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Season 2 was pretty bad too much over acting, weak writing (same formula go to town to find something) + the special effects were lacking too.
It became very much like a soap opera with some of the better scenes borrowed from other existing shows (see Justified)
Season 3 has been really good as its gone back to its roots as a more action, comic book style of show . Plus they got rid of Lori, who was a terrible character all around.
I really enjoyed last nights episode.
(snickering) Boobs. You said boobs. (snicker)
I agree with Brady's a Catcher here:
I think the very short (6 eps) first season was was sensational, and 2 dragged like crazy in the middle, but was very good in the beginning and the end.
I heard Justified and American Horror Story are good but haven't watched either one yet. I like Falling Skies - it'll start when Walking Dead's season ends, I think.
Dimitri, I haven't even paid attention to the commercials for Homeland cuz I figured it was some Little House on the Prairie thing. Oops! Thanks for the heads up. I'll check it out.
Will Rick ever get laid again?
Mwahahahaha! Thanks fellow zombie afficionados! "If you really loved me you'd let me EAT YOUR BRAINS!"
Andrea was a better much stronger character in the comics. The whole Governor storyline is different than the comics too which I find odd since they even have a novel with the governor's whole story line. So anyway the story lines are diverging. The baby doesn't make it in the comics either. There were hints in the last episode that Andrea will end up back with the original team soon but we will see.


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Starting at noon Friday, business owners who feel hamstrung by local regulations will have an outlet for their concerns: a short online survey on Henderson County's website.
Starting at noon Friday, business owners who feel hamstrung by local regulations will have an outlet for their concerns: a short online survey on Henderson County's website.
The survey was the first step taken by a new regulation review advisory committee in defining what parts of the county code are hindering business and job growth in the county.
Nine of 13 committee members met in the Historic Courthouse for the first time Thursday to discuss the format for future meetings, the next of which is scheduled for April 18. Commissioners have given the ad hoc committee six months to present its findings.
Chairman Bert Lemkes said the committee should keep its focus on "any excessive or unwarranted county regulations that hinder business growth or employment growth," but only those which the county has control over. Federal and state regulations aren't in their purview, he stressed.
The committee agreed with Lemkes' suggestion that instead of going through all 500-plus pages of county code laid out before them, they should invite short presentations from groups such as the Chamber of Commerce, Agribusiness Henderson County and Partners for Economic Progress.
Lemkes proposed two 10-15 minute presentations per meeting to "get a feel for where the pain is, if there is pain. And we assume we'll run into places, I expect, where the business community will come up and say, 'We really have a problem with this regulation.'"
Committee member Renee Kumor, a former county commissioner and planning board member, wondered whether the committee shouldn't also ask businesses what aspects of the county's economic development policies are working well.
"I don't think commissioners are looking for a pat on the back," Lemkes said, adding the committee's purpose is not to focus on the good regulations as much as to identify the burdensome ones.
County Attorney Russ Burrell said the short online survey could be supplemented by others in the future. John Mitchell, the county's new business and community development director, pledged his planning staff's help if the committee should want it.
Besides Lemkes and Kumor, committee members who attended Thursday's meeting included: pharmacist and rental property owner Larry Baber; James Clarke of Manual Woodworkers and Weavers; contractor James Ayers of NewPointe Construction; surveyor David Hill; banker Nathan Kennedy of First Citizens; retired foreign service officer Dick Kranker; and former county planner Matt Matteson.
Reach Axtell at (828) 694-7860 or email@example.com.

subset: commoncrawl


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Transient ischemic attack
A transient ischemic attack (TIA) occurs when blood flow to a part of the brain stops for a brief time. A person will have stroke-like symptoms for up to 24 hours. In most cases, the symptoms last for 1 to 2 hours.
A TIA is felt to be a warning sign that a true stroke may happen in the future if something is not done to prevent it.
Causes of Transient ischemic attack
A TIA is different than a stroke. After a TIA, the blockage breaks up quickly and dissolves. A TIA does not cause brain tissue to die.
The loss of blood flow to an area of the brain can be caused by:
- A blood clot in an artery of the brain
- A blood clot that travels to the brain from somewhere else in the body (for example, from the heart)
- An injury to blood vessels
- Narrowing of a blood vessel in the brain or leading to the brain
High blood pressure is the main risk for TIAs and stroke. The other major risk factors are:
- Atrial fibrillation
- Diabetes
- Family history of stroke
- High cholesterol
- Increasing age, especially after age 55
- Race (African Americans are more likely to die of stroke)
- Smoking
People who have heart disease or poor blood flow in their legs caused by narrowed arteries are also more likely to have a TIA or stroke.
Transient ischemic attack Symptoms
Symptoms begin suddenly, last a short time (from a few minutes to 1 to 2 hours), and go away. They may occur again at a later time.
The symptoms of TIA are the same as the symptoms of a stroke, and include:
- Change in alertness (including sleepiness, unconsciousness, and coma)
- Changes in the senses (such as hearing, vision, taste, and touch)
- Mental changes (such as confusion, memory loss, difficulty writing or reading, trouble speaking or understanding others)
- Muscle problems (such as weakness, trouble swallowing, trouble walking)
- Dizziness or loss of balance and coordination
- Lack of control over the bladder or bowels
- Nerve problems (such as numbness or tingling on one side of the body)
Tests and Exams
Often, the symptoms and signs of a TIA will have gone away by the time you get to the hospital. A TIA diagnosis may be made based on your medical history alone.
The health care provider will do a complete physical exam to check for heart and blood vessel problems, as well as for problems with nerves and muscles.
The doctor will use a stethoscope to listen to your heart and arteries. An abnormal sound called a bruit may be heard when listening to the carotid artery in the neck or other artery. A bruit is caused by irregular blood flow.
Tests will be done to rule out a stroke or other disorders that may cause the symptoms:
- You will almost always have a head CT scan or brain MRI. A stroke may show changes on these tests, but TIAs will not.
- You may have an angiogram, CT angiogram, or MR angiogram to see which blood vessel is blocked or bleeding.
- You may have an echocardiogram if your doctor thinks you may have a blood clot from the heart.
- Carotid duplex (ultrasound) can show if the carotid arteries in your neck have narrowed.
- You may have an EKG and heart rhythm monitoring tests to check for an irregular heartbeat.
Your doctor may do other tests to check for high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, high cholesterol, and other causes of, and risk factors for TIAs or stroke.
Treatment of Transient ischemic attack
If you have had a TIA within the last 48 hours, you will likely be admitted to the hospital so that doctors can search for the cause and observe you.
High blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, high cholesterol, and blood disorders will be treated as needed. You will be encouraged to make lifestyle changes to reduce your risk of further symptoms. Changes include quitting smoking, exercising more, and eating healthier foods.
You may receive blood thinners, such as aspirin or Coumadin, to reduce blood clotting. Some people who have blocked neck arteries may need surgery (carotid endarterectomy). If you have an irregular heartbeat (atrial fibrillation), you will be treated to avoid future complications.
Prognosis (Outlook)
TIAs do not cause lasting damage to the brain.
But, TIAs are a warning sign that you may have a true stroke in the coming days or months. More than 10% of people who have a TIA will have a stroke within 3 months. Half of these strokes happen during the 48 hours after a TIA. The stroke may occur that same day or at a later time. Some people have only a single TIA, and others have more than one TIA.
You can reduce your chances of a future stroke by following-up with your health care provider to manage your risk factors.
When to Contact a Health Professional
A TIA is a medical emergency. Call 911 or another local emergency number right away. Do not ignore symptoms just because they go away. They may be a warning of a future stroke.
Prevention of Transient ischemic attack
Follow your health care provider's instructions on how to prevent TIAs and strokes. You will likely be told to make lifestyle changes and take medicines to treat high blood pressure or high cholesterol.
Furie KL, Kasner SE, Adams RJ, Albers GW, Bush RL, Fagan SC, et al. Guidelines for the prevention of stroke in patients with stroke or transient ischemic attack: a guideline for healthcare professionals from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. Stroke. 2011;42:227-276.
Goldstein LB, Bushnell CD, Adams RJ, Appel LJ, Braun LT, Chaturvedi S, et al. Guidelines for the primary prevention of stroke: a guideline for healthcare professionals from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. Stroke. 2011;42:517-584.
Easton JD, Saver JL, Albers GW, Alberts MJ, Chaturvedi S, Feldmann E, et al. Definition and evaluation of transient ischemic attack: a scientific statement for healthcare professionals from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association Stroke Council; Council on Cardiovascular Surgery and Anesthesia; Council on Cardiovascular Radiology and Intervention; Council on Cardiovascular Nursing; and the Interdisciplinary Council on Peripheral Vascular Disease. Stroke. 2009 40:2276-93.
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|Review Date: 5/28/2014
Reviewed By: Joseph V. Campellone, MD, Division of Neurology, Cooper University Hospital, Camden, NJ. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Isla Ogilvie, PhD, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
Further information
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While Davis has ridden at Aqueduct each of the past three winters, she has been especially visible during the 2011-2012 inner track meet, with a record of 9-6-16 from 100 mounts, good for 10th in the jockey standings through Wednesday, February 15. Success comes with experience, and for Davis, experience has come at Suffolk Downs in East Boston, where she has ridden the last two meets. There, Davis's agent is Max Hall, while Roger Sutton books her mounts locally.
In 2010, her first year at Suffolk, Davis finished sixth in the standings with 72 winners, nine wins separating her from the second-place finisher. In 2011, she was second with 82 victories, 13 ahead of her nearest rival. Tammi Piermarini, who recorded her 2,000th career victory at Suffolk in August, led last year's standings with 127 victories.
"At Suffolk, I got my timing and I learned really quickly how to picture in a race what a rider next to me is going to do, or how much horse I think they have," Davis said. "The race riding there is more blatant, and it keeps you on your toes more riding with those kinds of riders. Your awareness and your skills are sharpened."
In addition to race experience gained at Suffolk, Davis is also quick to credit the foundation she built in New York watching and learning from riders like Ramon Dominguez and Rosie Napravnik earlier in her career.
"In New York, you're riding with the best and learning from the best and I did that when I had the bug and got a little ground under me," said Davis, a member of the first graduating class from Chris McCarron's North American Racing Academy in 2008. "I tell Ramon all the time – 'When I had the 10-pound, I followed you every race.' Everyone says pick a rider and Ramon's timing is just unbelievable. I think that's how I got good at coming from off the pace, because I watched him. And Rosie, if I didn't know what to do, I asked her. And she said 'Well Jackie, if I rode this horse, I would do this.' And I'd do it, and I'd finish third."
Davis's development as a rider has not gone unnoticed this year, leading to mounts with some of New York's larger outfits. Davis had intended to winter at Parx Racing in Philadelphia until Sutton agreed to take her book in New York
"Roger had Rajiv [Maragh], he had Rosie, and he had my dad, when he was riding," said Davis. "He's got backing in a lot of barns that I want to be in, and that I've been able to ride for this winter, like Linda Rice."
Davis has ridden two winners from nine starters for Rice since the inner track meet began on November 30.
"Jackie has really improved a lot," Rice said. "She's gotten a lot of experience at Suffolk and I think she's ridden enough races now to really sharpen her skills and come back here as a much better rider than she was last year. I've put her on some horses, and she's done well."
The second-oldest of Robbie and Marguerite Davis's six children, Jackie Davis was born and graduated from high school in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. The Empire State is where she wants to settle eventually, but not until she is able to ride regularly and competitively on the NYRA circuit. For now, her plan is to return to Suffolk Downs this spring with an eye on the 2012 riding title.
"Fighting for the title in Boston last year was actually a lot of fun," said Davis. "I've never done well enough where I could actually be somebody's competition like that, especially against such a rider as Tammi. For me to be that much competition to somebody – and there was a point where I was within about 10 wins of her – I was just beside myself. I thought it was the coolest thing ever. Right now I'm going to go back, my goal is to take a title, and then eventually, if not next year, maybe the following year, I want to try and stay here and be competitive."
While Davis cannot call New York her year-round base just yet, her home state has been the backdrop for a number of highlights, and bringing home her father's first winner as trainer marked a recent bright spot.
"Awesome," said Davis of Sandyinthesun's nose victory in the December 3 maiden race. "I didn't think I won it. I remember, I hit the wire and I go 'Did I get it? I don't think I got it.' And then I looked over at Cornelio [Velasquez aboard Sam's Buck] and I just analyzed how big his horse was and I go 'He's tiny! I've got a longer neck than him! I might have…' And then I heard the roar of the crowd. There were tears with my mom and my sister in the winner's circle, and my dad tried to pull me off the horse. It was like winning my first race, with a little more knowledge of what was going on. In my first win, I was wondering where everybody was most of the race."
Davis won her first stakes race in November 2010 aboard Sociano's Legacy in the Norman Hall Stakes at Suffolk Downs. With that milestone behind her, she is focused on the road ahead.
"I have really big goals, Davis said. "I want to ride in the Derby, I want to ride in the big races, but I'm very realistic about how long it's going to take. My parents taught me young, you've got to work for everything. And right now, I don't have a bad gig – if you're in the top 10 in New York, you're doing pretty good."


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Rants on Cycling and on Life:
Photos of people and bicycles that pass in front of my camera
I've been considering making this happen for me, but does it count if I just bike the 7 miles to a Metro station and then take Metro the rest of the 20 miles to my office? I've biked in Tysons Corner on the weekend before, just feeling it out for a commute and it was suicide. Drivers there EXPECT that there won't be bikers or pedestrians and drive like maniacs.
Post a Comment


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The Biggest Piece Of DNA Ever Made 70
An anonymous reader writes "Forbes has a story on 'the biggest piece of artificial DNA ever made'. The real story is that companies are racing to produce longer and longer DNA fragments to serve the growing science of synthetic biology." From the article: "On a piece of DNA as long as the one made for Microbia, ten or more genes may be present. By studying more than one gene at once, researchers hope to get a better picture of how they work in concert to produce an organism. Another advantage: These stretches can also be made to contain all the DNA letters that occur between genes. Scientists once thought of that stuff as junk, but many now believe it may regulate how the genes work or provide some other function."


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I upgraded last week. My WD external hard drive is working ok. I guess I got lucky. LR looks different though, which bothers me somewhat.
wow thats nuts i hope my drobo is gonna be ok. it seems fine now i guess if it ws going to have a problem it would have had it already though. Do you know if its limited to WD only?
Is this only with Thunderbolt connected drives?
And for those saying that Aperture etc is running slowly, I found that Spotlight wanted to index in the background for hours on end after upgrading but that switching it off then on again several times cured it.


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Pluggable application for TurboGears2 which provides a basic user profile page with forms to allow users to edit their own profile or change their password
Project description
About userprofile
userprofile is a Pluggable application for TurboGears2 which provides a basic user profile page with forms to allow users to edit their own profile or change their password.
userprofile can be installed both from pypi or from bitbucket:
easy_install tgapp-userprofile
should just work for most of the users
Plugging userprofile
In your application config/app_cfg.py import plug:
from tgext.pluggable import plug
Then at the end of the file call plug with userprofile:
plug(base_config, 'userprofile')
You will be able to access the registration process at http://localhost:8080/userprofile.
tgapp-userprofile supports some options that can be passed to the plug method to customize various aspects of the application:
- user_partial - Path of a partial to display into the user profile page.
- Useful to add more data to the profile page without changing its template
- custom_css - Path to a CSS file which will be used for the profile pages in place of the default one.
User Properties
tgapp-userprofile looks for various properties into the User class instances to drive its default behavior, the most important property is the profile_data property which can provide a dictionary with the user informations to display on the profile page, but other properties are available to tune the behavior:
A dictionary of entries to display into the profile page, the default dictionary is built with:
{'display_name':('Display Name', user.display_name), 'email_address':('Email Address', user.email_address)}
each key of the dictionary if the id of the field, in most cases it will have the same name of the user property where that field is stored. Values of the dictionary are tuples where the first value is the name of the field which will be displayed and the second one is the real value of the field.
If an avatar key is available that is expected to provide the url of the avatar image of the user. If it is not available userprofile will look for a tgapp-fbauth facebook avatar or will falleback to the default avatar.
display_name key will be used as the profile page title.
A ToscaWidgets or tw2 form that can be used to edit the user profile. By default an autogenerated one with a text field for each entry in profile_data is provided.
A callable which will receive the user data submitted by the edit form and is expected to update the user accordingly.
By default values will be stored as they are into the user field with the same id provided into profile_data.
Project details
Release history Release notifications
Download files
Download the file for your platform. If you're not sure which to choose, learn more about installing packages.
|Filename, size & hash SHA256 hash help
|File type
|Python version
|Upload date
|tgapp-userprofile-0.0.5.tar.gz (13.0 kB) Copy SHA256 hash SHA256
|Jun 28, 2013


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Mexico and Its Demons
The Other Mexico: Critique of the Pyramid
The Other Mexico was written in 1968, shortly after the democratic movement led by the students was abruptly ended with the massacre of several hundred peaceful demonstrators at the Plaza of the Three Cultures in Tlatelolco. In that ancient quarter of Mexico City nearly 450 years ago, the Spanish captain Pedro de Alvarado sealed off the square and mercilessly butchered the Indian priests and dancers. Today the square is bounded on three sides by a restored Aztec pyramid, a baroque Spanish church, and a complex of modern skyscrapers.
In protest against the massacre of the students, Octavio Paz resigned his post as Mexican, ambassador to India and wrote this book. In Mexico, though it has been a bestseller, very few literate Mexicans have actually approved of Paz's vision. For The Other Mexico is an uncomfortable book for almost anyone living behind what the painter José Luis Cuevas has called "The Cactus Curtain." As uncomfortable as the marriage of architectural symbols at Tlatelolco, where five years ago the riddled corpses were piled at the foot of the pyramid.
The doors of the church had been closed to demonstrators seeking asylum from the brutal repression of the khaki-clad descendants of Alvarado. From the towering glass structure of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, looming over the square as a symbol of modern Mexico, it was announced that the government had simply been defending itself against a "foreign-inspired plot" designed to thwart the celebration of the Olympic Games; that the students had been misguided by the misty teachings of "the philosophers of destruction"—a somewhat melodramatic reference to Herbert Marcuse. A threefold rationalization of the crusade of repression seemed to meet at Tlatelolco: the Aztec guerra florida, a ceremonial staging of feigned battles whose purpose it was to capture prisoners for sacrificial ends; the Spanish wars of genocide against idolaters and infidels, strikingly illustrated by the Alvarado massacre at Tlatelolco during yet another Aztec festival; and, on the eve of the modern Olympic festival, the cold war excuse for internal repression as a defense against international conspiracy.
Octavio Paz was struck by the continuity of a power structure, masked by different ideologies, serving equally well the needs of Indian theocracy, Spanish colonialism, and modern desarrollismo, development for development's sake. He presents us with the drama of a people, suffering and silent, but given to periodic explosions that have formed the conscience of Mexico: the revolution to gain political independence from Spain; the liberal movement to achieve independence from colonial institutions; and the vast, bloody, chaotic revolution of this century, inflamed by the cultural passion for self-knowledge, the democratic passion for self-government, and by an economic passion for success as a modern nation. We watch the drama of a country constantly invaded, mutilated, exploited, and humiliated by foreign powers while the people and the state are shaped in response to these threats. We also see the country today, "the other Mexico," both as an isolated, Indian, and agrarian country excluded from modern development and also…
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Upcoming Events
Massively Parallel Computing in Computational Fluid Dynamics
Presented at TCS Building 240, Room 5172 and broadcast via Adobe Connect to the University of Chicago, Searle 240A.
Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) researchers have been among the earliest proponents, and the largest users (both by way of allocations as well as the numbers of users) of high-performance computing (HPC) to simulate complex flow phenomena (which are almost always turbulent). Whilst much of the HPC resources have, traditionally speaking, been devoted to understanding the physics of turbulence in "canonical" turbulent flows, such as shear flows, channel flows, and boundary layer flows, this trend is beginning to shift towards simulating complex flows in complex geometries that consist of O(B) grid points.
Needless to say, the main scientific challenge in fluid dynamics remains that of gaining better insight into the physics of turbulence and its role in the transfer of momentum, heat, and mass in engineering applications which include the aerodynamics of high lift devices, chemically reacting flows in combustion systems, such as combustors of jet engines, and the aeroacoustics of low and high speed flows. The availability of HPC platforms, such as Intrepid, the IBM Blue Gene/P at the Argonne Leadership Computing Facility (ALCF), has led to significant advances in direct numerical simulation (DNS) of turbulence, and has made possible the development and application of large-eddy simulation (LES) for "real" engineering flow scenarios.
Further, the data from DNS, obtained from simulations on Intrepid, has begun to provide valuable insight into the physics canonical turbulent flows and promises to lead to the development of better subgrid models. In this talk, I will present the results of turbulence simulations of both canonical flows and "real" flows in complex geomeries, and discuss the challenges of a new computational initiative with GE Global Research - that of simulating coupled combustor-turbine simulations on Mira, the IBM Blue Gene/Q at ALCF!


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If you're a Gmail user, there's good news: You can now send files as large as 10 gigabytes.
If you're a Dropbox investor or employee, though, that's bad news.
The Web-based email service now integrates with Google's Drive storage system, according to ReadWrite's Jon Mitchell.
Users don't have to do anything to take advantage of this new feature. When you attach a file, Gmail will double-check that your recipients have permission to view the files in Google Drive.


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Malcolm Brogdon scored 23 points and No. 6 Virginia claimed its first Atlantic Coast Conference tournament title since 1976 by beating No. 7 Duke 72-63 on Sunday.
GREENSBORO — Malcolm Brogdon scored 23 points and No. 6 Virginia claimed its first Atlantic Coast Conference tournament title since 1976 by beating No. 7 Duke 72-63 on Sunday.
Tournament MVP Joe Harris added 15 points and hit the backbreaking 3-pointer with just under 2 minutes remaining for the top-seeded Cavaliers (28-6).
They shot 45 percent, pestered the Blue Devils into 38 percent shooting and used a late 12-3 run to pull away and claim the second ACC tournament title in school history.
Jabari Parker scored 23 points on 9-of-24 shooting for the third-seeded Blue Devils (26-8), who were making their 31st appearance in the championship game but were denied their ACC-record 20th title.
Anthony Gill added 12 points and was 10 of 17 from the free-throw line for Virginia. Duke as a team was just 7 of 11 from the line.
The Cavaliers came to Greensboro off of their first outright regular-season title since 1981, and were trying to do something not even Ralph Sampson could do.
It had been a long time — 38 years — since Wally Walker led Virginia to its only previous ACC tournament title.
Now that trophy will have some company.
With its "pack line" defense clicking and holding Duke 13 points below its scoring average, Virginia was in control for most of the day, yet could never get any separation until the final 2� minutes.
Akil Mitchell hit a shot to make it 61-57, then stripped Parker at the other end to set up Harris' wide-open 3 in transition that extended the lead to seven and had Duke's Rodney Hood fuming.
Harris gave Duke a final chance when he rushed up a shot and Quinn Cook countered with a 3 with 1� minutes left to pull the Blue Devils back within four.
Brogdon then drove through the Duke defense for a momentum-shifting layup that made it 66-60 with just over a minute to play and caused Duke assistant Jeff Capel to tellingly slump back on the bench in exasperation.
Cook missed a short jumper before Brogdon hit six of eight free throws in the final minute to help the Cavaliers pull away.
Hood finished with 13 points on 4-of-12 shooting and Amile Jefferson added 11 for Duke.
This was a one-possession game throughout the second half until Mitchell's tip-in with 5:10 left pushed Virginia's lead to 57-53.
Parker missed three shots on Duke's next possession, then picked up his fourth foul with 3:53 left and Gill hit two free throws to put the Cavaliers up by six.
Virginia was one of the few opponents which found a way to slow Parker, holding him to eight points on 3-of-11 shooting in the regular-season meeting — a four-point Duke win that came down to the final seconds.
With Mitchell keying the defensive effort on him, Parker was just 2 of 10 in the first half.
Then he got hot midway through the second half and single-handedly kept Duke in the game, reeling off seven straight points for his team in a 90-second span.
He went coast-to-coast and threw down a one-handed dunk on London Perrantes, hit a 3-pointer from the wing to briefly give Duke a one-point lead and added a jumper off a spin move with 8� minutes remaining.
Mitchell finished with 15 rebounds for Virginia, which led 28-25 at the end of a physical, intense first half notable for its low shooting percentages — and a technical foul on Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski.
Official Jamie Luckie hit Coach K with a T with 2:07 left in the half when Krzyzewski, with his back to the court, tossed his dry-erase marker toward his bench while coming out of a timeout.
There were plenty of reasons for Duke to be frustrated, yet the Blue Devils managed to keep themselves in the game despite a rough first half from its two best players: Parker and Hood were a combined 4 of 18 from the field.
Parker hit a point-blank shot while falling down with just under 16 minutes left to put Duke up 34-33 — its first lead since the opening minute.
Brogdon snatched the lead right back with a jumper on Virginia's next trip down the court, and it stayed tight the rest of the way until the Cavaliers' late surge.


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Mike Tyson
Former world heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson bought a mansion in Farmington for $2.8 million in 1996. He tried to sell it for $22 million, then lost it in a divorce settlement. Tyson's boxing career spanned from 1985 until 2005. The mansion was later owned by rapper 50 Cent.
Christopher Furlong/Getty Images
Copyright © 2018, Sun Sentinel


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A rustic Italian-style flatbread recipe using garden fresh tomatoes and fragrant rosemary. The tomatoes give it a fresh pop of flavor that's savory, salty and sweet all at the same delicious time. While it's golden and crispy on the outside it's soft, tender and fluffy on the inside.
Focaccia bread has never let me down. It's one of the most versatile recipes I know. I top it with whatever my little heart desires and it's something different each time I make it. Sometimes thick, sometimes thin, always fail-proof.
You can serve it as an appetizer, with brunch, at a potluck or a picnic. With a cup of tea or a glass of wine. You can eat it with eggs for breakfast, a salad for lunch, and pasta for dinner. Or all on it's own. Where it shines. Absolutely addicting, it's the type of bread you will want to snack on all day long.
Tomato and Rosemary Focaccia
(adapted from Tyler Florence)
2 teaspoons rapid-rising dry yeast
1 cup warm water
2 tablespoons sugar
3 1/2 to 4 cups flour
2 teaspoons Sea or coarse salt
1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for brushing over top
Cornmeal, for dusting
2-3 medium sized tomatoes, sliced, seeds removed
sea or kosher salt
fresh rosemary
1. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a dough hook, proof the yeast by combining it with the warm water and sugar. Stir gently to dissolve. Let stand 3 minutes until foam appears. Turn mixer on low and slowly add the flour to the bowl. Dissolve salt in 2 tablespoons of water and add it to the mixture. Pour in 1/4 cup olive oil. When the dough starts to come together, increase the speed to medium. Stop the machine periodically to scrape the dough off the hook. Mix until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes, adding flour as necessary.
2. Turn the dough out onto a work surface and fold over itself a few times. Form the dough into a round and place in an oiled bowl, turn to coat the entire ball with oil so it doesn't form a skin. Cover with plastic wrap or damp towel and let rise over a gas pilot light on the stovetop or other warm place until doubled in size, about 45 minutes. If making pizza proceed from here with the pizza instructions.
3. Coat a sheet pan with a little olive oil and corn meal. Once the dough is doubled and domed, turn it out onto the counter. Roll and stretch the dough out to an oblong shape about 1/2-inch thick. Lay the flattened dough on the pan and cover with plastic wrap. Let rest for 15 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Uncover the dough and dimple with your fingertips. Brush the surface with more olive oil and spread tomato slices over top, sprinkle them with salt and sprinkle entire top with rosemary. Bake on the bottom rack for 15 to 20 minutes until bottom is golden brown.


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Submission + - Apple hit with questions by Japan Govt over iTunes (examiner.com)
JoshuaInNippon writes: Apple has been sent a public letter by the Japanese government's Consumer Affairs Agency regarding its security policies and plans relating to iTunes. According to the Agency, they have been receiving an increasing number of complaints from iTunes users about fraudulent charges to their credit cards from the store; in many cases the amounts are in the hundreds to thousands of dollars worth of song purchases that the users claim they never purchased. The public letter asked Apple to explain to what extend it is aware of the problems and concerns being raised, and what the company is and will be doing about it, among other questions.


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Hospitality and Tourism Management
LTHC2100 - Long-Term Care Mgmt
Fall 2011
This course provides an overview of the management theories and concepts of health services management with specific application to long-term care facilities. In-depth discussions of the functions, activities and roles of the manager in a variety of long-term care settings: nursing homes, home health, rehabilitation, and other extended care facilities. The focus will be on the general administration, organization and management of nursing homes.
Prerequisite -- HSMG1010 (HM101)
3 Credits
Schedule Book for All Active and Available Future Terms, Course starting with LTHC2100
No Courses Found


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Manchester United legend Ole Gunnar Solskjaer admits it's his dream to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford.
'The baby-faced assassin' became a Red Devils icon during his 11 years with the club, scoring a number of important goals for the 12-time Premier League champions – including the winner in the 1999 Champions League final against Bayern Munich.
And, after spending three-years in charge of the reserve team between 2008 and 2011, the Molde manager would love to return to his former club for the top job in the future.
However, the 39-year-old isn't holding his breath just yet, and admits that the current boss could stay in charge for a few more years yet.
"You never know. I feel at home in England and, although I am delighted here, one of those offers which are impossible to turn down could come along," he told Spanish paper Marca.
"Maybe it sounds stupid, but to manage Manchester United is my dream. But look, I am not saying it is going to happen.
"Winning trophies gives him energy. Although he is now 71, he could keep going until 75. I am happy not to [have that task]. I believe the most important thing is to continue with the club's traditions.
"To succeed Sir Alex you need to have personality and to be a winner."
Solskjaer was speaking ahead of United's trip to Real Madrid, with the two giants of European football set to meet in the last 16 of the Champions League on Wednesday night.
And, much like when United won the competition in '99, it's four strikers who could fire the English giants to glory. In the mind of Solskjaer, it's Robin Van Persie who holds the key, labelling the Dutchman the MVP.
"[Wayne] Rooney has been a top player since he was 16. He has changed his way of playing, and is more complete now," he concluded.
"[Robin] Van Persie is the MVP of this season. He is a superstar without the ego of a superstar. It makes me proud that Chicharito is called the new Solskjaer."
Do YOU want to write for GiveMeSport? Get started today by signing-up and submitting an article HERE: https://www.givemesport.com/writeforgms


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Anterior heart arteries
The coronary arteries supply blood to the heart muscle. The right coronary artery supplies the left and right sides of the heart; the left coronary artery supplies the left side of the heart.
Review Date: 1/25/2013
Reviewed By: Harvey Simon, MD, Editor-in-Chief, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Senior Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital.
The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. © 1997- A.D.A.M., a business unit of Ebix, Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.


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"The Great Gatsby," the pre-eminent American novel of financial ambition, overextension and downfall, offers a revealing vignette about the great American obsession: real estate. The narrator, Nick Carraway, can't afford to buy in the rarefied Long Island world inhabited by Gatsby, and by Tom and Daisy Buchanan. But he can afford to rent. "When a young man at the office suggested that we take a house together in a commuting town, it sounded like a great idea. He found the house, a weather-beaten cardboard bungalow at eighty a month, but at the last minute the firm ordered him to Washington, and I went out to the country alone," he notes. "I had a view of the water, a partial view of my neighbor's lawn, and the consoling proximity of millionaires—all for eighty dollars a month."
In the American mind, renting has long symbolized striving — striving, that is, well short of achieving. But as we climb our way out of the Great Recession, it seems something has changed. Americans are getting over the idea of owning the American dream; increasingly, they're OK with renting it. Homeownership is on the decline, and home rentership is on the rise. But the trend isn't limited to the housing market. Across the board—for goods ranging from cars to books to clothes—Americans are increasingly acclimating to the idea of giving up the stability of being an owner for the flexibility of being a renter. This may sound like a decline in living standards. But the new realities of our increasingly mobile economy make it more likely that this transition from an Ownership Society to what might be called a Rentership Society, far from being a drag, will unleash a wave of economic efficiency that could fuel the next boom.
While downgrading the place of ownership in the American psyche may sound like a traumatic task, the cold, unsentimental fact about the American dream is that Americans never really owned it in the first place. For the past three decades, especially, consumers haven't so much bought their quality of life as they've borrowed it from banks and credit card companies. And since the Great Recession, Americans have been busy rebuilding their balance sheets and avoiding new financial encumbrances. When American consumers can't—or won't—borrow to purchase the goods and services they've come to consider part of their standard of living, how does the economy get back on its feet?
The answer lies in consumers following the example of corporations—that is, becoming more efficient. The reaction to extended leverage and foolish borrowing isn't to stop consuming and buying; it is to consume and buy more intelligently. That's what the Rentership Society is all about. And it starts at home. Literally. Housing is the biggest single component of consumption in the U.S. economy and the source of much of our present misery. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the typical consumer spends about 32% of his or her budget on shelter. In the last decade, that generally meant borrowing a lot of money to take "ownership" of a home.
The vast mortgage-political-financial complex, for a variety of reasons, valued homeownership as a good in its own right. Democrats saw the extension of credit to people on the lower end of the income scale as a matter of social justice; Republicans thought homeownership would make people more bourgeois. Banks and Wall Street firms salivated at the fees mortgages could generate.
So, during the boom, the homeownership rate grew steadily, peaking at a record 69% in 2006, according to the Census Bureau. But those gains were short-lived and came at a truly massive cost: a huge mortgage bust, expensive bailouts of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, an overhang of millions of foreclosed properties and falling home prices. Ownership-boosters failed to note that homes purchased in 2005 and 2006 with no-money-down, interest-only mortgages weren't really bought. They were simply rented until the "owner" flipped them or walked away from the mortgage. Far from strengthening low-income neighborhoods, this destabilized them through the inevitability of foreclosure.
In the post-bust climate, renting has emerged as a much more economically efficient way to pay for housing. A one-year lease represents a far less onerous financial obligation than a 30-year mortgage. It's difficult to get into too much financial trouble as a renter. The homeownership rate has fallen from its peak in 2006 to 65.4% today. The foreclosure crisis, which has caused millions of Americans to turn over homes to lenders, is responsible for much of this decline. What's more, given the weak labor market and higher lending standards, more Americans today have a difficult time scraping together the required down payments.
For an increasing number of Americans, though, it simply makes more sense to rent these days. According to Moody's, by late 2011 it was cheaper to rent than to own in 72% of American metropolitan areas, up from 54% a decade ago. And the more people who do it, the more socially acceptable and desirable it becomes. The decline in the ownership rate means that about three million more households rent today than did at the height of the bubble.
It's tempting to view the rise of rentership as an economic step backward. Renters can't build up equity, and they have less control over their living standards than owners. Renting is generally seen as something you do when you've failed as a homeowner or are not yet ready to be one. But I'd argue the rise of rentership is a sign of a system adapting—albeit too slowly—to new realities.
The U.S. economy needs the dynamism that renting enables as much as—if not more than—it needs the stability that ownership engenders. In the current economy, there are vast gulfs between the employment pictures in different regions and states, from 12% unemployment in Nevada to 3% unemployment in North Dakota. But a steelworker in Buffalo, or an underemployed construction worker in Las Vegas, can't easily take his skills to where they are needed in North Dakota or Wyoming if he's underwater on his mortgage. Economists, in fact, have found that there is frequently a correlation between persistently high local unemployment rates and high levels of homeownership.
Home builders and property owners have caught on to the economic opportunity presented by the move toward rental. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have become reluctant owners of more than 200,000 properties thanks to the foreclosure crisis, working through the backlog, one painstaking foreclosure sale at a time. But in February, Fannie Mae said it would put up for sale some 2,490 homes as a package, asking for $321 million. The Wall Street Journal reported that an assortment of real estate companies and private-equity investors were considering making bids. The presumption was that these sophisticated investors would turn the homes into rental properties.
The depressed home-building industry has also shifted gears to adapt to the new reality. Housing starts for multifamily units have risen sharply since 2009, according to the Census Bureau. In 2011, whereas single-family housing starts fell 9% from the year before, starts of structures with five or more units were up 60%. In the first quarter of 2012, starts of multifamily housing structures were up another 27%, while single-family starts were up only 16.7%.
What's more, the builders of these structures increasingly intend to rent them out. In 2007, only 62% of the housing units in buildings with two or more units were built for rent. In 2009, 84% of the units in such buildings were built to be rented. In 2011, 91% of the units in such structures were aimed at the rental market.
And the rising popularity of rentership is hardly contained to the housing market. Indeed, it has spurred the creation and growth of innovative businesses in a number of other realms—particularly those that cater to America's cash-strapped, credit-wary youth.
Take cars. The Bureau of Labor Statistics says that private transportation—owning and running a car—is the second largest cost for a typical American household, accounting for 16% of expenditures. Factoring in finance costs, depreciation, repairs, insurance, taxes and gas, AAA calculates that an owner of a midsize sedan who drives 15,000 miles a year spends $8,588 a year on his car.
Enter auto-sharing firm Zipcar. Founded in 2000, it grew by focusing on cities and college campuses. It uses information technology to manage its fleet, and control access—people get cards that let them into garages where cars are kept and into the cars themselves. Users in New York pay a $60 annual fee and then $8.75 per hour on weekdays and $13.75 per hour on weekends—no extra charge for gas or insurance or miles. As the U.S. economy contracted, Zipcar went into hyper-growth: from 225,000 members in 2008 to 650,000 members and 9,500 cars in November 2011. Zipcar, which went public in 2011, has had success in the predictable big cities like Boston, New York and San Francisco, but its vehicles can also be found on 350 college campuses and in smaller cities like Providence, R.I., and Portland, Ore. Large rental agencies like Enterprise and Avis have responded by rolling out similar services.
Or take textbooks. College textbooks are, in effect, rental goods. Students buy them at retail, use them for four months, and then resell them to the campus store or a used-book dealer. In 2010, the U.S. college-textbook market was worth about $4.5 billion, according to the American Association of Publishers. But why buy textbooks when you can spend less and rent them? Chegg.com, founded in 2001, has raised more than $200 million in funding and is aiming to displace the college bookstore. An undergrad can buy an economics textbook new for, say, $263. At Chegg.com, she can rent a hard copy of the same book for $94 for 180 days, or an electronic copy for $128 for the same period. As more students come to campus with Kindles, Nooks and other e-readers, the more efficient consumption of college textbooks is likely to grow rapidly.
Rent the Runway, another Rentership Society business, has likewise found a foothold on college campuses. The company was started in 2009 by Harvard Business School classmates and has been called the company the Netflix for fashion. As with Netflix, customers open accounts and then pay for the temporary use of goods sent to them through the mail. A Thread Social Poppy Sweetheart Dress (retail price: $365) rents for $50. Accessorize with Crislu Crystal Tear Earrings (retail $96, rent for $20). In business for less than two years, Rent the Runway has raised $31 million in venture capital, attracted one million customers and is turning a profit.
All these models involve more sharing than American consumers are typically accustomed to doing. But the culture is changing. Consider how quickly the attitude of consumers toward housing has changed. And I'm not just talking about the rising incidence, popularity and acceptance of home and apartment rental. At the height of the boom, people believed their homes generated cash by serving as a source of home equity credit, or by returning profits when they were sold. Today, not so much.
But thanks to another postrecession business, efficiency-seeking homeowners have come to realize that their homes can still generate cash. Airbnb, founded in August 2008, is dedicated to the promise that lots of people are willing to earn money by renting out a room in their home and that lots of people are willing to save money by crashing in strangers' abodes rather than in motels or hotels.
Only in America could entrepreneurs rapidly transform couch-surfing into a high-tech business worth more than $1 billion in the space of 36 months. With over 100,000 listings available in more than 16,000 cities and 186 countries, it's a real business. It has booked over 5 million nights. In July 2011, Airbnb raised $112 million from venture-capital firms Andreessen Horowitz, DST Global and General Catalyst. But the real value of Airbnb isn't necessarily what profits it brings to investors. Rather, it's the cash it puts into the hands of homeowners. That cash is not enough to turn around the economy. But it's part of a sea change in how people view the true value of their property and how they role of ownership in their lives as a whole.
Finally, perhaps, Americans are absorbing a piece of wisdom not from Gatsby, but from Thoreau: "And when the farmer has got his house, he may not be the richer but the poorer for it, and it be the house that has got him."
For more real estate and home related news, visit the Commercial and Residential Real Estate blog.
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For organic SEO and web optimization related news, visit the SEO Done Right blog.


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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Ricky Stenhouse Jr. didn't apologize at first for wrecking girlfriend Danica Patrick Saturday night at Daytona International Speedway.
He had good reason following a multicar crash in the preseason exhibition Sprint Unlimited. He didn't know he had hit her car in the Lap-36 accident.
"I had no idea (it was her)," Stenhouse said. "It could have been a part or a jet dryer, I had no idea until I got in the infield care center.
"She was like, 'Man, you drilled me.' I was like, 'Sorry. I didn't know who I hit.'"
MORE: Hamlin wins wild race | Pace car catches fire | Big crash includes Stewart, Gordon
Stenhouse had gotten collected early in the accident that included eight of the 18 cars. Patrick appeared to avoid the crash as she ducked to the inside, but she hit the trioval grass and spun. Stenhouse, with his hood knocked in and limited visibility, then smashed into Patrick's car as he tried to drive away from the accident.
"I could not see at all," Stenhouse said. "I tried to look over the hood, and I couldn't see and all of a sudden I drilled her, which sucks for her.
"She obviously didn't seem like she had much damage until I tore the whole side of the car off. It was a bummer."
Patrick obviously knew it was an accident.
"If his hood wouldn't have been up and he had the inability to see, obviously there would have been more frustration," Patrick said. "It was one of those racing things."
No drivers were injured in the crash, which started when Matt Kenseth moved down the track and hit Joey Logano.
"I thought I'd end up going straight through the grass, but I don't know if it is a little bit of a drop-off or it is wet, but it just hooked on it and spun around," Patrick said.
"I had pretty much come to a stop. … And then I got hit, and that was it. It was a real bummer. I was having fun."
Stenhouse slammed into the cars of Kurt Busch and Jeff Gordon during the initial crash before speeding away and hitting Patrick. The severity of the impact with Patrick was caused in part because Stenhouse's car was still in high gear as he tried to drive away.
"It's kind of tough to turn when the wheels are pointed in different directions," Stenhouse said. "I was trying to get it out of gear at the same time, trying to slow down and didn't get it (in a lower gear)."
At least going into the race, Stenhouse was in Patrick's good graces.
"He got me 18 tin cans of Godiva dark chocolate for Valentine's Day," Patrick said with a smile. "So I don't know if he's trying to butter me up or get me fat."


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I am currently working on a project that is based around an open ended story about communication and cooperation between different cultures and i am trying to get it translated into as many different languages as i can.
Can you help?
If anyone has any questions about me or the project please feel to email me at : firstname.lastname@example.com
Thank you.
The story is below:
In the centre of the ocean there is an Island and on that Island there were four men that never spoke to each other. An Astronomer, a Farmer, an Inventor and a Carpenter. Each day the Astronomer would find stories written in the stars, the Farmer would tend to his crops, the Inventor would create fascinating tools and toys, and the Carpenter would carve masterpieces out of the trees and stone.
One night whilst gazing at the stars the Astronomer saw that he could navigate his way from one end of the Island to the other using the lights in the sky. He then thought, "If I get from one side of the island to the other then why can't I go across the whole ocean?" But he realised that the ocean was very big, and to travel across it he would need lots of food for the journey. So he went to the Farmer.
A week before the Farmer was tending to his crops when a bird flying over head dropped a twig from its mouth, and it landed at the Farmers feet. When he bent down to pick it up he noticed that at the tip of the branch there was a fruit that he had never seen before. He then thought, "Maybe there is a place where there are lots of new fruit and vegetables that I could learn how farm? "
So when the Astronomer told the Farmer his plan he thought it was a great idea. But the Farmer realised that the ocean was very big and that he would need a way to get across it. So they went to the Inventor.
The Inventor was sitting in is house, surrounded by thousands of pieces of paper with thousands of inventions on them each one getting more and more complicated as they went on.
When the Astronomer and the Farmer had told him about their idea he thought; "Fantastic! I've got just the thing."
So he looked through the mountains of paper until he found one that was right at the bottom of the tallest pile.
"Got it!" Said the Inventor, "But we'll need someone to build it, lets ask the carpenter." So they went to the Carpenter.
When they got to the Carpenter he had just finished carving the most beautiful statue and the Astronomer, the Farmer and the Inventor told the Carpenter about their idea and asked him if he would build the inventors contraption. The Carpenter agreed and started work immediately.
It took them weeks, the Carpenter cut down trees and carved the wood whilst the Inventor made the right measurements. The Farmer farmed the crops and the Astronomer mapped out their journey using the stars in the sky.
They finally finished with a beautifully crafted ship, a direction to go and plenty of food to last them the journey. So they set off to explore the world together on an incredible adventure…..


text:
~Discord, I'm howling at the moon
And sleeping in the middle of a summer afternoon.
Discord, what ever did we do
To make you take our world away?
I wish that I could go
On adventures again.
Back to the TARDIS, Fighting the Daleks, Right in time Again
:33 life has its flaws
:33 but you've got a set of kitty claws!
Ponpon way-way-way~


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Thanks to the efforts of friend and Camp Fair Haven Director Tristan Starbird, I was on WHCF being interviewed about Spokes and Jokes. I was very pleased with how it went. Station manager Tom Obey and I spoke for 30-40 minutes and I wish to thank the kind people at the station for the opportunity and their support.
Here's a list of some of the encouraging developments lately:
1. One of the on-air personalities informed me that Top 40 contemporary Christian singer Mark Schultz biked across America and performed music along the way at some point. It just so happens that we have a mutual friend. I contacted the friend (Doug Johnson) and he gave me Mr. Schultz's personal email address and said he would call him and mention that I would be contacting him to pick his brain for any advice or suggestions.
2. The same on-air personality (Penny Ayer) suggested offering me a weekly call-in spot while I'm on the tour to talk about the adventure. I was quite interested. Then, after the show was over, someone called the station and asked if they would offer something like that. This person did not even know she had already suggested it to me, which we took as confirmation that we should do it. I suggested that, if they are interested, I would be glad to come on each week prior to leaving, too, beginning whenever. It would give me a chance to increase exposure to the audience I'm trying to reach an an effort to book gigs, plus talk about how the trip is developing and declare any needs or prayer requests.
3. When I got home, I had an email from someone who booked me for a show on March 2 because they heard my spot on WHCF that morning. This was particularly significant for me since I had already been offered to share a show with some other comics on that day, but refused because some of the content from the other comics wasn't going to be clean and I feel like I need to exercise better discretion in where and with whom I perform. My pastor had mentioned that sometime the public gets an impression of what someone is about by who they share company with, so I'm trying to consider that more. Certainly, I am not above hanging out with anyone. In fact, Jesus hung out with the worst of the worst, and I'm obviously no better than Him. However, simply from a marketing and branding standpoint, I think I need to be aware of such things. I do no want to be legalistic about it. Each situation needs to be evaluated on its own merits.
4. I got a call back from another pastor friend who teaches at a Calvary Chapel church in the Fairfield, Maine area. He booked a show from me for March. Things have gotten busy and I'm now pretty much booking two months ahead!
5. Another pastor friend is checking into having me at his church in Lincoln sometime in March, which will get me into another new area that I've never performed in.
6. My friend, Phil Dow, learned of my need to borrow a pickup truck and camper. He offered me his truck and is taking it upon himself to find me a camper. Man. I have awesome friends.
Those are just a few of the cool things that are happening with Spokes and Jokes, all the more cool because I had pronounced the death sentence on this adventure at the beginning of December.
My second show at Fair Haven Camps is this Saturday, January 26. I will be debuting three songs that have never been performed in public. There will be a blazing fireplace and snacks to eat along with local musician, Doug Nye as the opener.
Admission is free and donations are appreciated.


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Marketing Shavuot
The PR challenge.
Give Tzedakah! Help Aish.com create inspiring
articles, videos and blogs featuring timeless Jewish wisdom.
(18) lisa, June 12, 2011 2:37 AM
The Torah is coming..The Torah is coming!!!!
(17) Rosen, June 11, 2011 7:03 PM
Shavuot awareness
Mel Brooks' movie "History of the World: Part 1" was quite a hilarious movie. Maybe the 30th anniversary DVD collector's edition can come out?...As for marketing Shavuot in general and creating awareness, maybe more grocery stores can promote discounts on dairy products, given that dairy (as opposed to meat) is a central culinary focus for Shavuot...All in all, too bad idolatry gets marketed more than celebrating the direct event of G-d's presence during Shavuot (as well as Passover prior to). Christianity's Easter is just too much heresy when one comes to think about it, since chances are, spreading the gospel isn't G-dly. Too bad 2 million people who witnessed G-d's presence of the parting of the sea and the thunder at Sinai doesn't seem as impressive as 1 person claiming to get a revelation from the sky with Christianity as well as another in a cave with Islam.
Leslie, June 14, 2011 4:01 PM
comments about the sky and cave
It's really depressing to read your comments. As a christian, I embrace all religions, I don't make fun of them. Your comment about the sky and the cave indicate that Jews/Christians and Muslims may never find common ground. It makes me feel like giving up trying to understand others.... and jsut go with the notion that "its been going on for thousands of years, nothing will ever change". I always hoped humans were better than that.
(16) Lisbet Soda, June 9, 2011 3:28 AM
Shavuot - how to market it
I think every shul/synagogue should take up the tradition of pulling all-nighters for teens and encourage they take the following day off from high school. In order to market it successfully, parents should be supportive and letting their regular schools know they will not be attending the following day. Meanwhile, the night of staying up and studying has to be made fun. Trivia games, music, educational videos interspersed with funnier ones: lots of rich dairy treats, caffeine and creative adult leadership. High school students love any excuse to miss a day of regular school. We need to make that generation embrace the tradition so they will love it enough to continue in adult groups later. Also, how about family oriented all-night study groups with volunteers for slumber parties for younger children whose parents want to participate. I envision several different study groups for adults in the synagogue based on interest, gender or topic a lot of potluck goodies - There could be one for adults, a teen group, and one for more advanced torah students - but I do think that for both young and old, Shavuot should be promoted as a day when one stays home from work and treats it as a proper holiday. Otherwise,who is going to join in with the knowledge that work calls the next day? Tthere should be real encouragement to do so in conjunction with the all night torah study. Line up a couple of knowledgeable leaders, and even have a couple of breaks with the other groups along the evening. Such as -" we all meet for cheesecake at 2 am in the side hall, and again for some yoga stretches and a few songs at 4:30 am.". I think it is an opportunity missed to not have a meaningful, yet fun and uniquely Jewish experience/ celebration. In the past it was for orthodox men only - not very festive or inclusive. I believe it could become the annual highlight for many youth groups - a real bonding experience for all involved.
(15) Gittel, June 8, 2011 7:20 PM
Out of the mouths of Babes


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Bullion Coin Catalog > Gold > US Liberty Head Double Eagle > 1877
1877 US Liberty Head Double Eagle Gold Coin
|Coin Specifications
|Gold Content
|0.9675 oz.
|Face Value
|Liberty Head Double Eagle
|Year of Issue
Before 1850, the $10 eagles were the largest denomination US coins. As the $20 coins had twice the face value of the eagle, they came to be known as "double eagles".
Liberty Head (coronet) double eagles are categorized into three classes. Coins issued from 1877 to 1907 belong to Class III. Coronet double eagles in this class have the motto "IN GOD WE TRUST" added above the eagle on the reverse and face value denomination indicated as "TWENTY DOLLARS" instead of "TWENTY D". The Liberty Head double eagle was designed by Mint Engraver James B. Longacre. The obverse features a bust of Liberty facing left, wearing a small crown known as a coronet, inscribed with the word "LIBERTY". The reverse design features the Great Seal of the United States.
The 1877 US Liberty Head Double Eagle Gold Coin was struck by the US Mint in the year 1877 and belongs to the Liberty Head Double Eagle series of gold bullion coins. Each .900 fine gold coin contains 0.9675 troy ounce (30.0926 grams) of gold and is legal tender with a face value of $20.
Where to Buy US Liberty Head Double Eagle Gold Coins Online
You can check out the many current eBay listings below for more great deals on US Liberty Head Double Eagle Gold coins. Do bookmark this page and check back often.
Other Years in the US Gold Liberty Head Double Eagle Series
[1906] [1905] [1904] [1900] [1899] [1898] [1897] [1893] [1892] [1891] [1888] [1882] [1880] [1878] [1876] [1874] [1873] [1868] [1861] [1859] [1857] [1856] [1853]


text:
After what has been a disappointing campaign so far, the 11-3 win should do wonders for the confidence of everyone connected with the Wizards and they will be looking to use the win as a springboard for the rest of the season.
In a tight, gritty encounter, the two sides were level at the break with a penalty apiece. Fly half Jamie Davies moved ever closer to 4,000 points for the Wizards with an early kick at goal before opposite number Gareth Davies replied for Cardiff.
But in a scrappy second half, Davies' score proved crucial and when his namesake, fly half Jamie, added a second penalty, the game was up.
Even more impressively, the win was secured despite Aberavon being down to 14 men for the whole of the second half.
The other Premiership game scheduled to take place this weekend, Carmarthen Quins' visit to Newport was abandoned due to the weather.
A sodden Rodney Parade pitch was deemed unplayable and the teams will replay at a later date.


text:
CRYSTAL LAKE – Ken Frenk feels a million miles away from his wife, but all it takes is a 31-mile drive to bring her closer to the heart.
Frenk, who lost his 57-year-old wife to pancreatic cancer in November, will hold the inaugural Walk for Linda on July 14 in Lake Geneva, Wis., where some of the best memories with his wife were made.
The longtime Crystal Lake resident – now residing in Bull Valley – said that whether his wife was shopping at Cornerstone Shop & Gallery, taking a walk around the lake or visiting friends, she was always happy in Lake Geneva, which is why it was the perfect place to celebrate her memory.
"Even when we were dating, we went up there a few times. It was one of her favorite places in the world," Frenk said. "It's definitely been emotional getting ready to go there for this, but in a good way. It's been a roller-coaster."
Despite the distance, Frenk has seen strong support from friends in the Crystal Lake area along with people in the Lake Geneva community, as close to 200 people are expected at the event and more than $2,000 has been raised for pancreatic cancer research.
The event, which will start at 10 a.m., includes a 3.5-mile walk around Lake Geneva and a silent auction with prizes ranging from tickets to a Milwaukee Brewers game to golf outings and gift cards to businesses.
Katie Lesser, a friend of Frenk's wife for 24 years, said events such as Walk for Linda not only help raise money for a worthy cause, but also play an important role in the healing process.
Lesser lost her brother to cystic fibrosis 10 years ago and said the complete strangers she met at awareness walks in his honor touched her with their stories and genuine care for the cause.
"I told [Frenk] you will be pleasantly surprised by the amount of people you will meet who are eager to help," Lesser said. "It really is amazing."
Supporting research to develop better testing and treatment for pancreatic cancer has become a major passion for Frenk. He said his wife's diagnosis was shocking as they initially went to the doctor with what they thought was just gallbladder pain.
Instead, it was stage 4 pancreatic cancer, which carries a 5 percent survival rate and four- to five-month life expectancy. Frank said that form of cancer is nearly impossible to detect with current testing methods before it is advanced.
"It's very hard to detect because there are no symptoms or pain until stage 4," Frenk said. "They are looking for ways to detect it earlier, and that's where the funds are going."
The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, based in California, will be at the Lake Geneva event. Frenk is donating all proceeds to the organization.
How to help
What: Walk for Linda
When: 10 a.m. July 14
Where: Downtown Lake Geneva, Wis.
Event: Longtime McHenry County resident Ken Frenk will raise money for pancreatic cancer research in honor of his wife, Linda, whom he lost to the disease in November. Those interested in attending can sign up the day of at the event starting at 8:30 a.m.
For information about the event or how to donate, email email@example.com or call Frenk at 815-308-5308.


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The World of Warcraft is an expansive universe. You're playing the game, you're fighting the bosses, you know the how -- but do you know the why? Each week, Matthew Rossi and Anne Stickney make sure you Know Your Lore by covering the history of the story behind World of Warcraft.
Vanilla WoW may not have seemed full of story to most, but it was jam-packed with plot elements, although they were hidden from all but those who paid the closest attention to what was going on around them. Most lore in the game was simply introduced with quest text -- there were no cut scenes, there was no phasing, there were none of the innovations we currently have today in regards to the implementation of lore in gameplay.
If you missed them, I recommend going back and reading through the summaries of early days of vanilla lore. There are two versions of Act I, one for Alliance and one for Horde. Act II applies to both sides of the faction fence as the story began to merge for both sides. Please note that these are summaries of the lore that existed in game -- later novels, comics, and other material adjusted what actually happened in the scope of the game universe, and some of those novels and comics are now the official canon version of these events. I've pointed out where these changes occurred.
The end of vanilla was marked with the return of foes long thought dead and gone, and the ominous stirrings of a portal to another world.


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What Do Butterfly Wings and Renaissance Maps Have in Common?
Through some very interesting algebra Bookstein derives functions that effectively separate the global and local error into affine and nonlinear components. The functions are vector valued and if the pairing of the points that are being transformed correspond to the homologies on our two maps we have effectively modeled the difference between the two point sets as a deformation.
Thus far I have utilized this thin-plate spline method on many maps and in a study that compares the longitudinal error in the Mediterranean basin on the 1507 and 1516 World Maps by Martin Waldseemüller. The method does have significant advantages over methods such as Polynomial Warping that I used in my study, "Warping Waldseemüller: A Phenomenological and Computational Study of the 1507 World Map" (9).
I have since utilized these methods on Roman and some Medieval cartography, like Portolan charts. Using these methods one can calculate distortion grids and scale and rotation isolines.
For the historian of cartography comparing the accuracy on a modern and early map has a number of formal and logical difficulties that must be considered before the application of any cartometric process.
1. The identification of tie points on the two maps to be compared is sometimes difficult and once selected are seldom distributed evenly across the surface of the two images. The problem is essentially one of homology. Finding homologous points on two maps may seem trivial but differences in landmark or coastline shape, an incorrect assignment of place names and changing scales require insight into the target image. The selection of points is especially important when using the simplest linear models without M-estimators where results can be error distribution sensitive.
2. The accuracy and error to be tested and compared may not be a relevant concept across the whole surface of the map. Accuracy is seldom evenly distributed especially in the case of maps of small scale that may be composed from a variety of sources. Discontinuities in error from scale changes are not only scalar but are vector quantities whose direction is important to determine. Rapid changes in accuracy across map surfaces may be difficult to handle with simple linear models and are better approached using local non-linear radial basis functions whose correlations may be statistically more relevant, but mathematically more complex to program. Decisions regarding the use of local or global methods cannot usually be made ahead of time and require experimentation in order to characterize the accuracy and decide on a methodology.
3. The substrate that the map is draw or printed on may have undergone distortion through shrinking, folding, or stretching. Distortion of this sort is especially important to consider in the case of environmentally sensitive materials such as vellum. The distortion of the medium not only effects the accuracy of statistical transformations that we are trying to perform but can also obscure the intent of the cartographer.
4. Spatial association does not necessarily imply causality. The warps and correlations that we calculate using cartometric techniques give real mathematical results but these may be extremely difficult to link to any historical meaning, event or cause. Care must be taken not to over interpret the results of these calculations and not to override historical and documentary context in the rush towards accuracy measures.
5. Historical cartometry is a problem in equifinality or process convergence. Similar types of distortion may arise from different causes making it difficult to derive exact causes for particular distortion patterns.
6. Experimentation is necessary and we must be prepared to use a variety of techniques to characterize the accuracy on a single map.
In the end the researcher who would employ these methods needs to critically consider each map to be studied on a case-by-case basis and would be wise to consider the words of R.A. Skelton, which although written in a different context, can be used as model for the cautions we must recognize in historical cartometry.
(3) Brian Harley, "Concepts in the History of Cartography: A Review and Perspective," Cartographica 17 (1980): 54.
(5) C.G. Small, "Techniques of Shape Analysis on Sets of Points," International Statistical Review 56 (1988): 243-257.
(6) Tomoki Nakaya, "Statistical Inferences in Bi-dimensional Regression Models," Geographical Analysis 29 (1997): 169-185.
(7)P.J. Huber, "Robust Estimation of a Location Parameter," Annals of Mathematical Statistics 35 (1964): 73-101 and Robust Statistics (New York: John Wiley, 1981) see also F. Hampel, Contributions to the Theory of Robust Estimation, PhD Thesis (Berkeley: University of California, 1968).
(8) Fred Bookstein, "Principal Warps: Thin-Plate Splines and the Decomposition of Deformations", IEEE Transactions on Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence 11 (1989): 567-585 and Christopher G. Small, The Statistical Theory of Shape (Berlin: Springer-Verlag, 1996) 110
(10) Timothy R. Wallace and Charles van der Hanvel, "Truth and Accountability in Geographic and Historical Visualizations", Cartographic Journal 42 (2005): 173-181.
(11) A. Braddeley, "Stochastic Geometry: an introduction and reading list," International Statistical Review 50 (1982): 179-193.


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Connie S. Ranard, 67
Connie S. Ranard, 67, of Spencer, passed away at her residence on Friday, May 11, 2012. She was born in Linton to Virgil and Florence (Hays) Buckner on June 8, 1944. She was a 1962 graduate of Linton High School. Connie was a member of Delta Theta Tau Sorority in Spencer and the Church of Christ on East Morgan Street. She loved spending time with her family, especially her grandchildren. Watching them in their sporting events was a highlight in her life.
Mrs. Ranard is survived by her husband of 49 years, Dick Ranard; son and daughter-in-law, Brent and Angie Ranard; and two grandchildren, Gunnar and Morgan Ranard, all of Spencer.
She was preceded in death by her parents; brother, Fred Buckner; and sister, Sandra Schneider.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m., Wednesday, May 16, 2012 at West & Parrish & Pedigo Funeral Home. Bro. Gary Fiscus will officiate. Burial will be private at Dugger Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 4:00-8:00 p.m., Tuesday, and one hour prior to the service on Wednesday.
Online condolences may be made to the family at: www.westparrishpedigo.com.
© 2009-2018 Spencer Evening World, Inc. | Privacy Policy
No commercial reproduction without written consent.
Electronic reproduction of any kind forbidden without written consent.


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National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Summer Institute in Science, Technology, Engineering and Research (SISTER)
The program takes place for one week each year during the Summer, July 8-12, 2013, Monday-Friday from 8:30am to 4:00pm at GSFC. It is sponsored by the Equal Opportunity Programs Office and The Education Programs Office.The application deadline is April 26, 2013 at midnight EST
Program information
The SISTER program is designed to increase awareness of and provide an opportunity for female middle school students to be exposed to and explore nontraditional career fields with GSFC women engineers, mathematicians, scientists, technicians and researchers. The objectives of the program include introducing young women to a technical working environment; acquainting students with GSFC missions; providing an awareness of educational programs and internships available during high school, undergraduate and graduate study; providing observations and experiences with real hands-on projects researched and developed by women at GSFC. The SISTER program components include such activities as women scientist, engineers, technicians, researchers, and mathematicians as mentors; women speakers in various fields at GSFC; women entrepreneur role models; multicultural experiences; a tour of facilities; building and launching rockets; hands-on science experiments; and written communication experiences; and interpersonal and human relations skills building.
For additional info please contact:
Sarah Brown or Marian Carson
gov/sister/GSFC-SISTER@mail. nasa.gov


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Van Gaal's finest hour
As Louis van Gaal is confirmed as the new manager of Manchester United, take a look back at the Dutchman's finest hour, winning the 1995 Champions League final with Ajax. We have video highlights, an in-depth review and the memories of Sky Sports' Martin Tyler
By Peter Fraser - Follow me on Twitter @PeteFraser_
Last Updated: 19/05/14 2:39pm
The sight of an animated Louis van Gaal leaping around the touchline at the Ernst-Happel-Stadion gave an indication of the magnitude of the 1995 UEFA Champions League final for Ajax. This was the year when the kids proved their class.
An 18-year-old Patrick Kluivert, who has been a member of Van Gaal's coaching staff with the Netherlands, won the game for an Ajax side with an average age of just 23. The striker's 84th minute goal secured a 1-0 win in Vienna as the Dutch club again stunned Fabio Capello's defending champions, AC Milan, having already beaten them home and away in the group stages.
It was an immense achievement for Van Gaal, his diamond formation and a team mixed of established greats, such as ex-Milan man Frank Rijkaard, and soon-to-be stars Edwin van der Sar, Clarence Seedorf, Edgar Davids, Jari Litmanen, Marc Overmars, brothers Frank and Ronald de Boer and substitute Nwankwo Kanu.
However, Van Gaal would later reflect: "Well, I was not surprised. I had said we could win it before the 1994/95 season started. Just as I refuse to believe a Dutch club will never win the Champions League again, as some people claim. That is ridiculous!"
Not only was the 1995 final an engrossing game of tactics but it also marked a changing era in European football as an Academy-sourced Ajax returned to power. In contrast, it would be the last time for eight seasons the dominant force of Milan would reach a Champions League final.
The match is also remembered for those Van Gaal antics on the sidelines, where, enraged by referee Ion Craciunescu's refusal to award a free-kick for a head-high Marcel Desailly challenge on Litmanen, the manager mimicked the on-field action by performing an eye-catching karate-kick.
But Kluivert's goal, 14 minutes after he entered the game as a substitute, will be many people's lasting memory. He received a pass from Rijkaard, squeezed between Milan captain Franco Baresi and Zvonimir Boban and poked a left-footed finish past goalkeeper Sebastiano Rossi. At 18 years and 327 days, he was, and is, the youngest player to have scored in a Champions League final.
Kluivert went on to join Milan in 1997 and has said of his goal: "I think about that moment a lot. It was the turning point for a teenager who was on the periphery. It without a doubt changed things for me greatly."
Ajax would again reach the final in 1996 but they lost on penalties to Juventus and their young squad began to join other European clubs on their respective roads to superstardom. The 1995 Champions League win remains Van Gaal's finest hour.
"I did this game for Australian broadcaster SBS in Vienna, which is always an interesting city to visit. But you have to try to keep off the chocolate cakes (which are the best in the world)! The match was quite a romantic story, because Ajax were beginning to feel the pinch of their production-line players moving on to other clubs. But they still managed to beat a side who had won the trophy so comprehensively the year before. However, former Milan player Rijkaard set up the winning goal for Kluivert so two generations combined, which was special. As for Milan, they were the holders and it started the run of sides being unable to retain the Champions League - a statistic that remains to this day."


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1. Re: Need opinion on type sizeDov Isaacs Aug 30, 2011 9:37 AM (in response to amebade05)
There are a few issues here.
(1) The readabilitly of type at a certain point size, especially small sizes, depends primarily on the typeface you select. 5 point Helvetica (a fairly plain sans serif face) is much easier to read than 5 point Bodoni. Italic or oblique styles are much harder to read at smaller point sizes.
(2) With text at small sizes, be careful about what color you print. The most legible would be 100% black with no other colors. Once you get involve with any tints or combination of colors, you have to deal with the visual results of halftoning and even more so, registration of inks. If you are reverse printing, i.e. white on a background color, make sure that you use a bold style or else your text may be illegible and the darker the background color, the better.
(3) The product may be for a younger crowd, but you should not assume that all young people have perfect vision. I know plenty of younger people wearing bifocal and trifocal lens glasses. And if the information you need to print is critical to proper use of the product, making difficult to read for persons who don't have excellent vision can expose you to legal problems.
This sounds a little crazy, but what I would do is to take your design, printed at the final size, and give it to some older people, especially some obviously wearing glasses, and ask them about readibility of your design. Better yet, produce a few samples with different typefaces and styles and see the reactions.
- Dov
2. Re: Need opinion on type sizeamebade05 Aug 30, 2011 9:45 AM (in response to Dov Isaacs)
'Tis all I needed to know. Thanks Sir!
3. Re: Need opinion on type sizejoshmack Apr 28, 2012 5:52 AM (in response to amebade05)
Hello, I am really glad to find that here.
This will also help me in my project.
Thank you!


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"Every child has a right to learn something new every day."
That philosophy has guided Ann Adrian's career in education. She believes every child should be challenged in the classroom and encouraged to succeed. Her advocacy for and years spent working in the field of gifted education have earned her a 2014 "Woman of the Year" award.
"Ann believes that children need to be encouraged and supported in order to do their best, and those at the top of their class deserve that just as much as those at the base or in the middle," said nominator Sharon Cranston, a fellow educator and past "Woman of the Year" winner. "The energy she has expended is what sets her apart from other women in education."
Adrian said her family instilled in her the values of education at an early age. Her mother was even a graduate of the Washburn Law School in 1940.
"It's just a part of me," she said. "Education is just a definite thing that I feel is worth pursuing."
She graduated from Washburn University, taught in Topeka while her husband went to law school, and moved to Newton in 1972. She began working on a master's at Wichita State University and developed a passion for working with gifted students, whose educational needs are sometimes overlooked. She later served as the coordinator of the extended learning program at USD 373.
She has served as a leader in the state gifted organization and has been honored as a gifted education advocate. She worked on the Kansas Department of Education Task Force to publish "Effective Practices for Gifted Education in Kansas" in 2001.
"I got to observe up close and personal the energy and dedication she put forth on behalf of the gifted services in our school district," said Sherri Rawlins, who met Adrian in the 1980s through Newton public schools. "... Ms. Adrian is committed to assuring that all gifted children were recognized for their gifts and talents, researching new models of gifted education and bringing that knowledge to her work in USD 373."
After Adrian retired from Newton, she continued as a consultant across the state, including helping redesign Dodge City's gifted education services. This year she is back in Newton working part time as a consultant in gifted education services for the Harvey County Special Education Coop.
She also has been involved with Trinity Heights United Methodist Church, Girl Scouts and the Women's Community Fund. She is a new member of the library board and an advocate for the library's long-time dream of constructing a new building.
"The library can be so much for the community," she said. "It can be a hub. It's the heart of education."
She said she is honored to be a recipient of one of this year's "Woman of the Year" awards and to join the group of women honored throughout the award's history.
"They model a fantastic community spirit in their own unique ways, and it was nice to be part of that," she said.


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SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) - Apple Inc. posted flat earnings for its first fiscal quarter on Wednesday afternoon, slightly beating Wall Street's expectations despite a revenue line that was a little weaker than expected. For the period ended Dec. 29, Apple AAPL, +0.23% reported net income of $13.1 billion, or $13.81 per share, compared to net income of $13.1 billion, or $13.87 per share, for the same period the previous year. Revenue jumped 18% to $54.5 billion. Total iPhone shipments in the period were 47.8 million. Analysts were expecting earnings of $13.48 per share on revenue of $55 billion, according to consensus estimates from FactSet.
Read the full story: Apple below $500 after hours on weak view


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We likely don't have to tell you the details of the Corvette ZR1's LS9 engine, but just in case, it's a 6.2-liter (376ci) mill that's force-fed by a 2.3-liter Roots-type supercharger using Eaton's twin-vortex, four-lobe rotor design. It's a relatively simple recipe that delivers 638 hp and 604 lb-ft of torque, making for one of the sweetest combinations in the history of internal combustion.
Of course, there's also a 7.0-liter (427ci) engine in the Corvette arsenal, in the form of the Z06's LS7. It's only logical to wonder what would happen if you married the big blower from the LS9 with the larger displacement of the LS7.
The Detroit-area LS-engine gurus at Thomson Automotive did more than bench-race about that "what if"-they acted on it, building a 7.0L engine with that factory supercharger setup. It was commissioned by Germany-based American auto enthusiast Ron Flatt, who wanted the engine for a '67 Corvette project destined for eyebrow-raising-and Porsche-stomping-runs on the Autobahn.
For a number of reasons, Thomson didn't simply bolt the LS9 blower onto an LS7 crate engine. Instead, the company built a custom bottom end that would support the projected 700-plus horsepower that the additional 51 cubic inches of displacement would provide.
"The LS7 is an excellent engine, but it has a very high compression ratio that's not compatible with a higher-boost supercharger setup," says Brian Thomson, president of Thomson Automotive. "There were other things we wanted to do to ensure an optimal balance of performance and safe, pump-gas driveability without the fear of detonation-and because it was ultimately being shipped to Germany, we wanted to make sure it was as durable as possible."
The details of the buildup are found below, but highlights include the following:
An iron LSX cylinder block from GM Performance Parts
An all-forged rotating assembly with low-compression 9.0:1 pistons
Custom piston oil squirters in the cylinders
GMPP's new LSX-LS9 cylinder heads
A custom, smaller-diameter blower pulley to spin the blower faster and generate boost comparable to factory LS9 levels on the larger-capacity 7.0L engine
On Thomson's engine dyno, the combination's best performance was 710 horses and 780 lb-ft of torque, with about 12 pounds of boost. We witnessed the dyno test, and what we found just as impressive as the engine's peak numbers was its overall tractability.
Thomson picked a sweetheart of a camshaft that delivers the idle characteristics of a stock engine, but spits out ever-bigger numbers as the revs climb. It's only been within the last five years or so that such performance has been attainable with daily-driveable traits. This engine doesn't stutter or stumble at idle, it doesn't "lay down" at certain rpm levels, and it's not tuned on the ragged edge to make its impressive numbers.
"Germany isn't exactly across town or even in the next state, so we won't be able to service the engine easily," says Thomson. "We went probably a little more conservative than normal on the tuning to make sure the customer wouldn't have any worries. But we think the numbers are still pretty good."
So do we. Here's a closer look at how they were achieved:
LSX Block And Blower Compatibility
Although it would seem logical to start with the LS7 engine itself for a supercharged 7.0-liter buildup, its hypereutectic (cast) 11:1 pistons would have to be replaced-as would its featherweight titanium connecting rods, which aren't designed to support the expected output of the combination.
So, rather than tear down an expensive LS7 and discard most of its rotating parts, Thomson started with GMPP's LSX iron block and machined it for 4.125-inch bores. The LS7 does come with an admirably strong forged crankshaft, but again, because Thomson was starting from scratch, he used a forged crank from Callies. As for the rods and pistons, they were sourced from Oliver and Diamond, respectively, the latter featuring a friction-reducing skirt coating and a heat-resistant top coating.
Another reason Thomson didn't use the factory LS7 to start with was the heads. Although they're respected for their cavernous ports and straight pathways to the combustion chambers, they aren't compatible with the intake ports of the LS9 supercharger manifold. Consequently, there was no choice but to use LS9 heads. Thomson did, however, manage to up the ante by procuring an early set of new LSX-LS9 heads from GMPP (PN 19213963). They're based on the stock LS9 piece, but feature a six-bolt-per-cylinder design that provides significantly greater clamping strength than the stockers' four bolts per cylinder. That's important for preventing head gasket failure under higher boost.
It's true that LS9 heads don't flow as much as LS7 units, but that's not a detriment in this project, because when the boost level is up, the blower is supplying all the airflow the heads can manage. And fortunately, the LS9 heads are based on the excellent L92 design, with the addition of swirl-inducing wings cast into the intake ports for better mixture motion. The valvetrain consists of 2.16-inch titanium intake valves, and Thomson inserted 1.59-inch Inconel exhaust valves (in place of the sodium-filled stockers). Standard springs, retainers, and pushrods were used.
Capping the 7.0-liter long block, of course, is that Eaton twin-vortex blower. Its four-lobe rotor design delivers a quasi-screw-type profile, helping the blower deliver better low-end torque and high-end horsepower-the areas were Roots blowers are typically the weakest.
Dyno Testing And Conclusion
Testing was conducted using an E67 controller and blowing through stock LS7 exhaust manifolds. It was immediately clear the extra volume of the 7.0-liter engine was a factor to contend with. With the stock supercharger drive pulley, the blower could only deliver about 5 pounds of boost to the larger-diameter cylinders.
It was a baseline, to be sure, but even with that, the engine spit out about the same power as a stock LS9-at only half the boost. A new, smaller pulley was quickly milled, and the testing resumed. The results were more impressive: 710 hp and 780 lb-ft of torque. That's more than 70 additional horses and a whopping 176 more lb-ft from an engine that's only about 13.5 percent larger in displacement. In fact, that 780 lb-ft figure represents nearly 30 percent more torque than the already robust stock LS9-and that's what you really feel with this engine.
Think about all the superlatives and hyperbole used in magazine stories over the years to describe a combination with "earth moving" torque, and they still come up short next to this engine. Without a doubt, a super-strong transmission and rear axle would be must-haves with this monster.
We're looking forward to getting a look at the owner's Corvette project when it's completed. It's bound to discourage more than a few Porsche pilots on the Autobahn.
View a video of this engine on the dyno at www.thomsonautomotive.com.
Thomson's Flexplate Solution
GM Performance Parts' LSX454 crate engine and the supercharged LSA crate engine each use a crankshaft with an eight-bolt rear hub that doesn't match the standard six-bolt pattern of conventional GM automatic transmission flexplates-including the popular Hydra-Matic 4L80-E. To address this issue, Thomson Automotive designed a flexplate kit that features a factory GM eight-bolt flexplate and a custom-machined adapter hub. The flexplate is also modified to accommodate the bolt patterns of popular aftermarket torque converters.


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Archaeologists were taken aback. It was extremely rare in ancient Egypt for an elite tomb to be shared by two men of apparently equal standing. The usual practice was for such mortuary temples to be the resting place of one prominent man, his wife and children.But wait. There's an alternate theory: they were conjoined twins.
And it was most unusual for a couple of the same sex to be depicted locked in an embrace. In other scenes, they are also shown holding hands and nose-kissing, the favored form of kissing in ancient Egypt.
"The gay-couple idea is essentially derived from imposing modern preoccupations on ancient materials and not attending to the cultural context."