text:
So, you want to put a "Search This Site" button on your PHP3 sites? Well, unless all your pages are stored in a database (ugh!), there is no easy way to do this using PHP alone.
The solution is to use another program designed specifically for indexing and searching your site, and then use the results of that program in your PHP script.
When I first needed this functionality for a site I was designing for the SummerWorks Theatre Festival, I came across ht://Dig. For those who don't know, "The ht://Dig system is a complete world wide web indexing and searching system for a small domain or intranet. … [It] is meant to cover the search needs for a single company, campus, or even a particular sub section of a web site."
This tutorial will cover the following steps needed to get these two great Open Source applications working together:
- Installing ht://Dig
- Configuring ht://Dig
- Indexing the Site
- Building the Search Page
- Performing the Search
- Parsing and Displaying the Results
Installing ht://Dig
I'm not going to spend much time on this section, since the ht://Dig documentation can answer any questions much better than I can in this tutorial.
As of this writing, the latest version of ht://Dig is 3.1.0b4. The latest version can always be found at http://www.htdig.org.
Once you've downloaded the archive, and unzipped it, read the README and htdocs/install.html files for the latest information and instructions on how to install. I'm running Linux 2.0.35 and Apache 1.3.3, so your set-up may vary, but the first step is to run the configuration program.
% ./configure
You may then want to edit the CONFIG file. Specifically I changed these four settings to the following values:
prefix = /usr/local/htdig CGIBIN_DIR = /usr/local/htdocs/htdig/cgi-bin IMAGE_DIR = /usr/local/htdocs/htdig SEARCH_DIR = /usr/local/htdocs/htdig
The last two settings aren't too important, because we're going to be making our own search script and interface using PHP3.
Once the CONFIG file is to your liking, run make and then make install:
% make % make install
If all went well, ht://Dig should be installed and we can move on to configuring it to work with PHP.{mospagebreak title=Configuring ht://Dig} Before going any further, it would help if you have a clear idea of how ht://Dig works. There is a very nice explanation on the ht://Dig website (follow the link to "How it Works" on the left side), but here's the abridged version.
The ht://Dig system performs three major tasks that should be performed in the following order:Digging
Before you can search, a database of all the documents that need to be searched has to be created.Merging
Once the document database has been created, it has to be converted to something that can be searched quickly. Also, if you want to only update changed documents, these changes have to be merged into the searchable database.
Even though this task could be performed at the same time as digging, it is a separate process for efficiency reasons. It also gives more flexibility to what actually happens at merge time.Searching
Finally, the databases that were created in the previous steps can be used to perform actual searches. Normally, searches will be invoked by a CGI program which gets its input from the user through an HTML form … but we'll be doing it all with PHP3!
So, let's see what the installation created, shall we?
% cd /usr/local/htdig/ % ls bin common conf db
bin/ directory contains the executables required by
ht://Dig. Configurations files are in
conf/ (believe it or not!)
and I think you can guess where the database files are.
[Note: I'm going to assume from now on the you installed ht://Dig in the
/usr/local/htdig directory as shown above, and that the path to
your website files is
/www, probably a symlink to
If your web server is like mine, you're probably running several web sites
off the same machine. In this case, I've found it useful to have separate
configuration files for each site. ht://Dig installed a sample configuration
file called
htdig.conf, so I recommend you copy it to a new
filename and make some changes. Here is the
sw98.conf file I used
for the SummerWorks Theatre Festival's website:
database_dir: /usr/local/htdig/db/sw98 start_url: http://www.summerworks.on.ca/ limit_urls_to: http://www.summerworks.on.ca/ exclude_urls: /staff/ /search/ .inc .doc .mcw search_algorithm: exact:1.0 endings:0.3 matches_per_page: 50 excerpt_length: 200 template_map: sw98 sw98 /www/summerworks/search/results-template.html search_results_header: /www/summerworks/search/results-header.html search_results_footer: nothing_found_file: /www/summerworks/search/results-nomatch.html syntax_error_file: /www/summerworks/search/results-syntaxerror.html star_image: http://www.summerworks.on.ca/gifs/x-star.gif star_blank: http://www.summerworks.on.ca/gifs/x-nostar.gif max_stars: 5 max_doc_size: 100000 valid_punctuation: .-_/!#$%^&*'«»"
What do all these settings mean? Some are obvious, but the following probably are not:
Normally all database files are in the
/usr/local/htdig/db/ directory. To keep things a bit cleaner, I've
made sub-directories for all the sites on my server, so this is the
sub-directory for the SummerWorks site. You'll need to make this directory
manually before you can index the site:
% cd /usr/local/htdig/db % mkdir sw98
There are some files we don't want to search. If a URL contains any of the space separated patterns, it will not be indexed. In this case, I didn't want the staff pages, nor the search pages indexed. I also wanted it to ignore
.inc files (common PHP code that I include on
various pages), and some Word documents for PC and Mac. On the real SummerWorks
site, there are a couple more exclusions, but you get the idea (I hope!).
ht://Dig lets you turn "fuzzy" searching on or off. When it's on, people who search for "play", for example, will also find things like "plays", "player", "players", etc.. This slows down the digging process a fair amount, but can be useful. The different weights applied to each algorithm mean, in this case, that a search for "play" will turn up "player", but not as high in the results as an exact match for "play".
This makes a new template called "sw98". More on templates below.
search_results_header, search_results_footer, nothing_found_file, and syntax_error_file:
These are files used by the template, and parsed by PHP. More below.
This is bigger than usual, since there are some big pages on the site. If you find that some of your pages aren't being indexed, setting this to a higher value will often solve the problem.
I basically only added the French quotes and the single quote to the list of valid punctuation. This is the set of characters which will be deleted from the document before determining what a word is. This means that if a document contains something like "Andrew's" the digger will see this as "Andrews".
The same transformation is performed on the keywords sent to the search engine.
There are plenty of other setting you can set in the
.conf file.
For a definitive list with explanations, check out the ht://Dig website.
ht://Dig makes extensive use of templates for it's output. These templates are (usually) plain HTML documents containing variables, which are substituted with the search results.
There are four "standard" template setting in the
.conf file:
This specifies a filename to be output at the start of search results.
This specifies a filename to be output at the end of search results.
This specifies the file which contains the text to display when no matches were found.
This points to the file which will be displayed if a boolean expression syntax error was found.
There is also the result template file. This is the file referenced in the template_map attribute of the
.conf file. This is where all
the information you want the search to return is displayed.
I said that these templates usually contain a bunch of HTML, with some variable substitution. When using ht://Dig with PHP, it would be much easier if a search returned the raw results of the search. You can then use PHP to parse and display that information however you want.
The easiest way to do this is to not put any HTML in the template files, but instead just put in the list of variables you want substituted.
So, make your
results-header.html file contain only the
following 4 lines:
results-nomatch.html should contain only 1 line (note that it's
not a variable):
results-template.html consists of 4 lines:
results-syntaxerror.html consists of 2 lines:
It's important that there be no extra line breaks at the beginning or end of
your files, since we're going to rely on the fact that every fourth line of the
results-template.html file (for instance) is the title of the
All of the template files are in a sub-directory of the website called
If you want to find out what all the variables mean (and what other ones are available), check the ht://Dig site.{mospagebreak title=Indexing the Site} Before ht://Dig can search your site, it has to index it.
ht://Dig retrieves HTML documents using the HTTP protocol and gathers information from these documents which can later be used to search them. In this way, it works very much like a search robot or web spider.
[Note: ht://Dig can also operate locally, indexing a site through the local file system. While this is a faster way of indexing a site, it doesn't work very well when indexing dynamic pages. Why? Well, it would indexing the source of a PHP file, not the result. And that's not what you want.]
Every time you make a change to your site, you'll want to re-index it. So
it's probably a good idea to write a little shell script that indexes your site
for you, and add it to your crontab. Here is
rundig.sh, a script
that does just that for the SummerWorks site, and emails me the details. The
changes you need to make for your site should be obvious.
#! /bin/sh if [ "$1" = "-v" ]; then verbose="-v" fi # This is the directory where htdig lives BASEDIR=/usr/local/htdig # This is the db dir DBDIR=$BASEDIR/db/sw98 # This is the directory htdig will use for temporary sort files TMPDIR=/tmp export TMPDIR # This is the name of a temporary report file REPORT=$TMPDIR/htdig.sw98 # This is who gets the report REPORT_DEST="firstname.lastname@example.com" export REPORT_DEST # This is the subject line of the report SUBJECT="ht://Dig Report for SW98″ # This is the name of the conf file to use CONF=sw98.conf # This is the PATH used by this script. Change it if you have problems # with not finding wc or grep. PATH=/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin ##### Dig phase STARTTIME=`date` echo Start time: $STARTTIME echo rundig: Start time: $STARTTIME > $REPORT $BASEDIR/bin/htdig $verbose -s -a -c $BASEDIR/conf/$CONF >> $REPORT TIME=`date` echo Done Digging: $TIME echo rundig: Done Digging: $TIME >> $REPORT ##### Merge Phase $BASEDIR/bin/htmerge $verbose -s -a -c $BASEDIR/conf/$CONF >> $REPORT TIME=`date` echo Done Merging: $TIME echo rundig: Done Merging: $TIME >> $REPORT ##### Cleanup Phase # To enable htnotify, uncomment the following line # $BASEDIR/bin/htnotify $verbose >>$REPORT # To enable the soundex or endings search, uncomment the following line $BASEDIR/bin/htfuzzy $verbose -c $BASEDIR/conf/$CONF endings # Move the work files mv $DBDIR/db.wordlist.work $DBDIR/db.wordlist mv $DBDIR/db.docdb.work $DBDIR/db.docdb mv $DBDIR/db.docs.index.work $DBDIR/db.docs.index mv $DBDIR/db.words.db.work $DBDIR/db.words.db END=`date` echo End time: $END echo rundig: End time: $END >> $REPORT echo # Grab the important statistics from the report file # All lines begin with htdig: or htmerge: or rundig: fgrep "htdig:" $REPORT echo fgrep "htmerge:" $REPORT echo fgrep "rundig:" $REPORT echo WC=`wc -l $REPORT` echo Total lines in $REPORT: $WC # Send out the report … mail -s "$SUBJECT – $STARTTIME" $REPORT_DEST < $REPORT # … and clean up rm $REPORT
Run this from the command line with the -v switch and you can watch as your
site is indexed! You'll need to run this as root (or the same user you installed
ht://Dig as) so that it can create the necessary files in
rundig.sh in your crontab, right?), you can search the site.
Your search page is just going to be a simple HTML form:
{mospagebreak title=Performing the Search} ht://Dig is normally run as a CGI script ("normally" meaning "by everyone who doesn't use PHP3!"). To run the search program from PHP, you will need a file called
<FORM METHOD="POST" ACTION="results.php3″> Search for: <INPUT TYPE="text" NAME="search" SIZE=30> <INPUT TYPE="submit"> </FORM>
htdig.sh which looks like this:
#!/bin/sh HTBINDIR=/usr/local/htdocs/htdig/cgi-bin QUERY_STRING="$@" REQUEST_METHOD=GET export QUERY_STRING REQUEST_METHOD $HTBINDIR/htsearch
Just change the value of
HTBINDIR to whatever is appropriate for
your setup (i.e. the path you picked for
CGIBIN_DIR in the
CONFIG file when you installed ht://Dig).
I recommend putting this file in the
search/ subdirectory as
well, along with the template files. You also need to change file permissions so
htdig.sh is executable by your web server.
Next, we need to get PHP to talk to the search script. Finally, some PHP
code! This is simply a matter of building the query string to pass to
htdig.sh, executing the search, and parsing the results.
So, in
results.php3, we build the query string:
$HTSEARCH_PROG is the location of the
<?php $HTSEARCH_PROG = "/www/summerworks/search/htdig.sh"; $words = EscapeShellCmd(UrlEncode($search)); $config = "sw98"; $format = "sw98"; $query = "config=$config&format=$format&words=$words"; ?>
htdig.sh program. $search is passed from the form, and
is the list of words to search for. $config tells ht://Dig which
.conf file to use, and $format tells it which template
map to use from the
.conf file.
Then we run the search:
<? $command="$HTSEARCH_PROG "$query""; exec($command,$result); ?>
This puts the results of the search into the array $result, which PHP then parses to display the results.{mospagebreak title=Displaying the Results}
This is where ht://Dig's templates are put to work. First, let's count the number of lines returned by the search:
<?php $rc = count($result); ?>
The first two lines are always going to be the HTTP header
Content-type: text/html n n
so we can skip them (remember, ht://Dig was designed to output HTML).
If the search produced an error, we'd get no results or a one-line error, so:
<?php if ($rc<3): echo "There was an error executing this query. Please try later.n"; ?>
Let's also check to see that we got some matches. If we didn't, then ht://Dig
will just echo out the two-line HTTP header, then the contents of the
results-nomatch.html file. We use that information to perform the
<?php elseif ($result[2]=="NOMATCH"): echo "There were no matches for $search found on the website.
n"; ?>
We know to look for "NOMATCH" because that's the string in results-nomatch.html).
Similarly, we can check for a boolean syntax error:
<?php elseif ($result[2]=="SYNTAXERROR"): echo "There is a syntax error in your search for $search:
"; echo "
" . $result[3] . "
n"; ?>
If none of the above conditions were true, then we have at least one match! In this case, ht://Dig first outputs the variables in the results-header.html template, so:
<?php else: $matches = $result[2]; $firstdisplayed = $result[3]; $lastdisplayed = $result[4]; $words = $result[5]; echo "Your search for $words returned $matches match"; echo ($matches==1) ? "" : "es"; ?>
I'm echoing out the variable words here, instead of $search. That's because if I have fuzzy searching turned on and I search for "play", then $search will equal "play", but $words will equal "(play or played or playing or player or plays or players)" … which what you are really searching for.
Now we echo out each of the matches.
<?php $i=6; ?>
(6 is the number of variables in results-header plus 2)
<?php while($i<$rc) { # grab the match information $title = $result[$i]; $url = $result[$i+1]; $percent = $result[$i+2]; $excerpt = $result[$i+3]; # output the match information echo "" . $title . "
n"; echo "(" . $percent . "% match)
n"; echo "
" . $excerpt . "

n"; # move to the next match $i = $i + 4; } endif; ?>
And that's it!
There are a few quirks to keep in mind. Notably, ht://Dig outputs an
additional new-line after the $(STARSLEFT) and $(STARSRIGHT) variables in the
template. You need to keep this in mind when figuring out which line of $result corresponds to what piece of information. For example, if I
changed $(PERCENT) to $(STARSLEFT) in my
.conf file, I would need
to make the following changes to the code:
<?php $title = $result[$i]; $url = $result[$i+1]; $stars = $result[$i+2]; $excerpt = $result[$i+4]; … $i=$i+5; ?>
But the basic strategy is always the same: PHP loops through the array $result and outputs the information. If you want to see the contents of $result for yourself (to make sure you're getting the right results), just replace the entire last else- block above with:
Conclusion and Advanced Topics
<?php while (list($k,$v)=each($result)) { echo "$k -> $v n"; } ?>
You should all be running out now and adding "Search this Site" buttons to your PHP-driven web pages. This tutorial covered the basics, but there are a lot of advanced things you can do with ht://Dig and PHP:
- show matches in groups (e.g. "Matches 1-10", "Matches 11-20")
- "fix" the URL for matches for sites that are in framesets
- index and search not only HTML and PHP pages, but also PDF (Acrobat) and Microsoft Word documents using external parsers
- use the raw results of the indexing process to generate a site-map
Look for more tutorials later on these and other topics.
But until then, happy searching!


text:
Spain's recession deeper than thought
MADRID Spain's recession is worse than thought after official figures Wednesday showed the country's economy shrank 0.7 percent in the fourth quarter of 2012 from the previous three-month period.
The figure from Spain's National Statistics Office was higher than last week's 0.6 percent estimate from the Bank of Spain and provides further evidence that the economy is hobbled by its high level of debts and sky-high unemployment as well as the government's raft of austerity measures.
Spain's economy, which is the fourth-biggest of the 17 European Union countries that use the euro, has been shrinking for the last 18 months and unemployment stands at a heady 26 percent.
The statistics department said economic activity was down 1.8 percent in the fourth quarter from the year-earlier period. For the whole of 2012, it shrank 1.4 percent. The fourth quarter decline was also more than double the 0.3 percent drop recorded in the previous quarter.
Europe's main statistics office Eurostat unveils its estimate for the eurozone and the wider 27-country EU on Feb. 14.
While struggling with recession, Spain's central government and its regional administrations are under fierce pressure to reduce bloated deficits to convince European authorities and investors the country can manage its finances alone. To do this they have cut spending and sought to clean up a banking system laden down with toxic property assets left over from the crash in 2008.
On Tuesday, Catalonia, whose capital is Barcelona, said it was seeking 9 billion euro ($12.1 billion) this year from the central government's 23 billion euro rescue fund for troubled regions. It said most would be used in servicing debt. Catalonia needed 5 billion euro in 2012 while eight other regions took 8 billion euro from the fund, which totaled 18 billion euro last year.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Michael Lucas' Gigolos
Michael Lucas. Porn star, media whore, self-made man, and indisputable master of the cheesiest facial expressions ever seen on any celebrity whose name isn't Paris Hilton. (And I use the word "celebrity" lightly in Michael's case)
Am I a bit jealous? The man gets to work with incredibly hot- and naked- men every day- of course I am!
Don't get me wrong; I love my job. As Style Editor for EDGE Publications I direct plenty of photo shoots featuring beautiful men- often in Speedos or underwear. The men in Michael Lucas' GIGOLOS however, are in a class of their own.
First of all, let's be clear: If you're looking for your next slightly-naughty-but-still-safe-for-visits-with-relatives coffee table book, keep looking. This is porn polished-up. That's not a bad thing by any means, but it's certainly not something you'd want even a very progressive mom to pick up and flip-through thinking it was a book of artistic male nudes. No, the gigolos featured here are a bit more 'full-on' if you know what I mean, and some of the situations are suggestive, to say the least.
The gigolos in question are (of course) all Lucas Entertainment models, and most are drop-dead scorchin' hot. The photographs are excellent (including works from the likes of the famous photographer Joe Oppedisano), the production quality superb, and the book overall is erotic, sexy, and hot.
Having said that, and being known for rarely holding back my (sometimes snatchy) opinions, there's also plenty in this book to laugh at, and rip apart- namely Michael himself.
The book is a huge ad for Michael and Lucas Entertainment- something I can accept given that that's often the case when it comes to coffee table books celebrating the male body and sexuality. What I don't like however- aside from all of the photos of Michael with the exact same expression, looking like his lips were just injected with a cup of Restylane- is the pretentiousness and vapidity present in more than a handful of the shots.
If you're going to produce a book of stylized porn stars, I'm all for it. Dress 'em up, take their clothes off, put them in expensive looking settings, and bring on the glamorized-yet-still-raw sexuality. But let's leave the cheesy themes and excessive-use-of-the-star (i.e. Michael) out of the next volume, shall we?
The first two-dozen pages are fabulous, and feature almost as many models in various states of undress and 'excitement.' Of special note are Spencer Quest- gorgeous- and Jack MacCarthy.) An editorial called "Cigar Club" looks like it was expensive to produce... and also extremely orange.
All the men are the same "tan" color- it's definitely from a bottle- and all look about as excited and relaxed as, well, as a pig in lipstick and a little black dress. Not sexy.
"Auditions" is much better, likely due to the fact that it was shot by Oppedisano, and if anything, at least lets the models' (sometimes forced) personalities come through. The rest of the book is a mix of extremely sexy photographs and those which fall flat- the latter being the ones that his-highness, Mr. Pout Face, is in. The "Denim Divine" editorial is incredible (and not coincidentally sans Mr. Lucas) and should, without fail, be expanded into a volume of its own. The final editorial, "Hotel Chelsea," also features plenty of hot pictures, including some sexy shots of Lucas... namely the ones where his head's not in the picture.
Am I being a bit hard on Lucas (get it?)? Perhaps. But given what I've seen and heard of the megalomaniacal director (I spent eight of the last 12 years working in fashion and gay publishing in Hollywood... trust me, it's not just viscous gossip), he can both handle it and deserves it.
Plus, his book's hot enough to justify putting out (again with the sexual puns!) the $40 cover price.
Bruno Gmunder, 112 pages, $40
Available at Amazon.com for about $32.
Jason Salzenstein is a writer and editor; design, image, and marketing consultant; and professional shopper. His work has appeared in numerous national and international publications and he has clients around the world. For more information :: www.JasonSalzenstein.com


text:
Ray Lewis didn't change the Baltimore Ravens franchise when he was drafted in 1996. Ray Lewis became the Baltimore Ravens franchise.
|Baltimore Ravens with and without Ray Lewis
|Win-loss record
|Points allowed per game
|Yards allowed per game
|Rushing yards allowed per game
|Takeaways per game
Ravens football was born on Sept. 1, 1996, with a game against the Oakland Raiders. Lewis started at middle linebacker, picking off a Billy Joe Hobart pass to lead a 19-14 Baltimore win. Lewis has led the Ravens for 17 seasons since. That's why the news of his season-ending triceps tear is such a seismic event for the franchise.
The Ravens have finished seasons without Lewis before. He played just five games in 2002 and six games in 2005. This time, at age 37, is different. We don't know if Lewis will play again. It feels like the end of an era.
Declining play
The not-so-dirty secret around the NFL this year was Lewis' decline on the field. After a strong 2011 campaign, Lewis finally started to show his age. He struggled to shed blocks. He was a big part of the problem for Baltimore's struggling defense.
The Ravens' defense didn't look like the Ravens' defense even before Lewis' injury. We've read suggestions that the Ravens were better off with Lewis off the field. That's a stretch considering his leadership and what he means to the team, but Lewis is one of the smartest football minds of his generation. He sees what's on film. With some time to reflect this year, he might decide he doesn't want to play any longer at an inferior level.
Leadership vacuum
The Ravens might move Jameel McClain from outside to middle linebacker. They could promote Daniel Ellerbe to the starting lineup. No matter how Baltimore's depth chart looks, there will be no replacing Lewis' leadership.
We tend to think "leadership" in the locker room is overrated in the NFL. What you do on the field is what matters. Lewis transcends such skepticism. Watch the great episode of Lewis on "A Football Life," and you begin to understand a little. He's a force of personality that simply can't be replicated. There aren't other players around the league like him.
With all due respect to Ozzie Newsome, Jonathan Ogden and Ed Reed, no figure has been more pivotal to the Ravens' success over the years than Lewis. Baltimore's defensive coordinators got head-coaching jobs because of him. Watching "A Football Life," it felt in many ways like Lewis was coaching the team with John Harbaugh.
Baltimore has to replace Lewis and its best cornerback, Lardarius Webb, at a time when it can't rush the passer or stop the run. The Ravens will have to rely on Joe Flacco and the offense to carry them.
There is no B.R. (Before Ray) period in Ravens history. The next era starts now.Follow Gregg Rosenthal on Twitter @greggrosenthal.


text:
AAPL Investors Hold Hands Out for Long-Awaited Dividend
Aug 15, 2012 5:00 AM PT
Apple shareholders will be paid a dividend on Thursday as part of the company's $10 billion share buyback program announced in March. Starting on Aug. 16, shareholders of record will receive US$2.65 per share each quarter.
When it announced the dividend, Apple was coming off a quarter that blew away Wall Street expectations. But the company's latest earnings were lower than expected, which Apple partially attributed to delayed sales from consumer anticipation about upcoming products. Though the quarterly report wasn't catastrophic -- Apple's earnings were modest rather than record-breaking -- the company's stock still tumbled following the announcement.
Apple's relatively small dividend payment isn't likely to help its stock price soar back to its record-setting heights, said Dave Denis, professor of business administration at the University of Pittsburgh graduate school of business.
"The fact that they had a disappointing quarter doesn't change things much because the dividend is still relatively small as compared with the company's current cash balance."
The dividend still has significance, however, said Denis. Under the leadership of Steve Jobs, Apple typically hung onto a large cash stash and kept investor demands at arm's length. This dividend and plans for future ones, however, could be an indication that those policies will shift under current CEO Tim Cook's tenure. The company is sitting on an estimated $100 billion cash pile, but even a small dividend can poke away at that, said Denis.
"The dividend is still a big deal, though, in that the company is implicitly committing to continue the payment of this dividend in the future," he said. "That will gradually reduce the company's cash balance over time if operating profits continue to be disappointing."
Market Power
Apple's iPad accounted for nearly 70 percent of the tablet market in the second quarter of the year, shipping 17 million iPad tablet, according to a report from IHS iSuppli.
The company's shipments jumped 44.1 percent from the 11.8 million units it pushed out in the first quarter.
The company's chief rival -- and the one with which it is embroiled in a bitter patent trial in California now -- grabbed the number two spot with 9.2 percent of the market. Amazon, with its Kindle Fire, took 4.2 percent of the market for the third spot. Asus and Barnes & Noble rounded out the fourth and fifth spots for marketshare.
It's the first time since the first quarter of 2011 that the company has been in control of such a large chunk of the market.
Ditching Discs
Rumors about the next iPhone are picking up traction, but there are also clouds of speculation swirling around the next generation of Mac computers. Apple Insider uncovered configuration files on the new Mountain Lion OS that suggest unreleased versions of the iMac and Mac Pro might ditch discs and launch without optical drives.
Optical drives would presumably still be available as peripheral devices.
If any company is going to facilitate that transition away from physical media, it might as well be Apple, said Ben Bajarin, director and founder of Creative Strategies. Given the company's ecosystem that integrates software and digital content downloads through iTunes and the Mac App Store, its customers are already accustomed to the disc-free digital process, he said.
"The app economy has helped condition consumers to be used to the App Store buying process and getting their software digitally rather than from a disc," he told MacNewsWorld. "Apple developers have been embracing this and much, if not all, of the latest software is available for download either from the developer's site or from the Mac App Store."
The move -- which Bajarin said is inevitable, even if it doesn't come with the newest upgrade -- could mean the dawn of a new and improved era for PC software.
"This move to digital is better for consumers and for developers and may very well help lead to some of the most exciting Mac hardware we have ever seen," he said. "If you think about this as an analogy related to the iPhone or iPad, that software crazy would have never happened if we needed to go to the store and buy a disc, then install it via our PC to our smartphone. The elimination of the disc led to a software explosion. I see the same kind of software opportunity shaping up for Mac software as well."
Apple did not respond to our request for comment.


text:
The Composition program equips students with the knowledge and skills to help push their creative potential to its fullest.
Degrees Offered
- Bachelor of Music (BM)
- Master of Music (MM)
- Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA)
Other StudiesElegant Knee Floral Lace Cocktail Dresses Pink Sleeve Short Women Length Bulges X8qaZw
- Professional Studies Certificate (PS)
Program Details
Programs of study for composition majors are designed to equip students with the knowledge and skills required for the fullest development of their individual creative gifts.
Specialized courses for composers include:
- Counterpoint
- Instrumentation / orchestration
- Form and analysis
- Notation
- Score reading
- Operatic composition
- Electronic music
In addition to studying with MSM's expert faculty, composition students are given opportunities for response to present their work in master classes by world-renowned guest composers and performers.
Audition & Prescreening Information
Prescreening & Audition Procedures
Handbook for Current Students
Composition Department Handbook
Plan of Study & Course Descriptions
Composition Faculty and Instructors
J. Mark Stambaugh Acting Department Chair, Private Instruction; Composition Course Faculty
Susan Botti Private Instruction; Composition Course Faculty
Reiko Fueting Private Instruction; Composition Course Faculty
Marjorie Merryman Private Instruction
David Adamcyk Electronic Music
Hayes Biggs Composition Course Faculty
David McDonald Composition Course Faculty
Notable Composition Alumni
Michael Abene
David Amram
Angelo Badalamenti
Anna Clyne
Michael Colgrass
John Corigliano
Sebastian Currier
Michael Daugherty
Elliot Goldenthal
Ted Hearne
Black Nappa Mordore Trainer Shoe Buckle Ash Shine Gun Antic Wax Virgin Buckle Virgin Nappa Gun Shine Ash Wax Antic Shoe Black Trainer Mordore Larry Hochman
Rupert Holmes
Fredrick Kaufman
Aaron Jay Kernis
Black Virgin Shoe Nappa Buckle Ash Mordore Gun Wax Antic Shine Trainer Alex Mincek
John Musto
Jack Perla
Tobias Picker
Don Sebesky
Joseph Trapanese
Jie Wang
"MSM has definitely been the best place for me to improve and prepare to embark on the challenging adventures of the real world. It is making me a more thoughtful musician."


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Todd Bertges necesitaba un nuevo diseño de impreso o envases y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 32 diseños de 12 diseñadores freelance.
Imagine Real Estate
I am 40 years young. Live in Portland, Oregon. Free flowing, energetic person.
Existing Market. Representing buyers and sellers for single family homes and small apartment buildings.
Business card ideas:
• 2 sided card
• 1 side using my picture, which I can email you in a jpeg format
• Theme: Bright, welcoming, could be busy but not too busy
• Preferred Colors: Maroon, Burnt Orange, Tan, darker Greens, Black, (Earth Tones)
• My business focus is Residential Properties, not large commercial buildings
• I have a "Zen" approach to real estate, although placing a Buddha on my card is too much religious connotation. I was thinking of going with a wind swept flowing bonsai tree, bamboo and a exotic sun. Mainly an Asian theme, although I hope to capture all nationalities and creeds.
• The letters "LLC" will not be in the main title/focus of the card, just small print on my address line for legal purposes.
• Focal Point will be the word Imagine with Real Estate in smaller letters below, I was also thinking the I in imagine could have a focus on it centering in an explosive sun.
• I like the Monotype Corsiva type of font or something zen like.
Back Side of Card: My picture would fill the entire side vertically with the wording over the picture.


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Our homestay is comfortably located in Fort Cochin. Our homestay is close to Fort Kochi beach, historic monuments & churchs. While staying here, you could go for conducted tours around the city. You can walk around the beach , visit Jew Town and Mattancherry. Stroll through museums, art galleries and cafes.
Our homestay is located near Santa Cruz Basilica - Fort Cochin, the historic church which was built by the Portuguese and elevated to a cathedral by Pope Paul IV in 1558. The church was later proclaimed a Basilica in 1984 by Pope John Paul II.
This homestay is a family run homestay which offers our guest a quiet and peaceful location for comfortable homely stay with lowest tariff rates. Above all there is only short distances to all famous places in Fort Cochin and Mattanchery. The nearest railway station is Ernakulam Junction and the nearest airport is at Nedumbaserry.
CheersBye © 2019


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Cross platform mobile strategies to grow acquisition, discoverability and monetization
- Dissecting the developer/publisher relationship - Find out the keys to building effective, long-term partnerships on hit mobile games.
- Investigating F2P monetization - We share the latest best practice strategies to help you boost revenue for your game titles.
- Understanding user acquisition - An expert team of user acquisition specialists will break down their keys to finding new audiences at prices that won't break the bank.
- Tackling the tablet market - Evaluate the plethora of new entrants to the marketplace, as we help you identify the tablets that offer the best ROI for your development budget.
- Navigating the funding frenzy - From acceleration to crowdfunding programs, we'll explain the steps needed to find the right funding opportunities for your business
2015 Speakers:
Bob Meese
Head of Games Business Development
Google Play
Josh Yguado
Chip Lange
SVP Mobile & Social
Gordon Bellamy
Senior Advisor
Andrew Sheppard
Dean Takahashi
Lead Writer
GamesBeat at VentureBeat
Maximize Discoverability, Retention and Cross-Platform Revenue
- Discoverability - Strategies to get in front of your audience anywhere and on any device
- Analytics - Use the right analytics tools to pre-empt player behaviour and boost player retention and monetization
- Mechanics - Create games that will keep players hooked for months not weeks, implementing mechanics that will get more players paying
- Multi-platform - Understand the nuances of different platforms and build games that excel wherever you publish - iOS, Android, tablet or smartphone
- F2P Formula - Gain insight into the formula for success, from player acquisition, to monetization - hear why so many have failed to translate one success into a second and what the companies with successive hits are doing right
The mobile revolution shows no sign of slowing up as global market size is forecast to almost double from $13bn in 2013 to $22bn in 2015 (Gartner). The demogrqphics of gamers has changed with the average age of a gamer today being 37 and 42% are women. Furthermore, the ubiquity of connected devices, global uptake of smartphones and widespread access to the internet mean that you have access to literally millions more players today than a few years ago - and that figure is only rising.
But an array of challenges still remain:
- Platform ubiquity - iOS and Android are the main contenders, but while iOS by design make publishing across Apple devices effortless, Android requires more work - especially when entering the lucrative AsiaPac and LatAm regions where hardware specification Is often very basic
- Business models - 95% of mobile gaming revenue comes from F2P, it is no surprise that all the major players trying to enter this lucrative market. But converting free players to payers is not easy, Clash of Clans converts 10% of players to payers, while other titles can struggle to convert 1% - and sustaining spending over a longer period is another challenge altogether
- Player acquisition and retention - Player acquisition remains a huge challenge and producing successive hits is tough, but companies like King and Supercell are defying trends by building brands and retaining audiences across titles. A core understanding of their target audience and the analytics tools to match are central to their success, both will be at Mobile Gaming USA
- Emerging markets - Entering developing markets carries inherent risks: Potential for regulation in China, the need for a trusted local partner and localization (of content and language). However, as emerging markets outpace developed economies, the benefits can outweigh the risks
Fortunately, the industries key business leaders are coming together to answer these challenges and more, during two days intense discussions and networking at the USA's leading Mobile Gaming Summit.
Mobile Gaming USA - Your roadmap to success in mobile
The video games industry's biggest players including Unity, SGN, Google Play, Facebook, Glu and many more will come together to tackle the industry's burning questions and provide your business with the perfect platform for mobile gaming success.
An amazing faculty of speakers:
- Chris DeWolfe, CEO, SGN
- Bob Meese, Head of Games Business Development, Google Play
- Steve Carlin, Global Head of Gaming, Facebook
- Niccolo De Masi, CEO, Glu
- Gordon Bellamy, Senior Advisor, iDreamsky
- Alejandro Manchado, Business Development Lead Gaming, Google
- Pepe Agell, Head of International, Chartboost
- Wanda Meloni, Founder & Senior Analyst, M2 Research
- Dean Takahashi, Lead Writer GamesBeat, VentureBeat
- Andrew Sheppard, COO, GREE
- Chip Lange, SVP Mobile & Social, EA
- Ric Neil, Senior Director, Americas, Bee7 (Outfit7)
Over 180 senior publishing/development mobile gaming executives will be in attendance to build valuable partnerships, form mobile strategy and position their business for long term success. The industry researched agenda will equip you with the business critical information you need.
The 3rd Annual Mobile Gaming USA 2014 has been put together after months of extensive research and following the hugely successful chain of events in Europe and the USA. Designed to deliver the business critical answers around F2P business models, player acquisition and platform strategies that will drive forward growth in your business. Our expert speakers are leaders in the industry and will deliver in-depth analysis on:
- The best discoverability tools
- Aanalytics solutions that will drive retention and monetization
- Game mechanics that will improve player experience and drive conversion rates higher and higher
- F2P strategies to beat the competition and create the next global blockbuster
- Leverage existing players and IPs and grow revenues in the fastest growing sector in games
3 important reasons you need to attend Mobile Gaming USA
- Exclusive market insights: Mobile Gaming USA brings you the leading experts in the space delivering the strategies and insights that are driving forward the most successful companies in mobile today
- Extended networking opportunities: Organised dinners, 2 evening networking parties and a host of networking sessions! This summit will give your team the opportunity to meet with all the industry's biggest players, to enable you to build partnerships and do business with the greatest innovators in video games
- Product launches & expo: The perfect forum with leaders from across the industry, our events always feature exclusive product launches and essential expo zones from the most innovative players in video games today
Reserve your place today for the hottest ticket in town
Reserve your place today and you'll get a front row seat to hear from the biggest names in video games talking about the monetization issues that impact you most. Expert speakers such as Chris DeWolfe, CEO, SGN, Bob Meese, Head of Games Business Development, Google Play, Steve Carlin, Global Head of Gaming, Facebook and many more!
Video Games Intelligence
E: firstname.lastname@example.com


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VirtualJobCoach is the first process-based job-search solution. Everything you need for your search: tools, tips, and guidance are all integrated in one place. VirtualJobCoach is based on real hiring results and helps you get your next job faster! Traditional job search methods only have a 5-10% success rate; VirtualJobCoach.com is a next generation job-search and career management website based on a new model and strategy that has a 50-70% success.
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Latest Promos
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Gathbandhan: Valentine's Day pe hone wala hai gunpoint pe Gathbandan! Kahaan ko chali aakhir Raghu aur Dhanak ki love story?
Dil mein junoon aur maathe pe mitti ka tilak lagaakar, nikal padi hai Kesari apne sapne ki aor! Dekhiye Kesari Nandan Mon-Fri raat 8:30pm ET.
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Bigg Boss 10 Panel discussion: Who will win the season, celebrity or a commoner0?
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Difference between revisions of "Shanhaiguan"
Revision as of 06:12, 12 January 2007
Shanhaiguan (山海关; Shānhǎiguān) also called Shanhai Pass, is a part of the city of Qinhuangdao in Hebei province. It literally means "The Pass of Mountain and Sea".
Get in
By train
Shanhaiguan has its own train-station. It's only a few minutes by train from Qinhuangdao train-station. A direct train from Beijing takes 3 hours.
Get around
There's a bike rental shop in Shanhaiguan.
At Shanhaiguan, the Great Wall juts out into the sea. This part of the wall is known as the "Old Dragon's Head".
Further inland, The pass of Shanhaiguan is to be found. The pass of Shanhaiguan is a square, with a perimeter of around 4 kilometers long. The walls reach the heigh of 14 meters, and are 7 meters thick. The pass's east, south and north side is surrounded by a moat of 8 feet deep and 17 feet wide. There are drawbridges to get over the moat, and in the middle of the pass stands a tall bell tower.
All four sides of Shanhaiguan had a gate: Zhendong (East), Yinun (West), Mangyang (South), and Weiyuan (North). Due to disrepair over the centuries, only Zhendong gate still remains today. Zhendong Gate is the most important gate in Shanhaiguan due to its position, which faces outside the pass. On the gate hangs the board, written on it "First Pass Under the Heaven."
Even further inland, there's a small park near another section of the wall. Here, the wall can be seen snaking it's way over the hills. It is possible to take a chairlift/cablecar to get a better view, or if you're feeling fit, you can walk up a steep section of the wall.
There's also a museum dedicated to the Great wall in the centre of Shanhaiguan.
Much of Shanhaiguan has been extensively restored in the 80s.
There is a nice restauraunt in the centre. At least one restaurant near the Dragon's Head has been known to overcharge.


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June 28, 2009 at 1pm to August 9, 2009 at 4pm – reDiscover Center Mosaics for healing and transformation. 6 week workshop lead by Tabitha Fronk, MA, ATR-BC Board Certified Art Therapist $240 for series. Snacks and art supplies included. All levels welcome. Organized by Tabitha Fronk | Type: art, workshop
July 6, 2009 at 10am to August 24, 2009 at 1pm – 3791 Boise Avenue, Boise Avenue Studio is offering a weaving class with Kurdish master weaver Babajan. 8 Mondays, July and August 10:00-1:00. For more information call: Barbara Ryan 310 398-5827 or e-mail this site. Organized by Barbara Ryan | Type: weaving, class


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Jagged Alliance: Flashback is our vision of returning a once critically acclaimed franchise back to its roots, it's not a reboot, it's a reset! Our main goal is to bring back the tactical turn-based action that the original Jagged Alliance games are known for - the game was a thinking man's game, a thinking man with lots of guns! The games were unique in their blend of tactical turn-based action, controlling and maintaining squads of mercenaries, off and on the battlefield. As a player the decisions you made had a direct impact on how you played the game. Additionally, over-the-top personalities, memorable characters and role-playing elements made the games difficult to put away once you were hooked.
Only registered members can share their thoughts. So come on! Join the community today (totally free - or sign in with your social account on the right) and join in the conversation.
Random Screenshots form Jagged Alliance: Flashback on Steam Early Access


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- - Fits large to size, take one size smaller than normal
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Heel measures approximately 65mm/ 2.5 inches. Spotted on street-style icons and starlets alike, Isabel Marant's 'Dicker' ankle boots are a cult classic. This leather-lined suede pair has burnished edges that lend it a love-worn patina. Team yours with cut-off shorts and a slick jacket.
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Follow RFF News on your cell phone. Text follow rff to 40404 you will receive txt messages with RFF News
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Will tells Janie that Dani controls Erika & James and James is double dipping from everybody ..says he thinks hes with everybody .Janie says Dani thinks shes with everybody but her .Will is going to suggest that MB puts up James & DAni .
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Hi everyone! Tomorrow I'll be doing one of the many short presentations (around 15 minutes) at How-To Day, which is going on at libraries throughout the North Region of Allegheny County, PA.
My presentation will be on how to start your genealogy, including how to complete a pedigree chart.
Here's more information about How-To Day: http://howtoatyourlibrary.com. Hope to see you there!


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6 Years In A Row
And Counting!
The Messina family has owned and operated upscale pastry shops on
Long Island for over 40 years, and La Bonne Boulangerie itself is
proudly celebrating more than 20 years of service.
Our talented pastry chefs successfully master baking as an art form
to create these incredible "Specialty" cakes to your specifications


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Douglas Allen Baughman, 34, born on Dec. 2, 1977 in Wichita to Joe and Diane Charter Baughman, died Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2012, in Humble, Texas.
Douglas Allen Baughman, 34, born on Dec. 2, 1977 in Wichita to Joe and Diane Charter Baughman, died Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2012, in Humble, Texas. He was proceeded in death by his granny, Velma Wallace Baughman, his grandparents, Harold Charter and Velma Armstrong Charter. Survivors include: Loving wife Lisa Johnson Baughman of Humble Texas. Parents, Diane Baughman-Chambers and Bill Chambers, Joe and Linda Baughman. Best friend and Brother Glenn Baughman. Grandparents Glenn and Ada Baughman, all of Wichita. In-Laws Dr. Ian and Marie Johnson, Palm Bay, Fla. Step brothers and step sister: Jon and Jona Chambers, Jeff and Misty Clark, Justin and Shawn Clark, and Dayna Baker, all of Wichita. As well as aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, students and his beloved pets, Abby Rabinowitz and Jacqueline of the home. Extended family: Tim and Kim Unruh, Andy and Stacy Unruh, all of McPherson. Lee and Melissa Unruh, Wichita, Alex and Angie Unruh of Goddard. Douglas graduated from Maize High School, Wichita State University, and University of New Mexico, where he received his master's degree in music performance. Douglas played in the Maize Band — marching and jazz. He was active in the Wichita University Orchestra, Symphonic Band/Wind Ensemble, Tuba-Euphonium Ensemble, Student Chamber Brass, and Jazz Band. He won a spot on the Concerto/Aria Concert with the Vaughn Williams Concerto, and winning the New Mexico assistantship was through national audition. While in Wichita, he performed with the Junior Symphony, the Wichita Symphony and Merry Tuba Christmas. He performed in the New Mexico Brass Quintet and New Mexico Orchestra. He was a Veteran of the U.S. Army and served with the 77th Army Band. Douglas was a member of Virginia Society of the Sons of the American Revolution. Douglas was a general music teacher at Aldine ISD and a private music tutor. He played in the Houston Brass Band and Houston Area Brass Quintet. He was a musician, photographer, grill master and chef extraordinaire. Celebration of life services were Nov. 3 in Houston, and Nov. 10 in Wichita. Burial was in Cheney Old Pioneer Cemetery, Cheney. Those who wish to make a donation, a memorial for the Douglas Baughman Tuba Music Fund has been set up with Wichita State University for the School of Music, 1845 Fairmount, Box 2, Wichita, KS 67260.


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Are you learning English? Our specially developed 10-episode series for beginners is the world's first video course to include direct interaction with native English speakers. It's a fun, easy and fast way to learn! The video series follows the exciting adventures of Leo, a young Brazilian man who goes to London to learn English, get a job and find love. Watch as he settles down and adapts to British life, forming relationships with interesting people from around the world. You will grow fond of Leo and his friends, and be on the edge of your seat as they encounter challenges along the way. These realistic situations are similar to those you might encounter in everyday life, so they will prepare you with helpful words and phrases for having natural conversations at a basic level with English speakers.
A new way to learn: watch and interact
'London Central' is the first of its kind to include direct interaction with native English speakers via our integrated video-chat application, busuutalk.
- Watch the video to improve your listening comprehension and learn new words, phrases and grammar in a fun, relaxing and interesting way.
- Test your understanding by answering comprehension and language-related questions based on each episode's content.
- Write a short text to practise what you have learnt and send it to native English speakers for corrections and tips for improvement.
- Interact directly with native English speakers from our global community to try out your new speaking skills based on themes from each episode.
Learn key words and phrases at A1 level. We have specially selected the course's learning material to include the most important vocabulary and grammar points covered at level A1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). These include familiar expressions, basic phrases and answers to questions about personal details. The course also touches upon learning material seen in other busuu.com learning units at A1 level, making it a great revision tool. If you would like to see more of Leo and his friends, stay tuned for more exciting series to help you learn and improve your English at levels A2 to B2.
Watch the trailer now!
busuu.com's London Central
What do you think of this first series of 'London Central'? Let us know below in the comments. But no spoilers, please – let's keep the surprise for other viewers to enjoy too, as they follow Leo's story!


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|Army of Barbies by Senor Codo, CC SA2.0
When strangers follow me on twitter, I don't think twice about it, but when people I have never met friend me on Facebook, I often debate whether to confirm or ignore the request. A well-known librarian whom I had never met friended me recently and after some thought I confirmed his request. Soon after that I saw him at a conference and I introduced myself, he was indifferent. I told him that he had recently friended me, and still, he didn't seem to know who I was.
People are collecting "friends" or "followers," but are they really connecting? Do you ever engage with your FB friends who aren't really friends? Do you really read the tweets of your hundreds or thousands of followers? Do you attempt to meet them in person at events? How can you truly connect with these people? Isn't social media about connecting? Or is it just collecting? Do you collect? or connect? or do you manage to do both?


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JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (June 1, 2010) - After having the best season of anyone to have ever worn a Buccaneer uniform, junior Paul Hoilman (Johnson City, Tenn.) was named one of 30 semifinalists for the Golden Spikes Award, announced by USA Baseball on Tuesday.
"This is a tremendous honor for Paul," said head coach Tony Skole. "To be mentioned as one of the top 30 semifinalists for this prestigious award is evidence to all that he represents. I couldn't be happier for Paul and all the well deserved recognition he is receiving for this season. I was amazing to watch him perform at such a high level on a daily basis."
The Golden Spikes Award, which is comparable to the Heisman trophy in football, is presented to the nation's top amateur player every year. Fans can follow the Gold Spike Award online at GoldenSpikesAward.com as the list of 30 players will be narrowed to five finalists on Tuesday, June 8, en route to the announcement of this year's winner on Tuesday, July 13
Hoilman finished the year ranked top 25 nationally in batting average (.421), hits (99), runs (79), doubles (24), home runs (24), RBI (84), total bases (202), walks (51), slugging percentage (.860) and on base percentage (.526). The Atlantic Sun Player of the Year set ETSU single season records for hits, home runs, extra base hits, total bases, RBI, runs and walks. The Johnson City, Tenn. native also holds the career record for RBI (197) and walks (117), and tied Mike Nipper with 51 career home runs at the Atlantic Sun baseball tournament.
Beginning today fans will be able to vote on the 2010 GSA by visiting GoldenSpikesAward.com and selecting their favorite amateur player. Past winners of the Golden Spikes Award include Jason Varitek, Pat Burrell, Tim Lincecum and Stephen Strasburg
For more information on Buccaneer baseball or any other athletic news, please visit www.ETSUBucs.com.


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Home Runs For Hunger November 10
Event Gives Fans Opportunity to Participate in
On-Field Batting Practice by Donating Canned Food Items to Harvesters
KANSAS CITY, MO (October 19, 2012) – As the holiday season nears, Royals Charities and the Kansas City Royals Grounds Crew are hosting the first-ever Home Runs for Hunger event at Kauffman Stadium on Saturday, November 10. Fans who donate canned food items or make a cash donation to Harvesters-The Community Food Network will have the unique opportunity to take batting practice on the field and shag fly balls in the outfield.
Fans can secure one swing against a pitching machine on the Kauffman Stadium field by donating three non-perishable canned food items or by making a $2 contribution. There will be a maximum of 20 pitches per participant. Batters will be entered into a drawing for autographed memorabilia for each home run hit.
Fans will also have the opportunity to shag fly balls in the outfield for 15 minutes by donating $25. Participants are responsible for bring their own gloves for outfield shagging. The Royals will provide bats, baseballs and helmets for the event.
Home Runs for Hunger will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (weather permitting). Please note that children must be at least 48" tall to participate, and all children under the age of 17 will need a waiver signed by a parent or guardian.
As fans enter Kauffman Stadium, Royals staff will be on hand to collect canned food items and donations and will give each participant a number indicating the hitting order and respective number of pitches and/or shagging time. Family and friends are welcome to attend and may watch from the seating bowl.
Complete details on the event are available at www.royals.com/
Fans who are unable to attend but wish to make a monetary donation may send checks to Royals Charities at One Royal Way, Kansas City, MO 64129. Please note in the memo of the check that it is for Home Runs for Hunger.
As the area's only food bank, Harvesters has been helping people in need since 1979. The Harvesters network includes more than 620 nonprofit agencies throughout a 26-county service area, including emergency food pantries, soup kitchens, homeless shelters, children's homes, homes for the mentally disabled and shelters for battered persons. Harvesters can feed five people for just $1 and provides food assistance to as many as 66,000 different people each week.


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Ariz. college senator fakes social media following, gets invited to White House
By Annica Benning
As a social media following continues to be more important among public figures, a lot of people will go to any means necessary to make themselves look like they have more klout than they do.
Klout is a term that refers to one's social media impact. For a couple bucks, you can buy Facebook Likes, Instagram followers, or Twitter followers. It's easy to do and helps instantly establish you as a social media expert. Certainly tempting.
However, the public doesn't seem to care for it. It's dishonest and unethical, at best. Buying an online following is considered by many to be a cheap tactic and is often scoffed upon by social media executives.
Ask any twenty-something what they think about buying Facebook Likes or Twitter followers, and you're bound to get an overwhelming amount of disdain for the practice. It's simply bad taste.
Often, the embarrassment when the issue is brought to light isn't worth the initial gain.
At the state level, Wil Cardon came under fire during his Senate campaign for buying Facebook Likes. Mitt Romney and President Obama have also been accused of buying Facebook Likes and Twitter followers.
Here at Arizona State University, one of our own Undergraduate Student Government Senators, Jordan Hibbs, was invited twice to live tweet the State of The Union at the White House due to her impressive social media presence. She has 16,800 Twitter followers.
To help you understand how hilarious it is that a college senator has 16,800 Twitter followers:
Representative Krysten Sinema (D-AZ), a social-media savvy freshman congresswoman from a highly competitive district, has 13,000 followers.
Heather Nauert, a Fox News veteran and host on Fox and Friends, has 15,000 followers.
It was no surprise to find that a Twitter audit reveals that 14,300 of Hibbs' Twitter followers are fake.
A perusal of Hibbs' Twitter profile illustrates that most accounts that follow her have less than 10 people following them, and tweets on these accounts were posted either on the 7th of July 2010 or the 17th of April 2012.
In January, before she jetted off to the nation's capital to live tweet the SOTU for the second consecutive year, she told a local Fox Newsaffiliate that "I'm committed to social media and I'm really interested in politics. It's a great way to be involved in something that I care a lot about."
She explained that thousands of people apply to live tweet the speech, but only about 100 are selected based on whether they have a strong social media presence, adding the secret to gaining a large following is "asking people's opinions … because if you try to get other people involved in the conversation it seems like people want to follow you and be more engaged, so make it more about them."
The inspiration to check out Hibbs' Twitter profile came as a result of her multiple features in ASU's campus newspaper about her desire to increase "accountability" and "transparency" among college politicians. After discovering that 14,300 of her Twitter followers were fake, I got a good laugh.
So much for "accountability" and "transparency" from a leader.
Hibbs has scrubbed her ties to Sinema off of her personal webpage. Hibbs served as an intern in Congresswoman Sinema's district office in addition to working on her campaign.
© 2014 Annica Benning. This article originally appeared at The College Fix and on the Intellectual Conservative.


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How do you measure success? A sales manager might shoot for a high client acquisition rate, an application developer could want to deliver the least number of defects at launch and a CEO may live or die by their gross profit margin.
These are examples of key performance indicators (KPIs)—important metrics that teams, departments and whole organizations monitor to measure their success (or lack thereof).
KPI software automates the tracking of these important stats and presents them in easy-to-understand dashboards so users can track performance and spot trends at a glance. These platforms act as a centralized hub for decision makers, aggregating data from various integrated sources and allowing users across various departments to compare their KPIs against preset goals.
This guide is meant to help those researching KPI software for the first time. Here's what we'll cover:
Common Functionality of KPI Software
Benefits of KPI Software
What Type of Buyer Are You?
Key Considerations for Buyers
KPI software is a type of dashboard software, and thus the platforms share common functionality:
|Data integration
|Pull data from multiple sources, including Excel files, proprietary databases and commercial business platforms.
|Customizable dashboards
|Create customized dashboards at an individual or team level so users only see the KPIs that matter to them.
|Use standardized reporting templates, or customize your own, then have reports sent to stakeholders automatically as necessary.
|Web accessibility
|Cloud-based KPI software platforms allow users to access their dashboards from anywhere.
|Trend spotting
|Track KPI data in real time, or compare over a set timeframe to identify trends.
|Automatic alerts
|Send notifications via email if performance tracks drastically over or under KPI goals.
KPI dashboard in InetSoft Style Intelligence
KPI software offers a number of benefits to organizations both large and small:
KPI software buyers tend to fall into one of three categories:
High-level executives. Needing a high-level view of their organization's performance, many executives rely on KPI software to boil down the many facets of their business into a few key metrics, which they can easily monitor and report to shareholders.
Managers and department heads. Using a single KPI software platform, various managers and department heads can create customized dashboards and views in order to aid decision making within their business units.
IT users. Though non-IT workers continue to account for nearly two-thirds of BI software purchases, IT professionals still make up a significant chunk of KPI and general dashboard software buyers. These buyers are looking for an efficient way to digest sizeable amounts of data related to internal business systems.
Deciding whether to invest in KPI software and choosing which platform is best for your needs requires considering a variety of factors. Here are a few key considerations to keep in mind:
Is KPI software all you need? KPI software only offers a fraction of the functionality found in larger BI platforms. Consider more robust suites with data mining and predictive analytics capabilities if you want to make use of more information and gain greater insight into your organization's performance.
Where does mobile BI come into play? On-premise systems have their benefits (more data storage space and customization), but many buyers take advantage of cloud-based systems and dedicated apps that enable them to access KPI dashboards from a mobile device. If you have a remote workforce, your vendor's mobile BI capabilities could play a huge role in your purchase decision.
Who will be using the system? IT staff may be able to work their way around a complex KPI tool, but what about your sales team? Depending on who's using the software and their technical literacy, you may need to make user-friendliness a top priority when deciding on a KPI vendor.
Free Download:
Ten Steps Guide to Selecting the Right
Business Intelligence (BI) Software
Our service is simple and 100% free to customers like you because software vendors pay us when we connect them with quality leads. You save time and get great advice. Vendors get great referrals. It's a win for everyone!


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Recruiting an Army to Battle the Patent Trolls
Tech firms outsource research to defuse legal claims | "It's potentially a great way to improve patent quality"
Olga Kharif
Last year, Philips Electronics faced a potential legal challenge on its LED lighting products, and the company's in-house attorneys had trouble formulating a viable defense. So the Dutch electronics giant turned to Article One Partners, a website where more than 27,000 researchers sift through obscure public domain materials including scientific papers, Ph.D. theses, and even product manuals to poke holes in legal claims — and possibly earn thousands of dollars.
Within days, New York-based Article One's sleuths uncovered an older patent application that showed the claimant's patent wasn't original, says Ruud Peters, the chief intellectual property officer at Philips. Presented with the evidence, the claimant chose not to go to court. "Because of that, we could completely eradicate the assertion against us," Peters says, adding that Philips paid Article One less than $100,000 for the service. "That's small money compared with the millions you might spend on litigation."
Tech executives have been paying huge legal fees for years to fend off competitors who make patent claims. They also must contend with patent trolls, individuals or companies that file or buy up little-known patents solely to sue others for infringement and perhaps score lucrative judgments. The number of patent actions filed in the U.S. has tripled to more than 4,000 between 1991 and 2011, according to a PricewaterhouseCoopers study. That's a huge opportunity for Article One, where many of the researchers are engineers, academics, and retired patent attorneys looking for a little extra income.
The company charges a one-time fee, or in some cases an annual membership, to corporate clients in need of patent research. Article One pays part-timers who come up with the best research between $3,000 and $5,000. Last year, Philips hired Article One to probe 33 patents, triple the 2011 number. Microsoft and Sony also are turning to crowdsourced patent research sites including Article One, Patexia, and Ask Patents to help combat infringement claims, check for existing patents on products they want to develop, and scrutinize rivals' patents before licensing them. "A crowdsourced model works better than any grouping of staff that you bring in-house," says Gerard Pannekoek, chief executive officer of startup Intellectual Property Exchange International, which used Article One to check the strength of several patents it plans to license to other companies.
Article One, the largest of the sites, has already awarded $3.69 million to researchers who conducted about 600 patent studies, half of them in 2012. The site winnows hundreds of researchers' submissions using algorithms to find the most relevant material suited to a client's request. Five Article One staff members further narrow the findings; clients can search and analyze them on the site using keywords, synonyms, and weighting algorithms, as well as semantic search.
CEO Cheryl Milone, a patent attorney and the co-inventor of a medical device, founded Article One in 2008 after a predecessor site she worked for, BountyQuest, folded for lack of funding. The site has raised $15 million from investors, including Marshall Phelps, the former head of intellectual property policy and strategy at Microsoft. Article One does not disclose its financial results because it's a private company, but Milone says it should become profitable this year.
The 2011 Leahy-Smith America Invents Act, designed to reduce litigation and streamline the patent filing process, could also let sites like Article One deflect more nuisance lawsuits for its clients. The law, parts of which went into effect in September, allows researchers and patent attorneys to electronically file evidence related to pending applications at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. "It's potentially a great way to improve patent quality," says Todd Dickinson, executive director of the American Intellectual Property Law Association.
Article One plans to start submitting its researchers' findings directly to the patent office this year, which could make it more difficult for trolls to win approval for patents and spare the site's clients later legal hassles. In September the patent office partnered with online question-and-answer forum Stack Exchange to create Ask Patents, a site that lets users discuss patent questions and search for materials to send to government patent application reviewers.
The crowdsourced research push follows similar academic pilot projects funded by such companies as General Electric and Red Hat. The Electronic Frontier Foundation, a digital rights advocacy group, has used the method, too. Since 2005 it has posted patents it deemed "bogus" online and asked consumers for data questioning a patent's validity. "We've had success narrowing down a bunch of patents and even invalidated a couple," says Julie Samuels, an EFF staff attorney and the (actual title) Mark Cuban Chair to Eliminate Stupid Patents.
For some researchers working with crowdsourcing companies, the sleuthing can become almost a full-time job. In 2011, 8 percent of Article One's 27,000-plus experts earned more than $50,500 a year, Milone says. David Sarokin, a 60-year-old ecologist who lives in Washington, D.C., says he has earned $14,975 in the past six months by spending two to three hours a day on the site. "It certainly has been worth it for me," he says. "I have a bit of a Sherlock Holmes kind of personality. I like to find information."
The bottom line Tech companies are saving millions by turning to websites that help them fend off frivolous patent claims.


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The holidays are over and it's time to take those bookstore gift cards you received and cash them in. With so many titles out there, it's hard to know exactly what to buy. Well, why not stock your shelf with some tomes that will help you? No, I'm not suggesting that you curl up with Dr. Phil's latest pop psych pabulum. I'm talking about helping yourself professionally — either as a fitness professional or business person. To make things a little easier, I've culled through the stacks and have come up with a new book suggestion for every month of the new year. So, find a comfortable chair, kick off your cross trainers and start reading.
- january
Conditioning for Outdoor Fitness: Functional Exercise and Nutrition for Everyone
Author: David Musnick, M.D., Mark Pierce
Publisher: The Mountaineers Books
Released in November, this second edition of the best-selling fitness book is just what every outdoor enthusiast and every trainer of an outdoor enthusiast needs on their bookshelf. It includes new information and exercises for improving athletic performance, balance tips for seniors, and the latest about strengthening the lower back and preventing back injuries. It also has a pullout aerobic exercise calendar and chart for use at the gym.
- february
Fitness over Fifty: An Exercise Guide from the National Institute on Aging
Publisher: Hatherleigh Press
The Baby Boomers have crossed the threshold and are well into their 50s, making this a timely tome for fitness club owners. With a special forward by Sen. John Glenn (who made history by going into space as a senior citizen), the book features practical advice on maintaining energy, strength, balance and flexibility for men and women 50 and over. Professional fitness trainers can also glean advice about nutrition and exercise for their over-50 clients.
- march
The Business of Fitness: Understanding the Financial Side Of Owning a Fitness Business
Author: Thomas Plummer
Publisher: Coaches Choice
With 26 years of experience in the fitness business (including stints as vice president of operations at ATA Fitness Centers in San Francisco and executive director of the National Health Club Association), consultant and personal training expert Thomas Plummer knows about the business side of owning a health club. In this 16-chapter book, Plummer covers topics relevant to the beginner and the seasoned club owner. The book covers five core topics, and Plummer lays out what you need to know about member retention, price structure, problem solving, business plans and strategic planning.
- april
Health Fitness Instructor's Handbook
Author: Edward T. Howley and B. Don Franks
Publisher: Human Kinetics
The fourth edition of the Health Fitness Instructor's Handbook not only now includes full-color illustrations and photos, but it also offers a greater focus on assessment, testing and calibrating testing equipment. Taking their cue from the growing focus on special populations, the authors have expanded their coverage in that area, including offering exercise prescriptions for those with special needs and health conditions. Of course, this edition still emphasizes the clinical side of exercise science and offers readers the latest information about the fundamentals of fitness, exercise, physiology and biomechanics. That's exactly what one would expect from the book that has been used in the ACSM Health and Fitness Instructor Workshops since 1986.
- may
Stretching: 20th Anniversary Revised Edition
Author: Bob Anderson, llyod Kahn Jr. (editor), and Jean Anderson (Illustrator)
Publisher: Shelter Publications Inc.
Called the "bible of the stretching gospel" by The Washington Post, "Stretching" was first published in 1980 and is now in paperback. For years fitness instructors and trainers have preached the importance of stretching. The book teaches the right way to stretch with more than 1,000 clear drawings and more than 25 new stretching routines, including routines for specific sports and activities. The book also has stretches for travelers, children and people in wheelchairs.
- june
Entrepreneurial Way of Life: Leading Entrepreneurs Reveal How to Succeed on a Personal and Professional Level as an Entrepreneur, Inside the Minds Series
Author: Aspatore Books Staff
Publisher: Aspatore Books
The name is enough to put anyone off, but inside are real-world experiences from industry movers. Written in essay form by the leading minds of different Fortune 500 industries, the book offers insights that provide tips, secrets and glimpses into the future of each profession or topic. The perspectives reveal methods for analyzing markets, motivating teams, establishing goals, strategic planning, building brands, learning time management and balancing professional and personal lives.
- july
Athletic Strength for Women
Author: David Oliver and Dana Healy
Publisher: Human Kinetics
With more than 120 targeted exercises and drills designed specifically for women, this training manual addresses the specific physiological, biomechanical, and anatomical needs of female athletes. There are drills to improve everything from overall power and speed, to throwing, striking and swinging. The book also includes in- and off-season workouts plus preseason programs for the most popular sports. The book has general fitness and sport-specific performance tests accompanied by normative tables that allow athletes to gauge their strengths and weaknesses against their peers.
- august
Get It, Set It, Move It, Prove It: 60 Ways to Get Real Results in Your Organization
Author: Mark Graham Brown
Publisher: Productivity Press Inc.
Looking for measurable results at your club? Then you'll want to read Brown's methods to help those in any business get real, tangible results. Using a sometimes humorous approach and leaving out business jargon, Brown has broken the book into four segments as listed in the title. The first section focuses on the vision and values of leaders. The second section not only offers ways to set goals and strategies, but also ways to ethically implement them. In the next section, you can read about creating better relationships with important customers, managing employees better and creating key work processes. The last section helps you prove that your systems work and produce high-performance results.
- september
Seeing What's Next: Using the Theories of Innovation to Predict Industry Change
Author: Clayton M. Christensen, Scott D. Anthony, Eric A. Roth
Publisher: Harvard Business School
If you want to talk pedigree, it doesn't get much better than Harvard Business School and the internationally renowned innovation expert Clayton M. Christensen. How anticipated was this book? Well, Inc. Magazine says, "Just as kids await the latest Harry Potter installment, so do business leaders look for Clay Christensen's next offering." Using the proven theories outlined in his landmark books, "The Innovator's Dilemma" and "The Innovator's Solution," this book offers business leaders a practical model for identifying signals of change in an industry, predicting the outcome of competitive battles and gauging whether certain actions will help or hinder success. Case studies from a number of industries help illustrate innovation theory in action.
- october
Pioneers and Plodders: The American Entrepreneurial Spirit
Author: Robert C. Baron
Publisher: Fulcrum Publishing
One of the ways to learn about running and operating a small business is to read about the great small business leaders. Since the middle of the 19th century, the United States has been led by visionary entrepreneurs who have made the country the most dominant industrial power in the world. Businessman and historian Robert Baron examines the history of American entrepreneurship in the steel, automobile, electronics and computer industries and the changes these industries have made on American life. Each industry is explored individually.
- november
How to Run a Thriving Business: Strategies for Success and Satisfaction
Author: Ralph Warner
Publisher: Nolo
Who doesn't want to know how to run a thriving business that brings in money, provides satisfaction and grows without running yourself ragged? The answer may lie inside "How to Run a Thriving Business." The book will give you a business philosophy and the nuts-and-bolts of keeping a small business humming along. The book outlines 17 ideas, among them: don't work long hours; target your customers; market your business creatively, and innovate now and forever. The book is aimed at people starting a business and established leaders needing practical advice to get re-energized and refocused.
- december
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Presents America the Book: A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction
Author: Jon Stewart and the Daily Show writers
Publisher: Warner Books
All right, so this one has nothing to do with fitness or business or running a health club. Who cares? A good laugh is a good laugh, and there are plenty of them between the covers of this book. Even if you're not a "Daily Show" fan, this book is funny, witty and poignant. It pokes fun at American history and the absurdities of our political system. Yet, like the fake news show it is spawned from, "America The Book" informs the reader about how our government works — and sometimes doesn't. Readers will learn about obscure characters from America's early days. Like the textbooks it's designed to look like, each chapter ends with discussion questions and classroom activities.


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What Tree Is That? Online
Are the SIMPLE leaves OPPOSITE (2 or 3 leaves that are directly across from each other on the same twig)?
Are the SIMPLE leaves ALTERNATE (leaves that are staggered, not opposite each other on the twig)?
Get the Full-Color Pocket Field Guide
Perfect for everyone from young students to professional arborists.
One of the best, pocket-sized tree identification manuals.
Steve Nix, About.com


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Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Does the NRWA rent canoes and kayaks?
A: No, but we'd be happy to refer you to local outfitters who do and to provide you with ideas of great places to paddle. Don't forget to consider buying an NRWA Canoe and Kayak Guide for maps of the Nashua, Squannacook, and Nissitissit Rivers and information on put ins, hazards, and what you might see during your paddle.
Q: Is the NRWA a governmental agency?
A: No, we are not a governmental, regulatory, or enforcement entity. The NRWA is an independent 501( c )(3) non-profit organization dedicated to the protection of the natural resources within our geographic region as defined by the watershed of the Nashua River. The NRWA works closely with federal, state and local government officials and agencies to forward our mission. As a non-profit, the NRWA depends on the support of members, donors, and grantmakers (including some government grants).
Q: What is a watershed?
A: Click here. The NRWA uses the term "watershed" to define both the geographic region in which we work as well as our approach to protecting resources, i.e. melding projects to further good land use choices in order to protect water quality and forming inter-municipal and inter-state coalitions to act on a regional landscape.
Q: Does the NRWA purchase land for conservation?
A: While it has been NRWA's decision to date not to seek to hold land in fee or Conservation Restriction on land, it is not prohibited by our by-laws. In cases of last resort where no other eligible conservation entity will hold a Conservation Restriction, the NRWA may consider doing so. View NRWA General Policy on Conservation Restrictions. Although the NRWA does not itself hold land, the NRWA works in partnership with other entities to facilitate the protection of priority parcels.
Q: Are the rivers safe to swim in?
A: Although the NRWA would not generally recommend swimming in the Nashua River due to continuing issues with non-point source pollution, there are many places to swim in the watershed. Most towns and cities in the watershed maintain town beaches on their ponds. Some of these beaches are open to the general public and some are restricted to town residents. The Town Clerk will provide you with information on access to area ponds in any given town.
Q: Is it safe to eat fish (bass, panfish, catfish, etc.) caught in the Nashua River?
A: MA Fish Consumption Advisories
NH Fish Consumption Advisories


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"Fearless Females" is a blog In honour of National Women's History Month in the USA. Suggested by Lisa Alzo of The Accidental Genealogist, it provides 31 Blogging Prompts for March.
March 2 — Post a photo of one of your female ancestors. Who is in the photo? When was it taken? Why did you select this photo?
Left - My great grandmother Maria Danson, nee Rawcliffe, with her granddaughter Annie Maria whose mother had died at the young age of 21 and whose father John Danson died in 1917. Annie was born in 1905, so I estimate this photograph was taken c. 1916.
There was no question who I would choose to feature in this particular blog - my great grandmother Maria Rawcliffe (1859-1919), who has appeared in a number of my postings. I immediately felt drawn to her when, as a child, I first saw this photograph in the family's shoebox collection.
Her name was an evocative mixture of down-to-earth northern Lancashire grit (Rawcliffe). with echoes of a more flamboyant Latin nature (Maria). She looked a formidable lady from this one photograph I had initially of her. To give additional colour there was a, no doubt, apocryphal story that "granny's dark looks" came from Spanish descent, after an Armada ship had been wrecked off the Fylde coast of Lancashire.
All this captured my imagination and I was keen to find out more about her. The findings in the actual research were much more prosaic. Maria was born in Hambleton, near Poulton-le-Fylde in 1859, the seventh of eight daughters to Robert Rawcliffe (an agricultural labourer and carter) and Jane Carr. By comparison, her sisters had much more ordinary names - Anne, Jane, Margaret, Peggy, Jennet, Alice and Martha. Their mother died when Maria was only 4 years old.
In one of those amazing family history coincidences, at any early stage of my research, I sent away for Maria's birth certificate, only to find she was born on January 15th as was my daughter 114 years later - a further reason why I count Maria as my favourite ancestor.
In 1877 at the age of 18, Maria married James Danson, who by all accounts was a bit of a ne'er do well. In the 20 years they had 10 sons and finally one daughter. Two sons did not survive infancy and the eldest Harry died in 1907 aged 30. Maria had been widowed a year earlier, and lost two sons, John and George, in the First World War.
She truly was a Fearless Female.
Copyright © 2013 · Susan Donaldson. All Rights Reserved


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Former working partners who have faced the storm of adversity and flown to find new homes. Ann is now the Director of Instructional Technology with McAllen ISD and Cindy is the Head Librarian at an International School in Germany. We love connecting kids with books and incorporating 21st century tools into lessons. Follow our blog and we will teach you on the fly...
Monday, June 16, 2014
50 Tech Tools every Teacher-Librarian Should Know
Are you looking for some web tools to investigate this summer? Take a look at the 50 tech tools listed below to get started. If you click on the button, it will take you to the website or app. If there is a picture, you can click there to get an example of what some of the tools do. Please note: not all pictures have an example!
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