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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Five Lipscomb records fell on the first day of the 2012 Atlantic Sun Championships, hosted by North Florida, including one in a gold medal-winning performance.
Freshman Kendra Lobley stamped her name into the Atlantic Sun record books by winning gold in the 3000m steeplechase. Her 10:32.97s mark bettered the previous conference best by nearly five seconds and broke the Lipscomb record by more than 30 seconds – giving her three school outdoor records in her first season of competition.
This is the fifth season in a row a Lady Bison has earned all-conference honors in the steeple, and the second year in a row a Lipscomb athlete earned the title.
"Kendra dominated the 3000m steeple," said Lipscomb head coach Bill Taylor. "Her time has a very good chance of qualifying her for the preliminary round of the NCAA Championships. And she can go faster -- she took a bad fall about halfway through the race."
Junior Ashton Fisher shone brightly in the men's 3000m steeple, earning a runner-up finish thanks a 9:20.99s mark. He earned bronze and a third-team all-conference honor last year.
"Ashton ran tough for second place," Taylor said. "He let (Kennesaw State's Ryan) Burruss go just a bit too far late, then came back and made up about 60 meters to catch him at the line. It was an exctiing finish and nearly a win."
Minna Fields (seventh, 11:31.02s) and Catherine Beals (eighth, 11:38.14s) earned points for the Lady Bisons through the steeplechase, while junior Ben Wright (fifth, 9:37.47s) and freshman Dan Coleman (eighth, 9:59.78s) scored in the men's event.
In the women's 10,000m run, senior Ashley Lehman earned silver with a 36:09.71s mark. That obliterated the previous school record by nearly two minutes and is 47th-best in the East Regional based on marks entering today's competition. Not bad for her first-ever 10K competition.
"Ashley crushed the school record," Taylor said. "She ran super strong and made really smart moves during the race."
In addition to Lehman, sophomore Tessa Hoefle (fifth, 37:15.08s) and senior Louisa Van Batavia (eighth, 38:03.71s) earned points for Lipscomb in the 10K.
In the throws, freshman Houston Ward placed sixth in the shot put with a 14.37m (47' 1.75") toss. He would go on to add a sixth-place hammer throw finish, turning in a personal-best 41.31m (135' 6") throw on his way to earning the Bisons six points toward the Day One score.
Fellow frosh April Terry finished seventh in the women's hammer throw with a school-record 44.27m (145' 3") toss. She would follow that up with a fifth-place shot put, becoming the first Lady Bison athlete to break the 40-foot mark with a 41' 2.25" (12.55m) toss.
A pair of vaulters earned points toward Lipscomb's team score. Freshman Kevin Floyd finished fifth with a 4.46m (14' 7.50") mark, while junior Dillon Seigenthaler was seventh at 4.31m (14' 1.75"). Anna Belner finished eighth in the women's event at 2.81m (9' 2.50").
Three Bisons qualified for Saturday's 110m hurdle final. Freshman Matthew Deery's school-record 14.86s mark was the third-fastest qualifying time; he will be joined by classmate Andrew Wolf and sophomore Ryan Whitley.
Sophomore Tucker Peabody was a top qualifier in the 100m dash, entering tomorrow's final in third following a 10.99s mark.
"Our hurdles group ran great today," Taylor said. "Tucker Peabody is also set up really well for the finals."
Multi-event specialist Dillon Seigenthaler is in prime position for a second consecutive medal in the decathlon at the A-Sun Outdoor Championships. He's currently third with 3,359 points, just five points behind the Kennesaw State's Brian Graham. Seigenthaler won the 100m dash portion of the decathlon and was second in the shot put.
At the end of the first day's competition, the Lady Bisons are third in the team standings with 33 total points. The men's squad is fourth with 25 points.
Action picks up again tomorrow morning in Jacksonville.


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Mayor Don Wesely today presented the Mayor's Award of Excellence for January to Richard Slama and Ron Eriksen, Jr. of the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department (LLCHD). The monthly award recognizes city employees who consistently provide exemplary service and work that demonstrates personal commitment to the city. The award was presented at the beginning of today's City Council meeting.
This team was nominated by Scott Holmes, Chief of the Environmental Health Division for LLCHD, in the categories of productivity and customer relations. Following September 11, the threat of anthrax became a concern across the nation and locally. Eriksen and Slama responded to 57 calls about suspicious packages, letters, and unusual powders at businesses and homes.
As the core staff of the Public Health Emergency Response Team of the LLCHD, Eriksen and Slama respond to all kinds of environmental health emergency calls, including hazardous materials spills, mercury spills, traffic accidents with fluid spills, reports of illegal dumping of special and hazardous waste, and outdoor air quality problems. They also provide law enforcement officials with hazardous chemical monitoring, handling, evidence storage and disposal assistance for methamphetamine labs. LLCHD's help on meth labs saved our law enforcement agencies at least $20,000 in handling and disposal costs over the past year.
The Public Health Emergency Response Team usually handles about 25 calls a month. During October and November of 2001, the team responded to125 emergency calls, and Eriksen and Slama handled 107 of them. This emergency response is just one part of their job duties. They are the key staff of the Special Waste Program and work with about 1,000 businesses and government agencies. They provide pollution prevention assistance, review waste inventories, issue permits, investigate complaints, and assure compliance with local regulations to keep the city's landfills free of hazardous waste. Eriksen has also worked with area high schools to eliminate many hazardous chemicals stored in their science labs.
"Richard and Ron are on call every day of the week and receive no on-call or overtime pay," said Holmes. "Hazardous materials emergency calls come in at every hour of the night and day and have no respect for city holidays. For example, over the Thanksgiving weekend, they responded to eight different emergency calls working over 20 hours during the holiday weekend. They work tirelessly for the people of Lincoln and Lancaster County, and they do it with professionalism, carried by their passion for protecting people's health and our environment."
The other categories in which employees can be nominated are loss prevention, safety and valor. All city employees are eligible for the Mayor's Award of Excellence except for elected officials and some managers. Individuals or teams can be nominated by supervisors, peers, subordinates and the general public.
Nomination forms are available from department heads, employee bulletin boards or the Personnel Department, which oversees the awards program. All nominations are reviewed by the Mayor's Award of Excellence Committee, which includes a representative with each union and a non-union representative appointed by the Mayor. Award winners receive a $100 U.S. savings bond, a day off with pay and a plaque. Monthly winners are eligible to receive the annual award, which comes with a $500 U.S. savings bond, two days off with pay and a plaque.
Media Release

subset: commoncrawl


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On or about October 1, 2002, agencies will be able to place Expense, Public Assistance, Unemployment Compensation and Retirement warrants in a stop-pay status and/or cancel them through an on-line warrant cancellation system. FLAIR Education will add the new section of the FLAIR manual to their website around the middle of September. New FLAIR manuals ordered through the Help Desk will contain this information. NOTE: All processes regarding the cancellation and stop-pay status for salary and payroll deduction warrants (Type 3) will not change.
Four half-day training sessions are scheduled for September 30, 2002, and October 1, 2002. Sessions will begin at 8:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. and will be conducted in the FLAIR Classroom, Room 250 of the Fletcher Building in Tallahassee. Please email your list of attendees and their applicable dates and times of attendance to Joanne Krieberg-Wolin at firstname.lastname@example.com. FLAIR Transaction classes offered after October 1, 2002, will include this material.
Effective with the implementation of the new on-line warrant cancellation system, each agency will be responsible for the accountability and destruction of cancelled warrants. You are encouraged to contact your agency's Chief Internal Auditor or Inspector General for assistance in developing and implementing internal procedures for the accounting, control and destruction of cancelled warrants.
If you have any questions regarding the new On-line Warrant Cancellation System, please contact Dwight DeBoer at (850) 410-9446 (SUNCOM 210-9446) or firstname.lastname@example.com, or Joel Floyd at (850) 410-9399 (SUNCOM 210-9399) or firstname.lastname@example.com.


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2008 Special Primary Election Geographic Data
From this page you can download precinct boundary files and geographic conversion files for the 2008 Special Primary Election. Descriptions of each of these files can be found following the links below.
Precinct Boundary Files: please read the technical documentation for information regarding the various precinct types.MPREC_CDF
Precinct Conversion Files: the conversion files on this page are based on U.S. Census Bureau 2000 TIGER/Line. 2010 TIGER/Line Census block to precinct conversions are available here.SRPREC TO 2000 BLK
Go to the 2008 Special Primary Election precinct data for voter registration data and election results by precinct
*The message "no data" indicates that the file is still being collected and processed. It will be available at a later date. The message "unavailable" indicates that the data are not available from the county.


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ShowHunter, the App for finding auto shows across the nation, is now available for download at the iTunes app store. The app helps automotive enthusiasts find events near and far for a great time. Features include: search by shows and regions, show descriptions and links, show location and mapping, registration and parking tips, save events to check out at anytime, and new events added every day.
For where to download the ShowHunter App, click either of the links below.


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When it comes to the competitive sub-£1,000 price bracket, mountain bikers are spoiled for choice. While decent full-suspension bikes are few and far between following recent price increases – although we have found a couple of sterling examples – there's a huge selection of hardtails (bikes with front suspension only) capable of taking on everything from cross-country racing to technical trail riding.
Here's our pick of the best mountain bikes for under £1,000 (to see our favourites for under £500, click here). We'll be continually updating this list as we get our hands on the latest models.
What do you think about our shortlist? Have your say in the comments box at the bottom of the article. And don't forget, you can view thousands of other mountain bike reviews using our Gear Browser.
Best mountain bikes for under £1,000
Boardman Team
The standard Boardman bike range is sold by Halfords in the UK (there's also an Elite range sold by independent dealers). There's no getting away from the fact that Halfords' buying and selling power keeps the prices very competitive.
The Team's drivetrain and a smattering of own-brand componentry just about gives away the fact that it's a sub-£1,000 bike. But everything else, including a superbly finished frame, classy wheelset and excellent 120mm (4.7in) travel fork, conspires to create a machine that's far lighter than most of its price rivals as well as being capable of a whole lot more on the trail.
Click here to read our full review of the Boardman Team / Buy for £749 from Halfords
B'Twin Rockrider 9.1
B'Twin bikes from French sports superstore Decathlon are always good value, despite the fact that the sterling-euro exchange rate is in the doldrums. The Rockrider 9.1 is the cheapest of their performance range full-suspension bikes.
While most budget full-suss bikes trade rear end travel for weight and singletrack wallow, the Rockrider 9.1 doesn't. It's light and sprightly, given its price, and it's great fun on pedally trails. With a shock lockout lever, it'd be a five-star bike. As it is, it's a proper full-suspension bike for the price of a decent hardtail.
Click here to read our full review of the B'Twin Rockrider 9.1 / Buy B'Twin Rockrider bikes from Decathlon
Trek X-Caliber 7
The name X-Caliber isn't new to Trek, but for 2014, it will refer to an entire range of entry level 29er hardtails. The frame of this new X-Caliber range has been entirely redesigned, borrowing much design inspiration from Trek's World Cup winning Superfly line-up.
The X-Calibre is a true class act, with an amazingly well executed frame with exceptional geometry, well behaved fork and quality finishing kit. Ride the guts out of it and upgrade the derailleurs once they break or wear – the X-Calibre is a top pick.
Click here to read our full review of the Trek X-Caliber 7 / Buy the 2016 model for £520 from Evan Cycles
Saracen Mantra Pro (2014)
Buy the 2016 model for £499 from Wheelies
The Mantra Pro is the second cheapest of Saracen's Mantra line, and sits alongside the Zen and Kili ranges as part of the company's trail hardtail line-up. At a penny under £600, is it all the hardtail you need?
Click here to read our full review of the Saracen Mantra Pro / Buy the 2016 model for £499 from Wheelies
VooDoo Bizango (2013)
Buy the 2016 model for £599 from Halfords
VooDoo's outstanding new 29er trail hardtail proves that great design and smart spec choice doesn't have to cost a fortune if you do it right.
VooDoo bikes are normally great value, but the Bizango is pretty much faultless for its price. While most 29er hardtails under £1,000 get a 100mm (3.9in) travel quick-release fork that wanders into ditches or washes out on roots, the Bizango has a 120mm (4.7in) travel fork with a screw-through 15mm axle. An air spring and hydraulic rebound damping make it fully adjustable, and it's surprisingly controlled over the full hit range too.
Click here to read our full review of the VooDoo Bizango / Buy the 2016 model for £599 from Halfords
Carerra Fury (2012)
Buy the 2015 model for £549 from Halfords
Carrera's Fury has been the entry-level hardtail to beat in the
Is this Fury still the bike it was before? Not quite. The introduction of 10-speed gearing doesn't compensate for the downgraded suspension fork. But it's a measure of how good the Carrera was before that you can subtract something from it and still be left with a bike that eclipses most of its rivals. If you're after a do-it-all entry-level hardtail, for everything from bridleways to black routes, the Fury should still be on your shortlist.
Click here to read our full review of the Carrera Fury / Buy the 2015 model for £549 from Halfords
B'Twin Rockrider 700 S
Buy the 720S model for £750 from Decathlon
Sub-£1,000 full-suspension bikes – or at least ones that are worth taking off-road – have become a rare breed. Many manufacturers choose to stay away, but B'Twin, French sports megastore Decathlon's house brand, has bucked the trend with its new-for-2014 Rockrider 700 S.
Some of the hardtail competition is more up to date in design and spec, but the Rockrider 700 S is likely to put a bigger grin on most rider's faces without sacrificing much on the spec front. Unless you need a hardtail with rack mounts to do double duty on weekdays, it's hard to think of a reason not to buy what has to be one of the best budget full-suspension bikes we've ever ridden.
Click here to read our full review of the B'Twin Rockrider 700 S / Buy the 720S model for £750 from Decathlon
Giant Talon 27.5 4
The Talon 4 was our first experience with a 650B wheeled bike at this price point, and we liked the outcome. 650B makes a lot of sense at the budget price point – it provides a lighter feeling and more playful ride compared to a 29er, while still providing greater control to 26in wheeled bikes.
Like many larger brands, Giant are heavy users of house-branded components. Luckily, the Giant branded parts are reliable, well-designed and offer great features given the price point. From the comfortable saddle to the durable wheels, it's all good gear.
A solid frame, inspiring brakes and components up to the task, the Talon 27.5 4 is a worthy starter for hitting the dirt, just watch out for suspension fork quirks.
Click here to read our full review of the Giant Talon 27.5 4 / Buy for £475 from Wheelies
Calibre Point.50
Buy Calibre bikes from GO Outdoors
Calibre bikes come courtesy of outdoor retail giants Go Outdoors. They may not be renowned in the cycling world, but they could be soon, thanks to their well specced, competively priced entry level hardtails. Their range comprises two models, the most expensive of which, the Point.50, comes in at just under £600. We took it for a blast to see just what it could handle.
Our 18in size sample bike weighed in at 13.6kg, which isn't too bad at all considering the price. The RockShox XC32 120mm (4.7in) travel coil fork is a solid performer, as are the Avid Elixir 1 brakes and SRAM X5 transmission. It's also nice to see the use of an external bearing bottom bracket, lock-on grips and a decent saddle for this sort of money. Not everyone will be keen on the Truvativ Stylo's shape, though.
Click here to read our full review of the Calibre Point.50 / Buy Calibre bikes from GO Outdoors
Kona Shred
With a reputation for no-nonsense ruggedness and a background in the always progressive and punishing riding of Canada, Kona has been building hardcore hardtails for longer than almost anyone else. The Shred might be more expensive than many of its peers, but it's a proper trail tank.
The hefty weight of the Shred and the less direct drive from the rear is noticeable when you're trying to get things moving and when stoking it back up to speed after slow-speed corners or sudden steep climbs, meaning it's definitely sturdy rather than sparky in feel. You'll be less beaten up and knackered after long rides though, making the Kona a properly versatile all-rounder.
Click here to read our full review of the Kona Shred / Buy for £669 from Wheelies
Rose Count Solo Entry
Buy the 2016 model for £831 from Rose Bikes
With the bike industry's rush to reinvent the wheel – or at least the size that works best for mountain biking – bikes like Rose's Count Solo Entry are an increasingly rare sight.
With a 10-speed transmission, remote lock-out fork and wearing the same 26in wheels that have powered mountain bikes for over two decades, the question is this: is there still a place for a hardtail with 'old' sized wheels?
This is a timely reminder that, for all the rush to big wheels, 26in can be at least as fast – and arguably even more fun.
Click here to read our full review of the Rose Count Solo / Buy the 2016 model for £831 from Rose Bikes


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For Nika, For Alexis
It was a tragic week: two valuable, inspiring figures of film culture, cinephilia and film criticism are with us no longer. Below, Adrian Martin pens a moving tribute to them. -- Girish.
For Nika, For Alexis
Adrian Martin
There are some people you like straight away. Nika Bohinc, editor of the Slovenian magazine Ekran for several years, was one of these people. I first met her in July 2007, at a film event in Zagreb inspired by Movie Mutations, the book I co-edited with Jonathan Rosenbaum. She had made the trip from Ljubljana with several of her comrades – just one sign of the enormous dedication of Slovenia's current generation of intellectual cinephiles. Nika liked the way I introduced films (by Ruiz and Garrel), and so – impulsively, empathetically, definitely, the way she seemed to decide so many things in her life and work – I quickly became part of her plan for a Summer School on Independent Cinema, held as part of the Ljubljana International Film Festival three months later.
I shall never forget the moment I arrived at the Festival centre. I looked up from the registration desk and saw Nika's face – with that warm, grateful, complicit, cheeky smile I came to know well. Her instant embrace told me that mere comradeship was over; friendship had begun. Indeed, the entire Summer School turned out to be organised around Nika's friends: Christoph Huber, Neil Young, Gabe Klinger, an unlikely coalition of critics from Austria, UK, Australia and USA. Plus one other key speaker whose relationship to Nika had moved past friendship: Alexis Tioseco, raised in Canada, resident of the Philippines. Nika told me, in a private moment outside a club, about her excitement, mixed with nervousness, about leaving Slovenia to live with Alexis in the Philippines.
Nika, almost 30, and Alexis, 28, are dead – victims of a gruesome murder in Manila on September 1. Shot in the doorway of their house by thieves, their death resonates eerily with the recent short film, Butterflies Have No Memories, by Lav Diaz – one of the Philippine filmmakers tirelessly championed and promoted by Alexis. Where Nika felt only intermittent closeness to her national cinema – she once boasted to me how she had managed to feature a certain new Slovenian release in Ekran without betraying her low editorial opinion of it – Alexis had taken up the New Philippine Cinema, indeed Southeast Asian cinema as whole, as his cause. The recognition that Philippine cinema has gained over the past few years belongs to filmmakers such as Diaz, Raya Martin, Khavn De La Cruz and Sherad Anthony Sanchez – but it also belongs to Alexis, who was the fervent critical spokesman for that movement. I can look up from my computer right now and, like many cinephiles around the world, see all the DVD copies of key Philippine films, new or old (but all independent) that Alexis sent to me.
I had first heard from Alexis, via email, in 2004. I spotted him in the audience a year later, in Singapore, at a conference on Hou Hsiao-hsien: like Nika, he was a committed follower of film culture, wherever it took him. Alexis was harder to get to know than Nika: he had a quiet, reserved, excessively polite side. But he was also a joker, with a fine antenna for gossip, and a matter-of-fact willingness to tell you if you had got something wrong. I chided him when, in 2005, he launched his invaluable website Criticine by citing Olaf Möller's hysterical attack on Movie Mutations (in a pre-Nika issue of Ekran!). But Alexis, in fact, made Olaf's point made more eloquently and rightly: "It is necessary that the written word of writers native to a country's cinema reach the world at large, for their insights – that can only be gleaned from one that lives and breathes the history, culture, and air of the work's origin – is important. Cinema must be dialogue."
In a public letter that has been widely distributed on the Internet since that tragic day, Alexis declared to Nika: "The first impulse of any good film critic, and to this I think you would agree, must be of love. To be moved enough to want to share their affection for a particular work or to relate their experience so that others may be curious. This is why criticism, teaching, and curating or programming, in an ideal sense, must all go hand in hand." Both of them lived by that creed.
Both of them too, spent the short span of their adult lives fighting against the film bureaucracies of their respective countries – overbearing in the Slovenian instance, indifferent in the Philippine case. They experienced disillusionment with their myopic, local, national film cultures (as do we all), but found solace in a wider world, a fragile community of like-minds and soul-siblings discovered through Film Festivals, publishing and the Internet. Ekran, under Nika's guidance, pursued this fine 'line of flight' – her final issue (February-March 2009), for instance, heralded Miguel Gomes' Our Beloved Month of August, a Portuguese film she (like me) dearly loved, on its front cover. In 2007, Nika and I brainstormed a project, somewhere between a magazine and a website: we would ask people from all over the world to write about, precisely, the indescribably beautiful bit of their local cinema which had never been imported onto the Festival or art-event circuit, the precious part that resisted such easy 'translation' or commodification. The closest Nika came to this dream was the blog page Ekran Untranslated; a glance at the people, stories and cultural experiences represented in these 'postcards' from critics and filmmakers, printed in their original languages, will give you a sense of the internationalist dream she lived. And her unforgettably poignant union with Alexis was another part of the same dream, extended into the most intimate realm of love.
Alexis, I am proud to say, picked up on a quotation I fondly recycled in Ljubljana: Godard's remark that cinema is "the goodwill for a meeting" – to which JLG added, "it is the love of ourselves on earth". Cinema must be dialogue, and it must be love. I learnt this, more deeply than I realised, from Nika and Alexis.
© Adrian Martin September 2009
I never met Nika or Alexis face to face but knew them through correspondence, the blogosphere, and Facebook. Their warmth and generosity, and the way in which they incarnated for us the powerful spirit of global cinephilia, were ever palpable in my exchanges with them. Their inspiration will live a long life inside of us.
Let me collect here a few of the tributes and reflections that have appeared in the last few days: Gabe Klinger at the Auteurs; Jonathan Rosenbaum; Noel Vera at Critic After Dark; Glenn Kenny at The Auteurs; Jason Sanders at Filmmaker; Raymond Phathanavirangoon at TIFF; Kim Voynar at Movie City News.
Please feel welcome to share any reminiscences or thoughts of Nika and Alexis here. Also, please feel free to post links to any tributes if you like. Perhaps we can build Nika and Alexis a small 'virtual memorial' here.
Photo: Jason Sanders at Filmmaker


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I'm one of those people who just has to change my organization method every few years. If something's not perfect, I decide to try something new.
When I took over family history research from Grammy, most of her information was organized into binders by surname. Does that sound like the 1990s to anyone?
In each binder was a combination of primary and secondary source material as well as research notes. That just wasn't working for me. I decided that I wanted easy access to the primary and secondary source materials across all surnames. After all, that's the starting point for my research.
I created a single new binder (only one for now) and added dividers for each surname. My intent is to slowly "move in" to my new binder.
What better place to start than with current records?
It dawned on me that someday my descendants will want copies of my original documents that are currently safely stored in my safety deposit box.
First up, my marriage certificate. I made a copy for my new binder, scanned an image, and added it as a source for my marriage in my family tree software. Sure, I knew most of that information, but it reminded me just how much information was there that could easily get lost. For instance, at the time we married, I was living in Denton County, the license was issued in Collin County, and we were actually married in Dallas County, Texas. How confusing that could be in 100 years!
Now is also a good time to scan your birth certificate, your children's birth certificates, and your children's religious certificates such as baptism and confirmation. Include those bits of information in your genealogy database now.


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These are some of the views and reports relevant to our readers that caught our attention this week.
ICT Works
10 Observations on Technology in Africa from Eric Schmidt of Google
"After a week of business meetings in the cities of sub-Saharan Africa, Eric Schmidt posted a detailed list of observations. As he used to run Google and is still on their board, I'll give him a bit more credit than others who might want to opine after a week's exposure to the continent's dynamism.
Eric starts with 3 positive major trends:
- the despotic leadership in Africa from the 1970s and 1980 is in decline, replaced by younger and more democratic leaders
- a huge youth demographic boom is underway, with a majority of the population of 25, or even under 20
- mobile phones are everywhere, and the Internet in Africa will be primarily a mobile one" READ MORE
In uncertain times, civil society seeks social justice: WEF
"Davos: The civil society is demanding social justice and accountability from all institutions in uncertain economic and political times globally, as technology has created more aware and educated population that is dominated by young cohorts, says a WEF report.
However, even though civil society is dynamic, vibrant and influential, it is also "selectively restricted", said the report, 'The Future Role of Civil Society', released today.
'Technology and demographics have created more aware, better connected and increasingly educated populations often dominated by younger cohorts. These populations are demanding social justice and accountability from all institutions in a time of economic and political uncertainty," the World Economic Forum (WEF) said.'" READ MORE
HuffPost Women
Closing the Internet Gender Gap
"There is no doubt that over the last decade, the Internet has created a revolution. Never before has information been so widely available or people better connected to one another. The Internet can be a great equalizer. And yet, access to it is not equally distributed. Notably, Internet access for both men and women in North America is nearly five times that of Africa.
The gap in Internet access is even more salient for women, particularly in developing countries. Because the Internet can provide enormous economic, social and professional value, the gender gap in access has very serious consequences for women. To better understand this gender Internet gap, Intel commissioned a study, "Women and the Web," in consultation with the U.S. Department of State's Office of Global Women's Issues, UN Women and World Pulse, a global network for women." READ MORE
Social Network Analysis for Digital Humanitarian Response
"Monitoring social media for digital humanitarian response can be a massive undertaking. The sheer volume and velocity of tweets generated during a disaster makes real-time social media monitoring particularly challenging if not near impossible. However, two new studies argue that there is 'a better way to track the spread of information on Twitter that is much more powerful.'
Manuel Garcia-Herranz and his team at the Autonomous University of Madrid in Spain use small groups of 'highly connected Twitter users as 'sensors' to detect the emergence of new ideas. They point out that this works because highly co-nnected individuals are more likely to receive new ideas before ordinary users.' The test their hypothesis, the team studied 40 million Twitters users who 'together totted up 1.5 billion follows' and sent nearly half a billion tweets, including 67 million containing hashtags.'" READ MORE
Democracy in Africa
Reflecting back, Looking forward: Caroline Kende-Robb
"To mark the new year, Democracy in Africa has asked key groups and individuals to reflect on developments in Africa during 2012, and look forward to 2013. We have invited them to share with us their insights and predictions, their hopes and their fears. Here, we speak to Caroline Kende-Robb. Caroline is the Executive Director of the Africa Progress Panel, a group of distinguished individuals, chaired by Kofi Annan, dedicated to encouraging progress in Africa.
1. Could you briefly describe the work that APP does?
The Africa Progress Panel , set up in 2007 and chaired by Kofi Annan, is a group of ten eminent personalities who advocate at the highest levels for equitable and sustainable economic, political and social progress in Africa. Advised by policy experts, the Panel monitors Africa's socio-economic development and offers evidence-based recommendations for better policy. As individuals and as a group, the Panel influences policy so that Africa's economic growth translates into more prosperity for Africans." READ MORE
IF only – communications challenges and opportunties for NGOs in 2013
"To have an impact in a world that is overflowing with information, you have to shout very loudly with one voice. That is why 100 of the UK's NGOs and faith groups have got together for the biggest joint campaign since 2005′s "Make Poverty History".
But the If initiative to end world hunger needs more than just attention, it needs people to understand and act.
The Kony2012 campaign was heard because it got over 100 million views on YouTube. But they didn't catch Joseph Kony, head of the Lord's Resistance Army, the guerrilla group in Uganda, and it might well have set back both attitudes to Africa and the idealism of those who clicked on the video but didn't get a real world result." READ MORE
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Photo credit: Flickr user fdecomite


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Over the past couple of weeks I've written several blog posts about relationship abuse. You can read about them here, here, here, here, and here.
I've done my best to be a voice. And one voice is better than silence. But a chorus of voices? That's what really makes a difference!(Like THIS!)
If you would like to tell your story or speak out against abuse, then join the chorus!
I invite you to write a guest post for this blog and send it to me at email@example.com. You can remain anonymous if you'd like- just let me know. Or, if you have your own blog, share your story there and send me the link! I'd be glad to link to it on this site.
Let's spread our stories as far as we can! Let's sing of freedom from abuse at the top of our lungs! Let's be a chorus of voices that can't be drowned out by hate!


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Listen to today's episode of StarDate on the web the same day it airs in high-quality streaming audio without any extra ads or announcements. Choose a $8 one-month pass, or listen every day for a year for just $30.
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Hot Jupiters
51 Pegasi is a pretty ordinary star. But in 1995, it became one of the best-known stars in the galaxy. That's because it was the first "normal" star with a confirmed planet. The newfound world was a giant, like Jupiter, the largest planet in our own solar system. But it was orbiting much closer in than Mercury is to the Sun. So astronomers described the new world as a "hot Jupiter."
Since then, astronomers have discovered scores of hot Jupiters orbiting other stars. And they've recently studied 63 of them that were discovered by the planet-hunting Kepler spacecraft.
The scientists looked for small deviations in the orbits of these planets caused by the gravitational tug of other planets in the same star systems. But they found that not a single hot Jupiter has a close planetary neighbor.
The result may shed light on just how hot Jupiters form. The planets probably are born far from their stars, just as Jupiter was, and are kicked inward by the gravity of another giant planet. As the hot Jupiter moves toward its star, its gravity hurls away any other planets that lie closer to the star. Some of these planets fall into their star, while others are ejected into the deep cold of interstellar space.
51 Pegasi is about a third of the way up the eastern sky at nightfall. It's just above the top side of the Great Square of Pegasus, which is in fine view. 51 Pegasi is faint, so you need dark skies to see it — a star system with a hot but lonely planet.
Script by Ken Croswell, Copyright 2012
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Point Loma/Hervey Branch Library
|3701 Voltaire St.
|Conwell Shonkwiler & Associates
|25,890 square feet
|Opened Sept. 20, 2003
|Estimated Cost:
|$11 million
The new Point Loma/Hervey Branch Library opened Sept. 20, 2003, with a major community celebration. The new, 26,000-square-foot facility is more than five times larger than the old Point Loma library, and it was the first project completed under the City of San Diego's $312.3 million library building program. The two-level building includes a community room for 122 people, kitchen, outdoor patios, comfortable lounge areas, a computer room, and seminar rooms. The children's area, which includes an art area and Story Time Zone, is the largest of any children's library in the City.
Funding for the $11 million project included a generous $5 million donation from The San Diego Foundation's Hervey Family Fund, $4.089 million in City redevelopment money, as well as other grants and donations.
Much of the library's design follows a nautical theme and includes a faux ship's hull and an actual working periscope that allows patrons to view the surrounding community. A rotunda, with a terrazzo map of the Point Loma peninsula on the floor, was designed to be a pivot point between the library and the community meeting area and to act as an entry for both walking visitors and those arriving by car.
This state-of-the-art facility holds 80,000 books and other materials. Book stacks were designed in a radiating fashion so that library staff at the central desk has visual control of most of the library. The roof forms simulate waves breaking on a beach. Special attention was given to the creation of natural sunlight filtering through the rotunda's sky dome and the library's windows preventing direct sunlight from deteriorating the books. Up-lighting makes it glow at night, creating a beacon/landmark for the neighborhood that is reminiscent of the region's most notable landmark, the Point Loma Lighthouse. The site also includes a small landscaped area with a grassy area that preserves the existing mature pine trees and creates a meeting and celebratory space for the neighborhood and community.


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|Seattle, WA
|High School:
|Lakeside School
2010-11: Played a career high 30 minutes and dropped in six points while adding four rebounds as the Pioneers top player off the bench in a 68-45 opening night victory over Saint Peter's...Posted career highs of 12 points, six field goals, and 32 minutes played in a non-conference contest against Saint Joseph's...Made her first start of the season in a win against Auburn, posted five points....Made first start of 2010-11 in Sacred Heart win over SEC member Auburn...Rejected a career best three shots in the Pioneers 72-33 triumph over Siena...Posted the best overall came of her career to date with 12 points and eight rebounds in the Pioneers NEC opener against Mount St. Mary's...Set new career highs for points and field goals with 14 points on seven buckets February 7th against Long Island...Improved her career best for the second straight game with 16 points against Quinnipiac...Set a career high with nine rebounds in a victory over Quinnipiac during NEC rivalry week.
2009-10: Five minutes, hitting one-of-three in her collegiate debut at Columbia...Played 17 minutes, collecting four rebounds and three steals in win over Monmouth...Scored four points with three boards and two steals in 17 minutes against Wagner...Posted a season-best seven points and five rebounds in 16 minutes off the bench in a win over the Mount...Had a season-best three assists and a steal at Bryant...Played a season-high 26 minutes off the bench at the Mount, grabbing six rebounds with a blocked shot and an assist...Got her first career start due to the Gibson injury, played 22 minutes with six points and five rebounds before fouling out...Played 26 minutes off the bench with a season-high nine points and six rebounds in a win at Quinnipiac...Season-high 28 minutes off the bench in loss to Long Island...Second start of the season, turned it over a season-high four times against St. Francis (NY).
High School: Attended Lakeside High School in Seattle...A three-sport athlete earning varsity letters in basketball, lacrosse and volleyball...Named the Seattle Times Athlete of the Year in 2009...A two-time team captain, she led her team to a fourth place finish in the 2009 State Tournament...Named WIAC All-State as a senior...Selected to the 3A Seattle All-Metro first team as a junior and a senior and led her team to the 2009 Metro Championship...Earned 3A All-State Tournament second team honors in 2008 and 2009 and led all players in the state tournament in rebounding and posted the tournament high for points in a game in the 2008 tournament with 28 points against Auburn High School...Team captain of the lacrosse team in 2008 and 2009, leading her team to three-straight State Championships...Named to the Northwest Regional team and to the All-State second team as a midfielder...Named the Metro League Co-Player of the Year as an outside hitter on the volleyball court...A second team All-State pick and an All-Metro League first team pick in 2008 and 2009.
Personal: Morgan Merriman Born: 5/16/91 Parents: Kirsty Ellison an dSam Merriman. Siblings: Elle Misko. Her father Sam played football at the University of Idaho and was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks of the NFL and spent five seasons with the team. Favorite Team: USC Trojan Football. Favorite Book: The Things They Carried. Favorite Movie: Role Models. After graduations she would like to travel. She considers her parents to be her role models.


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Stephon Tull did not know what he had until he was going through some dusty old boxes in his father's attic in Chattanooga, Tenn. Then he found an audio tape reel with a label reading "Dr. King interview, Dec. 21, 1960."
Borrowing a friend's reel-to-reel player, he listened to the recording, which was an interview between his father and Martin Luther King Jr. Startled at its contents, he told the Associated Press, "I found... a lost part of history." Years ago, his father had big plans to publish the interview, but it never happened. Tull's father is in his 80s and in hospice care, so the younger Tull plans to carry out the work and publish the interview in a book.
What about missing parts of our own family history? Have we checked the gaps on our family trees? Amazing are the things which can be found after sitting for years in attics, basements and other places. Recorded interviews, paintings, photographs, newspapers, histories, maps and genealogy sheets are among the fascinating items waiting to be discovered.
To be realistic, we likely won't experience finding missing parts of our family history the way Tull did. Some documents have been lost thanks to fire, flood, earthquake and war. Many events may never have been recorded. But once in a while, we are blessed to come upon information in some obscure place during a random cleaning.
So what can be done capture missing parts of family history?
Begin the search. Some relatives of ours who were looking for any form of their family history were prepared to pull up floorboards in their parents' attic when they discovered a box containing just what they needed — in the attic.
Maybe the missing parts you are looking for turn out to be great-grandma's journal or grandpa's military-service records. Or you might find a video of grandma relating her life's story before her death. Missing pieces may be obituaries that the local historical society photocopied for Dad after you moved away from home.
But if you find nothing, it may be necessary to begin the search with what I call "raw research." Trips to a local family history center or even the Family History Library may be necessary to accomplish this. The staff and volunteers in these centers and the library can help you know how to begin. Otherwise, it may be time to find a good professional researcher and have them begin the search through the family tree.
Whether seeking a specific item, or simply looking through resources, we may still come upon our "diamond in the rough" — but it may take a long time. Nothing in this work is ever done in vain. Eventually somewhere, at some point in time, we will find something, though it may not be what we expect. Sooner or later (and it is usually later), the payoff always comes. Remember, Jesus taught, "Ask and it shall be given you; seek and ye shall find; knock and it shall be opened unto you" (see Matthew 7:7).
One of my clients has in his genealogical collection a painting of a possible ancestor dressed in a uniform. He appears to have been a member of the nobility in Germany around the 1600s. If he is who we think he is, then he will fit somewhere on the family tree. Soon we will be approaching that generation in our search. He could prove to be a direct-line ancestor (there is no guarantee, but since the painting was found with the rest of the family records, it seems likely he must be related in some way). The painting could be a piece of missing family history already found, but it's necessary to verify the information.
Consider where missing pieces of your family history could be hiding; make a list of those places and then check them out. They may be anywhere likely or unlikely, from barrels to boxes, vaults for safekeeping, in attics, basements or under the stairs in a family home.
It's time to make that list and physically start digging. Who knows: your hidden treasure may be hiding in a dusty old box in the attic!
Genealogy graduate Russell Bangerter is president of Ancestral Connections, Inc., at ancestralconnect.com. He is a professional genealogist, author and speaker and adviser to Treasured Souls to Keep, at treasuredsoulstokeep.com.


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Everytime I see another blogger getting ready to redo their stairs, I start staring at mine again. I so badly want to redo them!!! Hope to win the bread boards!!!
Friday, January 20, 2012
Bread Board Winner
4 comments:
Seriously!?! I never win anything! I'm sending the email right away and couldn't be happier! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!ReplyDelete
I love your blog...I found it searching for new window treatment ideas for my old farmhouse. I have old burlap sacks from multiple different companies and products. I actually have them stacked in an old egg box on my porch...well two less now as I have placed them on my kitchen window! What a great idea! I love your house and your breadboards. Can't wait to see your stairwell complete.
Good morning! I am so excited to see your new shop! I am sure you are loving getting it all fixed up and putting your own touch in the details.ReplyDelete
Thank you for leaving the sweetest note on my bloggy the other day. You always make me smile!
Lots of love to YOU. Be sure to put your feet up for a few minutes today!
Happy Tuesday!
Thank you so much for taking the time to comment today! I read every one and they always put a smile on my face! Thanks for stopping by!


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30% OFF! - Chinese Zodiac 3 Snake-Horse
By Caroline B
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Product Categories
Celebrations Decorative Holidays - Chinese New Year Religious Vacations - Travel
Product Information
- Type: Embellishment Pack
- Designer: Caroline B
- Download Size: 30.2 MB (approximate)
Design Elements
- Page Elements: 20
Designer Notes
Add-on for My Chinese New Year Collection, this kit include the SNAKE (2013/2025...) and the HORSE (2014/2026...), 20 files : - Cross stitch - Embroidery - Chinese sign charm - Red Paper Cut - Embroidered Chinese Sign in several color - Medal with animal symbol, with a diamond, in Gold and Silver.
Image Quality
High-resolution (print quality) JPG and PNG files (with transparency).
Download Options
Easy install directly into My Memories Suite software. Purchase My Memories Suite
General use installer for other software applications (i.e., Adobe Photoshop & Photoshop Elements, Paint Shop Pro, etc.).
Album and Photobook templates are intended for installation in the MyMemories Suite software only.
The General download will still contain all of the digital paper and page element files and template pages in a flat jpeg format so that you can recreate the template.
The layered pre-built pages are not available in the general download.
Download Access
All download options are available after checkout by clicking the "Access Your Downloads" provided on the order confirmation page. You may also access your downloads after logging into the My Account section located at the top right of the website.


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After purchasing the OmniStar correction service in March 2011, Trimble introduces a high-accuracy GPS service option. Trimble calls the new service CenterPoint RTX. The system promises to deliver repeatable accuracy of 1.5 in., compared to sub-inch repeatable accuracy for RTK. CenterPoint RTX, which is enabled to use both GPS and GLONASS satellites, will be available across a 1.8 billion-acre swath covering the mid-section of North America beginning in July 2011.
Unlike Trimble's RTK offering, which delivers corrections via land-based radios or cellular networks, the RTX system delivers corrections via satellite. This allows Trimble FmX and CFX-750 monitors to access RTX corrections without the need for a radio or cellular modem. Instead of establishing corrections using land-based stations, as with RTK offerings, the RTX system uses positioning and compression algorithms to compute and relay satellite orbit, satellite clock, and other system adjustments from the satellite to the receiver.
Trimble has not yet released CenterPoint RTX subscription prices. For more information, visit www.trimble.com/agcorrectionservices.


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Selecting your vehicle's make, model, and year allows us to display only parts and items specific to your car's model and year.
Part# CH24326
Mfg# 641270
Be the First to Review
OPGI Price: $104.99
Part Type: (P) High Performance, designed to improve performance
Years: 1964-1973
Sold As: KIT
Includes built-in billet aluminum competition fuel filter with a reusable 40-micron stainless steel disc-type element. Supplied with 1/8" NPT female port and pipe plug for optional fuel pressure gauge line. Features -8 stainless steel braided hose and inlet fitting for maximum fuel flow up to 130 GPH. For use with all dual-feed Holley carburetors with 7/8"-20 inlet (except 4010/4011).


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Fandango Movies
Fandango Movies is a popular movie information and ticketing app is now available for FREE for iPhone/iPod touch, BlackBerry, Android and Palm Pre! Get movie and theater listings with the flick of your finger. Watch trailers. View fan ratings. All while your device's GPS feature finds the theaters closest to you and the movies playing at...read more


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John Menzies needed a new stationery design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 42 designs submitted by 14 freelance designers.
Think Platinum
We are a small business focusing on Systems Integration using the TIBCO product suites for medium to large companies (Banks, Investments, Stock Market, Transport, Industrial, Energy, Commercial). Our core value is "Quality", TIBCO products are relatively simple to develop, but like Java, if it's not done properly, it will cost in the long term (do it right the first time!!). Our goal is to ensure that companies implementing TIBCO products maintain high levels of quality while maintaining efficient delivery of new solutions.
We have experience in implementing new, innovative solutions using bleeding edge products as well as some more commonly known products and tools. We also have strong skills in helping organisations grow and mature there own competencies and skills with TIBCO Products
The name of our business came from the merger of using Thought (to think) and Quality (platinum, better than gold).
Our customers and peers are professionals in the IT Industry. They are Developers in or Managers of teams responsible for systems that often transfer large amounts of money in, out and around the organisation, Customer information including life critical data, new business in the form of orders or even servicing Online Services. They are also Executives, Project and Portfolio Managers.
Companies we work with in the industry are:
Competitors in the same market place as our business are:
http://www.ibm.com.au (Global Services)
Being a small/niche market, we need to stand out. We need a design that is easy to remember, visually simple yet bold. Most competitors offer similar services, we need something that will communicate our goals and principles in certain terms. It would be nice if the logo was simple enough to be embossed into business cards.
I have no consideration for Fonts to use. We will need to add various texts such as address, contact details etc on various prints, the fonts need to be reproducible/known.
The design should consist of a stand alone logo and also a logo with our brand name over the top, brand name should not over power the logo.
Our primary requirement is for Business Card and Letter Head.
Letter Head should include the logo with brand name to the right, We will also include address and contact details on the letter head, entered in separate to the logo and brand name.
The business cards will contain the logo with brand name on one side and the logo with contact details on the other. The logo may be embossed into the cards also, if it's simple enough.
Colors used could resemble either the Blue of the TIBCO logo (not the exact blue) or Shinny Silver Grey of Platinum, make them bold, not loud.
Design sizes should be Full Bleed Size.
Resolution should be at least 300dpi
Color Space should be CMYK
Output file formats desired are: *.ai, *.psd, *.tif are *.tiff


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"Once upon a time in feudal Japan there lived a wicked summoner named Seimei who brought a great evil into the world. Only one man could stop him: an adviser to the former chancellor named Tengan. But Seimei anticipated this challenge and had Tengan condemned to prison forever. With no other recourse in sight, Tengan elected to free a sleeping Sumioni, or Inkdemon, named "Agura" at the cost of his own life, bequeathing this creature a compulsory mission through the scorched ruins of Japan to defeat Seimei and wrench order from chaos.
Guide Agura through 2D side-scrolling levels and unleash his powers by drawing brush strokes on the touchscreen. Create paths to traverse, set enemies aflame, spawn deadly thunderstorms and even summon powerful Inkgods to do your bidding! Set in a vibrant world brought to life through traditional hand-painted ""sumi-e"" ink art, Sumioni: Demon Arts combines fast-paced platforming with unique touchscreen functionality for the perfect mix of classic and modern.
"©2012 ACQUIRE Corp. XSEED JKS, Inc. Published by XSEED Games.
Purchase or use of this item is subject to the PlayStation®Network Terms of Service and User Agreement. This item has been sublicensed to you by Sony Computer Entertainment America.


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Since its unveiling in June, Shimano's new XTR M980 flagship mountain bike groupset has been little more than a bunch of studio glamour shots, a collection of whiz-bang new features, and a list of facts and figures.
But we've now been able to take the more trail-orientated bits (there's a race-targeted variant coming a little later) out for an initial thrashing around the spectacular Lakes Basin network of trails overlooking Graeagle, California, plus a top-to-bottom, 1,480m (4,850ft) high-speed run down a blown-out Downieville Classic downhill course.
So what's our initial conclusion? As expected, M980 is an impressively refined and thoroughly engineered piece of kit, and while it definitely addresses the shortcomings of the prior generation, even we didn't expect just how much better it would end up.
Brakes: More power, superb control, tighter look and feel
XTR M970 brakes were a benchmark for modulation but what they boasted in control, they notably lacked in brute force, with even the larger rotor options failing to deliver enough power for more demanding situations. With M980 Trail, however, Shimano claim a 25 percent increase in absolute braking power (the Race version gets a more modest 10 percent bump) and it feels like every bit of that on the dirt.
Whereas before you were occasionally grabbing the levers for dear life hoping to scrub off enough speed, even hard braking is now easily done with a single finger and we never felt the need for anything bigger than our 180/160mm front/rear rotor setup – even at Downieville where our max speed topped 55km/h (35mph) – nor did we experience any fade.
We did have to stop a few times during the run to wait for slower members of the group (during which time the brakes cooled off) but even so, some of the credit for the fade resistance must go to Shimano's Ice Tech features. Cooling fins are integrated into the backing plates on our Trail-edition pads and the three-layer, two-piece spidered rotors include a layer of aluminium sandwiched between two outer sheets of stainless steel – all in the name of dissipating heat.
Though it's hard to say exactly how well it works under more rigorous testing conditions (we've already got our long-term test group in hand and will have plenty of opportunity to do fade testing back in Colorado), Shimano engineers claim up to a 100°C reduction in surface temperatures relative to a standard stainless rotor.
Trail edition XTR M980 brakes get finned pads and three-layer rotors
More impressive is that the additional power hasn't come at the expense of the predecessor's outstanding modulation and though M980 has far better initial bite, it still isn't objectionably grabby, at least with the resin pad compounds (we'll sample the new metal compounds a little later).
Key to our Trail version's performance is the Servo Wave variable-rate master cylinder design, which provided a quick and definitive pad contact point but then ramped up the leverage ratio for more power and just a bit of 'squish' at the lever, compared to the firmer feel of main competitors Avid.
New, oversized calliper pistons place more even pressure on the pads, and a swap to full-ceramic construction (older ones were aluminium cups with even smaller phenolic inserts in the centre) adds further heat resistance to the system – not to mention better temperature stability for reportedly more consistent pad retraction in a wide range of environments. Shimano have even given XTR M980 a new hydraulic hose with a smaller internal bore but larger barb inserts for reduced power loss.
The new brakes use bigger ceramic pistons that can apply force more evenly to the pads
The more compact layout ditches the old radial master cylinder architecture for a unique double-barreled inline setup that offers much improved ergonomics and a main pivot point moved closer to the bar for a more natural-feeling arc (yes, Avid, you were right all along). The blade itself is surprisingly short and ideally shaped for one-finger braking – but still suited for two-finger use depending on positioning – and also 14mm wide (13mm on the Race version). Machined-in dimples on the blade surface are notably effective at improving finger grip.
Our Trail-edition brake levers also featured tool-free reach adjust and a tunable pad contact point. As before, the 'Free Stroke' pad contact adjustment range is on the narrow side and still requires a Phillips head screwdriver but the reach adjustment range is enormous. At the closest setting the lever nearly bottoms on the bar before the pads contact while our large-sized hands could barely reach the lever at the other end – impressive.
Final details include hinged clamps (finally!) and an easier bleed procedure, but riders who run their brakes UK/moto-style (front brake lever on right-hand side of the handlebar) should note the fact that XTR M980 levers still can't be swapped left-to-right without having to disconnect the hoses.
XTR brake levers are now shorter for natural one-finger braking
Shifting: Speedier and smoother with best-in-industry refinement
Put aside fears of sloppier or more finicky rear shifting with the move to 10-speed as even Shimano's own Dura-Ace mechanical road group can only dream of being half this good. If we had our eyes closed and weren't counting, not only would we not have guessed that the cog spacing was tighter but we'd even say that M980 feels tighter, more precise and smoother under power than the previous nine-speed setup (at least when covered in layers of Northern California moon dust – we'll let you know how heavy mud affects things later).
Key to the improved rear shift performance is a new cable pull ratio that reduces line tension and is more tolerant of slight maladjustments and housing friction. Shimano say it's just a 20-30 percent increase so it's not quite as dramatic as SRAM's 1:1 setup, but combined with the rear derailleur's longer and more linear return spring, it still makes for a notably snappier and less vague feel overall plus better performance on bikes that run full housing. This is especially true when you move the chain into the outermost cogs where M970 could sometimes hesitate.
Shimano will offer XTR M980 rear derailleurs in the low-profile Shadow configuration only
Front shifts in either direction are more refined, too, with the improvements again being most noticeable under full power. We can't say for certain whether credit goes to the tighter 42/32/24T chainring spacing of our three-ring test setup, the revised front derailleur cage shaping or the new hyper-engineered directional chain (more on both in a bit), but no matter – if you thought M970 was good, be prepared for a pleasant surprise.
Shimano continue to stick to their 'Light Action' guns and lever effort has actually gone down relative to M970, but the detents have conversely grown stronger in both feel and volume so useful feedback has gone up. This change will be welcome during both longer events, where hand fatigue can be a concern, and in rougher terrain. Further adding to the lower effort is a longer pull lever (again, with a dimpled surface for less finger slipping). The stroke is comparable to M970.
Carrying over from M970 shifters are the same 2-Way Release, Multi-Release and Instant Release features, plus the laterally adjustable pod positioning. The pull lever still isn't adjustable like SRAM's XX or X0 but the stock position is quite agreeable so we didn't feel the need to move it anyway.
Lever effort is more consistent (and slightly lighter) with M980, with stronger clicks
Drivetrain: Further evolution of proven themes
XTR's M980 hollow-forged aluminium crankarms ditch M970's press-fit non-driveside arm and threaded bearing preload adjuster in favour of a simpler pinch bolt setup similar to that used in the rest of Shimano's lineup. A few grams have been shaved, too, but otherwise the changes are mostly cosmetic and include the new highly polished two-tone finish and visually swirled chainring spider (BCD on the triple remains the same, though).
As before, the outer ring boasts a deep profile for fantastic rigidity (which manifests in better shift quality and fewer bent chainrings) and the middle ring is a titanium-and-carbon composite hybrid that's nearly as light as a standard aluminium ring but much stiffer and longer-wearing. Aside from the extra cog, the new cassette is little changed from the previous generation, with five titanium cogs and five steel ones, and three separate alloy spider assemblies to keep flex at bay and save weight.
The combination of tight 'Dyna-Sys' chainring spacing and Shimano's new directional XTR chain makes for exceptionally smooth front shifts under power
XTR M980's new chain, however, is one of the most prominent examples of Shimano's considerable engineering prowess. As with its Dura-Ace cousin, XTR now boasts a directional design with specific inner, outer, non-driveside and driveside plates that are all specifically chamfered, carved and shaped for their particular purpose – the inner plates for climbing up the cassette cogs and the outer plates for clawing up progressively bigger chainrings.
In addition, the tolerances between the plates and rollers have been tightened up while the inner sides of the outer chain plates have been relieved, which should make for reduced contamination in nasty conditions (and hopefully better lubricant retention) along with better mud shedding. While the dry test conditions didn't offer much of an opportunity to test the weatherproofing of the chain, we can definitely say that the additional outer chamfering makes for an impeccable quiet drivetrain.
Save for the extreme cross-gear combinations, XTR M980 is wonderfully silky smooth, and even violently knocking off a couple of teeth from our big ring could detract from it. Will it stay that way over time? We'll have to wait and see but initial impressions are favourable.
Dura-Ace and XTR M980 are both 10-speed systems but the chains see different loads and so are designed quite differently
The last major drivetrain improvement is with the new Trail and Race pedals, both of which boast wider axle bearing spacing, roughly 2mm-lower stack heights and wider platforms. The first two improvements are nice and all but it's the bigger platforms that are really noticeable underfoot, especially in the Race version.
Previous XTR pedals have always been rock-solid with consistent entry and exit, and incredibly durable internals, but the slight bit of yaw they allowed could sometimes lead to an unwanted exit in technical terrain. The new pedals' 4mm-wider platforms mostly put an end to that, and we felt much more secure.
For an even more surefooted feel, the Trail pedal adds an alloy mini-cage at the front and rear, and even more surface contact area directly on either side of the cleat. We wish Shimano would have included the extra surface area on the Race pedal, too, but it's an improvement nonetheless (and more adventurous buyers will undoubtedly end up taking a hacksaw and file to a set of Trail pedals to make their own).
Claimed weight on the PD-M980 pedals (top) drops to 310g/pair. The Trail-edition PD-M985s are 90g heavier but feature an even bigger platform and alloy mini-cage
Wheels: More finely tuned Trail and Race options
Shimano have trimmed weight from the Race-edition XTR wheels for 2011, bringing them down under 1,500g for the first time courtesy of a more heavily machined scandium-enhanced alloy rim that's still true UST-compatible and built with the same brazed-on threaded nipple attachments and aggressively butted spokes as before.
The previous generation's faster-engaging titanium freehub body carries over, too, but there's now a 15mm through-axle fitment option up front for those who want a bit more steering precision. We didn't have a chance to ride the Race wheels but the new Trail wheels certainly seem interesting for riders who are less concerned about weight.
The Trail wheels are decidedly less svelte at a claimed 1,670g for the pair but the 21mm-wide rims (internally; Race wheels measure 19mm) lend better tyre casing support for more stable cornering, especially when larger-volume treads are fitted at lower pressures. Slightly thicker spokes are used for better durability, and despite the ho-hum weight on paper, the wheels' impressive lateral and torsional stiffness help them feel lighter than they are. We had no issues whatsoever instantly inflating our tubeless-ready WTB test tyres with just a standard floor pump.
New with M980 are specific Race and Trail wheelsets. The Race version slims down to 1,480g/pair while the Trail edition jumps up to 1,670g but has a wider rim and slightly thicker spokes
Further thoughts on Shimano's Dyna-Sys drivetrain philosophy
Rather than push a three-ring or two-ring drivetrain for M980, Shimano have instead chosen to give customers a plethora of options, including a tighter-range 24/32/44T, three race-oriented double options (28/40T, 30/42T, and 32/44T) – all with a narrower pedal stance width – and even a more trail oriented 26/38T double that 29er aficionados will likely gravitate towards.
We only tried the standard triple out in California but after spending lots of time on SRAM's two-ring setups, it's still somewhat of a toss-up which is better suited for the majority of riders. While we love the simplification that wide-range two-ring setups offer, there's no ignoring the fact that the standard 32T ring is still the 'money' gear – and even more so now with the addition of the 36T cog.
That being said, not all of the gear combinations with Shimano's standard triple are as usable as on a chainline-corrected double, either, and even mildly crossed gear combos are still a little rougher than on a double despite the new chain. So which is for you? That'll likely depend on your level of fitness and the range of terrain you're likely to encounter. Either way, we commend Shimano's decision not to make that choice for you – pick your poison.
The new XTR provides a choice of nine different front derailleurs to suit all types of rider
Notes on durability
Two days of riding is hardly enough time for a proper torture test (that'll come later) though we will say that the challenging terrain of the Sierra Buttes region condenses a lot of abuse into a short period of time – and needless to say, our brand-new test bits definitely no longer look brand-new.
Rocks have left deep scratches on the crankarm ends and sides, and as already mentioned, we sheared two teeth off the big ring after an especially hard smack into a rock – yet neither the ring nor spider bent and we were still able to use the ring.
The Shadow-only low-profile rear derailleur is a welcome feature, as it tucks the body further in towards the frame and away from rocks, and the more upright cable positioning relative to SRAM should make for fewer shattered housing sections. We do wish Shimano had stuck with an alloy pulley cage, though, as it still hangs precariously below and near to the ground and one rider in our group managed to shear off a carbon ply or two.
Lastly, that gleaming crankarm finish looks great in person but persistent heel rubbers will make short work of the sheen – make sure to slap some protective film on there first.
By the end of our initial two-day test, our crankarms no longer looked this pristine
Welcome back, Shimano
Shimano's engineering talent and attention to seemingly insignificant minutiae make themselves very obviously known on the new XTR as it's not only incredibly functional but remarkably refined – SRAM XX may have it beaten in some aspects but simply put, XTR feels like a more finished and polished end package.
In addition, while the new Trail and Race options tightly focus on particular user groups, the interchangeability between the two allows mixing and matching to suit your personal needs. Whereas older XTR groups were always impressive but presented some obvious flaws, this latest version is as close to perfection as Shimano have ever managed to achieve.
Sure, there are still some quirks and niggles but they're more minor than ever and when all is said and done, it's hard to fault the performance of XTR M980 on the trail. Time will tell how well this stuff will hold up in the long-run but one thing's certain: we're back to a two-horse race, folks, and as of right now there's no odds-on favorite.
The three-layer Ice Tech rotors feature an aluminium core to better dissipate heat


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Besides all the mooncakes I've made, this was the last which I made for today's celebration. Well, it was actually from my previous post "Cendol Agar-Agar". Instead of the 2 layers, this time I've transfered it into the mooncake mould. Hmm....Pretty!!
The filling inside was the gula melaka instead of those lotus paste. We had enough mooncakes with those fillings (lotus, red beans, pandan...etc. etc.) so I think some refreshing ones should be suitable for the party..:)
The ingredients that you need were as below..
Ingredients & Method for the Cream:


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Early on in "Army of Two: The Devil's Cartel," you realize it shouldn't be taken seriously. Characters will debate if shooting red barrels is a good firefight tactic — referring to video games.
Voice acting is OK, but the writing doesn't get any better. The story, which now follows T.W.O. operatives Alpha and Bravo assigned to protect a prominent Mexico politician, has its predictable twists and turns. Popular protagonists Salem and Rios from past Army of Two games also appear, although fans of the series may not like their new roles.
However, the story plays second fiddle to the actual meat of the game, which involves lots and lots of shooting at bad guys. If you've played any other third-person shooter before, this game is no different. The shooting mechanics work well and are responsive. Turret sections add to the mayhem. A variety of guns can be upgraded to your liking, and a bunch of colorful masks can be purchased for Alpha and Bravo.
However, there's very little that makes this game memorable or stand out from other shooters. The highlight of the package is Overkill mode, which after filling up a meter can be activated to unleash an endless barrage of bullets for a short amount of time. Even the environment takes a good beating, and after it ends you'll want to quickly fill up the meter and do it all over again.
For being a cover-based shooter, getting in and out of cover in "The Devil's Cartel" could have been a more smoother process. Occasionally it won't activate correctly, or you'll get stuck in a spot trying to run over to another area.
Luckily, the enemy AI isn't exactly smart, so you can dispatch them easily on normal difficulty. Auto aim turns the game into easy mode in certain spots. Teamwork is encouraged to flank enemies, including the implementation of a special vision mode to move around the battlefield to your advantage, but I rarely used it.
As expected, co-operative gameplay is the main focus. Your AI partner does an excellent job aiding you in combat, and playing with a friend is always a blast, too. However, hooking up with random people online is a hassle since it requires you to restart a chapter — even if you're in the middle of it. If your partners decides he/she has had enough, it also restarts. Why couldn't we just seamlessly join a game in progress? Absent is some type of competitive multiplayer, which hurts the game's longevity and value.
Even though "The Devil's Cartel" uses the Frostbite 2 engine, it doesn't look as impressive as it should. Graphical glitches and screen tearing pop up. Characters' mouths don't seem to match what they're saying. Environments look brown and bland. One cut scene featuring a gigantic explosion just didn't look right. Overall, the game needed more polish from developer Visceral Games.
The Army of Two series has its fans, which is needless to say since "The Devil's Cartel" is its third title. While it is a passable shooter, the fanbase may be disappointed in the direction Visceral took this game. It also released at the same time of BioShock Infinite, a much more hyped-up shooter. Bad, bad timing.
2 stars out of 4
The Xbox 360 version of "Army of Two: The Devil's Cartel" was supplied by EA for this review. A PS3 version is also available.
Jeff Hoard writes about video games for The Oakland Press. He can be reached at email@example.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffHoard921. His blog is www.yay4videogames.blogspot.com.


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BackupBuddy: Recent Backup Status
The Recent Backup Status tab on the Backup page provides a historical listing of recently created backups and the status of each. Most recent backups (including scheduled, transferred, or deleted) will be listed along with the date and time started, finished, trigger type and status.
Backup Process Technical Details
The Backup Process Technical Details includes helpful information for integrity testing, backup steps and meta information.
To view details of the backup status, hover over the status column and click View Details.
From here, you'll be able to view the Backup Process Technical Details, including:
Integrity Test
- BackupBackup data file
- Database SQL file
- WordPress wp-config.php file (full backups only)
Backup Steps
- Database dump
- Zip archive creation (Write speed: > 31.26 MB)
- Integrity Check
- Post-backup cleanup
- Total Overall Time
Meta Information
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- Site URL
- Backup type
- Backup Profile
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- BackupBuddy version at creation
- WordPress version at creation
- BackupBuddy data file (relative)
Display Advanced Debugging
If directed by support, use the Display Advanced Debugging button to display technical troubleshooting information.
See also
- Introduction
- Creating a Backup
- Local Archive Files
- Recent Backup Status


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A bevy of tech startups are helping retailers use mobile devices to change the way offline stores interact with customers—and make them a lot smarter, too. "Mobility is set to trigger a business transformation across retail," Leslie Hand, research director for IDC Retail Insights, wrote in a recent report.
Here's a look at three such companies:Behavioral Modification for Sales Associates
Your in-store retail technology won't do much good if sales associates don't use it.
That, ultimately, is the conundrum David Hegarty, founder of two-year-old San Francisco-based, Signature Labsis trying to address.
Some background: Most high-end retail stores make the lion's share of revenues from repeat customers, according to Hegarty. Excellent, personalized customer service, of course, is essential to inspiring more-frequent visits, especially to fancier enterprises.
But these days, fewer retail sales associates are making a career out of the job and, as a result, aren't developing the long-term relationships typical of days of yore. And fewer of them can make effective use of the "black book", a list of clients and preferences with which they can let customers know when new items come into the store.
The perfect solution, at first, seemed to be to have an app for customers, and another for retailers. But Hegarty soon discovered that, while consumers were eager to adopt the technology, sales associates tended to be less enthusiastic. The issue, then, wasn't as much about the technology as what Hegarty calls "a behavioral change". With that in mind, he decided to just focus on the sales associate piece of the puzzle, introducing a simple retail customer relationship management system for high-end retailers aimed at quickly building trust between client and seller.
First step is educating sales associates about just why the technology is needed in the first place—that having frequently returning customers boosts revenues considerably. Signature's head of sales associate on boarding does in-person training, in addition to providing computer tutorials, and associates who hit their targets receive one of various levels of certification.
Then, there's the actual application, which focuses on a few, key actions. For example, Signature's system analyzes sales receipts each day to identify high-potential customers. Then, sales associates receive a notification and send written thank-you notes to those people. Thirty to 60 days later, they're reminded to let customers know about appropriate new merchandise. Store managers also have a dashboard to keep track of it all. "We make it really easy for the associate to be thoughtful," says Hegarty.
Mobile Payment Systems as Data Goldmines
Mountain View, Cal.-based Proximiant is all about turning the ability for customers to make in-store mobile payments into a way for retailers to build stronger relationships with them—and get access to a potential goldmine of data.
Here's how the service, which was recently introduced, works: Retail customers with New Field Communication (NFC)-enabled devices can receive a receipt at the check-out counter when they tap their phones on a small digital receiver right at the point of sale. IPhones aren't NFC-enabled, so you use your phone to scan a QR code; that appears on the receiver and is captured as a digital receipt.
The big deal for retailers is they can tell whether a customer has already bought from their store previously and then start sending them promotions and the like. "The moment customers check out and get their digital receipt on their phone, we start building a relationship with them," says Dinesh C., vice president of business development and marketing.
More important is what happens once the data is collected. (Founder Fang Cheng, who also started a touchscreen display company called Touchco, which was sold to Amazon in 2010, has a Ph.D. in bioinformatics from New York University). Retailers can customize data to allow them to see anything from whether a Twitter campaign turned into real sales to the type of products that are faring well. Bigger retailers can choose to capture some data and integrate it into their existing analytics systems.
Making Offline Stores as Smart as Their Online Counterparts
While the Amazons of the world have the ability to gather and analyze all manner of customer data and add a heavy dose of personalization, physical retail stores have been lagging way behind. Mostly, the only data they've been able to gather has been the number of people who enter the store and who then buy something, otherwise known as the conversion rate.
That's the dilemma the founders of New York-based Nomi decided to address. "If customers go to a store and walk out empty handed, no one even knows they were there", says Wesley Barrow, chief revenue officer. "How could we make shopping in physical stores as measurable and efficient as shopping on Amazon?"
The first thought was to use videos. But, according to Barrow, they tended not to be useful, because you couldn't usually identify individuals and, as a result, "If I were to walk into a store, leave and come back, there would be no way to know whether it's the same person," says Barrow.
The answer: Use smart phones and tablets. By tracking the unique WiFi signal on each customer's device, Nomi's software system, usually installed on the store's router, could track such things as how long individuals stayed in a shop or whether they returned, and then store the information in the cloud for further analysis.
The bigger potential, however, may be in a capability the company is testing now. Customers who opt in and allow their identities to be known, would be eligible for loyalty rewards based on the number of visits to the store. What's more, if, say, you have a history of buying clothing in certain colors online or offline, that information automatically could come up on a salesclerk's smartphone or tablet. "There are all kinds of things you can do once you know someone has been inside the store," says Barrow.