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Tower shareholders have been targeted three times in just three months by an Australian company making offers to buy their shares well below the market value.
Stock and Share Trading wrote to Tower investors twice in June and again in August offering to buy their shares for between $1 and $1.30.
Tower's shares were trading at around $1.56 in June and $1.76 in August.
According to the insurance company 737 shareholders have sold 282,420 shares to the Australian company so far. That is likely to have netted Stock and Share Trading over $100,000.
Shareholders in Rural Equities, which is listed on the Unlisted stock exchange, have also been hit three times in the last year.
Chairman David Cushing said in excess of 100,000 Rural Equities shares had been sold to Stock and Share Trading. The latest offer was paying $2.30 - considerably less than the $3.25 they traded at on the Unlisted market.
Cushing has described it as an abysmal market practice.
It's not illegal but there are law changes afoot to try and make it harder for low-ball offers to go ahead.
In the meantime, given the offers seem to be fairly profitable, there is unlikely to be any let up.
Fonterra wasn't able to make any comments around the forthcoming listing of its Fonterra Shareholders Fund at Wednesday's result briefing as it is now into the black-out period.
But Stock Takes understands analysts have been asked to get their draft reports on the fund together by the end of this week indicating a prospectus might not be far off.
Prospectuses are typically released around six weeks ahead of a listing so potential investors could expect to see some paperwork next month.
Leaving it any longer would run the offer too close to the dire Christmas holiday period where virtually everyone shuts up shop.
Investors don't want to be thinking about whether to plough money into something when they are chewing over their glazed ham.
The Fonterra fund is expected to attract at least $500 million which is tiny in comparison to the dairy giant itself. Fonterra is expected to lean heavily on its international brand and marketing to raise money but others that are not so well known have to try different techniques.
Beer brand Moa, which is being shopped around fund managers to test interest for a potential share market listing, tried to rev up interest with a boys' day out.
Potential clients were invited for some car racing at Hampton Downs followed by clay-pigeon shooting.
All that excitement would then have required a beer to finish off the day.
But whether it turns out to be a good investment is undecided.
Moa chairman Geoff Ross made his name by selling vodka brand 42Below to Bacardi in 2006 for $138 million.
But that strategy has yet to play out with his other business - candle retailer and body products maker Ecoya.
As one fund manager pointed out, it's all about the marketing.
Fisher & Paykel Appliances shareholders should receive the official offer documents from Haier in the post today or tomorrow.
The document has some pretty strong messages in it, including a front page with the biggest word on it being ACCEPT.
One of Haier's arguments for accepting is that the share price of appliances will fall dramatically if the offer does not go ahead.
Market expectations are that Haier will get to at least 51 per cent but is unlikely to obtain the whole company as some investors will hold out for more money regardless of what the independent report states.
It will be interesting to see if AMP and the Accident Compensation Corporation sell out once the report is released.
They could be seen to be doing a disservice to their investors if they don't sell and the share price plummets.
Another one to watch will be former chairman Gary Paykel.
Fisher and Paykel shares closed unchanged yesterday at $1.19.
The offer period closes on November 6.
One company that felt the after-effects of a failed takeover bid is Auckland International Airport.
Shares in the company have never returned to the highs they obtained during two failed takeover bids in 2007.
The airport was trading at $2.18 at the start of 2007 and then rose to $3.38 by July after Dubai Aerospace offered $3.80 per share for 60 per cent of the company.
Dubai withdrew its bid after negative feedback from the Government and the share price began to fall.
A second bid by a Canadian pension scheme in November to buy 40 per cent at $3.65 did not arrest the decline - by January the following year the shares were back down to $2.85.
The Canada offer was vetoed by the Government as the airport was considered too important to sell. The company's shares were this week trading around $2.63 and they closed on $2.63 yesterday.
Auckland Airport is expected to make an announcement soon on who its new boss will be.
Chief financial officer Simon Robertson has been acting chief executive since Simon Moutter left several months ago to take up the reins at Telecom.
Robertson is not widely expected to take over the top job permanently.
But one name from the past is being talked about as a possibility.
Former chief financial officer Robert Sinclair left the airport in 2008 to go to a job as chief executive of Bristol International Airport.
Could the ex-pat Kiwi be enticed back to his former stomping ground?
Other suggestions are that it could be someone with property experience given the airport has a lot of land ripe for development.
Two other major listed companies are in the process of chief executive handovers.
Fletcher Building chief executive Jonathan Ling had his farewell shindig at the Auckland Art Gallery on Tuesday night and is expected to have winged his way back to Melbourne by now.
Meanwhile, long-standing Air New Zealand boss Rob Fyfe will face his final annual general meeting today.
Both Ling and Fyfe's replacements are expected to have a strong focus on the bottom line.
New Telecom boss Simon Moutter is also expected to make cut-backs, leaving market players expecting more job cuts and potential factory closures from New Zealand's top level corporates.


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WASHINGTON — Massachusetts Democrats in Congress are digging in against cuts to benefit programs as part of any deal to avert an impending fiscal crisis, reflecting the difficult calculus facing President Obama as he negotiates with Republicans.
Members of the Bay State's House delegation — all Democrats — said they are wrestling with conflicting impulses. They want to avoid the blow to the economy that would result from hitting the so-called "fiscal cliff," the spending cuts and tax hikes that automatically kick in at year's end if lawmakers cannot come up with a better plan.
But they said in interviews this week that they are unwilling to support cuts to Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid that would erode these safety-net benefits, which the Democratic Party has defended for decades. Representative James P. McGovern of Worcester said Obama and Democrats are facing a "moment of truth'' in the next few weeks that will test the party's commitment to core principles.
"I want Democrats to act like Democrats,'' he said.
While much of Washington's attention has been focused on Republican opposition to raising the tax rates for the wealthy, Democrats' opposition to cutting benefit programs looms equally large. To win passage of any House deal, leaders will need to cobble together a broad coalition, and Democratic defections could scuttle any pact.
McGovern and other Democrats are opposing such proposals as raising the eligibility age for Medicare from 65 to 67 or slashing Medicaid spending. They also reject a plan to link Social Security benefits to a more conservative inflation index, which is expected to slightly reduce annual increases. All of these concepts are being entertained to varying degrees on Capitol Hill and had been reported to be under consideration by Obama at various points during his first term.
Democrats also are increasingly concerned about a rush to a deal. Private talks between administration officials and congressional leaders, McGovern said, might produce an 11th-hour pact before Jan. 1 that harms the elderly and the poor in ways that have not been fully discussed in public hearings.
"I'm worried,'' said McGovern. "Even if it's a bad deal, the pressure on Democrats to cave will be enormous.''
Massachusetts Democrats are especially adamant that Social Security not be touched, because it is not contributing to the deficit and the Social Security trust fund is projected to be solvent through 2033.
Cuts to Social Security "would not go down well,'' said Representative Richard E. Neal of Springfield, a member of the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee. "I would say to the president: Hold your nerve. Hold your nerve and keep negotiating.''
The Democrats' opposition to benefit cuts, combined with Republican hostility to tax rate increases, has created the sense in Washington this week that a quick deal may be more elusive than Obama and congressional leaders signaled after Obama's reelection two weeks ago.
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner went to Capitol Hill Thursday to offer Republicans a plan with tax increases of $1.6 trillion over a decade and various cuts that included $400 billion in health and retirement programs but did not achieve any breakthroughs. In fact, the opposite appeared true.
"Despite the claims that the president supports a balanced approach, the Democrats have yet to get serious about real spending cuts," House Speaker John A. Boehner said Thursday as he announced "no substantive progress'' in the talks.
Democrats and Republicans alike profess to seek long-term changes in Medicare that would improve its economic health. Current projections say it will be insolvent, without changes, by 2024. But some Democrats say there are a range of changes and reforms to save money that stop short of raising the eligibility age, such as money-saving tweaks promoting homecare and coordinated care and cracking down on fraud.
Massachusetts Democrats said they did not want to be rushed into accepting major entitlement cuts that, in their view, would not help the economy and would only harm the middle class.
Although the delegation was united on a hands-off approach to Social Security, some differences emerged surrounding the more critical problem of how to preserve Medicare. Representative Edward J. Markey of Malden, the longest-serving of the Massachusetts delegation, opposes raising the Medicare age of eligibility. Representative Michael E. Capuano of Somerville, however, said he is open to raising the age as long as the eventual deal raises tax rates on the wealthy.
Neal said he would consider raising the eligibility age of Medicare by one month a year. He said cracking down harder on fraud in Medicare could save $60 billion a year in savings.
Each lawmaker interviewed was willing to consider higher Medicare premium payments for the wealthy and other such "means-testing'' options.
Democrats contend they have the upper hand in negotiations, a position they believe will only get stronger if no deal is reached before the end of the year. If tax cuts for all Americans are allowed to expire at midnight on Dec. 31, as scheduled, then Democrats would quickly introduce legislation to restore the cuts for 98 percent of the people and leave out the wealthy. Republicans would face intense pressure to pass such legislation.
Democrats are hopeful that even the threat of that scenario will force Republicans to accept a "baby grand bargain" on taxes before year's end, while delaying consideration of changes to entitlement benefit programs until 2013, Markey said.
"I don't want to go off the cliff, but I don't want a deal at the expense of the middle class,'' he said.
Senator John Kerry did not respond directly when asked for his view on entitlements but said in an e-mailed statement that "Republicans have to get serious about revenues and get precise. I've heard a lot of vague talk about closing loopholes, but I want to see what loopholes they're talking about and what revenues they're talking about.''
Adding to the Democrats' sense of strength is a belief that the fiscal cliff is actually a "fiscal slope.'' The impact of extracting an estimated $500 billion from the economy — in the form of expiring tax cuts and automatic "sequestration'' spending cuts agreed to in 2011 — would not come all at once; rather, it would be spread over the course of 2013. There would still be time to act to repair the damage in the early part of the year, although a message of continued gridlock could roil markets sooner.Christopher Rowland can be reached at crowland@
globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @GlobeRowland.

subset: commoncrawl


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What Can I Possibly Say About Sandy Hook?
As a mother, and as a writer, I can't find the words.
-April Daniels Hussar
I feel that it's important to address here the devastating events of Friday afternoon — the senseless loss of 26 lives; 20 of them little children — but I find I simply don't have any words.
I could try to express the horror I know so many of us continue to feel; try to describe the overwhelming urge I had to drive over to my daughter's school on Friday and bring her home as soon as I read about the senseless killing in a place that should be sacred, and safe. I could try to write about the underlying, almost overwhelming sadness I felt all weekend as I went about those regular, lovely pre-Christmas activities with my family, trying not to think too much about the suffering and loss of that community so close to my own … or about the fear and anger and heartache my mom friends expressed at our holiday get-together … or about the similar emotions that came up all weekend on my Facebook feed … or about the enormous difficulty of forcing myself to do morning drop-off today as if nothing had happened, as if I'm secure in the knowledge that I'll safely be able to pick my baby up this afternoon … about the tears and hug I shared with a mom I've never met as we walked away from the building where we had just left the biggest part of our selves.
But it all just seems woefully insufficient. I don't know how to draw any conclusion, or find any deeper meaning. I know I can't bear to click on the photos of the lost ones just yet, and I haven't listened to the President's address; I don't think I can bear it.
So, today, as we go about our lives and our daily occupations, I can only say that a piece of my heart will be with the families of Sandy Hook. I will try to focus on the good in the world, on my gratitude, on the blessing of having had to pack a lunch and look for a matching mitten this morning, and focus on work until it's time for the school bell to ring.
April Daniels Hussar is BettyConfidential's Editorial Director. You can chat with her on Twitter @aprilhussar.


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Browse by Medical Category
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Denosumab increases bone density, cuts fracture risk in prostate cancer survivors
Twice-yearly treatment with denosumab, a new targeted therapy to stop bone loss, increased bone density and prevented spinal fractures in men receiving androgen-deprivation therapy for prostate cancer. The report from an international research study, the first to document reduced fracture risk in men receiving the hormone-blocking treatment, appeared in the August 20 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
"Androgen-deprivation therapy is the standard treatment for men with locally advanced, recurrent and metastatic prostate cancer; but many active men who have been successfully treated for their cancer develop debilitating bone fractures as a result," says Matthew Smith, MD, PhD, of the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, who led the study as part of the Denosumab HALT Prostate Cancer Study Group. "The results of this study should be critically important in improving the quality of life of thousands of prostate cancer survivors."
About one third of the two million prostate cancer survivors in the U.S. currently receive androgen-deprivation therapy, which blocks the release of testosterone. Several medications used to treat osteoporosis, including the drugs called bisphosphonates, have been shown to reduce androgen-deprivation-related bone loss in men in earlier small clinical studies, but none of those trials were adequate to demonstrate reduced fracture risk. Denosumab- a fully human monoclonal antibody that blocks the action of osteoclasts, the cells that break down bone in the normal process of bone remodeling- is also being investigated to prevent fractures in women with osteoporosis. The current study was a Phase 3 trial supporting the application for FDA approval filed by Amgen Inc., the primary sponsor of the NEJM report.
Men undergoing androgen-deprivation therapy for nonmetastatic prostate cancer were enrolled at 156 centers in North America and Europe and randomly assigned to receive injections of either denosumab or a placebo every six months for three years. Participants were also instructed to take daily calcium and vitamin D supplements during the study period. Among the more than 900 participants who completed the study, denosumab significantly increased bone density at all the monitored sites- including the lumbar spine, total hip and femoral neck- and reduced new vertebral fractures by 62 percent. Bone density at the radius, one of the bones in the forearm, also increased in the treatment group, an improvement not seen with other osteoporosis drugs. Few adverse events were associated with treatment, and there were no reports of osteonecrosis of the jaw, a problem reported in some patients taking bisphosphonates.
"Denosumab is an important new therapy to prevent painful fractures in prostate cancer survivors," Smith says. "An ongoing clinical trial will also evaluate whether denosumab prevents spread of prostate cancer to bone, the most common site of metastases in men with this disease."
Along with the Amgen grant, the study received support from the National Institutes of Health and the Prostate Cancer Foundation. Additional co-authors of the NEJM article include Benjamin Leder, MD, Mass General Endocrinology; Blair Egerdie, MD, Urology Associates, Kitchener, Ontario; Narciso Hernandez Toriz, MD; Centro Medico Nacional Siglo XXI, Mexico City; Robert Feldman, MD, Connecticut Clinical Research Center, Middlebury; Tuevo Tammela, MD, Tempere University Hospital, Finland; Fred Saad, MD, Central Hospital of the University of Montreal; Jiri Heracek, MD, PhD, Androgeos, Prague, Czech Republic; Maciej Szwedowski, MD, Wojewodzkie Centrum Medyczne, Opole, Poland; and Chunlei Ke, PhD, Amy Kupic, MA, and Carsten Goessl, MD, Amgen, Inc.
Back to Top


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On September 22, 1941, the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra perform in Norton Hall for Pep Week. Dorsey's entourage included a young Frank Sinatra and drummer Buddy Rich.
The event was apparently well attended but received little coverage in the Bee Student newspaper.
Tommy Dorsey, the "sentimental gentleman" and his orchestra were in Buffalo, N.Y. for a week long engagement at Shea's Buffalo starting on Friday, September 19th. (see "Comes Tommy Dorsey" Buffalo Courier-Express, 19 September 1941)
It's interesting to note that Sinatra, only in his mid-20's at the time, was just a "featured" performer and not the main attraction.
Added entertainers for the Shea's shows included Paul Winchell, "world's greatest ventriloquist," and the Condos Brothers, dancing stars.
Both Tommy Dorsey and Frank Sinatra made good use of their time in Buffalo, N.Y. as both made in-store appearances at Rab's Record Store, located at 1672 Main St, meeting their fans and signing autographs.
Ace trombonist and band will be
at Buffalo Friday
Tommy Dorsey, "the sentimental gentleman," and his orchestra, with all his radio and stage entertainers including Frank Sinatra, Buddy Rich, Ziggy Elman, Connie Haines and the Pied Pipers, will be seen on the stage at Shea's Buffalo starting Friday. Added features will be Paul Winchell, "world's greatest ventriloquist," and the Condos Brothers, dancing stars. On the screen will be Dr. Kildare's Wedding Day, with Lew Ayres, Laraine Day, Red Skelton and Lionel Barrymore.
Tommy Dorsey and his orchestra have appeared in many outstanding hotels, theaters and night spots. His fame has been enhanced by several national radio hook-ups. His records especially are in demand. He also is known as one of the greatest of all trombone players.
Among the better known engagements of Dorsey and his orchestra have been the Astor Roof in New York, the Palmer Hotel in Chicago, the Canadian National Exposition in Toronto and the famous Meadowbrook Country Club in New Jersey.
— Buffalo Courier-Express, September 17, 1941


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On Monday morning, a wildfire was continuing to burn across a dry lake bed of Halfmoon Lake in the Ocala National Forest.
A campfire has been blamed for a 400-plus-acre wildfire that continued to burn Monday in the dry bed of Halfmoon Lake in the Ocala National Forest, just south of State Road 40.
The fire, which ignited late Sunday, burned dry brush across the southern lake bed near the Lake in the Forest RV Resorts, a snowbird campground 20 miles east of Ocala.
Firefighters from three agencies — U.S. Forest Service, Florida Forest Service and Marion Fire Rescue — battled the blaze Monday, keeping it in the lake bed and away from the campground of RVs and cabins.
Officials set backfires to burn dry underbrush near the campground, off Southeast 183rd Avenue Road, to keep the fire under control. The campground is at the end of the limerock Southeast 44th Street, just east of 183rd.
Area residents should expect smoky conditions along SR 40 and surrounding roadways for days, according to Ludie Bond, a Florida Forest Service spokeswoman speaking on behalf of the U.S. Forest Service.
Though the fire was only 60 percent contained, which means fire lines have been plowed around 60 percent of its perimeter, officials said Monday it was under control.
U.S. Forest Service District Ranger Mike Herrin said the blaze was started by a primitive campfire. Such fires were banned recently because of dry conditions. A primitive campfire is one a person makes on the ground and is not set in an approved fire pit, or in fire rings located at most federal campgrounds.
Herrin said there were signs that somebody tried to put the fire out after it got away from them. The U.S. Forest Service's investigative team was still following leads to determine who started the blaze.
Herrin warned that residents who start a wildfire — even if unintentionally — can be charged criminally and/or be required to pay for the property damage and the cost to the departments to put out the blaze.
Herrin said officials feel like "we have a better chance to contain this one" compared with the Hopkins Prairie fire in early March.
Herrin said that fire, which destroyed 10 homes and a dozen out buildings, was also caused by a primitive campfire.
A spark from that fire south of Salt Springs, just west of State Road 19, ignited the forest. Driven by wind, the fire raced east toward Lake George, jumping SR 19.
The U.S. Attorney's Office in Atlanta is reviewing the case and charges could be filed, Herrin said Monday. He could not provide more details until the investigation is complete.
Fire officials said they can keep the current blaze under control as long as conditions stay the way they are. It continues to burn in muck where firefighters cannot reach the fire.
They were completing fire lines around what, before the drought, used to be the shore line of Halfmoon Lake. Fire officials said they were setting blazes ahead of the fire, or what is called back burning. They hope to burn off the last 60 acres. In the end, 500 acres will have burned, officials estimate.
The U.S. Forest Service helicopter Fire Guard 1 was flying over the smoky blaze to map the acreage and help with the tactical approach. Herrin said it has been years since Halfmoon Lake actually had water at the burn site.
"We need tropical storms and hurricanes so it will fill up again," he said.
Since Jan. 1 at Marion County's official rain gauge in Ocala, only 3.58 inches of rain have been measured — 8 inches below normal for that time. Since the county is the size of Rhode Island, rain totals range significantly in different areas of the county.
As firefighters battled the blaze, nearby at Lake in the Forest RV Resorts, retirees Ron Rugh, 69, of Indiana, and Ed Gee, of Vermont, watched.
Rugh said all three firefighting agencies were doing a great job battling the blaze and keeping them informed.
At 8 a.m. Monday, Tom Aull, 69, from Maryland, said the smoke was so thick that when he looked out his RV window he couldn't see the clubhouse just a hundred feet away.
Bond said smoke could be an issue on area roadways for days to come, resembling the fires that smoldered for months in the same area last April. Those fires — dubbed Farmersbay and Lake Bryant 14 — frustrated residents, who complained about the unhealthy smoky conditions.
"Dry lake bed fires plagued us last year," Bond noted. "We could see similar conditions again this time."
Fire officials say rain is needed desperately. Though the winter and early spring is typically dry, it has been much drier than normal.
On Monday, the Keetch-Byram Drought Index for Marion County averaged 504 — which is considered dangerous — on the 800-point scale.
Every 100 points on the drought index equals 1 inch a person must dig into the ground to find moisture.
In the Waccasassa district, which includes Marion County, the average index was 431 on Monday. In the northern part of Florida, counties are saturated, boasting indexes near 100.
The Marion County Multi-Agency Wildland Task Force — comprised of local, state and federal officials — met briefly on Monday and decided to continue the voluntary burn ban.
Marion Fire Rescue spokeswoman Jessica Greene said residents should postpone outdoor burning until conditions improve. Residents are urged to take yard debris to the Baseline Landfill or a county recycling center.
Contact Joe Callahan at 867-4113 or email@example.com. Follow him on Twitter at JoeOcalaNews.


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Prosper real estate listings include condos, townhomes, and single family homes for sale. .
Commercial properties are also available.
If you see a property Prosper real estate agent to arrange a tour today !
Learn more about Prosper.
Pam Moffatt
Email Us | Visit our Real Estate Website
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Posted on April 25, 2018 by Laura Dickinson
TestimonialsLOOK DARLINGEmma Handley15/09/2013I just wanted to email you and say how much I enjoyed trying on your dresses on Saturday and how welcome you made us all feel. Thanks again.LOOK DARLINGEmma Handley15/09/2013I just wanted to email you and say how much I enjoyed trying on your dresses on Saturday and how welcome you made us all feel. Thanks again.LOOK DARLINGBrenda04/09/2013I wanted to say thank you for helping me choose the wedding dress of my dreams. Everything went well, we had a wonderful time. The day was perfect, the sun was shining and everyone loved my Linda wedding dress, courtesy of Look Darling! Thanks again for all your help, the dress ...LOOK DARLING
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- Read the full testimonial list on our TESTIMONIAL PAGE


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Perl keeps track of online orders
Watching the Delivery Man
A distributed database based on the distributed Git version control system relies on a Perl script to help users track Internet orders. When the goods arrive, purchasers update their stock counts, wherever they may be at the time.
If you are like me, and really enjoy buying cheap goodies on the Internet, you might feel uncertain at times as to whether the things you ordered really will arrive just three days later. The thrill of spending can cause bargain hunters to lose track. It seems only natural to store the orders you place in a database and update it when the goods arrive. Of course, you need the database to be available from wherever you spend your money.
And that could be anywhere: in the office, at home, or maybe on your laptop in a cheap motel room. Maybe you don't even have Internet access, and after recovering from the shock of being inundated by mysterious parcels, you might have to update the database locally, only to synchronize it later when access to the net has been re-established.
The Git distributed version control system [2] seems like a perfect choice for the job. Put together in no more than two weeks by the kernel guru Linus Torvalds to replace the proprietary Bitkeeper product, Git manages the Linux kernel, patching and merging thousands of files at the blink of an eye. Of course, speed isn't an issue for the application I have in mind, but it's good to know that Git can synchronize various distributed filesystem trees without breaking a sweat, thanks to its integrated push/pull replication mechanism (Figure 1).
Being Prepared
Information concerning Internet purchases and their estimated times of arrival are cached on the local hard disk. The CPAN module used for this creates a separate file for each item. Git versions this information in a local repository, which is the typical approach for a distributed versioning system. This approach gives developers full functionality without Internet access and without fazing the central repositories with temporary developments. They can check in new versions, check out old ones, create parallel development branches or merge branches with others, and many other things.
To synchronize the local repository, the local user issues a "push" to another instance someplace else. I've chosen a "central" repository on a hosting service as the point of contact for all clients, from which they push their changes to and pull their updates from. In reality, of course, no such thing as a centralized Git repository exists, and it is up to you which instance you contact to download patches or new features.
If you are working on a new laptop that doesn't know about the marvels of this tracking system yet, you can create a clone of the centralized instance with shop clone. After doing so, you do not need Internet access to query the clone or feed new data to it; instead, the changes are simply synchronized later with the centralized instance once you have reestablished the connection.
By Your Own Bootstraps
If you are interested in implementing this solution, you will need to create an empty Git repository on a hosting service with SSH access. As you can see in Figure 2, you need git init for this. Just create a new directory, change to the directory you created, and give the git init command. Now you might think that the client could simply clone this repository locally, but you need to think again: For some obscure reasons, it has to jump through a burning hoop first.
As you can see in Figure 3, the client also needs to run git init to create an empty repository. Next, add a testfile for test purposes, run git add to insert it, and complete the process by running the commit command. Then, with remote add, define a remote branch with an origin alias pointing to the central repository on the server. The push origin master command then synchronizes the master (default) branch on the client with the similarly named branch on the server. It is a good idea to have the client's public key in the server's ~/.ssh/authorized_keys file to avoid having to type the password each time you access the repository via the network.
If another client wants to retrieve the data from the server-based repository, it just clones it, as shown in Figure 4. Once on the local machine, it is a full copy of the server repository that also has the ability to git push changes checked in locally to the server.
Wrapped in Perl
The script in Listing 1 shows the Perl script, which accepts the commands listed in Table 1 and issues the corresponding Git commands. It uses Sysadm::Install from CPAN to jump quickly back and forth between various directories (cd and cdback) and run various Git commands at the command line.
The order data is stored in a cache implemented by the Cache::FileCache CPAN module and the value 0 used for cache_depth in line 32 sends every entry to a file in the local ~/data/shop directory. Line 24 uses mkd from Sysadm:: Install to create the directory if it does not already exist. In contrast to Perl's mkdir() function, mkd does some error checking and issues a log of its activities, assuming you enabled Log4perl.
The cache's set() and get() methods accept the product name (e.g., "iPod") as a key and creates/retrieves entries in the format defined by the record_new() function (line 120). Besides the product name, a record also includes two date fields of the DateTime type. The first field, bought, stores the order date and uses the today() method in line 132 to set this to the current date.
Users can specify the expected arrival date of an item with a buy command,
shop buy 'dell netbook' 30
which specifies a delivery period of 30 days for a netbook ordered from Dell. Lines 133ff. convert this day value into a DateTime::Duration type object, which, with a bit of operator magic, can later be added to a DateTime object to calculate the expected delivery date. The latter is then stored in the second DateTime field, aptly named expected.
Both DateTime objects contain a formatter, DateTime::Format::Strptime, which defines the expected date format as "%F", thus expecting the object to be represented as YYYY-MM-DD in a string context.
Cache::FileCache has no trouble storing this deeply nested data structure in a file; it flattens the structure internally before doing so, then, when reading it later, converts it back into Perl objects. After the cache file has made its way into the local repository workspace, the shop script makes the changes permanent by running git add and git commit.
Listing 1
001 #!/usr/local/bin/perl -w 002 use strict; 003 use Sysadm::Install qw(:all); 004 use Cache::FileCache; 005 use DateTime; 006 use 007 DateTime::Format::Strptime; 008 use File::Basename; 009 010 my ($H) = glob "~"; 011 my $data_dir = "data"; 012 my $repo_name = "shop"; 013 my $repo_dir = 014 "$H/$data_dir/$repo_name"; 015 016 my $repo_url = 017 'firstname.lastname@example.com:repos/shop.git'; 018 019 my ($action) = shift; 020 die 021 "usage: $0 buy|got|list ..." 022 unless defined $action; 023 024 mkd $repo_dir 025 unless -d $repo_dir; 026 027 my $CACHE = 028 Cache::FileCache->new( 029 { 030 cache_root => 031 "$H/$data_dir", 032 cache_depth => 0, 033 namespace => $repo_name, 034 } 035 ); 036 037 if ( $action eq "buy" ) { 038 my ( $item, $days ) = 039 @ARGV; 040 die 041 "usage: $0 buy item days" 042 if !defined $days 043 or $days =~ /\D/; 044 045 my $rec = 046 record_new( $item, 047 $days ); 048 if ( $CACHE->get($item) ) { 049 die 050 "$item already exists."; 051 } 052 $CACHE->set( $item, $rec ); 053 git_commit( 054 "Added item $item"); 055 } 056 elsif ( $action eq "got" ) { 057 my ($key) = @ARGV; 058 die "usage: $0 got item" 059 unless defined $key; 060 my $path = 061 path_to_key($key); 062 git_cmd( "git", "rm", "-f", 063 basename($path) ); 064 git_cmd( "git", "commit", 065 "-a", "-m$key deleted" ); 066 067 } 068 elsif ( $action eq "list" ) { 069 record_list(); 070 071 } 072 elsif ( $action eq "push" ) { 073 git_cmd( 074 "git", "push", 075 "origin", "master" 076 ); 077 078 } 079 elsif ( $action eq "pull" ) { 080 git_cmd( 081 "git", "pull", 082 "origin", "master" 083 ); 084 085 } 086 elsif ( $action eq "clone" ) 087 { 088 cd "$H/$data_dir"; 089 rmdir $repo_name; 090 cmd_run( "git", "clone", 091 $repo_url ); 092 cdback; 093 094 } 095 elsif ( $action eq "init" ) { 096 git_cmd( "git", "init" ); 097 git_cmd( 098 "git", "remote", 099 "add", "origin", 100 $repo_url 101 ); 102 } 103 else { 104 die 105 "Unknown action '$action"; 106 } 107 108 ############################# 109 sub path_to_key { 110 ############################# 111 my ($key) = @_; 112 113 return 114 $CACHE->_get_backend() 115 ->_path_to_key( 116 $repo_name, $key ); 117 } 118 119 ############################# 120 sub record_new { 121 ############################# 122 my ( $item, $days ) = @_; 123 124 my $df = 125 DateTime::Format::Strptime 126 ->new( 127 pattern => "%F", 128 time_zone => "local", 129 ); 130 131 my $now = 132 DateTime->today(); 133 my $exp = 134 $now + 135 DateTime::Duration->new( 136 days => $days ); 137 138 $now->set_formatter($df); 139 $exp->set_formatter($df); 140 141 return { 142 item => $item, 143 bought => $now, 144 expected => $exp, 145 }; 146 } 147 148 ############################# 149 sub record_list { 150 ############################# 151 152 for my $key ( 153 $CACHE->get_keys() ) 154 { 155 my $r = 156 $CACHE->get($key); 157 print "$r->{item} ", 158 "bought:$r->{bought} ", 159 "exp:$r->{expected} ", 160 "\n"; 161 } 162 } 163 164 ############################# 165 sub git_commit { 166 ############################# 167 my ($msg) = @_; 168 169 cd $repo_dir; 170 cmd_run( "git", "add", 171 "." ); 172 cmd_run( 173 "git", "commit", 174 "-a", "-m$msg" 175 ); 176 cdback; 177 } 178 179 ############################# 180 sub git_cmd { 181 ############################# 182 cd $repo_dir; 183 cmd_run(@_); 184 cdback; 185 } 186 187 ############################# 188 sub cmd_run { 189 ############################# 190 my ( $stdout, $stderr, 191 $rc ) = tap @_; 192 if ( $rc != 0 ) { 193 die $stderr; 194 } 195 }
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Latest version of the community Linux based on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7.5
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Stallman is glad that Microsoft will respect user's freedom.
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The latest release is focused on hybrid cloud.
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Solomon Hykes Leaves Docker
In a surprise move, Solomon Hykes, the creator of Docker has left the company.
Red Hat Celebrates 25th Anniversary with a New Code Portal
The company announces a GitHub page with links to source code for all its projects
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text:
The campus of Virginia Tech in Roanoke, Va. was on lockdown Thursday after a gunman killed a police officer during a traffic stop, and one other person. Campus officials instructed everyone to stay in a secure place indoors and barred visitors while police continued their search for the shooter. Virginia Tech established a number of security and emergency response measures after the 2007 mass shooting that killed 33 people. Mallory Noe-Payne, intern with NPR member station WVTF in Roanoke provides an update.
Two Shot And Killed Near Virginia Tech Campus
By editor • Dec 8, 2011


text:
Alicia Keys with Miguel
Alicia Keys is often compared to the soulful likes of Roberta Flack and Aretha Franklin, bringing classical training and old-school sensibility and R&B to the hip-hop music of this generation. The talented young singer, songwriter, and extraordinary pianist released her sophomore album entitled The Diary of Alicia Keys in December 2003, a follow-up to her award-winning, multi-platinum debut album Songs in A Minor. Already a major pop and R&B hit, The Diary of Alicia Keys reflects the artist's love for the music of the sixties and seventies, featuring the chart-topping single "You Don't Know My Name."


text:
the problem with all this is that Swartz is no hero or martyr material.
He clearly and blatantly broke the law. He also could have accepted a highly reduced sentence they were offering.
To say he was "killed" is so far from the truth that it make Anonymous look bad.
Anonymous is wonderful when you agree with them, but when you don't they tend to look like evil bullies.


text:
Linked by Thom Holwerda on Mon 18th Aug 2008 23:33 UTC, submitted by Charles Wilson
GoboLinux is a distribution which sports a different file system structure than 'ordinary' Linux distributions. In order to remain compatible with the Filesystem Hierarchy Standard, symbolic links are used to map the GoboLinux tree to standard UNIX directories. A post in the GoboLinux forums suggested that it might be better to turn the concept around: retain the FHS, and then use symbolic links to map the GoboLinux tree on top of it. This sparked some interesting discussion. Read on for more details.
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RE[4]: Solving the wrong problem
by fretinator on Tue 19th Aug 2008 15:08 UTC in reply to "RE[3]: Solving the wrong problem"
Or perhaps it could be stated as "People gotta eat". It great to experiment with all kinds of cool, innovative, re-imagine the desktop stuff. But at the end of the day, most developers have a penchant for food, clothing, etc. Boring, reliable, meet-the-current-needs applications pay the bills. The others are for fun and excitement.
Personally, I love playing with new and inventive frameworks. I love learning new programming languages, new paradigmns, etc. But I make a living writing what I consider VERY boring applications. Maybe someday I will get paid to think outside the box. Otherwise, my time is too short.


text:
LAKE Eppalock's open-air cinema is back this summer, giving movie-goers the chance to watch their favourite movies under the stars.
The open-air cinema has been screening movies for more than 40 years over the summer holidays.
The summer movie sessions began on Thursday and will continue until Australia Day weekend.
Event organiser Daryl Evans said the cinema was popular with families.
"Not many places have open-air cinemas anymore, it is a unique experience," he said.
"There aren't any drive-in movies around, so I think coming to the open-air cinema would bring back some nice memories for people.
"We have people not only from Bendigo come and see movies; people from as far as Castlemaine and Kyneton come as well."
Featured movies for this holiday season include Skyfall, Twilight Breaking Dawn Part 2, Pitch Perfect and The Hobbit.
The open-air cinema, which is based at the Lake Eppalock Holiday Park, will also screen movies over the Labour Day weekend in March.
Movies start at 9pm, with the next screening on Friday. Admission is $10.
For details, visit the Lake Eppalock open-air cinema Facebook page.


text:
The Seconde BETA build of the 4.0-RELEASE release cycle is available on SourceForge for the amd64 and i386 architectures.
Where to download:
The image checksums, ISO images and USB images are available here:
Changes and problems fixed between 4.0-ALPHA3 and 4.0-BETA1 include:
- Fix rsync to avoid to copy the tmp and mnt directory during installation.
- Update Networkmgr to 0.5 prerelease.
- Users who omit the root(/) partition will be warn by a window dialog.
- GBI partition Editor have receive lot of tweak to avoid error.
- GBI is now partitioning when installing.
- Network with "Live Image" should now work under Virtualbox or VMware Workstation.
Known issues:
- Xorg failed to load MATE for some Intel and ATI.
Issues fixed that need testing:
- Installer copying file flawlessly.
- Network in live environment
A special thanks to those who had reported any issues.
Important info
Please be aware that this release provides beta testers and developers with a system to test out new features for the upcoming release. This release is a BETA / Test build and may contain buggy code and features, so we encourage you to run it only on non-critical systems.
If you notice problems please make sure to read http://wiki.ghostbsd.org/index.php?title=Becoming_a_Beta_Tester reporting them through testing ghostbsd mailing list or the appropriate Forums.
Note: Developers can't fix problems that we are not aware and can't reproduce; if you report a problem give us a detailed reports that we can reproduce the problem.
We look forward to receiving your feedback. Thank you for using GhostBSD and have a lot of fun beta testing GhostBSD!


text:
FOXBOROUGH — NFL games being played Sunday featured pre-game tributes to the victims of Friday's tragedy in Newtown, Conn., but the Patriots are the only league team in New England, and added a special touch to their moment of silence.
High above Gillette Stadium, 26 white flares were launched moments before kickoff, one for each of the people shot and killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown. Images on the stadium's video screens showed poignant scenes from Newtown, and a few signs of support made by fans inside Gillette.
The Patriots also wore decals on their helmets during the game honoring the Newtown community. The on-field musket men, long a staple at Patriots' home games, did not fire their guns after the home team scored, as is their usual custom.
Early in the first quarter, Ch. 7 left the game coverage for approximately 20 minutes to air President Obama's speech from Newtown. The game was switched to NBC Sports Network during Obama's speech.
Praise for Moss
Former Patriots receiver Randy Moss necessitated a trade in 2010 by expressing displeasure with his contract status. Moss learned the hard way that the grass isn't always greener outside of Foxborough.
Patriots owner Robert Kraft — Moss's former boss — and Moss have remained close, though.
"He's been terrific. He visited me when Myra passed away," Kraft said late last week. "He flew up and came to the house. I'm a big fan of his. I'll definitely look to see him."
Kraft was asked if he thought Moss, who said before the game that he still has "love and respect for the New England Patriots," regretted leaving. "We all grow and learn. One thing I've learned not to do is not to sit and judge anyone," said Kraft. "You go through things. I have gone through the passing of [my wife] Myra. It's hard for anyone to understand what happens to you, what your life is like. I don't know how certain young people have grown up, the environment they were in and what their needs are. I think it's dynamic, and it changes. I think when players are more experienced and older and experience different things they might find our environment more compelling to come to."
Moss's 24-yard touchdown catch early in the first quarter gave the veteran 15,233 receiving yards, passing Isaac Bruce for third place in NFL history. He finished with two catches for 36 yards, and ran off the field without interacting with any of his former teammates.
No activity
Despite practicing Friday, tight end Rob Gronkowski was one of the Patriots' inactives, a list that needed only six names because the active roster was still one player short of the 53-man maximum.
Gronkowski hadn't practiced since undergoing surgery Nov. 19 for a broken forearm, suffered a day earlier in a blowout home win over Indianapolis.
He was projected to miss 4-8 weeks, so playing against the 49ers would have exceeded the best-case scenario.
Also inactive for the Patriots: linebacker Tracy White, who missed four games with a foot injury and had been listed on the injury report with an elbow injury; safety Derrick Martin; (third straight inactive); defensive linemen Jake Bequette and Ron Brace; and offensive lineman Markus Zusevics.
Receiver Mario Manningham, who missed Friday's practice with a shoulder injury and was downgraded to out on Saturday, was the most prominent of the 49ers' inactives.
Welker makes mark
It took longer than most games — midway through the third quarter — but Wes Welker extended his streak of regular-season games with at least one reception to 108, then caught four more to play his way into the NFL record book.
Welker finished with five catches, the exact number he needed to reach 100 for the season. That gave Welker five 100-catch seasons, breaking the league record he shared with Jerry Rice, Marvin Harrison, and Brandon Marshall.
Dennard dinged up
Cornerback Alfonzo Dennard left the game late in the second quarter with a left knee injury. Dennard was blocked low, from the front, by 49ers fullback Bruce Miller. He came back to the sidelines in the third quarter, but did not play . . . Linebacker Mike Rivera, who earned his first start of the season, left with an ankle injury.
Bye bye?
With the Broncos and Texans winning Sunday, the Patriots lost a chance to retain the No. 2 spot in the AFC playoff picture. At 10-4, the Patriots are two games behind Houston, and one behind Denver. They beat both teams, and thus own the head-to-head tiebreaker over both. But the loss to the 49ers dropped the Patriots into the No. 3 slot in the projected AFC playoff bracket. The top two teams receive first-round byes . . . Mike Haynes, Andre Tippett, and Curtis Martin served as honorary captains, and were recognized before the game by the Patriots on the field, paired with their busts from the Pro Football Hall of Fame, which had been on loan from Canton, Ohio . . . The Patriots forced two turnovers — a fumble recovery by Aqib Talib, and an end-zone interception by Devin McCourty — to push their streak to 25 games with at least one takeaway . . . A fan fell from the stands and was taken to an area hospital. Patriots spokesman Stacey James said the fan was alert and awake when he left via ambulance. No further information about the fan's identity or condition was immediately available. James said the fan fell into the tunnel where the visiting team leaves the field.Christopher L. Gasper of the Globe staff contributed to this report. Material from the Associated Press was used. Michael Whitmer can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com. Follow him on Twitter @GlobeWhitmer


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they sell frozen peas
Let's look at it from another angle.
The censorship plan is really a giant signal to Internet bad guys that Australian law enforcement and intelligence gathering sucks, and that there is a disconnect between policy makers and intelligence gathers/LE. Anyone within the intelligence community would be able to point out that the smart bad guys would get around the censorship via technical or tactical means; that should have been enough to scrap the plan if their true goal was to stop the supposed bad guys.
So th
The current plan goes against every value that our society is built upon.
Dude, Australia started off as a prison. It's right in line with the values Australian society was built upon: wowserism.
To Americans: yes. This is a real name for a political philosophy.
No, it didn't.
That was prior to Australia's foundation. The values celebrated today are not those of criminals.
Dude, Australia started off as a prison.
So did Georgia.
From the Merrim-Webster dictionary definition of wowser: [merriam-webster.com]
chiefly Australian : an obtrusively puritanical person
Censorship is always offensive. It starts with one person or one group declaring that they hold the superior view and way of life. They do not.
he's an opposition minister. It's the job of the opposition to bitch and whine and pretend they would be any better if they were in office.
CF Obama, Barack
I'm sure I could do it if I really applied myself and the water weren't so salty.
Why did you feel you had to mention this? The authorship credit is to Minchin, not J. Random Staffer, not Kevin Rudd.
Stick to the facts.
As an American, I must say, we need to take a look at this nomenclature: Shadow Minister sounds so much cooler than Senate Minority Leader or the like.
It helps when the guy has an ounce of sense too...
Jesus Christ, Australia! In an earlier
What's next, Prime Minister Voldemort?
As an Australian, its a laughable story, particularly given that the then (1999) Communication's Minister, and orchestrator of this mess, Senator Richard Alston, came from the same Liberal Party that is currently complaining about it from the opposition.
A high level history is available via the Electronic Frontiers Australia [efa.org.au] site.
If you look deeper, however, the joke is ironic because the Liberals only introduced the Bill to buy Independant, Senator Brian Harradine's, vote on the GST Tax Bill that they were so desperate to push. The sting in the tail being that Harradine voted against both the GST and Internet Censorship Bills because he felt that the Censorship Bill was too soft.
See the Report to members for Annual General Meeting 1999 [efa.org.au];
This was the year that the Federal Government sacrificed the future of Australian e-commerce and its reputation as an Internet early-adopter by attempting to censor the Internet from the bunkers in Canberra. The Broadcasting Services (Online Services) Act 1999 was a transparent inducement to Senator Brian Harradine to pass the Government's GST and Telstra legislation, the Government feigning a sudden interest in "adult" material online. It failed to achieve its political purpose - Harradine voted against both bills, and milder legislation later passed with the support of the Australian Democrats. However, the Government, and Senator Richard Alston in particular, were so captured by their own rhetoric that the censorship bill proceeded into law as an exercise in political muscle. Last-minute amendments urged on the Government by the Internet Industry Association have made an unworkable law even more uncertain, arbitrary and unfit for its stated purpose of protecting children from unsuitable material.
Australian's let us rejoice
That's why I like the idea of Senator online [senatoronline.com.au]. Would like to see it working instead of just in theory though.
These are facts and thus have no place here on Slashdot. Somebody should censor this post.
came from the same Liberal Party
And please remember, when the Aussies say "Liberal" they mean "not very liberal at all".
Simple, it's like in Linux, the Shadow Minister is the secret minister with the real power behind the publicly-readable Prime Minister.
As an American, I must say, we need to take a look at this nomenclature: Shadow Minister sounds so much cooler than Senate Minority Leader or the like.
Under our system of government the party currently not in power runs a complete standby government. It is quite a good system because when you come to vote you already have a good idea of who will be in the important posts.
On the down side, ministers have to be members of parliament so their skills will be more limited than in the US system where the president seems to have the power to pick people from the broader population.
Except that in practice it doesn't give you any idea, because when a new government is elected the positions are immediately reshuffled.
No - Minchin does not have any sense. It's just the "broken clock" principle at work here - the government's position is *so* wrong, that the opposition's default position of denigrating *anything* the government does (or proposes) happens to be right.
BTW, the current government was much the same when they were in opposition - in fact, their lack of *effective* opposition was a major reason they were in opposition so long. The NSW Liberal/National coalition (the conservatives) are in the same position - the
As an American, I must say, we need to take a look at this nomenclature: Shadow Minister sounds so much cooler than Senate Minority Leader or the like.
Hey, we've got Whips [senate.gov], which are almost as cool.
I fully expect to see (by AD 2505 when Idiocracy is in full swing, perhaps) a House of Representin' in which legislation features full-on battles between teleporting Shadow Ministers and weapon-wielding Whips. C-SPAN's ratings should go sky high!
We've got whips in Australia as well. Not only do we have that, but each house of parliament has a weapon in the middle that resembles a mace!
And if I recall my Parliamentary urban legend correctly, the aisle down the centre was originally specified to be two sword-lengths wide, just to avoid anybody coming to fatal blows during heated debate.
Well, I think it may well be a mace, but it's a mace with gold and Jewels on it. Besides which, weren't they called "The Whigs" at that stage?
This national censorship plan is so offensive that no one should ever hear about it again!
I propose that we censor it! Think of the children!
it's amusing to watch Obama atm, we had a very similar flurry of hope and dreams when Rudd was elected here. now look what we have, internet censorship, rolling back of benefits to seniors and families having babies and a string of empty promises.
give it just a little time and that shine will rub off revealing the politician underneth.
The minister must start listening to the experts, who have repeatedly made the point that most predatory risks to children lurk in those areas of the online world this kind of filtering will do little to combat.
Blacklists and content scanning will have, at best, a negligible impact on child predators and pornographers. Any progress will be quickly negated as pedophiles adapt to the technology. Even proponents of the filter have to recognize that.
Given the enormous monetary and social costs, I can't believe this will ever really materialize. I'm sure some politicians exploited the issue for their own benefit, but I suspect the idea will either go away or be implemented in a symbolic, watered-down manner.
Pedophiles adapt: "Hmm, I can't find pictures of naked kids... guess I'll just kidnap one myself"
I can't believe this will ever really materialize. I'm sure some politicians exploited the issue for their own benefit, but I suspect the idea will either go away or be implemented in a symbolic, watered-down manner.
That's basically what happened in Finland: police maintains the blacklist and supplies it to the ISPs, who may or may not use it, and even those who do, will upon complaint generally just advice their clients how it can be bypassed (changing DNS server settings).
What's more, the list has been leaked to the public (now in wikileaks) - and it turned out some 90%+ of the sites censored aren't child porn at all (mostly just adult, especially gay porn, also some totally non-porn sites).
But it's not going away,
What trial? It hasn't happened.
*NO* general ISP has put it in place. I know, I work with several of them, and filled in the papers for my own employer (who does filtering for schools which is why I don't have a problem their).
What trial? It hasn't happened.
*NO* general ISP has put it in place. I know, I work with several of them, and filled in the papers for my own employer (who does filtering for schools which is why I don't have a problem their).
you work for schools? think you should go back there too
They're our customers, and yes, I, like everyone screw up the English language on a regular basis, get over it.
You will find that infact some trials in Tasmania have already taken place and a report on the effectiveness, or otherwise, of that effort can be had here [somebodyth...ildren.com].
Umm.. at the risk of hearing a *woosh* in the next few seconds, I don't think "shadow" (in this context) means what you think it means.
Whenever you hear something like "the shadow minister for foreign affairs", they're referring to the guy (or gal) in the major opposition party who is their current "authority" in the field (in my example, foreign affairs), or at the most, in some cases, the person who's currently in line for that office should the opposition win the next general elections (or equivalent) and form government.
This is not some lower-level, deputy-minister/under-secretary type, who actually works for/in the government that's proposing this bill.
In other words, we're talking about the people who are trying to oust the current government, so it's no surprise that they take whatever opportunity they get to snipe at them. Besides, as others have pointed out above, they're not exactly squeaky-clean in this matter either, having proposed something similar in the past when they were in office (what's worse, they were allegedly doing it as some sort of a back-room deal to advance some other bill).
Other than that, couldn't agree more!
Lol.. Man, I totally missed it. It's been so long since I've watched the X-Files (refused to watch the last movie, wasn't really too keen on the last few seasons when they suddenly changed the "mythology") that I didn't make the connection. All is clear now!
i still object to the term "shadow" anything, mainly because of the immediate gut negative reaction, that the post you were responding to alludes to. i listen to the bbc alot, and i constantly hear the term "shadow" used in terms of opposition politics, and i always scratch my head over the term
in the usa, there is no pro-abortion movement, there is a "pro-choice" movement
in the usa, there is no anti-abortion movement, there is a "pro-life" movement
there aren't even used cars anymore. they are all "certifie
I can see where you're coming from but that argument only holds if 'shadow' actually does evoke these gut reactions. In Australia, its such a standard term for the opposition minister with the same portfolio, that it doesn't have those connotations. People are just too used to hearing it in this context.
If anything, when I think of 'shadow minister', I think of someone who is 'shadowing', or keeping in check, the actual minister. As someone suggested, like someone opposite you on a playing field or basketb
but that argument only holds if 'shadow' actually does evoke these gut reactions. In Australia, its such a standard term for the opposition minister with the same portfolio, that it doesn't have those connotations.
In fact, until TFS, the comicbook-geek second meaning had never occurred to me. So thank you American slashdotters.
To repay you, may I point out that the Shadow Communication Minister is a member of the Shadow Cabinet, ultimately answerable to The Leader of The Opposition, who once led the movement to bring in a Republic and overthrow the foreign empire! (But he failed.)
Or a simpler way of putting it is that the opposition party forms their own "cabinet" that mirrors the real portfolios (eg Environment Minister, Treasurer).
A way of saying "if we were in power right now this is who would be Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy", in Nick Minchin's example.
Shadow minsters **always** think the government has gone too far (or not far enough).
Some would say it's their job.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadow_Cabinet [wikipedia.org]
Just before Christmas I emailed the Prime Minister of Australia twice. I got a reply (from Stephen Conroy!) yesterday.
Contact your Prime Minister -- Thank you for your message to the Prime Minister. Below is a copy of your comments to the Prime Minister for your records.
Senator Conroy is suggesting that peer-to-peer network traffic will be actively monitored and censored when appropriate. Most people would, at first glance, find this acceptable to catch the bad guys. The implications, however, are a bit more far reaching.
An example. The company I work for uses a Virtual Private Network (VPN). We use this to âoelink upâ our geographically separated offices. The way VPN works is that a network device in, say, my office connects directly to another network device at my head office. VPN is peer-to-peer networking. Communications between an ATM and the bank is peer-to-peer networking. Intra-government communications between networks is peer-to-peer networking.
What Senator Conroy is suggesting is that communications between the two VPN devices will be monitored and censored when necessary. How is that different to phone tapping?
To censor content you have to assess the content. To assess the content a person or computer has to read the content. To read the content being passed back and forth between two private computers (peer-to-peer communications) you have to intercept those messages. So, in effect, Conroyâ(TM)s solution is that all private communications amongst individuals or corporations will be monitored (read). Is this even legal without a court order? The solution proposed by Conroy is wiretapping without a court order.
Why is this person (Conroy) allowed to make such outrageous suggestions? This needs to be made known to people. A person who does not understand technology or law should not be making these decisions.
The suspense is killing me!
All joking aside, what was his reply? Inquiring minds want to know!
If parents cannot be trusted to mind their children online, they cannot be trusted to vote you in the next elections...
It'll be stagnant for a few years and when we've all forgotten about it, a press release will reveal it'll be delayed until further notice.
Telstra BigPond - Australia's largest ISP - has refused to take part, comparing internet filtering to 'like trying to boil the ocean.'
So? Seems pretty obvious to me. Just ask Sun to build the internet filters.
This is how it always works:
When one party has control and the other is the opposition, the party with control moves forward the agenda and the opposition opposes it.
When an election happens and they switch sides, the new party in charge who used to be in opposition of the agenda now moves it forward while the party who is now out of power opposes it.
The agenda of world centralization of power and increasing control over the general public always moves forward.
"An open mind has but one disadvantage: it collects dirt." -- a saying at RPI


text:
May 25, 2018 | 2:35 PM
Most Wanted | Submit Crime Tips | Latest News | Events Calendar | Links | Sign Up for Emergency Alerts
The mission or primary purpose of the Catoosa County Sheriff's Office is to maintain social order within prescribed ethical and constitutional limits, while providing professional law enforcement services. To attain this goal, the Agency enforces the law in a fair and impartial manner, recognizing both the statutory and judicial limitations of police authority and the constitutional rights of all persons. The Agency recognizes that no law enforcement agency can operate at its maximum potential without supportive input from the citizens it serves.


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LAUDERHILL, Fla. – The numbers of moving parts in the MLS SuperDraft makes it particularly difficult to predict how the day will progress. One surprising selection (an annual tradition, it seems) or one unexpected trade alters the course of the proceedings irreparably. Priorities change according to the events on the day and the possible transactions already in the queue elsewhere.
It is a bit easier and a bit more prudent to assess the players themselves rather than predict how they will come off the board on Thursday afternoon in Indianapolis. MLS coaches and technical directors spend the majority of their time evaluating the merits of potential picks and projecting how their strengths and weaknesses might help or hurt their chances at the next level. They do wonder how the draft will proceed, but the focus is on the talent, not the process.
Instead of trying to predict the new homes of the top players in this draft, the Musings ran the rule over five of them after the MLS Player Combine to see how they might make the transition to the pros in the months and years ahead.
Carlos Alvarez, Connecticut midfielder: It isn't difficult to see why Chivas USA plans to select the Los Angeles native with the second overall pick. Alvarez boasts plenty of technical ability. He operates decently in tight quarters. He sees the field well. He floats and runs into the right spaces at the right time. He links up well with others. He possesses the ability to play the cutting pass at the right time. All of those qualities will serve him well at the next level. The question for him is whether he fits on the field if he isn't a starter in central midfield or if the Red-and-White decides against a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 setup. He isn't really a holding player (work rate issues), a second forward (too far removed from the ball) or a winger (spacing and speed issues). Many players with his particular qualities often sputter in their attempts to carve out playing time in a position that attracts expensive imports. He will have to prove himself quickly in order to avoid a similar fate.
Kyle Bekker, Boston College midfielder: Plenty of players have carved out lengthy careers in this league with Bekker's complement of skills. He moves the ball neatly and quickly from side to side with both feet and stretches out defenses with mostly accurate distribution over distance. He isn't particularly flashy even though he played in an advanced role at times with the Eagles. Although he can pick a pass in the final third, he projects more as a holding midfielder (or an inverted winger, if a team wants to leave plenty of room for an overlapping fullback) at the next level. He doesn't possess the type of range to fulfill those demands in certain systems and might get caught out if he pushes too high on a given play, but he could certainly thrive as one of the two deep-lying operators in a 4-2-3-1 formation. As an added bonus, he also serves inviting corner kicks and set pieces. If he lands in the right spot, he could win a starting place in relatively short order.
Andrew Farrell, Louisville defender: This rugged defender offers two key qualities for a player trying to successfully transition to the next level: a noticeable presence on the field and the versatility to play two or three positions on the field. Farrell probably projects best as a center back or as a right back because his distribution isn't always clean enough to fulfill the duties of a holding midfielder at the next level. He is physical enough and plenty quick enough to succeed as a center back even though he will confront taller forwards with some regularity, but he must cut out his tendency to gamble with his positioning and eliminate the one or two critical mistakes per game that simply won't fly in MLS. He could slide over to right back for a team that doesn't expect a lot of width from its fullbacks. If he doesn't start to play within himself, he may have to feature there more regularly anyways to maintain the overall defensive shape. Even with those foibles, the positives outweigh the negatives by a significant margin. He is a player capable of starting on a regular basis in the not too distant future.
Mikey Lopez, North Carolina midfielder: The first thing to notice about Lopez: he runs his socks off. No player in the Combine covered more ground. He isn't fast, per se, but he anticipates the play well and scurries about earnestly. Those sorts of qualities – although perhaps not his rather slight frame – may shunt him into a holding midfield role at the next level. It isn't a position Lopez particularly embraces, but it is one he could fulfill. The knock on him is that he doesn't pass the ball particularly well for a player that projects as a central midfielder. But that sort of issue isn't make or break given some of the players operating in engine rooms across the league right now. His endeavor and his Generation adidas status will earn him plenty of chances to establish himself in the league.
Eriq Zavaleta, Indiana defender/forward: Is he a forward or is he a defender? It makes some sense to start him up top and see what happens. Productive forwards carry more value in this league. Zavaleta boasts the necessary physical tools to serve as a target player at the next level. He operates well enough inside the final third to contribute a few goals, too. His combination play could use a little work, but the pieces are in place to succeed in a league where lesser skilled players draw minutes up top on a regular basis. If he is played in defense, he might need a bit of time to find his footing because he didn't play there much in college. His positioning will get there, but it isn't quite on point just yet. His experience as a forward and his overall intelligence on the field will help him as he attempts to track runners and cover up any cracks in the back four. Any team that takes him will have to show a bit of patience. He likely won't start opening day, but he will contribute somehow as the season progresses.
Follow KYLE MCCARTHY on or shoot him an email


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Angry Birds to hit shop shelves this month
Rovio flings wings to retail
Angry Birds continues on its course toward global domination today when developer Rovio announced the game will be coming to retail later this year.
The original Angry Birds is set to take flight on PCs on 25 November and will sell for around a tenner. That'll be followed by Angry Birds Rio sometime before Christmas, with Angry Birds Seasons migrating these ways in 2012.
Mac users can already download a version through the Mac App Store.
While the game has been downloaded more than half a billion times to mobile devices around the globe, the only Angry Birds in shops so far have been plush toys and T-shirts.
And jobsworth checkout staff, of course. ®
Sponsored: Minds Mastering Machines - Call for papers now open


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BOSTON — Now we really know the power of a Stanley Cup championship.
Even noted teetotaler Zdeno Chara has been captured numerous times, including in the aftermath of the Bruins' Game 7 win at Vancouver, partaking in some adult beverages both from the Cup and other bottles/cans.
"It's so important that you do that because I'm also human and it's a time that you let it go and celebrate," explained Chara. "That was just … we were so happy. I think that that celebration right afterwards in the locker room, it's a pure one. There's no hiding or hesitating or worrying about anything else, who's around to see this or that. You just didn't care. You basically let everything out, all that energy that you kept in for that long and the relief and the excitement and being happy and everything that just came out. And obviously it was one of the best celebrations and get together we had with family, fans and everybody."
Ever since he was the first Bruins player to hoist the Cup above his head, Chara has been leading the celebration all over New England and now the U.S. (the Cup is in Las Vegas for Wednesday's NHL Awards show). The celebration is just a continuation of his growth as an admired leader, which is a process that's been ongoing since he took over as captain of the Bruins in 2006.
"I think that in any position, not just as a captain, you grow as you learn to be in that position. I think I'm just trying to obviously be there for my team, no matter what, for my guys," he said. "Whatever it is, I always try to think about not myself but more as what it's going to do to the team or 25 guys. In a way, the same thing [as the coaches], I always have to think a little bit ahead and if this decision is going to be made or not.
"I'm very privileged to have guys around me who I can always lean onto and ask their opinions. It's so important that you make the decision as a group instead of individually. Obviously having Mark Recchi here, Patrice [Bergeron], Andrew Ference, Chris Kelly, it's been really fun and easy to work with these guys. It's something that I really take a lot of pride in, leading this team. And like I said, when I signed here five years ago, I had a mission and a goal and I'm just so happy that it worked out that way. That I was able to bring this team to the top and win a championship. Everybody's dreaming about it, and obviously it was my dream. I'm very happy and humbled to be able to say that we are the champions."
Chara needed his teammates to help him out with more than just leading back in the first-round Montreal series, as he had to miss Game 2 and was not himself for several games after that. What was termed dehydration at the time has since been revealed by Chara as a bacterial infection.
"I was so thankful of the guys, carrying me on for the next few games," said Chara, who finished the playoffs with 2-7-9 totals and a plus-16 rating. "Even though I played a pretty solid amount of minutes, I tried to obviously stay out of some long shifts and things likes that. Somehow [there's] some things you can't control in your life and that happened. You get ill and at that point, it was quite hard to miss Game 2 but there was no way I'd be able to finish the game."
Other than that illness, Chara said he didn't play through anything worse than "bumps and bruises" the rest of the postseason. Always the diligent worker, Chara even said that he's already looking forward to next year's training camp.
"In a way it's true. Obviously right now we all know that the time off from the ice and training is very important," he said. "This season's been really long. But at the same time I think we are all excited to be thinking about next season and training camp."
Actually, Zdeno, everyone's more excited to celebrate what was accomplished this season. And that might require you to take a few more sips of something more potent than a protein shake or energy drink.


text: I'm looking for someone in NW Indiana/South Chicagoland who has wood shop tools and skills. I know this probably doesn't belong in the enclosure thread, but I figured it would be a good place to start. I've got speaker baffles that I had made for my front doors to fit my 5.25 Focals where the factory 4x6s were. They work great, but they're too thick. I'm wondering if anyone can take them and literally cut them in half to make them thinner than they are. Right now they're probably about 3/4 of an inch thick. The speakers hit the door panels when I have any sort of midbass going through them. I think if I can get someone to get them to half their current thickness, I'll be able to get my midbass out of the speakers. Right now I have a decent front stage, from 200 Hz up. :( All of my midbass is coming from my rear fill at the moment. Anyone who wants to help me out, please let me know.


text:
Report: Apple To Switch From Samsung to TSMC For ARM CPU Production 178
another random user writes "Apple is planning to shift production of its ARM-based microprocessors from Samsung to the Taiwanese chip-baking giant TSMC as early as next year, according to a report by the China Economic News Service (CENS). The report cites CitiGroup Global Markets analyst J.T. Hsu as saying that TSMC will be Apple's sole supplier of 20nm quad-core processors, with volume production to begin in the fourth quarter of 2013. He also noted that Apple began its 20nm chip-verfication process at TSMC in August of this year. Hsu told CENS that the future quad-core chips were intended for Apple's 'iPad, iTV and even Macbook,' turning up the heat on two rumors that have been simmering for months: that Apple is planning a move into the television market, and that an ARM-based MacBook is in the works."


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|Follow PSU Women's Tennis:
|Follow @PennStateWTEN
Jan. 3, 2014
SKILLMAN, N.J. - The Penn State women's tennis team will enter the spring season ranked No. 49 in the ITA Rankings. This is the second year in a row the Nittany Lions will begin the spring season ranked in the team poll having shared the No. 50 spot with UNLV in the first poll last season.
Last season the Nittany Lions had one of their best seasons in program history beginning the season on a nine-game winning streak. Penn State peaked at No. 30 in last year's rankings while knocking off five teams ranked in the season's final ITA Poll. The Nittany Lions finished the season at No. 47 and Petra Januskova (Ottawa, Canada) and Chelsea Utting (Peachtree City, Ga.) became only the third pair of Nittany Lions to compete in the NCAA Doubles Tournament.
The Nittany Lions bring back eight players from last year's team with Utting, Carmen Sandor (Toronto, Canada) and Marie-Frederique Bedard (Montreal, Canada) all returning for their senior seasons. Utting ranked as high as No. 21 in last season's doubles rankings but will begin this season unranked.
Sophomores Devan McCluskey (Phoenix, Ariz), Katherine Whiteaway (Sawbrigeworth, England), Jacqueline Zuhse (Boca Raton, Fla.), Lisa Petruzillo (Muttontown, N.Y.) and Emily Rivers (Washington D.C.) round out the rest of the returning players.
The Nittany Lions roster also features five freshmen led by Samantha Tutelman (New York, N.Y.) and Taylor Shukow (Boca Raton, Fla.) who were both ranked nationally by TennisRecruiting.net. Katia Blik (Moscow, Russia), Melissa Minniti (Gaithersburg, Md.) and Dasha Sapogova (Belarus, Minsk) close out the freshman class.
The Nittany Lions join seven other Big Ten teams in the ITA Team Poll with Michigan leading the way at No. 11 followed by Northwestern and Nebraska at No. 15 and No. 25 respectively. Purdue (No. 27), Indiana (No. 41), Illinois (No. 44) and Ohio State (No. 72) also enter the season in the rankings.
Penn State will also face six non-conference teams ranked in the ITA Team Poll this spring including No. 43 Kentucky at home on Saturday, Feb. 1. The remaining ranked teams on the schedule are No. 19 Baylor, No. 39 VCU, No. 40 William & Mary, No. 52 SMU and No. 59 South Florida.
The Nittany Lions do not feature any players ranked in the ITA National and Regional Singles and Doubles Poll to start the season. The next ITA Poll will be released on Jan. 21 and it will only be the Team Poll. The ITA Singles and Double Rankings will be updated on on Feb. 11. Regional rankings will not be updated again until the season's end on June 4.


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|2010-11-07, 20:58
|Link #661
性転換 団長
As they like to say, it's a very fluid situation.
|2010-11-09, 22:07
|Link #662
Don't Call Me Bro
What a game in Miami...Heat up by 22 then Utah send it into overtime?!?! Millsap with 44 points?! Who the flock is supposed to be guarding him - this guy just isn't missing anything in the 2nd half! Only thing that can save the heat is Deron Williams had to foul out.
|2010-11-09, 22:31
|Link #664
Don't Call Me Bro
Utah won it 116-114 in overtime. Millsap finished with 46, Wade with 39. Virtually Utah vs Wade in overtime. Wade hit that triple to tie it, but I think they defended that last Utah play wrong. Letting Utah draw a foul on a last second shot was not a good idea - wouldn't it have been better to foul and give themselves enough time to get a good shot off to tie/win?
Indiana utterly annihilated Denver. Anyone else thinking Collison could end up being the steal of the year for what Indiana got him for?
|2010-11-09, 23:06
|Link #665
Retweet Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: ニュー・オーリンズ、LA
Color me shocked too, but we're doing it and our defense is killin' it...
Chris didn't even play in the 4th tonight because the bench was so good...Even that lug Okafor is FINALLY playing to potential...Gotta give the Hornets brass credit, they fooled everyone...This roster turned out to be pretty damn, good, and Peja isn't even active cause he can't play D...Wow, undefeated...
|2010-11-11, 00:46
|Link #668
Don't Call Me Bro
It was said that Deron Williams would need to be the leader with the departure of Boozer. Well, he's doing it well. Plus Millsap has really come of age and Jefferson is filling the place of Boozer. Utah can't be taken lightly at all - they've got a good variety of offensive weapons. Defense is probably their major flaw - they let in a lot of points and give away A LOT of fouls. Around half of Miami's points in that game gave from free throws. But if they keep scoring like they are, it's not going to matter until they face someone like the Celtics who are defensive juggernauts.
|2010-11-11, 12:26
|Link #671
Mama there goes that man!
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: UK
|2010-11-12, 01:35
|Link #672
Don't Call Me Bro
Well, guess I can't say I'm surprised the Celtics beat the Heat - again. However, the utter lack of energy and hunger in the 1st half from the Heat was disgusting. Rondo began to showcase like a Harlem Globetrotter at times. And throughout that game, they just gave no respect to Allen on defense and not much more to Pierce. However, the Heat did make a game of it but left way too much of a hill to climb, especially with Wade having an awful night. James kicking it up a notch tonight in a very physical way is something the Heat needs to do in general. Bosh is gradually getting more accustomed to his role but could still get more imposing. They have decent bench contributions. But the Heat are just as bad as paint defense as they are at perimeter. If they didn't have Allen or Pierce left wide open, Rondo could pick and choose someone for easy paint scoring. For Davis and Robinson to have that much unchallenged scoring is rather lame. And yet it got close in the end - who knows what would have happened if Wade could have found his rhythm? That three he had roll in and out late in the 4th was Miami's one chance to have a shot. Wade has been dominant in games that weren't against Boston, but when he verses them, they utterly shut him down. Considering Wade is now effectively the top of the go-to list for scoring, Miami needs to find ways for him to be able to get it going versus the defensive sides.
The shocker was after getting humiliated by Indiana, Denver pull off an amazing comeback and stun the Lakers. And they did it by doing the basics - crank up the defensive pressure, clog the paint and force low-chance shots, kick up the pace on offense and pass it efficiently. Their bench, particularly Lawson and Smith, just utterly ripped the game out of LA's hands and went on a rampage. Anthony had free reign and Billups didn't even need to be on the court. If Denver can get some consistentcy going, they could go further than they did last season.
So now New Orleans is the only undefeated side - wonder how long that will last.
|2010-11-12, 02:23
|Link #673
Mama there goes that man!
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: UK
I love the Heat but they won't win jack unless they can trade for a true low post player before the deadline.
|2010-11-14, 11:31
|Link #674
Don't Call Me Bro
Utah are insane...
FIFTH game in a row they come from over 10 points down in the 2nd half to win?! Five games in a row....Charlotte were utterly murdering them in the 1st half. Then Williams, Millsap and Jefferson come to the party again. This is like a circus act. Clippers, Heat, Magic, Hawks and the Bobcats have all been run over by them. If they can improve on defense, they could be such a serious threat.
|2010-11-18, 21:36
|Link #678
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Massachusetts
Age: 30
It looks like Tony Parker and Eva Longoria are getting divorced. Apparently Tony cheated on her with Brent Barry's wife. I think they were teammates a few years ago.
That being said, I'm going to see the Spurs face the Celtics in January. First time going to a basketball game, can't wait.
|Thread Tools


text:
Hi -
I have a question about composing passive perisphratics.... The agent of the action is supposed to be in dative, not ablative for this construction, I understand that far. But what if you also need to have an indirect object of the participle specified as a dative as well? Let me give the example of the sentence I am working on to clear it up a bit:
I am trying to translate the clause:
The senate had to give command to a new general
So far I have:
Imperium dandum erat senui
Which would be: Command had to be given by the senate...
How do I add "to a new general" If I put it in dative what is there to differentiate whether it must be given by the general to the senate, or by the senate to the general?
Seems tricky to me.
Thank you in advance for your amazing friendliness in helping me understand !! =]


text:
The Hood River Aquatic Center has a long and vibrant history as the county's public swimming pool, dating back to its pre-remodel seasonal days when it was lined with 10-foot-high green fencing and the Summer Swim Bus picked-up and dropped-off full loads of kids from as far away as Parkdale to spend the day lounging around in the sunshine and helping lifeguards get good use out of their whistles.
These days the pool is open year-round, thanks to a retractable cover that is drawn back most of the summer, and is heated to a comfortable 82 degrees, thanks to a solar water system installed several years ago. The two small wading pools at the west end are kept even warmer, at about 92 degrees, making the pool an excellent option for playing in the water when, like the last couple of weeks, late August weather acts more like April.
The facility, owned and operated by Hood River Valley Parks and Rec, is open seven days a week, with open swim hours daily from 1-5 p.m. and weeknights from 7-9 p.m. Off-hour activities include lap swimming, swim lessons, water aerobics, kayaking, multiple swim team practices and water polo practice, as well as special party room that can be rented in hour increments for special events.
The pool is lined with bleachers and lounge chairs and the ceiling setup provides both sunny and shaded areas for swimming and relaxing. A rope swing, slide, water-basketball hoop and obligatory floating objects provide additional options for those in need of a little extra entertainment.
As part of annual maintenance, the pool will be closed from Sept. 3-12, reopening Sept. 13 at 8 a.m. Special rates of $1 are set for Monday and Wednesdays, 1-5 p.m. and Fridays from 7-9 p.m. Regular rates are $2.50 for kids and $3.50 for adults who reside in the county.
HRVPRD was created by voters in 1988 and has since helped provide recreational needs of the community through the aquatic center, the skate park and several parks and trails. For a complete list of pool schedules and activities and HRVPRD info, visit hoodriverparksandrec.org.
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