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The disgraced cop who used his NYPD badge to smuggle guns, slot machines and illegal cigarettes into the city was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison after begging for forgiveness from his family, friends and mostly the department he betrayed.
In halting breaths, Brooklyn cop William Masso, 47, wiped away tears in Manhattan federal court while admitting he threw away his career and pension by leading a $1 million-a-year contraband ring because he was "dumb."
"My actions have disgraced me, my family and friends and especially the New York City Police Department, which I consider my family," said the 19-year veteran cop who worked out of the 68th Precinct in Brooklyn.
"I started out with cigarettes, Your Honor, and I know it was wrong. Then it just spiraled out of control. It was a dumb thing to do," he said, breaking down in tears while clutching a rosary.
Masso was arrested last October as the leader of the badge-flashing smuggling gang — including four other active-duty cops, three retired officers, a city sanitation cop and a New Jersey correction officer and two other men — after a two-year FBI investigation. Masso pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges in February. All but one of the other suspects also pleaded guilty.
Masso, who boasted that he was the "general" of the dirty dozen, began transporting illegal cigarettes from Virginia and moved up to stolen slot machines at the behest of a confidential FBI informant.
He eventually graduated into transporting weapons — included one trip where he strategically displayed his NYPD jacket in the rear window of his car so he could easily smuggle a shotgun, three M16 rifles and 20 handguns, with scratched-off serial numbers, into the city.
"Masso was willing to use his badge in the commission of these crimes," Assistant US Attorney Carrie Cohen said. "He was the manager, the organizer."
The four rows of supporters, including his wife, three kids and 81-year-old father, and dozens of letters from friends and people he's helped rescue during his career couldn't save the fallen officer.
"He learned his lesson. He's a broken man. He's destitute. He did it to himself," his lawyer, Ronald Fischetti, told Judge John Koeltl.


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The Department for Social Development has proved to be extremely interesting and there is much that it can do to support projects and initiatives that enhance our quality of life in Northern Ireland. This was illustrated by a series of visits that I made last Thursday to Coleraine, Portrush and Lisburn.
The day started in the Ballysally estate in Coleraine, with a visit to Ballysally Primary School. I was welcomed by the principal Geoff Dunne and officials from Coleraine Borough Council and Coleraine Neighbourhood Partnership. After meeting some of the children at their assembly we went on to see the school's nurture unit. Ballysally is one of around ten schools in Northern Ireland with nurture units and DSD supports a number of these. This unit was established in 2004 as an interventionist strategy aimed at targeting social deprivation and was initially supported by Peace 11 funding but has been funded by DSD through Neighbourhood Renewal since 2006.
The programme affords the school the opportunity to engage with pupils, their parents and the community to address various needs such as social interaction and emotional, behavioural and parenting needs.
Additionally, the project seeks to develop a nurturing ethos throughout the school through a number of initiatives, including a breakfast club, and provides parents with opportunities to improve their skills, interaction and communication through initiatives such as parenting workshops.
Prior to the introduction of this programme, the school made 11 referrals per year to the Educational Psychology Service, 9 of which were for behavioural difficulties. In each year since the programme was introduced there have been just 3 referrals each year with only one of these for behavioural difficulties. There has also been a marked improvement in levels of attainment at Key stages 2 and 3 in English, with attainment at Level 2 rising from 65% to 75% and Level 3 rising from 13.04% to 18.75%. This certainly shows the value of investment in early intervention.
Since April 2011 the school has worked in collaboration with Ballysally Presbyterian Church, Sure Start and Focus on Family, a local nurturing and development centre, to deliver a joint nurturing service within the estate.
I was very impressed by the school and the nurture unit. This is certainly an example of DSD money being well spent.

subset: commoncrawl


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Archive for January 24, 2014
Wildlife in the Winter Garden
Did you know Smithsonian Gardens joined Audubon International's Cooperative Sanctuary Program? The goal is for the gardens and greenhouses at the Smithsonian to be designated as a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary. To become certified, Smithsonian Gardens has developed, implemented, and documented the results of an environment management plan in five key areas: site assessment and environmental planning, wildlife and habitat management, water, resource management, and outreach and education. We believe that Smithsonian Gardens has met (or in some cases exceeded) Audubon International's environmental management standards in all five areas. We are looking forward to a site visit from an Audubon International staff member to verify Smithsonian Gardens submission.
Below is a list of plants that you can find in the Smithsonian Gardens that are native to the mid-Atlantic region and provide food and shelter to wildlife during the winter months.
- Ilex glabra, also called inkberry, is an evergreen shrub with black fruit called drupes. The fruit, attractive to birds, appears September through March. You can find this shrub in the Urban Bird Habitat Garden at the National Museum of Natural History.
- Ilex opaca, known as American holly, can be found on the south side of the Smithsonian Castle in the Enid A. Haupt Garden. This large evergreen tree provides nesting opportunities for birds and small mammals as well as bright red berries to sustain our feathered friends during the cold winter months.
- Ilex verticillata is a deciduous holly often called winterberry. Birds really seem to enjoy these beautiful berries so don't forget that winterberries are dioecious, meaning that the berry-producing female plants need a male winterberry nearby to produce fruit. Look for Ilex verticillata on the north side of the National Air and Space Museum due east of the entrance.
- Lindera benzoin is called spicebush because of the spicy smell of the leaves when crushed. We grow this tree for its year-round wildlife value. This tree is a host plant for the Spicebush Swallowtail butterfly and the fruit is eaten by songbirds. You can find this understory shrub in the landscape of the National Museum of the American Indian as well as in the Butterfly Habitat Garden at the Natural History Museum.
- Rhus typhina 'Dissecta' or staghorn sumac as it is commonly called is not only a picturesque plant but a source of reddish brown seeds that are consumed by many birds and small mammals throughout the winter months. The staghorn sumac is also a host and nectar plant for both moths and butterflies which is why you can find it in our Butterfly Habitat Garden.
For more information on native plants for wildlife habitat: http://www.nps.gov/plants/pubs/chesapeake/pdf/chesapeakenatives.pdf
For more information about the Audubon International's Cooperative Sanctuary Program:
–Shelley Gaskins, Smithsonian Gardens Horticulturist, Green Team Member
January 24, 2014 at 7:30 am smithsoniangardens Leave a comment


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Friday, August 28, 2009
Truck Series Qualifying And ARCA/REMAX Race From Chicagoland
SPEED's truck series trio of Rick Allen, Michael Waltrip and Phil Parsons are back at 5PM ET with coverage of the qualifying from Chicagoland. Immediately following that will be the ARCA/REMAX series race.
The truck field is good, but just how many are there to race on this big track and how many are there to make some money and go home without even using one set of tires remains to be seen.
While there is one dance going on at the front of the field, there is another dance in progress at the tail end. Trucks battle to see who can remain on the track just one lap longer than the next "start and parker."
Hopefully, the fact that the Chicagoland race is on a off-weekend may make it possible for more of the teams who towed up North to run the race. This is good TV exposure for teams on a weekend before the real college and pro football seasons begin.
Click here for the truck series entry list from Jayski. A very diverse line-up.
Rick Allen and Phil Parsons will continue on SPEED to call the ARCA race. This duo has been very effective in getting viewers the behind-the-scenes information about what NASCAR owners and teams are really behind some of the ARCA drivers this season.
TDP will be live blogging the Camping World Truck Series event that starts at 8:30PM with Krista Voda and the pre-race show. In the meantime, please leave your comments on the qualifying program and ARCA race on this post.
To add your opinion, just click on the comments button below. This is a family friendly website, please keep that in mind when posting. Thanks for taking the time to stop by The Daly Planet.
9 comments:
- The Loose Wheel said...
Nice to actually see some Truck Series qualifying!
JD will you have a topic about the shift of Daytona 500 Coors Pole Qualifying at some point?
- August 28, 2009 at 5:12 PM
- Steve L. said...
S. Compton was on during qualifying talking about how they're running wide open around the track and that it will create some three wide racing tonight. He said the draft is also in play as well.
This could be some really good racing tonight! Wish it wasn't on so late, my only problem.
- August 28, 2009 at 5:25 PM
- Vicky D said...
Even Mikey mentioned the S&P'ers on the show tonight and the qualifying coverage on Speed is pretty good. They have more than a full field at Chicago which the truck series hasn't had in a real long time. Glad Brent Sherman had a nice qualifying run too.
- August 28, 2009 at 6:13 PM
- Anonymous said...
- August 28, 2009 at 6:22 PM
- Dot said...
Why aren't there more ARCA races shown on TV?
- August 28, 2009 at 6:34 PM
- Vicky D said...
JD - that picture above is fabulous I love it. We didn't like the "music" right before the green flag to the ARCA race. Fun race night as long as it doesn't rain! Glad AA is pit reporting and hope Parker wins the race although I like Ickler too!
- August 28, 2009 at 7:06 PM
- Daly Planet Editor said...
Hey all.
David, once the TV gets sorted out for that day I will update it.
Dot, pic is from MW on Twitter of those three playing golf on a day off.
ARCA has struggles on TV for a combination of factors. They just need a good media consultant.
- August 28, 2009 at 7:54 PM
- Daly Planet Editor said...
There is a new column up for the truck series race.
- August 28, 2009 at 8:15 PM
- Charlie said...
I hope they have a different director for the cameras work in the Truck race or we are in trouble.
- August 28, 2009 at 8:16 PM


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Nov 2014 / Moellner Rede im Exil – Speech of Moelln in Exile – Adetoun Kueppers-Adebisi – In Memoriam der Opfer des Rassismus in Deutschland In Memoriam Victims of Racism Germany
I thank you very much for your presence. All of You feel very, very sincerely and warmly welcomed. I particularily welcome the presence of family Arslan.Read More ›


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More people understand now the harmful effects that smoking has on the body as well as the addictive effects of nicotine. The good news is that teens seem to be getting the message—SBB recently reported that smoking rates among 8th-, 10th-, and 12th-graders are at an all-time low.
But many teens are still smoking—according to the 2011 Monitoring the Future Study PDF [230 KB], 19 percent of high school seniors reported smoking in the past month.
New NIDA research gives yet another reason for teens to avoid lighting that first cigarette—nicotine may "prime" the brain to enhance cocaine's effects, making it a very dangerous "gateway drug." That means it could open the door to other drug use.
Nicotine Changes the Brain
Evidence shows that most people who tried drugs like cocaine were first tobacco or alcohol users. This concept of "gateway drugs" has been controversial, mostly because people question whether prior use of drugs like nicotine, alcohol, or marijuana actually leads to later drug use. Before now, studies have not been able to show a biological reason why smoking or other nicotine use could increase a person's chances of using illegal street drugs.
That changed when NIDA researchers found that mice exposed to nicotine in their drinking water for at least 7 days showed an increased response to cocaine.
Why did this happen? Researchers recognized that nicotine actually changes the structure of your DNA. It reprograms how certain genes are expressed—in particular a gene that has been related to addiction—and ultimately, it enhances the response to cocaine.
A Turn for the Worse
Moving on from mice, researchers looked at statistics in humans—in particular at when people began nicotine use and their degree of cocaine dependence: Among cocaine users who smoked cigarettes before starting cocaine, the rate of cocaine dependence was higher compared with those who tried cocaine first (before smoking cigarettes).
The study doesn't mean that every person who smokes cigarettes will eventually become addicted to cocaine. But it does suggest that if a person who smokes cigarettes tries cocaine, their brains may have been changed by nicotine to make it more likely that they will become addicted to cocaine.
Need help quitting smoking? Take a look at these resources from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Update: Test your knowledge about why smoking is dangerous—take our quiz here.
It (smoking) doesn't induce people to use more dangerous drugs as long as the person has a good self-control. I smoke, but I never use marijuana and as such.
@Manto You are correct, if you never try other drugs, you will not become addicted to them. The research presented here discusses how nicotine changes your DNA structure. Those changes are believed to increase the likelihood that you will become addicted to cocaine IF (and only if) you try cocaine.
Thats a very interesting thing about the dna changing abilities. I never heard of this. Most of our members in the support group have been heavy smokers for years and couldnt stop smoking. And all of them have copd now. We will discuss the dna changing potential in one of our next meetings and i will refer to this page here.
Copd Support Group
[link removed, per guidelines]
Main-Kinzig-Kreis, Germany
A three-year study of 1,500 Wisconsin residents found that those who quit smoking felt a gain in happiness and less stress in their lives.
[link removed, per guidelines]
Thanks for sharing. I will quite smoking cigarettes. very helpful
[commercial link removed, per guidelines]
Some people may say that when you smoke it doesn't change the brain. Actually it does, when yoiu start to smoke you may get sick, then after your first time your body craves more and more of the nicotine. When you crave more of the nicotine your brain is changing because before it didn't need the nicotine to feel good but now you do, your brain slowly changes, and each time you smoke your brain changes more and more. Also, when you smoke you raise your dopamine levels and you need more of the drug. why take a drug to be and feel happy when you can go out and just have fun. Why risk your life for one puff, is it worth it?
This is a very interesting article , I think it will be a definitely a helpful for those who are addicted in smoking and want to leave this this ..
[commercial link removed, per guidelines]
This is very surprising and, if this could very well be a purposeful side effect. Cigarette and other tobacco companies may be teaming up with other drug companies to make an even larger profit. As crazy as this may seem, we all know that tobacco companies have lied before and they could also be lying by not telling you EVERYTHING that a cigarette does to you. Even though it took scientists to find out these (more than) harmful things that drugs can do with interwoven effects to other drugs, scientists most likely alter tobacco and put things into it so tobacco. This can change your DNA and make cocaine and maybe others more addictive and easier to become addicted to. That is the part I can't quite wrap my head around, however. It seems nearly impossible.


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A group for networking and friendship between atheists in the Australian/New Zealand/South Pacific region, and for discussion of political and religious topics relevant to these regions.
Members: 340
Latest Activity: Mar 1, 2018
This group is hosted by Richard J and Chrys Stevenson
Another High Court Challenge Against the National School Chaplaincy Program
Website: http://www.highcourtchallenge.com
Breaking News! After successfully challenging the Commonwealth government in the High Court of Australia over funding for the National School Chaplaincy Scheme, Ron Williams is to take them on again. In an attempt to circumvent the High Court ruling, the government has passed some extremely questionable legislation which tears at the heart of parliamentary democracy and public accountability. Williams has consulted with his crack legal team and the decision has been made today (Saturday, 7 July) to mount another challenge.
For more information see here:
Mounting a High Court challenge is extremely expensive and Ron Williams is just an average, suburban Dad. If all of us who care about a secular, democratic Australia can chip in as much as we can, it will help enormously. Please consider donating at:
This is your chance to be a part of making Australian Constitutional history!
Embiggen Books - Your Australian Atheist/Skeptical Bookshop
Embiggen Books, an Australian bookstore devoted to promoting science, philosophy, rationalism and skepticism is now on Little Lonsdale Street, Melbourne. Warren Bonett and Kirsty Bruce of Embiggen are also passionate and active members of the atheist and skeptical communities.
Australian Atheist Issues
For new members, if you want to get a grasp of some of the issues effecting atheists in Australia, you might like to take a look at the Atheist Nexus (Australia) submission on "Freedom of Religion and Belief in the 21st Century" made to the Australian Human Rights Commission early last year. It's long, but easy reading, and worth spending some time on. A report, using information compiled from submissions, should be released later this year.
Atheist Meetup Groups - Australia
If you'd like to meet up with some local atheists, there's no better way than joining your local Atheist Meetup, Skeptics, or Freethought Groups:
Adelaide Atheists
Ballarat Atheists
Brisbane Atheists
Canberra Social Skeptics
Melbourne Atheists
Launceston Skeptics
Macarthur Atheists (Macarthur Region, Sydney (NSW)
Perth Atheists
Perth Skeptics
Sunshine Coast Atheists
Sydney Atheists
Sydney Freethinkers
Western Sydney Freethinkers
Wollongong Skeptics Society
Have we missed your meetup group? Just let me know and I'll add it in.
Started by Ted E Bear. Last reply by Chrys Stevenson Jan 17, 2013. 6 Replies 0 Likes
Started by Therese Monteath-Carr. Last reply by Blamer on twitter Dec 10, 2012. 3 Replies 0 Likes
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Started by Phillip A. Ellis. Last reply by Alice Apr 17, 2012. 3 Replies 1 Like
Any Aussies frustrated by the Atheist Foundation of Australia? They're always making unsubstantiated statements which don't even relate to the topic of atheism. I have written about my frustrations with them here:
Conference - Secularism in the Modern World – Melbourne – 2015
Coming up in Melbourne, Saturday, 31 October 2015
Purchase tickets now - bring a friend $30 ($20 concession) catering included.
Bangladeshi bloggers invited to speak.
A good chance to discuss secularism in schools and government in Australia - plus discuss issues facing ex-Muslims in Australia and overseas - apostasy laws and the freethinking movement in Muslim majority countries.
Julia Gillard announces royal commission will probe child sex abuse
November 12, 2012 6:01PM
Julia Gillard announces a royal commission into child sex abuse in Canberra. Picture: Ray Strange Source: The Australian
JULIA Gillard has agreed to a royal commission into institutional responses to allegations of child sex abuse in Australia.
The Prime Minister said the terms of reference for the royal commission would be worked on in coming weeks, before the persons to lead the inquiry were appointed.
"I want to get this right," Ms Gillard said in Canberra.
"So, over the next few weeks, we will be consulting with the organisations that represent the survivors of child abuse, with religious organisations, with state and territory governments, to ensure the terms of reference are right."
The inquiry will not be confined to the Catholic Church, but extend to all religious organisations and to children in state care, and into other institutions including schools.
Mr Gillard said she had already spoken to the premiers of NSW and Victoria, states which are already pursuing their own inquiries.
"Both of them are prepared to take a cooperative approach," she said.
Mr Gillard said any instance of child abuse was a vile and evil thing.
"Australians know, from the revelations that they've read in recent weeks that too many children have suffered child abuse but have also seen other adults let them down.
"They've not only had their trust betrayed by the abuser but other adults who could have acted to assist them have failed to do so."
Australians wanted action taken, she said, and did not want to see institutions fail again to deal with allegations of abuse.
"I hope that this royal commission can guide us to that place," Ms Gillard said.
The Prime Minister acknowledged it was an "incredibly complex and sensitive area".
"Some people may want there to be the maximum public airing of what happened to them - that might be biggest healing that they could have.
"For others, I imagine that standing somewhere public and telling their story would be their version of hell.
"This will have to be dealt with sensitively and be a job for the commission to work through."
Ms Gillard gave no timeframe for the inquiry but said it would take some time.
"It should take the time necessary," she said.
Ms Gillard also said she had spoken to the Catholic Church's senior cleric in Australia, Sydney Archbishop, Cardinal George Pell.
"This is a royal commission that would be looking across religious organisations, as well as state-based care and into the not-for-profit sector," she said.
"So this is not a royal commission targeted at any one church."
But Ms Gillard said her discussion with Cardinal Pell "indicated that he's taking a very co-operative attitude".
The announcement came after Labor backbenchers joined independent MPs and the Greens in calling for a royal commission, and after Finance Minister Penny Wong said the situation called for a "full, frank and fearless" inquiry.
Opposition Leader Tony Abbott said earlier today he'd support a "wide-ranging" commission that didn't focus solely on the Catholic Church.
"Any investigation should not be limited to the examination of any one institution," Mr Abbott, a high-profile Catholic, said in a statement.
"It must include all organisations, government and non-government, where there is evidence of sexual abuse."
Cardinal Pell had said he believed his church was being unfairly targeted due to "anti-Catholic prejudice".
But Labor backbencher Doug Cameron said earlier today the church should be the focus of any commission because "that's where the major problem seems to be".
If the extremely powerful and politically influential church was confident abuse was no longer occurring, it had nothing to fear from a royal commission.
LOL - I started a discussion about the convention in Origins and I've put a few links in there to tubes of the convention...
sure - what do you propose??? :)
I have a friend who has an extra ticket - but I can't afford to buy it all - so I've asked if I can buy a bit of it - and come for 1 session - either Friday night / Saturday day / Saturday gala dinner / Sunday day.
Tickets are about $600 - so it breaks down to average $150 per session - although it's not that because we've worked it out on cost per hour.
So if anyone want's to share a ticket - let me know - I might be able to point you in the right direction!
Thankyou Chrys. I've only just joined Facebook. And thankyou very much for the link to the AFA forums. I'll join that now!
Hi Mantiki, and welcome. I'm afraid we've rather 'abandoned ship' here, although anyone wanting to take on the reins and reinvigorate this forum is welcome to contact me. In the meantime - while not suggesting for a moment that you shouldn't stay to enjoy the other forums on Atheist Nexus - I suggest you join the action on Facebook where most of the Australian atheist networking now happens. Send me a friend request (and a message that it's the Atheist Nexus person from Gladstone) and I'll add you. That will put you in touch with a whole range of Aussie atheists and groups. You can find me here.
If you're not on Facebook and don't want to join, try the forum at the Atheist Foundation of Australia.
Hello everybody. I'm from the Gladstone region, Queensland, Australia. I'm interested in religious apologetics. I've only become aware of the atheist movement quite recently through reading about the atheist billboards making the news in the U.S. It's old news I know but I don't watch TV or read newspapers...
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There once was a time that version numbers on software technology communicated useful information. For example, when Windows went from version 2.1 to 3.0, you knew this was more than a mere service pack upgrade (although service packs didn't exist then). This release was likely to be a whole different UI or a massive rewrite of the parts under the hood. If not either of those, then a significant increase in functionality. You knew this because the left-most digit had changed. When the most-significant digit was incremented, big changes were afoot.
There was still some low-level trickery in numbers. For example, most products came out with at least a 2.0 or 2.1 initial release, so as not to scare away managers and buyers who might be put off by a 1.x release. And to this day, with the exception of open source products (which I'll discuss shortly), new products rarely premier under a 1.x signature. The other gamesmanship tended to occur in determining whether a given release was worthy of a new most-significant digit, or whether it was a""point release" a 3.2 rather than a 4.0. Invariably the marketing departments loved the the shiny x.0 numbering, while the engineering departments feared that they'd be overpromising if the number didn't correspond to a reality.
This reliable understanding between vendor and customer fell apart when Microsoft released Windows 95 a few years after Windows 3.1. As a wag told me at that time, "I don't see anything at all that would justify skipping 92 major release numbers in this product. With the '95,' I was expecting the sun, the moon, and all the stars in this box, but it's just another Windows package. What the...?!" I can only imagine how he felt five years later when Windows 2000 arrived.
However, Microsoft's breach of the social contract was nowhere near done. As you know, the company last year released Windows 7. SEVEN?? For the first time, a major vendor has reduced the version number (by more than 99%!) to name a new product. In essence, the company stated that from here on, the numbers of products will go up and down and no particular meaning should be attached to them. In fact, unless you're schooled in what each release does, you cannot attach meaning. Someone new to the Windows scene would have to find additional information (such as release dates or feature lists) to divine that Win7 is actually a later, presumably better, release than Win95.
Most vendors refused to follow in Microsoft's cavalier treatment of version numbers. The company that most radically diverges is Oracle. In the Oracle universe, no fully integrated product can carry a release number that's larger than the flagship database, currently at v. 11. Because of this stricture, product lines have no way of communicating major version upgrades. Consider, for example, Oracle's Java IDE, JDeveloper. Its current release is numbered 22.214.171.124.0. That's right, five levels of release numbers, all of them meaningful. (When I mention this to Oracle, they roll their eyes, shake their heads, and wring their hands.)
If you want to roll your eyes in concert with Oracle, consider Java's numbering scheme. Java 7 is, under the hood, named Java 1.7. Upcoming updates are numbered 1.8, even though they'll be released as 1.7, or more precisely, as Java 1.7_uX (where "X" is the release number). I can't wait to see the chronosynclastic collision that will occur when the Java release number catches up with the database.
The rest of the commercial industry finds numbering systems between the poles of Microsoft and Oracle. Nvidia, for example, bumps up numbers on its drivers for most every change of consequence. As a result, I am currently running Nvidia driver version 188.25. Which is peanuts in comparison to Google Nexus, which uses WebKit version 534.40.
The most conservative version numbers are in open-source, in which a project can be in use for years before it reaches release 1.0. In fact, contrary to the commercial view of numbering, version 1 is the mark of maturity, stability, and thorough testing. On the surface, this might seem like a good thing, but in fact, it also makes releases difficult to fathom. There's no way to tell whether a 0.8 version is still new or a mature stable product without doing research into the release history. Since sifting through OSS repositories is hard enough, especially when trying to separate the active from the dead projects, this numbering scheme is as much an encumbrance as a benefit.
I should point out that there are unique schemes I haven't covered here. To wit, Knuth's numbering of TeX closes in on the value of pi, by adding digits after the decimal point. You read that right, the least significant digit numerically is the most significant in the release not in absolute terms, but by its very existence. The current version is 3.1415926. The previous version was 3.141592, and so on backwards. This approach works only for software that will not experience a lot of releases, obviously.
But, let me acknowledge the one version number that's been absolutely sequential for two millennia and is far from meaningless: 2012. Best wishes to you all for the new year! It's been a joy riding through 2011 with you.
— Andrew Binstock
Editor in Chief
[email protected]
Twitter: platypusguy


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I have never claimed to be a FamilySearch insider. If I do learn some information from FamilySearch.org or from people at FamilySearch, I usually only pass it on when the information is verified and obviously public. But I do watch the blogs and if someone else has information that I do not have, I try to include it here in this blog.
Larry Gragun is evidently in Salt Lake City, Utah, while I languish away here in sunny Mesa, Arizona. He posted a summary of a meeting with the FamilySearch Family Tree project manager, where he said the following:
Printing features: Pedigree charts, Family Group Sheets, and Fan Charts are probably a couple of weeks away.Unfortunately, FamilySearch does not have a very good record of meeting its own deadlines. But it is interesting to see where the program is going. I suggest reading Larry's entire post. I don't make any predictions about when features will be added to Family Tree.
Those who input sources into new.familysearch.org need not fear - those sources will be moved to Family Tree.


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I am working for a renewable energy consultancy company. I convert renewable energy expertise in user friendly digital tools. This can be an Excel workbook, website or (GIS based) database.
In my private time I have build a few websites. The most successful one is allepeilingen.com which compares polls of Dutch political parties. The week before the elections I received 7,000 unique visitors per day on my website.
Technologies I have experience with: MediaWiki, Joomla Component Development, REALbasic, Mathematica, Matlab, VBA, PHP, PostgreSQL, Microsoft SQL Server, MySQL, Microsoft Access, Microsoft Excel, Google Visualization API, Google Maps API and GRASS
Utrecht, Netherlands
Member for 7 years, 8 months
3 profile views
Last seen Mar 28 at 22:46


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Great request. I too would love more colors for the cowl and hood. In my case not just for variety in peasants, but also to match some of my wizards. Would be great to be able to pose them with hairpiece or a headwear.
Edit: As you can see, my sigfig desparately needs a white headpiece option.


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Homosexuality in the Bible? – An alternative perspective
Videos explaining an ancient perspective on homosexuality in the Bible
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Tag Archives: Romans 7:21-25
Homosexuality in the Bible? – An alternative perspective
I am sharing this information to those who are interested in the topic of homosexuality in the Bible. This provides an alternative perspective to the mainstream viewpoint that homosexuality is undoubtedly a sin and that the Biblical text on the subject is plain and simple… Please read on if you are interested in the literal interpretations of Hebrew and Greek which provide a new perception on this controversial topic. Continue reading
Posted in Bible, Bisexual, Christian, Christianity, Gay, Gay and Lesbian Christians, Lesbian, LGBT, Prop 8, Romans, Self-Help Tips, Sodom Tagged 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, 1 samuel, 1 Samuel 18:1-4, 1240, 1551, 1555, 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, 2 samuel, 2 Samuel 1:26, 2011, a, abomination, abusers of themselves with mankind, adulters, adultery, alteration, am, and, and tooth for tooth, Angel, angels, Apostle Paul, arsen, arsenokoitai, arsenokoites, Arsenokoites- What is the Historical Meaning of this Rare Greek Word?, because, berit, Bible, Bible Does Not Condemn Homosexuality, biblical culture vs. 2011 america, Biological evidence that proves gay and lesbian sex is NOT unnatural, bisexual sex, blind, Blog, broken foot, broken hand, Canaan, catamites, celibacy, child molestor, child sacrifice, Christ, Christianity, Christianity and Homosexuality (Reconciled), Christians, clobber passages, commandments, commentary, Corinth, corinthians 1:9, covanant, Daniel A. Helminak, Daniel A. Helminiak, Daniel Karslake, david, David and Jonathan, design, detestable, disclaimer, Dr. Joseph A. Pearson, dwarf, Ebn Mayram, effeminate, eunuchs, exodus international, Eye for eye, Father, flesh, For the Bible Tells Me So, fornicators, France, Full Text Hebrew/Greek Bible Gematria Database, Galatians 3:28, gang rape, gay sex, gays, gays in the bible, Genesis 19:1-11, Genesis 38: 6-9, gibeah, God loves all, God loves gays, God loves homoseuals, God loves lesbians, God loves you, Greek, heaven, Heavenly Father, Hebrew, hebrews, Hebrews 11:31, Hebrews 13:2, Hebrews 13:4, Hebrews 8:13, Hebrews 8:7, heterosexuality, heterosexuals, historical context, homosexual relationships, homosexual sex, homosexuality, Homosexuality in the Bible? - An alternative perspective, hospitality, http://turn.to/gaychristians, http://www.gaychristian101.com/Arsenokoites.html, http://www.gaychurch.org, http://www.otkenyer.hu/truluck/, hunchback, I, I and II Samuel, I samuel, I samuel 18:1-4, idol, idol worship, idolaters, Idolatry, if, II samuel, II Samuel 1:26, inception soundtrack, inhospitality, intercourse during women's menstruation, Israelites, Jesus, jesus' view on homosexuality, John 3:16, John 8:4-5, John 8:7, John the Faster, jonathan, judges 19, koites, language context, Latin Vulgate, lechery, lesbian sex, lesbians, leviticus 11:11-12, leviticus 15, Leviticus 18:22, leviticus 19:19, Leviticus 20:13, leviticus 20:18, Leviticus 21: 17-23, Leviticus 24:19-20, leviticus abominations, Leviticus Abominations Explained, Liberated Christians, long-term relationship, Lord, love, Luke 18:18-27, Luke 6:31-35, lust, Lyons, malakoi, malakos, male female, male prostitutes, male prostitution, man, Mark 12: 28-32, Mark 3-6, marriage between one man and one woman, masturbation, Matthew 12:9-14; Luke 6:6-11, Matthew 19:3, Matthew 19:4-6, Matthew 22:30, Matthew 22:30. Revelation 19:1, Matthew 22:37-40, Matthew 5:21-45, Matthew 5:27, Matthew 5:31-32, Matthew 5:38-39, Matthew 5:43-45, May 21, mishkab, molech, molich, moloch, moral law, Naomi, new covenant, New International Version, old covenant, Old King James, One Nation Under God, oute malakoi oute arsenokoitai, pagan cult prostitution, para physin, Paris, passion of the christ soundtrack, Patriarch of Constantinople, pederasty, pharisees, polygamy, porneia, President of Christ Evangelical Bible Institute, Prop 8, Proposition 8, puristy law, rape, rapture, rearative therapy, Rembert Truluck, Revelation 19:1, Robert Estienne, Romans 11, Romans 11:24, Romans 13:8-12, Romans 1:26-28, Romans 7:21-25, Ruth, Ruth 1:16-17, Ruth and Naomi, Scott Nemeth, sex, sexual, Sexual Immorality, shakab, shekobeth, sheqets, shequet, shrine prostitutes, shrine prostitution, sin, sin of sodom, Sodom, sodom-and-gomorrah, Sodomites, soft, straight, strange flesh, Study of Romans, syntheke, Teodoro Maniaci & Francine M. Rzeznik, The Bible and homosexuality, the girl with the dragon tattoo soundtrack, The Holy Bible, their, they, thorn in Paul's side, thorn in Pauls flesh, to lie with, toebah, transformers soundtrack, trent reznor, tundale, turn the other cheek, unnatural, verse context, weymouth, What the Bible Really Says About Homosexuality, where did http://turn.to/gaychristians go?, without natural affection, woman, wycliffe, Young's Literal Translation 373 Comments


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It seems that the BBC has appointed a YEC to front a morning TV news programme: Dan Walker.
His appointment is condemned in the Telegraph
but defended by the Nationional Secular Society - provided he can keep his lunacy to himself.
The news programme is "Breakfast" on BBC1 from 6am to 9:15 so he has over 3 hours a day in which to slip up!
Does anyone feel up to watching TV at that hour?


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According to a Navy news release, the test included "firings of a variety of modern missiles including the maiden Land Attack Missile (LAM)" and the tests "demonstrated lethality, precision and efficacy" of the Navy's weapon systems as well as the "high state of readiness and professionalism" of the Navy.
The release also stated the test "reaffirms credibility of deterrence at sea."
A Navy spokesman confirmed "multiple platforms were engaged" in firing missiles. The firings took place on Dec. 19 and 21.
Though the Navy has a variety of anti-ship and surface-to-air missiles, the Navy would not confirm the identity of the land-attack missile when asked.
Mansoor Ahmed from Quaid-e-Azam University's Department of Defence and Strategic Studies, who specializes in Pakistan's national deterrent and delivery program, believes the missile is one of two varieties: either a land attack variant of the Chinese C-802/CSS-N-8 Saccade anti-ship missile in service with a variety of naval platforms; or a variant of the HATF-VII/Vengeance-VII Babur cruise missile.
"Coupled with a miniaturized plutonium warhead, a naval version of the several hundred kilometer-range Babur [land attack cruise missile] or a 120-kilometer range C-802 missile can potentially provide Pakistan with a reliable if not an assured second strike capability and will complete the third leg of Pakistan's eventual triad-based credible minimum deterrent — of which the naval leg was missing until now," he said.
A land-attack variant of the C-802 would be able to be fired from existing launchers aboard Pakistani ships.
Ahmed however pointed out that M. Irfan Burney — chairman of the National Engineering and Scientific Commission (NESCOM), the research and development body that designed and manufactured the Babur cruise missile — witnessed the test firings. Ahmed believes that supports the notion that the missile was the Babur.
Burney was joined by Chief of Naval Staff Adm. Muhammad Asif Sandila, onboard the F-22P class frigate Zulfiquar.
The test comes seven months after Pakistan inaugurated the Naval Strategic Force Command. The Babur, once integrated with an operational naval command and control, "will help diversify the options available to counter India's growing second strike capabilities at sea," Ahmed said.
He said the Navy will be able to "strike critical counter-value and other strategic targets all along India's coastline and maintain a semblance of strategic stability in the Arabian Sea."
"Pakistan's response in this field was necessary in the face of an exponential increase in Indian strategic capabilities, such as ballistic-missile defenses and the induction of SSBNs [ballistic-missile submarines] and planned $40 billion worth of naval weapons platform acquisitions over the next decade," he added.
Ahmed said a "nuclear-tipped [land-attack cruise missile] is a readily available and affordable alternative for Pakistan instead of a dedicated SSBN."
With an economy in chronically poor shape, the question of affordability and meeting the Navy's expansion requirements in the face of a shortage of funds is a pressing concern.
However, after witnessing the test firings and voicing his appreciation of the operational preparedness of the fleet, Sandila also said the government was "cognizant of PN's developmental needs and all out efforts are being made to address critical capability gaps."


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Been on the road today and when I came home I found that an idiot had acted like an idiot and had received an idiots reward.
Here's the despicable racist tweet that got University of North Alabama player, Bradley Patterson, kicked off his team:
The tweet was brought to the University's attention after it was highlighted by Deadspin.
Within the past several hours, Patterson deleted his Twitter account.
Goodbye and good riddance:
Forgetting the stupidity, (assuming you have cable one could change the channel to CNBC) this type of public racism deserves condemnation and received it not just from Twitchy but from sites like Crooks and Liars:
However, there was a segment of the population less taken with Obama's speeech, especially since it pre-empted NBC's coverage of the 49ers/Patriots game. A few of them took to Twitter to voice their complaints more…er…shall we say, colorfully.
I would offer a couple of screen grabs of these tweets, but they violate our editorial standards for hate language. Let us just say that there is something so enraging about missing football that brings out the racists.
and Eclectablog
University of North Alabama kicks racist football player/tweeter off the team
There is no question that this crossed a line and he deserves all he gets, but just a week earlier there was a different involving the same word said in public by an angry largely white crowd involving destroyed property belonging to a fellow named Clint Taver. I looked at Crooks and Liars to see how they reacted, after all an angry white crowd destroying the property of a small black business man combined with racist statements spoken in person is much more serious than a single tweet:
or not.
While Crooks and Liars finds Clint Taver not newsworthy in the least, Eclectablog did a bit better but their post was…interesting here is the title
A bit of truth-telling about the Lansing "Hot Dog Guy" whose "cart was destroyed by union thugs"
As you might guess it goes down hill from there:
Nonetheless, much like, Kenneth Gladney, the St. Louis guy who faked getting injured at the hands of union members then solicited funds for his hospital bills even though he had health insurance, a collection has been taken up on Tarver's behalf. According the article, they have raised over $10,000 for him (UPDATE: MIRS News reports that it's now over $16,000.) The total value of what he lost in the scuffle?
I wonder what they'll do with the thousands of extra dollars not needed to buy more buns, hot dogs, ketchup, mustard and a couple of folding tables and coolers?
Apparently there is a deductible that must be applied when white liberal Union members cost a black man money. It's also a poor reflection on Mr Taver that strangers gave money in excess of his base expenses. Somehow that somehow makes it illegitimate.
After 12 paragraphs along these lines from the author we finally see this:
Certainly Clint Tarver didn't deserve to be treated as shabbily as he was by the union folks there. His wife claims he was called a "nigger" and jeered for working for the enemy. If true, that's reprehensible and inexcusable. But the off-the-charts poutrage from the right on this is an absolute joke. Some of the same people decrying the verbal taunts that Tarver experiencde are here on this very website calling union members all sorts of hideous names. So let's keep it real, shall we?
By this standard the football player on Twitter shouldn't have been kicked off the team because so many people on the left have hit Michelle Malkin with racist & sexist slurs.
But maybe because what happened to Clint Taver is all about an evil conservative plan to distract the public:
Let's not kid ourselves about what "Tentgate" and "Hot Doggate" are all about: distracting the country from noticing that corporatist ideologues have turned the birthplace of American organized labor into a Right to Work for Less state.
I submit and suggest that if Mr Taver had been a democrat and the people involved Tea Party members this would not consider it a "distraction".
But then again, I suspect the standards being used are based upon the Obama/Liberal version of the Bill of rights so I don't expect better.
And for the record I'm sure conservatives would LOVE people to see what Michigan had done, because as time passes the benefits for people in Michigan will be apparent for all to see.


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Kay Hymowitz has an article about the modern phenomenon of single young men remaining in a lingering adolescent bachelorhood, in contrast to men of the same age 50 years ago who more typically had a home, a wife, and a family. Today's young woman seems to be accomplishing more, and showing greater maturity and responsibility, which kinda makes the males look bad. But Vox Day knows just what to do about the situation: blame women for the way young men behave when given freedom of choice.
There was no shortage of women who didn't like it when men were responsible for everything. They wanted to vote, they wanted to work, they are demanding a turn to take the reins. Fine, says the modern young man, who has been subjected to 16 years of feminist propaganda that women are just as good – better, in fact – than men at pretty much everything. Not being given to whining and being largely practical, the young man is happy to leave the responsibility to the women who are demanding it. Who in their right mind would trade models, games and football for marriage to some controlling bitch who's as likely to leave you as not?
The bad news, ladies, is that Mr. Day, sterling specimen of manhood, is married, and thus no longer available. Ouch, eh?


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To complete the VERSE systems, as well as the D:SIDER satellite series, we carefully considered one of the most noticeable parts of the sound spectrum: the low frequencies. The choice of subwoofers was based on the same modular philosophy. In fact, not all musicians or DJs want the same amount of "bottom end", and it 's unthinkable to control everything with a volume knob or equalizer! VERSE therefore offers various subwoofers, which can be used separately or in multiple set-ups.
From the small SUB10", itself sufficient to give extra punch to the D:SIDER 8 in mono or stereo configuration, up to the classic 15", to multiple configurations of our top D:SUB 215" model, VERSE SUBs are all made to give you a total sound sensation with great simplicity.
|Power - EIAJ
|Frequency response
|Input Sensitivity
|Max SPL (Medium value calculated)
|Active Protective Circuitry
|Thermal, overload, short circuit
|Subsonic Filter
|Nominal Impedance
|input bal 15kohm
|Powercon ac input, 2xPowercon ac out, 2xfemale XLR input, 2xmale XLR link, Ethercon RS-485 in, Ethercon RS-485 out
|15" neodimium 4" VC, vented gap
|Metal Stand Pole Mount
|1 top side
|Dimensions (WxHxD)
|mm 456 x 586 x 566 - 17.95" x 23.07" x 22.28"
|Colours / Finishes
|Black painted
|Kg 32 / Lbs 70,54
|Nominal Diameter
|PC Control
VERSE D:SIDER and Insider MK II speaker series are constructed with the highest quality materials and care.
The Cabinets are made with 15/18 mm. birch plywood finished with a special anti-scratch coating which is highly impact-resistant.
Skilled carpenters have realized a design which is super functional and highly durable. The wooden structure of the D: SIDER uses a series of metal angles for the internal frame reinforcement making the satellites practically indestructible.
The durable front grill has been engineered to provide excellent protection while allowing maximum sound dispersion.
VERSE speakers can be combined in many different configurations, allowing you and your art to grow and adapt over time.
Practical, lightweight, ergonomic, powerful.. these are VERSE speakers.
D: SIDER and INSIDER MKII are equipped with Powersoft Class-D amplifiers. These are very high-performance amplifiers with advanced switching technology, including automatic fan-on when exceeding a predetermined temperature threshold. The preamp stage is digital with x-over filters, equalization, low frequency signal protection (low-cut filter), multiband limiter (with protection functions and anti-clipping). There are also special features such as anti-feedback and dynamic loudness.
The loudspeakers used on VERSE speakers are supplied by B & C, one of the most prestigious speaker makers in the industry. VERSE speakers have been specifically customized and optimized by B & C's proprietary "Finite Element Analysis (FEA)" software. This guarantees the utmost durability, efficiency, quality, and uncompromising sound. VERSE woofers are neodymium, making them much lighter but with exceptional performance in terms of power handling, low distortion and sensitivity (SPL).
All VERSE loudspeakers have the following features:
- increased sensitivity
- increased power handling capacity
- increased excursion capabilities
- lower distortion levels
VERSE D:SIDER and INSIDER MKII speakers have been designed for easy transport and quick set-up.
The speakers are equipped with comfortable and convenient side handles moulded into the chassis – making it easy to grab and move.
Hang Points
The permanent installation of D: SIDER is easily accomplished using the fly bar (optional), with a regular secure anchor, which allows a lot of flexibility and a quick and secure position in fixed installations.
Subwoofer Pole:
The subwoofer is equipped with a solid 20mm threaded plate where you can screw the appropriate speaker stand (optional), designed to support the satellites.


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Stinkhorns, Truffles, Smuts: The Amazing Diversity—and Possible Decline—of Mushrooms and Other Fungi
By Alexander Weir
"Whatever dressing one gives to mushrooms ... they are not really good but to be sent back to the dungheap where they are born."
French philosopher Denis Diderot thus dismissed mushrooms in 1751 in his " Encyclopedie." Today his words would be dismissed in France, where cooks tuck mushrooms into crepes, puff pastry and boeuf Bourguignon (beef Burgundy), to name just a few dishes.
The French aren't alone. Mushrooms and their biological relatives feature in global cuisines from Asia to sub-Saharan Africa. Here in North America, they are part of many holiday meals, from humble stuffed mushroom caps to a single costly truffle shaved over pasta. Late fall is wild-mushroom foraging season in much of the U.S., so it's a good time to learn about these fascinating organisms—and to know that some popular species are declining.
Fungi, Not Vegetables
Human experience with mushrooms dates back thousands of years, including references from China, Africa, Greece and Rome. One of the first is attributed to Euripides (A.D. 450-456), who commented on the death of a mother and her family from mushroom poisoning. Indeed, a few species are poisonous—notably, Amanita phalloides, the so-called death cap mushroom, which sickened 14 people in California in 2016. Three required liver transplants.
All the more reason to learn some mycology—the science of fungi. This mega-diverse group of organisms is biologically distinct from its better-known counterparts, plants ( Plantae) and animals (Animalia). Along with mushrooms, it includes such curiosities as conks, puffballs, earthstars, stinkhorns, birds-nests, truffles, morels, molds, rusts and smuts.
Unlike plants, fungi do not have chlorophyll, the pigment in plant leaves that converts light energy to chemical energy through photosynthesis. Instead, fungi are decomposers: They release enzymes that break down tissues from living and dead plants and animals to nourish them as they grow.
Most fungi grow in or on a natural substrate, such as dead logs or manure (Diderot was not wrong to say that they came from a dung-heap). Commercial mushroom growers use materials such as straw or coffee grounds. Mushroom spores put out filaments ( hyphae) that form a network (mycelium). This is the organism's feeding stage, and in some species can grow to an enormous extent, largely hidden in the soil.
Oyster mushroom mycelium growing in a petri dish on coffee grounds. Tobi Kellner
Almost miraculously, in response to a range of environmental cues such as moisture and temperature, this network produces "fruiting bodies" or reproductive structures, that typically erupt out of the substrate. These structures are what we think of as mushrooms. They come in many sizes, shapes and colors, and can either persist or appear and then disappear in a matter of hours or days.
The mysterious origin of these seemingly magical apparitions has fascinated humans for millennia. Certain species erupt naturally in circular formations, which are widely known as "fairy rings" and linked in European folklore with fairies and other magical creatures. Many accounts claim that psilocybin mushrooms, which contain hallucinogenic compounds, have been used for mind-altering purposes for millennia. Today they are being studied as a possible treatment for depression.
Abundant But Also at Risk
Even after more than 200 years of exploration, scientists estimate that only about 5 percent of a likely 1.5 million species of fungi have been described and named. Of those, roughly 10 described species have been "domesticated" and form the basis of the global cultivated mushroom industry, which has an annual value estimated at more than US$35 billion and rising. A 2004 United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization report documented use of more than 1,100 species in over 80 countries.
Meilinger Lab pdf. Bradley Meilinger
Detailed studies have helped to dispel the commonly held view that mushrooms are a low-calorie food with little nutritional benefit. We now know that they are typically low in fat, sodium and carbohydrates, but high in
vitamin D, potassium and antioxidants. In short, mushrooms are increasingly recognized as nutritional powerhouses.
Historically, mushrooms were eaten mostly at subsistence levels in rural communities in developing countries. Recently, however, an export trade has developed for wild varieties, moving mainly from poor to rich countries. This growing demand reflects recognition of wild edible mushrooms' nutritional value, but has also been linked to a decline in the numbers and diversity of mushroom fruiting bodies in traditional centers of high consumption, such as Europe and Japan.
This trend is a serious concern for scientists, who are continuously learning more about the important ecological roles that fungi play. Some form relationships with plant roots that sustain the growth of native forests and commercial tree plantations. As decomposers, fungi also recycle nutrients from dead matter in many different types of habitats.
There are vast gaps in our knowledge about fungal biodiversity and how these organisms are affected by trade, land management practices, air pollution, habitat loss and global climate change. One recent study identified three unknown species of porcini in a packet of dried Chinese mushrooms purchased in a London grocery store.
Huitlacoche, a fungus that grows naturally on corn, is harvested as a delicacy in Mexico. Russ Bowling / Flickr
Many countries are developing or have published
Red Data Lists of threatened fungi. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature is accepting information for a Global Fungal Red List Initiative that aims to assess and classify at least 300 species of threatened fungi.
Mycologists like me are also a dwindling resource. The number of positions at universities, research institutes and botanic gardens has declined in recent years. Inventorying, describing and understanding the impacts of human-induced and natural disturbances on fungal communities is a huge and challenging task, and an essential step toward determining whether harvesting wild fungi at the current level is sustainable. But this work is starting to gain momentum. Finally, humans are starting to see fungi not just as commodities or as biological organisms, but also as important contributors to ecosystem function that are worthy of conservation.
Reposted with permission from our media associate The Conversation.
EcoWatch Daily Newsletter
Unhealthy foods play a primary role in many people gaining weight and developing chronic health conditions, more now than ever before.
1. Processed 'Low-Fat' and 'Fat-Free' Foods
The "war" on saturated fat could be considered one of the most misguided decisions in the history of nutrition.

It was based on weak evidence, which has now been completely debunked.

When this discussion started, processed food manufacturers jumped on the bandwagon and started removing the fat from foods.

But there's a huge problem. Food doesn't taste well when the fat has been removed. That's why they added a lot of sugar to compensate.

Saturated fat is harmless, but added sugar is incredibly harmful when consumed in excess.

The words "low fat" or "fat free" on packaging usually means that it's a highly processed product that's loaded with sugar.

2. Most Commercial Salad Dressings
Vegetables are incredibly healthy.

The problem is that they often don't taste very good on their own.

That's why many people use dressings to add flavor to their salads, turning these bland meals into delicious treats.

But many salad dressings are actually loaded with unhealthy ingredients like sugar, vegetable oils, and trans fats, along with various artificial chemicals.

Although vegetables are good for you, eating them with a dressing high in harmful ingredients negates any health benefit you get from the salad.

Check the ingredients list before you use a salad dressing or make your own using healthy ingredients.

3. Fruit Juices … Which Are Basically Just Liquid Sugar
A lot of people believe fruit juices are healthy.

They must be because they come from fruit, right?

But most fruit juice you find in the grocery store isn't really fruit juice.

Sometimes they don't have any actual fruit in them, just chemicals that taste like fruit. What you're drinking is basically fruit-flavored sugar water.

That being said, even if you're drinking 100% quality fruit juice, it's still not the best choice.

Fruit juice is like fruit, except with all the good stuff (like the fiber) taken out. The main thing left of the actual fruit is the sugar.

Fruit juice actually contains a similar amount of sugar as a sugar-sweetened beverage.

4. 'Heart-Healthy' Whole Wheat
Most "whole wheat" products aren't really made from whole wheat.

The grains have been pulverized into very fine flour, which causes them to raise blood sugar just as fast as their refined counterparts.

In fact, whole wheat bread can have a similar glycemic index as white bread.

But even true whole wheat may be a bad idea because modern wheat is unhealthy compared to the wheat our grandparents ate.

Around 1960, scientists modified the genes in wheat to increase the yield. Modern wheat is less nutritious and has some properties that make it much worse for people who have a gluten intolerance.

There are also studies showing that modern wheat may cause inflammation and increased cholesterol levels, at least when compared to the older varieties.

Wheat may have been a relatively healthy grain back in the day, but the stuff most people are eating today should be consumed with caution.

5. Cholesterol-Lowering Phytosterols
Phytosterols are nutrients that are basically like plant versions of cholesterol.

Some studies have shown that they can lower blood cholesterol in humans.

For this reason, they're often added to processed foods that are then marketed as "cholesterol lowering" and claimed to help prevent heart disease.

However, studies have shown that despite lowering cholesterol levels, phytosterols have negative effects on the cardiovascular system and may even increase the risk of heart disease and death.

People with phytosterolaemia (a genetic condition that raises plant sterol level in blood) are more susceptible to the negative effects of phytosterols.

6. Margarine
Butter was labeled a bad food choice in the past because of its high saturated fat content.

Various health experts started promoting margarine instead.

Back in the day, margarine used to be high in trans fats. These days, it has fewer trans fats than before, but it's still loaded with refined vegetable oils.

Not surprisingly, the Framingham Heart Study showed that people who replace butter with margarine are actually more likely to die from heart disease.

If you want to improve your health, try to eat real butter (preferably grass fed), and avoid margarine with trans fat. Trans-fat-free margarine has become more available in recent years.

Always read nutrition facts carefully and limit products that contain trans fat.

Recommending trans fat-laden margarine instead of natural butter may be considered some of the worst nutrition advice in history.

7. Sports Drinks
Sports drinks were designed with athletes in mind.

They contain electrolytes (salts) and sugar, which can be useful for athletes in many cases.

However, most people don't need additional salt or liquid sugar in their diet.

Although often considered "less bad" than sugary soft drinks, there's really no fundamental difference in the two, except the sugar content in sports drinks is sometimes slightly lower.

It's important to stay hydrated, especially when working out, but most people will be better off sticking to plain water.

8. Low-Carb Junk Foods
Low carb diets have been incredibly popular for many decades.

In the past 12 years, studies have confirmed that these diets are an effective way to lose weight and improve health.

However, food manufacturers have caught up on the trend and brought various low carb "friendly" processed foods to the market.

This includes highly processed foods like the Atkins bars. If you take a look at the ingredients list, you see that there's no real food in them, just chemicals and highly refined ingredients.

These products can be consumed occasionally without compromising the metabolic adaptation that comes with low carb eating.

However, they don't really nourish your body. Even though they're technically low carb, they're still unhealthy.

9. Agave Nectar
Given the known harmful effects of sugar, people have been looking for alternatives.

One of the more popular "natural" sweeteners is agave nectar, which is also called agave syrup.

You'll find this sweetener in all sorts of "healthy foods," often with attractive claims on the packaging.

The problem with agave is that it's no better than regular sugar. In fact, it's much worse.

One of the main problems with sugar is that it has excessive amounts of fructose, which can cause severe metabolic problems when consumed in excess.

Sugar is about 50% fructose and 55% high fructose corn syrup, but agave contains even more — up to 70-90%.

Therefore, gram for gram, agave is even worse than regular sugar.

"Natural" doesn't always equal healthy. Whether agave should even be considered natural is debatable.

10. Vegan Junk Foods
Vegan diets are very popular these days, often due to ethical and environmental reasons.

However, many people promote vegan diets for the purpose of improving health.

There are many processed vegan foods on the market, often sold as convenient replacements for non-vegan foods.

Vegan bacon is one example.

But it's important to keep in mind that these are usually highly processed, factory made products that are bad for almost anyone, including people who are vegan.

11. Brown Rice Syrup

Brown rice syrup, also known as rice malt syrup, is a sweetener that's mistakenly assumed to be healthy.

It's made by exposing cooked rice to enzymes that break down the starch into simple sugars.

Brown rice syrup contains no refined fructose, just glucose.

The absence of refined fructose is good, but rice syrup has a glycemic index of 98, which means that the glucose in it will spike blood sugar extremely fast.

Rice syrup is also highly refined and contains almost no essential nutrients. In other words, it's considered "empty" calories.

Some concerns have been raised about arsenic contamination in this syrup, which is another reason to be extra careful with this sweetener.

There are other sweeteners out there, including low calorie sweeteners like:

stevia

erythritol

xylitol

In general, try to use all sweeteners wisely and follow recommended serving sizes.

12. Processed Organic Foods
Unfortunately, the word "organic" has become a typical marketing buzzword in many instances.

Food manufacturers have found all sorts of ways to make the same products, except with ingredients that happen to be organic.

This includes ingredients like organic raw cane sugar, which is basically 100% identical to regular sugar. It's still just glucose and fructose with little to no nutrients.

In many cases, the difference between an ingredient and its organic counterpart is next to none.

Processed foods that happen to be labeled organic aren't necessarily healthy. Always check the label to see what's inside.

13. Vegetable Oils
We're often advised to eat seed and vegetable oils, which includes soybean oil, canola oil, grapeseed oil, and numerous others.

This recommendation is based on the fact that these oils have been shown to lower blood cholesterol levels, at least in the short term.

However, it's important to keep in mind that blood cholesterol is a risk factor. It's not a disease in itself.

Even though vegetable oils can help improve a risk factor, there's no guarantee that they'll help prevent actual health outcomes like heart attacks or death, which is what really counts.

In fact, several controlled trials have shown that despite lowering cholesterol, these oils can increase the risk of developing heart disease and memory impairment.

It's important to eat healthy, natural fats like butter, coconut oil and olive oil in moderation.

Also, follow the recommended serving size, but limit processed vegetable oils as if your health depended on it, which it does.

14. Gluten-Free Junk Foods
According to a 2013 survey, about a third of people in the United States are actively trying to limit or avoid gluten.

Many experts believe this is unnecessary, but the truth is, gluten, especially from modern wheat, can be problematic for a lot of people.

Not surprisingly, the food manufacturers have brought all sorts of gluten-free foods to the market.

The problem with these foods is that they usually have the same negative effects on your body as their gluten-containing counterparts, if not worse.

These are highly processed foods containing few nutrients and often made with refined starches that can lead to very rapid spikes in blood sugar.

Try to choose foods that are naturally gluten free, like plants and animals, not gluten-free processed foods.

Gluten-free junk food is still junk food.

15. Most Processed Breakfast Cereals
The way some breakfast cereals are marketed can be deceiving.

Many of them, including those that are marketed toward children, have various health claims listed on the box.

This includes claims like "whole grain" or "low fat" that may be misleading.

This is especially true when you look at the ingredients list and see that these products mostly contain:

refined grains

sugar

artificial chemicals

It's important to always review product packaging to confirm what you're actually putting in your body and whether it's healthy for you.

Truly healthy foods are whole, single-ingredient foods. Their health benefits speak for them.

Real food doesn't even need an ingredients list, because real food is the ingredient.

U.S. Breaks World Record With More Than 55,000 New Coronavirus Cases in a Day
The U.S. reported more than 55,000 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, in a sign that the outbreak is not letting up as the Fourth of July weekend kicks off.
- The U.S. Isn't in a Second Wave of Coronavirus – The First Wave ... ›
- Navajo Nation Has Highest Covid-19 Infection Rate in the U.S. ... ›
- U.S. Coronavirus Cases Top 2 Million as All 50 States Start ... ›
Researchers Are Creating a Drone to Study Wild Dolphins With Help From Trained Dolphins
By Jason Bruck
Human actions have taken a steep toll on whales and dolphins. Some studies estimate that small whale abundance, which includes dolphins, has fallen 87% since 1980 and thousands of whales die from rope entanglement annually. But humans also cause less obvious harm. Researchers have found changes in the stress levels, reproductive health and respiratory health of these animals, but this valuable data is extremely hard to collect.
Researchers work with trained dolphins to learn more about their sensory abilities, seen here testing a dolphin's hearing. Jason Bruck / CC BY-ND
A Lot to Learn From Hormones
When sampling the blow, we are looking for hormones in mucus as these can be used to gauge psychological and physiological health. We are specifically interested in hormones like cortisol and progesterone, which indicate stress levels and reproductive ability respectively, but can also help determine overall health.

Additionally, blow samples can detect respiratory pathogens in the lungs or nasal passages - blowholes evolved from noses after all.

This health analysis is especially important in areas with oil spills as the chemicals can cause hormonal problems that harm development, metabolism and reproduction in dolphins.

Hormone samples can provide scientists with valuable data, but collecting them from intelligent and unpredictable animals is challenging.

Cetacean Collaborators
To build a drone that can stealthily collect spray from moving dolphins, we needed more data on their eyesight and hearing, and this is data that couldn't be collected in the wild nor simulated in a lab.

We worked with dolphins at facilities like Dolphin Quest in Bermuda, which provides guests opportunities to learn about dolphins while allowing scientists access to animals for noninvasive research. Here the dolphins can swim away if they choose not to work with us, so we had to design the study like a game; the way a kindergarten teacher entertains a class. If the dolphins aren't interested, we don't get to do the science.

Over the course of hundreds of sessions, we sought to answer two questions: What can dolphins hear and what can they see around their heads?

To test dolphin hearing, we set up microphones and cameras to record dolphin behavior as we played drone noise in the air. We analyzed the responses to each noise – such as how many dolphins looked at the speaker – and used these as a proxy for their ability to hear the sounds.

Robodolphin doesn't look like a real dolphin, but it doesn't need to in order to train our drone pilots. C.J. Barton / Oklahoma State University / CC BY-ND
To build robodolphin, we worked with dolphins trained to "chuff" or sneeze on command to measure spray characteristics. We used high-speed photography to see the dolphins' breath as it moved through the air. Then we conducted high resolution CT scans of a dolphin head and 3D-printed a replica of a nasal passage.

Now, we have a complete robodolphin and are tweaking its sprays to be nearly identical to the real thing. This will allow us to determine how close we need to get to collect the samples, and therefore, how quiet our drone needs to be.

The replica dolphin blowhole was designed from a scan of a real blowhole passage, and the spray it produces closely matches the real thing. Alvin Ngo, Mitch Ford and CJ Barton / Oklahoma State University / CC BY-ND
A Bit of Practice, Then Into the Wild
In the next few months, we will test flights over robodolphin with existing drones to determine the timing and strategy for collection. From there, we will fabricate a low-noise drone that can fly fast enough and with sufficient maneuverability to capture samples from wild dolphins. Like a video game, we will use the visual field data to develop approach trajectories to stay in the visual blindspots.

We plan to test our drones on a truck-mounted robodolphin moving down a runway, then using a boat to simulate realistic conditions. The next steps will involve ocean testing with dolphins trained for open ocean swimming. These tests will determine if our devices can catch and hold the hormones as the drone flies back to a researcher's boat.

Finally, we will deploy the system to collect data on wild dolphins. Our first goal is to test resident dolphins – animals that live on the coasts and deal directly with boat and oil industry noise – which will allow us to learn more about stress resulting from human impacts.

Those samples are a way off, but if all goes well we will have a specially built drone capable of flying long distances and capturing samples undetected in a few years. The samples collected will allow researchers to do better science with impact on the animals they study.

- Drone Footage Captures Rare Finless Porpoises in Hong Kong ... ›
- Brazil's Amazon River Dolphin Faces Extinction After Fishing ... ›
- 10 Surprising Dolphin 'Superpowers' - EcoWatch ›
Florida Gov. DeSantis Prohibits Cities From Banning Sunscreens, Even Ones That Harm Coral
Sunscreen pollution is accelerating the demise of coral reefs globally by causing permanent DNA damage to coral. gonzalo martinez / iStock / Getty Images Plus
On July 29, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law a controversial bill prohibiting local governments from banning certain types of sunscreens.
- Your Guide to Reef Friendly Sunscreens - EcoWatch ›
- Hundreds of Sunscreens Don't Work or Have Unsafe Ingredients ... ›
- FDA Study: Sunscreen Chemicals Seep Into the Bloodstream ... ›
By Kelli McGrane
Oat milk is popping up at coffee shops and grocery stores alike, quickly becoming one of the trendiest plant-based milks.
- Is Oat Milk Gluten-Free? - EcoWatch ›
- What Nutritionists Think About Starbucks' Three New Plant-Based ... ›
- 6 Alternatives to Milk: Which Is the Healthiest? - EcoWatch ›
Popular Fireworks Emit High Levels of Lead and Toxins
"Emissions from pyrotechnic displays are composed of numerous organic compounds as well as metals," a new study reports. Nodar Chernishev / EyeEm / Getty Images
Fireworks have taken a lot of heat recently. In South Dakota, fire experts have said President Trump's plan to hold a fireworks show is dangerous and public health experts have criticized the lack of plans to enforce mask wearing or social distancing. Now, a new study shows that shooting off fireworks at home may expose you and your family to dangerous levels of lead, copper and other toxins.
- No Social Distancing or Mask Requirement at Trump's Mt ... ›
- Trump's Fireworks Show at Mt. Rushmore Is a Dangerous Idea, Fire ... ›
By Ashutosh Pandey
Billions worth of valuable metals such as gold, silver and copper were dumped or burned last year as electronic waste produced globally jumped to a record 53.6 million tons (Mt), or 7.3 kilogram per person, a UN report showed on Thursday.
Environmental and Health Hazard
Experts say e-waste, which is now the world's fastest-growing domestic waste stream, poses serious environmental and health risks.

Simply throwing away electronic items without ensuring they get properly recycled leads to the loss of key materials such as iron, copper and gold, which can otherwise be recovered and used as primary raw materials to make new equipment, thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions from extraction and refinement of raw materials.

Refrigerants found in electronic equipment such as fridge and air conditioners also contribute to global warming. A total of 98 Mt of CO2-equivalents, or about 0.3% of global energy-related emissions, were released into the atmosphere in 2019 from discarded refrigerators and ACs that were not recycled properly, the report said.

E-waste contains several toxic additives or hazardous substances, such as mercury and brominated flame retardants (BFR), and simply burning it or throwing it away could lead to serious health issues. Several studies have linked unregulated recycling of e-waste to adverse birth outcomes like stillbirth and premature birth, damages to the human brain or nervous system and in some cases hearing loss and heart troubles.

"Informal and improper e-waste recycling is a major emerging hazard silently affecting our health and that of future generations. One in four children are dying from avoidable environmental exposures," said Maria Neira, director of the Environment, Climate Change and Health Department at the World Health Organization. "One in four children could be saved, if we take action to protect their health and ensure a safe environment."

Europe Leads the Way
While most of the e-waste was generated in Asia (24.9 Mt) in 2019, Europe led the charts on a per person basis with 16.2 kg per capita, the report said.

But the continent also recorded the highest documented formal e-waste collection and recycling rate at 42.5%, still below its target of 65%. Europe was well ahead of the others on this front. Asia ranked second with 11.7%.

The authors said while more that 70% of the world's population was covered by some form of e-waste policy or laws, not much was being done toward implementation and enforcement of the regulations to encourage the take-up of a collection and recycling infrastructure due to lack of investment and political motivation.

"You have to think about new economic systems," said Kühr.

One approach could be that consumers no longer buy the products, but only the service they offer. The device would remain the property of the maker, who would then have an interest in offering his customers the best service and the necessary equipment. The maker would also be interested in designing his products in such a way that they are easier to repair and easier to recycle, Kühr said.

- Dangerous Chemicals From E-Waste Found in Black Plastics From ... ›
- Electronic Waste Study Finds $65 Billion in Raw Materials ... ›
- Electronic Waste: New EU Rules Target Throwaway Culture ... ›


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Terps stun Duke, stay alive for NCAA bid
Maryland beats Duke in ACC quarterfinals
Dez Wells scored a career-high 30 points and Maryland upset No. 2 Duke 83-74 on Friday night in the quarterfinals of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament.
Wells was 9 of 13 from the field and 10 of 10 from the free throw line to lead the seventh-seeded Terrapins (22-11).
They never trailed, held the league's best team from 3-point range to 4-of-25 shooting from beyond the arc, and bolstered their NCAA tournament credentials with their second straight win over Duke.
Mason Plumlee had 19 points to lead second-seeded Duke (27-5), which had the ball trailing by six points with about 2 minutes left after Seth Curry hit a rare 3-pointer and the Blue Devils got an even rarer defensive stop.
But Tyler Thornton missed 3-pointers on consecutive trips downcourt and Wells and Seth Allen each hit two free throws, with Allen's stretching the lead to 77-67 with 1:44 left.


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Wall Light Bracket - Antique Brass - Single
Designed to emulate an early electrical light bracket and based on one supplied by Simplex between c.1890 and 1920. Mounted onto a 2½in diameter base, and sympathetically aged, the arm is fitted with a BC lampholder and measures 4¼in high and protrudes 5¼in. The lampholder is of a standard size to enable you to fit any traditional shade (or gallery) with a hole of about 28mm in diameter. The oak pateras pictured is not supplied with this item but is available elsewhere.


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The folks at the American Chemical Society want us to be prepared for a zombie apocalypse. Since zombies — like those in "The Walking Dead" — are attracted to the smell of live humans, chemist Raychelle Burks suggests using chemicals to mimic the smells of rotting flesh, which should ward off living corpses in the event of a siege.
It sounds like it would really work for certain zombie futures. For example, characters in AMC's "The Walking Dead" use jaw-less and armless zombies on leashes to camouflage their scent from other zombies.
The so-called "death cologne" would be made from a combination of three stinky molecules found in rotting flesh: putrescine, cadaverine, and methanethiol.
Dead human bodies naturally produce putrescine and cadaverine early in the decomposition process, Burks says in the video. Methanethiol provides the rotting-egg, cabbage smell.
By modifying the bacteria e.coli and growing them in large colonies in the lab, scientists can isolate the nasty-smelling compounds. All you need it a little genetically engineered bacteria and a petri dish!
You can learn more about the smelly solution in the video below, from the American Chemical Society's Reactions series:


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From deodorant and shampoo to a medicinal herb, purslane has been used for thousands of years until the recent past when TPTB want us to believe it is a mere weed, a common pest in our yards to be killed off. ELSIE BELCHEFF has made Purslane her passion and she will share it with us all this morning.
"A weed is but an unloved flower." ~Ella Wheeler Wilcox
This is a miracle plant that really heals many issues with the body. Like many of God's cures they aren't widely reported. The Power Hour Store and Elsie's company sell purslane products. The weed grows in the wild and is easily grown yourself. We posted a video on it for you to harvest for free.


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Amish Wedding
The Amish Country Store is a family owned and operated business that was started in 1999 by Terry and Darlene Whalen. Terry and Darlene have dealt with Amish families for a long time, they work very hard to bring you some of the best Amish made products you can find. They have listened to all of your requests over the years, working to bring the things you want, from all Natural Jams and Jellies to homemade pickles.


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The feeding frenzy at this year's Cannes film festival kicked off with The Weinstein Company scooping up "The Artist." And now that the rights have been secured, TWC has wasted no time in releasing a truly stunning trailer.
The film, from writer-director Michel Hazavanicius and starring Jean Dujardin, is silent black-and-white film about the diverging fortunes of a silent film star and a beautiful young extra, played by Bérénice Bejo, at the dawn of the age of the talkie. The film also stars John Goodman, Penelope Ann Miller, Missi Pyle and James Cromwell.
There's music and dancing and a love story, as well as nods to "The Thin Man" and "All About Eve," and is just nice to look at at.
U.S. & World
The day's top national and international news.
If Dujardin seems vaguely familiar, it's because he's collaborated with Hazavanicius in the past on the "OSS" series of spy spoofs.


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Hi folks,
Barca looks like a nice program and I'm thinking of purchasing... but I have a question about the license.
Many, many times I have had to reinstall my OS due to virus, software glitches, hardware failures etc. I think you get the picture. I only have the one PC. Would I have problems if and when I would need to re-install Barca on the same machine when ever needed?
Windows is a temper-mental creature as we all know and anything can or will go wrong at any given moment.... at least that's my experience anyhow.


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(from Sheila Connolly's County Cork Mysteries)
I knew I didn't know anything about running a pub—or any other kind of business—when I inherited Sullivan's. Which is in Leap, a small village in Ireland. I've been here almost a year now, and I've learned a heck of a lot, with help from some unexpected people—a sixteen-year-old girl, a couple of eighty-something locals who have become friends, and one or two police officers (they call them gardaí over here).
But I was not ready for a blizzard shutting us all in (what? It snows in Ireland? Well, yes, it does.) with an accused murderer, Diane Caldwell. But accused is as far as it got—she never went to trial. What got into me to think that we should hold our own trial at the pub? Hard to say, but we couldn't go anywhere else, and then the lights went out. We had to do something, didn't we?
Well, if I'm honest with myself, I have to admit that I wouldn't have survived my first year without a lot of help from other people, and some of them are now good friends. I learned that you just can't do it alone. So when I heard Diane's story, I figured she deserved to be heard.
Not that I'm running down the gardaí—it's just that they didn't have much experience with high profile murders back when it happened, like twenty years ago. And they still don't—which is a good thing. Ireland's a pretty peaceful place, and when there is a crime, mostly people know who did it and they're easy to find.
So we spent a long night in the half-dark, talking about something that happened when most of us were kids, but that people are still talking about today. That's another thing about Ireland: people remember. And it bothers people that this murder was never solved.
What surprised me is that we actually might have solved it. At least there's enough for a real trial now.
Oh, and the snow melted fast—gone the next day.
I hope you've heard about our month of giveaways!
I'm offering something a little different, since I'm kind of between books right now (Dead End Street, a Museum Mystery, came out in early June, and Seeds of Deception, my next Orchard Mystery, won't be out until October). But I've just finished polishing the next County Cork book, Winters Past (coming next March), so that's where my head is at the moment (and since it's 95 degrees here, the snowstorm in the book sounds pretty good!)
My publisher very kindly sends me copies of the audio versions of the County Cork Mysteries. I give one of each to my local library, but I have a more. So I'd like to offer an audio set of the first four County Cork Mysteries (Buried in a Bog, Scandal in Skibbereen, An Early Wake, and A Turn for the Bad). Yes, all four, together! Better that you should enjoy them than that they sit on my already-crowded bookshelves.
Leave a comment, and include your name and a valid email - (yourname (at) yourserver (dot) com, if you like, to foil the spambots) - by midnight on Tuesday, July 26th, and I'll pick a winner at random. Good luck!
US entries only, please!


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Point of View / TGT GTX 570 Beast comes with a massive factory overclock, but you can always squeeze a few more frames out if you choose to do so. Reference GPU clock is 841MHz and Afterburner reports GPU voltage as 1037mV.
Afterburner allowed us to push the GPU voltage to 1100mV, which helped in pushing the GPU all the way up to 925MHz.
Noise and Thermals
As far as noise levels go, the GTX 570 Beast's cooler is quiet in idle, with GPU temperature around 44°C.
The GTX 570 Beast gets louder during operation, but not too loud. Note however that we were pretty satisfied with noise levels taking in account the much higher clocks and given performance.
Measurements show that GPU temperatures during intensive operation are some 10°C higher than at reference clocks. Note that temperatures will rarely exceed 89°C during gaming, as the GPUz screenshot above proves.
Power Consumption
The GTX 570 Beast's performance is great. Thanks to the factory overclock, this card is faster than the GTX 480. It can hold its own when put up against the GTX 580 but its consumption is higher than on the reference card.
When idle, GTX 570 and GTX 570 Beast consume about the same – Beast consumed about 2-3W more.
During intensive operation however, our rig with GTX 570 Beast inside consumed about 40W more than the same rig with GTX 570. This means that the GTX 570 Beast can draw more power than the reference GTX 580.


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will (in philosophy and psychology)
will, in philosophy and psychology, term used to describe that which is alleged to stimulate the motivation of purposeful activity. It is characteristic of the will that it can be observed only in oneself and can be attributed to others only by inference from their behavior. There is no generally accepted explanation in psychology for the apparent freedom people enjoy to do what they will, i.e., to originate the stimuli necessary to initiate a course of action. Until recently the psychological discussions of the will have been closely related to the philosophical. Disagreements have been extreme. One approach has been the doctrine of determinism, which denies the reality of the will. Another type simply accepts the will—the motive power of the personality—as the faculty or function of the person. This idea is generally based on intuitive grounds and is associated with Plato, Aristotle, Lucretius, St. Thomas Aquinas, René Descartes, and Immanuel Kant. Others have considered it the externalized result of the interaction of conflicting elements. These include Baruch Spinoza, G. W. von Leibniz, David Hume, J. G. Herbart, Wilhelm Wundt, Herbert Spencer, and Hugo Münsterberg. Still others have considered the will to be the manifestation of the personality striving to accomplish its purposes. Among these are St. Augustine, Duns Scotus, Thomas Hobbes, Arthur Schopenhauer, Friedrich Nietzsche, William McDougall, and John Dewey. Modern psychology has tended to consider the concept of the will as an unscientific principle. The problems involved in dealing with it are largely absorbed in other areas of investigation, such as the psychology of adjustment, the study of unconscious motivation, the concept of attention, and the influence of endocrine balance.