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Sunday, August 17, 2008
Comic 463: Always Practice Safe Comedy
Vote fraud is, as I said in my introduction to Stanley Sptiz's post, Very Serious Business. It's especially pathetic because an electronic voting machine with a paper ballot trail is a simple and effective way to have the efficiency of an electronic voting system with the accountability of a more traditional method.
But I digress.
When I read this, I felt like there was something off about it. I couldn't quite place it, but something about the delivery of the joke just felt wrong. And in my painful but necessary trip to the Forums (the things I do for you people...) someone posted what was apparently another version of this comic. It looks like this other version was posted first, and replaced by the one up now.
See if you, you budding Humor Analyst you, can tell the difference:
FINE it took me a while to see it too. Look at the third panel: In the new comic, the third panel reads:
"Imagine you're at a parent teacher conference, and the teacher reassures you that he always wears a condom while teaching."
In the original version, it reads:
"Imagine you are at a parent teacher conference, and the teacher reassures you that he cares about student safety. Which is why is always wears a condom while teaching."
For a fun game that YOU can play at home, which of these is better and why?
I would say that the original one is far superior. Its timing is exactly right - the perfectly innocent set up line - "the teacher cares about student safety" - and then a pause, which is actually represented by a little line in between the two sentences, and then the punchline: "so he always wears a condom." It works, you realize that "safety" in the first sentence meant safe sex, not general safety, and then the analogy dawns on you and you laugh at the joke. The analogy, it probably goes without saying, works especially well because both McAfee and condoms are designed to protect from viruses, albeit of different kinds.
The first one is much too clunky and confusing - he wears a condom while teaching. But you don't know where it's coming from; it's too direct.
Of course, both versions of the comic have the wholly unneeded 4th panel explaining the joke to you. "OH I'M SORRY LET ME EXPLAIN IT TO YOU. I WANT TO BE SURE YOU GET THE JOKE." It quite frankly ruins both, because you end up with the punchline in the second to last panel, not the last where it should be, and this extra little nothing tacked on to the end. (the alt text in comic 29 is basically the same deal)
I would say though, that if you cut out the last panel of the better version, you have a pretty good joke told pretty well. The question, of course, is why this was taken down in favor of the inferior one. I GUESS I WILL JUST HAVE TO ASK RANDALL WHEN I SEE HIM.
6 comments:
- AnonymousAugust 18, 2008 at 12:03 AM
Maybe it's just me, but I'm very computer literate and I usually get the jokes here, but I was wholly confused by the version he posted. I spent like five minutes going... "Okay, I don't get it. What am I missing?" When I read the other version you posted, however, I got it. I actually laughed, too.ReplyDelete
No idea why Randall is going out of his way to make his comics suck more, but, ah, some people are just determined.
- AnonymousAugust 18, 2008 at 8:10 AM
Newer version goes more over to the fact that things that require protection shouldn't be being done in the first place. A well isolated machine that will only accept input from it's interface and at the end have it's data exported would have a rather hard time getting a virus.ReplyDelete
So, other than your problem with how he decided to deliver the line, which some would argue is an artistic choice, you don't have a problem with this comic?ReplyDelete
I've seen nationally syndicated comics with spelling errors in them. Everyone makes a mistake once in a while; you don't have to be so nitpicky.
Even with the original line, I got the joke on the first reading, but then again, I'm smarter than the average bear. I got the Traveling Salesman comic (#399) on the first read as well.
Also, in now way does the fourth panel explain the joke, which is about the teacher having sex with the student. It only serves to underline that the idea in the previous panel is right for all the wrong reasons. While it may not be necessary, your analysis is incorrect, and for someone who make a blog out of telling Randall Munroe when he is incorrect, I thought you might appreciate the constructive criticism.
Jenny -ReplyDelete
Yes, I think the comic in it's redacted form, minus the last panel, is good. I do agree that it was an artistic choice; everything an artist draws in an artistic choice. I think it was a dumb choice.
This was not a spelling error (I do believe that "McAfee" was spelled "MacAfee" at one point, but I don't have a copy of that so I'm not sure), this is not (I assume) something that Randall would consider a mistake. He did it on purpose; I don't think he should have.
The redundancy of the 4th panel (again, in the good version) is this: Imagine the comic without it - you end on the analogy. The analogy is funny. The fourth panel is basically saying "Here is why the analogy makes sense, IN CASE YOU DIDN'T GET IT." It even has a character "getting" the joke - the word "ah" signifies that he is understanding. What bugs me is that the timing and phrasing of the punchline are basically exactly right, so it should have just ended.
Also, I am glad you are smart, as you mentioned. This is a relief. Are there any other comics you understood? Or any math problems you have been able to solve? Inquiring Minds want to know.
But yes, criticism is welcome (even if I am sometimes sarcastic about it...)
- AnonymousAugust 28, 2009 at 9:34 PM
Newer version is superior. Why? Becuase a condom is for saftey as is antivirus software, and the man is obiviously using an analogy. I can't be the only one that made the connection between condoms and safe sex right away. So you're wearing a condom while teaching, you're being safe, but the wrong kind of safe. as for the fourth panel, I like it.ReplyDelete
I prefer the new version - simpler and more elegant. The old version is a little clunky and follows the setup-punchline cliche a little too closely for my liking.ReplyDelete
Just because you don't *get* a joke doesn't mean it's not a good one; I know several people who got - and liked - this one straight off. Funny that the first conclusion you draw is that the ~joke~ is the thing that's stupid...

subset: commoncrawl


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Laird gets two-year Braves deal
Article continues below ...
Catcher Gerald Laird will get $3 million for his two-year deal with the Atlanta Braves, and could earn up to $750,000 in performance bonuses if he plays more than expected.
Laird was signed to be Brian McCann's backup after David Ross left for a $6.2 million, two-year deal with Boston. The 33-year-old Laird played for AL champion Detroit this past season, batting .282 with two homers and 11 RBI.
The deal pays Laird $1.5 million each of the next two seasons, with the chance to earn an additional $250,000 in 2013 and $500,000 in 2014 based on how many games he starts. He would receive $50,000 each for starting 80, 90, 100, 110 and 120 games next year, and $100,000 each if he reached those targets the following season.


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That would absolutely work for me.Flumble wrote:Also I last synced the world on 2017-03-05, so if the inventories were unfucked back then, I'll send them/the world to you (to merge or replace the current world).
To my knowledge, nobody else had their inventory screwed up, so reverting might actually be negative for them. I just PM'd infina with the three things to I needed replaced. I'm cool either way, though.


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Three Orange County hotels made the ranks of the world's top-rated hotels this year, winning five stars from the Forbes Travel Guide.
The Montage Laguna Beach was awarded five stars for the first time this year. The Laguna resort joined the St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort and Spa in Dana Point, a seven-time winner, and the Resort at Pelican Hill in Newport Beach, a four-time honoree.
Forbes recognized 76 hotels worldwide with its top stars. Previously known as the Mobil Travel Guide, the annual report began in 1958. To qualify for five stars, the hotels must surpass more than 500 standards used by Forbes inspectors in grading the service and facilities.
Forbes cited the Montage's lap pool, shopping, music, food and kid-friendly atmosphere as noteworthy. The resort's spa also was awarded five stars.
The St. Regis impressed with its landscaping, seclusion, butler service, Stonehill Tavern (a four-star winner) and turn-down service. At Pelican Hill, Forbes' favorites included the spa (a five-star winner), personalized service, private villas, Italian décor and dining at the four- star Andrea.
Two Orange County hotels also made Forbes' four-star list: the Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel and the Island Hotel in Newport Beach. Forbes gave four-star rankings to hotels that offer "excellent experiences" with attentive service and exceptional facilities.
Contact the writer: 714-796-3646 or email@example.com


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See Jane Blog Business Cards
Jane, from the family/design/lifestyle blog See Jane Blog, approached us to design and produce some fresh cards for her before she headed off to the annual Alt Summit blogger conference in January. Jane was great to work with, she had a few ideas and elements she wanted included but really lets us run and create something that would look great letterpress printed. Some of our favorite features include the custom diecut (designed to accentuate her signature asterisk) and the thin linework pattern (referencing back to her patterned blog header). Production wise, these were printed on Crane Lettra Flo White 110lb cover stock that was custom duplexed to a 220lb weight after printing. With two inks, a blind impression and a custom diecut, the presssheet for these cards ran through the press a total of four times.
You can also read about these in a lovely post over on Jane's blog.


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holygoat wrote:* That *somehow* Limp has changed indenting in Lisp files. My previous indent system wasn't perfect — custom indents for macros are hard-coded — but Limp seems to do the wrong thing for me all the time:
Yeah, the indentation thing is really annoying, but there is already a bug report filed on that. Hope it will be fixed soon; if I was any good at vim scripting i'd try myself. Otherwise it works fine enough for my purposes.


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The dollar value of new construction activity on residential, non-residential, and public projects. Data are available in nominal and real (inflation-adjusted) dollars.
Construction spending has a direct bearing on stocks, bonds and commodities because it is a part of the economy that is affected by interest rates, business cash flow and even federal fiscal policy. In a more specific sense, trends in the construction data carry valuable clues for the stocks of home builders and large-scale construction contractors. Commodity prices such as lumber are also very sensitive to housing industry trends.
Businesses only put money into the construction of new factories or offices when they are confident that demand is strong enough to justify the expansion. The same goes for individuals making the investment in a home.
A portion of construction spending is related to government projects such as education buildings as well a highways and streets. While investors are more concerned with private construction spending, the government projects put money in the hands of laborers who then have more money to spend on goods and services.
On a technical note, construction outlays for private residential, private nonresidential, and government are key inputs into three components of GDP--residential investment, nonresidential structures investment, and the structures portion of government expenditures.
That is why construction spending is a good indicator of the economy's momentum.
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How Clean Is The New Oil In Your Equipment?
Kathy | July 1, 2008
It's a nagging, industry-wide question, and one that keeps many a supplier and end user up at night.
In the multi-step process of moving lubricants from THEIR tanks to YOUR equipment, where does contamination start? At what point do dirt and/or moisture enter the supply chain? Is it a problem with storage, handling, dispensing or a combination? This three-part series aims to answer these questions once and for all. Based on studies of actual field data of the cleanliness of new oil put into equipment, it will provide recommendations on how to more effectively guarantee cleanliness in the future. A continuing themme in this series will be the fact that it takes a strong, cooperative effort among lubricant supplier, distributor/marketer and end user for any oil cleanliness program to be successful (see Fig. 1).
Most lubricants purchased today come from a distributor and are delivered in the following ways:
- Bulk shipments from the lube blending plant delivered directly to the customer
- Bulk shipments from stored lubricants at the distributor
- Drums and pails filled at the blend plant and delivered by distributor
- Drums and pails filled at distributor from oil in tankage How the lubricant is delivered by the distributor will have a major impact on oil cleanliness.
The lubricant blender also plays a key role in oil cleanliness.
Typically, turbine and hydraulic oils are sent out of the blend plant at a cleanliness of 19/17/14. Once it is put in trucks or drums, the delivered oil will not be as clean. (One major manufacturer that is filtering hydraulic oil and putting it in new sealed steel drums, however, is achieving a cleanliness rating of 14/11/9. There is a cost for this procedure, but customers know they will receive very clean hydraulic oil as a result of it.)
Some companies may require special handling of their oils. A case in point is General Electric, which has a minimum cleanliness rating for turbine oils of 16/13. This is achieved by delivering filtered turbine oil to GE in a dedicated bulk truck. Lubricant suppliers are providing this service either directly from the blend plant or through filtration at the distributor.
The end user also has a responsibility to maintain oil cleanliness. Oil can become dirty very quickly if it is not handled or dispensed properly. The customer needs to cooperate closely with the lube blender and distributor to develop a program achieving targeted oil cleanliness levels economically.
Scope of this study
In our study, new lubricants are being evaluated for two major contaminants: particles and water. All laboratory test work is being conducted by MRT Laboratories, an ISO 17025-2005 certified laboratory in Houston, TX. The following tests are being performed:
- Viscosity @ 40 C
- Karl Fischer Water Determination
- ISO 4406 Particle Count
- Emission Spectroscopy
The following samples were purchased from four major lubricant manufacturers for evaluation:
- ISO 32 turbine oil
- ISO 46 AW hydraulic oil
- ISO 220 EP gear oil
- ISO 100 R&O oil
As shown in Fig. 2, the lubricant flow through a distributor operation is being examined for both water and particle contamination. The major focus will be on turbine and hydraulic oils. Fluid cleanliness will be examined at each stage to determine the effect of storage and handling on contamination
The final phase of the study will be focusing on end user handling of lubricants. Very clean fluid can be delivered to the plant, but without proper handling all efforts for clean oil are wasted.
Lubricants at several end-use facilities will be examined to determine the introduction of contaminants at the various stages of lubricant dispensing (as indicated by Fig. 3). The use of filters and filter carts in the achieving of fluid cleanliness targets also will be examined.
After all study data is collected, recommendations will be made on the optimum way to achieve fluid cleanliness in the most economical way. Subsequent installments in this series will address best practices for lubricant blenders, distributors and end users.
ISO 4406: 1999 Cleanliness Code
Cleanliness will be measured by the use of an optical laser counter that measures the number and size of various particles. Although this procedure was discussed thoroughly in a previous article on oil cleanliness (see pgs. 34-35, Lubrication Management & Technology, September/October 2007), it will be reviewed here.
The data in Table I are used to assign a cleanliness code number for a fluid:
The = 14 micron. The number of particles is measured with a particle counter and recorded by size per milliliter of fluid. Take, for example, a fluid with the following particle count:
= 4 micron = 8500/ml
= 6 micron = 1650/ml
= 14 micron = 300/ml
The shorthand notation according to ISO 4406:1999 would be 20/18/15 for this fluid. A lower number represents a cleaner fluid. Note, too, that a one-number increase in the cleanliness code represents a doubling in the number of particles. The other articles in this three-part series will utilize this code to represent fluid cleanliness.
Oil cleanliness is a very timely topic. Many end users today are demanding cleaner oil without understanding the costs involved. The next articles in this series will address the issue of the cleanliness of oil currently supplied and best practices to assure that the oil will be clean when put into the equipment. The relationship between the lubricant supplier, distributor and end user needs to be cooperative and not adversarial. They all need to work with one another to assure clean oil at an economical cost.
Realistic cleanliness goals need to be established by equipment type before any program is implemented. A total program needs to be established, including the use of proper filtration when the fluid is in the equipment. This filtration also has been discussed in a previous article (pgs. 8-12, Lubrication Management & Technology, November/December 2007). Like everything else, effective filtration requires a strong cooperative effort between the end user and the filter manufacturer.
The second installment in this series will appear in the October issue of Maintenance Technology. MT
Ray Thibault is based in Cypress (Houston), TX. An STLECertified Lubrication Specialist and Oil Monitoring Analyst, he conducts extensive training in a number of industries. Telephone: (281) 257-1526; e-mail firstname.lastname@example.com
Mark Graham is technical services manager for O'Rourke Petroleum in Houston, TX. Telephone: (713) 672-4500; e-mail: email@example.com


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As I've mentioned before, I got into the jewelry design business completely and totally by accident. I didn't take a class, just jumped in with both feet and started messing around and figuring things out for myself.
Almost immediately, I took my hobby into a business. Looking back, there are so many things I wish I'd known:
1) Beads will take over your life.
Do not fight this. So from the start, get a huge storage system in place. It will be full sooner than you know. The quicker you allocate studio space, the quicker you'll be able to find things when you need them — and know what you have so you don't keep buying the same supply over and over again!
2) Take some classes early on.
I don't know how long it was before I learned how to make a perfect wrapped loop, but at first, I had no idea how. And it showed.
3) Explore different mediums.
Right now, I'm a stringing/wire work jewelry designer. I know traditional metalsmithing and lampwork bead making, but I've gotten so involved with keeping inventory up for the shows I do that I don't have much time to look into other things, or hone new skills. If I'd started exploring new mediums sooner, who knows what I'd be making now … altered art? Woven wire? PMC?. It also would have helped me figure out what direction I wanted to go with my jewelry — what did I want my primary market to be? I didn't allow myself enough experimentation time before starting to sell.
4) If you're going to sell your work, use the best beads you can afford.
I should have been pickier when I first started selling my work. I cringe now at what I was using. This doesn't mean you have to start with AAA London Blue Topaz, but if you're going to be serious about selling, be serious about your beads.
5) Get a handle on your pricing structure right away.
I quickly learned that my retail prices weren't going to support a wholesale business. I also learned that because I started with such cheap beads, it was a little difficult for my customers to get used to prices once I discovered beauties like handmade glass. (Another good reason to make sure you're happy with your craft before you start selling it!) Additionally, decide right away if you're going after the wholesale or retail market. Each one has its own peculiarities, and it's often a good idea to choose one or the other.
I feel pretty lucky that five years later, things have turned out as well as they have. But it sure would have made a difference if I knew then what I know now.
Lori Anderson sells her jewelry at craft shows and on www.lorianderson.net, taking time to write on her blog, www.prettythingsblog.com. She creates in her studio in Easton, MD.


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Achelis Foundation - A New York-based organization funding youth, rehabilitation, biomedical research, child welfare, major cultural institutions, hospitals and health care, social services, alcohol and drug abuse, father absence and responsible fatherhood, and education, primarily in New York City.
Bernard F. and Alva B. Gimbel Foundation - Grants are currently made in the areas of education, social welfare, the environment, and reproductive rights. In the areas of public education and social welfare, the Foundation's grantmaking is focused almost entirely on organizations based in New York City.
Charles Hayden Foundation - Seeks to promote the mental, moral and physical development of children and youth ages three to eighteen in the New York and Boston metropolitan areas. Funds programs that enhance the schooling and after-school activities of inner-city students.
Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation - Dedicated to the betterment of New York City, the Foundation supports improved health care and the performing arts in New York City.
Foundation Center - A national directory of foundations and nonprofits, with search option.
Foundations Online - Online guide to national foundations and nonprofits.
Fund for the City of New York - Through centers on youth, government and technology as well as core organizational assistance, the Fund introduces and helps to implement innovations in policy, programs, practice and technology in order to advance the functioning of government and nonprofit organizations in New York City and beyond.
GuideStar - A database of more than 850,000 nonprofit organizations.
Heathcote Art Foundation - Supports New York City based arts organizations that directly assist emerging artists of promise and those which promote the creation of new and innovative work.
Hyde and Watson Foundation - Supports capital projects related to health, education, religion, social services, arts, and humanities, focused primarily in the New York City Metropolitan area, and Essex, Union, and Morris Counties in New Jersey.
Independence Community Foundation - Committed to the renewal and revitalization of low-income and moderate-income neighborhoods of New York City, Nassau County and Northern New Jersey.
IOLA Fund of the State of New York - Helps the poorest and most vulnerable people in New York State to obtain help with legal problems affecting their most basic needs, such as food, shelter, jobs and access to health care.
Isaac H. Tuttle Fund - Provides direct financial support to individuals and to not-for-profit community-based organizations that provide services to seniors in Manhattan, New York.
J.M. Kaplan Fund - The Fund is committed to, among other things, the livability of its hometown, and tries to encourage citizen involvement in the improvement of crucial New York amenities.
Jessie Smith Noyes Foundation - Provides grants primarily in the areas of environment and reproductive rights, with an emphasis on the Metro New York Environment.
Lily Auchincloss Foundation - Dedicated to the enhancement of the quality of life in New York City, the Foundation supports contemporary visual art, preservation and community programs which serve to enrich the lives of the people of New York City.
Long Island Community Foundation - The Mission of the Long Island Community Foundation is to enhance the well-being of the people and the communities of Long Island through effective grantmaking to non-profits.
Louis Calder Foundation - Seeks to promote the educational, physical and personal development of children and youth in the Greater New York City Metropolitan Area.
Mary Flagler Cary Charitable Trust - Considers grant proposals for music and urban environmental programs in New York City.
New Visions for Public Schools - Recently awarded grants to eight schools in New York City.
New York Community Trust - Awards grants to New York City organizations within the areas of Children, Youth, and Families; Community Development and the Environment; Education Arts and the Humanities; and Health and People with Special Needs.
New York Women's Foundation - Seeks to fund programs within the five boroughs of New York City which will contribute to moving low-income women and girls towards economic self-sufficiency and self-reliance.
Nonprofit Coordinating Committee of New York - Unites nonprofits from all subsectors in the New York metro area social services, the arts, religion, philanthropy, health, education, housing and economic development.
North Star Fund - A progressive community foundation that supports projects in New York City organized by the people most affected and oppressed by current economic, social, and political problems.
Pinkerton Foundation - The Foundation supports efforts to strengthen and expand community-based programs for children, youth and families in New York City, particularly those related to economically disadvantaged children, youth and families, and severely learning disabled children and adults of borderline intelligence.
ProgressivePubs.com - A national directory of foundations, with search by topic options.
Robin Hood Foundation - Funds education, after-school programs, job training, and health care initiatives in New York City.
Rockefeller Brothers Fund - A major contributor to New York City nonprofits, the fund focuses on public education, youth development, community-based initiatives, and building community leadership.
Stonewall Community Foundation - A voice for gay and lesbian philanthropy, the Foundation awards a variety of grants to address community needs in New York City.


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The Ship-To-Store delivery method ships orders to a Tractor Supply store chosen by the customer for pick-up at the store. Ship-To-Store orders are usually available to pickup within 5 to 7 days of receiving the order confirmation. Orders not picked up or claimed within 45 days of the order date will be automatically returned. A credit for the order total, less a 10% restocking fee in some cases, will be issued to the credit card originally used to place the order, or a company issued bank check for gift card order is given. A government issued photo ID is required to pick-up the order. The person picking up the order must match the name of the person designated to pick up the order when the order was placed.
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The inspiring photograph is part of How to Choose a Bicycle Pump document which is arranged within , , and posted at February 19, 2018 11:46:07 am by Sport Reviewer
How to Choose a Bicycle Pump: Road Bike Pump
In this article, we shall discuss the top 39 best bike pumps. These models are durable, easy to use designs and have ergonomic. Their novel systems work efficiently and fast.1) Topeak JoeBlow Pro Floor Bike Pump | 2) Zefal Z Cross XL Telescope Mini Bicycle Pump | 3) RideAir - The Effortless Air Pump | 4) Portable Bicycle Tire Air Floor Pump | 5) Zefal HPX Classic- Bicycle Frame Pump | 6) Portable Bicycle Tire Air Floor Pump | 7) Serfas FPD-200 Digital Gauge Bicycle Floor Pump | 8) Topeak Pocket Shock DXG Fork & Shock Pump | 9) Topeak JoeBlow Sport Floor Bike Pump | 10) SKS Sub 40 Bicycle Hand Pump | 11) SKS Airmenius Bicycle Floor Pump | 12) SKS Bike Pump Metal orange | 13) Mobo Air Portable Mini Bike Pump | 14) Special Tubeless Bike Tire Floor Pump | 15) SILCA Tattico Bluetooth Bicycle Pump | 16) Blackburn Air Tower 1 Floor Bicycle Pump | 17) Topeak JoeBlow Sprint Floor Bike Pump | 18) Topeak JoeBlow Max II Floor Bike Pump | 19) Lezyne Micro Floor Drive High Volume Pump | 20) SIGTUNA Bike Pump | 21) Lezyne Pressure Drive Hand Pump | 22) SKS Germany Silver MSP Bicycle Suspension Pump | 23) Digital Gauge High Pressure Alloy Aluminum Digital Gauge 260PSI Bicycle Bike Floor Air Pump | 24) Digital Bike Tire Floor Pump | 25) bicycle pump with pressure gauge Protable Bicycle Floor Pump | 26) Lezyne Alloy Floor Drive Pump | 27) Topeak Turbo Morph Bike Pump with Gauge | 28) Bike Floor Pump By Kolo Sports | 29) Serfas FMP-500 Orange Floor Pump | 30) Airace Bicycle Telescope Mini Pump | 31) Schwinn Best Pump With Gauge | 32) Serfas Women's Bicycle Floor Pump | 33) SILCA SuperPista Ultimate Floor Pump Brushed Silver | 34) SKS-Germany Spaero Double Action Bicycle Mini Pump | 35) Mini Bike Pump by wheel 'N spoke | 36) Topeak Transfomer Floor Pump | 37) Topeak Transformers XX Bike Pump | 38) Zefal Mini Road X-Light Carbon Bicycle Pump | 39) Super Strong Mini Bike Pump |
Types of Bike Pump
Track Pump
Every cyclist needs a decent track pump (also known as a floor pump), and if you're building a home workshop it really should be one of your first purchases. This style of pump will almost always offer a long flexible hose, pressure gauge and large chamber for quick air transfer.
Hand Pump
While a portable hand pump (or mini pump) can be used as your only option, it really shouldn't be your first port of call. Portable pumps are designed for emergencies or occasional use and so are kept compact and light.
With these size constraints come comprises. The main issue is that these pumps stress the valve stem, eventually leading to a leaking or useless inner tube. There are pumps on the market that add a flexible hose to remove this issue, but you're still left pumping longer than you would do with a track pump, and in many cases, not able to reach the ideal pressure.
Frame Pump
Effectively a longer, more efficient hand pump. A frame pump is designed to fit within the triangle of a bike frame. This allows the pump to be bigger, which often means a more effective hand pump. You'll generally only find this style of pump on steel road and touring bikes.
CO2 Inflators
You can inflate your tyres in a hurry with compressed carbon dioxide. This should only be used in case of a flat out on the road or trail though because the cartridges are expensive and wasteful. A common 16g cartridge will inflate a standard 700 x 23c tyre to about 100psi.
A common issue with these inflators is that you only have as many attempts as there are cartridges. A way out of this is with a hybrid pump, this combines both a CO2 inflator and hand pump together, so you can use the CO2 if you're in a hurry or save it if you've got time.
Shock Pump
If you own a mountain bike with air sprung suspension, it's worthwhile investing in a shock pump. This high pressure, small-volume pump will often have a max pressure of 300psi, allowing you to get the right pressure and then fine tune it.
Other Options
You could also consider an air compressor or battery-operated air pump. The battery-operated air pump is popular among professional cyclocross mechanics — its electric-drill shape makes it easily portable and inflating light work, but its maximum pressure is limited and the good ones are expensive.
Air compressors are the go-to option in bike shops and are especially handy when seating tubeless tyres, but are more expensive, very loud and casual users will sooner reach for a floor pump than switch on the compressor.
In the vein of bicycles, my friend was recently telling me about the their search for a bicycle accident lawyer or as the Spanish would say abogado de accidente de bicicleta. He told me that he searched through a range of lawyers and was so glad that he found right lawyer that would help him with his bicycle accident. He got the settlement he deserved! There are loads of different lawyers that you can use though, so if you are in need of a lawyer for a bicycle accident, then you should have no problem finding one that suits your needs. However, if you are still struggling to find one then you could check out someone like this New Braunfels bicycle accident attorney, who might be able to help you with your lawsuit. Hopefully you'll get the compensation that you deserve.
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69-year-old icon Smokey Bear gets a makeover
A new campaign involving the furry forester rewards responsible campers with a bear hug, targeting 18- to 34-year-olds through mobile apps and social media.
If you are in need of a hug, look no further than your nearest national park.
A new campaign for America's wildfire-fighting icon, Smokey Bear, casts him as a "warmer" character. In contrast to his role as an ominous forest watchman, the new Smokey is more personable and gives "bear hugs" to responsible campers.
"It's definitely the first time Smokey's giving hugs," Lincoln Bramwell, chief historian for the U.S. Forest Service, told The New York Times.
The changes transform Smokey from "admonishing" people to "rewarding" them, Eric Springer, chief creative officer of the L.A. office of Draftfcb, the ad agency for the campaign, told the Times.
The more personal Smokey helps facilitate a new dialogue with campers.
New commercials featuring Smokey retain the popular phrase "Only YOU can prevent wildfires," but show responsible campers getting a hug from Smokey if they follow fire-prevention tips.
The bear hugs, seen in the TV commercials, are tweeted as #SmokeyBearHug, along with a bear hug emoticon, to congratulate safe campers or reward someone who shares a helpful fire prevention tip. The bear hugs are an innovative, visible way to reward responsible campers.
"He's actually having conversations," Michael Bellavia, president of HelpsGood, the agency charged with the campaign's social media strategy, told Ragan.com.
Smokey should be "where the conversations are happening," Bellavia says. In other words, Smokey is adapting to the times.
@Advertising140 <|:') / < #SmokeyBearHug
— Smokey Bear (@smokey_bear) July 17, 2013
The new campaign targets 18- to 34-year-olds, in part through social media and mobile apps.
Smokey's message reaches his audience on social sites including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Tumblr, and Google+.
His presence on certain social media sites is based on "the invested effort and the return we'd see on those channels," Bellavia says.
Although the goal of the campaign is to decrease the number of wildfires—"that would be a measure you'd want to get to,"—Bellavia concedes that it is difficult to claim a "specific tweet prevented X, Y, Z number of wildfires, or a Facebook post did that."
Smokey's social media team tracks followers, retweets, "people talking about this" levels, and other "standard metrics." According to Bellavia, "chatter" surrounding Smokey's social media platforms has consistently grown over the past few years.
So why change Smokey now, after almost 70 years?
Smokey Bear is the longest-running public service advertising campaign in U.S. history. Created in 1944, Smokey has evolved from a caricature of wildlife to a major mascot for campfire safety.
However, campers today "weren't sure what Smokey was asking them to do tangibly," Bramwell told the Times.
Smokey's new bear hugs create conversations that support the overarching goal of the campaign—to be more educational.
Across all platforms, Smokey's new campaign emphasizes specific fire safety tips.
One commercial highlights instructions such as drenching the fire twice, stirring it, and sensing for heat.
"He's not just kind of parroting out 'only you can prevent wildfires' over and over again," Bellavia explains. "He's actually having conversations with different folks."
Check out the remade Smokey in one of his new videos below, and let us know what you think.
Remember, only YOU can prevent wildfires.
Ragan.com Daily Headlines
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Alternatively, please consider making a donation of £1 for each essay you have enjoyed.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Alternatively, please consider making a donation of £1 for each essay you have enjoyed.
7 comments:
- Andrew Hickey said...
This looks like it could be even more interesting than (and very much connected to) your last series of posts...
- Monday, 27 September, 2010
- Gavin Burrows said...
I think the series started with 'Epilogue' so they're probably both part of the same thing and Andrew is freakin' out the squares with these swapped names.
- Monday, 27 September, 2010
- Andrew Rilstone said...
Yeah. Sorry. Thank you for not using the expression "too clever by half".
- Monday, 27 September, 2010
- Andrew Hickey said...
Oh well. That's what I get for reading and commenting at work.
- Monday, 27 September, 2010
- dagonet said...
Mr. Rilstone, have you ever happened upon Mr. Machens "Hieroglyphics: A Note upon Ecstasy in Literature"?
It is not impertinent to your subject.
Mr. Lovecraft was quite ravished by it, anyway.
- Tuesday, 28 September, 2010
- dagonet said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- Tuesday, 28 September, 2010
- Helen Louise said...
One of those passages that makes me really like C.S. Lewis, despite his hatred for lipstick, invitations etc :) I remember certain fundies getting upset about the "true myth" business - but Lewis's rather Inclusivist theory seems very attractive to me - the idea that all these myths have a hint of one true Myth. It's all in Plato, what do they teach them in these schools?
However, as an agnostic, the part I find most attractive is undoubtedly "I am also nearly certain that it really happened". Bless you for that 'nearly' sir :)
- Wednesday, 29 September, 2010


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Arnold Regier
Arnold W. Regier, 83, died Friday at Parkside Homes in Hillsboro. He was born Oct. 8, 1930, to Henry and Tena (Rempel) Regier in Hillsboro.
He married Edith Vogt on Aug. 2, 1957, in Enid, Okla.
He is survived by his wife, Edith Regier of Marion; a son, Greg Regier of Marion; two daughters, Carol Sweat and Beth Rohrig, both of Wichita; a brother, Herb Regier of Marion; two sisters, Marge Christensen of Marion and Luella Popp of Hillsboro; seven grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
A celebration of life service was to be at 11 a.m. today at Hillsboro Mennonite Brethren Church in Hillsboro. Visitation was Tuesday at Jost Funeral Home in Hillsboro.
A memorial fund has been established with Tabor College Fine Arts Center.


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Hakatare Conservation Park
Over 50,000 hectares of Department of Conservation land - tramping, fishing, snow sports, climbing, hunting, boating its all on offer here.
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Hakatere Conservation Park
This Conservation Park extends over some 50,000 hectares and will expand further as new areas are added through land tenure changes.
The park offers a range of recreational opportunities including swimming, boating, tramping, camping, natural history appreciation, fossicking, horse riding and fishing.
Hassle Free Tours also offer tours to Mt Sunday – where part of the Lord of the Rings was filmed. This is a ful day tour and is well worth it. Please contact the Methven i-SITE Visitor Centre to make a booking.
Huts and Bivouacs
There are a number of huts scattered throughout the park. The Mt Somers Track links Pinnacles Hut and Woolshed Creek Hut. Both require hut tickets available from the Methven i-SITE Visitor Centre.
There are a number of other huts and bivvies in many of the river valleys throughout the park. Some are managed by DOC and others by clubs. All are available for public use. Although some of the huts need to be accessed through private land and permission must be obtained by the land owners first.
All boating on the lakes is regulated by Environment Canterbury. Powered craft are permitted on Lake Camp, a recreational reserve managed by the Ashburton District Council. On all other lakes no powered craft are permitted.
Sports fishing and game-bird hunting. The lakes, rivers and streams of the park all support an exotic sports fishery. The park also provides game-bird hunting.
Big-game Hunting
The park provides opportunities to hunt thar, chamois, deer and the occasional pig. All hunters must have a permit from DOC
Snow Sports
A commercial skifield at Mt Hutt offers a full range of options. Back country skiing options are also available through Mt Hutt Helicopters or Alpine Helicopters at Double Hill Station. For more information on these companies , or to make a booking contact the Methven i-SITE Visitor Centre.
The Taylor range above the Swin River and the headwaters of the Cameron River are both noted training grounds for budding alpinists. More technically challenging climbing is available in the higher peaks.
This information is from the DOC brochure Hakatere Conservation Park. This brochure and may others on the surrounding areas are available from the Methven i-SITE Visitor Centre.
Methven i-SITE Visitor Centre
PO Box 16
03302 8955


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Westminster is the most well-known dog show in America, standing behind only the Kentucky Derby as the nation's most long-standing sporting event. This year, the 137th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show will be held Monday and Tuesday, Feb. 11-12, at Madison Square Garden in New York City, and televised on CNBC and the USA Network.
The prestigious event will host 3,200 barking participants. At the start, each dog competes against its own breed. If you happen to be a Golden Retriever, for example, this year it means the competition is grueling, with a field of 60 individual Goldens all seeking the status of top Golden. Only one will then be named top dog, and that individual moves on to complete against all the member breeds of the Sporting Group. Compare that to an Entlebucher Mountain Dog, a rare breed, which only deals with a pawful of other competitors vying for Best in that breed.
Each of the 187 breeds and varieties is recognized under one of seven groups. Goldens are in the Sporting Group, while Entelbucher Mountain Dogs appear in the Herding Group. The remaining five Groups include: Hound, Non-Sporting, Terrier, Toy and Working. The Group competition is the point at which TV coverage kicks off, with David Frei and Mary Carillo announcing each of the seven Group contests. One winner is named for each group, and it's those seven good-looking canines who participate in the always suspenseful Best on Show competition.
While Westminster may carry the image of being a stodgy affair, in reality, the sold-out house at the Garden seems to get behind one or two of the top seven dogs -- and the fans aren't shy about expressing themselves in bold New York fashion! As fans scream, the Garden rattles as it does for any Knicks basketball game. Frei agrees that the crowd seems to always decide on their favorites among the final seven, as if all 18,200 fans are texting one another to determine which dog to cheer for.
"I'm not sure they all have one another's (cell phone) numbers," says Frei with a laugh.
In 2005, a German Shorthaired Pointer named Carlee was still being judged when she presented a perfect stack.
"It's a dog show stance, and is much like how the German Shorthaired stands in the field," says Frei. "As the crowd went crazy, Carlee froze -- she didn't move, and the crowd went more nuts. By that time, how could she not win? To this day, it's known as 'the stack heard around the world.'"
Three years later, Frei says he witnessed the loudest roar in his 12 years announcing Westminster. He could barely hear himself as a great little showman, a Beagle named Uno, was awarded Best in Show.
"He owned the ground he walked on and he knew it," Frei recalls. Uno responded to the cheering crowd with a cocky strut (as if he was saying "I've got this thing") and a howl so loud thousands in the Garden heard it.
Best in Show judges aren't supposed to consider anything except the breed standard -- not an ability to whip the crowd into a frenzy.
"Let's face it, there's some subjectivity in this, and there's one more thing," says Frei. "Judges all have one thing in common: they're human. How can you not pay attention to the crowd? Or your own emotions?" This year's Best in Show judge will be Michael Dougherty, of Escondito, CA. He understands what Westminster is like. He received his dog show start decades ago; he competed in the Garden as a junior handler.
For the first time ever, Breed competition for all 187 breeds and varieties will be streamed live at http://www.westminsterkennelclub.org Monday and Tuesday morning and afternoon, Feb. 11-12, followed by the telecast of the first round of Group competition on Monday, starting 8 p.m. ET on CNBC. The final Group competition and Best in Show will be televised Tuesday, Feb. 12, starting at 8 p.m. on the USA Network.
Here are announcer David Frei's top five best bets to win Best in Show at Westminster this year (not that Frei is encouraging wagering).
-- German Wirehaired Pointer Champion (Ch.) Mt. View's Ripsnorter Silver Charm: Currently the No. 1 dog in America, winning many Best in Shows in 2012.
"He's rock solid, but being number one doesn't always translate to number one at Westminster," Frei says.
--English Springer Spaniel, Ch. Wynmoor Champagne Supernova: The No. 2 dog in America. Frei theorizes,
"An English Springer won Best in Show as recently at 2007, so it may be tough to repeat it again so soon. Still, this is one great dog," he says.
--American Cocker Spaniel (Black), Ch. Casablanca's Thrilling Seduction. A year ago, this dog won the Sporting Group at Westminster. The dog's family calls him Beckham, and he might bend like his soccer-playing namesake and win!
--Wire Fox Terrier, Ch. After All Painting The Sky: Of all breeds, Wire Fox Terriers have enjoyed the most success at Westminster with 13 Best in Show victories. This dog won the National Dog Show in November and AKC Invitational in December, and if he wins Westminster will win what Frei dubs "the triple crown of the dog world."
--Doberman Pincher, Ch Protocol's Veni Vidi Vici: Shown by an owner who's also the dog's handler in the ring. An owner/handler hasn't won Best in Show since 1983, so this dog is 'underdog' in this era of expensive handlers, and is bound to be a crowd favorite. Last year, this Dobie won the Working Group at the Garden, and Frei says he might just take it all this time around.
(Steve Dale welcomes questions/comments from readers. Although he can't answer all of them individually, he'll answer those of general interest in his column Send e-mail to PETWORLD(at)STEVE DALE.TV. Include your name, city and state. Steve's website is http://www.stevedalepetworld.com; he also hosts the nationally syndicated "Steve Dale's Pet World" and "The Pet Minute." He's also a contributing editor to USA Weekend.)


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Cisco HealthPresence Version 2.1 Debuts at ATA 2012
The latest version of Cisco HealthPresence solution , was debuted in the Cisco Booth at the American Telemedicine Association's annual meeting held in San Jose, April 29- May 1, 2012.
Cisco HealthPresence leverages the network as the platform to connect people, resources, and information to deliver enhanced care-at-a-distance. The solution includes all the elements of a typical telemedicine encounter through a common user interface, while removing the technical complexity for healthcare providers and medical staff.
The latest version reflects collaboration between Cisco and Emerge.MD, a Phoenix, Arizona based-provider of telehealth SaaS (software-as-a-service) solutions including workflow software.
Additional features in this release include:
• Compatibility with a broad portfolio of Cisco video platforms including Cisco Jabber Video soft client for desktops
• A scalable architecture that permits easy localization and integration with new third-party medical devices
• Enhanced workflows and support for physicians to collaborate and expand their network with specialists both inter- and intra- their healthcare network
"Cisco provides the platform for integrating partner solutions, and that enables a lot of new capabilities,' said Rajesh Vargheese, CTO, Cisco Healthcare Solutions at the Cisco booth on the ATA exhibition floor.
Added Vincent Balsamo, Emerge.MD's Vice President of Sales and Marketing: "It's all about workflow, adoption, and utilization. The combined solution enables us to use the best of each other's products and technologies to deliver seamless care". To watch more of their discussions click here .
Cisco HealthPresence 2.1 is one among several collaborations between Cisco and Emerge.MD. The two have also worked on Webex integrations for health care providers. The Cisco Healthcare Solutions team is excited about this new partnership and what it brings to our healthcare partners and customers.
In an effort to keep conversations fresh, Cisco Blogs closes comments after 60 days. Please visit the Cisco Blogs hub page for the latest content.


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The GFK offers all the features needed for weighing, check weighing with LED limit indicators and parts counting application with fully selectable sample or unit weight. Built tough for a variety of industries the GFK can meet the demands of warehouse, production floor or even medical applications.
Check weighing applications are trouble free with amber, green and red indicators to show the operator if the item is under, over or at the preset limits. A stainless steel top pan offers ample weighing surface and a standard pillar allows for easy mounting of the indicator if desired. The GFK includes a RS-232 interface with date and time, bright backlit display with capacity tracker, a built-in rechargeable battery and external power supply.
With over three decades of experience in the production of weighing equipment you can trust Adam for quality products that offer a range of features designed for a many different applications.
GFK Highlights:
LED indicators for easy recognition of underweight, overweight and acceptable limits makes check weighing applications quick and simple. The color limits can be programmed to turn on together or in sequence for a more detailed indication.
Bright backlit display with capacity tracker is easy to read. The tracker shows the operator where they are in the weighing range, when using the tare function, to help prevent the user from exceeding the scales capacity.
Full numeric keypad allows for preset tare functions and freely selectable sample size when in counting mode. The keypad and functions can be locked out by a supervisor if needed to stop settings from being changed.


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Main Content:
Sports Bra and Underwear Sale
Find Sporty Bras and Undies on Sale at Athleta Online
Find the Athleta sports bra sale to have just what you want to get the support you need during your workouts. Enjoy the selection in the sports underwear sale that offers smooth shaping with an array of seamless and supportive styles. Whether you're out for a run, hitting the courts or holding a yoga pose, find that the sports bra sale has what you can't do without at affordable prices. For distinct style and comfortable design, look no further than the Athleta sports bra and underwear sale.


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I try not to make fun of triathletes. As Andy says, it's like poking fun at retarded children. Also, I used to be one, and it seems hypocritical to take the mickey out of people for doing exactly what I thought was super-cool back in the day.* But then again, isn't that what we all did with hypercolour t-shirts? And the Spice Girls?
Lisa's Mum, however, has no such qualms. On Saturday, she was feeling extremely lively because I swapped her decaf coffee for regular without telling her and she was bouncing off the walls. We were parked at our local cafe and a swarm of walruses had descended, fresh from beach road and swapping stories about how carbon their gear was. They had taken up all the tables around us and were talking loudly and had stacked their filthy bikes against the window in front of us. We marvelled at the size of their saddle bags and wondered what treasures were hidden inside.
The sight prompted Lisa's Mum to tell me the story of Ali Baba and the 40 Triathletes. By the time she had finished my eyes were the size of dinner plates and my flat white had gotten cold (truly the sign of a compelling story). I'll recount the story here soon... stay tuned.


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Indictments found and returned in the Superior Court Department on July 23, 2007.
The cases were tried before Richard E. Welch, III, J.
After review by the Appeals Court, the Supreme Judicial Court granted leave to obtain further appellate review.
James L. Sultan for the defendant.
Kenneth E. Steinfield, Assistant District Attorney, for the Commonwealth.
CORDY, J. Based on an assault that occurred during the evening of June 6, 2007, at a home in Hamilton, a jury in the Superior Court convicted the defendant of attempted murder in violation of G. L. c. 265, § 16; armed home invasion in violation of G. L. c. 265, § 18C; assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon in violation of G. L. c. 265, § 15A (b); and assault and battery in violation of G. L. c. 265, § 13A.(1) A divided panel of the Appeals Court affirmed the convictions, Commonwealth v. Carey, 79 Mass. App. Ct. 587 (2011), and we granted the defendant's application for further appellate review.
On appeal, the defendant contends that the assault constituted a consensual sexual encounter. He thus argues that, in light of the decision of the United States Supreme Court in Lawrence v. Texas, 539 U.S. 558, 577-578 (2003) (Lawrence), the trial judge committed constitutional error by not instructing the jury that consent is a defense to the crimes of armed home invasion and assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon. The defendant also claims that the judge erred by admitting certain evidence regarding materials retrieved from his home computer. This evidence included eight photographs and one ninety-second "video clip" (video), each depicting a nude or partially nude woman being strangled seemingly to death; an Internet article reporting the successful appeal of a man convicted of four strangulation murders; and testimony regarding the number of images stored on the computer "that were strangulation-oriented or had strangulation themes," as well as testimony about Internet searches and the number of files saved on the computer that concerned asphyxiation.


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|MLBPA Press Release
Receiving signed certificates of achievement from the players tonight are Action Team captains Marcella Gottshall, Megan Kirschling, Stephen Marchunt, William Simpler and Erika Spague from West Deptford (N.J.) High School and Natalie Bryson, Devin Dina, Sean Graser, Justin Johnson, Jason Proietto, Samantha Rodriguez and Sean Smith from Philadelphia Electrical & Technology Charter High School. Also, Justin Johnson from Philadelphia Electrical & Technology Charter High School will receive a $1,500 college scholarship from the Major League Baseball Players Trust in recognition of his commitment to community service.
Administered by the Major League Baseball Players Trust and Volunteers of America, the Action Team program encourages young people throughout the United States to volunteer in their communities. To date, Action Teams of high school students and Major Leaguers have inspired more than 26,000 high school students across the country to help over 111,000 people in need by volunteering in their communities. An award-winning Action Team service-learning curriculum created by the Players Trust in partnership with I Classroom Edition teaches valuable community service skills to 1 million high school students in more than 5,000 classrooms across the country. The Association of Educational Publishers presented this innovative service-learning program with a 2009 Distinguished Achievement Award.
Action Teams are at work in 162 high schools across the country and Puerto Rico. Each month during the school year, Action Team captains participate in a conference call hosted by legendary broadcaster George Grande, where a Major Leaguer and a featured Action Team of the Month discuss the importance of community service and share volunteering tips and ideas. High schools interested in joining the Action Team can receive applications and additional information by visiting www.ActionTeam.org or by sending an email request to email@example.com.
Through the Players Trust, Major Leaguers contribute their time, money and celebrity to call attention to important causes affecting the needy and to help encourage others to get involved in their own communities. For more information on the Major League Baseball Players Trust, please visit www.MLBPLAYERS.com and visit the Players Trust Channel on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/mlbplayerstrust.


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Division cases
This information has been filed in civil division of Marion County District Court.
First Bank of Newton vs. Burton N. Bram, 2151 El Reno Lane, Redding, Calif., et al.; sheriff's sale confirmed June 11.
Sarah Christine Waddell; request to change name to Sarah Christine Tolessa Sukessa denied June 11.
Department of Social and Rehabilitative Services, et al., vs. Phillip A. Shafer; Andrea D. Hendricks awarded back child support of $8,859.50.
Kyle David Klassen vs. Stacy Lynn Klassen; parties agreed June 14 to $500 monthly child support paid by respondent.
Sarah Angelique Wedge vs. Robert Allen Wedge; parties agreed May 22 to cooperate on child custody investigation.
CAH Acquisitions Co. #5 dba Hillsboro Community Hospital vs. William Travis Dies, 314 N. Main St., Hillsboro; case dismissed June 17 as claim is satisfied.
CAH Acquisitions Co. #5 dba Hillsboro Community Hospital vs. Rhonda K. Liles, 23705 S. 637 Lane, Grove, Okla., et al.; judgment of $3,709.96 made June 17 in favor of plaintiff.
CAH Acquisitions Co. #5 dba Hillsboro Community Hospital vs. Paulette E. Perrymore, 804 N. Elm St., Peabody; judgment of $594.56 made June 17 in favor of plaintiff.
Citizens Auto Finance vs. Dorothy D. Engel, 210 W. 10th St., Florence; judgment of $15,136.84 made in favor of plaintiff; execution of judgment stayed as long as defendant pays monthly installments on $19,604.23.
GE Capital Retail Bank vs. Laura Francis, 126 W. 6th St., Florence; defendant denied claims June 18.
Newton Healthcare Corporation vs. Charla G. Ramsey, 604 N. Main St., Florence; judgment of $193 made in favor of plaintiff.
Vogt's Hometown Market vs. Drew A. Laffery, 200 S. Ridge Road, Hesston; judgment of $540.08 made June 12 in favor of plaintiff.
Last modified June 27, 2013


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As homebuilders gain confidence and real estate agents claim demand is back, one would think investors would jump right back in for fear of missing the bottom. Investors in housing are buying up as many distressed properties as they can find, but investors in the mortgage market are still sidelined, burned by the subprime bust that left many of them with huge losses.
The private investor share of the outstanding mortgage market fell below $1 trillion in July to $999.7 billion, according to Amherst Securities. This is down from $1.8 trillion a year ago and $2.3 trillion at the peak in 2007.
"Since this is somewhat of a psychological barrier we are crossing, we naturally asked the question how long it might take to cross other benchmark market sizes," wrote Amherst's Laurie Goodman in a monthly report. "In the absence of any new issuance, we estimate the market will broach $750 billion in June 2014 and $500 billion by February 2017."
The private investor share of the market has been dropping precipitously since the crash of the mortgage market, as millions of borrowers defaulted on loans, but even as the market now recovers there has been little to no new issuance.
Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Federal Housing Administration back more than 90 percent of all new loans, whereas they were barely one third of the market during the housing boom. Only Redwood Trust, which doesn't originate loans but issues securities on pools of largely jumbo loans, is in the game and growing.
Redwood, a real estate investment trust (REIT), which has returned 33.4 percent this year, is now looking to get into the agency mortgage market as well, in talks with Fannie and Freddie to, "add conforming loans to our product menu," according to a letter to shareholders. Redwood is also doing another jumbo security issuance in the third quarter.
Other players are reluctant to jump back in, despite the government officials' claims that they are trying to shrink Fannie and Freddie by, among other things, raising guarantee fees. The FHA recently raised insurance fees and premiums, also claiming that it wanted to shrink its share of the market. Private investors still say government subsidies are pricing them out.
"It's a combination of they've been burned by the subprime meltdown and don't trust the quality and ratings, but equally important, yields are so low because mortgage interest rates are so low," says Guy Cecala of Inside Mortgage Finance. "The only way to really revitalize the private label market is to take the government loan limits down to $417,000 again."
Loan limits at Fannie, Freddie and the FHA were raised to just more than $729,000 in many major housing markets and then Fannie and Freddie's were later lowered to $625,500. Meanwhile the Federal Reserve (explain this)is following an ongoing policy of exceptionally low interest rates, designed to keep long term interest rates in particular low. Mortgage rates for conforming loans have been sitting well below 4 percent, and even jumbos are near record lows.
Questions? Comments? firstname.lastname@example.com follow me on Twitter @Diana_Olick


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AUBURN HILLS, Mich. - When Joe Tiller came to Purdue in 1997, he was told his high-octane offense would never work in the Big Ten.
Not only would the spread attack be frowned upon in a conference that still believed in Woody Hayes, Bo Schembechler and "three yards and a cloud of dust," but a pass-based system would be grounded by the wind and cold of a Midwest autumn.
Tiller didn't pay any attention. Nor did his opponents in the Motor City Bowl. Today, Purdue will play its 10th bowl game in 11 years, facing the back-to-back Mid-American Conference champion Central Michigan Chippewas, who also use the spread offense.
"When I got to Purdue, they told me that there was no way the spread would work here because of the weather," Tiller said. "That never made much sense to me, because I had just been having great success with it in Wyoming. Maybe they didn't know what November is like in Wyoming."
While Tiller was one of the coaches to bring the spread offense - a system using four or five receivers on many plays, and a quarterback in the shotgun formation on most snaps - to a wider audience, it has now become the latest trendy scheme. Tiller, though, doesn't consider it some kind of unstoppable attack.
"It's one of those cyclical things. Right now, the spread is the hot offense," he said. "In a few years, the pendulum might change again, and everyone will be playing the wishbone again."
Loving the spread
First-year Central Michigan coach Butch Jones is another spread believer, and he inherited a program that already ran Brian Kelly's version of the system.
He made some changes, adding things he had learned in his two years as an assistant at West Virginia under new Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez.
Rodriguez's system, unlike many flavors of the spread, makes heavy use of the quarterback as a runner, and Jones had the perfect player in Dan LeFevour.
LeFevour led the Chippewas to a MAC championship and a Motor City Bowl title as a freshman, but took a big step forward as a sophomore, joining Vince Young as the only quarterbacks to ever throw for 3,000 yards and rush for 1,000 in the same season.
LeFevour will be lining up today against another quarterback with gaudy numbers, Curtis Painter. The Purdue senior threw for 3,300 yards and 26 touchdowns this season, but in Tiller's version of the spread, he's not the same type of runner as LeFevour.
When Purdue played Central Michigan in September, a game the Boilermakers won 45-22, the teams combined for 1,048 yards of offense, including 724 in the air.
Painter and LeFevour combined to complete 64 of 95 passes, with five touchdowns and one interception.
"We know from first-hand experience that this game is going to feature two dynamic offenses," Jones said. "It might come down to whichever defense can make a play."
Purdue won the first game after leading 38-0 early in the third quarter, but Painter doesn't expect a repeat.
"That's an entirely different team to the one we played at the beginning of the season," he said. "They've improved a lot, enough to win their conference championship, and they learned a lot from having played us once already.
"This isn't going to be easy."


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Davidson specializes in research on brain function related to emotion, both in normal individuals and those with, or at risk of, depression and anxiety. His labs are state-of-the art facilities utilizing quantitative electrophysiology, positron emission tomography (PET scan), and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).
He is the recipient of numerous awards for his research, including a National Institute of Mental Health Research Scientist Award, a MERIT Award from NIMH, an Established Investigator Award from the National Alliance for Research in Schizophrenia and Affective Disorders, and the William James Fellow Award from the American Psychological Society. He was the 1997 Distinguished Scientific Lecturer for the American Psychological Association. He served as a Core Member of the MacArthur Foundation Research Network in Mind-Body Interaction, is currently a Core Member of the MacArthur Foundation Mind-Brain-Body and Health Initiative and a member of the Board of Scientific Counselors, NIMH. In 2001-02 he served on the National Academy of Sciences Panel to evaluate the validity of the polygraph. He was the year 2000 recipient of the most prestigious award given by the American Psychological Association for lifetime achievement—the Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award. He has published more than 150 articles, many chapters and reviews and edited 12 books.
Throughout its history, psychological science has focused on mental illness
and dysfunction, in order to help people suffering from these afflictions.
Davidson has been deeply involved in such studies, but also sees the need
for a science of positive emotions, of compassion, caring and altruism.
Psychologist Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence, credits
Davidson with having pioneered a significant new field of study, in which
"the methods of science are able to get their arms around questions of the
brain and human consciousness with rigor."
In this interview with Dr. Daniel Redwood, Davidson discusses one his most intriguing ongoing projects, in which his team is studying brain function during meditation, focusing on the short- and long-term effects on the meditators' brains. With the encouragement and direct involvement of the Dalai Lama, his team was given access to Tibetan monks who have spent at least one three-year period in retreat, where they meditate eight hours a day for three continuous years. Davidson calls these monks "the Olympic athletes of meditation," and sees his research on their brain function as a way to study the fullness of human potential. Davidson also co-authored a study with Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD, that evaluated the effects of mindfulness meditation training, including its effects on indicators of immune system function.
Readers with a scientific bent can learn more about Davidson's work at his University of Wisconsin web page: http://psych.wisc.edu/faculty/bio/davidson.html. There are links there to Davidson's scientific papers, many in full-text versions.
Non-scientist readers interested in learning about Davidson's work on
meditation and emotions will enjoy his book (with Anne Harrington), Visions
of Compassion: Western Scientists and Tibetan Buddhists Examine Human
Nature (Oxford University Press, 2001), as well as Daniel Goleman's
Destructive Emotions: How Can We Overcome Them? (Bantam, 2002), andHealing
Emotions: Conversations with the Dalai Lama on Mindfulness, Emotions and
Health (Shambhala, 2003). These highly readable books describe meetings
where the Dalai Lama met with Davidson and other Western scientists,
sponsored by the Mind and Life Institute (www.mindandlife.org).


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HACIENDA HEIGHTS — After all the instances in which it seemed the Crescenta Valley High girls' water polo team had victory in its grasp only to see it slip away, it appeared that host Los Altos was the one that had finally closed a firm grip upon triumph.
But it was the shot clock that sounded rather than the final horn when Conqueror Kimberly Conde put a shot past Crescenta Valley goalie Gabriel Isacson.
Seconds later, amid the chaos and bedlam of a celebratory and confused home crowd, Falcons sophomore Shannon Hovanesian quickly drew an ejection in front of the Los Altos goal and passed back to teammate Nayiri Kechichian, who immediately fed it back to Hovanesian. And at the 57-second mark of sudden death in a CIF Southern Section Division V girls' water polo quarterfinal classic, Hovanesian propelled the Falcons into the semifinals, scoring the game-winner in a 14-13 conquest over the Conquerors.
"My heart skipped for a little bit," said Hovanesian after Conde's near-score was ruled a shot-clock violation, "and then I saw the refs. I just lit up and I was excited and I was able to go again.
"To do that, it's hundreds of hours of practices. So much chemistry in our team was able to drive us to this position we're in now."
With the dramatic victory, the third-seeded Falcons improved to 31-0 on the season en route to facing defending champion Temescal Canyon — which ousted CV in last year's semifinal — in Wednesday's semifinal at 6 p.m. at Mount San Antonio College, while building a winning streak that is the third longest in CIF Southern Section history behind Bell Gardens (85 wins) and Foothill (49), according to cifss.org.
Three of those wins have come at the expense of Los Altos (17-13), which lost to the Falcons twice during the regular season, including another one-goal defeat. But one would be hard-pressed to ask for a more dramatic contest than Saturday's roller-coaster ride.
"It's hard to beat a team three times," said CV's Sabrina Hatzer, who had four goals and five steals. "We had to think about what we needed to do, stay strong, push through."
Crescenta Valley, which had owned a four-goal lead in the second quarter, led 12-11, with less than a minute remaining in regulation and took a 13-12 advantage in the first half of overtime, but couldn't close out. Perhaps their finest chance to put the match away came when Stefanie Loporchio recorded a clutch steal with 11 seconds left in overtime and hit a streaking Hatzer alone on the right wing. However, Hatzer, one on one with the keeper, pushed her shot right off the post as time expired to send the match to sudden victory.
"I didn't know which side [to shoot]," said Hatzer, explaining that her indecision likely led to the miss.
But Hatzer and Co. assuredly showed their resolve when the waters settled after 36 minutes and three seconds of playoff water polo.
"We just rely on each other and you have different pieces that step up," said Falcons Coach Pete Loporchio, who also got three goals and four steals from daughter Stefanie, a goal, five steals, two assists and two field blocks from Breanna Lawton and three steals from Katie Benson. "These kind of games are character builders."
After a Hatzer goal off a Hovanesian pass brought the score to 5-1 with 6:16 remaining in the first half and Loporchio, off a Benson pass, scored on a great shot inside the far post to push the lead back to four at 6-2 with 5:32 left in the half, it seemed as if the match was headed down a one-sided path.
But Los Altos, led by CIF single-season goal-scoring champion Stephanie Contreras, came fighting back.
"That's how we've played all the big teams. We never give up," said Conquerors Coach Chris Coleman, whose team has also faced Temescal Canyon and top-seeded Bonita, which will play Redlands East Valley in the other semifinal. "[Saturday's match was a] helluva game."
With a precarious halftime lead of 7-5, the Falcons' usually dominant defense and formidable offense both waned as Los Altos gained steam.
A score with 5:11 to go in the third quarter by Contreras tied the match for the first time since an early 1-1 deadlock with more than five minutes to go in the opening stanza. Contreras, a junior who finished the season with 131 goals, holds the single-season Southern Section record of 188 goals that she set as a freshman and followed with a third-place mark of 179 as a sophomore. She led the charge as the Falcons relinquished a season-high 13 goals, allowing double-digit tallies for just the third time this season.
"[Contreras] is the female version of Hakop [Kaplanyan]," said Coach Loporchio, comparing Contreras to three-time All-Area Boys' Water Polo Player of the Year Kaplanyan, who starred at Hoover. "She's instant offense."
Contreras had six goals, while Aleena Tienda had five and assisted Kaitlyn Eng on the go-ahead score with 4:11 remaining in the third quarter to give the Conquerors an 8-7 edge. The score capped a 9:21 span in which Los Altos, after trailing, 6-2, scored six goals and held the Falcons to just two.
But the man-advantage — just as it won the game for the Falcons — saved them in the third, as Hovanesian, who had three goals and four steals, tied the match at 8 off an assist by Lawton on a six-on-five.
A Loporchio lob put the Falcons back up before they surrendered two straight goals and Hatzer put the match even again at 10 on another man-advantage. From there on, though, offense was at a premium and defense was the standard for both teams, with CV coming up short on its next four man-advantages.
Down, 11-10, the Falcons got a goal from Kechichian to tie it with 6:08 to go before the senior scored the go-ahead tally with 2:59 remaining. Following a big save by Isacson, who had 17 on the day, on three consecutive possessions, the Falcons missed on a man-advantage, had their shot clock run out and turned it over on an offensive foul.
Los Altos took a timeout with 41 seconds remaining and out of the break bunched all of its field players in a mass not more than a few meters from the mouth of the goal, but Contreras was behind the huddle on the perimeter and calmly raised up and buried the equalizer with 39 seconds to go.
A Kechichian shot was easily saved shortly before the match went to overtime, where, with 1:27 remaining in the first half of the extra session, Lawton picked an opportune time to score her only goal, converting off an Elissa Arnold assist for a 13-12 advantage. Lawton was the definition of clutch in the fourth period and overtime, tallying a goal, three steals and two field blocks in that span.
But thereafter, the Falcons' offense went scoreless for the next 6:30 of the match, which was more than enough time for Contreras to score her sixth goal of the match with 1:20 to play in the second half of the first overtime.
Contreras also won the crucial sudden-death sprint, but Loporchio came up clutch again with a huge steal. A Kechichian shot right at the keeper was saved, but the Falcons defense held on the ensuing possession before a Conquerors steal set up Conde's shot-clock histrionics and Hovanesian's classic-concluding score.
"I keep telling people I don't want our overall body of work to be determined by one game," Coach Loporchio said, "but somehow they keep amazing [us]."


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10 tips for effective threat hunting
Attackers don't think of their success as optional, hence the effectiveness and success of a threat hunting program is critical.
Kane Lightowler | 03 Aug | Read more
Increasing mandates around the security of personal data have made encryption for every business. Australian businesses are leading the world in the use of encryption to protect backups, payment-related data, and laptops – and yet they still have a long way to go before encryption is both ubiquitous and manageable.
If your last access-control update was even a few years ago, you're probably more exposed to fraud and exploitation than you'd like to be.
It's not hard to understand why bot management is critical to maintaining business availability and customer satisfaction – but do you know how to properly deal with bots?
Increasing use of encryption has created new challenges for enterprise security managers. Ever more-sophisticated encryption such as Perfect Forward Secrecy (PFS) protects data and may even boost your Google ranking – but it also provides a haven for malicious code that may use encryption to bypass enterprise security controls.
Why nation-state attacks are everyone's problem


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CHISINAU, Moldova — If there were an Olympic competition for bravest country in the world, the gold medal might well go to Moldova. Wobbly politicians from Europe and America should come here to get spinal transplants.
Think of Moldova as "the next Ukraine," for Russia may be about to take a bite out of this little country, nestled beside Ukraine and Romania and often said to be the poorest country in Europe. Russia already has bullied Moldova mercilessly for trying to join the European Union, imposing sanctions such as a block on Moldova's crucial wine exports. Russia is even threatening to cut off the natural gas on which Moldovans depend.
"We hope that you will not freeze," one senior Russian official publicly warned Moldovans.
Yet the valiant Moldovan government refuses to buckle. It is determined to join the European Union and forge bonds with the West.
"There is no alternative for us but to pursue European integration," Prime Minister Iurie Leanca, a former diplomat, told me in perfect English in his office here in the capital, Chisinau. "We are European! No one should contest this."
Moldova's love for the West is unrequited. Washington barely notices it. No sitting president has ever visited. Vice President Joe Biden's trip to Ukraine this week would have been a perfect moment to drop in and show support, but it didn't happen. After all, Moldova has a population of less than four million and no obvious strategic significance.
With a few modest gestures, President Obama could reward Moldova's grit. Instead, in the face of American obliviousness, President Vladimir Putin of Russia may formally annex part of Moldova, Transnistria, in the coming weeks.
Transnistria is a Russian-speaking enclave within Moldova, armed by Moscow and protected by Russian troops. Transnistria claims to have seceded and established an independent country, and, in a troubling omen, its government (which Moscow controls) appealed this month for Russia to annex it.
So Russia could soon swallow both Transnistria and a chunk of southern Ukraine, including Odessa, to access it.
Transnistria remains a police state, so I slipped across the border as a tourist, and the area feels just as the old Soviet Union did. Indeed, Transnistria should market itself as an open-air museum of Soviet rule, complete with Lenin statues, Russian troops on the roads and an intelligence agency still called the K.G.B. The propaganda department is in overdrive, with countless billboards celebrating patriotism and past Russian triumphs.
"You must be proud of your country!" one billboard declared.
Transnistria's military memorials complete with a tank or armored personnel carrier praise the heroism of local people and denounce those killed "by fascists" in fighting with Moldova's military in the early 1990s. One giant collection of posters celebrated Russian and local heroes and praised "those great men who contributed to our culture."
Transnistria's apartment complexes are dilapidated and identical, and, despite large Russian subsidies, the economy is a mess. But a vast modern sports complex is the pride of the region. The atmosphere was such that I expected to run into the crusty old Soviet leader of the 1970s, Leonid Brezhnev.
"For people here, Putin is a hero," one young woman told me.
It's true that the Moldovan government in the past was sometimes heavy-handed or threatening to Russian speakers, and, just as Moldovans had the right to leave the Soviet Union, people in Transnistria should have the right to secede from Moldova. But that should happen when Russian troops are gone and people have the right to speak freely.
Moldova, which is Romanian-speaking, is rural, relaxed and green, but the economy crashed after the collapse of the Soviet Union and perhaps one million people fled the country to find work. In some Moldovan villages, it is difficult to find young women because so many left for jobs abroad. According to human rights monitors and United Nations officials, these women were tricked, raped and trafficked by organized crime into brothels across western Europe.
In recent years, the government has tried to build a pro-Western market economy, and the country is rebounding but still fragile. Many fear that Putin will now direct his "masked warfare" of infiltrators and provocateurs to turn Moldova into the next Ukraine.
It may be too late to deter Putin in Moldova, but, whatever happens, we should back Moldova's plucky government. The United States can help by supporting infrastructure for Moldova to import natural gas and electricity from Romania, making it harder for Putin to freeze Moldovans into submission. We can nudge the European Union to embrace Moldova's desire to join.
And if President Obama could visit this gutsy country for a few hours, people would cheer him as he's never been cheered — and he would see an example of gold medal grit that we can all learn from.