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Morning Five: 04.26.12 EditionPosted by rtmsf on April 26th, 2012
- Kermit Davis, the head coach of Middle Tennessee State for the last decade, parlayed an offer to become the new top guy at Southern Miss into an opportunity to secure himself a nice extension at his current school. Proving the old adage that you're only as valuable as what someone will pay for your services, Davis' cachet on the MTSU campus increased significantly more in the last 24 hours than it did over the course of all 27 of those wins for the Blue Raiders last year. Middle Tennessee expects to return nine of its top 10 players from a team that won the Sun Belt regular season going away and reached the NIT quarterfinals in the postseason.
- In yesterday's M5 we talked about the possibility of Indiana legend Calbert Cheaney joining Tom Crean's staff as an associate coach if he decides to take the promotion. On Wednesday another college hoops legend from the early 1990s agreed to a promotion to the coaching ranks, as Wake Forest's Randolph Childress will become the Demon Deacons' new Director of Player Development. After a long career in the NBA and Europe that ended in 2011, Childress returned to his alma mater last year to work as AD Ron Wellman's assistant. Perhaps this move will help head coach Jeff Bzdelik revive a moribund program that has never truly recovered from Skip Prosser's tragic death in 2007.
- One of the hardest luck stories from Louisville's surprising run to the Final Four last season was that redshirt junior forward Jared Swopshire was clearly nowhere near the player he was prior to groin surgery in early 2011. He played 13.4 minutes per game in all but one of Louisville's 40 contests last year, but his averages of 3.3 PPG and 2.8 RPG were well off his numbers two years ago when he was a regular starter. With Swopshire due to graduate this year and Louisville choosing to move on, Northwestern formally announced on Wednesday that Swopshire will transfer there for his fourth and final season of eligibility. As the Wildcats make their annual attempt to sneak into the NCAA Tournament in 2012-13, having a still-athletic and experienced forward like Swopshire on the front line to battle Big Ten foes will come in quite handy.
- You don't see many longer-form articles like this piece from Jason King at ESPN.com at this time of year, but his article discussing how coaches such as Brad Stevens, Shaka Smart, Gregg Marshall, Dan Monson and others have found happiness at their mid-major oases is a good one. One of the key differences of course is that those particular programs have made financial and resource commitments that — even if not apples-to-apples with power conference schools — at least make those programs competitive with the big boys. There's a huge difference between a Butler and a Duke, for example, in terms of basketball facilities, fan base, and the rest; but is there that much of a competitive advantage for a school like Iowa over Butler by virtue of its membership in the Big Ten? Probably not.
- While on the subject of coaches in this heavily-themed M5, Luke Winn brings us his first-ever Data-Based Coaching Awards, a compendium of prizes given in a variety of efficiency-based categories. The categories range from such specific metrics as the "After-Timeout Efficiency King" to "Most Success With the Least Experience," and there is a mishmash of predictable and interesting results. We won't give it away here, but three of the eight awards listed in this piece went to the same guy and you probably already know who that is. Winn promises us even more data-based coaching awards later today with a focus on the NCAA Tournament alone. Can't wait.


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As I gave my last presentation of "But It's My Family….Copyright issues for the 21st Century Genealogical Community" in Las Vegas last week my hope was that someone else would take up the mission of discussing copyright issues with genealogists and genealogical societies. I would like to make my presentation materials available to anyone that would like to do so or to any society that would like to share with it's members. Feel free to download, change, enhance, share or anything else that would be useful in helping the genealogical community understand the issues of copyright. Links to the PowerPoint presentation and to the PDF handout have been placed on the blog page "Educational Materials."
Cath Madden Trindle – 17 Dec 2012

subset: commoncrawl


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Datebook Diner: Food at Irina's good, dining room features a bit odd
The Russian pork shashlik from Irina's. / Andrea Melendez/The Register Written by C. ACEVEDO Datebook
A shot of chilled vodka, Russian style, with a pickle and pumpernickel bread.
/ Andrea Melendez/
The Register FIND IT: 2301 Rocklyn Drive, Urbandale HOURS: 3 p.m.-close.
INFO: 515-331-0399; www.irinasrestaurantandbar.com
Irina's is an unusual place. For starters, it's the only restaurant I've ever been to where a waiter suggested I start dinner with a shot of vodka.But as he explained, it's customary in Russia. Irina's is a Russian-American restaurant in Urbandale, popular by many accounts, and it's the only Russian restaurant in the area that I know of. Embracing the spirit of the evening, I said yes to the shot. The waiter guided me through the Ruskie version of salt-tequila-lime — except at Irina's it's pumpernickel-vodka-pickle. I proclaimed "nostrovia!" ("to your health" in Russian), and it was on to the appetizer. The food at Irina's is good. The menu includes both Russian and American dishes, so much of the food will seem familiar. For instance, I started with a heaping plate of battered-and-fried onion rings with a garlic dipping sauce ($7). Other appetizers include fried chicken wings, calamari, cioppino and shrimp. There is also a decent selection of salads, including a tasty Caesar salad with options for grilled shrimp, chicken or salmon for $14. These are sufficient for an entree. Main courses seem more traditional. There is the beef dish called Moscow filet ($22), which is stuffed with mushrooms and spinach, and another entree that consists of a salmon fillet wrapped in puff pastry called salmon Wellington ($18). A companion ordered the generously portioned plate of beef Stroganoff ($17) with seared beef tips in a mushroom Alfredo sauce and al dente penne pasta. It proved a hit, as did the days of leftovers. Meanwhile, I relished the pork shashlik ($18), a Fred Flintsone-sized pork loin kabob fit for a Cossack, or a bear. It included hunks of baseball-sized pork interspersed with yellow squash and red bell peppers and was served with a spicy tomato dip that I drizzled over the food after divesting the metal skewer of its contents. On the side, there was a mound of perfectly whipped potatoes. I was also impressed with the wait staff, which was efficient, attentive and quick to correct mistakes to a fault. When a dessert was tardy, our server provided it compliments of the house.
But while the food and service get good marks, I just couldn't get past one pointless feature of the dining room — the bizarre inclusion of projectors, which display a running slideshow of trite and sometimes inappropriate pictures on the walls. Images include landscapes, cartoons and every once in a while, a nude or semi-nude model. This and the occasional profanity-laden song from the jukebox should make you think twice about bringing children here.


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- TEIID-2424 Teiid jars are now built also as OSGI bundles. A starter Karaf osgi container features.xml file is available in maven repository with the build
- TEIID-1311 Cassandra connectivity is now offered through a community contribution by Radek Koubský of a resource adapter and translator pair. See the reference and admin guides for more.
There's still plenty of time to get fixes and minor enhancements into the release so feel free to engage the community forums, issue tracker, etc.


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Tagged: Willie Mays
Monte Irvin's #20 to be Retired by the Giants
Sox-wise and Otherwise
My weekly offseason musings about the White Sox and more…
Random thoughts:
* Considering how much they contributed to the White Sox, I'm disappointed that Jermaine Dye and Joe Crede are still without homes. And I'm hoping the rumors aren't true that Jermaine will wind up in Cleveland.
*Two B's–budget and Boras (agent Scott)–have seemingly been major obstacles to the White Sox seriously considering the signing of Johnny Damon. And until today the Braves and Tigers appeared to be the teams most likely to acquire the two-time World Champion. However, multiple sources are now saying that the Sox are serious players in the Damon derby. Boy, would he look good in our lineup.
* Did any of you Sox fans identify with the Saints and their long-suffering fans as they finally won it all? I did.
* Seems like the Twins' acquisition of Orlando Hudson has convinced the so-called
experts that the Twinkies are the odds-on favorite in the AL Central. I think folks are forgetting that they'll be playing in a normal ballpark this year. Big difference.
* I've been to and enjoyed eight Olympics including three Winter Games–Sarajevo,
Calgary and Salt Lake City. But I have to admit I won't watch very much of the Games
from Vancouver. I guess I've lost my Olympic spirit.
* I finally saw the movie, Couples Retreat. Part of the film, which stars Vince Vaughn
and Jon Favreau among others, is set in Chicago. I'm happy to say that the Sox logo was more prominent than that of the North Siders. Unfortunately, it's usually the other way around.
* I'm engrossed in the new biography about the great Willie Mays. It reminds me that I'm on record (granted, I was about 11 when I said it) as saying that former White Sox star Jim Landis (pictured below) was a better centerfielder than Mays. No, I'm not nuts. Just a big Sox fan.
* Just a reminder, as I write this pitchers and catchers are 10 days, three hours and three days away.


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Contact us for information about using this image.
Parole is defined as a promise made with or confirmed by a pledge of one's honor. The men who signed this parole promised they would not help the government by bearing arms, providing supplies, or giving information to anyone who was acting on behalf of the forces against the Regulators. The men would not be held to this pledge if there was a prisoner exchange. William Butler began publication of the Hampshire Gazette on September 6, 1786, in Northampton, Massachusetts. The mission of the newspaper was to inform the public about the issues pertaining to the ongoing conflicts. Butler was decidedly on the government side of the issues.
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I'm thinking to have a lasik surgery for my myopia (-2 D). The optometrist want my to get a 2 time more expensive type of lasik because of my pupil size (8.6mm). I recently reed 2 scientific papers who report that pupil size do not mather for the risk to have halo at night, even for pupil size more than 7mm and other risks factors combine (Sphere 5 D, Sphere 5 D and Optical Zone, Age 50 yrs and older). Here the reference of the article, Pop, M. and Payette, Y. (2004). Risk Factors for Night Vision Complaints after LASIK for Myopia. American Academy of Ophthalmology. 2004; 100:3-10.
What is the current opinion of the lasik surgent at the moment of that kind of study? I reed in your web site that pupil size and optical zone is still consider a risk factor, is it because other paper find the contrary? Did I need to get a lasik that cover all my pupil size in order to reduce the risk of halo?
Thanks a lot!


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Graduation, Degree Audits, and Commencement
Graduation and Degree Completion Information
All requirements must be completed in order for a student to receive a degree or a certificate. Students should refer to the online catalog for a complete listing of degree/certificate requirements. Degrees/certificates are awarded three times per year, at the end of the spring, summer, and fall semesters.
Students planning to earn a degree must indicate their intent to graduate to the Office of Records and Registration.
Degree Audits Information
University of Illinois at Springfield students can view their degree audit report through DARSweb for Students. This report is an unofficial audit of degree progress and includes all completed courses, as well as those currently in progress.
The self-generated web audit does NOT take the place of regular academic advising sessions. It should NOT be used to make decisions about future course selections, but should instead be used as a tool for degree planning.
Commencement Information
A commencement ceremony is held each spring for graduates who received their degrees in the previous summer and fall semesters, and for degree candidates for the current spring semester.


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Welcome! This blog is devoted to the exploration and appreciation of cemeteries in and around Oregon (mostly), and the mysteries and stories they hold. And I am excited to be a member of The Association of Graveyard Rabbits.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Shades of Taphophilia
Only recently did I know that there is a name for people like me. We are called taphophiles because we are drawn to, find respite in and are claimed by an abiding affection for cemeteries. I don't remember when this passion of mine took hold exactly. It built slowly over the years probably by way of a life-long love of listening to my grandmother tell stories about our ancestors while I helped her in the kitchen or garden. At the end of every anecdote I always asked, "And when did they die, grandma?" That question was followed inevitably by, "And where are they buried?" Decades later, as a graduate student at the University of Oregon I was in Knight Library trying to wrap my brain around the writings of Focault or some other equally painful French thinker. I looked up from my book and out the large window that faced south and looked directly into a pioneer cemetery. So many early Lane County settlers buried there more than a century and a half ago. What would these forgotten people do if they were told, when they walked the earth like you and I, that after their bodies returned back to dust, a large university would grow up around them? Minds would expand and take on life-changing knowledge. Thousands of young people and scholarly laborers would pass by on foot and bicycle as seasons passed. How would they react to such information? And who were these people who, literally, became the roots of this institution? Do they know their contribution now, somehow? After that, whenever I went to the library to study I inevitably could not open my texts to prep for class and instead sat staring out at this cemetery and imagining the people buried there, who they were in word and deed, who and what they loved and lost when they walked among the living. (No, at the time I never thought of moving somewhere else within the library, perhaps deep among the stacks where there were no windows. Taphophiles and philosophers don't think of such remedies until it is too late.)
I explore cemeteries because I feel I must. They fascinate me because when I enter into one I simultaneously feel inspiration and a sense of the sublime. I know that I am in a place that defies language, nonetheless, I must try to find the words. The times that I have resurrected someone buried deep in the ground for a hundred years through research instills in me a peculiar feeling of accomplishment. I bring them back to life just by remembering and by speaking their names. Through all this some questions persist: Why do some of us feel so impelled to explore the burial places of those who have gone before us? What does it signify? What does it mean under the penumbric question of what it means to be human?
I've had people say to me that cemeteries are repellent to them, but what I think they are actually repelled by is the self-knowledge that they are drawn to these places. It makes them uncomfortable. Each cemetery I explore holds the power of the sacred and the power of mystery, a chiaroscuro of sorts. On the surface, the light shines on the headstones, sculptures and the trees standing guard. These remind us of our common fate as human beings. Beneath the surface, though, is a dark hand with its index finger quietly and gracefully beckoning us to come and be brave enough to at least approach questions to which we may never know the answers.
Posted by Karen Cooper-Ray at 3:20 PM
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If you have an Apple device with FaceTime, you may want to disable it.
On Monday, tech blogs reported that a bug allows some users to listen in on people they called via FaceTime without the person picking up. Some users said they were able see through the front-facing camera of the person they were calling.
According to CNN, Apple said Monday night that it has identified the problem and will release a fix in a software update later this week.
The bug reportedly occurs on iPhones and iPads running iOS 12.1, and Apple PCs running macOS Mojave.
Until Apple releases the fix, CNN said you can disable the feature by doing the following:
"On an iPhone or iPad, go to Settings -> FaceTime, and toggle off the green button at the top of the screen. To turn it off on a Mac, open the FaceTime app and go to FaceTime on top of the screen, then select 'Turn FaceTime Off.'">> See the screenshots here
Apple and Samsung were fined by Italian authorities for "planned obsolescence" in slowing down smartphones, the BBC reported.
Apple was fined nearly $11.4 million (10 million euros), while Samsung was hit with a $5.7 million fine (5 million euros), The Guardian reported.
"Apple and Samsung implemented unfair commercial practices," the Italian competition authority said in a statement.
The competition authority began an investigation in January and found that certain smartphone software updates have a negative effect on the devices' performances, the BBC reported.
"Apple and Samsung implemented dishonest commercial practices" and that operating system updates "caused serious malfunctions and significantly reduced performance, thus accelerating phones' substitution," the competition authority said in its statement.
Samsung told owners of its Galaxy Note 4 phone to install a new version of Google's Android operating system, The Guardian reported. It was intended for the newer Galaxy Note 7 and rendered the older model sluggish.
Galaxy Note 4 phone to install a new version of Google's Android operating system intended for the more recent Galaxy Note 7, but which rendered the old model sluggish. Apple, meanwhile, told iPhone 6 owners to install an operating system designed for an iPhone 7, which led to issued, The Guardian reported.
Apple's fine was higher because it also failed to tell customers important details about iPhone batteries, the BBC reported.
Samsung said it was "disappointed" with the decision and said it would appeal, the BBC reported.
"Samsung did not issue any software update that reduced the Galaxy Note 4's performance," a spokesman said.
"In contrast, Samsung has always released software updates, enabling our customers to have the best experience possible."
Apple has not commented, the BBC reported.
Amazon.com Inc. may be gearing up for its next big project: a home robot.
>> On AJC.com: Amazon in 2018: 6 things you should know about the e-commerce giant
The rumor comes from a Bloomberg report published Monday in which sources familiar with the plan revealed that the company has started work on the domestic robot under the code name Vesta.
According to the sources, Vesta has apparently been in the works for years, but new job listings for Lab126, Amazon's hardware research and development division, have sprung up this year.
Lab126 engineers previously built Amazon's Kindle, Fire Phone and Echo.
"People briefed on the plan say the company hopes to begin seeding the robots in employees' homes by the end of this year, and potentially with consumers as early as 2019," Bloomberg reported, noting that the timeline may change.
>> On AJC.com: 6 most impressive benefits offered to Amazon employees
The Vesta robot prototypes reportedly have computer vision software and advanced cameras for navigation. Think of a "mobile Alexa, accompanying customers in parts of their home where they don't have Echo devices," Bloomberg analysts wrote.
An Amazon spokesperson told Bloomberg the company doesn't comment on "rumors and speculation." The AJC has reached out to Amazon for comment, as well.
>> On AJC.com: Amazon tours Atlanta in its second headquarters search
Other companies have dabbled in domestic robots before, including iRobot and its Roomba vacuum and MobileRobots Inc.'s Jeeves home security robot.
In the market for a whimsical $550,000 home with carpeted ceilings, vintage cars and statues lurking around every corner?
You'll still want to check out the now-viral listing for Detroit's Lion Gate Estate. Trust us.
>> PHOTO GALLERY: Inside $550K Lion Gate Estate
"Unique barely begins to describe this one of a kind Grixdale Farms estate," reads the listing by Real Estate One's Alex Lauer. "Every aspect of 'Lion Gate Estate' has been articulated with painstaking attention to detail and mind blowing decorative flair. Too many custom features to list!"
And he's not kidding. The three-bedroom, two-bathroom home, owned by a former automotive designer, is the definition of "extra," with a "Liberace-inspired living room" and "museum-like" interior, Curbed reports.
The listing continues: "Highlights include heated swimming pool with outdoor shower and cabana. Custom two car garage with hand painted automotive murals. Finished basement with billiard room and entertainment area. Fenced in yard with fountains and statuary. Sale includes full contents of the house, including Kohler Campbell baby grand player piano, mint condition Frigidaire kitchen appliances c. 1950. One of a kind custom built 1966 Cadillac Fleetwood Sedan, One of a kind custom built 1974 Lincoln Mark IV Coupe, Custom pool table, countless automotive relics and artifacts. Once in a lifetime offering."
But if you want to take a tour, you'd better check the weather forecast first. "Only shown on sunny days," the listing warns.
>> Click here or scroll down to check out some photos of the home
A trip to space would be a life-changing experience. But scientists didn't realize how much it changes astronauts when it comes to the building blocks of life.
NASA sent astronaut, and twin, Scott Kelly, to the International Space Station for a one-year mission to study the effects of space on the human body, KTLA reported.
Scott Kelly was in space from March 2015 to March 2016, Newsweek reported.
His identical twin brother Mark kept his feet firmly planted on Earth.
The two men were identical, down to their cellular level, before the trip, but that can't be said now.
Scott now differs from Mark when it comes to their DNA.
Getting into the science specifics.
Scientists looked at the spaceman's metabolites, cytokines and proteins before and after his voyage. They said the mission caused Scott's "space genes" to switch on, and they didn't turn off after he returned to Earth. The experts believe they were turned on because of the stress of space travel, KTLA reported.
NASA said in the study that Scott's cells showed changes in the length of telomeres, the ends of chromosomes that show biological aging. They were lengthened while he was in space, but they returned to almost normal days after he landed. There was also damage to his DNA that was caused by radiation and the restriction on his calories. His collagen, blood clotting and bone formation also changed and because of zero gravity and fluid shifts.
Kelly's year-long trip in space was a precursor to planned three-year missions to Mars. Scientists needed to test how space missions that are longer than what is currently done impacts astronauts, KTLA reported.
Click here to read NASA's study.
Related video:
The Tesla Roadster launched into orbit Wednesday can be tracked in space, thanks to NASA designating it a manmade celestial object.
Space enthusiasts can search for "SpaceX Roadster" in the Horizons system created by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory to track its movement.
The Virtual Telescope Project is also tracking the Tesla Roadster's space journey.
Scientists mapping the car's long-term path told Popular Mechanics that the car will do an "Earth flyby" in 2026, 2031 and 2039.
The Falcon Heavy rocket launched Wednesday as part of Elon Musk's ambitious SpaceX project.
Facebook on Monday announced it would be rolling out a preview of Messenger Kids in the United States, a new parent-controlled app to make it easier for kids to video chat and message with loved ones.
>> On AJC.com: How to keep your kids safe on social media
In a company blog post, Antigone Davis – public policy director and global head of safety at Facebook – wrote that the media site has been working on the product for the past 18 months, working closely with leading child development experts, parents and educators.
Davis named some reasons Facebook decided to create Messenger Kids and why they decided to create it right now.
>> Facebook wants users' nude photos to fight 'revenge porn'
She cited research that shows some 93 percent of U.S. kids ages six to 12 have access to tablets or smartphones — and 66 percent have their own device, often using apps meant for teens and adults.
In a collaboration with the National Parent Teacher Association on a study with more than 1,200 American parents of children under the age of 13, Facebook found three out of every five parents surveyed said their kids under 13 use messaging apps, social media or both, while 81 percent reported their children started using social media between the ages of 8 and 13.
>> On AJC.com: Did you fall for these fake ads? How Russian trolls got into your Facebook feeds
Kids said they want to use the platforms to have fun and connect with family. But safety is a growing concern among parents.
"My concern is safety, getting friend requests from people you don't know, chatting with people you don't know, giving out information to strangers," one parent participant in the National PTA roundtable said.
>> On AJC.com: Georgia high school student in trouble after 'threatening' social media image
With the guidance of experts at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, Center on Media and Child Health, the American Academy of Pediatrics among others, Facebook developed a set of principles for Messenger Kids:
>> On AJC.com: Google celebrates 50 years of kids coding languages – 5 ways to get your kid engaged
"We created Messenger Kids with the belief that parents are ultimately the best judges of their kids' technology use, and the parents we've spoken to have asked for a better way to control the way their children message," Davis wrote.
Because research on the long-term effects of screen time and technology on children is still limited, Facebook also announced a $1 million research fund to work with experts to explore the growing concerns.
>> On AJC.com: Study finds best way to control kids' time online
About the new Messenger Kids app
The Messenger Kids app, aimed at kids ages 6-12, rolled out Monday on iOS in the U.S. An Android version is coming soon.
It's important to note that kids under 13 are still not allowed to sign up for a Facebook account. Instead, parents can download the app on their child's iPhone or iPad, create their profile and approve friends and family for their kids to chat with directly from the main Messenger app.
Kids will not show up in Facebook search results, so if a kid wants to chat with a friend, the parent will have to work with the friend's parent to get them both approved. "This is by far the most clumsy part of Messenger Kids," TechCrunch reported.
Facebook added special proactive detection safety filters to prevent children from sharing sexual content, nudity or violence. A dedicated support team will work 24/7 to address any flagged issues. Parents won't be able to spy on their kids' chats.
To ensure an enjoyable experience, the company created a kid-friendly version of the Giphy GIF sharing engine. Kids can also play around with augmented reality masks and stickers, including fidget spinners and dinosaur AR masks.
According to TechCrunch, Facebook will not be directly monetizing the kids app, but hopes they will become dedicated Facebook users in the future.
4:37 a.m. EST Wednesday: The satellite launch scheduled for this morning was canceled due to upper level winds, according to NASA.
ORIGINAL STORY: NASA, in partnership with the NOAA, will launch a satellite today that will help improve weather forecasts.
>> PREVIOUS STORY: NASA postpones JPSS-1 weather satellite launch
The launch for the JPSS-1 satellite is scheduled for 4:47 a.m. EST, according to NASA.
A live stream of the launch will be available on NASA's website.
The satellites will help improve NOAA forecasts for the three- to seven-day time frame. The data collected from the JPSS is fed into the numerical forecast models to help improve them. The satellites will also collect atmospheric measurements, ground conditions and ocean conditions like vegetation, hurricane intensity and atmospheric moisture.
The JPSS-1 will be launched from Vandenburg Air Force Base in California pending proper flight conditions. The launch was originally scheduled for Tuesday but was delayed until today.
This satellite is a polar orbiting satellite, which means it will orbit the earth from the one pole to the other passing the equator 14 times a day. Full coverage of the planet will be provided then twice a day.
An asteroid is set to brush past Earth in a few weeks, and NASA is preparing a cool defense test in response.
According to Newsweek, TC4 will fly as close at 27,000 miles to the Earth, about one-eighth of the distance between the Earth and the moon, giving scientists the opportunity to test its planetary defense systems in the event an asteroid or other hazardous object makes its way toward Earth. The asteroid is expected to pass the Earth on Oct. 12.
>> On Rare.us: Here are the amazing records astronaut Peggy Whitson recently broke in space
"Scientists have always appreciated knowing when an asteroid will make a close approach to and safely pass the Earth because they can make preparations to collect data to characterize and learn as much as possible about it," explained Dr. Michael Kelley, a scientist working on the TC4 observation campaign, according to the Daily Mail. "This time we are adding in another layer of effort, using this asteroid flyby to test the worldwide asteroid detection and tracking network, assessing our capability to work together in response to finding a potential real asteroid threat."
Scientists first began tracking TC4 in 2012.
Amazon Prime Day 2017 is finally upon us.
>> Diamonds, luggage and more non-tech Amazon Prime Day deals to watch out for
The official 30-hour cyber shopping extravaganza began at 9 p.m. Monday and features hundreds of lightning deals popping up every five minutes.
>> Amazon Prime Day 2017: When is it; what's on sale?
Amazon released a list of some of the hottest 30-hour deals and bundles on tech products, including its own smart speaker.
>> Which smart speaker is right for you? Comparing Google Home, Amazon Echo and Apple HomePod
Here are 25 tech deals pulled from Amazon's Monday press release:
Enable our Skill today to listen live at home on your Alexa Devices!


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About Premier Prints
We sell a large line of affordable designer fabrics that range from traditional to modern. Our fabrics can be used in a variety of applications including furniture/ upholstery, drapery, quilting, bedding, baby products, pillows, clothing and handbags. Our team shops markets worldwide for new designs enabling us keep our line fresh and a little ahead of the curve.


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Used Truck - 2007 BMW X3 3.0si in Houston, Tx
Please Call For Price
About This 2007 BMW X3 3.0si
Vehicle Location:
Houston, Tx
Call For Price
Exterior Color:
Stock Number:
Fuel Economy Estimates
City MPG
Highway MPG
Combined MPG: 22
Estimated Monthly Fuel Cost: $101.14*
*Based on $1.78 per gallon and 15k miles per year.
Actual costs may vary.
Actual costs may vary.
Send This Vehicle To Your Smartphone
Seller's Description and Comments:
Located at Z Auto Place in Houston, Tx. Call Z Auto Place today at 281-583-9499 for more information about this vehicle.
Vehicle Options:
- 4wd/awd
- Abs Brakes
- Air Conditioning
- Alloy Wheels
- Am/fm Radio
- Automatic Headlights
- Cargo Area Cover
- Cargo Area Tiedowns
- Cargo Net
- Cd Player
- Child Safety Door Locks
- Cruise Control
- Daytime Running Lights
- Driver Airbag
- Driver Multi-adjustable Power Seat
- Electronic Brake Assistance
- Fog Lights
- Front Air Dam
- Front Power Memory Seat
- Front Side Airbag
- Genuine Wood Trim
- Heated Exterior Mirror
- Interval Wipers
- Keyless Entry
- Leather Steering Wheel
- Limited Slip Differential
- Manual Sunroof
- Passenger Airbag
- Passenger Multi-adjustable Power Seat
- Power Adjustable Exterior Mirror
- Power Door Locks
- Power Sunroof
- Power Windows
- Rain Sensing Wipers
- Rear Spoiler
- Rear Window Defogger
- Rear Wiper
- Second Row Folding Seat
- Side Head Curtain Airbag
- Skid Plate
- Steering Wheel Mounted Controls
- Subwoofer
- Tachometer
- Telescopic Steering Column
- Tilt Steering
- Tilt Steering Column
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2007 BMW X3 ReviewThis car review is specific to this model, not the actual vehicle for sale.
Revised looks and more power.
The BMW X3 enters its fourth year of production flush with success, but there's more competition than ever among the smaller, more fuel-efficient SUVs. BMW's response is a stronger engine, revised styling, and more safety features, standard equipment and options.
The 2007 BMW X3 is available only with the new engine, a 3.0-liter six-cylinder. It also offers more torque and better acceleration than last year's engine of the same size yet at no cost to fuel economy. A six-speed manual transmission is standard, and a new six-speed automatic is a no-cost option and replaces last year's five-speed automatic.
The X3's drivetrain is equipped with BMW's xDrive all-wheel-drive system, Dynamic Stability Control and Hill Descent Control, revised for 2007 to give it even better grip and control in less than favorable conditions.
The X3 is quick and fast, and almost as fun to drive as any of BMW's passenger cars. The xDrive puts it at the head of the class when weather or road goes north. It's roomy, both for passengers and cargo. And just as important, it's replete with safety features, both active and passive.
For 2007, the BMW X3 comes in one model, the new 3.0si. Replacing last year's 225-hp 3.0-liter inline-6 is a totally new 260-hp 3.0-liter inline-6.
A six-speed manual transmission is standard, while a new six-speed automatic with Steptronic is a no-charge option.
The 2007 X3 3.0si ($38,000) is stuffed with standard equipment. Cockpit amenities include automatic climate control with micro-filter and air recirculation; Sensatec leatherette upholstery; eight-way power adjustable front seats with two-way manual headrests and driver seat and mirror memory; a new three-spoke leather-wrapped multifunction steering wheel with fingertip cruise control; front center console armrest; storage nets on front seatbacks, in front passenger footwell and cargo compartment; two aluminum fastening rails and slip-proof reversible flooring in cargo compartment; split 60/40 fold-down rear seats; vehicle and key memory; remote entry, including two-step unlocking and remote tailgate release; Panorama glass moonroof with fully automatic, two-piece glass panels, power slide and lift control, wind deflector and power interior sunshade; tilt/telescopic steering wheel column; rain-sensing windshield wipers with automatic headlight control; automatic-dimming rearview mirror; power front windows with one-touch up/down and power rear windows with one-touch down; front-rear map-reading, footwell and visor-mirror lights; locking glovebox with rechargeable take-out flashlight; dual cupholders in front and rear; AM/FM/CD audio with eight speakers, wired for portable music players; a new auxiliary input jack on the back of the center console; Service Interval Indicator with miles-to-service readout; flat tire warning system; a four-function on-board computer; pre-wiring for cellular phone, garage-door opener, 6CD changer and auxiliary input.
The 3.0si Premium package ($2,450) adds Nevada leather upholstery, four-way power lumbar support for both front seats, automatic dimming inside rearview mirror, and BMW Assist (with four years of service) with Bluetooth integrated wireless communication system. For 2007, it's augmented by a compass in the rearview mirror, a universal garage door opener and power-folding auto-dimming exterior mirrors. The Premium Package Seat upgrade ($700) substitutes comfort seats with lumbar support.
The Sport Package ($2,200) includes an 8x18-inch wheel upgrade; a full body-color aerodynamic kit with body-color side skirts; a sports suspension with stiffer springs and anti-roll bars; 235/50R18 all-season tires; Shadowline exterior trim; a sport steering wheel; and eight-way power adjustable front sport seats with two-way manual thigh support. Big 19-inch wheels ($950) with mixed-size performance tires replace the 18s in the package.
The Cold Weather Package ($1,000) includes a headlight washer system; a ski bag; heated front seats and, new for 2007, heated rear seats. Other options include Servotronic steering ($250), xenon adaptive headlights with auto-leveling ($800), front and rear Park Distance Control ($700), 18-inch double-spoke alloy wheels ($300); 18-inch Star Spoke alloys ($500); heated front seats ($500); heated steering wheel ($150); cargo net ($150); navigation system ($1,800); BMW Assist with Bluetooth technology ($750); privacy glass ($350); premium sound system ($675); and comfort seats with lumbar support ($1,000).
Dealer-installed accessories include a trailer-hitch kit; skid plates; running boards; roof-rack systems; aerodynamic body components; Sirius satellite radio; 6-disc CD changer; special shift knobs and handbrake grips; cargo organizer; cargo-area floor net; cargo-area carrier for two bicycles; alarm system; and interface for an iPod.
Safety features include ABS, two-stage frontal airbags, front door-mounted side-impact airbags and curtain airbags for front- and rear-seat head protection, front safety belts with automatic tensioners and force limiters. The upgraded braking system now i.
The BMW X3 gets a new look for 2007, and though there's a close family resemblance to the new, larger X5, a closer look reveals significant differences.
The 2007 BMW X3 3.0si makeover is more than just a new badge. Most noticeable is the new front bumper that frames a new, slightly larger twin-kidney grille, its chrome vertical slats complemented by a chrome strip along the base of the side windows. The new headlight assembly no longer includes the DOT amber reflector, which has been moved to the fender to give the light cluster a cleaner look, and the foglights have been moved into the bumper. The optional xenon headlights now include the corona light rings, and should the Cold Weather package be ordered, the headlight washers now retract into the bumper.
From the front, the stance looks much the same as the X5's, with fenders tautly blistered over wide and widely spaced tires, giving the X3 a BMW-like, road-grabbing face. The headlamp lenses and kidney grilles are shaped differently, as is the bumper and lower grille openings, and the bumper is black as opposed to the X5 bumper's body-color treatment.
The 2007 X5 also has distanced itself further from its smaller sibling in most dimensions. Compared to the X3, the new X5's wheelbase is now more than five inches longer, its overall length is almost a foot greater, and it sits almost four inches higher. The X5's track, the distance between the tires, is also wider by a larger margin than before. It looks sportier, more hunkered down than the X3.
The X3 looks like the X5 in side view, though the cut line from the front wheel wells to the front doors was eliminated for a cleaner look. A mild character crease bridges the space between the fender blisters, and a relatively low beltline adds openness to the side windows. The trademark dogleg in the rear quarter window has been stretched a bit, however.
From the rear, the new X3 displays a new light cluster with horizonal LED taillights and a new bumper. The main difference between the X3 and X5 back here is the single, double-tipped exhaust exiting on the left side whereas the X5 sports dual oval exhausts exiting at the corners. For 2007, the X3's pipes are chromed. The angle of the rear glass is more upright in the X3 than in the X5, and the X5's hatch-integrated spoiler adds a further touch of sportiness to the big SUV.
Standard running gear is newly styled 17-inch wheels with all-season tires, while 18- and 19-inch wheels are available.
People familiar with BMW interiors will immediately feel at home in the X3 and will appreciate the changes made for 2007 for a more refined ambience. Controls are where they should be and feel the way they should, with the proper directional movement, resistance and detents. Instruments are easy to read at a glance and communicate the proper and necessary information.
For 2007, the revised interior uses new materials that are meant to upgrade the look and feel, and for the most part the effort paid off. In a few areas, however, the X3's level of materials and finish quality isn't quite in the same league as its more expensive big brother.
There's much to like, including the new three-spoke steering wheel, the more finely grained dashboard material, the new materials for both the instrument panel and door panels, the new look around the gauge cluster with the instrument hood integrated into the dash, and the door panels and armrests wrapped in either leather or leatherette.
The display for the navigation system is one of the most thoughtfully positioned of the lot, rotating up out of the top center of the dash, gray instead of black, so it's visible to driver and navigator but nestled unobtrusively halfway down in the recess where it stows when not in use.
Passengers will climb in over aluminum doorsill trim with the BMW logo and will find refined interior trim and materials. Dark ash wood trim is now standard; gray poplar or light natural poplar, which we especially like, are no-cost options.
The front seats are supportive and comfortably bolstered. The standard seats are more comfortable than the Sport seats and quite adequately restrain occupants' posteriors when the road begins to wind. Seatbelts feel right, properly tensioned. Ranges of seat adjustment are extensive, to the point a six-footer can enjoy major amounts of headroom and actually put the steering wheel and forward footwell well out of reach; at these extremes, however, rear-seat legroom is seriously diminished.
In terms of roominess, the X3's interior compares favorably with its most likely direct competition, the Lexus RX 330 and Infiniti FX35, giving up an inch or so here and gaining the same there. On the downside, the X3's rear seat is quite firm and virtually flat, like a church pew, where the X5 and the others offer more form fit and comfort. The X3's rear center head restraint is fixed, offering no vertical adjustment.
Cargo area, at 71 cubic feet, is impressive, exceeding the X5's by 10 cubic feet with the rear seats folded, and slotting in between the RX 330's 84.7 cubic feet and the FX35's 64.5. Caesar the 170-pound mastiff was happy here, with the second row of seats flipped down.
Storage areas are numerous and flexible, many fitted with netting that stretches to accommodate odd shapes and medium-sized water bottles. The mesh nets in the lower front doors, though, have been replaced by dual storage bins for better small-item storage. Rear-door map pockets forfeit several square inches to the Europeans' unabated addiction to ash trays.
So much for the tape measure. Where the X3 disappoints is in the intangible and tactile, how the interior looks and feels. Textures and materials have been improved, including a higher quality of optional leather, but there's still no mistaking the X3 for one of BMW's luxury sedans. There are two front cup holders, but the one mounted on the center console is sized more for soda pop cans than coffee cups or water bottles and looks like an afterthought, something cobbled together and glued in place forward of the armrest/storage bin. The passenger cup holder pops out of the end of the dash by the door, where it gets bumped by knees when the passenger is climbing in or out of the car. Door closings are followed by a hint of a hollow echo, instead of the solid 'thunk' we expect of BMWs.
Driving Impression
BMW calls its SUVs Sport Activity Vehicles and, indeed, driving the BMW X3 is not like driving other SUVs. While the Lexus RX 330 tends toward the luxury end of the scale, the X3 leans more to turning two-lanes and the occasional twisty dirt track into a fun drive. Our first impression after driving an X3 3.0si around the Bavarian back roads south of Munich was one of smoothness and precision engineering.
The X3 readily swallows mile after mile of high-speed highway. It feels confident in the wet, and really shines on dusty, gravel-strewn back roads and slushy boulevards. With the X3, a driver can accomplish feats that normally require the talents and reflexes of an accomplished rally driver, a benefit of the xDrive all-wheel-drive system working with BMW's multifaceted Dynamic Stability Control. Unerringly, just about the time the driver senses the X3 begin to slide and intuitively readies a saving countersteer, the xDrive calmly tucks the rear end back in line. It's a superb system.
Dynamic Stability Control is even better for 2007, working more quickly and efficiently with the upgraded brake system. The four-wheel discs now include Brake Drying, which helps them stay dry in the wet, Brake Standby, which poises them for quicker action in emergency situations, Start-off Assistant, which automatically holds the X3 on hills to aid smooth ascents, and Brake Fade Compensation, which adjusts the clamping force in response to the slightest hint of brake fade. In other words, these are the brakes of a vehicle that can be pushed to further limits than the average SUV.
For those who are comfortable driving at the limit, Dynamic Stability Control now includes, for the first time in a BMW SUV, Dynamic Traction Control. A button lets the driver choose a higher threshold of wheel-slip before DSC engages, and though this technique is good for starting off on loose snow, it can also be used to turn the X3 into even more of a driving machine.
The new six-speed automatic proved to be as smooth and precise in normal, everyday driving as last year's five-speed automatic. Just put it in Drive and go. When pushing it in the slippery stuff, the automatic frees the driver to focus on braking, accelerating and steering. This can be a lot of fun. When so inclined, the driver can use the Steptronic feature to hold the transmission in a specific gear, manually shifting up or down as the incline or traction dictates or invites.
The six-speed manual transmission, on the other hand, is everything people who know and like BMWs have come to expect and appreciate. Shifts are smooth and precise, clutch engagement predictable and gears properly spaced to keep the engine in the sweet spot of its power band, although it is geared a bit high for relaxed long distance cruising. We prefer the automatic.
Acceleration is still silky and linear, it just happens more quickly now, thanks to the new 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder engine's 260 horsepower, 35 more than the outgoing six. The power delivery is also smoother because of Valvetronic, BMW's sophisticated control system that helps optimize engine response while also reducing fuel consumption. The 3.0si records 0-60 mph times of 6.9 seconds for the manual and 7.1 seconds for the automatic. While not blistering performance figures, they are significant improvements over the 2006 X3 and, considering the vehicle's weight, are no cause for shame.
The optional Servotronic steering is flat-out wonderful. It's speed-sensitive, adding more assist at low speeds, and invisibly altering the steering ratio, so the car turns more with less steering input. Parallel-parking is a breeze, as are quick, mid-block U-turns. As speed increases, assistance diminishes and the ratio slows, making for good on-center feel and sure lane changes. Perhaps the best thing about the Servotronic steering is its transparency; unless a driver moves directly from the X3 to another vehicle without the f.
The 2007 BMW X3 3.0si is hard to beat for people who want BMW's heritage, looks, powertrain and packaging, but desire the flexibility a sport-utility vehicle offers, or vice versa. The xDrive, Dynamic Stability Control and Hill Descent Control combine to offer excellent handling, grip, traction, stability on gravel roads, muddy two-tracks and snow-covered backroads. Overall fit is to the marque's standards, but the interior finish is disappointing. Leaving the options boxes unchecked yields an affordable and capable SUV that requires no apology, and judicious checking lets even a cost-conscious shopper have the desired luxuries.
NewCarTestDrive.com correspondent Tom Lankard filed the original report from Northern California, with Greg Brown reporting on the 3.0si from the Austrian foothills south of Munich.
Model Lineup
BMW X3 3.0si ($38,000).
Assembled In
Graz, Austria.
Options As Tested
Premium Package ($2,450) includes universal garage door opener, Nevada leather upholstery, auto-dimming rearview mirror with compass, auto-dimming exterior mirrors, 4-way power lumbar, and BMW Assist with Bluetooth; Servotronic steering ($250); Xenon headlights with auto-leveling ($800); rear door-mounted, side-impact airbags ($385); on-board navigation system ($1,800); Park Distance Control, front and rear ($700).
Model Tested
BMW X3 3.0si ($38,695).The X3 is quick and fast, and the xDrive puts it at the head of the class when weather or road goes north. It's roomy, both for passengers and cargo. And just as important, it's replete with safety features, both active and passive. A six-speed manual transmission is standard, while a new six-speed automatic with Steptronic is a no-charge option. The X3 3.0si is stuffed with standard equipment. Cockpit amenities include Sensatec leatherette upholstery; Panorama glass moonroof with fully automatic, two-piece glass panels; rain-sensing windshield wipers with automatic headlight control; and flat tire warning system. The xDrive, Dynamic Stability Control and Hill Descent Control combine to offer excellent handling, grip, traction, stability on gravel roads, muddy two-tracks and snow-covered backroads. For 2007, the BMW X3 comes in one model, the new 3.0si. Replacing last year's 225-hp 3.0-liter inline-6 is a totally new 260-hp 3.0-liter inline-6.
14525 Hwy 249 Ste A
Houston, Tx. 77086


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Eye Research
Investigating Vascular Changes in the Eye
Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness in people ages 20 to 74 in the United States. To determine how diabetic eye disease develops and to find strategies to preserve vision, researchers in the Section on Eye Research conduct molecular, biochemical, cellular and clinical studies.
Diabetic retinopathy (eye disease) results in visual loss though two main mechanisms. In one condition, diabetic macular edema (DME), the small blood vessels of the retina leak fluid into the macula in the center of the retina, impairing vision. In the other condition, proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR), blood vessels in the retina grow where they should not.
Researchers in the section conduct studies to understand the basic molecular mechanisms underlying retinal vascular disease—in particular, the activity of growth factors in PDR and DME—and use results to design animal and clinical trials, which are now investigating the effects of oral protein kinase C inhibitors, growth factor inhibitors, antioxidants and anti-proliferative agents.
In pioneering work, researchers defined the role of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), hepatocyte growth factor, pigment epithelial-derived factor and others, and tested novel inhibitors of these pathways in cells, animals and humans. In addition, they identified new areas on the genes that control the expression of these molecules. Further studies show that the stretching of blood vessels during high blood pressure alters the expression of these factors—findings that may lead to future treatments for diabetic retinopathy exacerbated by hypertension.
Researchers also study the role of genes in promoting the progression of diabetic eye disease and whether antioxidants, such as vitamin E, can normalize retinal blood flow and thereby slow or reverse vascular changes.
Novel Imaging Techniques
The section is internationally recognized for its expertise in novel imaging methods. The eye is unique in that its vasculature, microvasculature and neuronal systems can be visualized directly in vivo, enabling noninvasive evaluation of biological processes. For example, a retinal imaging system called the Joslin Vision Network (JVN) uses a combination of video cameras and computers to image the back of the eye without dilating the pupil. These stereoscopic color images compare favorably with a retinal specialist exam, and can accurately diagnose retinopathy long before symptoms appear and in locations where access to ophthalmology care may be limited. JVN is deployed in more than 70 sites in 20 states. Surprisingly, in more than 50 percent of patients with diabetes who do not have retinopathy, the JVN identifies eye disease that needs evaluation.
The section also collaborates with the creators of an innovative imaging device called the ultra high-resolution ocular coherence tomogram, which provides a cross section of the retina revealing individual cell layers. Researchers are evaluating these images to determine if they provide additional or earlier information about patients who have or may develop eye disease.
Collaborating for a Cure
Building on their earlier findings—that VEGF is elevated in retinal and ocular fluids in people with diabetic retinopathy—investigators are collaborating with colleagues in the Section on Vascular Cell Biology to determine which factors regulate VEGF expression in the eye and how vascular wall stretching affects its regulation. Another collaboration involves studies of protein kinase C inhibitors to determine whether they can slow the progression of diabetic retinopathy, reduce macular edema and/or preserve vision. A further collaboration, which also includes Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, is evaluating whether changes in electrophysiology of the eye can help in the detection of early or incipient diabetic neuropathy (nerve damage).
The collaborative approach is also undertaken at the national level via the Diabetic Retinopathy Clinical Research Network, a National Eye Institute-sponsored network of over 100 U.S. sites dedicated to rigorous clinical trials of new therapeutic approaches for diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema. A member of the section is the founding Network Chairman for this initiative.
Page last updated: October 28, 2016


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By Alfred Opp, Vancouver, British Columbia
Edited by Connie Dahlke, Walla Walla, Washington
Regina (Mueller) Zacher and her daughters: Hulda Opp b. 1907, Klara Kehrer b . 1910, and Pauline Zacher b. 1909. Photo taken about 1946 near Stuttgart, Germany.
Turning to another family line, Eva Ehman (1832-1875), my great-great-grandma, was born in war-torn East-Prussia. The family was constantly on the move during their life in East Prussia. Constantly they were searching for a permanent place to settle, but it didn't happen in Prussia. In 1839 the family emigrated to South Russia and finally found their place in Teplitz, Bessarabia. Eva's mother gave birth to 12 children, but only five – all girls – survived. Eva was the second oldest. What a difficult time these folks had. But Eva wasn't about to give up. The parents farmed their homestead until they died. Eva's sisters married very young. Eva took a job working at a village close by to Teplitz. She started seeing a young lad, Jakob Michael Gerber (1833-1908), a well-to-do young man from Teplitz. They became romantically involved and soon Eva was pregnant. Having a sense of honor, the young couple decided to marry and went to see the Pastor. Eva took the blame on herself. The Pastor told the couple that the marriage could not be held in the church, but they could be married privately in his office. Eva was advised as to the penance that was required for her misdeed. As directed, Eva attended church dressed in black to face the congregation. Only then was permission given for the couple to be married in private. But the groom's parents gave a handsome donation to the church's charity fund to persuade the Pastor to bend the rules, and Eva and Jakob got their rightful church wedding. Jakob was 18 years old, and Eva was 19. Jakob Gerber was an ambitious young man and did well. Eva gave birth to 13 children, and eight survived to build their lives on the successes of their parents. But the shadow from Jakob and Eva's romance remained with them to the day they died. Their unexpected first child, Regina Gerber (1851-1898) married Johann Erhard Müller and became my great-grandmother. After she married Johann Müller (1849-1908), Regina bore 12 children, five of whom survived to adulthood. Regina was such a good mom. She died of a gallbladder problem at the age of 46. Her life could have been saved, but she refused to go to Odessa to see a doctor who could have helped her. That much trust in doctors she did not have. My Oma Paulina Müller was 10 ½ years old when her mother died. Paulina Müller (1888-1971) married Simon Zacher (1879-1945) and they had four daughters, three of whom survived to adulthood. Their oldest daughter was my mother, Anna Hulda Zacher (1907-1998). My Oma Paulina Zacher was talented in music and needlework, in addition to being an excellent cook and hostess. She strongly supported both education and culture for her daughters.
My mother Anna Hulda Zacher (1907-1998) married Andreas Opp (1902-1949) in 1929. During the first years of their marriage, mom and dad did well in Teplitz. Mom gave birth to five children, of which I was their firstborn and my brother Oskar was their third-born. One baby died in infancy in Teplitz and two more infants were war casualties in Europe. Before their marriage, dad was in the wagon-making business in Teplitz, and owned his own home. All went well until 1936 when Dad came down with rheumatic fever, the aftereffects of which he never overcame. With Dad not able to continue in the trade work, the family hit a financial wall. When in 1940 we were offered the resettlement program to return to Europe, it was felt that this would be a solution. It was not to be. The Trek and resettlement was the beginning of the end. The downhill path led not to settlement in Germany, but to resettlement in Poland amid hostile neighbors in a country occupied by Germany. Both common people and occupiers were blind to morality – they were in a fight for survival. At the end of the war, we Germans in Poland took the brunt of the hostile feelings of the Poles toward their occupiers and we were exposed to brutal retaliation. Our family paid a heavy price. Dad was arrested in 1945 and taken to a labor camp in the Ukraine where he was worked to death under starvation conditions. Mother, four months pregnant, was taken into custody with two-year old Inge (b. Sep 23, 1942 Suchary Poland) and in 1945 was placed into a detention camp near Bromberg [Bydgoszcz], Poland with inhumane conditions and starvation rations. Inge became severely malnourished and was taken away to the hospital - we never saw her again. My brother Oskar (age 9) and I (age 15) were taken into custody and were forced to work on a farm outside of Bromberg. Mom got a break from the Soviets who arranged her freedom since she was a German born in Russian territory. My brother and I got a break and escaped to join our mother. Together with other "Russians" we miraculously got out of Poland and made our way back to Germany – East Germany. There, mother gave birth to a stillborn baby boy. Mom was badly infected, weak and helpless – she came very close to dying. She fought back gallantly to stay alive for us. When the Soviets decided to partition off East Germany, we made a dash for West Germany. We arrived homeless, dejected and poor. But we had our mother, grandmother, and aunts, and slowly they nurtured us back to life. Mother would not have survived if she had not inherited her feisty pioneer spirit from our ancestors. With our backs against the wall, we learned to fight for our life as our ancestors had. What a God-given strength that is. Escaping from hell and getting to freedom is an experience so deep that at times it is difficult to explain. You truly come to feel the power of God combined with your human strength. When Mom, Oskar and I settled in Canada, we were able to rebuild our lives. To this day we are thankful for life and the ability to share that gift. Mom had a good life here in Canada and was with us to the end. During her dying days we were very close. As we had said so often, we again said at the moment of her passing, "Thank you, Mother." She didn't have to answer – she knew. God bless you, Mother, and rest in peace.
By Alfred Opp
Edited by Connie Dahlke
Alfred Opp is the author of "Pawns on the World Stage" - the memoirs of his childhood in Teplitz, Bessarabia and the experiences of his family in war-torn Europe (Poland during 1941-1945 before they fled to East Germany in 1945, then the reconstruction of West Germany 1945-1955).


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Product DescriptionBeautiful strand of black and white stripe recycled paper beads. These beads are made using recycled newspapers by working mothers in Uganda. Each bead is fair trade and handmade with love. Some beads may show slight sign of use, as they have passed through hands at African markets.
Product Details
Bead Size:
12-14 x 12mm diameter
Hole Size:
Strand Length:
Number of Beads:
50 (approximation)
Found In:
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Kathleen BushmanWatch the Olbermann Video with Larry Johnson:Sun Jul 1, 2007 16:22
Watch the Olbermann Video with Larry Johnson: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QK5-jIfOBjQ
On 7/1/07, Kathleen Bushman email@example.com wrote:
Ex- CIA Man Exposes Hysteria Of Car "Bomb" Terror
posted Sunday, 1 July 2007
Ex-CIA Man Exposes Hysteria Of Car " Bomb" Terror
London car bombs would not have killed anyone, government using terrorist tactics by hyping fear to morph society
Paul Joseph Watson
Prison Planet
Sunday, July 1, 2007
Countering the frothing rabid hysteria that is being whipped up by a fervent media in response to three failed car "bomb" attacks in the last few days in the UK, ex-CIA agent Larry Johnson joined Keith Olbermann to underscore the truth behind the madness - that the so-called bombs were primitive at best and would not have killed anybody.
Watch the video below.
In the immediate aftermath of the discovery of a Mercedes parked outside a London night club containing up to 60 litres of petrol and a similar second vehicle, authorities claimed that the bombs would have caused "carnage" had they been detonated, killing hundreds of people.
A burning Jeep that was driven into a terminal building at Glasgow Airport yesterday was also believed to contain petrol, but failed to explode beyond simply burning out the interior of the vehicle.
The truth about the "deadly" car bombs that led to airports and other transit systems being closed across the country as well as the UK terror threat level being raised to critical is that they displayed an almost laughable level of proficiency and would not have killed anyone.
"This is not one of the truck bombs or car bombs we see going off in Iraq - what's really striking about this today is that you had two non-bombs in London when we had at least five bombs in Baghdad in which U.S. soldiers were killed in one of those so I think it's just out of proportion - this was an incendiary, this was not a high explosive," said Johnson.
Johnson said that had the gas been ignited properly, there would have been a loud boom that would have split the tank but that no projectiles would have even exited the vehicle.
"If someone was within 20, 30 feet of it they would have ear damage but not much more," said Johnson.
Johnson contrasted how the media glaze over deadly car bombings in Iraq which occur every day "And then you have a non-event in London and we're going to battle quarters and beginning to give the hairy eyeball to every Muslim."
Olbermann called the terrorists, "the graduating Al-Qaeda bomb squad that need remedial work" while attacking the concept that we're fighting them in Iraq so as to not have to fight them over here."
He also called out the so-called counter-terrorism experts who have hyped this non-event on television to enhance the profile of the counter-terror companies that they head up.
As Johnson outlines, fewer than 50,000 people worldwide have died as a result of terror attacks since the 60's, and as we recently highlighted, accident causing deer, swimming pools and peanut allergies have all proven more deadly than international terrorism.
The true extent of the damage that could have been caused by these recent attacks pales in comparison to the overblown exaggerated hype that the authorities have claimed and that the media has willingly parroted.
Similar attacks were a staple of the 60's and 70's but the government and the media downplayed them because they were of minimal threat to anyone and to hype such non-events was handing a propaganda victory to the terrorists.
Since the very definition of terrorism is to influence government policy not by the attack itself but by hyping fear of new attacks, the government of Gordon Brown is engaging in terrorism by strongly intimating that fresh attacks are inevitable.
Brown came to power with an agenda to push through new anti-terror laws including wiretaps being admissible in court and extending the 28-day detention without charge law to 90 days. Though such proposals failed under Blair and Brown was expecting a fight to get them passed, expect them to breeze through Parliament with little opposition following the outright panic that has been generated as a result of recent events.
tags: uk terrorism
"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution
inevitable." - JFK
Main Page -
Sunday, 07/08/07
Message Board by American Patriot Friends Network [APFN]


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AMD Radeon HD 5870 Eyefinity 6 Edition Review: 6 monitor gaming!
Eyefinity 6 Advantages
UPDATE: We finally got our video review of the AMD Radeon HD 5870 Eyefinity 6 Edition graphics card up and ready for you to view. I apologize for the delay here but we had some major issues with our editing software, etc etc. I think you'll find the wait was well worth it! It is a bit longer than normal (about 20 minutes) but we take the time to walk you through how easy the hardware and software setup is, bezel correction, several positive and negative game play examples and more!
We have become fans of the Eyefinity brand here at PC Perspective and in general, of the idea of multiple-monitor gaming. Lord knows that millions of dedicated PC gamers need, no DEMAND, a way to stand out from the crowd of console elitists and throwing a set of three LCDs at their face is definitely a good way to do it. But what if there was more? What if you could actually throw more monitors at those very same faces?
This is what we have been promised since AMD first brought the media and a group of gamers from the Oakland bay area onto an aircraft carrier: six LCD panels being driven by a single graphics card for intense PC action. Enter the AMD Radeon HD 5870 Eyefinity 6 Edition graphics card.
Both idle and maximum board power are up slightly over the standard HD 5870 due to the increase in memory modules as well as the power necessary to drive up to 6 displays.
If you are going to go for the whole enchilada and setup the a 6-panel configuration you are going to need either 4 more mini-DP to DP adapters to go with your new DisplayPort capable displays or more of the mini-DP to DVI connections for traditional monitors. If you are doing really well for yourself and have some 30-in monitors that require dual-link DVI connections be prepared to shell out as much as $100 each for active adapters - more on that in our video above.


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Ms PARKE (Fremantle) (18:05): I wish to speak today to the Intellectual Property Laws Amendment (Raising the Bar) Bill 2011. I commend the work of the former Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, Senator Kim Carr, and the department for the improvements to the intellectual property system that are contained in the bill. I note with respect to the patent system, in particular, that the bill will have the effect of raising standards in a number of respects. However, there are areas of the existing patent system where the bill does not go far enough and there are areas where it does not go at all—and it is those areas that I would like to speak about today.
First I will address the areas where the bill does not go far enough. For example, the section in the bill on experimental use exemption introduces an explicit provision permitting experimentation to be conducted without infringing patent rights. This was said by the minister in his second reading speech in the Senate to respond to 'concerns that patent rights can sometimes deter or block innovation by discouraging researchers from developing further innovations or spin-offs' and 'the need to set our researchers free and ensure that the patent system encourages further innovation'. However, this exemption applies only as long as what researchers are doing is predominantly for non-commercial experimental purposes.
There appear to be five main problems with this provision. Firstly, the scope of the exemption is too narrow; it does not seem to include non-experimental or other non-commercial purposes, such as clinical, educational, teaching or applied scientific purposes. Secondly, it is very difficult to prove that research has no commercial interest. Most universities have commercial objectives. Thirdly, furthermore, if a researcher using a patented genetic material under the experimental use exemption does manage to invent a useful application relating to that material, he or she would need to pay money and obtain a licence to the patent holder in order to commercialise that invention. This would seem to be a significant disincentive to innovation, to improving what already exists. Fourthly, the bill is ambiguous as to when the research exemption will apply and this will consequently be tested in the courts by multinational corporations with deep pockets. To what extent will small research institutions or individual researchers run the risk of carrying out research that may lead to them being dragged to court against large pharmaceutical corporations, for example? Finally, I note that the WTO TRIPS agreement heavily constrains experimental use exemptions.
These factors together mean, I fear, that the experimental use exemption provision, while admirable in its purpose and intent, will not be effective or practicable for scientists and researchers. Secondly, the bill does not deal with patentable subject matter, a subject of significant interest to health professionals, cancer patients and the wider Australian community. It is a bedrock principle of patent law that there must be an invention. In the health field, true inventions such as medicines, vaccines and new methods for diagnosis are patentable subject matter. However, discoveries of nature are not inventions and have never been patentable subject matter, irrespective of how difficult or useful that discovery may be.
Notwithstanding this principle, the practice over the past more than two decades has been to grant patents over human genes where such genes have been isolated from the human body and to grant patents over diagnostic tests that do not result from any invention but involve mere comparisons of genetic sequences. The effect of the practice of granting patents over human genes has been to lock up genes in the hands of a few, mostly foreign, corporations that can then refuse or control access to the genes.
In July 2008 an Australian company, Genetic Technologies, which had acquired the exclusive patent rights to a number of Australian patents granted to Myriad Genetics over breast and ovarian cancer susceptibility, or BRCA, genes, wrote to all of Australia's publicly funded clinical laboratories demanding that they immediately cease providing Australian women with BRCA genetic testing or they would be sued for patent infringement. In September 2010 the ABC Four Corners program Body Corporate highlighted the fact that doctors at Westmead Hospital were sending children's DNA samples to Scotland for epilepsy testing rather than paying the fees and royalties demanded by Genetic Technologies, which holds the patent rights for the epilepsy gene and genetic test.
During the recent Senate Community Affairs References Committee inquiry into gene patents, the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre gave evidence that its research into breast and ovarian cancer had been delayed by two years and ended up costing three times as much because gene patents holders, Myriad and Genetic Technologies, refused to grant it permission to use the genes in its research. As Professor Bowtell from the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre said during the inquiry:
We are coming into an era where lots of genes are actually being identified that work in concert to actually cause an outcome, like the risk of developing breast cancer, diabetes, stroke … If the patents for each of those genes are held by different companies then it is going to be extremely difficult to assemble a practical test to test for a particular condition.
The fact is that knowledge about human genes belongs to everyone. This is why when the human genome was decoded 12 years ago US President Clinton and British Prime Minister Blair issued a joint statement that said:
… to realise the full promise of this research, raw fundamental data on the human genome, including the human DNA sequence and its variations, should be made freely available to scientists everywhere. Unencumbered access to this information will promote discoveries that will reduce the burden of disease, improve health around the world and enhance the quality of life for all humankind.
This principle has been recognised by the United States government, which in the past two years has revised its policy on the patentability of genetic material, saying in an amicus curiae submission to a court challenge to Myriad's gene patents:
The extent to which basic discoveries in genetics may be patented is a question of great importance to the national economy, to medical science, and to the public health.
… … …
The chemical structure of native human genes is a product of nature, and it is no less a product of nature when that structure is 'isolated' from its natural environment than are cotton fibers that have been separated from cotton seeds or coal that has been extracted from the earth.
… … …
Methods of identifying, isolating, and using such DNA molecules may be patented, as may any new and useful alteration of those molecules through human intervention. Genomic DNA itself, however, is a product of nature that is ineligible for patent protection, whether or not claimed in 'isolated' form.
We acknowledge that this conclusion is contrary to the longstanding practice of the Patent and Trademark Office, as well as the practice of the National Institutes of Health and other government agencies that have in the past sought and obtained patents for isolated genomic DNA.
So, the US government now considers that the practice of the US Patent and Trademark Office, which has been followed by IP Australia for more than two decades, is wrong. This is significant.
The US Supreme Court may rule on this in the coming years. A court case by breast cancer patient Yvonne D'Arcy and Cancer Voices Australia is underway in Australia challenging Myriad's patents over the breast and ovarian cancer genes. But it will be some time before it is decided. In my view it is time for this parliament to fix the problem once and for all.
I am told that it is not necessary to amend the Patents Act to make it clear that genes are not patentable, because as a matter of practice IP Australia no longer grants patents over human genes and has not done so for some time. But this is not true. I have in front of me a patent granted by IP Australia in the last three years over the gene CXADR, related to human colon cancer. As an aside I would like to point out that 90 per cent of patents granted by IP Australia are to foreign corporations, so knowledge about the human body, to which Australian scientists and researchers need access so that they can help find cures and treatments for disease and illnesses, knowledge that should be freely available to humankind because no-one invented it, is locked up and controlled in the main by foreign corporations.
With regard to the matter of diagnostic tests that contain no inventiveness or transformative steps but simply involve the mere comparison of genetic sequences, it is clear not just to me but to the Cancer Council of Australia and to the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia, among others, that such tests should no longer be patentable.
The US federal court of appeal recently ruled—and this aspect of the ruling is not the subject of an appeal to the US Supreme Court—that Myriad's patent claims over a diagnostic test analysing whether a patient's genes had mutations that raised the risk of cancer were not patentable, because they involved only 'patent-ineligible abstract mental steps'. During that case the Association for Molecular Pathology noted:
That pathologists can be excluded from 'looking at' or 'reading' a patient's DNA sequence to characterize or assess the risk for disease is akin to prohibiting a physician from taking a patient's pulse to see if his or her heart is beating.
… … …
… the fact that patients can be prevented from accessing the information contained in their DNA would offend most people's conceptions of individual rights and personal liberty.
The fact that gene patents and diagnostic tests that involve the mere comparison of genetic sequences are not excluded as patentable subject matter constitute serious deficiencies in the raising the bar bill that I hope will soon be rectified by separate legislation.
Finally, I would like to pick up on a point made by Senator Nick Xenophon in his speech on the raising the bar bill regarding the need for a provision in the Patents Act that would enable Commonwealth or state governments, companies or individuals who are negatively impacted by a patent that is revoked to recoup the value of their patent monopoly or the damages caused by the patent monopoly. I note an example in this context: Sanofi-Aventis, the owner of a 20-year patent for clopidogrel valid until July 2003. It sought and obtained a second patent for clopidogrel valid until February 2013. This second patent had the effect of evergreening the first patent by extending patent protection over clopidogrel by nearly 10 years. GenRx sought to market a generic version of a drug containing clopidogrel once the first patent of Sanofi-Aventis had expired. Sanofi-Aventis obtained a interlocutory injunction; however, this was overturned by the full Federal Court, which revoked the second evergreen patent on the grounds that the earlier patent had already disclosed the relevant compounds. That is, the second version was not found to be an invention. The High Court refused Sanofi-Aventis's application for special leave to appeal. The cost to the PBS of the unmerited patent protection from July 2003 to 13 March 2010 is an estimated $476 million to $631 million. The estimated recoverable portion of this for the Commonwealth is $60 million, being for the period from September 2007 when the interlocutory injunction was granted to 13 March 2010 when the Federal Court revocation came into effect. This is based on an undertaking by Sanofi-Aventis at the time of being granted the injunction to pay compensation to any party adversely affected by the injunction.
I raise this case to express my general concern about the practice by pharmaceutical companies of evergreening drugs, that is, making very minor changes and getting extensions on their 20-year patents. This makes a mockery out of the patents system, which is supposed to be about offering a limited period of patent protection as a reward for invention that is disclosed to the public. It is not intended to provide a semipermanent monopoly that can milk the tax payer indefinitely. As can be seen from this example, and there are many others like it, the cost to the PBS from such practice is significant. The Australian economy is supposedly dedicated to the principle of competition. A notable exception to this principle is the patents system, which creates 20-year monopolies sanctioned by law as a way of encouraging inventive contributions. However, as we have seen, the vast majority of patents granted in Australia are to foreign corporations and it appears from the practice of evergreening pharmaceuticals, among other things, that a certain amount of gaming the system is taking place. IP Australia, which is self-funded through patent and trademark filing and renewal fees, has a role as facilitator for the industry but I am concerned that it is not able to effectively regulate the industry. I therefore support the notion of introducing provisions to deal with anti-avoidance and anti-competitive conduct so that, if corporations deliberately act in a way that stifles innovation or unfairly knocks out competition, there will be penalties attached to such conduct. Perhaps the ACCC would be best placed to investigate such behaviour.
I would like to finish by quoting from a dissenting statement made by economics professor DM Lamberton in a report by the Industrial Property Advisory Committee, Patents, Innovation and Competition in Australia to the Hon. Barry Jones, then Minister for Science and Technology in 1984. Professor Lamberton noted:
No amount of talk about individual patent successes nor about a future in which the Australian economy has magically become progressive, innovation-oriented, and competitive on the world scene, can hide the facts that Australia exports little in the way of manufactured goods and has few inventions for sale. Most patents are granted to overseas firms.
He said the report:
… is constrained by the very of haze of assumptions about rights and rewards for inventors, special pleading by those directly involved, and a plethora of legal procedures and criteria in the Patents Act that it deplores. Many of its recommendations are for no change; and when change is implemented it is all too often merely procedural or has little prospect of being effective. A good opportunity to adjust an ancient institution to the current needs of the Australian economy has been missed.
Much of what Professor Lambert had to say then remains true today, as confirmed in the 2008 final report of the Cutler Review of the National Innovation System, which noted mounting evidence that the patent system is impeding rather than stimulating innovation. I would like to see the Productivity Commission take this issue up. While the raising the bar bill has some very good elements to it that I support, I believe that in a number of ways, some of which I have tried just now to describe, there is further work to do.


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Constipation is most often defined as having a bowel movement less than 3 times per week. It usually is associated with hard stools or difficulty passing stools. You may have pain while passing stools or may be unable to have a bowel movement after straining or pushing for more than 10 minutes.
Alternative Names
Irregularity of bowels; Lack of regular bowel movements
Normal bowel movements are different for each person. You may not have a bowel movement every day. Although some healthy people always have soft or near-runny stools, others have firm stools, but have no trouble passing them.
When you rarely have a bowel movement, or it takes a lot of effort to pass stool, you have constipation. Passing large, wide, or hard stools may tear the anus, especially in children. This can cause bleeding and may lead to an
Common Causes
Constipation is most often caused by:
- Low-fiber diet
- Lack of physical activity
- Not drinking enough water
- Delay in going to the bathroom when you have the urge to move your bowels
Stress and travel can also contribute to constipation or other changes in bowel habits.
Other causes of constipation may include:
- Colon cancer
- Diseases of the bowel, such as
irritable bowel syndrome
- Mental health disorders
- Nervous system disorders
- Pregnancy
Underactive thyroid
- Use of certain medications
Constipation in children often occurs if they hold back bowel movements when they aren't ready for toilet training or are afraid of it.
Home Care
Children and adults should get enough fiber in their diet. Vegetables, fresh fruits, dried fruits, and whole wheat, bran, or oatmeal cereals are excellent sources of fiber. To reap the benefits of fiber, drink plenty of fluids to help pass the stool.
For infants with constipation:
- Over 2 months old — try 2 – 4 ounces of fruit juice (grape, pear, apple, cherry, or prune) twice a day.
Over 4 months old — if the baby has begun solid foods, try baby foods with high-fiber content (peas, beans, apricots, prunes, peaches, pears, plums, spinach) twice a day.
Regular exercise may also help establish regular bowel movements. If you are confined to a wheelchair or bed, change position often. Also do abdominal exercises and leg raises. A physical therapist can recommend exercises that you can do.
Stool softeners (such as those containing docusate sodium) may help. Bulk laxatives such as psyllium may help add fluid and bulk to the stool. Suppositories or gentle laxatives, such as milk of magnesia liquid, may help you have regular bowel movements.
Enemas or stimulant laxatives should only be used in severe cases. These methods should be used only if fiber, fluids, and stool softeners do not provide enough relief.
Do NOT give laxatives or enemas to children without first asking your doctor.
Call your health care provider if
Call your doctor immediately if you have sudden constipation with
Also call your doctor if you have:
- Been using laxatives for several weeks or self care is not working
Blood in your stool
- Constipation alternating with diarrhea
- Rectal pain
- Sharp or severe abdominal pain, especially if you also have bloating
- Thin, pencil-like stools
Unexplained weight loss
Call your child's pediatrician right away if:
- An infant (except those who are only breastfed) goes 3 days without a stool and is vomiting or irritable
Also call your child's pediatrician if:
- An infant younger than 2 months is constipated
- Non-breastfeeding infants go 3 days without having a bowel movement (call immediately if there is vomiting or irritability)
- A child is holding back bowel movements to resist toilet training
What to expect at your health care provider's office
Your doctor will perform a physical examination, which may include a rectal exam, and will ask questions such as:
- How long have you had constipation?
- How many days do you go between two bowel movements?
- Is constipation worse when you are stressed?
- What is the color, shape, and consistency of your stools?
- Is there any bleeding with bowel movements?
- Do you have any
abdominal pain?
- What surgeries or injuries have you had?
- What medications do you take?
- Do you drink coffee or alcohol? Do you smoke?
- What other symptoms do you have?
The following tests may help diagnose the cause of constipation:
- Anorectal manometry (pressure measurements of the anus and rectum)
Barium enema
- Complete blood count (CBC)
- Colonoscopy
Proctosigmoidoscopy(an examination of the lower bowel)
- Stool studies
Upper GI series X-rays of the abdomen
Avoiding constipation is easier than treating it, but involves the same lifestyle measures:
Drink plenty of fluids each day (at least 8 glasses of water per day).
Eat lots of fiber.
Exercise regularly.
Go to the bathroom when you have the urge. Don't wait.
Related:High-fiber foods, Constipation – what to ask your doctor, Anal fissure