text:
An encoding and correctness proof of Legato's multiplier in Haskell. Bill Legato came up with an interesting way to multiply two 8-bit numbers on Mostek, as described here: http://www.cs.utexas.edu/~moore/acl2/workshop-2004/contrib/legato/Weakest-Preconditions-Report.pdf
Here's Legato's algorithm, as coded in Mostek assembly:
step1 : LDX #8 ; load X immediate with the integer 8 step2 : LDA #0 ; load A immediate with the integer 0 step3 : CLC ; set C to 0 step4 : LOOP ROR F1 ; rotate F1 right circular through C step5 : BCC ZCOEF ; branch to ZCOEF if C = 0 step6 : CLC ; set C to 0 step7 : ADC F2 ; set A to A+F2+C and C to the carry step8 : ZCOEF ROR A ; rotate A right circular through C step9 : ROR LOW ; rotate LOW right circular through C step10: DEX ; set X to X-1 step11: BNE LOOP ; branch to LOOP if Z = 0
NB. The CLC in step3 was later added by Warren Hunt; the original spec did not include this statement. However, without this addition, the algorithm does not work correctly for all starting states, so we adopt this change as well.
This program came to be known as the Legato's challenge in the community, where the challenge was to prove that it indeed does perform multiplication. This file formalizes the Mostek architecture in Haskell and proves that Legato's algorithm is indeed correct.
- type Address = SWord32
- data Register
- data Flag
- type Value = SWord8
- type Bit = SBool
- type Registers = Array Register Value
- type Flags = Array Flag Bit
- type Memory = Model Word32 Word8
- data Mostek = Mostek {
- type Extract a = Mostek -> a
- type Program = Mostek -> Mostek
- getReg :: Register -> Extract Value
- setReg :: Register -> Value -> Program
- getFlag :: Flag -> Extract Bit
- setFlag :: Flag -> Bit -> Program
- peek :: Address -> Extract Value
- poke :: Address -> Value -> Program
- type Instruction = Program -> Program
- ldx :: Value -> Instruction
- lda :: Value -> Instruction
- clc :: Instruction
- rorM :: Address -> Instruction
- rorR :: Register -> Instruction
- bcc :: Program -> Instruction
- adc :: Address -> Instruction
- dex :: Instruction
- bne :: Program -> Instruction
- end :: Program
- legato :: Address -> Address -> Address -> Program
- runLegato :: (Address, Value) -> (Address, Value) -> Address -> Mostek -> (Value, Value)
- type InitVals = (Value, Value, Value, Bit, Bit)
- initMachine :: Memory -> InitVals -> Mostek
- legatoIsCorrect :: Memory -> (Address, Value) -> (Address, Value) -> Address -> InitVals -> SBool
- type Model = SFunArray
- correctnessTheorem :: IO ThmResult
Mostek architecture
We model only two registers of Mostek that is used in the above algorithm, can add more.
type Memory = Model Word32 Word8Source
The memory maps 32-bit words to 8-bit words. (The
Model data-type is
defined later, depending on the verification model used.)
Abstraction of the machine: The CPU consists of memory, registers, and flags. Unlike traditional hardware, we assume the program is stored in some other memory area that we need not model. (No self modifying programs!)
type Program = Mostek -> MostekSource
Programs are essentially state transformers (on the machine state)
Low-level operations
Instruction set
type Instruction = Program -> ProgramSource
An instruction is modeled as a
Program transformer. We model
mostek programs in direct continuation passing style.
ldx :: Value -> InstructionSource
LDX: Set register
X to value
lda :: Value -> InstructionSource
LDA: Set register
A to value
CLC: Clear the carry flag
rorM :: Address -> InstructionSource
ROR, memory version: Rotate the value at memory location
to the right by 1 bit, using the carry flag as a transfer position.
That is, the final bit of the memory location becomes the new carry
and the carry moves over to the first bit. This very instruction
is one of the reasons why Legato's multiplier is quite hard to understand
and is typically presented as a verification challenge.
rorR :: Register -> InstructionSource
ROR, register version: Same as
rorM, except through register
bcc :: Program -> InstructionSource
BCC: branch to label
l if the carry flag is false
adc :: Address -> InstructionSource
ADC: Increment the value of register
A by the value of memory contents
at address
a, using the carry-bit as the carry-in for the addition.
DEX: Decrement the value of register
bne :: Program -> InstructionSource
BNE: Branch if the zero-flag is false
Legato's algorithm in Haskell/SBV
legato :: Address -> Address -> Address -> ProgramSource
Parameterized by the addresses of locations of the factors (
F1 and
the following program multiplies them, storing the low-byte of the result
in the memory location
lowAddr, and the high-byte in register
A. The
implementation is a direct transliteration of Legato's algorithm given
at the top, using our notation.
Verification interface
runLegato :: (Address, Value) -> (Address, Value) -> Address -> Mostek -> (Value, Value)Source
Given address/value pairs for F1 and F2, and the location of where the low-byte
of the result should go,
runLegato takes an arbitrary machine state
m and
returns the high and low bytes of the multiplication.
type InitVals = (Value, Value, Value, Bit, Bit)Source
Helper synonym for capturing relevant bits of Mostek
initMachine :: Memory -> InitVals -> MostekSource
Create an instance of the Mostek machine, initialized by the memory and the relevant values of the registers and the flags
legatoIsCorrect :: Memory -> (Address, Value) -> (Address, Value) -> Address -> InitVals -> SBoolSource
The correctness theorem. For all possible memory configurations, the factors (
x and
y below), the location
of the low-byte result and the initial-values of registers and the flags, this function will return True only if
running Legato's algorithm does indeed compute the product of
x and
y correctly.


text:
Search marketing is by far the biggest area of digital marketing. You can't afford to waste time or money getting it wrong. Attend SMX, and you'll get it right!
Immerse yourself in three days of SEO, SEM and Online Marketing sessions and you're guaranteed to leave with practical tips and techniques to immediately improve your search marketing efforts. SMX also has strategic sessions to help you with what's coming over the horizon.
With sessions designed to serve a diverse search marketing audience, you'll discover topics tailored for your needs — whether you're into SEO or SEM, whether you're an advanced search marketing veteran or are a beginner just learning the ropes.
Plus — if you work at an agency or as part of an in-house team, SMX team rates let you divide and conquer to attend multiple tracks simultaneously.
Do you want to speak at SMX London or do you know someone? Then pitch your session here
DID YOU MISS SMX London 2019? – here some impressions!
SEM/Paid Search
Search & Social
The SMX agenda is created by the editors of Search Engine Land, the publication of record for search marketers. You get unbiased, vendor agnostic programming at SMX. You can be confident that you've invested wisely.
I've been attending the SMX shows since 2010 and each one just gets better and better. The content is always fresh, valuable and interesting, even for advanced marketers. There's a perfect balance of learning and networking opportunities, organized with the care and precision typical of the SMX shows.
- Purna Virji, Microsoft
...the sessions easily paid for the investment. Can't imagine a better way to learn from the best in the business, and network with those serious about staying on top of the SEO/SEM industry.
- Frank Barnett, Speech Privacy Systems
SMX London will take place at etc.venues, 155 Bishopsgate, with the International Search Summit taking place at etc.venues, Liverpool St - Norton Folgate.
The SMX crew are all staying at the Hoxton Hotel, 0.6 miles from the venue.
Interested in becoming an official SMX London Blog Partner?
Become a blog partner
Click here to see a list of this year's blog partners and discover more.
Interested in becoming an official SMX London Blog Partner?

subset: commoncrawl


text:
From Behind the Bar: On Drinking for Free
Tales from our resident bartender.
About the Author: You may have seen Michael Neff behind the bar at New York's Ward III and The Rum House. He stops by on Wednesdays to share insights on cocktails and the life of a barman.
More Behind The Bar
On Not Being Creepy »
What Makes a Good Bar »
On Vodka Sodas and First Dates »
On Fernet Branca »
So You Want to Open a Bar »
My Cocktail Costs How Much? »
What I'm Drinking:
Bols Barrel-Aged Genever (neat)
Racer 5 IPA (half-pint)
I was in line at the bank the other day, and thought about what it would be like if a bank were a bar. I've been in this line countless times, and the tellers know my face. Still, I have to hand over my driver's license and give them my account number. Regardless of how many times I come to this bank, they have rules to follow, and the fact that I come here on a regular basis gets me exactly zero when it comes to normalizing the transactions I have on a regular basis.
Bars are different. At a bar, you are accorded special privileges by being a regular customer. If a bartender knows your face (let alone your name), your drink tends to skip ahead in the line. David, an old and good friend who is in my bar three or four times a week, drinks Palm Belgian Amber. If I see him walk in to the building, I will pull him that pint, regardless of whatever else I have going on at the moment. I know what he wants, and we get to skip the step that necessitates him telling me what that is. The general benefit of "regular" status is, I'll pour it; you'll drink it, and we'll all go home.
Things get complicated when you factor in one of the major tools that bartenders use to connect to their clientele: the buy-back.
Buy-back, comp, promo; call it what you will. In every bar, there is a certain budget that allows for giving a customer a drink that they do not have to pay for. For those of us who work behind bars, the buy-back is a double-edged sword.
Let's say that you and your three friends are sitting at the bar, and we have all had a great conversation. More than that, you and your friends are locals, and I want to ensure that you will think to come back again to see us in the future. That's where the buy-back comes in. I'm a bartender, and I have stake in making sure good people come to see me on a regular basis. If you're cool, and you pay your bill, and if we have developed some kind of relationship, chances are I'll buy you a round.
Why wouldn't I? In the bar business, people who don't treat us like servants are valued highly. While the place I work might be totally awesome, the little extra I give by buying a round is enough to show my clientele that a) I like talking to them, and b) I hope they come back.
All of this has been standard procedure in almost every bar I've ever trod. While no owner I've worked for has been as liberal as I wish they could be, every one of them has recognized the fact that, every once in a while, you've got to buy someone a drink. It's a tax-deduction for the bar, and an invaluable asset for the bartender.
One of the best parts of my job is that I get to meet people from all walks of life. When I run across people who I particularly like, I'm glad I have the freedom to buy them a round. I don't necessarily get to do it every time, and at some bars, the bartender can't buy any drinks at all. But a random comp can go a long way in making an occasional client in to a regular client—it's worth the price of the drink.
But there's a subset of people who believe, for one reason or another, that they are owed something for free. They might know the owner, or might work down the street. Irish pubs in the '80s would buy back every fourth round—nowadays, it takes more than proximity to show a bar that you have value. While we don't work with firm and hard rules, the one that most people follow is, "If you have to ask, you haven't earned it."
As with most things in bartending, it's relationships that matter, and you'll find this is true the first time a bartender buys you a drink. If he does so, remember to thank him for his attention, and to tip accordingly. A buy-back reduces sales, and people who tip on the total need to remember that another human being went the extra mile for them. Keep the cycle going, and come back again soon.
All products linked here have been independently selected by our editors. We may earn a commission on purchases, as described in our affiliate policy.


text:
Boeing Compression After Impact Fixture to ASTM D-7137M
CP103712 | "Boeing" Compression After Impact Fixture
Meets ASTM D 7137M Standard
For edgewise compression of damaged composite specimens.
Fabricated from stainless steel with hardened end loading plates.
SI Version as detailed in ASTM D 7137M-05.
Temperature Range: -75 to 250 °C (-103 to +482 °F)
Max. Static Load 150kN (15,000 kgf, 33,000 lbf)
Upper Interface: Requires compression platen diameter 50 mm (2 in) or larger. Lockable spherical seat recommended to ensure parallelism.
Lower Interface: Requires compression platen diameter 100 mm (4 in) or larger
Platens not included.
Includes storage case.
|Accessory Height
|203 mm (8 in)
|Accessory Weight
|15 kg (32 lb)
|Accessory Width
|356 mm (14 in)
|150 kN (30000 lbf)
|Lower Fitting
|Requires platen 100 mm (4 in) or larger
|Temperature Rating
|-75 to +250°C (-103 to +482°F)
|Testing Standards
|Upper Fitting
|Requires platen 50 mm (2 in) or larger
Composite Test Fixtures_Compression After Impact, ASTM D 7137 / D 7137M
The "Boeing CAI" fixture is used to test the impact resistance of carbon and other fiber-reinforced polymer composite laminates. These materials are prone to great reduction in compressive strength, even when the impact load is insufficient to cause visible damage. The post-impact compression test is used to assess the relative performance of different composite laminates with different fiber matrix combinations. Laminates are subjected to low-velocity impact loading simulating tool drops and flying debris or may be subjected to an out-of-plane static indentation (ASTM D 6264 / D 6264M). Specimens then undergo a compression after impact (CAI) test on an electromechanical or servohydraulic testing machine.
- Products
- 12/6/2013


text:
George Michael was involved in a single-car accident in northwest London on Thursday, May 16, his rep told the Associated Press.
The "Faith" singer, 49, is being treated in a hospital for "superficial cuts and bruises," but doing "fine," explained the rep in a statement.
"George Michael was a passenger in a vehicle involved in a traffic accident yesterday evening," the statement reads. "No third party was involved. We have no further comment at this time."
The former Wham frontman was reportedly riding in a Range Rover with one other passenger when the accident occurred. According to the BBC, details of the crash are still unknown. It's unclear if he was the one behind the wheel at the time of the crash.
A police spokesman told the news organization, "The exact circumstances of what happened are unclear at this time and until further investigations have been carried out it would be inappropriate for us to comment further."
This isn't the first time the 80s and 90s icon has been involved in a scary accident. In 2010, Michael crashed his car into a photo shop. He later pleaded guilty for driving under the influence of drugs and possessing marijuana and served eight weeks in prison.
Before that, in 2007, he was arrested on suspicion of possessing drugs after he was found slumped over the wheel of his car near London's Hyde Park. He pleaded guilty and received a two-year driving ban.
For access to all our exclusive celebrity videos and interviews – Subscribe on YouTube!


text:
Knowledge of the past drives the innovation of the future.
Through the Springer Nature journal archive portfolio, researchers have anytime, anywhere access to ground-breaking articles, many by Nobel Prize winners.
Springer Nature provides more than 2 million records for hundreds of journals from volume 1, issue 1. Explore the legacy content we offer across our complete journal portfolio.


text:
I was one of the 'experts' featured in the Kansas City's Star House + Home on Sunday!
"Local pros and experts suggest their favorite guides to include on the home library shelf."
My recommendation :
Barefoot Contessa Parties! (Clarkson Potter, $32,50)
"Jenny Steffens, an event planner who owns Everyday Occasions. Steffens considers this book her home-entertaining bible. 'It has it all,' Steffens said, 'from recipes to party idea, to how to set the table. She even talks about her mistakes.'"
"The 264-page book is organized by party ideas for the four seasons. The book is iconic Garten, host of her own Food Network series and author of other cookbooks. Her philosophy is keeping an event simple but elegant, making for a happier host and more memorable party.'
"'I can't say enough about assembling food rather than cooking,' Garten wrote. 'I keep telling myself that my friends won't have more fun if I spend two days making a dacquoise for dessert than if I find a delicious pound cake at a bakery and serve it with store-bought lemon curd and fresh raspberries.'"
Sunday, January 11, 2009, Kansas City Star, House + Home


text:
JERUSALEM, ISRAEL — Ever driven through a car wash? Well, hold that thought, because going through a Better Place battery-switching station is almost exactly like that — minus the soap suds, of course.
You may have heard of Better Place (BP). It's the California-based company, founded by the Israeli-born Shai Agassi in 2007, that has made its mission not only to wire the world for electric cars, but to do it with a unique twist — battery swapping. The concept is simple enough: Instead of relying solely on charging stations that take six hours or so to juice up an EV, the company adds the option of swapping the battery in an automated process that takes about five minutes.
Instead of buying a battery car and then figuring out how to charge it — public stations, home unit? — BP is a one-stop transportation solution. In Israel, customers buy "electric miles," paying BP roughly $32,000 for the car (the Israeli price) than leasing the battery and a charging plan that gives them access to the company's public network and the swap stations. It may not work this way, but the general rule of thumb is that you'd use home or public charging for commuting and errands, battery swapping for longer trips.
Agassi, a former software executive, is one of the world's great talkers, and taking his message around the globe has helped the company raise $750 million to date, with early support from heavyweights Bill Clinton and Israeli President Shimon Peres. Talking will only get you so far, but this week in Israel, BP was showing off not only its network of about 40 swap stations but also giving rides in the Renault Fluence Z.E. (right), a version of a popular car here that was custom-made for BP with swappable batteries. It's on sale now, though BP hasn't yet started its major marketing push in Israel.
Agassi stopped by on his way to a business meeting in New York, and admitted straight off that he'd forgotten to plug in his Fluence Z.E. the night before. "But it was no problem, because I drove to Jerusalem and swapped the battery at the station there. We've made an electric car more convenient than a gas car." (Maybe he forgot to plug in on purpose?)
Agassi is a bit hard to quote since words come out of him in a torrent — he's a bit like clean energy pioneer Amory Lovins that way. But one thing he said that makes a lot of sense is that Israel is a transportation island. "You can drive from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv in the space of one battery charge," he said. "If your car goes outside Israel, that's because it's been stolen." That's largely because Israel's neighbors aren't so friendly, but it creates an ideal scenario for range-limited electric cars, one that BP is set to enable (along with a concurrent rollout in environmentally friendly Denmark.)
We tested Agassi's theory in a breathtaking ride through the wooded hills around Jerusalem, taking a leisurely route to Tel Aviv via the BP switching station in Modi'in. Along for the ride was Dr. Barak Hershkovitz, the ophthalmologist who doubles as BP's chief technical officer. I never got an eye exam, but I did learn quite a bit about the interface in the Fluence, which offers even more useful information than the Nissan Leaf (which shares its battery cells). Hershkovitz also pointed out the tall Jerusalem pines, proof that all of Israel isn't desert.
The BP customer gets a range of options that include real-time range estimates, and the ability to plug in multiple destinations and come up with a pretty accurate guess (based on your previous driving performance) at what remaining range you'll have at each point in your journey. "We looked at 1,600 possible driving scenarios, because it comes down to the fact that technology has to serve its users," Hershkovitz said. "I asked, 'Will my mother be able to do this?'" The computer mapped out the destinations as promised, but I messed up the calculations by ignoring the GPS and taking a wrong turn.
The swap station was fascinating, reminding me of the heavily robotized BMW factory I recently visited in Leipzig, Germany. The driver enters the business end of the car wash (excuse me, swap station) and hears various whirrings and clickings, including some compressor whine as the car is lifted up a few inches for optimal replacement angle. What the consumer doesn't see is the extensive underground battery condo, capable of holding 16 packs (and with expansion capability to 32). Here's a look on video:
Two huge robot trolleys move the packs, the first one sliding out a new pack and moving it to a standby zone, and the second swooping in to drop off the depleted pack and slot the new one in place. The process takes about five minutes, slower than in a previous Tokyo demonstration. The Fluence's pack is held in place with screws, replacing the quick-release latches.
This was my first encounter with a Renault Fluence, and I found it a delight to drive, not dissimilar to the Leaf itself. Others in our party complained of the high-mounted battery pack making the car feel top-heavy, but I thought it handled well. It's a well-appointed and finished five-passenger sedan, and the only option for Israeli electric consumers now (though at least two other models are planned, BP says).
The Fluence isn't a stand-alone design like the Leaf or the Chevy Volt, but it's a comfortable and nicely built sedan that should prove attractive on the world market. The purchase price may not seem cheap, but it's in line with similarly equipped gas cars in Israel, which fulfills Agassi's mission of not forcing consumers to pay more to go electric.
BP has some challenges, as Agassi is the first to admit. Battery swapping is a destructive technology, with great potential but also some pitfalls. Company officials say the stations will be ready when there are a range of swappable battery packs on the market — the machinery is adaptable, they say. But multiple car models mean a more complicated battery inventory and the need to standardize connections. To be a success, BP will also have to convince large numbers of consumers to give up gas cars and go electric. The company says it will be happy to have 5,000 to 10,000 customers in Israel and Denmark over the next 24 months.
I pulled up to Better Place's glitzy welcome center in Pi Glilot, near Tel Aviv, and plugged into one of the company's charging points, which can accommodate two EVs. Unlike American stations, the consumer carries around the charging cord, and plugs in after swiping a smart card. By the time the party inside was over, the car was recharged. It felt like, if not an assured future, at least a bright vision of what the future could be.
Also on MNN: Electric cars and sustainability projects are blooming in Israel's war zone


text:
Union Pacific Railroad Excels in Speed, Customer Service
Company is Ready to Handle Record Crop Harvest Transportation
Omaha, Neb., November 18, 2013
With superior network performance supported by the best average train speed among the four largest U.S. railroads, Union Pacific is uniquely poised to help its customers take advantage of the record grain harvest. Train speed measures cargo movement between rail terminals. The data are compiled by the Association of American Railroads.
"Excellent service is always important to customers, and we are committed to maintaining it even as we accommodate the need for transportation of additional grain," said Paul Hammes, vice president and general manager, Agricultural Products at Union Pacific. "The combination of Union Pacific's train speed performance and available grain car fleet translates into increased freight capacity for the railroad's agricultural customers."
Following the 2012 drought, which significantly reduced crop production during 2012-2013, this year's corn crop has soared to a new national record. In the most recent crop supply and demand report, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said it expects 13.99 billion bushels of corn, up from the September forecast of 13.8 billion bushels. The previous record was 13.1 billion in 2009.
The larger production and robust grain export markets will create much stronger demand for transportation during the 2013-2014 crop year compared to the previous crop year. Customer commitments for Union Pacific trains have increased accordingly, and the company shipped an all-time high number of grain trains to the Pacific Northwest in October.
Union Pacific also is offering a six-month shuttle commitment program. Shuttle commitment programs allow qualifying customers to exclusively use train cars for a pre-determined amount of time, providing guaranteed capacity to these customers. Traditionally, shuttle commitment programs have required customers to commit annually. The six-month option offers the opportunity to use the train cars for a shorter time, allowing for greater flexibility during peak periods.
"Union Pacific prides itself on giving customers the assurance of capacity when they need it most," Hammes said. "Our investments in service and equipment allow us to grow along with our customers."
About Union Pacific
Union Pacific Railroad is the principal operating company of Union Pacific Corporation. One of America's most recognized companies, Union Pacific Railroad links 23 states in the western two-thirds of the country by rail, providing a critical link in the global supply chain. From 2007-2012, Union Pacific invested $18 billion in its network and operations to support America's transportation infrastructure, including a record $3.7 billion in 2012. The railroad's diversified business mix includes Agricultural Products, Automotive, Chemicals, Coal, Industrial Products and Intermodal. Union Pacific serves many of the fastest-growing U.S. population centers, operates from all major West Coast and Gulf Coast ports to eastern gateways, connects with Canada's rail systems and is the only railroad serving all six major Mexico gateways. Union Pacific provides value to its roughly 10,000 customers by delivering products in a safe, reliable, fuel-efficient and environmentally responsible manner.
Union Pacific media contact: Stephanie Serkhoshian,email@example.com, @stephserk, 402-544-0100
The statements and information contained in the news releases provided by Union Pacific speak only as of the date issued. Such information by its nature may become outdated, and investors should not assume that the statements and information contained in Union Pacific's news releases remain current after the date issued. Union Pacific makes no commitment, and disclaims any duty, to update any of this information.
Media Contact
Stephanie Serkhoshian


text:
PCL-SRCS is ready to start! The sprint will cover 3D algorithmic work for surface reconstruction and large scale mapping for PCL. Our developers are:
- Francisco Heredia and Raphael Favier, from Technical University of Eindhoven, working on Kinect Fusion extensions to large scale environments. Francisco and Raphael are long time PCL users and contributors, and we're excited to welcome them to the PCL developers team!
- Fatih Calakli, from Brown University, will be working on advanced surface reconstruction from point cloud data. Fatih is a student of Prof. Gabriel Taubin whose group has made extremely important contributions to surface reconstruction, 3D compression, and object recognition -- to name a few.
- Maksim Lukyanchenko, from National Research Nuclear University (MEPhI) Obninsk Institute for Nuclear Power Engineering, will be working on template matching using 2D + 3D from point cloud data. Maksim is a student of Prof. Alexander Velizev, a PCL veteran by now, who has already participated in the GSOC 2011 program with Roman Shapalov and TRCS 2012 with Sergey Ushakov.
We would like to thank all the other candidates for their excellent proposals! We already started following up with each of them individually, as there are many more sprints to come!
[Note: the new blogging page for SRCS will be up within the next few days at http://pointclouds.org/blog/srcs/.]


text:
April 04, 2020
June 09, 2014
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text:
by Rebecca
La Catrina Costume Photo 2 of 3
Rate this costume:
36 votes
|2 comments · add a comment
More views: (click to enlarge)
Delilah in Costume walk
|Costume type:
|Costumes for Girls
This homemade costume for girls entered our 2011 Halloween Costume Contest.
A word from Devin, the 'La Catrina' costume creator:
This is my daughter, Delilah, wearing a costume for Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. She is La Catrina.
Similar costumes:


text:
Mustang Rear Axle 1964-2020
Showing 1-20 of 200 results
per page
Showing 1-20 of 200 results
per page
Rear Axle
Unlike front wheel drive cars, the rear axle area of your Mustang has dozens of parts that not only support the rear end of your Mustang but, since it is rear wheel drive, also drive your Mustang. If these parts in your Mustang would need upgrading, or just completely break, CJ Pony Parts has dozens of Mustang Rear Axle parts available for your Mustang to help get it back on the road.The Mustang rear axle area consists of many different parts that each performs a specific function to help drive your Mustang and support the Mustang rear end. One of the most important Mustang rear axle parts is the Mustang rear axle itself. The Mustang axle consists of two shafts that connect in the center at the differential. The Mustang rear axle shafts each have wheel studs and mounts for brakes and other Mustang suspension hardware.
Another vital part of your Mustang rear axle is the Mustang differential. This part, which is actually made up of many different Mustang rear end components, links the Mustang rear axles and the driveshaft. It contains a set of gears, which are turned by the driveshaft, which turns the Mustang rear axles, which turns the wheels. The differential also has additional Mustang rear end components to compensate for when your Mustang is turning, which requires the rear wheels need to turn at different speeds, or when it is raining and one of your rear wheels lose grip on the road. Since the differential has gears and several other fragile parts, plus lubricants, it needs to be protected. Therefore, the differential on every Mustang rear axle features a heavy-duty cover that protects it and keeps all of the lubrication inside.
If your Mustang rear axle needs some work, CJ Pony Parts stocks all of the Mustang rear end parts you need, including each of the Mustang rear end components mentioned above. CJ Pony Parts also offers Mustang rear axle parts for independent rear suspension Mustangs, which only applies to SN95 Mustang Cobras and are different in a few areas when compared to the Mustang rear axle on most cars. Order your new Mustang Rear Axle parts today from CJ Pony Parts and keep that vital area of your Mustang working smoothly!


text:
Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a rare eye condition. It occurs in infants who are premature or have low birthweight. ROP causes a problem in the retina, the tissue that lines the back of the eye. The blood vessels in the retina grow abnormally.
The abnormal blood vessels can lead to scarring of the retina. In the most serious cases, ROP can lead to a separation of the retina from the back of the eye. In a small number of cases, ROP may cause vision loss or blindness.
Risk Factors
Factors that increase the chance of an infant developing ROP include:
- Premature birth , especially babies born less than 30 weeks gestation
- Low birth weight, especially babies weighing less than 3 pounds
- Low or fluctuating oxygen levels
- Respiratory distress
- Anemia
There are usually no signs of ROP until it reaches a severe stage. Severe ROP may cause:
- White pupils
- Abnormal eye movements
- Crossed eyes (turning toward each other)
- Lazy eye
A specialist will screen for ROP if your infant has risk factors such as prematurity and low birth weight. A special eye exam will be used to view the blood vessels in the retina.
The doctor will examine your infant's eyes every 1-2 weeks until the blood vessels in the retina are fully developed.
Mild ROP will usually heal on its own. Your baby's eye will be examined regularly until the blood vessels heal.
More severe ROP may require treatment to reduce the risk of the retina detaching from the back of the eye. Treatment options include:
- Cryosurgery—freezing tissue in the eye to prevent the spread of abnormal blood vessels
- Laser ablation/photocoagulation—a laser stops abnormal blood vessels from growing
The best way to prevent ROP is to prevent premature birth. Good prenatal care will help decrease the risk of premature birth.
Revision Information
- Reviewer: EBSCO Medical Review Board Kari Kassir, MD
- Review Date: 03/2018 -
- Update Date: 05/05/2014 -


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Senate Passes Bill for State Contract Set-Aside for Disabled Veterans
The New York State Senate today passed legislation (S6865), sponsored by Senator Greg Ball (R, C, I – Patterson), Chairman of the Senate Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs Committee, to facilitate the awarding of state contracts to disabled veterans.
The bill will create a six percent state contract set-aside for service-connected disabled- veteran owned small businesses. The "Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Business Act" will ensure New York State's service-connected disabled veterans are better able to compete for millions of dollars in state contracts.
The set-aside is very similar to the highly successful three percent preference that the federal government offers. A three-way agreement on the bill was announced during the Governor's Veterans and Military Families Summit held last week in Albany.
"New Yorkers can stand tall and proud today knowing that we have kept America's promise to our veterans and service-disabled heroes. This landmark legislation will create tens of thousands of jobs for veterans statewide and will allow service-disabled veteran small business owners to tap into hundreds of millions of dollars in state contracting," said Senator Greg Ball. "This single act will do more to reverse the high veteran unemployment rate than anything else we have done, or will do. Yet beyond just creating jobs, this is about saving lives, and confronting the epidemic of veteran suicide through meaningful employment. We have been fighting to establish this set-aside for years and I want to sincerely thank Governor Cuomo for giving us the backing we desperately needed at a critical time. Governor Cuomo is to be applauded for keeping his commitment to our heroes."
"Let it be clear that this is not a handout, this is an opportunity for both employee and employer," Senator Ball said. "These men and women have the exact skill sets we need in the workplace and the integrity we desperately need in the board room. The same attributes that make these people so vital to defending our freedoms are the same hard-earned intangibles that make them exceptional at running their businesses and creating jobs. This is what good people can accomplish when they forget the politics and just focus on doing the right thing. Bravo to all involved, bravo!"
State Senate Co-Leader Dean G. Skelos said, "The contributions and sacrifices made by New York's active duty military veterans and their families are an inspiration to us all. The bill demonstrates our commitment to building on our efforts to ensure that veterans receive the benefits, support and economic opportunities they deserve. I applaud Senator Ball for his efforts on this issue."
According to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, New York State is home to nearly 900,000 veterans, 600,000 of whom have served during periods of conflict. According to Governor Andrew Cuomo, there are roughly 106,000 service-connected disabled veterans in New York State.
Eugene Parrotta, Chairman of Senator Greg Ball's Veterans Advisory Council and two- time Purple Heart recipient, said: "As the director of veterans affairs for the 40th Senate District, under Senator Greg Ball, I am proud to announce that this legislation has finally been approved. It was a long time in coming, but with a forceful array of supporters on both sides it is now on its way to becoming law. It has been my experience in dealing with disabled veterans that there was a feeling of disbelief that New York State did not have this law on the books already. As the state with the most military, most wounded and the most killed in action since this country was founded, a great wrong has been righted. I would like to extend a very heartfelt thank you to Governor Cuomo and all the elected officials, especially Senator Ball, for all the hard work."
Service-connected disabled veterans from Drexel Hamilton, LLC, also joined the efforts in passing this legislation. Drexel Hamilton is a full-service institutional broker-dealer founded on the principle of offering meaningful employment opportunities to disabled veterans desiring a career in financial services.
James Cahill, president of Drexel Hamilton LLC, said: "New York's veteran-owned businesses will get the opportunities they deserve to compete and grow, thanks to the leadership of Governor Cuomo, Senator Ball, Assemblyman Ortiz and other leaders in Albany who championed this cause. When veteran-owned businesses thrive, it means more veterans have access to meaningful careers that allow them to demonstrate their full capabilities, and it means their families have the chance to share in the American dream. It's another reason why New York State is a great place to start a business. Drexel Hamilton thanks all of those in Albany for their work in this critical effort for New York's veterans."
U.S. Representative Sean Patrick Maloney recently teamed up with Senator Ball to host a "NY Jobs For Heroes Roundtable" at the Carmel Town Hall to call for the legislation. "After our brave men and women have dedicated their lives in service to our country, more than three million veterans have come home to start small businesses. We must do all that we can to support our heroes, and I commend Governor Cuomo and Senator Ball for working together on this historic agreement to ensure our veteran-owned businesses have access to billions of dollars in state contracts. With post 9-11 veterans facing a staggering 9.2 percent unemployment rate nationwide, it's our duty to help highly skilled veterans start small businesses and gain meaningful employment upon their return to civilian life," said Representative Sean Patrick Maloney.
Also participating in the "NY Jobs For Heroes" roundtable, as well as Senator Greg Ball's lobby day in Albany to push for this legislation, was former CEO of HBO and Yorktown resident, Bill Nelson, who said: "Passing the NY Jobs For Heroes legislation sends the strong message that Governor Cuomo and the NYS Senate and Assembly support our service-disabled veterans and recognize the sacrifice they and their families have made. This legislation has always been about giving the opportunity to our disabled veteran small business owners to provide for themselves, and now they can do just that. I especially commend Senator Ball and his colleagues who have fought for this legislation since 2007 and for the Governor's leadership in bringing this to fruition."
Tully Rinckey PLLC Managing Partner Greg T. Rinckey, Esq. said: "Passage of this legislation will change the game for Tully Rinckey PLLC, and service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses like us across New York. Opening the door to veterans will begin to chip away at the chronically high unemployment rate for New Yorkers who served, and at the same time encourage investment in a small business community that sorely needs it. It's a win-win. I applaud Senator Ball, and the rest of the Legislature, for making New York a leader in helping veterans, as well as small businesses."
The bill was sent to the Assembly.


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Decorations, candy and exterior lighting are banned under a new ordinance.
Oct. 3, 2012 -- Five California sex offenders and their families are suing the city of Simi Valley, Calif., claiming that Halloween restrictions placed on them through a new law violate their right to free speech.
The group filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court Friday against Simi Valley, a city 37 miles northwest of Los Angeles.
Under the ordinance, Simi Valley's 119 registered sex offenders are banned from displaying Halloween decorations at their homes. They are required on Oct. 31 to turn off all exterior lighting and post a sign on their doors that reads in at least one-inch-tall letters: "No candy or treats at this residence."
"People are thinking this is because registrants want to pass out candy to children. That is not the case for me," a 46-year-old registered sex offender and father of two told ABCNews.com.
He is one of the anonymous plaintiffs suing the city to have the law struck down, and asked that his name not be used.
"This ordinance affects the residents," he said. "It is being enforced on my wife and my children. My kids can not even carve a pumpkin and put it on the front porch."
Janice Bellucci, an attorney representing the plaintiffs and head of California Reform Our Sex Offender Laws, an advocacy group that fights for the civil rights of registered sex offenders, said the sign requirement was particularly troubling.
"I'm concerned someone may try to harm them or their family members or their home," she said. "The advice I've given them is to go somewhere else on Halloween night."
David Caceras, assistant Simi Valley city attorney, said his office had not yet been served with the lawsuit and would be unable to comment.


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DavidGilbert99 writes "Labelled as an 'oddly regressive move,' developers of Star Wars: the Old Republic have decided that all gay characters will be stuck on a single planet called Makeb. The move comes with the release of the Rise of the Hutt Cartel pack and the Makeb planet will be the only place in the game where players can select 'flirtatious' dialogue options with characters of the same gender. From the article: 'BioWare executive producer Jeff Hickman apologised for same sex relationships taking so long to be added to the game, referring to the company's most famous title Mass Effect, where homosexual relationships are available by default: "First of all, I want to apologize that this is taking so long to get in the game," wrote Hickman in a blog post. "I realise that we promised SGR (same gender relationships) to you guys and that many of you believed that this would be with a companion character. Unfortunately, this will take a lot more work than we realised at the time and it (like some other pieces of content we talked about earlier in the year) has been delayed as we focused on the changes required to take the game Free-to-Play. '"
Read more of this story at Slashdot.


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Pediatric Brain Tumor
The pediatric specialists within the Department of Neurosurgery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center provide comprehensive, expert testing, therapy and genetic counseling for tumors of the brain and spinal cord.
The goal of the Pediatric Brain Tumor Program is to be a resource for physicians and their patients with nervous-system tumors. We seek to provide personalized management and treatment for patients with these disorders and to apply the newest information and treatments to clinical practice.
Who Benefits from the Pediatric Brain Tumor Program?
- Patients who want doctors with the necessary skills to provide successful tumor removal and to lower the risk of harmful side effects
- Infants, children and young adults with tumors of the brain and spinal cord
- Patients whose tumors have spread to the central nervous system
- Individuals with a family history of cancer
Advantages of the Pediatric Brain Tumor Program
Integrated Care
Highly Skilled Neurosurgeons
At the Department of Neurosurgery, Moise Danielpour, MD, the Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery, works in close association with Keith L. Black, MD, Director of the Department of Neurosurgery, and the Lawrence Harvey Chair in Neuroscience, to achieve the best possible outcomes.
Comprehensive Approach
The Program's pediatric specialists are experts in every area of these tumors and their long-term effects.
Expert Testing
The Program's doctors use highly advanced imaging and scanning equipment and techniques.
Cedars-Sinai is very active in front-line research programs that apply new approaches to treatment of pediatric central nervous system tumors.
Investigational Treatments
The Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute is actively involved in leading-edge clinical studies to provide patients with the latest treatment options. These studies include:
- Participation in clinical trials sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH)
- Access to the National Children's Cancer Study Group clinical trials
- The Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute's Tumor Vaccine Program, which focuses on using the patient's own immune system to control and destroy tumor growth
Specialized Services
To ensure that every treatment option is explored, cases are often presented to the Brain Tumor Board, a weekly meeting of multidisciplinary specialists. Patients may also receive a referral for a second opinion.
For an appointment, a second opinion or more information, please call 1-800-CEDARS-1 (1-800-233-2771) or email us at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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But not that new to LEGO Communities.
My name's Kim, I'm 35 years old and I live in Denmark.
I've been a fan of Castle LEGO for as long as I can remember.
I did have a Dark Age that ended when TLG launched LEGO Star Wars.
I still cherish Castle sets, especially since Fantasy Era and now with the current Kingdoms theme.
Some might know me from Eurobricks, some might not. - It's not important.
Around here I'd like to be Kim who has a thing for Classic Castle and I do hope to eventually have the time to do some MOC's that I can share and get some good and constructive feedback on.
Thanks for letting me in and thanks for all those awesome guides available through classic-castle.com


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Paul Shanley, 2002 News
Catholic priest, was arrested in May in San Diego and charged with three counts of child rape. He was extradited to Massachusetts, where he had served as a priest for 30 years. He was indicted in June in Massachusetts on charges of raping four children between 1979 and 1989. Documents released in April by the Boston archdiocese revealed that Shanley was a member of the North American Man-Boy Love Association and that archdiocese officials repeatedly transferred him from parish to parish, despite knowing that he was a child molester.


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Daniel Ginsberg, MD, FACP
I'm an internal medicine physician and have avidly applied computers to medicine since 1986, when I wrote my first medically oriented computer programs. So yes, that means I'm at least 35-years-old!
Search Site
Recent Posts
- More COVID-19 Coronavirus Thoughts
- First Thoughts on Coronavirus From a Primary Care Physician
- TV Ad with Unintended Medical Humor
- New Dietary Guidelines Ignore Science
- Aspirin – Questioning Established Wisdom
- Medical Pricing Transparency via Non-Transparent Rule
- National Guideline Clearinghouse Goes Kaput
- Fever – Hot Off the Press
- Drawing Lessons From a Disaster
- Wasting Resources – A Day in the Life of Yours Truly
- As If I Have Nothing Better To Do
- Trying to Destroy Healthcare the Ostrich Way
- Regulators Asleep at the Wheel
- Politicians Playing Doctor
- Exploring Cuba – Part 2
- Exploring Cuba – Part 1
- Presidential Politics and Influenza Vaccinations
- ICD-10 Keeps Getting More Painful
- Remote Globe Puppy
- Let's be Clear on ClariSpray
- Healthy Snacks
- The Medical Paperwork Reduction Act
- Trump the Bureaucracy
- Gluteus Maximus
- Disabled Parking and Needless Paperwork
- An ICD-9 Story
- Going Viral is Bad for Your Health
- Medicare Audits – Or How I Spent Part of Labor Day Weekend
- Asinine Associations
- Sesame Chicken
- A High Tech Call Schedule
- Medicare Payment Formula Finally Changed – Win or Loss?
- Healthy Kitchens, Healthy Lives
- Patient Satisfaction / Physician Dissatisfaction
- January Resolutions
- When is DNR not DNR?
- FMLA Paperwork
- Epic SmartPhrases
- How to Get Rich – A Guide for Pharmaceutical Companies
- Quitting Smoking and Happiness
Tag Archives: Buckley
Pierce County Medical Society Website Launch
I'm proud to announce that today the Pierce County Medical Society (PCMS) went live with a newly redone website. I've been working on it for over a year. There is a lot to see on the site. I've created a … Continue reading
Posted in Community, Informatics Tagged Auburn, Bonney Lake, Buckley, Carbonado, DuPont, Eatonville, Edgewood, Enumclaw, Fife, Fircrest, Gig Harbor, informatics, Lakewood, Puyallup, Tacoma, University Place 2 Comments


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Accounting app for businesses
Manage your finances wherever you go, with the Zoho Books mobile app.
Add Zoho Books widget to your Android app's home screen and quickly create invoices, expenses and log time.
Snap pictures of your expense receipts with your phone and attach them to the expenses you've recorded.
Why log out and log in every time? Create a pass code lock for your app for an easy, fast login.
See how well your business is doing by running reports on how much you've made and expenses you've incurred, all with a single tap.
Create and send invoices to your customers with a single touch, and record payments as soon as your customers pay you.
Effortlessly track your reimbursable expenses. Snap and attach images of expense receipts and immediately bill them to your clients.
All it takes is a single glance at the dashboard to see how your business is doing.
Track time and tasks for your projects easily by logging the time you spent on a task, for accurate recording of billable hours.
Send out invoices, estimates and account statements to customers with our iMessage app.
With the help of GPS and Apple Maps, track the distance you travel and turn it into an expense.
Set reminders for your transactions using Siri's contextual reminders.
Using 3D Touch, you can now get a quick sense of the specifics of a transaction. You can also create a new transaction right from the home screen.
Zoho Books mobile app is a supplement to the web based Zoho Books application. If you already have an account with Zoho Books, you can download the app for free, sign in to your Zoho Books account and carry on with your accounting. You can also check out the pricing here.
Yes, you can track time spent on a project and bill your clients from within the app.
Yes, you can track time spent on a project using the mobile app.
No, you cannot edit the templates from the mobile app. However, you have the option to choose the template of your choice from the gallery of templates we offer and later edit it using the web app.
Yes, Zoho Books mobile apps support transaction in multiple currencies.
Yes, with Zoho Books mobile app, you can create recurring transactions.
Find out how Zoho Books helps with small business accounting.
India - 18005726671
(Monday - Friday 9:00AM to 7:00PM)


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Enable data-driven decisions throughout your business
Automation is the key to a faster, more efficient data analytics pipeline. Find out how you can implement data workload automation consistently throughout your complex environment—every tier, cloud, server, and mainframe. Highlights of this on-demand webinar presented by BMC and Wikibon include:
- How to automate both batch and real-time data workloads using the same tool set
- Storing and managing reusable automation processes, workflow, and orchestration
- Metrics for assessing the ROI of data management automation


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When you visit Brattleboro, Vermont whether for business or pleasure, be sure to stay at our hotel. Enjoy being pampered and treated like family when you spend your time here. We are a local family owned hotel with a commitment to healthy living in our community and the beautiful state of VT. Our location is convenient yet quiet. Our hotel is on a lush 7 acres of lawn and trees in a peaceful setting away from the highway.
We are unique to other hotels in Vermont and the Brattleboro area. We'll take care of all your needs from comfortable rooms, delicious dining to a spa that will melt your worries away. You'll only need to leave the hotel to explore the stunning view Vermont has to offer. When compared to other hotels, you can't beat our hospitality and quiet familiar atmosphere.
Start planning your trip to Brattleboro, VT today and reserve your room with our hotel. Book a room online now using our easy online reservations system or contact us, our staff would love to help. We look forward to seeing you at our hotel in Brattleboro, Vermont soon!


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Video feature: 'Princeton Orange Bowl'
The juice might have been virtual but the competition was real when Princeton undergraduates recently kicked off the annual Princeton Orange Bowl — or "OJ Game" — an event in which teams compete to build the best virtual orange juice business. In a single grueling day after extensive preparation, groups of students buy and sell virtual orange or orange juice futures, sign contracts, and arrange for manufacturing, shipping and storage. From a computerized control room, a group of faculty and graduate students monitor the students' progress and throw the occasional cold front or orange blight their way.
"The game allows people to learn to not only solve difficult analytical problems, but to also do so in teams," said Warren Powell, a professor of operations research and financial engineering who has run the event for more than 15 years. "At the end of the day, it really boils down to how well they work together."
The competition, highlighted in this video, is the culmination of the students' efforts in "Operations and Information Engineering," a senior-level course that focuses on applying mathematical analysis to complex systems.
"We have been working now for two or three months on this game, spent some late nights," said Will Harrel, the leader of the HarrelsBarrels team.
Although the game forces the students to think on their feet, Powell said, they have to crunch the numbers to be successful.
"You cannot win this game by luck," Powell said. "You have to do analysis. It's careful planning and execution that wins."


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Help Make a Difference
We've made it really fun and easy for you to raise donations using our cool online tool! You can setup your own Kids Heart Challenge Web page with a photo or video and email it to friends and family to ask for their support. Donations can be made directly to your personal Web page and you can watch your progress! Be sure to ask your parents for their help.
Join your school team online and you'll be on your way to making a Web page and saving lives!


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Blessing of Light
This photo is entitle "Blessing of Light" because of the gratitude I felt after taking this image. Soon after this was taken the entire state of Hawaii went on lock down because of the Coronavirus. Beautiful days like this should be cherished.
From the Mountain to the Sea
Aerial view of Olowalu Plantation with the West Maui Mountains in the background.
The Radiance at Napili Bay
A warm glow from the tropical sunset blankets the entire Napili Bay.
A Kihei Dream
A glowing sunset on the dreamy shores of Kihei Maui.
Morning Above Mokoli'i
Kihei Daydream
A sunny afternoon on the shores of Kihei, Maui.
Royal Kaanapali
Sunset at Maui's famous Kaanapali Beach.
Kapalua Forever
Aerial image of one of the most amazing beaches on Maui, Kapalua Bay.
Light at the End of Tunnels Beach
The King's Sunset
Sunset on the shores of Makena, Maui
A Morning in Paradise
Daybreak fills the air with a radiant glow on the shores of Hana, Maui.
Pele's Cove
Morning glow radiates a seclude red sand beach on the island of Maui.
A warm glow fills the crater of Haleakala National Park at twilight.
The Darkness and the Light
Dawn breaks through the dense cloud cover overlooking a black volcanic sand beach on the island of Maui.
With single photo in a 1960 National Geographic article, that compared the Kalalau Valley to Shangri-la, the magazine inspired a pilgrimage that continues today. With and amazing view like this, it is easy to understand why.
Lazy Palm Tree
Thick layers of storm clouds cleared to a few minute to reveal a blue sky and the sun rising between the Twin Islands, Na Mokulua.
Akaka Falls
A clearing through the dense rainforest reveals the towering 442 foot tall Akaka Falls.
Hale Honu
As I was exploring the rocky shoreline of west of Maui I found the most amazing cave I have ever seen. A large cavity formed perfectly into the rocky shoreline, which was filled with a bale of green sea turtles. The opening of the cave lined up perfectly with the sun. At sunset a soft orange glow filled the inside of the cave, reflecting a warm light on the wet shells of the turtles. And just as the sun was about to fall below the horizon, a pair turtles decided to make their way back to the ocean. A perfect moment captured in time.
The Windward Coast of Oahu is just a short drive away from the busy streets of Honolulu, but the scenery is worlds apart. The sheer cliffs of the Ko'olau Mountain Range provided a perfect backdrop for this amazing sunrise.
New Aina
Waves collide with molten streams of Lava on Hawaii Island.
Mama's House
Palm trees sway on the breezy North Shore, in front of the famous Mama's Fish House restaurant.


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|Home • Register • FAQ • Search • Buy VIP • Rules • Login
Forum rules
You are not allowed to spam in ban/unban requests. You may only reply if:
- You can help clearing the situation up, or
- You have something important to add.
Remember that it's always necessary to have some proof (screenshots or a demo) to prove your point.
Please do not reply if you only want to express your opinion whether or not the request is worth being accepted.


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Linssen Yachts, Linssen Yachts Belgium and Jonkers Yachts invite you to the 28th Belgian Boat Show in Flanders Expo – GENT.
This year we will participate with a Linssen Grand Sturdy 290 Sedan and Grand Sturdy 410 AC.
Visit the website of Belgian Boat Show for more information.
Discount tickets are available on the Boat Shows website
Attention: The Belgian Boat Show is divided into two weekends: 11.02-13.02 & 17.02-19.02.2017


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Patient approach to serve Cubs well at Meetings
Looking to fill needs, Epstein sticking to plan of building talented foundation
CHICAGO -- Each day at the Winter Meetings, someone from a team's front office meets with the media for a daily briefing. Theo Epstein, Cubs president of baseball operations, has been the focus of several of these sessions. He's ready.
"I can give you the answer now," Epstein said when asked about his answer next week at baseball's annual winter gathering. "'Nothing quite yet, but we're working on something and when we have something to announce, we'll let you know.'"
The Cubs do have areas to address as they prepare for the 2014 season and try to rebound from a last-place finish in the National League Central. They're in the market for another starting pitcher, more relief help -- including a closer -- and another outfielder, preferably a right-handed bat.
New manager Rick Renteria hasn't placed any demands on Epstein or general manager Jed Hoyer about what he'd like on the roster, but they'll talk during the meetings, held in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
Epstein is sticking to his plan of rebuilding the organization and creating a foundation of talented players. Fans just have to be patient while top prospects Javier Baez, Kris Bryant and C.J. Edwards develop. One thing Epstein won't have to answer is whether the Cubs are involved in bidding wars for high-priced free agents.
"We feel the same frustration [as Cubs fans]," Epstein said of the last two seasons, which have resulted in 197 losses combined, "but I think I'd be really compromising the organization if we decided just because we were frustrated and people around us were frustrated that we would scrap the plan and try to add some things cosmetically to make it look better than it really is.
"There's a really high bar we're aiming for and we know we're going to get there and it's going to be sustainable," he said.
Club needs
Rotation: The Cubs have Jeff Samardzija -- for now -- plus Travis Wood, Edwin Jackson and Jake Arrieta. They'll look at Carlos Villanueva, Chris Rusin and Justin Grimm for the rotation as well. But Epstein and Hoyer also are looking to add another starter. Whether that pitcher stays for the entire season or is flipped at the Trade Deadline will depend on the Cubs' performance in late July.
Bullpen: There's an opening for a closer, and Epstein is hoping that dangling that job will be enticing to pitchers. The Cubs added another lefty on Wednesday when they signed free agent Wesley Wright to a one-year, $1.425 million deal. That should ease the workload on James Russell. Hector Rondon, acquired in the Rule 5 Draft last year, has emerged as a possible right-handed setup candidate along with Pedro Strop.
"There are pitchers we have on the roster who we feel comfortable pitching the ninth inning," Epstein said, "but at the same time, it's a nice carrot to be able to dangle to free agents. Maybe we can't match another team in some areas, but here we can give them the responsibility of the ninth inning and the marketability of the ninth inning and see if we can use that to an advantage to build a better bullpen."
Bench: According to a study by Hardball Talk, the Cubs' bench outperformed the regulars and ranked second in the Major Leagues in WAR. Last year, Nate Schierholtz platooned in right, and the Cubs could use a right-handed-hitting outfielder to share that spot. Junior Lake is the only right-handed-hitting outfielder projected to be a regular, and he's still learning the position.
Leadoff man: New hitting coach Bill Mueller has a tough assignment. Epstein wants the Cubs to lead the National League in on-base percentage sooner rather than later. There isn't a clear-cut leadoff man on the current roster, and the Cubs could simply go with what they have or try to find that David DeJesus-type batter who grinds out each plate appearance.
Who they can trade if necessary
Samardzija: Samardzija may want to turn off his phone as his name will be mentioned often in trade rumors. The right-hander is exactly what the Cubs want -- a young, power arm who is under team control for two more years. But he also may be the missing piece for a team that feels it is closer to the postseason than the Cubs are. He has been durable, reached 200 in strikeouts and innings pitched for the first time and is a gamer. What's not to like? Epstein has said Samardzija is just the type of pitcher they want and would like to sign him to a long-term deal. If Samardzija is traded, the Cubs will want significant players in return as they continue the rebuilding process.
Where are discussions between the team and the pitcher?
"It's in the same place it's been," Epstein said. "There's mutual interest. The situation sometimes makes things tough."
Outfielders Josh Vitters and Brett Jackson: Vitters and Jackson were the Cubs' first-round Draft picks in 2007 and '09, respectively. Both have been hindered by injuries. Both also might benefit from a change of scenery. Epstein and Co. have shown they don't feel the need to hold onto picks from the previous Cubs regime -- they dealt Andrew Cashner to the Padres -- so they could move the two.
Top prospects
The Cubs' top 10 prospects, per MLB.com, are Baez, Albert Almora, Jorge Soler, Bryant, Mike Olt, Arodys Vizcaino, Pierce Johnson, Arismendy Alcantara, Matt Szczur and Dan Vogelbach. Of that group, Olt could be the Cubs' starting third baseman on Opening Day and Vizcaino, who has been rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, might be in the bullpen. The rest are part of the future, and teams shouldn't bother asking about Baez, Almora, Soler and Bryant. They're the core four.
Rule 5 Draft
The Cubs selected a pitcher in each of the last two Rule 5 Drafts, and did not plan on taking anyone this year. Because of a grievance filed by the Phillies, they lost their pick. The Cubs selected right-hander Lendy Castillo from Philadelphia's organization in 2011. Castillo spent most of the 2012 season on the disabled list with a groin injury, and appeared in 13 games for the Cubs. Any player selected in the Rule 5 Draft must stay on a team's active roster for the entire season. To prevent abuse of the Draft, the player selected must be active for at least 90 days. That keeps teams from selecting players and placing them on the disabled list for the majority of the season. Castillo missed 91 days in 2012, and spent all of the 2013 season in the Minor Leagues. The Phillies now have the Cubs' selection in the Rule 5 Draft as compensation.
Big contracts they might unload
Epstein and Hoyer trimmed the payroll when they dealt Alfonso Soriano to the Yankees last year (and will be paying $14 million in 2014 to cover a portion of the last year of the deal). The only large contract remaining is Jackson's, which will pay him $13 million each of the next three seasons. Jackson is durable but also led the Major Leagues in losses last season, which would make him tough to move.
Payroll summary
The Cubs tendered contracts to seven of their arbitration-eligible players, which could cost about $19 million total, according to MLBTradeRumors.com. They have another $36 million committed to Jackson ($13 million), Starlin Castro ($5.857 million), Villanueva ($5 million), Kyuji Fujikawa ($4.5 million), Soler ($2.666 million), Anthony Rizzo ($1.536 million), and Ryan Sweeney ($1.5 million). The team had hoped to generate additional revenue through advertising on a new video scoreboard and other signage at Wrigley Field, but those projects have been delayed as the Cubs deal with the rooftop owners. Bottom line, Epstein has a tight budget.


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In one of our battles in DnD Next, I had some bugbears hiding in trees trying to attack the players.
The bugbear rolled a 21 on its attempt to hide. Four of the players rolled less than 21 on their wisdom, but one character rolled a 22.
The bugbear has a "bushwhack" attack, which does an extra 2d6 damage to characters from which it is hidden.
This question has three parts:
- Since the character who saw the bugbear hide declared to the group that the bugbear hid in the trees, does that mean that everyone now knows where the bugbear is?
- Does the bushwhack damage apply to any of the characters?
- Can the Bugbear know which PC not to attack, because it knows that he was spotted (the character shouted it out) vs. the other PCs from whom it is supposedly hidden?
In general, how does this work?


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cruisedirect brauchte ein neues Website Design und hat einen Wettbewerb auf 99designs gestartet.
Aus 28 Designs von 11 Designern wurde eine Gewinner gewählt.
UPDATE: We showed the designs during a development meeting, and the decision has been made to only show the inside price. Therefore, we no longer require the pricing for oceanview, suite, or balcony cabins.
We will also no longer require that the "pod" expand open to show more pricing from different websites. Instead, we would like to place the names of the alternate websites, with their lowest inside price, at the bottom of the pod. This is similar to how kayak.com displays alternate pricing for their hotels (if anyone wants to see an example).
Hello All!
We are a new travel company that is launching a meta-search site, à la kayak.com. Our focus will be on cruises, so we need a template that can incorporate all the necessary product information alongside search parameters, and with additional room for advertising space.
Our engine is going to allow users to dynamically refine their search results. Therefore, we need a clean, simple, fast-loading design to accommodate the AJAX functionality that will power the on-the-fly resorting of data.
As I mentioned before, kayak.com is the site we like the most. If you go to their cruise section and do a search, you'll see that their results page is a 3 column template with the search criteria on the side, the results in the middle, and ad space on the right. They also have room for one ad on the top of the page, and ads at the bottom.
We think this is the best and easiest way to present data to users, but if you have some totally new and awesome idea about how to arrange those elements, we are open to it!
Note: all of the "filters" on the left side of kayak will be the same on our site.
Additionally, we will need a layout for the individual result "pods". Again, the kayak ones are good, but we feel they could be improved upon.
We will be using all the "pod" elements that kayak is using EXCEPT for: ratings, itinerary, maps, stateroom pictures, and those 3 little icons they have on the right side of the pod. When the user expands the pod, the only thing they'll see is alternative pricing for other sites where they can purchase the same cruise.
We'd like it if the preferred supplier is more clearly highlighted in the top part of the pod. Also, if the "interior, oceanview, balcony" pricing could all be on one line, that would be great. A call to action button like "Go!" or "Purchase!" or something similar in the top part of the pod is a must.
Phew, I know that seems like that lot that I just typed up, but I wanted to try and be as specific as possible. If anyone has questions still, please, don't hesitate to ask!
We will be providing feedback for ALL designs submitted, however we will do them in bulk. So if you don't see something up right away for your design this weekend, never fear! Comments will be posted next week.
Thanks in advance to everyone who submits!
- Simple, clean, fast-loading
- Well organised and easy to read
- We are open to all colour schemes, as long as they don't distract from the results.
- We want a full screen width for browers that are set at a 1024x768 resolution
- Nothing cluttered or overly designed
- Nothing that makes it harder for the user to refine their results or understand how to refine their results


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Flight of the Butterflies. Opens October 1 in Imax theaters. This 3-D documentary tells the story of Fred Urquhart, the late founder of Monarch Watch and one of the first researchers to discover where the butterflies overwinter in Mexico. The documentary follows monarchs as they migrate from Mexico to Canada and back again.
Recommended: Also Notable
This article was originally published with the title "Recommended: Also Notable" in Scientific American 307, 4, 90-91 (October 2012)


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Story highlights
- Palestinian activists set up a protest village in an area slated for Israeli settlement
- Israeli authorities ordered them to leave; police executed that order early Sunday
- More than 60 activists were taken into custody, then later released, police say
- Critical Palestinian leaders say the settlements would cut the West Bank in two
Hundreds of Israeli police swarmed a makeshift Palestinian protest camp early Sunday morning, taking dozens of activists into custody for questioning before releasing them later.
The operation marked the latest saga in the bitter back-and-forth over Israel's settlement activity in the West Bank.
The camp, which protesters dubbed Bab Alshams, sprung up Thursday, in a roughly 12-square kilometer (5-square mile) area Israel has dubbed E1.
In recent weeks, Israel has signaled its intention to construct settlements in the area. Some international leaders have criticized such a plan, as have Palestinian leaders who say it would slice the West Bank in two, cutting it off from the proposed Palestinian capital of East Jerusalem.
Mid-day Friday, Israeli authorities gave the protesters 24 hours to leave the site, according to Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld. Israel's high court issued an order for the activists' evacuation late Saturday night.
"The notices were given out to all the activists here that they were trespassing," Rosenfeld said.
Shortly after midnight, more than 500 police officers descended on Bab Alshams to carry out the evacuation order. More than 60 protesters were taken into custody.
Around 5 a.m. Sunday (10 p.m. ET Saturday), all those detained had been released, said activist Abir Kopty.
Six protesters were injured when officers punched them in the face, according to the Popular Struggle Coordination Committee, the organizers of the Bab Alshams protest camp.
"Even though we were evicted, our strength was apparent since the police needed hundreds and hundreds of special unit police officers," the organizers said.
"This is not the end of the popular struggle and it will continue in its full strength."
Rosenfeld denied there were injuries.
"People were taken out carefully one by one," he said.
The protest camp -- consisting of chanting activists and tents dotting an otherwise barren hilltop -- sprung up due to Israel's recently announced plans to build 3,000 housing units in East Jerusalem and the West Bank. Construction in the E1 would be an expansion of Ma'ale Adumim, one of Israel's largest West Bank settlements which already has about 40,000 people.
"We are taking back this area, that is private Palestinian land, and building our own village," said activist Irene Nasser. "We can just look over (at other Israeli settlements) and see what this land might potentially look like, if we don't actually (take) things into our own hands."
Ma'ale Adumim's Mayor Benny Kashriel has cheered this possibility, saying, "This place, this residential neighborhood, it is in the Ma'ale Adumim municipality, part of ... government land."
But many internationally have condemned further expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, of which there are 137 (with about 325,000 residents), according to the settlement monitoring group Peace Now.
Numerous countries -- including Britain, Denmark, France, Spain, Sweden, Australia and Egypt -- summoned Israel's ambassador to hear criticism of the decision, announced late last year, to move forward with the settlement plans.
The Palestinians' chief negotiator Saeb Erakat said such a settlement will dash any hopes of a "two-state solution" -- with Israel and an independent Palestinian nation, living together in peace.
"There is no chance for a Palestinian state," Erakat has said. "Anyone who looks at the map, looks at the geography will know exactly that this decision means there is no more two-state solution."


text: Human & Community Services Division Human & Community Services Division The mission of the Human and Community Services Division (HCSD) of the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services is to support the strengths of families and communities by promoting employment and providing the assistance necessary to help families and individuals meet basic needs and work their way out of poverty. The division provides cash assistance, employment training, supplemental nutrition assistance (formerly food stamps), Medicaid, child care, meal reimbursement, nutrition training, energy assistance, weatherization, and other services to help families move out of poverty and toward self-support. Cash assistance is funded by a federal block grant called Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). The program provides monthly payments to low-income families and children who meet income and resource eligibility standards. The Pathways Program provides employment and training services to individuals receiving cash assistance. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly the Food Stamp Program) provides benefits to eligible families to supplement their food budget and increase their ability to purchase healthy foods. A SNAP Nutrition Education (SNAP-Ed), operated jointly with Montana State University, teaches participants to use their food stamp benefits wisely. The division determines eligibility for more than 38 Medicaid programs for children, pregnant women, the elderly, the disabled, and other eligible adults. Through its child care programs, HCSD helps low-income working and TANF families pay for child care so they can work or take advantage of training and educational opportunities that prepare them for work. It also helps child-care providers improve their quality of care by providing training incentives, mentoring, and grant programs. The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) Montana's Early Childhood Services Bureau and its Best Beginnings quality child care programs recognize nutrition as an important element in child care. The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) is the State agency's child nutrition, administrative and financial expertise that provides policy and guidance for menus, meals and food service management in child care. The CACFP provides reimbursement for meals served in participating institutions when those meals meet federal US Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulations and align with the current Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The CACFP is available to infants, children, and impaired or older adults enrolled in institutions that participate in the CACFP. Eligible institutions are family day care homes, child care centers, afterschool and outside school hours facilities, adult day care facilities, and emergency shelters. The Head Start State Collaboration project provides a vital link between Head Start and state programs to help build early childhood systems and access to comprehensive services and support for all low-income children. The Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP) provides heating assistance to low-income people, while The Weatherization Program supplies the labor and materials needed to make homes more energy efficient. Through its Commodities Distribution Program, HCSD delivers nutritional foods to Montana 's Indian reservations, food banks, emergency-feeding organizations, and senior centers. It also provides monthly food packages to low-income women, children, and seniors. The division administers a federal Community Services Block Grant to fund local projects aimed at addressing the causes of poverty, as well as a Homeless Grant to help local shelters and Human Resource Development Councils provide lodging for individuals and families who are without, or at risk of being without, housing.


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Nell Davis never expected to be in the national spotlight at 64 years old. The California mother and grandmother never expected to be diagnosed with HIV, either. But she has become one of the new faces of HIV by being featured in the Frontline documentary Endgame on PBS and participating in several panels at AIDS 2012, the International AIDS Conference.
Davis tells her story with quiet dignity, and in the process she has become a voice for and a minister to other women "of a certain age" who find themselves navigating the waters of HIV.
The unlikely activist, who relies heavily on her faith to get her through, says that it became important to her to bring HIV education and awareness to her own church. "It wasn't easy. But I wouldn't give up," she says. "The pastor at the time was reluctant to take this on. But after we got a new minister, I went to him and asked about setting up an HIV/AIDS ministry." His response, she says, was conditional. "He said that we could do it if I promised to lead it. And I did," she added with the smile of a woman committed to making good things happen.
Across the country, Black women make up 60 percent of all new infections among women, most acquiring the disease through heterosexual contact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And while HIV education and awareness campaigns focus on Black women ages 18 to 34, women in their 40s and beyond are not always getting the message of safer sex and testing.
Between 1988 and 2001, the rate of HIV infection in women ages 50 to 59 rose by 56 percent. In women 60 to 65, HIV doubled by 53 percent, and in women over 65, the rates tripled. Currently, women over age 50 make up 10 percent of women living with HIV.
There are many reasons that the rates among older women continue to rise. Many Black women who are 40 and older do not see themselves at risk and don't take precautions like using condoms. In addition, the older woman's physiology may put her at increased risk. Menopausal and postmenopausal women often experience vaginal-wall thinning and dryness, which could cause small tears and create more opportunities for HIV to permeate the vagina and enter the system. Advocates say that creating more effective education and awareness for older women will help, as will building a safety net for the growing number of women who have to figure out what to do after they hear "You have HIV/AIDS."
But Davis says that it isn't always easy to find support services and help for those women. "Even though I was shocked by the news, I read everything I could get my hands on," she says.
"My doctor said, 'Trust me,' and that was hard. I had already trusted my life to my husband, who knew he had HIV before we got married and didn't tell me, " she says. But she has formed a partnership with her medical team. "I had a hard time at first, but I decided that I was going to live."
Kaye McDuffie works at Lansing Area AIDS Network in Michigan, working primarily with Black and Latino people living with AIDS, as well as doing awareness, outreach and advocacy to prevent HIV/AIDS. She spends a lot of time talking to women in their 40s and beyond about protecting themselves. "Women over 40 are definitely at risk, and few understand that risk. Being married or in a committed relationship is no guarantee that you are not at risk," McDuffie says. Sometimes the women have no idea that their partners are engaged in other relationships, she adds.
Davis's story is repeating itself with other women of color around the country. Daphne Robinson had to navigate the waters of dating after she and her husband of 20 years divorced. She fell in love with, and moved in with, a man several years later. "It was one day, when I was cleaning up the house, that I found some loose pills on the floor. And as far as I knew, he wasn't on any medication," she says. After taking the pill to her pharmacist to find out what it was, she got shocking news. "The pill was for AIDS, and my pharmacist told me that I should get tested right away, and I did," she says. "But I just knew the answer."
Two years after Robinson got her HIV-positive diagnosis, she got enrolled in services and started taking medications. "I was ashamed, and the stigma was overwhelming," she says. She has obtained support and guidance from other women who attend the clinic she goes to for medical care. Hearing from them helped her step out to support other women through groups. "I didn't do anything wrong. I just loved someone," she says.
In addition to using protection, testing is key for all women. Sexually active women should be tested for HIV at least once a year. An estimated 20 percent of the 1.1 million people living with HIV/AIDS do not know that they have the disease. Treatment has proved to be lifesaving and can prevent the transmission of the virus to others.
The next real horizon for Black women, no matter what their age, is creating both formal and informal networks and lifting the stigmas that keep them from accessing care. "Sheroes" like Nell Davis are becoming the voices for Black women who have been all but forgotten in this epidemic.
Andrea King Collier is a multimedia health journalist and lead author of The Black Woman's Guide to Black Men's Health_._


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ALEX Toys Dot To Dot Sidewalk Chalk (4+1)
by ALEX Toys
Please check your favorite toy retailer for availability. Prices may vary.
Buy Online:
Product Description
Chalk isn't just for chalkboards! These 4 polka-dotted, multi-colored chalk sticks are perfect for sidewalks, chalk boards and construction paper, too. Comes with a convenient, bright red chalk holder to keep little hands chalk free.
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UCCLE - THE TERRACES OF GATTI are located in a green setting, 500 meters away from the community house of Uccle. You will enjoy unobstructed views overlooking the green valley of "Ukkelbeek", landscaped gardens, as well as the proximity to all facilities. A stone's throw from your home, the "Xavier de Bue" district offers a multitude of local shops, small quality restaurants, as well as its charming artisanal and organic Sunday market. A few meters further, you can find different means of transport. In the finely furnished apartments you will appreciate the comfort of an energy-efficient building. The quality of the construction provided by the "Louis Dewaele" companies and the refinement of the architecture are also an obvious guarantee of the sustainability and durability of your investment. The situation and the environment of this project are undoubtedly an added value for the future.
"The Terraces of Gatti", the perfect harmony between the advantages of city life and the tranquility of nature.
> Cellar included & possibility to purchase a parking spot.
> Delivery : immediately
> PEB Certification : Class B
TREVI GROUP 02.340.24.73 – email@example.com – www.trevi.be


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Israel says it won't release Palestinian prisoners
April 03, 2014
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel on Thursday abruptly called off a release of Palestinian prisoners, sending U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry's troubled Mideast peace efforts further into a tailspin.
The Israeli announcement, made in reaction to a renewed Palestinian push for membership in United Nations agencies, deepened the crisis in U.S.-led peace talks and made Kerry's goal of extending negotiations past a late-April dateline a more distant possibility.
Israel's chief negotiator, Tzipi Livni, said the Palestinians' decision to seek accession to 15 international conventions through the U.N. violated the terms of the promised prisoner release, which would have been the fourth since talks resumed last summer. The Palestinians submitted their applications after Israel failed to carry out the release, as promised, by the end of March. Israel carried out the first three prisoner releases, but balked at the final one without assurances that the Palestinians would extend negotiations.
"New conditions were established and Israel cannot release the fourth batch of prisoners," Livni said in a statement. In Washington, White House spokesman Jay Carney said the Israeli move "creates problems" but that U.S.-mediated efforts to bring the sides together were continuing. "Neither side has indicated that they want to walk away from the talks," Carney said.
"Despite the fact that there has been some progress, there is still a gap, and the Israelis and Palestinians must decide whether they will take the necessary steps to close that gap," he added. "The United States cannot impose an agreement on either side."
Earlier Thursday, a frustrated Kerry exhorted leaders on both sides to "lead" and to do so now to prevent the negotiations from collapsing. Kerry called it a "critical moment" for the peace process and vowed to continue his efforts "no matter what." But he added there are limits to what the Obama administration can do to push the parties together and said it would be a "tragedy" if the talks failed.
"You can facilitate, you can push, you can nudge, but the parties themselves have to make fundamental decisions and compromises," he said, speaking in Algeria, where he was participating in strategic security talks. "The leaders have to lead and they have to be able to see a moment when it's there."
Under heavy pressure from Kerry, Israel and the Palestinians resumed peace talks last July, agreeing to a nine-month negotiating period with the aim of reaching a final peace deal. With little to show for his efforts, Kerry is now trying to broker a more modest "framework" agreement, in hopes of extending talks past the April 29 deadline through the end of the year to complete a deal.
Under the original negotiating formula, Israel promised to release 104 long-serving Palestinian prisoners in four groups, while the Palestinians put on hold their campaign for joining U.N. agencies. After the Palestinians won acceptance as a nonmember state at the U.N. General Assembly in 2012, they now qualify for membership in dozens of international agencies. Israel says that joining these bodies is an attempt to bypass negotiations. It also fears the Palestinians will use their newfound status to push an anti-Israel agenda.
The Palestinians say the final release was already promised and should not be connected to any other issue. U.S. officials have also said that Israel was expected to carry out the release. The prisoner issue is emotional on both sides after decades of conflict. Palestinians view the roughly 5,000 people held by Israel as heroes in their struggle regardless of the reason for their imprisonment — even when their crimes involved grisly killings. In Israel, they are widely seen as terrorists. The prisoners involved in the latest releases were convicted of bloody attacks on Israeli civilians, and the scenes of them returning home to jubilant celebrations have angered the Israeli public.
Naftali Bennett, a hard-line Israeli Cabinet minister, said Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas "has blown up the peace talks." "If he wants to go to the U.N., I will buy him the ticket and there he will face a personal lawsuit for war crimes for daily supporting the killers of women and children," he told Channel 2 TV.
The Palestinians condemned the Israeli announcement. "Israel didn't fulfill the agreement sponsored by the U.S. concerning the release … of prisoners in return for the Palestinian Authority not going to the U.N," said Issa Qaraqe, the minister for prisoner affairs.
At the same time, Palestinian officials say they will not formally break off the negotiations before April 29, the U.S. target date for a framework agreement, because they don't want to be blamed for derailing Kerry's mission.
The Palestinian decision to apply to 15 international conventions this week prompted Kerry to cancel a planned return to the region. It remains unclear if or when he will come back on his current overseas trip. U.S. officials have been in touch with the sides to find a formula to extend the talks that could include an additional prisoner release and a freeze to some Israeli settlement construction on lands the Palestinians want for a state. The U.S. has dangled the possibility of freeing Jonathan Pollard, a convicted American spy, as an incentive to Israel.
In his first public comments since cancelling a trip to the West Bank, Kerry made his impatience clear, but acknowledged he could not force the sides to continue the talks, let alone resolve their decades-old conflict.
He recalled the old adage that you can lead a horse to water but can't make it drink. "Now is the time to drink," Kerry said. "The leaders need to know that."
Associated Press writers Matthew Lee in Algiers, Algeria, and Mohammed Daraghmeh in Ramallah, West Bank, contributed to this report.


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Seaking is very protective of its eggs. The male and female will take turns patrolling around their nest and eggs. The guarding of eggs by these Pokémon goes on for over a month.
In the autumn, Seaking males can be seen performing courtship dances in riverbeds to woo females. During this season, this Pokémon's body coloration is at its most beautiful.
Boosts the Pokémon's Speed stat in rain.
Prevents the Pokémon from getting a burn.
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By Marlena De Lacroix a.k.a. Connie Passalacqua Hayman
General Hospital: Wasn't the death of Edward Quartermaine nicely handled? As visiting grandson Ned said in a toast: "There will never be another Edward Quartermaine." This was also a tribute to the late John Ingle, the great actor who long played the role (originated by David Lewis.) Perhaps the saddest scene soap history-wise was the agonized exclamation of Tracy at the family crypt: "There was always the four of us, including Edward, Lila, and Alan, and now there's only me." All in all., a fond farewell to daytime's most feisty family, iconic because they were perhaps just a bit like yours and definitely just like mine: endearing but dysfunctional and fighting all the time.
GH, Days of Our Lives, The Young and the Restless: As if to soften the blow, SoapNet gave us five rerun episodes of the Quartermaines on the family's traditional pizza-eating holiday, Thanksgiving, known to them as "Quartermainia."' Also giving us old episodes the day after Thanksgiving was Days of Our Lives (Susan's Elvis themed wedding) and The Young and the Restless (Nikki and Victor's second wedding.)
Don't you just love watching soap reruns? Most of all, there's the joy of seeing "friends," characters you spent years with, some long forgotten and now delightfully rediscovered. I'm an especially soft touch for characters who had heart, like GH's Laura and Tony Jones. But last week Marlena really enjoyed seeing her historic favorites, the humorous supporting characters like Reginald the footman on GH (whatever happened to him?), Alice the wrestler/maid and Foster and Annabelle, the Q dogs. They added spice to the famous Quartermaine family's comic brew.
Perhaps the most fun of watching reruns is to see characters and actors in their younger form. Weren't younger Vanessa Marcil and Ingo Rademacher just gorgeous [Read more…]