching defeat.
Despite the disappointing outcome, UW head coach Gary Andersen praised his team's effort.
"I was very proud of them; I am unbelievably proud of the football program, they kept battles on both sides. These kids were resilient. It's emotional for me to be in a position with my kids to play that hard and then they lose."
Wisconsin leads the all-time series with Purdue, 43-29-8, and the Badgers have won each of the last seven meetings.
The Boilermakers led their recent clash with Notre Dame for three quarters, but couldn't hold as they lost by seven points to their Hoosier State rivals. Rob Henry hit the mark on 25-of-40 pass attempts for 256 yards, three TDs and one interception, with Akeem Hunt catching nine balls for 72 yards and a score. While doing well in the pass game, Hunt really struggled on the ground, tallying a mere 22 yards on 12 carries, the Boilermakers averaging only 1.8 ypc in finishing with 38 net rushing yards. He did, however return the opening kickoff 99 yards for a TD, and earned Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week honors as a result.
Notre Dame fared only marginally better on the ground (2.5 ypc, 91 yards), but got 309 passing yards and two TDs from QB Tommy Rees. Taylor Richards led the PU defense with nine tackles, and the unit as a whole registered six TFL, but only one sack and a single turnover.
The Purdue offense is generating just 17.0 points and 268.0 yards per game to this point, while the defense allows 29.0 points and 373.3 yards per affair. The team typically runs for a mere 79.0 ypg, and had only two rushing scores.
Henry has completed 58.6 percent of his passes for 567 yards, three TDs and three interceptions, while Hunt is high man in both rushing (41 carries, 125 yards) and receiving (12 rec., 115 yards, one TD).
Richards paces the defense with 17 tackles, while three others (Bruce Gaston, Ryan Russell, Jalani Phillips) have logged two sacks each.
Despite a balanced attack that amassed 441 yards of total offense, the Badgers suffered their first loss of the season at Arizona State last Saturday night. Melvin Gordon turned 15 carries into a whopping 193 yards and two TDs for Wisconsin, while Stave wound up going 15-of-30 for 187 yards and a score. Jared Ebbrederis caught six balls for 87 yards to lead the receiving corps.
Arizona State tallied 468 total yards in the contest, 352 of which came through the air, and the Badgers were led on defense by three players (Ethan Armstrong, Chris Borland, Michael Caputo) who logged double-digit stops.
Despite the obvious negative feelings surrounding the outcome, the Badgers have been on top of their game for the most part this season, putting up 41.0 ppg while yielding just 10.7 ppg -- that latter figure of course coming as a result of the two shutouts the team pitched in easy wins against UMass and Tennessee Tech to begin the season.
They have more than doubled up the opposition in terms of total yardage (1,645-793), and Stave has completed 63.2 percent of his pass attempts for 603 yards, six TDs against only two picks. Gordon (37 carries, 477 yards, four TDs), who is the fastest player in school history to reach 1,000 career rushing yards, leads a potent ground attack (337 ypg, 10 TDs), and he gets help from both James White and Corey Clement who each have more than 250 rushing yards and have combined for five TDs. Abbrederis is clearly the top option down the field, hauling in twice as many balls as his closest teammate with 16 grabs for 271 yards and three scores.
Borland heads the defensive unit with 24 stops, and he has the club's only sack thus far. Wisconsin averages two takeaways per outing, and has been particularly adept at stopping the run (86.7 ypg).


text:
Manager Arsene Wenger feels Arsenal must build their future around young British players like Jack Wilshere.
The 20-year-old has just returned from a long injury lay-off and is understood to be in preliminary negotiations over a contract extension. Wenger believes along with fellow England internationals Kieran Gibbs and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Wilshere - who has been at the club since the age of nine - can become the heartbeat of the team.
"He has two-and-a-half years left - that's quite a long time. We have built a team (where) we have a lot of young English players, or British players like Gibbs, Chamberlain, Wilshere. We still have the case of (Theo) Walcott, Aaron Ramsey. You want them all on long-term contracts," Wenger said.
Last summer, then captain Robin van Persie did not agree a new contract, eventually signing for Manchester United in a £24million deal.
Walcott, meanwhile, has yet to commit himself past the end of the season, with Wenger now revealing "unfortunately, I cannot give you any news" on the player's future.
Wenger, however, is confident when the time comes, Wilshere - touted as a future club captain - will sign on the dotted line.
"Jack has always been very committed to this club and I hope he will show that. There is only one way to show it and that is to commit your long-term future to the club," the Arsenal boss said.
Arsenal are now benefiting from their home-grown recruitment policy, which Wenger feels will make a strong bond between the developing players and their club.
"If the quality is local, it is of course even better because it gives you more guarantee of stability because the players who are English who play for Arsenal are more likely to stay for a longer term than foreign players, but we look first at quality, that is the most important," he added.
Source: PA


text:
"Neighbors" Starring Seth Rogen, Zac Efron, Rose Byrne. R (crude adult humor and language, nudity).
What if the new next-door neighbors made your life a living Hell? That's the better-than-average premise behind Seth Rogen's latest comedy "Neighbors". Unfortunately, even with a decent concept and cast, there aren't nearly enough laughs to qualify this as a Neighborhood "must" Watch.
Rogen and Byrne play Mac and Kelly, a young married couple with a infant daughter named Stella. One day they notice that the house next door has been sold to the worst possible new owners: a fraternity. Delta Si (led by Efron's Teddy and Dave Franco's Pete) promise to "give it the old college try" when it comes to keeping the noise down. But of course, it's a college fraternity, and that means loud and wild parties almost every night.
Mac and Kelly initially try to make friends with their new neighbors in hopes they'll decide on their own to keep things quiet, but soon the couple gets fed-up with the loud noise and calls the police. When Teddy learns from the officer (one of the film's funnier characters) who made the complaint, he declares an all-out-prank war. Soon, Mac and Kelly realize they must retaliate to try to get the fraternity shut-down for good.
Unlike last year's star-studded apocalyptic comedy, "This is The End", Rogen is not one of the writers or directors of "Neighbors". Instead, Nicholas Stoller ("Forgetting Sarah Marshall") and first-time feature film writers Andrew J. Cohen and Brendan O'Brien are behind this very uneven effort.
On one hand, the script does include some clever dialogue, good one-liners and smart situations. But the majority of "Neighbors" misses the mark, mistaking over-the-top, offensive, and vulgar sexual material for humor. The film is not a complete disaster. Rogen and Efron make a decent comedy pairing, particularly in some well-timed, ad-libbed moments, and "Friends" alum Lisa Kudrow adds to the fun in a cameo as the college dean.
The poet Robert Frost is credited with the famous saying: "Good fences make good neighbors." This movie could have used more good fences.
LCJ Rating: C
Also in Theaters
"The Amazing Spider-Man 2" (PG-13) Less action, better story. B
"Brick Mansions" (PG-13) A Motor City mess. C-
"Bears" (G) Nice Disneynature doc. B
"Transcendence" (PG-13) Another Depp disaster. D
"Heaven is for Real" (PG) Inspiring and powerful. B+
"Rio 2" (G) Fails to soar. C
"Captain America: The Winter Soldier" (PG-13) Bold and brave. A-
For all of LCJ's reviews go to lights-camera-jackson.com and follow him on Twitter @LCJReviews.


text:
Anti-Semitism in Greece
A vile reaction to Obama's win.
Give Tzedakah! Help Aish.com create inspiring
articles, videos and blogs featuring timeless Jewish wisdom.
(37) Esther, March 9, 2011 1:15 AM
I'm Greek and Jewish
Dear Rabbi Salomon, Can you believe I am Greek and Jewish? My parents are both survivors of Salonika in Greece during WWII. This is a topic many people in the U.S. and around the world may not even know exists: that we Greek/Jewish Americans exist. It is hard for me to believe that antisemitism is so strong in Greece; after all, it was Christian Greeks who urged my mother to escape to the mountains to survive. Rabbi, I want you to know that there are many of us out here, children of survivors of Greece who love both Greece and our Jewish heritage. Greece during WWII suffered so horribly, and everyone suffered together as a group. I know the Greek people, overall, are good and kind and for the most part, love the Jewish people. I am having difficulty wrapping it around my head that most Greeks feel this way. I hope it is not true, because my family is part of the Greek heritage as well.
(36) Anonymous, February 17, 2009 11:23 AM
The Greeks got it wrong (again)
Take a look at Obama's cabinet of ministers, they're nearly all Jewish. This Greek journalist doesn't know what s/he's writing about. As Devorah wrote, what other People has continued to rise to greatness despite the world's contempt, but we Jews? It is because of HaShem's Divine Hand - we couldn't do it without G-d's omnipotent love.
(35) Ulli, December 16, 2008 7:56 AM
This happens daily and not only in Greece
(34) Devorah, November 16, 2008 2:42 PM
It's all been said before, nu?
As a Jew, nothing surprises me. The world has not learned a blessed thing from the Holocaust. As a Jew, I know i am always an oven door away from being cremated. I don't say everyone hates the Jews, but when push comes to shove, get rid of the Jew is the call to arms. We dominate the world? I would laugh but it sickens me to here this garbage time and time again. Why don't the Muslim Arabs build schools, hospitals, and other community needs instead of blaming everyone and the Jew instead of blowing up, fomenting hate and stealing from their own. Jealously my friends, they just are jealous of a people that no matter what has risen to greatness. Devorah
(33) karen, November 14, 2008 4:23 PM
the silence speaks for its self


text:
Docno: ADMS-04-01-02-0173
[dateline] Philadelphia July 30th. 1775
[salute] My dear
[salute] Love to the Children.
Docno: ADMS-04-01-02-0174
[dateline] Braintree july 31—1775
"Nor writ his Name whose tomb should pierce the Skies."
"Glows my resentment into Guilt? What Guilt
Can equal voilations of the Dead?
The Dead how sacred! Sacred is the Dust
Of this Heaven-labourd form erect, divine!
This Heav'n assum'd Majestick robe of earth."
[dateline] August 2
[salute] Adieu my Dearest Friend and allways believe me unalterably yours,


text:
Neil Young recently released the sprawling rock record Psychedelic Pill with Crazy Horse. Young plays this Thursday evening, November 29th at the Wells Fargo Center with Patti Smith opening. There's no hiding our love for Neil so as we ramp up to Thursday night's show here's some of our favorite covers of his songs.
- Categorized Under:


text:
Oh my--Jayce's serviced video is one of the hottest things I've ever seen! He's so cute and has an amazing body. He was really into the action as well. Of course, Bryan still looks amazing. Loved it!
Jayce's vid is now my favorite out of the "Serviced" themed videos.
^Sorry but I forgot to add that you're going to want to leave the volume on (and turn it up) for this one. Very hot!
new chaosmen vid is up. Corbin: G-hole. it is downloading right now. get back to you on if it is worth it.
I'm passing on this one too. Even if Bryan is in the video. I guess if one is into these videos, then they'll like it. But IMO, these videos seem so trashy, and just lowers the CM site right into the pot they're pissing in.
I hate the whole GH theme too. The new model is hot though so if you can fast forward through the pissing part it's viewable. Plus, Bryan's my favorite so I'm interested.
I actually liked the ghole video. Despite the pissing scene the blowjob was incredibly hot and Corbin is really hot.
Damn, I wanted to see Bryson bottom and almost got my wish. At least we know he's willing to get fucked and I'm sure Bryan has already matched him up with someone who could do the deed. Something to look forward to.
I liked the new video. Sad Jarrett couldn't stay hard when Bryson was trying to sit on his dick. And it will be exciting to see him bottom.
I had not popped in here for a while, mainly because since the last appearance of Zack Randall, the site had been a little stale. I am not particularly fond of the G'Hole series, it lacks the raw eroticism of the "Edge" series, and while I don't mind the occasional Bryan cameo, I don't think it should become a regular feature. Bryan has announced that he is launching "Membership Appreciation Week" this week, and so far the offerings are among some of his best of the year. I am particularly in love with newbies Leo, Jarrett, Romeo and Silas. Silas' solo was particularly hot, with him humping the couch, his pants twisted around his ankles, and his hot ass begging for my tongue. Bryan writes an open letter to his members voicing his concerns about the proliferation of file sharing sites for porn (xtube, etc) and makes a convincing argument for how his "mom + pop" operation supports a lot of guys who can really use the money. All I can say is what I voiced earlier in this thread; that ChaosMen is the best value of any of the pay sites and that if we want to continue to enjoy this form of "amateur" porn we should be willing to subscribe to one or two sites to keep them up and running.
I rate ChaosMen: (out of five)
having read that silas is going to be featured in a hardcore action update this week, all i can say is that i hope he's fucking bryson! im hard just thinking bout those two hunks together!!! please make it happen bryan also where is robert i want to see he suck more cock and bottom [idealy with silas and bryson hint hint]
I agree. Chaosmen is the best value on the net. Cheaper than Sean Cody and Corbin Fisher, with hotter men and more variety in what Chaosmen does. It's beautiful.
And above all else for me, he is honest in his write ups.
romeo is by far the hottest guy he has on there and he is gay!
By far Rocco is the hottest!!
Q: in one of his earlier videos there's a really hot guy "Brett" who did only solo; but according to the description he's done some MonM actions in other sites. Anyone has any ideas on which site he was talking about?
Here is Brett BTW
Brett did a solo on SC. Look on p. 14.
I am pretty fond of Lucas, Mattox & Adrian some seriously hot new meat!
I think they need to have a competition. get Zack back there for a gang bang by these three and see who can fuck him the hardest, second place goes to who shoots the biggest load on him.
That being said, I would watch Zack Randall hail a cab-and these new three are just so smokin' I can't wait to see them bangin guys!
Americans United for Separation of church and state
CM definitely has some hot guys and hopefully they're looking for more work and excitement. Silas really caught my eye and I want to see more of him. And Mattox. Killer smile and killer cock. When his shorts slowly come down and that big thing flops out, I get weak all over again. I'll bet some of the studios would like to sign him up.
Congrats to Bryan and CM for his nomination for a GAYVN award. The Edge Series 1 is nominated in the Best Specialty Release category. Fingers crossed. Ceremony will be Feb. 16th.
Romeo is hot as hell! but the new duo video with him in it was kind of slow because romeo could not stay hard... he kept on losing his hard on and for the first 20 min never even got a hard on?
I know. That's so weird too since Silas is extremely hot. It would've worked better if Romeo had bottomed for Silas (sp?). I love to see Mattox and Silas going at it!
Thanks Jaxon for the info. I hope Bryan wins!
Just having Romeo and Silas as this weeks update was worth any shortcomings that might have been perceived. I thought at one point Romeo was going to push Silas right off the bed. Both of these guys have the right stuff IMO. Good update. Wouldn't mind seeing them do another, like alphalaw suggested, in fact that would be pretty hot. Unusal for two new guys to appear together so soon after their solo's. Silas is gorgeous and Romeo is yummy. Bryan said he thought that Silas might be 10% gay and 90% straight. I'm betting he's at least 50-50 if not more.
Thanks Jaxon for the news about the upcoming awards. Couldn't happen to a better site owner than Bryan. If more would give this site a chance, they would be pleasently surprised to the quality and honesty that Bryan delivers to his members.
I was watching the Jayce/Silas video the other day and must say, I like Silas a bunch. He supposedly is mostly straight but had done most everything with a guy before. Jayce is supposedly straight but ready to play a bit. They did a flip flop. When Jayce was on top, fucking Silas, he was kissing Silas all over the shoulders and neck. I think Jayce likes playing with the guys.
I'm still anxious to see Bryson get fucked and that's no doubt been done. Jarrett was supposed to have done it, but it didn't go as planned because he didn't stay hard enough, so Bryson fucked him instead. I'm sure Bryan found someone else and filmed it soon after.
I totally agree Jaxon!! The Jayce/Silas vid was awesome. Jayce's serviced vid was also really good.
What do you fellas like about Bryson? Bryan must really think he's hot to b/c he's been featured in loads of videos. I usually just skip the one's he's in since he doesn't appeal to me. Am I missing out???
I'd love to see Bryan go at w/ any of the guys. I don't care if he tops or bottoms or who it's with. Don't think it will ever happen though.
As for Bryson, he's not usually what I'm attracted to, but sometimes it just happens. In the beginning he was too skaterboy, bleached hair, street type for me. But his silliness and genuine reactions to getting off and trying the guy/guy stuff is so cute. He looks up with an expresssion like " Oops, what just happened". It is so innocent and cute. His friend Caden seems to have disappeared, but Bryson seems like he's found a whole new world and wants to go for it. He may need the money or maybe he's getting some attention he never had and it's making him feel good about himself. And does he realize how lucky he is to have fucked Zack Randall.
I think the thing about Bryson is, he in a way reminds me of Logan from CF. In the way of being kind of a goofball who likes to play around. But like Jaxon said, we need to see him bottom, and likewise Jaxon also said after his first attempt, it's probably already in the can, just waiting for the right time to put it up on the site. With the right grooming, Bryson could be a good looking guy. Needs to shed some of his shaggy blonde-dyed hair, that might do the trick.
^^ That's true, he sort of has that goofiness of Logan. Bryson first looked like a street thug that might try to whip your ass, but then sat there with his friend and giggled and giggled. It made me think a lot of tough looking guys are really just softies and sweet people underneath. I think with the right grooming and direction, Bryan could help Bryson become a successful young man.
Newest update has the models barebacking....not a good message to send but then again, when have porn stars been seen as role models?
I guess I was getting cross eyed when looking through all the GAYVN nominations. I said Bryan and CM was nominated for Best Specialty Release but overlooked his nomination for Best Amateur Video. Not one, but two nominations. Way to go.
^ The Edge Series I DVD.
Rocco is on College Dudes 24/7 doing a solo. Gawd, he looks sooooo fine.
^That's a good site too. I didn't realize that it was the same Rocco. The curved dick should've clued me in.
I looked up those GAVYN but I only recognize one or two of the vids that Bryan's up against. Do you think he'll win? It would be awesome if he did!
evan has small penis
I don't recognize all the nominations for the GAYVN awards either. Bryan has a little article on CM and says he didn't even know he was nominated and doubts he'll win. He said he hasn't received an invitation to attend, and it looks like they'd invite the winners. I don't know the process for picking winners, but maybe they don't know ahead of time. Either way, he hasn't received an invitation and the ceremony is for professionals in the industry plus a few public tickets. Tis a bit odd they wouldn't invite all the nominees. I guess we'll have to wait and see. His Edge series is listed among the top sellers on several video store sites I look at, so he's being recognized by fans anyway.
^And it's HOT!
Does anyone know what Corbin's tattoo represents? It kind of looks like the chemical breakdown of an element (like what you'd see on the periodic tables). It's huge that's for sure.
i didn't like romeo and silas too much. silas was good but romeo was pushing him all around. it was so weird. it wasn't even being an aggressive top. he kept moving all around and ruining the whole video. romeo just ruined it for me
the new update with corbin fucking saber is fucking hot! i never used to be turned on by corbin, but since he came back this week with a lovely hairy body im hooked! please please let him carry on with man on man! seeing him with a hard cock in his mouth gets me very very excited cant wait to see him with one in his tight hole
the new vid looks hot. it is downloaded, but i am going to wait until after work to watch it.
But that's just my opinion.
The new video was really good. Very very hot. I like the realness of the guys Bryan gets.
Sorry to stray off topic, but whatever happened to Devon, the tall Latino basketball player??? He was sooooooo yummyyy, but I can't find any pictures or clips of him, plus I don't know if he has done anymore work.


text:
ADAM DUNN...NOT ONCE BUT 3 different times. Man this guy must have really thought DanO was an idiot.
Soriano ready to put Nats on spotposted: Wednesday, February 22, 2006
VIERA, Fla. -- It is always appropriate to visit the Nationals on George Washington's birthday. Of course, the team still has no owner. It might not have a name, either, although MLB might do what most of the prospective ownership groups intend to do -- change the name and sell a whole new line of licensed products.
Oh yes, they also have two second basemen, at least in Alfonso Soriano's mind. So when Soriano and Jose Vidro report for their first workout Thursday, everyone is waiting for the conversation between manager Frank Robinson and Soriano. Jose Rijo, a special assistant to general manager Jim Bowden, talked to Soriano Tuesday night when he got to his hotel in Cocoa Beach, and delivered the message to the indefatigable general manager: "Not good," Rijo said. "Prepare for Plan B."
With Cristian Guzman in camp early and so slimmed and conditioned that he looks 20 years old again and word among the players that Vidro is in the best shape of his career, the Soriano question could be a mess. However, Bowden figures that Soriano has no choice.
He will make $10 million this year. Is he going to go home?
He is a free agent at the end of the season. Is he going to sit on the bench and DH in American League ballparks?
Bowden doesn't think so. "When," asks Bowden, "did players begin dictating to clubs what position they're going to play?" Or dictate to Hall of Fame managers?
Now, Bowden has always been willing to take gambles; he took a shot at Sammy Sosa and stepped it up this week, offering to double his original offer to $1 million, but after Sosa first agreed to the deal with Rijo, he changed his mind.
As Soriano drew the line between second base and left field, Bowden realized he could have a problem. He's talked to teams about trades, and offered three different Cincinnati GMs Soriano for Adam Dunn. But the market might be small for Soriano, because of his salary and because many teams consider him strictly a DH.
His Texas coaches insist Soriano is the worst defensive second baseman in the game. They also don't think he'll be a good left fielder.
"He can't catch popups, why should he be able to go back on fly balls?" asks one Rangers coach. Another Rangers official is concerned that his lack of concentration will get worse in left field with nothing going on. Then there's the 1.011/.639 (with .265 OBP) home/road OPS split as he goes from a great hitters' park to one of the toughest.
Bowden might be right, and Soriano will realize that he has no choice but to play where he's told to play. The Nationals/Grays/Dubyas/whatevers need him to hit home runs. Then again, they might have to trade him and try to get pitching, even if they sign Pedro Astacio and as encouraged as they are with Tony Armas, who is throwing very well after having a strong winter in Venezuela following an operation to loosen the capsule in his right shoulder.
No owner. No name. No Soriano. That would be a problem.


text:
12 CFR 310.7 - Request for amendment of record.
The Corporation will maintain all records it uses in making any determination about any individual with such accuracy, relevance, timeliness and completeness as is reasonably necessary to assure fairness to the individual in the determination. An individual may request that the Corporation amend any portion of a record pertaining to that individual which the Corporation maintains in a designated system of records. Such a request should be submitted in writing to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Attn: FOIA/PA Group, 550 17th Street, NW., Washington, DC 20429 and should contain the individual's reason for requesting the amendment and a description of the record (including the name of the appropriate designated system and category thereof) sufficient to enable the Corporation to identify the particular record or portion thereof with respect to which amendment is sought.


text:
The ravages of deforestation, wildfires, windstorms, and insects on global forests are revealed in unprecedented detail in a new study based on data from Landsat satellites. Researchers developed new mapping tools that are the first to document forest loss and gain at high resolution and with a consistent method around the globe.
The maps will allow scientists to compare forest changes in different countries and to monitor annual deforestation. Since each pixel in a Landsat image shows a 30-meter square of land—an area about the size of a baseball diamond—researchers can see enough detail to tell local, regional, and global stories.
University of Maryland researcher Matthew Hansen and colleagues analyzed 143 billion pixels in 654,000 Landsat images to compile maps of forest loss and gain between the years 2000 and 2012. Key to the project was a collaboration with a team from Google Earth Engine, who took the models developed at the University of Maryland for processing and characterizing the Landsat data and reproduced them in the Google Cloud. Years of data processing was reduced to days.
Across the study period, 2.3 million square kilometers (888,000 square miles) of forest were lost, and 800,000 square kilometers (309,000 square miles) had new growth. In that time, Brazil actually cut its deforestation rate from approximately 40,000 square kilometers (15,400 square miles) per year to 20,000 square kilometers (7,700 square miles) per year. "That's the result of a concerted policy effort to reduce deforestation," Hansen said, "and it sets a standard for the rest of the world."
The team found that the deforestation rate in other countries increased. Indonesia's deforestation rate doubled from approximately 10,000 square kilometers (3,900 square miles) per year in 2000–2003 to more than 20,000 square kilometers (7,700 square miles) in 2011–2012. The image above shows forest change data for the island of Sumatra, with red indicating forest that has been cleared, blue depicting new growth, and purple representing areas were trees were both cut down and re-grown. Green is untouched forest cover.
Prior to this study, country-to-country comparisons of forestry data were not possible at this level of accuracy because different countries define and monitor forests differently. "When you put together datasets that employ different methods and definitions, it's hard to synthesize," Hansen said. "But with Landsat, we can apply the same algorithm to forests in the Amazon, in the Congo, in Indonesia, and so on. It's a huge improvement in our global monitoring capabilities."
This second image shows a different pattern of change from the southeastern United States. In Georgia, northern Florida, and other southern states, landowners harvest trees for timber and quickly plant their replacements. The result is a patchwork of purple. "In this eco-region in the southeast, 30 percent of the forest land was regrown or lost during this period," Hansen said. "It's incredibly intensive. Trees are really treated like a crop in this region."
"Since the first Landsat satellite launched 41 years ago, scientists have been improving their land cover analysis as computers have become more powerful," added Jeff Masek, Landsat project scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. "Projects like Hansen's took a big leap forward once USGS made the data freely available on the Internet in 2008."
You can explore the new data set online. The research team included scientists from the University of Maryland, Google, the State University of New York, Woods Hole Research Center, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and South Dakota State University. The work was published in the November 15 issue of the journal Science.
Further Reading
- Hansen, M.C. et al (2013) High-Resolution Global Maps of 21st-Century Forest Cover Change. Science 342 (6160) 850-853.
- NASA Landsat Accessed November 15, 2013.
- NASA Earth Observatory (2012, July 23) Landsat Looks and Sees.
- NASA Earth Observatory (2012, January 9) Seeing the Forests for the Trees and the Carbon.
- NASA Earth Observatory (2007, March 30) Tropical Deforestation.
- NASA Earth Observatory World of Change: Amazon Deforestation.
NASA Earth Observatory map by Kevin Ward, using data from Hansen et al, the University of Maryland, and Google Earth Engine. Caption by Kate Ramsayer, NASA Earth Science News Team.
- Instrument(s):
- Landsat 7 - ETM+