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At this point, is US government hatred of freedom and democracy even news?
Making enemies faster than they can kill them...
I'm guessing you haven't been to the airport since late 2001 or so.
But I don't see the entirety of the US government sitting around thinking of how much they hate freedom and democracy and conspiring ways to end it.
"I don't see why we need to stand by and watch a country go communist due to the irresponsibility of its own people. The issues are much too important for the Chilean voters to be left to decide for themselves." -Henry Kissinger
CIA intervention for regime change:
1953 Iran
1954 Guatemala
1959 Cuba
1960 Democratic Republic of the Congo
1963 Iraq
1964 Brazil
1966 Republic of Ghana
1968 Iraq
1973 Afghanistan
1973 Iraq
1976 Argentina
1978 Afghanistan
1980 Iran
1980 El Salvador
1980 Cambodia
1980 Angola
1981 Nicaragua
1986 Phillippines
1992 Iraq
1993 Guatemala
That list will grow larger as more documents are declassified.
Let's be clear about this. America in all it's forms is an empire. They can dress it up and use the word 'democracy' all they want but in the end their plutocratic and hegemonic tendencies always shine through. America's ultimate goal is to control the world for the benefit of it's rich elite. Any evidence that shows this to the American people frightens the elite and all efforts - legal or illegal - will be used to stop it.
I realise this statement may be overused and has become abstract but; America is one step away from becoming a fascist state.
That's a little over the top. There are people in high places who are doing what they think necessary to accomplish their mission. They may be wrong. Their actions may not be lawful. But I don't see the entirety of the US government sitting around thinking of how much they hate freedom and democracy and conspiring ways to end it. If you want to correct a problem it helps to have a reasoned view of what motivates the participants.
The greatest danger to democracy and freedom is not the machinations of evil masterminds, but the meddling of well meaning idiots.
"Of all tyrannies a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good
of its victim may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live
under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies.
The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may
at some point be satiated, but those who torment us for our own good
will torment us without end for they do so with the approval
of their own conscience."
- C.S. Lewis
Let's think about this..
US government officals are angry that Wikileaks is revealing their secret abuses of power.
So, they respond by publicly abusing thier power, where everyone can see, Because "Darn it, We just CANT let people know what we are REALLY doing here!"
I am at a complete loss for words.
The absurdity of the whole thing is staggering.
The best way is to set up a nonpartisan, unbiased website that releases such documents without the ridiculous commentary and shifty editing.
Assange has done a severe disservice to WL with his emphasis on injecting over the top editorial into the stories on the site.
It still would be shut down. That and they would flat out lie if such documents revealed trumped up evidence (WMDs?), coverups (Pat Tillman, Jessica Lynch), outright lawbreaking (Ilario Pantano shooting two detained Iraqis, Abu Ghraib torture), and suspicious circumstances (billions of dollars in cash sent to Iraq and can't be accounted for).
To be fair to Wikileaks, they actually let you see all of the source documents if you don't like their shitty editing.
There's nothing preventing people from going all "answers.com" and using Wikileaks' material as sources for their reports.
If they didn't summarize things at all and were just a clearinghouse of information, would as many people read it? Would you read Slashdot if there was no summary, just a title and a link? (You may now proceed to make fun of Slashdot's editorial quality.)
a problem with pogo.org is they are in inside the US.. so they are subject to National Security letters and gag orders.. if they had gone there - none of this stuff would have made the light of day except as a rumor before it was shut down.
right. for information to be safe and free, it has to be outside (jurisdictionally) of US borders.
my god. who would have thought we would be saying or thinking this. 10, 20, 30 years ago I never would have imagined.
from this generation onward, kids will grow up totally assuming they are being tapped, bugged and wire-sniffed. we really didn't have that feeling decades ago (I'm old enough to know). there was phone tapping and bugging, but not blatantly and not widespread. now its totally in-your-face. gag orders: how much more in-your-face can you be? the very concept of a 'you cant even talk to your lawyer' is so unamerican it just would not be believed 20 yrs ago. no one would take you seriously; they'd say that the 50's and mccarthyism is long behind us.
They continue to shoot the messenger. It wouldn't surprise me if the intelligence community turned that phrase literal.
I would be surprised: The US has long become more sophisticated than that. They understand that if you create a martyr, you could still be hearing about it two thousand years later. It's better to discredit them, make people think they're a narcissist, that they're reckless, that they're a rapist. Cut their funding, turn their friends against them, that's the kind of things I expect from the US; Straight up assassination I expect from Russians, their idea of subtlety is "exotic poisons".
The simplest explanation usually the correct one....
The problem with your assumptions is that you assume the US government is WAY more capable and competent than it actually is.
What is closer to the truth Assange is a reckless narcisstic jackass who got put on watchlists for leaking US intelligence, along the way
he probably pissed off some women with his narcisstic jackass ways which caused them to accuse him of various misdeeds. Moneybookers cut him off because Moneybookers is a company based in Bahrain about to do an IPO and does not need the drama that his pitifully small accounts brings with them. Moneybookers wants to do things that are far less likely to bring them trouble like online gambling, international money transfers,etc,etc
http://www.ecommerce-journal.com/node/30006 [ecommerce-journal.com]
I can get behind Wikileaks, but not Assange. He is egotistical tool.
The US government is keeping so many facts and events classified, it simply can not function as a democratic government anymore.
When people don't have access to important information, they can't vote correctly. And when they can't vote correctly, the government can't make the right decisions. I understand sometimes secrecy is necessary for safety, but too much simply kills a democracy. Wikileaks is the expression of that idea, as they fight the excessive secrecy of governments and try to provide citizens with information that citizens should have.
It is funny (and, in a way sad) that the same country that sponsored all those radio stations I used to listen to as a young girl for (freedom-)free information during the Cold war years from behind the Iron curtain is now trying to stomp out a website that does exactly the same.
Ah, dreams of my youth, when did you wither away?
Ah, dreams of my youth, when did you wither away?
For me, about the same time I found out that Margaret Thatcher didn't want the Berlin Wall to come down [timesonline.co.uk].
"Even 20 years later, her remarks are likely to cause uproar. They are all the more explosive as she admitted that what she said was quite different from the West's public pronouncements and official Nato communiqués. She told Mr Gorbachev that he should pay no attention to these.
"We do not want a united Germany," she said. "This would lead to a change to postwar borders, and we cannot allow that because such a development would undermine the stability of the whole international situation and could endanger our security." "
Mrs Thatcher - TEAR DOWN THIS WALL!
I have noticed that the US government is really taking the wrong approach to this, personally, whenever I hear about wikileaks in the news I always go and browse there for a while (and if I had the cash I'm donate), but otherwise I honestly don't even remember its there.
Each honest calling, each walk of life, has its own elite, its own aristocracy based on excellence of performance. -- James Bryant Conant


text:
Something struck me as I was looking back at the 08 class -- the one where Rodriguez took over in December 07 (officially Jan 08 after Capital One Bowl) and had basically 1-2 months to recruit:
The players we got in that 1 month period are critical members to this team. In fact, what RR was able to pull off is somewhat remarkable considering what vast shift in philosophy this program was undergoing. Here is a list of players worth noting:
JT Floyd - starting CB
Odoms - starting WR
Omameh - starting G (but he can't be good, he's only a 2 star on Rivals...)
Terrance Robinson - reliable slot WR (who should be fielding punts in my opinion)
Roy Roundtree - starting WR (don't mind if we do, Purdue)
Michael Shaw - starting RB
Kevin Koger - starting TE - Scout/Rivals has this as an earlier commit but if I recall, RR was able to convince him to stay when he was about to go somewhere else. I could be wrong..
EDIT: Looks like Koger was a solid commit when RR came aboard, so maybe not as crucial for him.
Barnum - future starter
All in 1 month's time. Had Brandon Smith panned out this would have been even more of a Home Run.
It is also worth noting that most coaches are hired much earlier than RR was back in December. My point is that we could be in far worse shape right now considering the change UM underwent during that year. Maybe RR's Jan/Feb 08 impact wasn't noticed right away, but it has clearly paid off. One may argue that most of these impact players are on offense, which is a vaid point (if not criticism). But clearly this was a successful and critical month for UM football.

subset: commoncrawl


text: This is a heads-up reminder that NDAA 2012, SOPA, PIPA, EEA and the accelerated approval of the Keystone XL Pipeline were all thrown at us AFTER 17 September 2011, i.e. "Day One" of Occupy Wall Street and the global Occupy movement. We must reject or reverse all of these or we lose. But even if we undo NDAA, stop SOPA, prevent PIPA, eliminate EEA and outlaw the Keystone XL Pipeline, that doesn't mean we win. It simply means we'd be right back where we started on 9/17, facing all the … Continued


text:
DIAMOND – Just before the tornado hit Nov. 17, Refugio Luevano was outside trying to move his truck into the garage to protect it from the hail.
"The lights went out and the whole garage collapsed on him," said Refugio's daughter, Veronica Luevano.
Refugio's wife, Requel, was on her way to the basement when she went back for flashlights. As her husband was trapped in the rubble of the garage, she became trapped in the house from the storm damage.
Their farmhouse at Spring and Berta roads was the first call emergency responders went to after an EF2 tornado, with winds faster thatn 120 mph, struck the Diamond and Coal City area, damaging at least 220 buildings.
"[My mother] called me and I called 9-1-1," Veronica Luevano said.
The couple had a friend over who did make it to the basement, but all three spent time in the hospital.
The three have been released and are recovering, Veronica Luevano said. But her parents' house is a "total loss." They currently are staying with Veronica.
But the family received a little bit of good news Tuesday morning. They arrived at Diamond Village Hall to receive a mini-grant from Operation St. Nick, the Community Foundation of Grundy County and the United Way of Grundy County.
"A lot of people have been helping and we're thankful for all the support we have been given," Veronica Luevano said.
Support for the state as a whole is on its way as well: On Tuesday night, the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced that federal disaster aid would be made available to Illinois, according to a news release from FEMA.
The declaration makes federal funding available to affected individuals in 15 counties, including Grundy County. Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.
Locally, the organizations providing the mini-grant funding spent most of Tuesday giving checks to those who applied and were approved for assistance. They are providing $104,000 to 86 families so far, said Joe Schmitz, St. Nick founder and president. Applications are being accepted through Dec. 6.
"It really was rewarding because everyone was so grateful," he said.
We Care of Grundy County and the Kendall-Grundy Community Action also have about $20,000 available to assist those affected by the tornado, but their funds are income based. They are giving out 12 mini-grants, Schmitz said.
Applications are available at Diamond Village Hall, 1750 E. Division St., Diamond.
As people received their grants, many asked the representatives to make sure their neighbors were on the list to be taken care of, as well.
"It's amazing sometimes how tragedies like this and devastation can bring a community and family together," Schmitz said. "One guy said to me he didn't know any of his neighbors, but he said, 'Now I know them and love them all.' "
Ryan and Crystal Aldridge of Farm Stone subdivision in Diamond also were recipients of a mini-grant Tuesday.
On the day of the tornado, the couple and their three children were just getting out of their vehicle when the sirens went off.
The family ran into their home and down to the basement. Shortly after the sirens turned off, Crystal and Ryan went back upstairs, where Crystal Aldridge said she saw the tornado coming right for their home.
The sirens returned and the couple ran back to the basement, where the family huddled together in a bathroom.
"We felt this pressure in our ears and our head. It felt like my head was going to explode," Crystal Aldridge said.
"It sounded like the house was being torn apart," Ryan Aldridge added.
The parents just kept telling their kids it was going to be OK, and it was all over in about 15 seconds.
When they came out of the bathroom, Ryan Aldridge said they could smell the rain, and leaves were blown down the stairs. When they went upstairs the front door had been blown inside the house.
Their home is uninhabitable, so they are staying in Morris.
Receiving the mini-grant and all the donations from people giving items at Coal City United Methodist Church has brought them more than just comfort.
"It's so amazing. We've been emotional. We've been more emotional than through the storm itself," Crystal Aldridge said. "So many people have shown up to help."
"You definitely see the good in people," Ryan Aldridge added.
Ross Cloe of Sterling Estates subdivision said he was at a loss for words when he received his mini-grant.
"I've always been a pessimist in the past ... and [now], I'm thinking, my gosh people actually care," he said.
Cloe and his family cannot live in their house because the roof was taken by the storm. What remains of his home has to be torn down, he said.
If the tornado had hit at night when they were asleep, he said his family would not have lived because the roof trusses landed on their beds.
"But you know we're alive, that's all that matters," he added.


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The Stainless Steel Wheel Fire Ring Burner - 24" is a quick and economical way to build a fire pit.
- Constructed from stainless steel
- Outfitted for natural gas
- 24" diameter
The unique shape of this Stainless Steel Wheel Fire Ring Burner - 24" offers many outlets for evenly burning flames. With its durable stainless steel construction, this burner ring will be able to run on natural gas.
Please note: The BTU output is determined by the supply line size and the distance of the supply line run.


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The news came as a surprise to GENERAL HOSPITAL head writer Ron Carlivati.
"Guys, I had no idea @tristanrogers was leaving. I found out last night. I now have 1 day to write him out of a big Feb Sweeps storyline," Carlivati tweeted on Thursday.
"Y&R is excited to have Tristan Rogers return to the show," a Y&R spokesperson told Soap Opera Digest. "We have an exciting story planned with him and Jess Walton [Jill] that will begin in early 2014."
Rogers spoke out about the move on Twitter.
"I'd like to thank Frank and Ron for great storyline that kept Scorpio true to himself," he posted, adding, "I'm stoked on Colin's return to #YR in 2014 and delighted to once again be a part of the CBS Daytime family."


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Since Bob Castellini has taken over he's proven time and again that he isn't cheap. Some of examples include eating the contracts of guys like Rheal Cormier, Juan Castro, and Mike Stanton. He forked out a ton of cash to sign Francisco Cordero. But it's what he's did recently that has me very impressed and truly convinced that he's in it to win and not just for the money like the previous ownership. His commitment to throwing tons of cash into the draft and specifically Latin America is what has impressed me. Back in March the Reds signed a 16-year old outfielder by the name of Juan Duran for $2 million dollars. There is also a strong rumor that the Reds have reach an oral agreement with another 16-year old Dominican outfielder by the name of Yorman Rodriguez for an another $2 or $3 million dollars. In addition to that the Reds have spent 1-2 million on lesser Latin players. Now the biggie. Last night it was reported the Reds offered $5 million dollars and a major league contract to a 16-year old Dominican pitcher named Michel Inoa. This kid is considered a once-in-a-decade type pitcher (he's 6'7" at age 16 and throws 94 mph) and the Reds came very close to grabbing him as he signed with the Oakland A's for 4.25 million dollars, less money but he liked the A's track record of developing young pitcher. Can't blame him there. Though they didn't get him, I just thought it was so un Reds like to offer that much money to an unproven 16-year old kid. Had he signed with the Reds that money figure would have been a record for a non-Cuban prospect.
This shows me Bob Castellini wants to win. He may be a bit trigger happy but the guy is in it to win, and not to just make money.


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With increased layoffs and economic hardships I would expect these numbers to go up again this year. On top of the individual motivations for just attempting it, it's unlikely corporations or governments are going to drastically increase security spending this year.
Rarely should security have to do with spending. Sure, you'll plunk down a chunk of change for a fast firewall to sit between you and the intarwebs, but it's all pretty moot if your employees don't know any better and get password phished, or use Outlook Express and pounce on every cool sound attachment with wanton double clickery.
In the IT world it's about being smart and educating your users more than anything else. And that just takes one competent IT guy and some face time with the rest of your people
Corporate training costs far more than one IT guy and a little face time. There's materials, conference rooms, continued support, etc. One IT guy would get very tired talking to tens of thousands of people, so a few would be required. Then every employee must commit at least a few hours, which drops productivity. And I'm sure the IT guys would want to implement some related systems, like testing for weak passwords.
Question everything
Pfft, silly UK people. Everyone know's the US doesn't have mass transit
Pardon me for saying, but insider theft in every business aspect has dominated the charts -- over 80% in most cases. Most case studies I've seen in computer security point to this as the overriding concern in setting up corporate networks and systems. And now comes along a report saying that this has been turned on its head and the reverse is true?
I smell a rat, and looking at the name on the report, I think I might have found the cheese too.
I haven't read the full article yet, but it could be that insider breaches account for 20% of breaches, and 80% of records breached. Since insiders would have access to much more information, that wouldn't surprise me at all.
Also in question is the definition of "insider breach." Is an employee leaving a laptop on a train an insider breach, or not? Is an employee accidentally posting personal information on a public web server an insider breach, or not? It's not malicious by the insider, but it's certai
Or, there has been an increase in the reporting of data breaches, since data breaches started to become newsworthy. Previously, we did not care.
That would be a symptom of LIH, Legally Induced Honesty.
"We accidently emailed your information to Indonesia! There, we said it. You can't fault us, we were honest about it!"
I kind of doubt it would make that big of a difference. There will always be a weak point in security, and most of the time, the human factor is the weakest. Stupid people will be stupid people.
I don't know... from what I read, Windows 2008 adoption is "unusually" high...
http://4sysops.com/archives/windows-server-2008-adoption-is-better-than-vistas/ [4sysops.com]
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/features/2007/jun07/06-05WinServer08.mspx [microsoft.com]
http://news.zdnet.co.uk/software/0,1000000121,39359154,00.htm [zdnet.co.uk]
I don't know if you can draw a correlation from that though.
This is just more evidence of what is already widely known: people are generally lax about security matters. What we really need is some way of getting the point across that things like reasonable passwords are turning into a necessity of every-day life.
Both the twitter and Palin e-mail "hackers" just guessed passwords or researched PII to get in. This also shows we definitely need some better form of authentication, and that authorization policies inside organizations should be more paranoid. Of course I'm still lost as to alternatives to passwords, so perhaps people will just have to suck it up and put a bit of effort into it.
There are always the trade-offs between effort and the value of what one is protecting. If the public finds these data breaches unacceptable, why not make the consequences more serious so that from a business standpoint it is more worthwhile to spend on security? This may lead to corporations developing an atmosphere of security awareness, which will keep people actively thinking about important steps to take in typical day-to-day activities.
Of course I'm still lost as to alternatives to passwords, so perhaps people will just have to suck it up and put a bit of effort into it.
Yeah, I'd go with that one, personally. It's not difficult to make sets of passwords that you can easily remember that wouldn't be straight from a dictionary or something equally inane and stupid.
The generally accepted commercial practice for remote authentication is two use two methods to authenticate: something you have, and something you know.
Nothing is going to be impossible to crack. The extra step of "something you have" just means it's one more thing to forge for anyone who wishes to compromise your [whatever].
Obviously a password can be brute forced and so forth, but the generally accepted "8+ characters, upper- and lowercase and numbers" works for most people and most situations.
I don't disagree regarding impossibility. Several of my employers over the years have chosen to use electronic tokens as the "something you have" precisely because their ever-changing values synced to a token server make them more difficult to forge. For my own servers, I eliminate password authentication wherever possible and use either public key authentication, or S/Key one-time-passphrase-pads when PKA is impractical.
Systems that accept password authentication need to prevent brute force attack, throu
Secure passwords would be nice, but people probably aren't going to go through the trouble.
I like the concept of locking an account after X failures to log in, but I always see stupid implementations of the idea. Most of the time, it's some value of X that is likely to annoy people who legitimately forgot their password and are going through their likely suspects. 5 times seems somewhat low for obscure sites you don't visit often, and I remember my girlfriend trying to log onto an important work related a
An increase in REPORTED breaches. There is less stigma on it these days, and more scrutiny.
Are outsourced workers counted as insiders?
I'm sure this was modded Flamebait by someone assuming that Hognoxious is obnoxiously racist. And s/he might be. But, as in police work, you only hamper yourself if you're unwilling to look at culture ("Gah! Not profiling!") or other pigeonholing to narrow down your search.
Personally, from what I know about the Indian culture, I'd be surprised if they were the source of statistically significant amounts of data breaches. But the concept of looking at recent changes to the corporate world to see what has
Flamebait? Crack smoking mods.
It's certainly inflammatory, but it's a perfectly legitimate question, if you ask me.
Lots of data from these US companies is heading overseas to countries which have little, if any, privacy protection legislation. What they do have is routinely ignored due to regional financial needs, payoffs to law enforcement, and other corruption.
So the question still stands: Are outsourced workers counted as insiders for data breach purposes?
Data to obfuscate should include at least:
The challenge is where a protected value is used as a key into other systems and records have to agree in order to test systems.
Solution? Don't use protected data as keys?
Any oth
At least he got a girlfriend. His emotion chip works well.
You can measure a programmer's perspective by noting his attitude on the continuing viability of FORTRAN. -- Alan Perlis


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Tuesday, July 01, 2014
New Horizons Update: Huntin' Down Those KBOs...
JHUAPL / SwRI
Hubble to Proceed with Full Search for New Horizons Targets (Press Release)
NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has been given the go-ahead to conduct an intensive search for a suitable outer solar system object that the New Horizons (NH) spacecraft could visit after the probe streaks though the Pluto system in July 2015.
Hubble observations will begin in July and are expected to conclude in August.
Assuming a suitable target is found at the completion of the survey and some follow-up observations are made later in the year, if NASA approves, the New Horizons' trajectory can be modified in the fall of 2015 to rendezvous with the target Kuiper Belt Object (KBO) three to four years later.
The Kuiper Belt is a debris field of icy bodies left over from the solar system's formation 4.6 billion years ago. Though the belt was hypothesized in a 1951 science paper by astronomer Gerard Kuiper, no Kuiper Belt objects were found until the early 1990s. So far over 1,000 KBOs have been cataloged, though it's hypothesized many more KBOs exist.
The approval for additional observing time for the needle-in-a-haystack search is based on the analysis of a set of pilot observations obtained with the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) director's discretionary time on Hubble. After a swift and intensive data analysis of approximately 200 Hubble images, the NH team met the pilot-program criterion of finding a minimum of two KBOs.
"Once again the Hubble Space Telescope has demonstrated the ability to explore the universe in new and unexpected ways," said John Grunsfeld, associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. "Hubble science is at its best when it works in concert with other NASA missions and ground-based observatories."
It will be many weeks before the team can establish whether either of these pilot-program KBOs is a suitable target for New Horizons to visit, but their discovery provides sufficient evidence that a wider search to be executed with Hubble will find an optimum object.
"I am delighted that our initial investment of Hubble time paid off. We are looking forward see if the team can find a suitable KBO that New Horizons might be able to visit after its fly-by of Pluto," said STScI director Matt Mountain.
In early June, Hubble's Time Allocation Committee awarded time for a full search with the requirement that its implementation be contingent on the success of the pilot survey.
From June 16 to June 26, the New Horizons team used Hubble to perform a preliminary search to see how abundant small Kuiper Belt Objects are in the vast outer rim of our solar system.
Hubble looked at 20 areas of the sky to identify any small KBOs. The team analyzed each of pilot program images with software tools that sped up the KBO identification process. Hubble's sharp vision and unique sensitivity allowed very faint KBOs to be identified as they drifted against the far more distant background stars, objects that had previously eluded searches by some of the world's largest ground-based telescopes.
Source: Space Telescope Science Institute
NASA, ESA, SwRI, JHU / APL, and the New Horizons KBO Search Team
Posted by Richard at 3:25 PM
Labels: Hubble Space Telescope, New Horizons, Press Releases
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


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ccglue is a complementary tool to cscope and ctags. The tool builds a cross-reference symbol database from cscope (and ctags) databases that can be used to display dependency-graphs (aka call-trees, code flow). Visualization can be done with the Vim CCTree plugin or the built-in stand-alone command-line tracer.
CCTree is a Vim 7 plugin that displays hierarchical call-trees for functions or files using a cscope database. The functionality is similar to that offered by other IDEs and source-analysis applications, like Kscope, Source Navigator, and Eclipse. CCTree features a symbol dependency tree analyzer for C using a cscope database. It has basic support for functions and macros, and extended support for global variables, macros, enums, and typedefs.
SCARE (Source Code Analysis Risk Evaluation) analyzes source code and provides a realistic and factual representation of the potential of that source code to create a problematic binary. This metric will not say that the binary will be exploited, nor does it do a static analysis for known limitations like vulnerabilities. However, it will flag code for a particular interaction type or control and allow the developer to understand which operational security (OpSec) holes are not protected even if it can't say the effectiveness of that protection at this time.
A collaborative webcomic creator.
A tool that handles the basic administration of MySQL over the Web.


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A Naughty President
The Ohio Gang: The World of Warren G. Harding
By general consent Warren Gamaliel Harding has come to be considered the sorriest of our presidents, remembered chiefly for the scandals that came out after his death and for the mysteries that continue to surround his life. Yet other presidents have tolerated scandals without being branded by them, and one can scarcely maintain that Harding's administration was shot through with scandal when it included such men as Charles Evans Hughes, Herbert Hoover, and the elder Henry Wallace in the Cabinet, and the Harding-appointed chief justice William Howard Taft.
Franklin Roosevelt's reputation never suffered from his children's marital vagaries or from their financial exploitation of his name. That Lucy Rutherfurd, for whom he once wanted to divorce his wife, was with him when he died did not discredit him when the knowledge of their affair leaked out two decades later. Truman's "five-percenters" now require identification by footnotes, along with such egregious figures as General Vaughan, the lachrymose future convict Assistant Attorney General T. Lamarr Caudle, and the exconvict White House intimate John Maragon. Nor has Truman's close association with Kansas City Boss Pendergast remained held against him, any more than Sherman Adams's debacle has left its mark on Eisenhower.
That Kennedy owed his election to fraudulent vote counts in Texas and Illinois has been as little unsettling to the Thousand Days saga as has been the belated knowledge of his casual amours. The roguery of Jesse Smith, hanger-on of Harding's attorney general Harry Daugherty, was small-scale compared to that of Johnson's Bobby Baker, and Harding at least repudiated Smith. Watergate seems to have branded Nixon more than it has affected him, but the outlines fade. Carter's Atlanta cronies and his relations—his beer-swilling brother and two sisters, one a faith healer and the other a blue-jeaned motorcycle-rider with a jailbird son—are as bizarre as any of Harding's intimates.
Yet the ad hominem argument that Harding was not the only president touched by scandal fails to explain why the lapses of others have been shrugged away and forgotten, while his remain a lasting reproach. Were there more scandals under Harding? Their number can be exaggerated, but I think the real answer is that they lasted for so long. The various fraud and conspiracy trials went on for years after his death.
In 1926 Harding's attorney general Harry Daugherty had gone on trial charged with conspiracy to defraud the government. He refused to testify on the grounds that, as former attorney for Harding, he might give self-incriminating testimony. The implication of his refusal was that he was shielding Harding. That same year Samuel Hopkins Adams published his roman à clef, Revelry, in which Harding, under the transparent pseudonym of "Willis Markham," was depicted as a good-natured sloven surrounded by conniving hangers-on, grafters, and thieves. Adams had his fictional president, finally aware of his gross betrayal by his intimates, commit suicide. The book gave…
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ADVICE about which qualifications are necessary to land that dream job can be found at the Western Sydney Careers Expo.
Among those on hand and happy to any questions will be staff from the University of Western Sydney (UWS) who'll be armed with lots of information about the wide range of courses on offer at the university's various campuses.
UWS is ranked in the top 100 young universities in the world, and its teachers have won the Australian University Teacher of the Year Award for two years in a row.
With six campuses across greater western Sydney, students have a wide range of study options.
Staff at the expo will be able to give students inside tips about UWS Academy, a new program preparing students for the jobs of tomorrow.
UWS Academy aims to build an understanding of ethical leadership among its students, and its mentor and leadership programs aim to create well-rounded graduates who are prepared to meet the challenges of a globalised world.
UWS staff can also tell you more about UWS College, a program to provide an alternative pathway to university that guarantees successful graduates entry into a UWS undergraduate degree.
■ For more information contact UWS on 1300 897 669 or email@example.com.


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- Premier League
Mancini gives up on changing Tevez
Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini does not believe he will ever be able to change Carlos Tevez's attitude.
Mancini infamously clashed with Tevez last season after the Argentine forward refused to warm up during City's Champions League game at Bayern Munich.
The Italian coach subsequently said the striker would not play for the club again - but, after six months away from the squad, he returned to play a part in their Premier League success.
Mancini appears to have buried the hatchet with Tevez, insisting he will be at the club for the 2012-13 season, and the City manager hopes the player has learnt from his actions.
"I don't think I can change Carlos. I just want respect, for me and for the club," Mancini told the Daily Mail while on a pre-season tour in Kuala Lumpur.
"We don't play and work because we earn some money - we start to play when we are young because we like football. I hope Carlos understands that maybe he made some mistakes."
City's squad is not short of potentially volatile characters, with Mario Balotelli also coming in for criticism last season after being sent off twice.
Asked how he will make sure there are no more behind the scenes issues or problems this season, Mancini said: "This is impossible. With Mario, it is impossible. But, Carlos, maybe."


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Singapore >
Products & Services >
3M Touch Systems >
With over 150 patents related to touch technologies, 3M Touch Systems expertise in this industry is extensive and ever increasing.
3M Projected Capacitive Technology (3M PCT) is based on mutual capacitance operation theory.
Unique attributes of this technology are:
3M PCT Multi Touch Technology has received Windows Touch Additional Qualification (AQ) for multi-touch interactivity.
Product implementations:
Surface capacitive touch technology is one of the most established touch interfaces available today. Pioneered by MicroTouch Systems in the mid-1980s, surface capacitive technology is the preferred solution for public-access applications in contaminant-prone environments.
How Surface Capacitive Technology Works (Flash)
Dispersive Signal Technology is 3M's proprietary implementation of bending wave technology, which 3M has enhanced to optimize real-time touch response for large-screen public-access applications.
Dispersive Signal Technology's theory of operation is based on piezos, mounted in each corner of the glass sensors, collecting and converting the bending wave energy created by a touch into digital signals that are processed by proprietary algorithms residing in the touch controller.
How Dispersive Signal Technology Works (Flash)
DST Application Brief (PDF 1.1MB)
Tactile feedback technology provides touch screen users with the "sensation" that they are actually depressing traditional mechanical buttons.
The tactile feedback effect is created when the user simultaneously sees a video button depress, hears an audio file of the mechanical "click" and feels a vibration in the touch screen's glass surface. The user instinctively interprets the combination of these three sensations as depressing a mechanical button, when actually they're touching a solid glass surface.
How Tactile Feedback Technology Works (PDF 106KB)
© 3M 2018. All Rights Reserved.


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Bright Christmas mornings ahead, thanks to Toys for Tots
PUNXSUTAWNEY —The Toys for Tots distribution was held Wednesday at Gobblers Knob by Community Action Inc., so children will receive gifts for Christmas.
Community Action has been the primary sponsor, along with the U.S. Marine Corps, for more than 10 years in Jefferson County, said Janeen Love, Senior Corps RSVP director.
Love said there were a total of 160 families from Jefferson County who were helped by Toys for Tots, with a total of 330 children who will receive gifts.
According to the Toys for Tots Web site, "The objectives of Toys for Tots are to help less fortunate children throughout the United States experience the joy of Christmas; to play an active role in the development of one of our nation's most valuable resources – our children; to unite all members of local communities in a common cause for three months each year during the annual toy collection and distribution campaign; and to contribute to better communities in the future."
Love said Toys for Tots is a county-wide program in conjunction with the Marines to collect brand new toys for kids who are less fortunate.
"All the toys were collected in Jefferson County and are distributed only in Jefferson County," Love said, adding that Femco Machine in Punxsutawney and McCabe Drug in Brookville were the main sponsors for the toy drive.
"Without Toys for Tots, there are a lot kids who might not receive anything for Christmas," she said. "The more donations we receive, the more gifts we're able to give."
Love said the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club donated the use of its hall at Gobbler's Knob for the toy distribution.
Barbara Trunzo and John Pentz, of Brockway, have seven children, and they can't afford to buy more than one gift per child, if even that.
Trunzo said they learned of the Toys for Tots campaign through Community Action.
Pentz said he and Trunzo do have a list, but they also want to surprise their children with a few extra toys.
Love said the toys are divided into sections for boys, girls and younger children.
Toys for Tots was assisted by several agencies this year, including Jefferson County Area Agency on Aging, Early Head Start, Family Literacy and the Local Education Resource Network (LEARN) Project, she said.
Love said there are some leftover toys, and if anyone who did not sign up, or wasn't aware of the Toys For Tots campaign, and would still like to participate, he or she should contact Community Action at 938-3302 to obtain toys right up until Christmas Eve.


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Helping first generation students with scholarships
Andrew and Anna Burish help young people set their sights on college through gifts to the Blugold Beginnings program.
Dave and Marilyn KarlgaardThe Karlgaards have funded scholarships for more than 100 students and are benefactors of technology resources on campus. Find out why this self-declared "science and math guy" and his wife support the university in such a big way.
Find out more.
For the love of music
This alumnus and virtuoso has fond memories of his professors and performance opportunities at UW-Eau Claire. Find out how his family's music legacy goes on to help student musicians pursue their dreams.
Find out more.
Taking one for the teamThis Fortune 500 corporate executive attributes a Blugold cross country experience to her successful career. Find out how a coach's knowing words turned a solid runner into a championship leader.
Supporting the chemistry department
Outstanding programs have a history of strong leadership and innovation. This professor seeded a fund to honor a legacy of excellence and provide for continued student success.
Find out more.


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By Steph Rogers
JUPITER -- The Marlins shuffled the lineup, and opted to get a recently returned Greg Dobbs some additional at bats, bumping Rob Brantly down in the order.
A.J Ramos and Steve Cishek played across the field in a minor league game against the Cardinals, having missed out on work due to Monday's rain out.
The home stretch is at hand and Mike Redmond is feeling like things are close to coming together for his club.
"We're going to start playing guys a little bit longer...we have a couple of guys who've been banged up that we need to get more at-bats for: Ruggiano, Dobbs, and Polanco," he said. "I still feel like we have time to get them in."
The noted players will go in back-to-back games on Tuesday and Wednesday, and the team will be off on Thursday.
"We'll play it by ear after that....that last week I'd like to play a regular lineup as many days as we can," the manager said.
One staple for the 2013 roster is shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria, who the Marlins acquired in the blockbuster trade with the Blue Jays. Hechavarria will get his first look as an everday player in the Miami lineup.
Though he comes with a flashy glove, the infielder hasn't boasted big numbers at the plate.
"I know everybody looks at the batting average, but I look at the quality of at bats and the hard hit balls," Redmond said. "Obviously, you come into a new situation, I'm sure there's a little bit of trying to impress everybody and he has."
The Cuban-born Hechavarria comes with 41 major league games under his belt. He made his debut with Toronto as a third baseman -- a position he'd never played before. He had 32 hits and as many strikeouts through 126 at bats with the Blue Jays.
"I know that he's excited about the opportunity that he has being an everyday player in the big leagues and spring training is somethimes a tough time for guys," Redmond said. "I'm excited for when the lights come on to see what he can do, when the games really count and the pressure's on."
Redmond said the club will monitor the young player's transition to his new role in a new league. He's hitting .162 in 14 games, with three walks and six strikeouts to his name.
- OF Bryan Petersen was reassigned to minor league camp after the team's morning on-field warm up.
- John Maine will follow up Wade LeBlanc in Wednesday's game, and Kevin Slowey will start on Thursday in a minor-league split squad game
Starting lineups:
Marlins: 7 Juan Pierre, 5 Placido Polanco, 9 Giancarlo Stanton, 3 Greg Dobbs, 4 Donovan Solano, 2 Rob Brantly, 8 Justin Ruggiano, 6 Adeiny Hechavarria, 1 Jacob Turner
Cards: 4 Daniel Descalso, 5 Matt Carpenter, 7 Matt Holliday, 3 Allen Craig, 8 Oscar Tavares, 9 Shane Robinson, 6 Pete Kozma, 2 Audry Perez, 1 Shelby Miller


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For those who are looking for rare titanium frames, Moda Bikes has released a new titanium road bike called Senza. While the Senza is designed to be an extremely lightweight titanium track bike, its superb strength and durability were not compromised, making it the ideal track racing machine.
With slightly relaxed geometry and narrow tubes, the Senza is ideal for endurance track cycling. However, the American Classic Road 420 aero track wheelset makes it very versatile so it is recommended for mountain bike riders, tour cyclists, and daily commuters as well.
Moda Bikes has successfully reached its goal in making good-looking and world-class bikes with the 2012 Moda Senza Titanium Track Racing Road Bike. Weighing in at 6.8kg, the Senza also features high-quality Barelli handlebars, saddle, stem and seat post.


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On Monday, November 19, 2012, Martha Speaks premieres a brand-new, two-part episode "Martha's Thanksgiving." The special Thanksgiving episode will air all week long at 5 p.m. on KLRU!
Martha learns that Helen's extended family will be coming for Thanksgiving and decides to search for her own long-lost canine siblings. Tails begin to wag as the family reunites, but where is Martha's mother? In search for her mom, Martha digs into her past to uncover the reason they were separated. Can Martha and her friends solve the mystery and find her mom in time for the family reunion? Tune-in all Thanksgiving as this special episode will be airing all week long.
Additional Thanksgiving programming:
Thank you, Grandpere Tiger!/Neighborhood Thank You
Daniel Tiger takes a day to thank those around him.
Monday, November 2o, 10 a.m. & 12:30 p.m.
Thursday, November 22, 10 a.m. & 12:30 p.m.
Saturday, November 24, 5:30 a.m.
Happy Turkey Day
Monday, November 19, 4 p.m.
Thursday, November 22, 4 p.m.


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Nursing is an incredibly unique field in the sense that individuals in Zionsville PA 18092 can pick up different positions based on the amount of training that they have had. While this can be said for many different professions, most fail to have the breadth and depth of options that nursing has. Individuals in Zionsville PA 18092 who are looking to get into more serious health care acts can go through graduate level educate and receive special licensing. The Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist, also known as the CRNA, is one of the many different job positions held by those who have taken their nursing education further than the norm. CRNA schools in Zionsville PA 18092 are the step that many will take to be able to become a CRNA and specialize in the nursing field.
CRNA schools in Zionsville PA 18092 are important for nurses who truly want to work in the field of anesthesiology because they gear their education toward this goal. These individuals have already gone through the basic four year nursing education and have already received their licensing to operate as a registered nurse. After going through their usual practice of experience with acute care, they will be able to choose to receive extra education. Those who wish to become a CRNA are going to need to go through two to three years of additional training before finally being able to practice.
All of the different schools are working to prepare their students for the different tests that they must take to pass their boards. Those who wish to be certified are going to have to take a test through the National Board or Certification and Recertification of Nurse Anesthetists, also known as the NBCRNA. While different states will have different requirements for CRNA licensure, all will require that you pass the board test set by this governing body.
It is important for you to note that the school is not only helping to shape your future as a nurse anesthetist – they will be a part of your future. Most states are going to require CRNAs to go through continuing education to make sure that the information they receive stays fresh, and that they receive new information. Most states also require CRNAs to go through recertification after a certain period of time. Some will find that they have to go through recertification every two years.
This is why it is important for you to seriously focus in on the school that you choose for your CRNA licensing and education. You want to know that you will receive a quality education and that you are going to be able to easily pass your board exam. Look at the various courses offered by the schools you are interested in. Look at the professors that come out of these schools in Zionsville PA 18092 and look at the graduation rates of these schools. These will all be strong indicators that will help you to clearly identify the best ones for your own education, testing, and continued learning needs.
It is very important for the students in Zionsville PA 18092 to decide the right college and hence, it is important to look out for the CRNA school rankings and also the courses being offered by various colleges. According to the recent survey, there are more than thousands of colleges in the country and all of them are just awesome providing some of the best courses in nursing as well as nurse anesthetist. However, it is important to give the rankings to all the colleges so that the students can decide that which college is the best one and which college should they join. The most important thing is the performance of the college and as far as the overall result is concerned, it is being check every year on regular basis. This is one of the criteria according to which, the rankings of the college are being decided. There is no doubt at all that there are many criteria that play an important role in deciding the rankings of the college.
The first criterion, which needs discussion, is about the performance. As far as the result of the college is concerned, it is being checked every year by the governing council. They check the number of students from each college who have been able to find their way in the state as well as the country merit list. That college will grab the first position which has the highest number of meritorious students. One should remember that there are many nurse anesthetist schools in the country. Not all of them are the best and hence the above factor can be an ultimatum for the students that they should join which school
in Zionsville PA 18092.
Without any doubt the facilities comes out to be the second criterion. The colleges having the best facilities in Zionsville PA 18092, are definitely placed at the top in the list. There is no doubt that anesthesia is not the easiest of all and the doctors use so many equipments for this process. There are many equipments that can be used and there are many of them, which are very expensive and hence not all the medical students can afford them. If any of the colleges is providing all the facilities then there is no doubt at all that all the medical students will feel happy. However, keep in mind that this is also dependent to the performance of the college. Infrastructure definitely decides the practitioner school rankings as well as the CRNA schools position as well. If the facilities will be better then there is no doubt at all that the rankings of the college will definitely be better at any cost.
While looking at the top ranked CRNA programs, it is definitely an important criterion. All the banks that provide the top CRNA programs are definitely at the top. There is no doubt at all that many students from all over the world are studying in top colleges of the country. There is no doubt at all that the international rankings are important and almost all the American colleges are having the higher rankings.
Thus, all of the above are some of the criterion based on which the CRNA school rankings in Zionsville PA 18092 are generally made and there are plenty of reasons, why the students should have a look at these rankings while choosing the right college. All the students should definitely make sure that their priority should be the top colleges. There is certainly the fee structure also in the list apart from all the above factors as far as CRNA school rankings are concerned.
The current training programs in Zionsville PA 18092 to become a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) are from 24 to 36 months in length. These programs are full-time, and except for short breaks, they will be continuous. This time is divided between academic classes as well as clinical experience.
The length of the nurse anesthesia training program is only one factor in determining the time that it will take to become a CRNA. Most schools require you to complete the prerequisites and submit your completed application as much as one year before the class start date. Depending on which of the prerequisites you have completed all ready, they may require five or more years to complete.
The three basic requirements that need to be completed to apply to a nurse anesthesia education program include; becoming licensed as a registered nurse, completing a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing (BSN) or other accepted field, and completion of at least one year of experience working as an RN in an acute care setting. After completing these prerequisites, there a several requirements that are specific to the anesthesia program that you plan to apply to.
If you have not completed any of the listed prerequisites, I would suggest completing a BSN program. The BSN will meet two of the requirements simultaneously. It will complete the baccalaureate requirement accepted at all the CRNA programs as well as prepare you to become an RN. This is a
four year program that will prepare you to become a registered nurse. Make sure that the program that you choose is accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC) or the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), and meets the licensing requirements of
state that you will want to become an RN.
Many of the universities currently have a large number of applicants for each of the available positions in their program, which may extend the time required for completion beyond four years. To improve your chances for selection to the nursing program, you will need to have an excellent high school GPA, especially in the sciences. Contact the university that you plan to attend, determine what other criteria that the selection committee looks for and complete as many as you can. Volunteering at your local hospital is also a way to show your interest in the nursing field.
Upon graduating from the nursing program, you will need to successfully complete the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). To obtain authorization to take the examination, you will need to apply to the board of nursing in the state that you will be working. The university that you are graduating from will provide assistance in this process. In most states, you will be allowed to work as a graduate nurse for a limited time while awaiting the results of your initial NCLEX-RN.
The next time consuming prerequisite is gaining experience working in an acute care setting as an RN. Due to the skills needed to work in this setting, many hospitals will require you to gain initial experience in a less acute setting. If possible, working one year in a surgical, medical or step down unit may provide the need experience to gain a position in a critical care unit. Many of the CRNA programs will require one year of full-time experience within a critical care unit. These can include surgical, medical, coronary care, neurological, and pediatric critical care units.
There are many variables that will factor into how long it will take to become a CRNA. Without any of the prerequisites completed, it will take at least four years to complete the BSN degree, a minimum of one year to gain the necessary experience, up to one year from time of application to acceptance and starting the CRNA program in Zionsville PA 18092 and then two to three years to complete the nurse anesthesia training program. This will total at least seven years.
Surrounding Areas In Pennsylvania
Zionsville Information
[ssyelp location="Zionsville PA" term="schools" limit="10"]


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UH Manoa student video gains national audience during football broadcastUniversity of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Communications Director
A video production of the UH Mānoa Academy for Creative Media will share the national spotlight with the UH football team during Friday's ESPN broadcast of their game against San Jose State.
The ESPN broadcast will include the airing of a 30-second video showcasing UH Mānoa, which was produced by a team of ACM students commissioned by the Mānoa Chancellor.
The spot entitled, "Discover Your Life," highlights learning opportunities for students at the Mānoa campus. It includes shots of the marine lab at Coconut Island, a research lab at the John A. Burns School of Medicine, dance students at Kennedy Theatre, study abroad students in Hong Kong, working in a lo'i, playing volleyball, and graduation ceremonies.
ACM students involved in the project were: Issac Warsh (director); Joshua Abel; Art Haring; Jacob Holcomb; Jamie McGihon; and Danielle Vivarttas-Ahrnsbrak. They were assisted by ACM faculty and staff: Assistant Prof. Anne Misawa; Gregg Ambrosius, ACM Production Manager; and Tom Brislin, ACM Chair.
It will be used as a promotional video for the UH Mānoa campus in public service announcements, student recruitment, and educational events.
The video can be seen on the UH Mānoa website at: http://manoa.hawaii.edu/
For more information, visit: http://manoa.hawaii.edu/


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Sept. 11 Survivor, Author Lauren Manning to Speak at UNA's First Dual Commencement Ceremonies
Dec. 10, 2013
By Terry Pace, Communications and Marketing
FLORENCE, Ala. – The University of North Alabama will introduce a new commencement schedule when graduates receive their diplomas at the end of the fall 2013 semester.
Students will be divided into two back-to-back commencement ceremonies according to their academic disciplines. The first – which begins at 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 14 -- honors graduates of the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Education and Human Sciences. The second ceremony, which follows at 2 p.m. that same date, recognizes graduates of the College of Business, the College of Nursing and Allied Health and the Professional and Interdisciplinary Studies programs.
"Due to the very large turnouts for this highlight celebration, this reorganization will allow the university to accommodate the many family members and guests of our graduates in the main ceremony location of Flowers Hall, without having to redirect them to overflow venues such as Norton Auditorium," according to Dr. Thomas Calhoun, UNA's vice president for enrollment management. "The two smaller ceremonies will create a more personalized graduation atmosphere, which will enhance the experience of each graduate and our guests."
Former Cantor Fitzgerald executive Lauren Manning will be the guest speaker for both ceremonies. Manning – who survived catastrophic injuries in the tragic Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center – recounted her harrowing but inspiring experiences in the New York Times best-seller Unmeasured Strength (2011). In its review of the book, The Wall Street Journal called her memoir "a gripping tale" with "valuable lessons to impart."
"I was dealt a tough hand," Manning told USA Today, "but I still had a hand to play. And I never want to forget the enormity of that gift."
Cable News Network (CNN) named Manning one of the Most Intriguing Newsmakers of the Past 25 Years. She was selected as one of Glamour magazine's 2002 Women of the Year and one of Biography magazine's 15 Extraordinary Women of 2003. She has been honored by the American Occupational Therapy Association and the Anti-Defamation League and received the Norman Vincent Peale Award. In 2004, Manning was chosen to carry the Olympic flame on the New York leg of the Athens Olympic Torch Relay.
As a nationally renowned speaker, Manning – who suffered severe burns on 82 percent of her body during the devastating World Trade Center attack – relates a harrowing true-life story filled with heartache and pain as well as triumph and rebirth.
"Every day you have a choice," she believes. "Make it count."
A high-resolution color photo of Lauren Manning is available for media use at: http://www.unalionsden.com/archive/photo.php?id=9364


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Creation of the department, the first added to the Cullen College of Engineering in more than 35 years, is among several university-wide initiatives that will help raise the research institution to top-tier status, according to UH President Renu Khator, because it will attract talented faculty members and students.
"This is precisely the kind of strategic move we must make to bring the University of Houston to national prominence," Khator said. "Creation of this new department builds on our presence in the Texas Medical Center and our decades-long collaborations with institutions there."
The Higher Education Coordinating Board's approval of the department this month could not have come at a better time, said Dean Joseph W. Tedesco, who said the department could begin operation as early as spring 2009.
"Biomedical is one of the fastest-growing disciplines in engineering," Tedesco said. "If we are going to be a nationally competitive engineering program, we must have a strong, well-funded program in the biomedical sciences. Launching a biomedical engineering department will allow us to recruit prolific researchers and attract top-notch students."
The department is an outgrowth of the college's longstanding biomedical engineering program, which has been housed for more than three decades in the department of mechanical engineering. It has offered a master's degree since its inception, and it has offered a bachelor's degree since 2003.
Demand for the bachelor's degree has more than quadrupled over the past five years, said Fritz Claydon, the college's associate dean for research and administration. That trend is in line with U.S. Department of Labor projections, which indicate the number of biomedical engineering jobs will increase by 20 percent through 2016.
The Labor Department has attributed the rapid increase in biomedical engineering jobs in part to the United States' aging baby boomer population and the rising demand for better medical devices and systems.
Still pending before the coordinating board is a doctoral degree in biomedical engineering, which, upon approval, could become effective as early as fall 2009, officials said.
Claydon said a national search already is under way for a founding department chair, who will be instrumental in adding as many as 10 faculty members over the next five years.
In the meantime, more than a dozen existing engineering and life science faculty members are already directly involved in biomedical engineering research, and many have longstanding collaborative partnerships with physicians at the Texas Heart Institute and The Methodist Hospital.
Such activities, Claydon said, support and advance an already strong health-care sector in Houston, home to the world-renowned Texas Medical Center.
While the existing biomedical engineering program focuses on biosensing and bioanalytics, the addition of new faculty members, courses and a doctoral degree will expand its vision, said Matthew Franchek, chair of the college's department of mechanical engineering and director of the biomedical engineering program. The department curriculum will include studies on gene, tissue and neuro engineering as well as biodevices, biosensors and proteomics and protein therapies.
"I'm very happy to see it grow into a department," said Franchek, noting that collaborations by faculty members across disciplines long before biomedical engineering gained popularity helped to make the department possible. "This has been a 20-year ambition. It took a lot of selfless people - a 'we' environment - to make this happen."
The department is to be housed in the Science and Engineering Research and Classroom Complex, Claydon said.
About the University of Houston
The University of Houston, Texas' premier metropolitan research and teaching institution, is home to more than 40 research centers and institutes and sponsors more than 300 partnerships with corporate, civic and governmental entities. UH, the most diverse research university in the country, stands at the forefront of education, research and service with more than 36,000 students.
About the Cullen College of Engineering The Cullen College of Engineering at UH has produced five U.S. astronauts, 10 members of the National Academy of Engineering, and degree programs that have ranked in the top 10 nationally. With more than 2,600 students, the college offers accredited undergraduate and graduate degrees in biomedical, chemical, civil and environmental, electrical and computer, industrial, and mechanical engineering. It also offers specialized programs in aerospace, materials, petroleum engineering and telecommunications.
To receive UH science news via e-mail, visit http://www.uh.edu/news-events/mailing-lists/sciencelistserv.php.


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With criminal trials pending due to an alleged bid-rigging scheme, the Turnpike Commission's current leadership contends that the scandal-plagued agency has entered a new era of public accountability and transparency.
Former state Sen. Robert Mellow of Lackawanna County, and former turnpike executives George Hatalowich, chief operating officer; Joseph Brimmeier, CEO; Mitchell Rubin, board chairman; and Dennis Miller and Jeffrey Suzenski, who both worked for turnpike contractors, are charged in the alleged scheme.
Since the case broke last year, new turnpike CEO Mark Compton and others in the administration have said often that there is a new culture at the commission to promote public trust through accountability and transparency.
Yet the agency, in another case, has turned down the Associated Press' request for basic financial data about turnpike operations.
Commonwealth Court Judge Rochelle Friedman recently dismissed a case that had been brought against the commission by Ralph Billets, a former financial analyst who claimed to have been fired because he was a whistleblower. The judge found that the turnpike was justified in the dismissal for the financial reasons it had claimed.
An element of turnpike operations raised by Mr. Billets needs further examination. He contended that large EZ-Pass customers - trucking companies and brokers for them - who received a 20 percent toll discount due to their size began acting as a supplier of EZ-Pass transponders to smaller organizations that otherwise would not have qualified for the discount.
If so, that would result in millions of dollars of lost toll revenue and higher tolls. The two largest entities paid a combined $84 million to the commission in 2013; the third-highest, Fed-Ex Ground, paid $3.4 million.
The Associated Press asked the commission for detailed data on the discounts and the results of any investigation into the program. The commission rejected the data request, claiming that the Transportation Act shields the data.
So the public yet again is left in the dark by an agency for which such secrecy too often has been a license for corruption. The commission should provide the data.


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: Royals
2012 Kansas City Royals Repository Thread
View Single Post
KC Chiefs....so much lol
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Valley of the hot as ****
Casino cash: $62000
We're back with more divisional position rankings for 2012. You can scream, you can holler, you can protest and call me names. But just because I rated your player lower than you think he deserves doesn't mean I hate your team.
(Here are the NL East and NL West rankings.)
1. Alex Avila, Tigers
2. Joe Mauer, Twins
3. Carlos Santana, Indians
4. Salvador Perez, Royals
5. A.J. Pierzynski, White Sox
The AL Central might not be baseball's glamor division, but it may have three of the top five catchers in the game if Mauer bounces back from his injury-plagued campaign. Since we're not certain of his health, I'm going to give top billing to Avila, who had the best hitting numbers of any catcher outside of Mike Napoli and plays solid defense. I wouldn't be surprised if Santana explodes; with his power-and-walks combo, all he has to do is raise his average 30 points and he'll be one of the most valuable players in the game. Considering that his average on balls in play was .263, there is a good chance of that happening. Perez hit .331 in 39 games; OK, he won't do that again, but he doesn't turn 22 until May and puts the ball in play. There's no shame in being fifth in this group but that's where I have to place Pierzynski, who keeps rolling along and is now 36th on the all-time list for games caught.
First base
1. Prince Fielder, Tigers
2. Paul Konerko, White Sox
3. Eric Hosmer, Royals
4. Justin Morneau, Twins
5. Matt LaPorta, Indians
In 2009, when Morneau played 135 games, he hit .274 AVG/.363 OBP/.516 SLG. Even if he replicates that line, he may rank only fourth. Konerko has hit a combined .306 with 70 home runs the past two seasons. He's 104 home runs from 500 but turns 36 in March, so he's probably four seasons away; not sure he'll hang on that long, but who knew he'd be this good at this age. If Hosmer improves his walk rate and defense and Konerko declines, Hosmer could climb past him. If it doesn't happen this year, it will happen next. The most similar batter to him at age 21: Eddie Murray.
Second base
1. Jason Kipnis, Indians
2. Gordon Beckham, White Sox
3. Johnny Giavotella, Royals
4. Alexi Casilla, Twins
5. Ramon Santiago, Tigers
Well, this isn't exactly a Robinson Cano/Dustin Pedroia/Ben Zobrist debate, is it? Kipnis' bat is a sure thing, as evidenced by his excellent play after his call-up (.272 average and .507 slugging in 36 games). His glove was once a question mark but now appears solid enough that he looks like a future All-Star to me. Can anybody explain what has happened to Beckham? He's second mostly by default; he's gone downhill since his superb rookie season in 2009 but is only 25, so there's hope that he'll find those skills again. Giavotella has some potential with the bat (.338/.390/.481 at Triple-A), which is more than you can say for Casilla and Santiago.
Third base
1. Miguel Cabrera, Tigers
2. Mike Moustakas, Royals
3. Lonnie Chisenhall, Indians
4. Danny Valencia, Twins
5. Brent Morel, White Sox
We'll go with the idea that Cabrera is Detroit's starting third baseman, although I predict he'll end up starting more games at designated hitter. Manager Jim Leyland will end up doing a lot of mixing of his lineups, but for this little exercise we have to choose a starter. Moustakas didn't tear up the league as a rookie and I worry about his ability to hit lefties (.191, homerless in 89 at-bats), but he showed more than fellow rookies Chisenhall and Morel. Valencia doesn't get on base enough and he rated poorly on defense in 2011. I hope he's at least good in the clubhouse. Morel was terrible all season and then exploded for eight of his 10 home runs in September and drew 15 walks after drawing just seven the previous five months. Maybe something clicked.
1. Asdrubal Cabrera, Indians
2. Alexei Ramirez, White Sox
3. Jhonny Peralta, Tigers
4. Alcides Escobar, Royals
5. Jamey Carroll, Twins
Peralta had the best 2011 season, but he's a difficult guy to project. He had an .804 OPS in 2008 but dropped to .691 in 2009. He had a .703 OPS in 2010 and then .823 in 2011. I just don't see a repeat season, at the plate or in the field. Cabrera didn't rate well on the defensive metrics, and after a strong start he wore down in the second half. Ramirez has turned into a nice player, with a good glove and some power, and he even draws a few walks now. Escobar is a true magician with the glove. Carroll is actually a useful player who gets on base (.356 career OBP), but he's pushed as an everyday shortstop and he'll be 38. He'll be issued the honorary Nick Punto locker in the Twins' clubhouse.
Left field
1. Alex Gordon, Royals
2. Alejandro De Aza, White Sox
3. Ben Revere, Twins
4. Michael Brantley/Shelley Duncan, Indians
5. Ryan Raburn/Don Kelly, Tigers
I'm not sure what to do here. After Gordon, I just get a headache. We'll pretend to believe in De Aza after his impressive stint in the majors (171 plate appearances, .329/.400/.920). He's hit in Triple-A for three seasons now, and while he's not going to post a .400 OBP again, he should be adequate. Revere is one of the fastest players in the majors, but he's all speed and defense; he hopes to grow up to be Brett Gardner, which isn't a bad thing, but he'll have to learn to get on base at a better clip. Brantley doesn't have one outstanding skill so he'll have to hit better than .266 to be anything more than a fourth outfielder; Duncan provides some right-handed pop as a platoon guy. The Tigers have Delmon Young, but I'll slot him at DH. That leaves supposed lefty masher Raburn and utility man Kelly to soak up at-bats; both had an OBP below .300 in 2011, although Raburn has hit better in the past.
Center field
1. Austin Jackson, Tigers
2. Denard Span, Twins
3. Grady Sizemore, Indians
4. Lorenzo Cain, Royals
5. Alex Rios, White Sox
I can't rate Sizemore any higher since he's played just 104 games over the past two seasons, and he hasn't had a big year since 2008. Rios was terrible in '09, OK in '10 and worse than terrible in '11. I'm not betting on him.
Right field
1. Shin-Soo Choo, Indians
2. Brennan Boesch, Tigers
3. Jeff Francoeur, Royals
4. Josh Willingham, Twins
5. Dayan Viciedo, White Sox
Choo would like to forget 2011, but there's no reason he shouldn't bounce back and play like he did in 2009 and 2010, when he was one of the 10 best position players in the AL. I don't expect Francoeur to deliver 71 extra-base hits again, but maybe he'll surprise us. Viciedo is apparently nicknamed "The Tank," which makes me wonder how much ground he can cover. He did improve his walk rate last season in the minors and turns 23 in March, so there's still room for more growth.
Designated hitter
1. Billy Butler, Royals
2. Travis Hafner, Indians
3. Ryan Doumit, Twins
4. Delmon Young, Tigers
5. Adam Dunn, White Sox
Has there been a bigger prospect disappointment than Young in the past decade? I mean, yes, there were complete busts like Brandon Wood and Andy Marte, but those guys had obvious holes in their games, while Young was viewed as a sure thing, a consensus No. 1 overall prospect. But his bat has never lived up to its billing. Other than one decent year in Minnesota, he has low OBPs and he clearly lacked range in the outfield. His career WAR on Baseball-Reference is minus-0.2 (1.6 on FanGraphs), meaning he's been worse than replacement level. He's just not that good, Tigers fans.
No. 1 starter
1. Justin Verlander, Tigers
2. John Danks, White Sox
3. Justin Masterson, Indians
4. Luke Hochevar, Royals
5. Carl Pavano, Twins
Masterson was better than Danks in 2011, and I do believe his improvement was real. He absolutely crushes right-handers -- they slugged an anemic .259 off him. Danks had two bad months but has the longer track record of success. Even in his "off year" he had a higher strikeout rate and lower walk rate than Masterson. If you want to argue about Hochevar versus Pavano, be my guest.
No. 2 starter
1. Doug Fister, Tigers
2. Ubaldo Jimenez, Indians
3. Gavin Floyd, White Sox
4. Francisco Liriano, Twins
5. Jonathan Sanchez, Royals
Yes, sign me up for the Doug Fister bandwagon club. Jimenez's fastball velocity was down a couple miles per hour last season but the positives are that his strikeout and walk rates were identical to 2010; he'll be better. Floyd isn't flashy but he's now made 30-plus starts four years in a row, and he'll become a very rich man when he becomes a free agent after this season. Sanchez won't have the luxury of pitching in San Francisco (and to eight-man NL lineups).
No. 3 starter
1. Max Scherzer, Tigers
2. Scott Baker, Twins
3. Philip Humber, White Sox
4. Bruce Chen, Royals
5. Josh Tomlin, Indians
I could be underrating Baker, who was excellent last season, but only once in his career has he made 30 starts in a season. Tomlin's fans will disagree with this ranking, but he's a finesse guy who relies on the best control in baseball (21 walks in 26 starts). He's the kind of guy you root for, but the league seemed to figure him out as the season progressed.
No. 4 starter
1. Felipe Paulino, Royals
2. Rick Porcello, Tigers
3. Jake Peavy, White Sox
4. Derek Lowe, Indians
5. Nick Blackburn, Twins
Scouts still love Porcello's arm and I know he's just 23, but he's made 89 big league starts and shown no signs of getting better. His WHIP has increased each season and his strikeout rate remains one of the lowest in baseball. Paulino has an electric arm -- he averaged 95 mph on his fastball -- and is getting better. How could the Rockies give up on him after just 14 innings? How could the Astros trade him for Clint Barmes? Anyway, kudos to the Royals for buying low on the guy who may turn into their best starter. Peavy can't stay healthy. Lowe has led his league in starts three out of the past four seasons, but I'm not sure that's a good thing anymore. Blackburn is a poor man's Lowe, and I don't mean that in a good way.
No. 5 starter
1. Chris Sale, White Sox
2. Jacob Turner, Tigers
3. Aaron Crow/Danny Duffy, Royals
4. Fausto Carmona/David Huff/Jeanmar Gomez, Indians
5. Brian Duensing/Jason Marquis, Twins
Welcome to the AL Central crapshoot. Turner and Sale have the most upside, but one is a rookie and the other is converting from relief. Crow will also be given a shot at the rotation, but his difficulties against left-handed batters (.311 average allowed) don't bode well for that transition. Even if the artist formerly known as Carmona gets a visa, what do you have? A guy with a 5.01 ERA over the past four seasons. Duensing is another typical Twins pitcher, which means he at least throws strikes. His first full season in the rotation didn't go well, so of course the Twins brought in Marquis, yet another guy who doesn't strike anybody out.
1. Jose Valverde, Tigers
2. Joakim Soria, Royals
3. Matt Thornton, White Sox
4. Chris Perez, Indians
5. Matt Capps, Twins
Four good relievers plus Matt Capps. I do admit I'm a little perplexed by Perez, however. In 2009, he struck out 10.7 batters per nine innings. In 2010, that figure fell to 8.7 but he posted a pretty 1.71 ERA. In 2011, it was all the way down to 5.9, but without much improvement in his control. Perez blew only four saves but he did lose seven games. He survived thanks to a low .240 average on balls in play. He's an extreme fly-ball pitcher but didn't serve up many home runs. Bottom line: I'd be nervous.
1. Indians -- Vinnie Pestano, Rafael Perez, Tony Sipp, Joe Smith, Nick Hagadone
2. Royals -- Jonathan Broxton, Greg Holland, Louis Coleman, Tim Collins, Jose Mijares
3. Tigers -- Joaquin Benoit, Octavio Dotel, Phil Coke, Daniel Schlereth, Al Alburquerque
4. White Sox -- Jesse Crain, Jason Frasor, Will Ohman, Addison Reed, Dylan Axelrod
5. Twins -- Glen Perkins, Alex Burnett, Anthony Swarzak, Kyle Waldrop, Lester Oliveros
If you're starting to think I'm not high on the Twins for this season, you would be correct.
1. Royals
2. Indians
3. Tigers
4. White Sox
5. Twins
I like the youthful exuberance of the Royals, plus the likelihood of improvement from the young players and the possibility of some midseason reinforcements from the minors. The depth of the bullpen will help bolster a shaky rotation, and this just feels like an organization that is finally starting to believe in itself. The Indians are riding last year's positive results and enter the season knowing they might get better production from Choo and Sizemore and full seasons from Kipnis and Chisenhall. I'm not knocking the Tigers here, but they do lack depth in the pitching staff and the pressure is on them.
The final tally
1. Tigers, 65 points
2. Royals, 55 points
3. Indians, 54 points
4. White Sox, 46 points
5. Twins, 35 points
No surprise here: The Tigers will be heavy favorites to win the division with a lineup that should score a ton of runs. I don't think it's a lock that they'll win -- Verlander, Avila, Peralta and Valverde will all be hard-pressed to repeat their 2011 campaigns, for example. But the Royals and Indians appear to have too many questions in the rotations, the White Sox have serious lineup issues, and the Twins have a beautiful ballpark to play their games in.
Lewdog's record in Royals game threads: 39-19.
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BlizzPlanet reports that Wildstorm has released a preview of the latest World of Warcraft comic which will set the stage for the finale of the current story arc.
The summary of the issue is kind of spoiler-ish for those who haven't read everything yet, so we've posted the full review after the break.
And if you don't want to know such things, don't read! Interesting stuff though...
BlizzPlanet reports that Wildstorm has released a preview of the latest World of Warcraft comic which will set the stage for the finale of the current story arc.
The penultimate chapter follows Vindicator Maraad and his grandnephew Me'dan (it turns out his mother Garona was half-draenei, who knew?) as they journey back to Azeroth after an unsuccessful attempt to recruit Khadgar to become the a member of the Council of Tirisfal. On the way back, Me'dan hears his sneaky father's voice summoning him to Kharazan. One comic-powered teleport later and Me'dan pops into the Gamesman's Hall (i.e., the chess event) to have a chat with his dad's hologram (or grab free loot), kind of like how Jor-El tells Superman in the Fortress of Solitude about his super-powered fate. Except instead of a benevolent scientist and a strapping last son of Krypton, it's a demon-possessed Mage and a green-skinned multi-class mongrel.
Fans of the comic or players who've been dying to see the chess event immortalized in comic form should pick up this issue which hit the stands last Wednesday. The comic features Medivh, Me'dan, Maraad, and is brought to you by the letter 'm'. Even if you don't like the letter 'm', you'll be sure to appreciate the amazing art of Mike Bowden and Tony Washington and the deft narrative of Walter Simonson.
This issue is sort of like the Cliffs Notes version of Warcraft: The Last Guardian novel by Jeff Grubb, just like this report is a summary of BlizzPlanet's summary, which means the comic has been distilled from a fraction of its original level of awesome. It's kind of like eating just one Skittle. Nobody eats just one Skittle. You gotta taste the rainbow, man. You gotta taste the rainbow.


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John Mayer confirmed on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" his breakup with fellow U.S. recording star Katy Perry but he declined to offer details about the split.
DeGeneres said she is a friend of Perry's and knows she and Mayer broke up some time after the Grammy Awards ceremony in February.
"I just want to say, I love you and my thoughts are with you," DeGeneres told Mayer, who thanked her for her support.
"I can understand asking the question based on some previous answers I have given but I have finally learned how to put the wall between one thing and the other," he said, referring to how he was criticized for talking about his past courtships with Jennifer Aniston and Jessica Simpson.
"I've been much happier since then," Mayer said. "I'm on the same journey as everyone else. Coupling is a tricky thing."


text: SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- All Long Island Rail Road service has been suspended to and from New York City's Penn Station due to switching problems, New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority said on its website Wednesday evening. The service suspension comes on the eve of Thanksgiving, widely considered to be the busiest travel time of the year. Crews are working to fix the problem, according to the MTA, which suggested that customers at Penn Station take the 2 or 3 subway train to Atlantic Terminal for eastbound LIRR trains.


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The joint venture is serving as the MTA's positive train control (PTC) system integrator under a $428.5-million contract awarded last November. The contract amendment goes to the full MTA Board for consideration April 30.
"Bearing in mind that the safety of our customers is the top priority of the MTA and its railroads, we are taking careful steps to accelerate the implementation of this important technology," said MTA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Thomas Prendergast. "PTC will provide a strong layer of safety over our existing systems. It aims to eliminate the risk of accidents from train-vs.-train collisions or derailments resulting from excessive speed around curves. We support this technology and we want our customers to begin benefiting from it sooner rather than later."
The amended contract would expedite by up to nearly two years the retrofitting of 836 LIRR and 474 Metro-North rail cars to enable them for send and receive PTC signals. Those retrofits will now be completed by April 2017.
The amended contract also will allow the railroads to deploy equipment at 175 locations alongside the tracks that will facilitate communication between the PTC central computers and the computers on board trains. This move will expedite by up to one year the installation of PTC on territory covering 85 percent to 90 percent of the railroads' customers.
In other MTA news, a $39.2-million plan to construct a new bridge over the LIRR tracks at Ellison Avenue in Westbury was submitted for approval to the MTA Board, a project that would replace a deteriorating span for that has been used by cars, trucks and pedestrians for 73 years.
LIRR engineers have closely monitored the condition of the current Ellison Avenue Bridge, located between Carle Place and Westbury Stations, to ensure it is safe. The LIRR began planning for a new bridge after experts determined that the structure was at the end of its useful life. Currently, 90 percent of the deck is covered with steel plates and the New York State Department of Transportation (NTSDOT) has found serious deterioration in the structure.
The proposal was sent to the Long Island Committee of the MTA Board April 28 and is set to go to the MTA Board for a vote scheduled for April 30. Approval would clear the way for the railroad to issue a Request for Proposal for a contractor who would have to demolish the old bridge, then design and build a new span to the LIRR's specifications by 2016.
"We have worked closely with local officials and Westbury community leaders who have long advocated for this project," said LIRR President Helena Williams. "There is no question that the structure is need of replacement and that this project will create jobs while improving the ride for those who use the Ellison Avenue Bridge."
The new proposed span would have a clearance of 18 feet. The LIRR is seeking a waiver from NYSDOT for the 18 feet clearance, which would avoid any impacts to adjacent properties.


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On Monday, December 12, 2011, Waterloo Police received information18 year old Justin Marshawn Ross, DOB 10/09/93 was believed to be in the Waterloo area. Cedar Rapids Police were looking for Ross for questioning related to the November 27, 2011 homicide investigation involving the death of Andre Herron.
Acting on information Waterloo Police secured the area around 323 Fowler Street where they believed the suspect was hiding. Officers made contact with the residence and located Ross inside. Ross was arrested without incident on a material witness warrant with a $100,000 dollar bond.
Lt. Michael McNamee
Waterloo Police/Investigation