text:
LAKE FOREST, IL -- Brunswick Corp.'s fitness segment had a significant decrease in sales in the fourth quarter of 2008, according to financial results released last week by the company. The fitness segment is comprised of the Life Fitness division, which manufactures and sells Life Fitness and Hammer Strength fitness equipment.
Fitness segment sales in fourth quarter 2008 totaled $171.8 million, down 20 percent compared to fourth quarter 2007, when the company reported $214.5 million. International sales, which represented 49 percent of total segment sales in the quarter, declined by 18 percent on a year-to-year basis. Operating earnings declined 21 percent to $25.6 million from $32.4 million. Also, the fitness segment recorded $1.2 million in restructuring charges during the fourth quarter of 2008.
For 2008, the fitness segment reported net sales of $639.5 million, down 2 percent from $653.7 million in 2007. International sales, which represented 49 percent of total segment sales in 2008, increased by 3 percent on a year-to-year basis. Operating earnings in 2008 declined 13 percent to $52.2 million from $59.7 million. Restructuring charges for 2008 totaled $3.3 million in the fitness segment.
In a release, Brunswick Corp. said commercial equipment sales, which account for the largest percentage of fitness segment sales, declined by double digits in the fourth quarter because gym and fitness club operators were cautious about ordering equipment in the final months of the year. The company also said that the weakening economy is to blame for the double-digit decline, year over year, in consumer sales as well as the drop-off in international sales.
Overall, the company's fourth-quarter total revenue of $833.7 million was down 42 percent ($1.44 billion) from a year ago. The company also had a net loss of $66.3 million in fourth quarter 2008 compared to a net income of $12.1 million in fourth quarter 2007. The decline was the result of marine sales that had dropped 50 percent, as weakness in the global marine marketplace accelerated during the quarter, the company said.
"The continued decline in global recreational marine markets experienced throughout the first nine months of the year increased during the fourth quarter of 2008, driven by the accelerating decline in global economic conditions," Dustan E. McCoy, Brunswick's chairman and CEO, said in the company release. "We also began to see the weakening global economy affect our fitness and bowling and billiards segments in the quarter."


text:
Meryl Streep took home an Oscar this year for portraying conservative political icon Margaret Thatcher, and now Jane Fonda seems to be following her lead by taking on the role of former U.S. first lady Nancy Reagan.
The veteran actress has signed on for the upcoming film "The Butler" (directed by "Precious" director Lee Daniels), which follows the life of former White House butler Eugene Allen who served under eight presidents.
Allen is to be played by Forest Whitaker, with big names like Oprah Winfrey, Hugh Jackman, and Liam Neeson also being talked about for unspecified roles.
U.S. & World
The day's top national and international news.
Fonda claimed to have retired from acting in 1990, but recently began returning to the big screen in films such as 2005's "Monster-in-Law" and 2007's "Georgia Rule."
No word on how large the part will be, or who is being considered to play the Ron to Fonda's Nancy. Let the speculation begin.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
John Keats
John Keats (31 October 1795 – 23 February 1821 / London, England)
» Click to list general statistics » OR, select a date :
Lines From Endymion
A thing of beauty is a joy for ever:
Its loviliness increases; it will never
Pass into nothingness; but still will keep
A bower quiet for us, and a sleep
read more >>
- Hits: Number of visitors who read the poem on the given date.
- Posts: Number of visitors who posted the poem to a friend (via e-mail) on the given date.
- Dates that have "0" hits may not be shown on the list.
- Dates, poems and poets that have "0" hits may not be shown on the list. Statistics are generated daily.


text:
The Navier-Stokes fluid dynamics equations, said that, as Sir William Thomson (or Lord Kelvin) predicted:
When two smoke-rings are moving in the same direction, with the same speed, one behind the other, the 'leading' ring will slow down and enlarge, while the 'following' one will get smaller and speed up, passing through the ring in front, and this will keep on happening until they fade away. It was experimentally proven by Kelvin.
When two smoke-rings move towards each other, rather than colliding and annihilating in a smokey mess, they actually slow down and enlarge, never meeting, just getting larger until they fade away. It was experimentally proven by Kelvin.
My questions:
- How does phenomena number 1 happen?
- How does phenomena number 2 happen?


text:
As a sport, and as an abstract concept, badminton has always seemed pretty inoffensive. Professional badminton players do not take out super-injunctions. Badminton fans are never accused of starting riots that tarnish their country's image abroad. For many years, badminton was the non-sporty person's sport of choice. It was the type of Tuesday evening activity to which a man brought his wife along for a spot of mixed doubles against an equally married couple, who would argue furiously about the best way to hold a shuttlecock, and then win.
So it's kind of surprising that the root of almost all evil appears to be lurking within the Badminton World Federation.
On June 1st, its all-male executive board is scheduled to implement new clothing regulations that force women players to wear skirts or dresses as "part of an overall campaign to raise the profile of women in badminton and the profile of the sport".
It is sexy time on the back alley. (That's a badminton term.)
The new rules have already caused uproar among Muslim players, prompting the Islamic party in Malaysia, where the BWF is based, to call for a boycott of top tournaments. Perhaps sensing that Islam has the greater experience when it comes to dress code enforcement, the BWF delayed the introduction of "Rule 19.2" by a month and "clarified" its stance: "[The new regulations] will not in any way discriminate against any religious or other beliefs, and respects women. Players will continue to wear shorts if they wish but simply wear a skirt over the top of the shorts."
But what reason could there possibly be for making female athletes – people whose success depends on the strength of their smashes and the delicacy of their drop shots – wear a superfluous piece of fabric? I'm stumped. Could it be that the unnamed "external international marketing agency" that advised the BWF on its policy are closet Kournikova-ites?
BWF deputy president Paisan Rangsikitpho believes the new skirt rules will "enhance the presentation of the game in general" and help the sport attract "a wider target group amongst both younger and older people, and amongst both women and men, where an aesthetic and stylish presentation of the players is certainly an important factor". The guidelines do not "push any women to wear clothing they are not comfortable with" and the BWF is certainly not portraying women as "sexual objects", he insists.
"However, they have to wear a skirt."
There are no double faults in badminton. Doublethink, on the other hand…
If the BWF wants to talk about style rather than sexism, allow me to examine its statement on those grounds for a moment. Its stance is that having a piece of material flouncing against their thighs (but not joining up between them) makes women athletes aesthetically pleasing enough to pull in hordes of hypothetical spectators – even though if there's one female fashion trend that reliably infuriates the men I know, it's skirts-over-trousers.
One of the hallmarks of the "stylish" is that their clothes are some kind of twist, with varying degrees of rebelliousness, on the norms of the context in which they are worn – usually by borrowing from the style tradition of another context. It's a subtle negotiation. I would no more wear my high-waisted black tulip skirt to a badminton session than I would sport one of Sue Sylvester's Adidas tracksuits to a tango class.
Badminton bosses have their sensitive eyes on the sponsor-friendly style showcase that is the ladies' tennis tour. That's their context. But they've forgotten that style, by definition, is personal. Take away the element of choice and there is no style, only a uniform. And what players and spectators alike will recognise is that this uniform is crafted from unpleasant, exploitative motivations. Come see our cuties perform!
Objections from Australia, China, Indonesia, India and the Scandinavian countries mean the BWF's plans for world domination via the swish of a few A-lines may yet be thwarted. Worryingly though, it seems badminton isn't the only sport where the governing bodies are seeking to glamorize and feminise women athletes in accordance with male, corporate ideas of glamour and femininity.
Even more bizarrely, the International Boxing Association is reportedly quite keen that women boxers wear skirts at the London 2012 Olympics. This has spurred Peter Taylor, father and coach of Irish boxer Katie Taylor, to put in a pre-emptive strike by telling The Examiner that his daughter simply won't box in a skirt: "We've got morals that go above marketing. It's discrimination. It's obviously men making these decisions and it's wrong."
There may be alternative ways to resist, other than refusing to compete. "I have an idea for how I am going to combat it, but I'll keep it secret for now," the Scottish badminton player Imogen Bankier has tantalisingly said of her sport's "silly" and "unnecessary" clothing regulations.
Perhaps all the women players could show up to the next high-ranking tournament in fishtailed maxi dresses and make a mockery of the BWF with every hobble and lurch.


text:
Here are some pics of The Palm River Villa at Bali. Bali is an island located at Indonesia, positioning between Java and Lombok. Me and my friends stayed at this villa for 3 nights and 4 days. Definitely a villa to recommend. Not forgetting to mention how friendly the staffs are.
This view and windows are exactly located in front of my bed :)
jacuzzi for the night!! :)
a portrait of me and my valuable friends :)
and yes , there's a hidden bathtub LOL...
chilling out in the morning... candid taken by my beautiful friend, A.
with my beautiful sneaky paparazzi/ best friend, A :)
will post some more pictures of Bali ... :)


text:
by Michael Caruso
After nearly eight weeks out of circulation in the concert scene due to a broken right ankle, I was delighted that my first performance to review took place in Chestnut Hill. The Buxtehude Consort presented "German and Italian Cantatas of Mourning and Easter" Friday evening, April 1, in St. Paul's Episcopal Church. Although the audience might have (and even should have) been larger, there was no mistaking the enthusiasm that greeted the ensemble of five vocalists and eight instrumentalists at the start of the first full weekend of spring.
The Buxtehude Consort was founded two seasons ago by baritone John Fowler. Joining him are soprano Molly Quinn, mezzo Jenifer Smith, countertenor Ian Howell and tenor Steve Bradshaw. Accompanying the singers Friday night were Daniel Elyar and Daniela Giulia Pierson on baroque violins; Donna Fournier, Heather Miller Lardin & Amy Domingues on baroque violas, Katie Rietman on violincello, Ken Payne on theorbo and Zach Hemenway at the portative organ. Hemenway is the organist & choir director at St. Paul's Church, where the Buxtehude Consort is in residence.
Friday's program opened with two works by the group's namesake: "Fuerwahr, er trug unsere Krankheit" (Surely He hath borne our grief) and "Klag-Lied" (Must death then release). Johann Christoph Bach's "Lamento" in its local premiere and Francesco Provenzale's "Dialogo a cinque voci con violini per la Passion" in its American premiere rounded out the concert's first half. After intermission, Giovanni Battista Pergolesi's "Stabat Mater" (The Sorrowing Mother) was sung and played.
Buxtehude lived from 1637 until 1707 and was one of the leading lights of the early northern German baroque style that culminated in the genius of Johann Sebastian Bach. It is, therefore, almost impossible not to consider his music in light of Bach's masterpieces and, subsequently, judge them inferior to the master's canon — which, indeed, they are. Both his sacred choral music as well as his works for organ lack the compositional inspiration and structural cohesion that characterize those same kinds of works composed by Bach.
To be fair, though, one would have to admit the same set of limitations regarding the music of virtually every other composer of the baroque or any other era. Had George Frideric Handel not been a supreme master of opera, a field in which Bach never dabbled, it wouldn't be possible to speak of Handel in the same sentence as Bach. Only Handel's "Messiah" would survive the comparison in the genre of sacred choral music, with "The Water Music" and "Music for the Royal Fireworks" holding their own within their special niche.
Judged on their own, however, the two Buxtehude cantatas performed Friday evening in St. Paul's Church are lovely works that project heartfelt renderings of their mournful texts. Individual words are sensitively painted in sound, both vocal and instrumental, and then molded into mellifluous motifs that flow both lyrically and dramatically. Buxtehude may not have had Handel's ear for orchestration, but the instrumental accompaniments both support and enhance the beautifully shaped vocal lines. Howell and Bradshaw were particularly worthy of praise in the first of the Buxtehude cantatas while Quinn sang superbly in the second, her tone clear yet creamy, her dynamic range closely tied to the text and broadly communicative.
This past weekend's concerts by the Philadelphia Orchestra in the Kimmel Center's Verizon Hall brought the ensemble back to the very roots of the canon of classical masterpieces. Guest conductor Jun Markl led the Philadelphians in sterling renditions of Haydn's "Symphony No. 44 in E minor; Trauersinfonie," Mozart's "Piano Concerto No. 17 in G major" with soloist Marc-Andre Hamelin, and Beethoven's "Symphony No. 2 in D major." The German-Japanese Markl, a native of Munich, elicited playing from the wisely reduced-in-number ensemble and his soloist, reassuring the audience which packed the house that the old traditional forms still pack a powerful punch when performed with style and panache.
Haydn's "Mourning" Symphony is one of the most nearly flawless examples of the composer's complete mastery of the balance between formal classical structure and impassioned emotion. And Markl drew exquisite playing from all sections of the orchestra but most especially from the strings.
Although former Philadelphian and Temple U. alumnus Marc-Andre Hamelin isn't well known for playing music from the classical repertoire — he's acclaimed throughout the world as the supreme exponent of super-virtuosic romanticism — it was a welcome delight to hear him in Mozart's jewel-like "Piano Concerto No. 17." Hamelin's tone defined textural clarity, and his phrasing epitomized elegant expression.
Markl brought the dazzling evening to a scintillating finale with a polished yet passionate reading of Beethoven's Second Symphony. All sections of the orchestra responded splendidly to Markl's inspiring baton.


text:
With its pedigree as the birthplace of Henry Tudor in 1457, and the fact that it is the biggest and most visited castle in Pembrokeshire and possibly West Wales, Pembroke Castle is one of Wales's top ancient monuments.
Built by the Norman Knight Roger de Montgomery in 1093 it was given to William Marshall, Earl of Pembroke a century later, and he rebuilt it in stone in the form that we see today.
Its great bulk and imposing presence atop a high rocky promontory; its spacious courtyard and 75-feet high round keep, it is visible for miles, towering above the town and surrounded on three sides by its deep moat. The domed roof of the keep has several putlog holes which supported a wooden fighting platform on which the defenders would have been able to go out over the attackers' heads.
One of the features that children love to explore is Wogan's Cavern, a dank cave beneath the castle which probably served as a sallyport or embarkation point for boats and a landing stage for cargoes of food and weaponry. The outer walls are 16-feet thick in places
Pembroke Castle withstood several attacks by Welsh insurgents over the years, During the Civil War Pembroke declared for Parliament and was besieged by Royalist troops who were rescued by reinforcements from Milford Haven. However, Cromwell came in 1648, by which team Pembroke's leading figures had changed to the Royalist cause, and, following a seven-week siege, the castle was taken and its destruction ordered. The castle was abandoned but in 1880, a three-year restoration was started but not finished.
It was not until 1928 that World War One veteran, Major General Sir Ivor Philipps, acquired the building and started an extensive restoration, which, after his death was carried on by the Pembroke Castle Trust and Pembroke Town Council.
A range of family-friendly activities and events go on in the castle today. It is open to the public every day all year round at times that vary slightly through the seasons and admission prices are graded according to status with children under five free. There are living history days, falconry days, storytelling days and various guided tours and a new feature this year called 'Keepers of the Castle' is peopled by characters in colourful period costumes demonstrating what life in the castle was like.
Years ago there was a spectacular Son et Lumiere display there which brought the castle courtyard and buildings eerily to life. Civil War and 13th century battles are fought by well-known costumed re-enactment companies and there are open air Shakespeare performances on summer evenings. From the lofty keep there is a splendid panoramic view over the town and surrounding area and from the ramparts one can look down at the streets, many with their period architectural features still evident.


text:
UNC physician authors editorial on cost-effectiveness study for colon cancer screening
Russell Harris, MD, MPH, professor of medicine at UNC and a member of UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, wrote the editorial in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Media contact: Dianne Shaw (919) 966-5905 or email@example.com
Embargoed until 4 p.m. EDT, Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Chapel Hill - A UNC physician authored an editorial in the July 27 online issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (JNCI) commenting on results of an analysis of the cost effectiveness of colonoscopy versus computed tomographic colonography (CTC).
The cost effectiveness analysis concluded that CTC or "virtual" colonoscopy is not cost effective compared with colonoscopy if reimbursed at the same rate as colonoscopy.
Both CT colonography and colonoscopy examine the inside of the colon (the large intestine) for either cancer or large polyps (growths that could become cancer). CTC colonography does this examination indirectly, using a CT scan (a type of x-ray). Colonoscopy does this examination directly, using a camera on the end of a tube inserted into the colon.
Unfortunately, there has been no "comparative effectiveness" study to compare the benefits and harms of CTC with colonoscopy. So the researchers in the JNCI article used simulation models to compare the two tests in an unscreened population of Medicare beneficiaries ages 65 to 80 years. These models use mathematics to estimate what would happen if one used one test compared with the other.
Russell Harris, MD, MPH, professor of medicine at UNC and a member of UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, wrote the editorial accompanying the cost-effectiveness study.
In his editorial, Harris notes that cost-effectiveness analyses are useful, but that they often cannot include some important considerations. In this case, Harris shows how the cost-effectiveness analysis could not include some of the potential harms of both CTC and colonoscopy. For example, CTC often leads to finding abnormalities outside the colon (such as in the kidneys or adrenal glands) that require further testing and even surgery, yet finding these abnormalities usually does not help people live longer.
Colonoscopy often leads to removing small polyps that do not need to be removed, yet their removal may lead to complications such as excessive bleeding.
In the end, Harris suggests that neither CTC nor colonoscopy are ideal screening tests. He concludes: "Wouldn't it be interesting if we ended up, a few years from now, with neither CTC nor colonoscopy as the primary screening test, but rather an improved fecal test as our gold standard."
Harris is a national expert on cancer screening issues. He has served on the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, a group that conducts scientific evidence reviews of a broad range of clinical preventive health care services and develops recommendations for primary care clinicians and health systems.


text:
With our broad national platform, we can bring tools and resources to the management of your investment that other management companies can't. Our systems and processes are consistent and unfailing, allowing our management services to be detail-oriented and transparent.
At HomeRiver, we are a nationally recognized brand, and our Hollywood Park customers can take advantage of our expansive presence, especially when it's time to negotiate maintenance costs, work with a team of builders, and manage investments. This national reach is complemented by our local agents and professionals who understand the property management landscape in Hollywood Park.
The result is a higher ROI for our owners and a better standard of living for our tenants.
Owner or Renter?
There are many property management companies in Hollywood Park. But only HomeRiver Group® can give you everything you need under one roof. We're here for you, so contact us today and tell us how we can help.


text:
Australian art
Australia, despite the rich artistic traditions of its Indigenous peoples, was dominated by British art and cultural perceptions for most of the first century after colonisation in the late 1700s. Its artists, trained in Europe, were preoccupied with depicting the unfamiliar land, and landscape emerged as the chief subject of colonial Australian art.
The first distinctively Australian school of painting flowered in the decades immediately before Federation in 1901. It was based on naturalism, painting in the open air and representing themes from the national life. Australian sunlight became the emblem of a burgeoning nationalism and the new art of the Heidelberg School. In 1889, the first self-consciously avant-garde event in the colonies took place. It was The 9 × 5 impression exhibition held in Buxton's Rooms, Melbourne. It featured impressions of bush and city life rapidly painted on cigar box lids by the heroes of the new movement, Tom Roberts (1856–1931), Arthur Streeton (1867–1943), Charles Conder (1868–1909) and Frederick McCubbin (1855–1917).
With the turn of the new century came fresh challenges for Australian art. The identification of shearers, swagmen, drovers, settlers and gum trees with an Australian style now had to contend with the wider ambitions of expatriate artists. The sculptor Bertram Mackennal (1863–1931) and painter Rupert Bunny (1864–1947), for example, moved to Europe to find a more cosmopolitan environment and subject matter. The influence on Australian art of international movements and trends, such as modernism, was intensified after each of the two world wars and it reflected the increasing impact of industrialisation on the Australian way of life.
Women artists such as Margaret Preston (1875–1963) played an important role in the 1920s when modernism represented a cultural revolution. The male art establishment continued for the next two decades to promote the national landscape school. They opposed the colourful, distorted forms and apparently trivial subject matter of the (mostly female) modernists. The Second World War brought fresh changes and waves of immigrants who helped redefine what it meant to be Australian. Refugee artists also provided fresh contact with international trends such as surrealism, social realism and expressionism, which helped to reinvigorate and modernise the work of Sidney Nolan (1917–1992), Arthur Boyd (1920–1999) and Albert Tucker (1914–1999) who were re-mythologising the landscape.
Since the Second World War, Australian art has shown the impact of numerous international trends – abstract expressionism, pop art, minimalism, conceptual art and postmodernism. Artists such as John Olsen (b1928), Ian Fairweather (1891–1974) and Fred Williams (1927–1982) painted abstract landscapes that combined Asian and European influences, yet remained distinctively Australian in their light and sense of place. Until the 1970s the distinguishing hallmark of Australian contemporary art was the move from figurative to abstract, or non-objective, forms of painting and sculpture.
Since the 1970s, artists have sought new means, whether in technology, performance, computer or text, to express their ideas. Revolutionary art forms have also emerged out of wider socio-political movements around the environment, gender, homosexuality and race. Over the last few decades in particular, a phenomenal outpouring of contemporary Aboriginal art has given a powerful new force to the question of Australian identity in the visual arts.
Adapted from Aspects of Australian art: an education kit for the Australian collection


text:
Yesterday, during an in-camera session of the Knesset committee preparing the "equal burden" bill for its second reading before the plenum, the IDF representative at the meeting, Brigadier-Gen. Gadi Agmon, launched a vehement attack on the deans of Haredi yeshivas, accusing them of outright lying and covering up for students who are registered but do not show up for classes, Ma'ariv reported.
The legal arrangement between Israeli governments and Haredi yeshivas over the years, known as the "Torato umnuto" (his Torah study is his occupation) deal, recognized that young men whose only engagement was Torah scholarship would be absolved from enlisting in the army so long as they continue their studies. To be fair, the IDF has been giving similar deals to young men engaged in secular studies, but in many cases those deals involved attending students technical schools who went on to serve a longer stint, often using the skills they had learned.
The "Torato Umnuto" soon became a blanket covering the vast majority of Haredi young men, whether they were actually studying or not. It also turned out to be a two-edged sword, as those young men were barred from legal employment because of their military status, and so many were condemned to a life of dead-end jobs paid for illegaly.
This was the main purpose of the Tal Committee Law, which, back in 2002, was attempting to interject fairness and honesty into a seriously broken system. Many in the Haredi world have pointed to the steady stream of recruits, as well as the steadily rising numbers of Haredim both in the job market and in academic institutions as signs that the Tal law was working. But the Supreme Court, ever eager to equalize the country, was dissatisfied with what it considered lukewarm results and eventually killed the bill in the winter of 2012.
The new law, hammered out by the (Yesh Atid MK and Minister) Jacob Perry committee over the past six months, is a more sweeping version of the Tal law, calling for larger numbers of Haredi recruits in a shorter period of time. But while on paper the numbers might please the high court—in the Haredi world the Perry effort (which they usually pin on Jewish Home leader Naftali Bennett's back) is tantamount to at least the Russian Czar's conscription of Jews, if not an outright holocaust.
This is the background of Brigadier-Gen. Agmon's assault on the yeshiva deans, whom he sees as saboteurs of all the arrangements ever reached between the Zionist establishment and the Haredim, whether the Haredi representative were inside or outside the coalition government.
"It is inconceivable that deans of yeshivas would lie knowingly and sign for their students as if they're present full time in the yeshivas, while in reality they're not there," Agmon, who serves as head of the Planning and Military Personnel Dept. in the IDF. "There are thousands who don't study in the yeshivas [while stating that they are], but we don't have the apparatus to enable us to identify them and enforce their enlistment," he added.
Agmon's appearance marked a distinct change in the IDF's approach to the new draft legislation being cobbled in committee, this time headed by Jewish Home MK Ayelet Shaked. Until yesterday, the army stayed away from the discussion, essentially committing to carry out whatever the political echelon would decide. But the gloves were taken off yesterday, and all the spades were called out by the general.
MK Shaked decided to keep the session closed to the media, most likely to enable the Haredi committee members to speak frankly, away from their own newspapers which have been frothing at the mouth over the new bill for six months now. According to Ma'ariv, MK Moshe Gafni (UTJ) and MK Ariel Atias (Shas) both agreed that a yeshiva boy who comes of age and is not attending classes should be drafted. Gafni went as far as to say that, should it be needed, those students should go to jail if they refuse to serve.
The problem is that that, too, is part of the Haredi parties' kabuki theater, whereby they talk a good line, but when it comes to anyone actually encouraging those young men to inject a measure of honesty into their lives and go serve in the army – everybody is collaborating to keep them in the black garb, hat and all.


text:
Education, Events and Research
The College offers a wide range of educational events and other resources aimed at doctors in anaesthesia, critical care and pain medicine at all levels and grades. Events range from one-day practical workshops to three-day scientific meetings delivered by high profile national and international speakers.
We are developing innovative ways of delivering education, including e-Learning Anaesthesia and high quality webcasts from selected events and meetings.
Upcoming Events
21 Sep 2020 to 22 Sep 2020A two day simulator-based course designed to teach the...
15 Oct 2020 to 16 Oct 2020A two day simulator-based course designed to teach the...
Online access to Journals for Fellows, Members and Trainees who receive BJA and BJA Education through RCoA subscription
e-LA is a web-based educational resource produced by RCoA in partnership with e-Learning for Healthcare
Explore our simulation resources, so we can support you with the use of simulation in your training and revalidation
Information on sponsorship and exhibiting opportunities at RCoA courses, meetings and events
These CPD events are external to the RCoA and have been approved for CPD by the respective Royal College or Faculty
- Home
- About the College
- About the College Overview
- College Vision
- RCoA Strategic Plan
- Technology Strategy Programme
- Annual Review and Statements
- Membership and Subscriptions
- Get involved
- College Heritage
- Our Policy and External Affairs Work
- College Calendar
- Venue and Facilities Hire
- President and Council
- Structure, Organisation and Regulations
- Data Protection Policy
- Regional Advisors and College Tutors
- Job Vacancies at the College
- College Publications
- Procurement
- Complaints Policy
- Contact the College
- Careers and Training
- Careers and Training Overview
- Shape of Training
- Considering a Career in Anaesthesia
- Cost of Training
- Recruitment into Anaesthesia
- Anaesthetic CCT Curriculum 2020
- Training and the Training Programme
- Trainee Representation
- The RCoA Guide for Novice Trainees
- Lifelong Learning
- e-Portfolio
- Excellence, Grants and College Medals
- Career and Personal Difficulties
- Less-Than-Fulltime Consultant Careers
- Career Breaks and Returning to Work
- CESR and Equivalence
- SAS and Specialty Doctors
- Global Partnerships
- Regional Advisers and College Tutors
- Working Time Regulations
- Workforce Planning
- Anaesthesia-related Professionals
- Careers and Training Publications
- State of Play Newsletter
- Contact the Training Department
- Examinations
- Examinations Overview
- The FRCA Examination
- Primary FRCA MCQ
- Primary FRCA OSCE/SOE
- Final FRCA Written
- Final FRCA SOE
- Exam Results, Statistics & Research
- Physicians' Assistant (Anaesthesia) OSCE
- Exam Syllabus and Regulations
- Eligibility and Exemptions
- Dates, Fees and Applications
- Resources for Candidates
- Guidance for Unsuccessful Candidates
- The Candidate Newsletter
- Examiner and Examiner Applicants
- Observers and Visitors to Examinations
- Examinations Publications
- Contact the Exams Department
- Education, Events and Research
- Education, Events & Research Overview
- Calendar of Events
- Events by category
- Events
- RCoA videos
- The Centre for Perioperative Care (CPOC)
- Research
- Giving Anaesthesia Safely Again (GASAgain)
- Anaesthetists as Educators (AaE)
- e-Learning Anaesthesia (e-LA)
- BJA and BJA Education Online
- Simulation
- Contact the Events Department
- Clinical Quality, Standards and Safety
- Clinical Quality Overview
- Standards of Clinical Practice
- Safety in Anaesthesia
- Governance and Support
- Support for Doctors and FAQs
- Invited Reviews
- Clinical Services Accreditation (ACSA)
- Clinical Service Accreditation
- College Representation on AACs
- Safeguarding, Ethics and Consent
- Clinical Directors
- Airway Leads
- Clinical Quality FAQs
- Clinical Quality Publications
- Contact the Clinical Quality Directorate
- Revalidation and CPD
- News and the Bulletin
- Patients and Carers
- Patients and Carers Overview
- Patient information leaflets
- Fitter Better Sooner
- Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
- Easy Read and accessible resources
- External resources
- Who are anaesthetists?
- What is anaesthesia?
- Anaesthesia: enabling modern surgery
- Information for anaesthetists & hospitals
- The Patient Information Group
- Complaints
- A to Z of medical terms (glossary)
- Leave your feedback
You are hereHome › Education, Events and Research
- Education, Events & Research Overview
- Calendar of Events
- Events by category
- Events
- RCoA videos
- The Centre for Perioperative Care (CPOC)
- Research
- Giving Anaesthesia Safely Again (GASAgain)
- Anaesthetists as Educators (AaE)
- e-Learning Anaesthesia (e-LA)
- BJA and BJA Education Online
- Simulation
- Contact the Events Department


text:
So I noticed the ongoing translation of the Puk version on here and thought about getting around to editing more messages on the English version. (Other versions of the game should be fairly similar, but again I'm only working on the English version of the game) I had edited a few of them in the past, mainly editing the biography screen for some of the officers I replaced.
Thanks to the huge help of Lord Cao Cao, I was able to figure out some more of the actual messages that show up in game, so its possible to edit all messages that happen in events, officer biographies and specific character quotes, among some other stuff.
Has anyone else actually done this or interested in this? I can post what I know of so far to help anyone new getting into this, and hopefully others can add to it, since there's still a lot of parts that are a bit confusing, and also I'm having a problem of some messages like when troops march out or making inspections no longer showing up in the log window after editing some of the messages, so while this does work, there's still some things to be sorted out, so if you want to help or get into this, ALWAYS have a backup so you don't complain to me later
And finally lol, I'm just starting on some of this, so its still a work in progress on some things, so if anyone knows more, feel free to add to this.
For new people I will post a bit at what you're looking for here.
For starters what you're looking for is the S11MSG00.s11, and the 01,02 and 03 files that should be in your Koei, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Media, msg folder. You also need the San11 Editor found here: http://pigspy.ys168.com/
I think there's an English update to that somewhere on here, but I'm still using the one from above, its under SanEditor, and the program will work on the English version.
Now that that's out of the way lol, about the actual MSG files.
S11MSG00.s11 seems to have a lot of pointers and other stuff that I can't make out, so I'd leave this file alone. I think there's some relationship data in there so it's possible to change what officers call their parents and family and such instead of father, mother and so on, but I never messed with this file.
S11MSG01.s11 is what I'm currently working on now, this has the text that shows up on the menu screen such as what commands do, what officers say when employing them, executing them, in duels and so on. Pretty much all in game dialogue is here.
S11MSG02.s11 has a bit from tutorials I think, but also has all the officer biographies in them, so if you wanted to change any bios, this is what to edit. This is a LOT easier than editing other messages as you can just type what you want if you know which officer you are trying to change. Interestingly enough there's bios for some of the npcs like the emperors and Zou Ci here as well even though there's no way to actually see those without hex editing and flat out adding the npcs into the game. There's also a few spots for the officers in the Historical slots that you can edit, but after a few of them they end up having the same bios, and finally there's some descriptions for the tutorials and I think some events here too. Like I said, this is the easiest one to edit.
S11MSG03.s11 seems to be all the events, I haven't edited this one either, although it should be pretty easy if you know which event is what since they seem to go right in order.


text:
Reality TV star Kourtney Kardashian said she considered having an abortion when she first found out she was pregnant.
"I definitely thought about it long and hard, about if I wanted to keep the baby or not, and I wasn't thinking about adoption," she told People. "I do think every woman should have the right to do what they want, but I don't think it's talked through enough."
"I can't even tell you have many people just say, 'Oh, get an abortion.' Like it's not a big deal."
U.S. & World
The 30-year-old starlet split from the baby's father, Scott Disick, in November after two years of dating. The two reconciled once she found out she was pregnant and Disick said he'd support whatever decision Kourtney made about keeping the baby.
"He said, 'I really want you to keep it, but I will support you whatever you decided to do,'" she told the magazine.
Kardashian said she consulted her doctor and talked to her friends about terminating the pregnancy, but said she wouldn't be able to handle the guilt she would feel.
"For me, all the reasons why I wouldn't keep the baby were so selfish: It wasn't like I was raped, it's not like I'm 16. I'm 30 years old, I make my own money, I support myself, I can afford to have a baby.


text:
Since opening in October 2004 the Frieder Burda Museum in Baden-Baden, which was designed by leading architect Richard Meier, has welcomed more than 1.6 million art enthusiasts.
The museum building – white as snow and flooded with light – is situated on the famous Lichtentaler Allee. The Frieder Burda collection has its roots in Expressionism and contains around 1,000 paintings, sculptures and works on paper. Its focus lies in classical modernism and contemporary art.
Opening times:
Tuesday-Sunday 10am-6pm
Dvi naudingos klavišų kombinacijos, skirtos keisti mastelį naršyklėje:
Didinti: +
Mažinti: +
Daugiau informacijos rasite naršyklės leidėjo žinyne paspaudę šią piktogramą:


text:
Milwaukee businesses absorbing higher dairy prices, for now
Dairy prices continue their roller coaster ride upwards, and local businesses said customers will likely pay for that.
At Clock Shadow Creamery in Milwaukee, manager Chris Kaufman said they're paying 10-15 percent more for milk.
VIDEO: Milk prices are going up
He said they're trying to hold off raising prices on their cheese as long as possible but can only eat the extra costs for so long.
"As we all see across many industries, once the prices go up, it's hard to bring them back down," Kaufman said.
So they, too, will watch the markets and hope they weigh in their favor.
Clock Shadow Creamery is also encouraging customers to buy local to cut down on transportation costs, which can also drive up prices.
Officials cite overseas demand as well as drought conditions in California as two main causes for rising costs.
Kopp's Custard is paying 80 cents more per gallon of milk. Management said they, too, are taking on the extra cost for now, but prices could be going up.
"We're kind of sitting on it and waiting to see where it's going, if it's going to be a long-term trend," Kopp's manager Jeff Feist said.
Even if they do, customers like Ken Bauman, who is seeing the impact in his own refrigerator, will keep coming back.
"Kids drink it, and it's good for them, so I buy it. Same with the custard. I like the custard, so if I want it I'll buy it. The price won't stop me," Bauman said.


text:
Texas barbecue brisket
Nutrition and extra info
Nutrition: per serving
- kcal958
- fat59g
- saturates26g
- carbs13g
- sugars10g
- fibre0g
- protein94g
- salt1.2g
- about a 5kg/ 11 lb piece of beef brisket
- 500 ml/ 18 fl oz beef stock
For the barbecue sauce
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil
Sunflower oil
Sunflower oil is made from pressing sunflower seeds and extracting the oil. It's usually…
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
Onions are endlessly versatile and an essential ingredient in countless recipes. Native to Asia…
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 500 ml/ 18 fl oz tomato ketchup
- 100 ml/ 3½ fl oz Worcestershire sauce
- 75 ml/ 2½ fl oz lemon juice
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp malt vinegar
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp crushed chilli flakes
- 1 tsp Tabasco sauce
- 1 tsp dried thyme
This popular herb grows in Europe, especially the Mediterranean, and is a member of the mint…
For the rub
To make the barbecue sauce, heat the oil in a frying pan, then cook onion and garlic for a few mins until soft. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients to the pan with a good pinch of salt and simmer for 20 mins. Use a hand blender or food processor to whizz to a smooth purée.
Heat oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2. Make the rub by mixing all the ingredients together with a pinch of salt. Rub the mix all over the beef and set aside.
In a large roasting tin, mix the beef stock and ½ the barbecue sauce. Add the brisket to the tin, cover tightly with foil, then cook for 4-5 hrs until the meat is really tender when you push a fork into it. The beef can be prepared the night before – just leave it to cool in the tin covered with foil, but don't refrigerate.
To finish the beef, get a barbecue fired up and wait until the coals are completely ashen – you want a low, not fierce, heat. Lift the beef out of the roasting tin and place on the barbecue to char. If your barbecue has a lid, close it now. Cook for about 20 mins, turning it carefully with tongs, until lightly charred all over and heated through. Lift onto a board and serve sliced with the remaining barbecue sauce on the side.
Recipe Tip
Buying your brisketWhen you order the brisket from your butcher, ask for a neat-shaped whole piece, trimmed of any excess fat on the side. The more uniform your piece of beef, the easier it will be to handle.


text:
Says Who? in "Resurrection" Season 4 Episode 21
Pictured: Eric Christian Olsen (LAPD Liaison Marty Deeks) and Daniela Ruah (Special Agent Kensi Blye). A body is stolen after a special task force successfully takes down an infamous cartel boss, leaving the NCIS: LA team to investigate the leak and track down the missing body, on NCIS: LOS ANGELES, Tuesday, April 23 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Photo: Robert Voets/CBS ©2013 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved.


text:
I recently had a nice conversation with Brian Dubin, VP at CERTIFY, where we discussed biometrics in healthcare. Brian got me interested when he described CERTIFY as a biometrics based "big data" company. When I first started this blog, I fell completely in love with all the various biometric options. Check out one of my first posts on Facial Recognition back in April 2006. Shortly after that I even made this EMR and biometrics contribution to a healthcare IT wiki as part of a "blogposium". [Excuse my moment of nostalgia]
While CERTIFY works with all of the major biometric fingerprints: Finger, Palm, Iris, Facial, Voice, and Signature, I was even more intrigued by a discussion we had around a healthcare system that was biometrically controlled (my word not CERTIFY's). I realize that the word "controlled" might have negative connotations surrounding it, but I think it is fascinating to consider all of the ways that your biometric identity could be incorporated into healthcare.
Here are some examples I'm considering (some are a reality today and others will be in the future):
Arrive at the office – Imagine that when you arrive at the hospital or medical practice and a video camera grabs your image and the front desk already knows who you are and can say, "Hi John, glad to have you hear today." Yes, this freaks out some people, but many of the front desk people remember the faces of the patients. Now they can know your name and check you in much quicker.
Positive patient identification – If you don't like the video camera identification of a patient, you can also do positive identification of the patient using biometrics in a less big brother's watching you way. When they sit down at the desk to check in, the patient can use a biometric device to identify themselves. Technology like the one I talk about in my post Retina Scanning vs. Iris Recongition are what can be used for this approach.
Voice recognition for a call center – Imagine when you call into a call center they used voice recognition to identify you. This could be used to access your information more quickly. Although, it could also be used to make sure that whoever the person in the call center pulled up matches the voice on the phone. This could solve them pulling up the wrong "John Smith."
Single sign on – If your biometric identity is stored in the cloud, then that should make that identity available on any system. Plus, I've always been fond of single sign on with Facial recognition. The camera is always watching if you're there or not and so if you open a new application it can immediately authenticate you since it's constantly authenticating your biometric identity.
I'm really intrigued by the idea of using biometric identities across multiple systems. I've heard many hospital CIOs talk about the hundreds of IT systems they have to support. I've also heard doctors and nurses complain about the number of logins and passwords they have to remember. Could biometrics be the solution to this problem? Could a biometric identity be shared between systems or would each system need to do more of the traditional single sign on integration?
Unattended computer – Related to the single sign on, facial recognition can also identify when you're no longer at a computer. If you leave the computer it can automatically lock the computer to ensure that the health data is kept private. You have to balance how quickly the device locks, but this can be great for security.
Location access – A lot of places already do this with fingerprint or palm scans to access private areas. Plus, this prevents the sharing of keys. You can't really share your fingerprint very well.
Signatures – There's certainly an art and identity in someone's signature. However, why don't we incorporate even more biometrics into someone's signature? The combination of a signature plus some other biometric identity would be even more powerful. Plus, when I sign to pick up a prescription, if the pharmacy knew my fingerprint, they could indeed verify that I was the right patient.
HIE identification – I don't know anyone that's doing this, but I wonder if instead of trying to make a unique patient identifier, using social security numbers, or some other convoluted method of identity management, could we just use someone's biometric identity? If we aren't there today, I think we'll get there eventually. I'm sure there could be mismatches when it comes to matching two biometric identities that were captured by two separate systems. However, we have plenty of mismatches using ssn, name, birthdate, etc. Maybe the real answer is a combination of biometrics and name, birthdate, etc.
A Biometric Healthcare Experience
Those are some general examples. Now let's imagine a patient visit where they walk into the hospital and are immediately recognized as a patient seeing Dr. Jones for a surgery. The front desk knows who you and has you sign any forms using your biometrics and then directs you to room 315. When you arrive at room 315 you gain access to the room using your biometric identity. The nurse arrives to prep you for surgery and knows she's working on the right patient because of your biometric identity.
The nurse signs into the EMR using facial recognition and that biometric identity is captured so the EMR knows exactly who is entering the data into the system. The lab arrives and attached your biometric identity to the blood draws and the results will automatically be sent to the EHR matching on your biometrics.
Your doctor writes a prescription for you which gets sent to the pharmacy. The pharmacy knows that he is indeed a doctor based on the biometric identity of the doctor. Once you go to pickup the prescription they verify your biometric identity to ensure you're in fact the right patient for that prescription. You later go to your family doctor who's received all of the information and reports from your surgery which were easily matched to you thanks to your biometric identity.
I could keep going, but I think you get the idea. I'm sure there are major holes in the above example, but I think it's interesting to consider what a biometrically controlled healthcare experience would look like. Plus, to take a line from Google's Founder, maybe I'm still thinking too small. It's possible that biometrics will be able to do so much more. It's not going to happen tomorrow or all at once, but I'm certain that biometrics will play a big part in the future of healthcare.
I'd love to hear your thoughts on this. Are we on the path to a biometric controlled healthcare system?


text:
When I was an angsty teenager in Temecula, I got a job at Burger King. Somewhere in those 2 years, I stopped eating hamburgers. Maybe it was my failed effort to go "vegetarian" late Junior year or maybe it was over-exposure to frozen beef patties. Either way, I just sort of fell off the fast-food burger bandwagon, opting only to eat them from sit-down restaurants or indulge in a cheeseburger from In-n-Out on a rare occasion. Yup, In-n-Out became my one exception to my no fast-food hamburger rule. I admit, they make a pretty darn good burger but I can't say I ever reached that fanatical level some people seem to have for the place. But they never had any competition in my book as to where to go for a great and cheap classic burger…till now. Enter into the ring Five Guys Burger & Fries. All the way from the East Coast, this franchise is expanding across the States and I have to say, after my first visit, In-n-Out could be facing its first major opponent.
Husband and I decided to try out this place when we saw a sign for it while hitting up IKEA in Carson. I had seen the sign before but never really took notice until a friend mentioned them to me on FB in reply to an In-n-Out comment I had made. Husband thought that a burger sounded good for dinner and made an executive decision. Driving around Southbay Pavilion, it turned out Five Guys was on the other side of the shopping center from where we saw the sign; it's over by Sears.
I was a little doubtful as the place looked a little empty and it was already 7pm. When I approached the door, I saw a lady walking out with a brown paper bag that had grease stains forming on the bottom. Hrm…cautiously regaining hope… When we walked in, the decor looked very In-n-Out with red and white tiles and a simple menu hanging over the registers. The dining room was about a 1/3 full but it wasn't exactly a big space.
I looked at the menu; it was divided into Burgers, Little Burgers, Dogs and Sandwiches. Turns out the Burgers are double patties while the Little Burgers are singles. The big difference I saw right off the bat…BACON. Yup, they offer up bacon hamburgers and cheeseburgers. Husband was leaping for joy, figuratively. As for the dogs, you can get a straight up Kosher dog, cheese dog, bacon dog or bacon cheese dog. I did briefly wonder why the rest of the dogs weren't Kosher…but just for a split second. 😛 The sandwiches are the vegetarian options – veggie with or without cheese (not a veggie patty but rather, various vegetable toppings) and grilled cheese.
All burgers are initially plain and there is a list of toppings you can choose from. Mayo, lettuce, ketchup, mustard, grilled or fresh onions, tomatoes, pickles, bbq sauce, jalapeno peppers, grilled mushrooms, relish, A-1 sauce or hot sauce are your choices and none of them cost extra. I opted for a little bacon cheeseburger with bbq sauce, jalapenos, lettuce and tomatoes. Hubby went for a bacon cheeseburger with bbq sauce.
The burger was juicy and flavorful. I love the fact that sesame seed buns were used. The bacon was crispy and the ratio of toppings to burger to bun was spot on. I could taste everything without any one thing overpowering the others…well, until I bit into a jalapeno that was super hot. I ended up picking them out. I really must be losing my spicy tolerance as I get older… I think I'm going to skip the jalapenos next time and do the grilled onions. Yum.
Five Guys offers two sizes of fries done two ways: Five Guys (regular) and Cajun-seasoned. Husband originally ordered a large Cajun-seasoned but the cashier told him that was big enough for 4 people. He went with the regular size. I got a regular order of regular fries which could easily be split between two people. Their fries were natural-cut and cooked in 100% peanut oil. The Cajun seasoning had a little bit of kick to it, really nice! Their regular fries were good too and I munched my bucket down to near empty. I am a french fry fiend!! Husband didn't fare too well in making a dent in his due to the double-patty burger. He said next time, he'll get a single so he could fit more fries in his belly. Also, they have a little board next to the fryer that states where the potatoes come from. Kinda of neat!
As for drinks, it's only fountain drinks, no shakes. That really made me sad. One of the things I look forward to when I'm about to indulge in a greasy burger is a delicious shake. Cuz, you know, if you're going to be bad, you mind as well be evil. But Five Guys does get points for having cherry Coke…
While we were eating, more people did come in. It seems that the majority of them did to-go orders though. So while the dining room wasn't crowded, business seems to be going well for Five Guys.
A neat thing to note is that on the receipt taped to the bag, it numbers each burger and the burger wrappers have a sticker put on them with a number so you can tell which burger belongs to who.
In case you were wondering, yes, I was doing a comparison between Five Guys and In-n-Out in my head the entire time I was nomming. I have to say, the burger at Five Guys squeaks ahead because of the sesame bun and the bacon option. I think the burgers here are a little bigger too and have a little bit more flavor. As for fries, Five Guys is way better than In-n-Out. They are cut thicker and were crisper and more cooked thru. Five Guys does lose points with me, though, for not having any shakes. Price-wise, I think the two are comparable. The Little bacon cheeseburger costs $4.69 while the double is $5.59. As for wait time, Five Guys is much better as every single In-n-Out that I have been to or driven by here in LA is always packed inside and out.
I think Five Guys wins over In-n-Out. Is that blasphemy? Please don't sic the Spanish Inquisition on me… Send it over to Husband. He can't stand In-n-Out.
4 NOMs for Five Guys!
Five Guys Burger & Fries
20700 Avalon Blvd
Carson, CA 90746
(310) 515-7700
Filed under: 4 NOMs, american, burgers, Los Angeles | Tagged: 4 NOMs, american, bacon, beef, burger, Carson, cheeseburger, comfort food, dinner, Five Guys Burger & Fries, fries, hamburger, hot dogs, In-n-Out, Los Angeles, lunch, restaurant review, sandwiches, soda, Southbay Pavilion | 3 Comments »


text:
The man who pleaded guilty to slashing nine women's posteriors with an X-Acto knife in Fairfax County, Va., will spend seven years in prison.
Johnny Pimentel, a former day laborer, was sentenced to 20 years in prison Friday, but the judge suspended all but seven years of his sentence.
Pimentel pleaded guilty in June to four counts of malicious wounding and two counts of unlawful wounding. Pimentel was also given five years of probation, but it's likely he will be deported back to his native Peru.
Authorities say he targeted women at malls and shopping centers throughout the county and distracted his victims -- usually by knocking over clothing -- before slashing the victims with an X-Acto knife.
The series of attacks began in February 2011 and continued through July of that year.
None of the victims suffered serious physical injuries.
Pimentel was arrested near a shopping mall in Peru, in January 2012. He was extradited to the United States in December.
No motivation for the attacks has been revealed.
In a statement made during his sentencing hearing, Pimentel said, "I'm very remorseful for all the things that are occurring, and I ask you to pardon me."
A half dozen of Pimentel's family members and friends were in court to support him.
- Suspected Butt Slasher Remains in Jail
- Suspected Butt Slasher Extradited to U.S.
- Report: Butt Slasher Arrested in Peru
- Serial Butt Slasher Located, Police Say
- Serial Butt Slash Suspect Identified
- Police Create Serial Butt Slasher Task Force
- More Victims Identified in Butt-Slasher Case
- Police Release Video of Serial Butt Slasher
- Butt-Slashing Victim: "I Didn't Even Know I Was Cut at First"


text:
Few have accused Apple and Google of being complacent when it comes to innovation but that may just be the death of the two companies, at least according to a new study.
A new study by analyst firm Canalys found that a lack of innovation when it comes to mobile app stores, run by the likes of Google and Apple, dramatically limits the amount of turnover amongst the top apps.
"When we speak with app developers, many are concerned about monetization or platform fragmentation, but the No. 1 problem they face is getting their apps noticed," Canalys Senior Analyst Tim Shepherd said. "We estimate that up to two-thirds of the apps in leading consumer app store catalogs receive fewer than 1,000 downloads in their first year, and a significant proportion of those get none at all. Many high-quality apps never get the attention they deserve."
The problem, according to Canalys, is that app store providers rely too much on basic app discovery tools, such as search or featured titles.
The study found that over a 16-week period in the United States, almost half of the titles in the top-100 paid lists appeared throughout the entire period with 58 titles on Google Play and 41 in Apple's App Store occupied spaces in the respective top-100 lists in all eight surveys.
Canalys found that free apps displayed a similar pattern with 42 titles on Google Play and 31 in Apple's App Store being featured in the top 100 in every snapshot.
The study suggests that if app discovery tools are not improved, developers will become frustrated and the creation of apps will decrease or they will turn to alternative app stores, such as Amazon or Facebook's app stores.
Lack of Innovation Threatens App Stores: Study
Few have accused Apple and Google of being complacent when it comes to innovation but that may just be the death of the two companies, at least according to a new study.


text:
This year for the first time one of our county fairs chose to sell beer during its session at the beginning of September. As could be expected there were numerous responses to this issue as Cambria County in central Pennsylvania placed itself on the cutting edge of making a family oriented event one in which beverage alcohol would be available. County fairs are rather numerous in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and have always had a strong emphasis on family with activities involving persons of all ages. The one thing held in common by them was the fact that no alcoholic beverages would be available and the consumption of such beverages was absolutely forbidden on the premises. But that is obviously changing. It may be that there are others such as Cambria County that are doing this as well, but at this point in time I know of none.
Kennywood Park in Pittsburgh just took the step to sell beer recently shortly before closing for the season. It also over time has prided itself on being "family oriented."
A legitimate question can be raised -- can such institutions really claim to be "family oriented" when alcoholic beverages are available for purchase and consumption of the same takes place on the premises?
Below is a letter that was sent to two local newspapers on the Cambria County Fair choice to sell beer. I do not know if the letters were published. I am taking the position that they were not until I hear otherwise. The one always called me to verify that I had written the letter and since I did not receive a call, I assume they did not publish it.
Letter is as follows:
Tuesday, September 04, 2012
Cambria County Fair officials have made the choice to sell beverage alcohol at the fair this year. In an attempt to defend this action, one official said that they will have it under complete "control." He failed to elaborate on how they plan to control it after persons with the alcohol in their system leave the fairgrounds.
After 53 years in the ministry there is absolutely nothing positive that I can say about beverage alcohol. It has ruined more lives and destroyed more families than any other issue with which I have had to deal over those years. National statistics also are quite negative when it comes to destruction and loss of life caused by beverage alcohol.
A question for those Cambria County Fair officials: how would you like to conduct the funeral for an exceptional high school student who was cut down, along with his girl friend, by a character with alcohol in his system who was driving at about 85 MPH? He was driving with a suspended license due to previous conviction for drunken driving. To add great insult to injury an unscrupulous lawyer who had abandoned all ethical and moral standards in his practice got the killer off on a technicality!
Greed has a wide variety of ways in manifesting itself with end results summed up in words such as tragedy and disaster! It may seem we are getting away with something for a time and will come out on top in the end, only to discover too late in eternity the choice made was a very deadly mistake!
Still contending at www.crrange.com, blogging at http://cdharriger.blogspot.com and warning at www.crrange.com/USACoffin.html
Clayton D. Harriger, Pastor
The new wine fails, the vine languishes, all the merry-hearted sigh. The mirth of the tambourine ceases, the noise of the jubilant ends, the joy of the harp ceases. They shall not drink wine with a song; strong drink is bitter to those who drink it. The city of confusion is broken down; every house is shut up, so that none may go in. There is a crying for wine in the streets, all joy is darkened, the mirth of the land is gone. --- Isaiah 24:7-11


text:
doesn't have to be anything fancy. In addition to the machine, you'll need to grab some clothesline.
thing is that you get the cotton and not the nylon kind. Also, you'll want to get the thinnest stuff you can find.
This is medium load, 12 lb-strength clothesline.
thread because it creates a bit more festive of a look. I started out using this metallic spool,
but I found that the metallic thread kept breaking, so I stopped.
Ryan Gosling is. This is the part where your pets will start helping you craft. Aren't they thoughtful?
Using your hands, wrap the clothesline around itself a couple of times...like so.
This project is done using the zigzag stitch. You'll understand why in a few moments.
The zigzag stitch sews the last round of clothesline to the next wrapping of clothesline. Make sense?
the base of your bowl is as big as you want it. You can make little bowls or big bowls (baskets).
I wanted to make a really big bowl for my some yarn that I've accumulated.
The base is almost ready!
climbing up instead of building out. I know this sounds strange, but you really do form the
walls by lifting the base up and encouraging the walls to build out from there.
I decided to go until I used one entire spool of clothesline (100 feet).
The basket is perfect for some of my yarn, and Peanut immediately showed me what else baskets are good for.
You know she's comfortable when she starts "grooming" in the basket.
A new favorite.
- You can wrap the clothesline in any fabric you want. Simply glue strips of it around and then sew in exactly the same way. I've seen this done but have yet to try it.
- I've also thought about dying the cotton line before sewing. I think that would look so charming.


text:
Two Tribes At Shangri-La's Mactan Resort & Spa - 200 Delegates Multinational Corporation
25 June 2015
Two hundred employees from a multinational industrial product company on an incentive trip to the Philippines gathered in burning hot weather to participate in this fun team building event.
Two Tribes is a celebration of indigenous games from all corners of the world. Each of the carefully sequenced sporting tribal challenges is designed to encourage people of all physical abilities to participate in a fun and supportive environment.
Despite the blistering hot weather, the tribes went right into action and completed all the quests while having fun and laughs during the showdown between the Red Tribe and the Blue Tribe.
The Red Tribe won the overall activities with a total score of 77 Ingots while the Blue team clinched the title of Best Haka performance.


text:
The ever-resourceful @DaringFireball got me onto a clever fellow by the name of Horace Dediu who runs asymco, a quirky but engaging mobile-focused blog. He does a lot of his own research, loads his site with great articles, and gets clicks. This one just happens to be his research on the average selling price (ASP) of  mobile phone competitors: Nokia, Apple, LG, Samsung, Motorola, Sony Ericcson, and RIM. The results are sour grapes for most of the companies; only Apple and RIM come away without looking foolish.
More after the gap:


text:
FALLBROOK, CA -- Less than two weeks before a deadline, Med-Fit Systems Inc. has purchased a Virginia manufacturing and warehouse facility from Nautilus Inc.
Med-Fit Systems, Fallbrook, CA, bought the Independence, VA, facility for $2.1 million, according to a press release from Med-Fit Systems, which manufactures Nautilus commercial products. The purchase includes a 262,000-square-foot facility and a 56-acre campus.
Nautilus and Med-Fit Systems had entered a lease agreement in which Med-Fit was to lease the facility through Dec. 31, 2012. Med-Fit had the option to purchase the facility by Aug. 31 of this year.
"Now that we have complete ownership of the facility, we will be better able to utilize and expand the plant's manufacturing capabilities," Med-Fit Systems CEO Dean Sbragia said in a statement. "We have already initiated the move to bring our Asian-based cardiovascular equipment back to Independence, where we will have better quality control, while providing more jobs for Virginia."
The Portland (OR) Business Journal reported that Nautilus, Vancouver, WA, disclosed the purchase in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In the filing, Quinton Commercial Fitness LLC, an affiliate of Med-Fit Systems, completed the transaction on Aug. 19, the newspaper reported.
Had Med-Fit not purchased the facility, Med-Fit would have had to pay Nautilus a monthly rental fee of $40,000 through the remainder of the term. After Aug. 31, Med-Fit would have paid a total of $1.12 million in rent over 28 months.
"The acquisition of the Independence, VA, campus included a new business incentive from the Commonwealth of Virginia," says Mark Meussner, president of Med-Fit Systems. "This incentive allowed for the purchase of these assets without any capital investment from Med-Fit Systems Inc. and also resulted in a significantly lower monthly cost than the proposed lease agreement with Nautilus Inc."
Med-Fit purchased most of the Nautilus commercial business, excluding Schwinn and Stairmaster, for $2.8 million in February. Med-Fit paid $300,000 at closing for the Nautilus asset license. The remainder of the $2.8 million will be paid in installments through 2011.
Under the license agreement, Nautilus is entitled to royalties based on net sales of the licensed products by Med-Fit. Royalties are subject to minimum annual payments, ranging from $300,000 to $800,000, beginning in 2010 and subject to adjustment based on the consumer price index each year thereafter. The license agreement extends through Dec. 31, 2013, and is subject to a two-year extension term with respect to cardio products and a perpetual renewal term with respect to strength products.


text:
Need Help?
Click here for help with
the STITCHES Online
Registration System.
Registration is closed for this event...
Saturday 08/09/2014, 8:30 am - 11:30 am
Skill LevelIntermediate
Class Hours3
TeacherMelissa Leapman
View Melissa's profile
Two-Color Double Knitting with Melissa LeapmanWith this fascinating knitting technique, both sides of the knitting appear to be stockinette stitch. In just a few fun hours, learn how to knit and design these beautiful reversible fabrics.
SuppliesHomework swatches with yarn attached and needles used; a few balls of contrasting brightly-colored (but solid) worsted weight yarn that is darker than your homework yarn; sticky notes (such as Post It Notes); 4mm/US 6 circular needle or 2 dpns.
Optional: graph paper, 5-squares-to-the-inch; pencil.
HomeworkStart 3 swatches with smooth, solid, light-colored, #4 (worsted-weight) yarn and 4mm/US 6 needles as follows:
Swatch 1: Cast on 28 sts. Slip sts onto holder.
Swatch 2: Cast on 20 sts. Slip sts onto holder.
Swatch 3: Cast on 24 sts. Slip sts onto holder.
Note: Yes, the homework is just to cast on the stitches. You have read correctly and nothing is missing.


text:
Additional Charge Issued Against Chris Mass' Alleged Shooter at Tyler Mall [UPDATE]
An additional charge was added Monday to the suspect charged with a fatal weekend shooting at the Broadway Square Mall in Tyler in what police say was over a tweet.
25-year-old Ricky Neal Jr. is now charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and first degree murder for the shooting death of 23-year-old Christopher Mass of Tyler.
Police investigators determined Neal also fired a shot at, and missed 29-year-old Jonathon Lamone Dews of Tyler. Neal is jailed with bonds totaling 1.25 million dollars.
According to police reports, Mass was caught in the middle of an altercation between a man he was with and Neal about a Twitter conversation involving Neal and the other man's girlfriend.
The altercation started at Champ's in the mall and made its way outside. It was then Neal pulled out a gun, and the other two tried to put a stop to the situation, but Neal started firing.
Neal struck Mass twice, and he was pronounced dead on the scene. Neal was arrested on the scene -- he did not flee -- and was charged with homicide. He is currently being held in Smith County Jail on bonds totaling $1.25 million.
People were at the mall unusually early for a Saturday -- it was the first day Michael Jordan's "Air Jordan" shoes went on sale, and Champ's opened early for the sale.
Chris Mass played quarterback on Chapel Hill's football team and was the star player for the Bulldogs' basketball team. He helped lead Chapel Hill to the state basketball tournament in 2007, where the Bulldogs lost to Hardin-Jefferson in the state semifinals.
Mass went to Stephen F. Austin State University to play football after high school.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family.


text:
The rain didn't stop the party from going and the boat-a-rockin'. Last night, Music Unites celebrated its third anniversary at The Frying Pan with several musical guests, including John Batiste & The Stay Human Band, R&B singer Melanie Fiona, fashion designer John Varvatos, and more.
Music Unites is a non-profit organization dedicated to funding and sustaining music programs in under-served school districts across the country. Proceeds from last night's event will go towards the Five Borough Music Unites Youth Choir Campaign to establish after-school music programs in all five boroughs in New York City.
Check out photos below of the music-filled party.
Copyright LXTVN - LXTV


text:
My problem is with ItemListener I'm not sure why it is not working. Well I'm trying to split the ItemListener
into two class.
in the main class I have this
final JCheckBox whole_C_CheckBox = new JCheckBox("Whole"); whole_C_CheckBox.addItemListener(new CheckBox(whole_C_QTextField, whole_C_WTextField, whole_C_PTextField)); whole_C_CheckBox.setVerticalAlignment(SwingConstants.BOTTOM); whole_C_CheckBox.setHorizontalAlignment(SwingConstants.LEFT); whole_C_CheckBox.setBounds(12, 66, 113, 25); chikenPanel.add(whole_C_CheckBox);
In the other class I have
public class CheckBox implements ItemListener{ private JTextField q; private JTextField p; private JTextField w; private JCheckBox whole_C_CheckBox; public CheckBox(JTextField whole_C_QTextField, JTextField whole_C_WTextField, JTextField whole_C_PTextField) { this.q = whole_C_QTextField; this.w = whole_C_WTextField; this.p = whole_C_PTextField; } @Override public void itemStateChanged(ItemEvent e) { if(whole_C_CheckBox.isSelected()){ q.setText(""); w.setText(""); p.setText(""); } else{ q.setText("0"); w.setText("0.00"); p.setText("0.00"); } }}
will when I try to run the program its working.However, when I click on the Check Box for (whole_C_CheckBox ) it give an error I don't know what is wrong with my code.
Note: in the main class all these whole_C_QTextField, whole_C_WTextField, whole_C_PTextField has
been set in default to (0, 0.00, 0.00), so I'm trying when I click on Check Box for (whole_C_CheckBox )
it will set them to nothing, and if I unchecked them again they will return to their default (0, 0.00, 0.00).


text:
ROCHESTER — Looking to address problems at the city's wastewater treatment plant, Waste Management is upgrading its own treatment system on Rochester Neck Road.
Public Works Director Peter Nourse said he hopes with the upgrades will also come a reduction of nitrogen that passes through the city wastewater treatment plant, as about half of the nitrogen that comes through the city plant comes from Waste Management.
By this summer, Waste Management hopes to finish upgrading its treatment plant at the Turnkey Landfill. As part of the upgrade, a reverse osmosis (RO) system will be implemented for the treatment of leachate — the precipitation and melted snow that filters through the landfill waste and collects on the bottom.
After the leachate is pretreated at Waste Management, it travels to the city's wastewater treatment plant, where it's treated and then discharged into the Cocheco River.
As part of the final treatment steps, the city's plant uses UV lights to neutralize any pathogens and contaminants before liquids are discharged into the river. While these UV lights are supposed to operate about 50 percent of the time, Nourse said the lights now operate 100 percent of the time, due to the low transmissivity levels in the liquid that passes through the system.
The higher the levels of transmissivity, the easier it is for light to travel through the liquid, and the easier it is for UV lights to disinfect the water.
"The lower the transmissivity the more stuff you have in there, the more suspended solids, the harder it is to treat," said Nourse. "We see this being improved with the RO system."
Studies have shown that the low transmissivity is caused by the leachate from Waste Management, but the specific problem within the leachate remains a mystery.
While the main goal of the RO system is to improve transmissivity at the city wastewater treatment plant, and to make the UV lights not have to operate 100 percent of the time, Nourse said that RO technology also typically results in lower nitrogen levels.
Nourse said that with pilot testing done with the RO system, "It's promising that it will reduce nitrogen coming to the city."
"It could be significant, we're hoping for the best," said Nourse.
If the implementation of RO means lower amounts of nitrogen coming into the wastewater treatment plant, it would mean the city would have an easier time meeting the upcoming EPA permit for total nitrogen, which is expected to be stringent.
As soon as this year, city officials are anticipating EPA limiting the amount of nitrogen that's allowed to be discharged from the wastewater plant to 3 milligrams per liter — a level public works officials have called the "limit of technology." With this permit limit, multimillion dollar upgrades would have to be made to the city's plant.
Steven Proggi, director of disposal operations for Waste Management, said he's not certain the new RO system will reduce nitrogen, but he said the Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR) implemented at the Waste Management plant last year was meant to reduce nitrogen levels, in preparation for the EPA permit.
Nourse, on the other hand, said he doesn't believe the city saw a reduction of incoming nitrogen with the new SBR system. He said the new system, though, made it so all of the leachate coming from Waste Management is treated. Previously, Waste Management used to send a combination of treated and raw leachate.
Nourse said that with the new RO system, Waste Management is "doing everything they can go get us leachate that we can treat as easily as possible."
Proggi said that the RO system, which is costing Waste Management millions of dollars, "will make the water lead into the (city) plant very clean, to the point we could probably discharge it directly into the river, but we won't."
Nourse noted that the UV lights at the city plant operating at double the normal amount does not cause significant wear and tear on equipment, and does not result in significant extra cost.
He said that Waste Management has been "a proactive partner with the city on this ... they really stepped up to the plate."
Nourse said that per agreement with Waste Management, the city does not gain any revenue from accepting the company's leachate, but Waste Management has a limit of how much liquid it's allowed to send to the wastewater treatment plant.
The new RO system is expected to begin operating around June.


text:
There are some annoying issues and crashes in KDE 4 (and particularly in KRunner and Nepomuk) that are related to the thread-safety (or, rather, thread-non-safety) of libdbus-1. kde-core-devel has seen some discussion about this recently.
There is a patch that fixes the issue, but it won't make it into D-Bus before dbus-1.4, due to the fact that it changes the library behaviour and could potentially break bindings. Thiago has confirmed that the change doesn't break the Qt bindings, and (from the bug report), no-one has found any other bindings it breaks.
This is all just background on why, if you are running Arch Linux, you might want to check out the dbus-core-mt package on the AUR. It's dbus-core-1.2.24, as found in core, but with the afformentioned patch applied. Note, however, that you use it at your own risk – it should improve KDE, but it may well break other stuff.


text:
Malik Riaz issue is a big test for the people of Pakistan especially those who are justice loving to prove their existence as human beings not as insects or blind sheep. Pakistan military and feudal-corporatist-extortionist political ruling elite thinks that we all are insects and blind sheep who can be easily crushed or can be taken any where.
There are reports that government wants to send a reference against Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry like Musharraf did in 2007. The move will give enough space for the government to waste time till the next elections and CJ's 2013 retirement.
We need to decide now that what sort of life we want to give to our future generations. Are we ready to give a life of slaves to our future generations? Are we ready to surrender the rights of our future generations?
As John F. Kennedy said, "Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable. "
It seems government, military and allies want people who wan a system based on justice to go for the violent option. I think establishment and government want people to go for a French type revolution in Pakistan.