text:
HIGH POINT, N.C. (AP) John Brown and Derrell Edwards scored 13 points each to lead six High Point players in double figures in a 99-36 rout of Johnson & Wales (N.C.) Sunday.
The Panthers (4-3) took the lead for good on a dunk by Corey Law that made it 7-5, stretched the margin to 43-26 at halftime and opened the second half with an 18-0 run that included nine points by Edwards.
Johnson & Wales (3-11), a U.S. Collegiate Athletic Association team, scored just 10 points in the second half, making 4 of 31 shots (12.9 percent). The 63-point margin of defeat matched the Wildcats' most lopsided this season, a 109-46 loss to North Carolina Central on Nov. 12.
Law added 11 points for High Point, and Allan Chaney, Adam Weary and Branimir Mikulic scored 10 each. Law and Chaney had nine rebounds each as the Panthers dominated the boards 53-29.


text:
Tactical Electronics Donates $1 to the CEC/Seabee Historical Foundation for Every "Like" on Their Facebook Page
Broken Arrow, Okla. - Are you ready for Tactical Electronics' next donation challenge? This time they are supporting the Seabee Historical Foundation! For every "Like" Tactical Electronics receives on their Facebook page they will donate $1 to the foundation, up to 1,500 likes. Please Share and help the CEC/ Seabee Historical Foundation ensure the Navy's Seabees have their story told in a state-of-the-art modern museum! The Seabees are an amazing facet of the Navy and are commonly referred to as the unsung heroes. The money donated will go to preserving their history in the new Seabee Museum.
Like the Tactical Electronics Facebook page: http://bit.ly/13aldtY
About the CEC/Seabee Historical Foundation
The CEC/Seabee Historical Foundation is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization whose purpose is to ensure the proud heritage and rich history of the Navy's Civil Engineer Corps and the Navy's military construction force, the Seabees, are properly documented, preserved and maintained. Public awareness of the contributions and accomplishments of the Seabees and the Civil Engineer Corps is a primary goal. Founded in September, 1991, the Foundation has a worldwide membership and all donations are tax deductible.
Request more info from Tactical Electronics
Thank You!

subset: commoncrawl


text:
1990s. Windy Day at Rockaway. 38"x11". Oil on Canvas.
I am committed to sustainability and ecologically friendly practices in the creation of ART and DESIGN. Many of my art pieces are made from recycled and reclaimed materials, hand-made recycled papers, and when possible, eco-friendly inks and paints. My designs are limited editions. Send me an email if you are interested in purchasing any artwork you see on this page.
About Me
- Dr. Mary
- Corvallis, OR, United States
- I am essentially self-taught and have been making art and design for decades. I have been a graphic artist, jewelry, furniture and clothing designer, painter and printmaker, art facilitator and teacher. I've exhibited my artwork in numerous group and solo shows in the US and Europe. I am originally from Queens, New York where I received a Bachelor's Degree in Anthropology from Queens College. In order to teach art, I returned to school and received a Master of Arts Degree in Humanities from California State University Dominguez Hills, and a Practice-based Doctoral Research Degree in Fine Art-Painting from De Montfort University in Leicester, England. I also hold another Master of Arts Degree in Education. I have taught studio art and design, art history, research, and education for over 12 years at the graduate and undergraduate levels, online and on ground. I recently closed my studio in Asheville, NC where I facilitated art and design workshops for 5 years. I now live in Corvallis, Oregon where I continue to make art. I have 4 children and 3 grandchildren.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Old Stuff-Border Pictures and other Photos
US-Mexican Border in 2006. I was given permission to take pictures along the US-Mexican Border.
Three boys looking through the Fence on the beach where the Fence meets the Pacific Ocean.
Labels: bubbles, bullets, old stuff, photography, photos, US-Mexican Border
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)


text:
For those who have to read to know me, here's about me.
Me (a work-in-progress, too)
I appreciate what you have done and continues to do. I hope to meet you one day and thank you for providing me something which I am discovering through your eyes.
Well Done.
By: Ronald Gantuangco on February 5, 2010
at 1:11 pm
re – Ronald Gantuangco . I am seaching for the Araceli Gantuangcoof San fernando . cebu . R u related can you tell me at what age he died at & when ? I have this last bit of the puzzle to confirm . I would appreciate any other contacts , relatives , etc regards
By: allan edmonds on March 3, 2010
at 4:07 am
vip, hurot na gyud akong bilib. usa lang ni sa mga ebidensya sa imong kakugi ug kahago. (sakto ba ning akong binisaya?) hahaha!
By: baby on March 10, 2010
at 1:09 pm
Again I read your Carcarinan life. I know you from Minglanilla, Cebu . How is your life in Minglanilla and also your College life?
By: minglanilla on May 30, 2010
at 9:57 am
I am still waiting
By: minglanilla on May 30, 2010
at 1:18 pm
By: minglanilla on May 31, 2010
at 9:00 am


text:
The Obama Presidency: An Assessment
by: Eli Zaretsky on January 21st, 2013 | 24 Comments »
Obama's inauguration today provides the opportunity for a tentative overview of his still uncompleted two-term presidency. To be sure, he will always be remembered as the first African-American president, but what else will we remember him for? In this regard let us consider his domestic and his foreign policy achievements separately.
In terms of domestic policy, the main course of Obama's presidency was set when he fell into the trap, set not just by right wing Republicans but by such false friends as David Brooks and Tom Friedman, of making the budget deficit the overriding issue. Of course, the deficit was unavoidable, but every Democratic president since Roosevelt has understood that this issue had to be subordinated to the larger goals and values of American society. Obama's failure to grasp the need to rise above the merely economic has meant that his eight years will have been largely dominated by a series of pointless "cliffs," "grand bargains," concessions to austerity and the rest. Not only that, but his legacy promises to remain a series of arguments over the deficit, and not a vision of who we are as a people, and where we want to go.
There are two exceptions to this, both potentially vast: the auto bailout and the Health Plan. Nonetheless, both suffer from a failure to situate them within a coherent, historically grounded vision of America. The auto bailout was not merely a success. What Obama actually did was to nationalize the auto industry for a while, reorganize it and help it get back on its feet. This reform demonstrated the continued relevance of the innovations of the New Deal, including its socialist aspects. But Obama of course shied away from any such implications, and limited his intervention to the swing states of Ohio and Michigan. As to the Affordable Care Act, it is widely understood today to be profoundly redistributive, and it is my hope that it will prove to be so. However, it may well be deployed toward another end, namely to deepen the gulf between those who can afford first-class health care and the rest of us. Which of these paths are followed is not yet clear, and the estimation of Obama by historians will largely depend on which prevails.
In regard to foreign policy, Obama has been more successful, but still suffers from the same problem: reforms without a narrative that gives them meaning. He has continued to back off of Bush's disastrous first two years, as Bush backed off in his later presidency, but he has in every other way confirmed the bizarre view that terrorism should be the main focus of our foreign policy. the election of the first person of color to the American presidency promised to be an event with global significance, but in fact Obama has confirmed a traditional "realist" provincialism, having little relevance to the really great global stories– China, the Arab Awakening, and climate change. In regard to civil liberties, Obama has renounced outright torture, but has otherwise worsened Bush's execrable record. I have in mind here not just the drones, but the arrogation of the right to execute American citizens without trial, as in the case of Anwar al-Aulaqi and his sixteen year old son. Obama's confrontational policy toward China may also be misguided; it is too early to tell whether it is bluster or for real. It is not widely understood for example that the Senkaku or Diaoyu islands were taken from China in 1895 as a result of an aggressive Japanese-initiated war.
Overall, the central lesson of the Obama presidency is the crucial role of the Left in saving America from its worst errors. It was the anti-war Left in the Democratic Party that gave the nomination to Obama, rather than to Hillary Clinton, and this was a great achievement, not just because of the election of an African-American (we also need a woman President to be sure) but because Hillary Clinton would almost certainly have led this country into an outright war with Iran. It was also the Left, especially the short-lived but profoundly important Occupy movement, that brought the issue of social and economic inequality– in a word, class– back to American society, giving Obama the language that provided him with his re-election victory. Obama has proven to be a disappointing, but not disastrous president, but his presidency is likely to be remembered as the time when an American Left began to revive.


text:
A year ago yesterday, I had the opportunity to get a private tour of the Fast-Attack Submarine the USS Cheyenne (SSN 773), and today I'm saddened to be learning that it is leaving Hawaii for a six-month deployment.
Pearl Harbor, Hawaii – Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS Cheyenne (SSN 773) departed Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam Dec. 13 for a scheduled six-month deployment to the Western Pacific region.
Cheyenne's commanding officer, Cmdr. Noel J. Gonzalez, commented the crew is eager and excited to get underway.
"I am extremely happy with the crew's enthusiasm, eagerness, and motivation to accomplish our tasking," said Gonzalez.
Gonzalez said the crew has anxiously waited for the day to deploy after having spent months preparing and training for the missions they will soon undertake. From different weather patterns to deployed operational tasking, Cheyenne will face many challenges during deployment that are not normally encountered in the local operating area.
For many on the crew, including Electronics Technician 3rd Class Sean Michael Dziuvenis, this will be a first deployment.
"It's going to be a long time away from homeport, not talking to my family and friends, but I'm looking forward to the port visits and seeing the world," said Dziuvenis.
Along with accomplishing the mission, the deployment will provide an opportunity to gain experience for many on the crew to include watchstanding, and submarine qualifications.
"This is without a doubt the best-trained crew in the Pacific Fleet and they are ready to complete any mission," said Cheyenne's Command Master Chief Michael Hinkle.
Commissioned September 1996, USS Cheyenne is the third ship of the United States Navy to be named for Cheyenne, Wyoming, and is one of the most capable attack submarines in the world. She can launch Harpoon and Tomahawk missiles as well as Mark-48 torpedoes.
Related articles
- USS Hawaii Returns to Pearl Harbor (damontucker.com)
Filed under: Announcements, Hawaii, Military, Technology Tagged: | Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Pearl Harbor, United States Navy, USS Cheyenne, Western Pacific


text:
In these times, editors are having to push back on writers more and more to keep their stories lean. This is not necessarily a factor of the reading market, but rather a factor of the bookselling market. Readers may love their Big Fat Fantasies. But paper is expensive. And booksellers are jealous of their shelf space. And, of course, more words does not make one a better writer! You CAN make a grand, complex story with luscious prose in less than 900 pages. (Keep telling me that.) So what do you do when your editor says, "Pare it down by 10-15K?"
First remember that the story, characters, and setting are the most important. Get them out there in the most wonderful fashion you can. That being said, we all have fat in our prose. I know I write lots of extra words. I think it's a product of my "start from the beginning and go" plot development. I think I'm writing tighter these days, but at revision time, here are some techniques I use - very fresh in my mind from these past three weeks.
1. The Easy. Start with a goal of removing one line per page. That's pretty painless unless you are a truly "spare" writer. (In that case you probably don't run into the cutting words problem!)
2. Nibbling. Look at any paragraph with just a word or two dangling on the last line. Challenge yourself to move those danglers onto the previous line by shortening the paragraph. Somehow this tactic makes you read the paragraph more carefully and find lurking phrases you don't need.
You can do also do this with sentences at the end of the chapter. If your chapter runs onto a new page by three sentences, challenge yourself to push those sentences onto the previous page. You can always find a way. Don't ask me why this works even after you've reread the chapter and worked until you feel as if it is drumhead tight. There is always a little more slack.
3. Fat Patterns. Look, for example, at dialog where you've put a short response and then an explanatory response:
"No, I won't," said George. "I never take a girl to the prom."
Why not just answer:
"I never take a girl to the prom," said George.
You still get the negative and the explanation. Much more concise. Now consider the dialog tag. Is it needed?
4. Two to One. I am an inveterate "say it two different ways" person. Read carefully to see if you're saying the same thing twice.
This sequence: Time was short. I needed to get down to the harbor. Midnight approached.
Could be rewritten as:
Midnight approached. I needed to get down to the harbor.
(Note that these are much briefer sentences than I embroil myself in, but you get the idea.)
This also applies to multiple comparisons or multiple metaphors. Your prose is often stronger with just the one really good one. "He was strong as an ox, tough as nails, and he wore a crust on his skin like barnacles." Drop the tough as nails and you can recast the sentence without the second "he". [Of course strong as an ox is cliche,too, but this is an example, OK?]
5. Excess Baggage. Target long descriptive paragraphs. If you have five sentences of description when Portier first sees the estate of Montclaire, which one can you leave out? Target the least vivid, the most cliched, the one that doesn't reflect anything unusual. Put in the four best ones and the reader will fill in the rest. If you're in a smelly alley, you probably don't have to mention the refuse. If you've got a lurking cat in the refuse heap, you probably don't need to mention the rat. Things like that. Vow to reduce all descriptive paragraphs by one sentence. Often when you start pulling out the least vivid, you realize you can actually do with only three little goodies. Or can combine two so-so pieces into one.
6. Micro-management. Look for places you're boring the reader with extraneous movements. "He walked across the room." First off, "He crossed the room" is stronger and shorter. But why not skip the walking and use the preceding and following text to indicate the change of position? Is the walking itself so important?
Or, "She lifted her purse, rummaged through it, and pulled out her wallet." Unless the lifting is particularly meaningful (ie. she's a paraplegic or you are focusing on micro-movements for a literary purpose) lose the lifting. "She rummaged through her purse and produced her wallet." Micro-movements get tedious.
7. Macro Removal. Deleting whole threads or scenes hurts. But sometimes, something that seemed a good idea at the time you wrote it, doesn't pay off. Yes, you like the words, and it's interesting, but will the reader miss it if it's gone? I found a couple of those. Maybe worth 500 words each. And what was left was cleaner. The cool thing in these times is that you can save those deleted scenes for your website or blog. If you read your work aloud, you'll hear when the pacing bogs down because of a digression. Lose the digression.
8. Sinkholes. These are little places that chew up wordcount. Things like dialog tags. We often put in far more than we need. Empty dialog exchanges. ["Did you really?" "Uh-huh." "Really?" ] Repetition. Extra adjectives that can be obsoleted by using a better noun. Extra adverbs that can be made unnecessary by picking a better verb. If you use two adjectives to describe a newcomer onto the scene, try to eliminate one. Summarizing statements that do nothing but reiterate what your character just said, offering no new insight. "Those were the reasons I hated him." All of these things clutter your prose. The story will be stronger, cleaner, and clearer without.
Good luck and happy revising!
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Revision 4: Cutting Words
In these times, editors are having to push back on writers more and more to keep their stories lean. This is not necessarily a factor of the reading market, but rather a factor of the bookselling market. Readers may love their Big Fat Fantasies. But paper is expensive. And booksellers are jealous of their shelf space. And, of course, more words does not make one a better writer! You CAN make a grand, complex story with luscious prose in less than 900 pages. (Keep telling me that.) So what do you do when your editor says, "Pare it down by 10-15K?"
8 comments:
- Artemis Grey said...
Great post! And so in sync with my life right now. As an aspiring writer, I'm going through the work of trying to make myself appealing to agents and publishing houses in a bad economy. It's like pushing a chain uphill, and a constant struggle because I've got to have utter faith in my own potential, while at the same time, giving my ms a cold hard, look.
I'm in the process of slashing and burning. It's like picking a scab. Nasty, and yet very satisfying in its own way. So far, I've gone from 161,874 (I know, high drama) to 136,122 words, and I'm still going. The truth, of course, is that I didn't NEED any of what I cut.
Except, I DID need it, in a way. Because within that garble of excess baggage is the story that I believe in. I thought I'd hate this part of writing, and I'm sure it'll kick my ass at some point. But for now, it's a treasure hunt, finding the right sentence in a paragraph, the right scene in a chapter etc.
- May 28, 2009 at 6:00 AM
- Sarah said...
A very interesting post. Thanks so much!
I learned something about tightening when I was requested to cut a short story from 2300 to 1500words (I ended up at 1498, actually!). At the time, I thought that was simply not possible – but it was!
Well, truth be said, I do think that in that case the story was better (and more comprehensible) when longer, but still… there's always something you can tight a little more ;-)
- May 28, 2009 at 8:47 AM
- carolwriter said...
Yes, Sarah, I agree, that sometimes the longer form is better. I often end up putting words back in where I was too tough pulling them out. Especially if I read the passage aloud and find it choppy. Don't like choppy. The narrative must fit the voice of the point-of-view character.
Wow A. = 25K words - that is awesome. And yes, the ultimate test is: "will the reader miss this if it isn't here?" (Not, will I miss it?)
- May 28, 2009 at 4:02 PM
- Anonymous said...
Lucky for me, I'm not at the point where I need to worry about word count with my work in progress just yet. But I do tend to edit as I write, and thus I find myself trying to trim the excess from each chapter as I finish them.
Carol, many of your methods appealed to me a great deal because I've used some of them myself.
I do a lot of "nibbling" myself, and always thought maybe I was just a neat freak. For some reason, seeing that lonely word on a single line at the end of a paragraph just always bothered me. So I constantly end up rewriting my work so as to get rid of it.
Hopefully I'm saving myself some hard work later, but if I ever caught the interest of an editor, I don't know how easily I'd be able to trim more words from the pages.
I'm sure I could find a way. There's always a way. Some of your other methods (which I don't currently use) look really effective, so I'll probably make a use of them.
Thanks for the great advice.
- May 29, 2009 at 5:12 AM
- Reziac said...
A pet peeve of my own:
"would be able to" -- most of the time not only does "could" cover the ground, it's more accurate.
My natural fiction style is rather spare (I self-edit like the above as I go), leaving much to the imagination... so I occasionally get the opposite complaint, that people wish I would write more description and more sub-scenes! Well, isn't the real trick to leave 'em wanting more? :)
Something I learned from CJ Cherryh -- if you want action scenes to really work, they need to flow in realtime. Describing blow-by-blow lags the action.
- June 11, 2009 at 11:53 AM
- Anonymous said...
Hehe. I especially like #2. People (like fellow aspiring writers) always call me nuts when I tell them that I use orphan control so that it forces me to look more closely at every page and cut just enough text to avoid orphans! (One page, for my personal use, equals 2.7 "standard" manuscript pages.) If possible, I also avoid paragraphs ending with 1-2 words on the last line. Same with chapter breaks. If the last page runs only, say, 1/4 page, I try to trim the chapter to the last full page.
"Isn't that too mechanical, too arbitrary?" I'm asked. "Isn't that the opposite of *creative* writing?" Huh. Well, in cases I absolutely can't find anything to cut, I leave the danglers and orphans in, but as you said: there usually is some slack, and the tightened version reads much better.
Thanks for sharing this great advice. "Word count" is a scary thing for me, as I'm one of those writers who write too much rather than too little, so I'm always looking for ways to trim trim trim.
- June 14, 2009 at 7:16 AM
- carolwriter said...
Homing in on orphans and trailing words is not mechanical - unless you chop off those trailing words. What it does is refocus your eyes on that piece of text. We often read a paragraph first line/last line, while skimming the middle. It is worthwhile to ask: is there something in the middle that's extra? This is just a way to tease your brain into doing it.
- June 15, 2009 at 3:21 PM
- carolwriter said...
Yes, there are a ton of phrases like "would be able to" that can be condensed. "I made my way to the store" vs "I went to the store." Of COURSE, sometimes you are looking for rhythm or excess formality in voice, but I think we all tend to lard our prose with such phrases, when we could think of better ways to use the verbiage.
- June 15, 2009 at 3:23 PM


text:
This postcard comes from grandma Hazel's box of goodies and was written to my great-great grandma & grandpa Piggott from their daughter Alice. She was my great-grandaunt.
Unfortunately I can't read the postal stamp, but the card must have been written and sent some time around Nov 1908, since their 39th anniversary was Dec 1, 1908.
It's addressed to Mr. and Mrs. W H Piggott, Bloomington, Idaho.
Dear Father & Mother,
Hearty congratulations
on the anaversary of
your 39th wedding
day. May you both
see many more &
happy ones. Hope you
are both feeling better.
Love to all Lovingly Alice
There is a little something more written up above over the green postcard print. This is my attempt to decipher it:
20 belowLet me know if you can make it out.
zero this
now the
___ is
Amanuensis Monday is an ongoing series created by John Newmark at Transylvanian Dutch


text:
Miguel's lamp consists of an Arduino-controlled RGB light strip.
Shows the operation of an RGB lamp using a digital LED strip. After activating the bluetooth, open the application to control the lamp.
The program shows a hue palette divided into 30 rods: one for each LED from the strip.
Click and drag the mouse cursor to make your own patterns. Clicking on a rod while the spacebar is pressed removes the color (switch off this led).
Part list: wooden support (optional), RGB digitally-addressable LED strip (from Adafruit or Pololu…), microcontroller (arduino pro mini, for example), Bluetooth .OR. Xbee .OR. an USB wire.
I absolutely love how Miguel visualized the lamp in watercolor paint (the link above, scroll down) and think more makers should do that. [via Arduino]


text:
For a while now I've been entertaining the notion of joining The Classics Club, since so many bloggers I follow are a part of it and I do enjoy and want to read more classic literature. Since I've realized that, as an Obliger (Gretchen Rubin's Four Tendencies,) I need to have outer accountability to meet inner expectations, I thought this would be the perfect little nudge I need to get me reading all those novels I've been "meaning to read" forever.
The (short version) rules of the Club are this:
- – choose 50+ classics
- – list them at your blog
- – choose a reading completion goal date up to five years in the future and note that date on your classics list of 50+ titles
- – write about each title on your list as you finish reading it, and link it to your main list
So by February 8, 2023, I hope to have read the following books (but I reserve the right to add and drop titles along the way:)
Gather Together in My Name – Maya Angelou
The Enchanted April – Elizabeth von Arnim
Lady Susan, The Watsons, Sanditon – Jane Austen
Giovanni's Room – James Baldwin
Go Tell it on the Mountain – James Baldwin
Fahrenheit 451 – Ray Bradbury
The Long-Winded Lady: Notes From the New Yorker – Maeve Brennan
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall – Anne Brontë
Jane Eyre -Charlotte Brontë (reread)
The Master and Margarita – Mikhail Bulgakov
The Woman in White – Wilkie Collins
A Study in Scarlet – Arthur Conan Doyle
My Cousin Rachel – Daphne du Maurier
Great Expectations – Charles Dickens
Nicholas Nickleby – Charles Dickens
The Count of Monte Cristo – Alexandre Dumas
Adam Bede – George Eliot
Invisible Man – Ralph Ellison
Love Medicine – Louise Erdrich
Howard's End – E.M. Forster
North and South – Elizabeth Gaskell
Wives and Daughters – Elizabeth Gaskell
Cold Comfort Farm – Stella Gibbons
Nightingale Wood – Stella Gibbons
The Thin Man – Dashiell Hammett
Strangers on a Train – Patricia Highsmith
Jonah's Gourd Vine – Zora Neale Hurston
The Bird's Nest – Shirley Jackson
Life Among the Savages – Shirley Jackson
The Lottery and Other Stories – Shirley Jackson
Quicksand – Nella Larsen
West With the Night – Beryl Markham
The Blue Castle – L.M. Montgomery
The Gowk Storm – Nancy Morrison (thanks Fiction Fan!)
Beloved – Toni Morrison (reread)
A Good Man is Hard to Find and Other Stories – Flannery O'Connor
1984 – George Orwell
The Last Gentleman – Walker Percy
Less Than Angels – Barbara Pym
Quartet in Autumn – Barbara Pym
The Sweet Dove Died – Barbara Pym
Ceremony – Leslie Marmon Silko (reread)
Crossing to Safety – Wallace Stegner
Anna Karenina – Leo Tolstoy
The Warden – Anthony Trollope
Brideshead Revisited – Evelyn Waugh
The Island of Dr. Moreau – H.G. Wells
The Picture of Dorian Gray – Oscar Wilde
Stoner – John Williams
To the Lighthouse – Virginia Woolf (reread)
Native Son – Richard Wright
So that's 51 books, mostly novels, three memoirs (Angelou, Jackson, and Markham) two books of short stories (Jackson, O'Connor,) one book of essays (Brennan.) A few rereads, but it's been at least ten-twenty+ years since I've read some of them. I am excited to dig in to these. Some I have been meaning to read for years, others I just learned about in the last year from fellow bloggers! Some of these I don't know how I've escaped reading in school before now (1984, I'm looking at you!)
Have you read any of these? Any you're particularly attached to or perhaps despise? Let me know in the comments!


text:
How AVSC Phase I vacancies were distributed (fairly) in 2003; and how Phase II vacancies were distributed (unfairly) in 2009, based on "Command Exit Model"
By Ajai Shukla
Business Standard, 31st March 2015
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has badly flubbed his first major decision relating to the morale and cohesiveness of the Indian Army. After the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) --- the military's departmental tribunal --- wisely struck down a discriminatory army promotion policy, Mr Parrikar's ministry has appealed in the Supreme Court. Instead of welcoming the AFT's righting of a bitterly-resented wrong, Mr Parrikar has backed the divisive notion that some branches of the army are superior to others; and these should be favoured with extraordinary promotion quotas and vacancies rather than going by merit alone.
In its landmark verdict on March 2, the AFT ruled that promotions to the pivotal rank of colonel (i.e. commanding officers of units) are unfairly biased in favour of two army branches: the infantry and artillery. The tribunal held that "discriminatory" army promotion guidelines of 2009 denied "equal opportunity of promotion to all officers of all corps of Indian Army", and ordered the reconvening of all promotion boards to the rank of colonel held since 2008. In this review, vacancies would be equitably allocated to arms and services, based on "pro rata" calculation of their actual officer strength.
Since 2009, a disproportionate share of colonel vacancies has made it possible for 60 per cent of infantry and artillery lieutenant colonels to become colonels, while officers from other arms and services have a success rate as low as 26 per cent. Worse, this injustice gets extended to the higher ranks of brigadier and general, where the vacancies for each arm or service corresponds to the number of colonels it has.
Mr Parrikar's worrying lack of judgment lies not just in his failure to see this injustice, but also in the divisive argument that his appeal is based on. Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi told the Supreme Court that the infantry alone "faces the bullets". Unashamedly scaremongering, he argued for faster infantry promotions because the Pakistan army has younger infantry commanders. Rohatgi forgets that India's "older" commanders have won every war with Pakistan.
Mr Parrikar should remember his army fights as an integrated whole, not as gladiatorial infantrymen supported by lesser arms and services. Infantry units in counter-insurgency roles are officered to a major degree by young officers on deputation from other arms and services. The AFT judgment notes that their combat performance often surpasses that of infantry and artillery officers. In actual war, rapidly shifting frontlines and long-range, precision strike weaponry make the battlefield hazardous not just for infantry and artillery, but equally for engineering support, communications, repair and recovery of combat equipment and logistic support like supplying ammunition, fuel and supplies. There are few tasks more hazardous than those performed by combat engineers, which clear minefields under enemy fire. It was for this that Prem Bhagat --- an engineer, not an infantryman --- became the first Indian officer to win the legendary Victoria Cross. Every Indian soldier knows this, even if Mr Parrikar does not.
Yet how can the defence minister understand the danger of dividing officers along lines of promotion self-interest, when the army's own generals apparently do not. The current dispute began when a dominant cabal of infantry and artillery army commanders and army chiefs from 2001 to 2009 cynically subverted the recommendations of two high-powered committees --- the Kargil Review Committee (KRC) and the Ajai Vikram Singh Committee (AVSC) --- which recommended ways of reducing the age profile of the Indian army.
In 1999, the KRC --- benefiting from the wisdom of K Subrahmanyam and George Verghese --- advocated lowering age across the army, not just for officers. Instead of recruiting soldiers for 17 years (the practice since 1976), after which they are entitled to a pension for life, the KRC recommended recruiting soldiers for just 7-10 years, after which they could be sidestepped into paramilitary forces or the police. This remains unimplemented due to Home Ministry opposition.
In 2001 the AVSC suggested ways of reducing the ages of officers at every rank and in every arm/service --- not just within the infantry and artillery. To quickly promote younger officers, the AVSC authorised additional army vacancies at senior ranks --- 1484 additional colonels; 222 more brigadiers; 75 new major generals and 20 additional lieutenant generals. This aimed at reducing the age of commanding officers (colonels) by five years to 36-37 years, of brigadiers by six years to 44-45 years, and major generals would command divisions when they were 51-52 years old, three years younger than before.
Simultaneously, the AVSC recommended a longer-term solution to the problem of a prohibitively steep promotion pyramid. This involved taking in more "short service commission" officers, who mostly retire after serving five years. For those five years, they provide the army the lieutenants and captains it needs, without staying on to compete for vacancies at senior ranks.
From 2001-2009, the AVSC's short-term recommendations were perverted by four successive army chiefs --- two each from the infantry and artillery --- who distributed most of the newly authorised rank vacancies to their own arms through a policy called "Command Exit Model", rammed through on January 21, 2009. This pretended that the AVSC aimed at reducing ages in the infantry and artillery, and presented a fallacious logic for allocating additional colonel vacancies to the two favoured arms. The infantry was effectively handed 110 colonel vacancies to command battalions of Rashtriya Rifles (RR) and Assam Rifles (AR), in addition to 350 infantry battalions. Although officers from every arm/service man AR and RR battalions, exclusionary conditions were framed to make it almost impossible for non-infantry officers to command these units. The infantry thus increased its colonel vacancies by 30 per cent (from 350 to 460).
To compound this advantage, it was decided that infantry colonels would command for just 2½ years. With 460 infantry colonels needed every 2½ years, that meant 184 colonel vacancies each year. In contrast, the engineers and signals were arbitrarily given command tenures of 4 years, and the logistics services of 5 years; reducing the number of colonels they needed each year.
With an artillery chief, General Deepak Kapoor, heading the army in 2009, the artillery was similarly favoured. Small "light batteries", traditionally commanded by lieutenant colonels, were elevated to "light regiments" commanded by colonels. The artillery's command tenure was shortened from 3½ to just 3 years.
Internal simmering within the army has boiled over after the AFT judgment. Initially just 5-6 officers went to the AFT, but now dozens are approaching the Supreme Court, adding their combined weight to the moral force of the AFT judgment. Mr Parrikar is cornered, after having briefly appeared enlightened earlier this year, when he promised the defence ministry would end its habit of fruitless appeals against adverse court verdicts. He seems likely to be rudely shocked when the Supreme Court rules on April 15.


text:
A New Agenda for Japan
The new prime minister will not have long to show the people that he has the answers.
Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe triumphantly returned to power this week, five years after a humiliating resignation from office. His Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which ruled Japan for over half a century before losing the Lower House to the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) in 2009, won a landslide victory that gives it a supermajority in the Japanese parliament. Yet the vote appears more to be a punishment for the failures of the DPJ than a reflection of deep support for the LDP. Given voter dissatisfaction with all of Japan's political parties, Abe and the LDP have a small window to convince the public that they have the answers to what ails Japan. Abe needs to hit the ground running. In particular, there are three things he should focus on:
One: Economy, economy, economy
Japan's voters are concerned most with the state of the economy and their personal finances. After two decades of economic stagnation, and a country that has sunk back into recession this year, the lesson of the elections of 2009 and 2012 is that the electorate will punish politicians who do not deliver on their promises to revive Japan's economy. The overriding issue that Abe must focus on is domestic growth. One reason for his failure last time in office was that he seemed to be a return to the "old" LDP after the reformist years of the wildly popular Junichiro Koizumi. So far, he appears to be heading down the same road by proposing greater stimulus spending combined with monetary easing.
Abe could make a dramatic break with the past and declare himself a new style politician by boldly embracing reform. Japan needs much more deregulation, greater foreign direct investment, an encouraging attitude towards entrepreneurship, and an embrace of free trade. A recent UN report also indicated that greater participation by women in the Japanese labor force could increase GDP by up to eight percentage points.
One way that Abe might make a break with the past is by convening a high level, bipartisan group of economic experts on a blue ribbon commission. This grand coalition of economic thinkers could come up with some dramatic proposals for kickstarting Japan's economy. This would both show Abe's seriousness, highlight his understanding that the economy is the number one issue for Japanese voters, and even come up with some good ideas.
Two: Alliance Management
The Democratic Party of Japan wounded itself unnecessarily in its first months in office by undermining a 2006 agreement with the United States on relocating a Marine Corps Air Station within Okinawa. It then spent several years attempting to patch up the differences, while making no real progress on the issue. By 2012, the Noda administration had made some significant moves towards increasing Japan's military strength, including the decision to purchase the F-35, a revision of a ban on arms exports, and continued ballistic-missile-defense activities. Yet, the defense budget continued to decline during the DPJ years, and the party never attempted to tackle the ban on collective self-defense or to propose more burden sharing with the provision of public goods in Asia.
Washington will be expecting the LDP and Abe to revert to the working relationship established during the Koizumi years. There are indications that Abe is leaning in this direction, and is ready to try and revise the Constitution to allow for collective self-defense. But Abe will have to come up with a more coherent vision of Japan's role in Asia and the world if he is to convince Washington and others that Tokyo has a stake in maintaining stability and protecting the current international system. While this does not have to be directly related to the alliance, any greater role that Japan plays abroad will probably strengthen the sense of a working partnership between Washington and Tokyo. In particular, Abe could continue to promote the idea of cooperation among democracies and liberal states, which was something he emphasized his last time in office. This then could be part of a larger alliance initiative to encourage further liberalization throughout Asia.
Three: Dealing with China
Sino-Japanese relations have been roiled since the summer over the Senkaku islands issue. The Noda administration's decision to nationalize three of the disputed islands led to months of anti-Japanese demonstrations in China, a significant drop in trade and an ongoing game of chicken in the skies and waters around the islands. Japanese Coast Guard ships had responded to near-daily incursions by Chinese vessels, and Tokyo is worried that Beijing is attempting to undercut Japan's claim to exercise administrative control over the islands.
Abe must come up with a credible way to assert Japan sovereignty over the islands, as well as maintain administrative control. Yet he cannot sacrifice broader Sino-Japanese relations, and risk either conflict or a collapse in trade. While such possibilities may seem remote, tensions between Beijing and Tokyo remain extremely high, and an accident or miscalculation could have unforeseen consequences. Thus, Abe needs to propose some type of initiative to stabilize Sino-Japanese relations, while not compromising on the islands issue. This may prove to be impossible, but it is in both Beijing and Tokyo's best interest to step back from the emotions of the day and consider their relationship in a broader light. Since China so far appears not to be taking the lead in this manner, Abe could play the statesman's role, and make a case for resetting relations so as to deepen economic, cultural and political ties.
At the same time, however, Abe should be looking to enhance Japan's relations with its Asian neighbors, primarily Australia, South Korea and the Philippines, but also Vietnam and India. Seven decades after the end of World War II, Japan still does not have any close partners in the region. It is long overdue for Tokyo to address regional concerns about Japan's wartime atrocities, so it can put the past behind it and start creating a more cooperative future. Prior Japanese leaders have apologized for Japan's actions during the war, but it is also incumbent on Asian nations to accept the past and recognize the positive role that Japan plays throughout the Asia-Pacific region today. As someone who is often labeled a Japanese nationalist, Abe could make a breakthrough by promoting new era in Asia.
None of these three areas is a silver bullet for what ails Japan, but by embracing a bold vision for national renewal and a greater role on the world stage, Abe can start the process of returning Japan to the role of a pillar of the international community.
Michael Auslin is a scholar at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington. Follow him on Twitter @michaelauslin.


text:
Inventions: Lightweight Solar Thermal Panels
Inventor: Freeman A. Ford '63
"Plastics. There's a great future in plastics. Think about it."
When Freeman A. Ford '63 recounts the founding of his solar energy company FAFCO (the name is a play on his initials), he jokes, "maybe we watched 'The Graduate' one too many times." Back in 1969 Ford and his business partner, Richard Rhodes, did think about plastics—and now FAFCO is the oldest and largest solar thermal panel-making company in the country.
"The key to any entrepreneurial endeavor is finding a need and filling it," says Ford. He found his opportunity at home—his backyard swimming pool was too cold. At the time pool heaters were expensive to install and operate, and they added a rust color to the water. So Ford thought like an engineer. "Swimming pools use a huge amount of energy, they are a big storage tank, and they have a circulation pump, so they have the three things necessary for a solar thermal system," he says. "The only thing they don't have is a collector."
Ford decided to build solar collectors—out of plastics. "Polymers are easily processed, and the manufacturing of large surface areas using extrusion can be easily automated," he says. But polymers also have a downside. "It is extremely difficult to get plastics to last for 20 years sitting out in the sun with chlorinated water running through them," says Ford
"Getting it right was not easy," he recalls. In 1976 FAFCO had 60,000 collectors fail. "The key was the chemistry and the mechanical structure which would allow the polymers to perform an unnatural act—which is to last indefinitely in the sun," says Ford. More than 25 patents related to the chemistry and fabrication of solar thermal panels document FAFCO's success.
Ironically, Ford doesn't have Thayer class numerals after his name. "I didn't graduate from Thayer as an engineer," says Ford, who was an economics major with a passion for engineering and physics. He took Thayer courses and was mentored by Blanchard "Bunny" Pratt '47 Th'51, a researcher in radio physics at Thayer, and by Fred Schleipman, an equipment-maker in Dartmouth's physics lab who later became director of Thayer's machine shop. "I was forever building electronics at Thayer," says Ford.
Today the company he built on plastics and electronics has sold more than 1.75 million solar heating systems, and its product line now includes pool and domestic hot water systems. In 2006 Ford was inducted into a cool international honor society created by Congress: the Solar Hall of Fame.
Categories: Inventionscomments powered by Disqus


text:
|Crocus biflorus ssp. isauricus 'Spring Beauty' with beautiful purple flames on alternating petals.
|Crocus 'Spring Beauty' surrounded by tufts of forget-me-nots (Myosotis).
|Crocus 'Spring Beauty' still closed up as the sun rises, showing their stripes.
|When open, Crocus 'Spring Beauty' looks much like Crocus tommasinianus.
|Crocus 'Spring Beauty' planted on a dry mound around our mature maple tree with Sedum 'Acre'.
|Crocus 'Spring Beauty' should relish in the baking that it will get in this pavement-surrounded garden in our Front Woodland.
Glad to be able to share this crocus with you. I have been anticipating it for months, and I was not disappointed!
For more early spring flowers see: Crocus 'Goldilocks'
Crocus tommasinianus
Iris histrioides 'Katharine Hodgkin'


text:
I'm trying to make my program write to a file using two methods. It compiles with no errors, but when the file that it wrote to is opened, only coordinates with (0,0) are printed. Its supposed to print 10000 random coordinated from the array. Why does it only print out (0,0) coordinates? Also did I place my return statement in the correct place?
import java.io.*; public class program { public static void main (String [] args) throws IOException { int points = 10000, dimension = 2, lengthA = 100;//int variables are declared and initialized PrintWriter fileOut = new PrintWriter (new FileWriter ("arrayPoints.txt")); double length [] = new double [dimension];//array for length is declared double coordinate [][] = new double [points][dimension];//coordinate array is declared for (int i = 0; i < points; i++){ fileOut.println(java.util.Arrays.toString(coordinate[i])); } fileOut.close();//writes to file }//end main method public static double writeTofile (double length[], double coordinate[][], int points, int dimension, int lengthA) { int x = 0, y = 0; for(int z = 0; z < dimension; z++){//fills the length array with the the set value of lengthA length[z] = lengthA; } for(x = 0; x < points; x++){//runs 1000 times to print 1000 data points for (y = 0; y < dimension; y++){//runs 2 times to print an x and y coordinate coordinate [x][y]= (2 *Math.random() - 1) * length[y];// finds a random number in the range and assiigns it to the coordinate array }//end for }//end for return coordinate[x][y]; }//main method }//program


text:
New IDE/Visualizer "meta" scripting functions
Postby VilleK » http://www.emix8.org/forum/viewtopic.ph ... nent#p8548
I added a few functions to the scripting language that can only be used from the IDE and Visualizer. The reason for this is that in the minimal binary version of the code all component names have been removed.
New functions:
- findComponent(name) -- Returns the component with that name if it exists, or null otherwise.
- createComponent(owner,propertylistName,componentclassname) -- Creates a new component as child to an existing component, and returns the new component.
- setNumericProperty(component,propertyName,index,value) -- Set value of a numeric property. The "index" is used with multi-value properties such as Color.
- setStringProperty(component,propertyName,value) -- Set value of a string property.
- setObjectProperty(component,propertyName,value) -- Set value of a object property (example: "Texture" property of MaterialTexture is a object property).
Suppose you have 10 bitmaps named "Bitmap1" to "Bitmap10". And you want to modify one of them depending on the value of an integer. Then you can simply do this:
Previously you would need to have a big case-statement for every value of i.
Code: Select all
Bitmap b=findComponent("bitmap" + intToStr(i));
//do something with b
Creating components:
In the attached example I have code that creates 10 bitmaps, set properties, and also create child producer component to each bitmap.
Code: Select all
for(int i=1; i<10; i++) {
Component c=createComponent(App,"Content","bitmap");
setStringProperty(c,"Name","Bitmap" + intToStr(i));
Component nested;
if(i & 1) {
"Pixel=vector4(1.0," +
"abs(cos(Y*" + intToStr(random(4,3)) + ")) * ." + intToStr(rnd()*1000) + "," +
"abs(sin(X*" + intToStr(random(4,3)) + ")) * ." + intToStr(rnd()*1000) + "," +
} else {
for(int j=0; j<3; j++) {
Some suggestions on how these new functions can be used:
- Debug/support routines in the IDE when creating projects
- Useful in Visualizer scripts
- Generate code. For instance, in a visualizer script it could create custom Expression components, MeshExpression, BitmapExpression etc, could be powerful for generated content.
Updated ZGE is here:
Private Data
Private Data allows you to store data that is saved in the users project file. This can overcome many limitations of parameter controls. i.e. BitPadZ is currently the only effect that uses Private Data.
There are several components required to set it up. It's not easy to explain:
Here is a simple test project example:
Visualizer 2.0 user interface Check Box and Dropdown:
Used with the ParamHelpConst string:
Menu @list: first,second,"last item" : Creates a drop down menu Named "Menu" with four items.
Toggle @checkbox : Creates a check box named "Toggle"
Visualizer 2.0 new feature:
Variable: AuthorInfo
Type: const string
A ZGE visualizer specific variable that adds the script author's name at the top of top right the ZGE visualizer Layer.
Visualizer 2.0 new feature:
Variable: LayerNr
Type: int
A ZGE visualizer specific variable that indicates what layer the current effect is loaded on.
Visualizer 2.0 new feature:
Variable: FLPluginHandle
Type: xptr
A ZGE visualizer specific variable that returns the window handle to the visualizer plugin.
Visualizer 2.0 new feature:
ZExternalLibrary function:
void ParamsChangeName(xptr Handle,int Layer, int Parameters, string NewName) { }
ModuleName : ZGameEditor Visualizer
Calling convention : StdCall
This function allows script developers to change the names of parameter labels.
Visualizer 2.0 new feature:
ZExternalLibrary function:
void ParamsWriteValueForLayer(xptr Handle, int Layer,int Param, float NewValue) { }
ModuleName : ZGameEditor Visualizer
Calling convention : StdCall
This function allows script developers to automate any layer parameter with ZGE Script.
Visualizer 2.0 new feature:
ZExternalLibrary function:
void ParamsNotifyChanged(xptr Handle,int Layer) { }
ModuleName : ZGameEditor Visualizer
Calling convention : StdCall
This function allows automattion of the current "LayerNr" parameters with ZGE Script. This This allows users to set parameter values and update the values when "ParamsNotifyChanged" is called. This function only works for one "LayerNr". Alternatively, The previous function "ParamsWriteValueForLayer" can write values to any other layers and parameters.
This code block sets parameters 2-5 of the script to a random value.
Code: Select all
Parameters[2] = rnd();
Parameters[3] = rnd();
Parameters[4] = rnd();
Parameters[5] = rnd();
Read from text file into array
A recent update makes it easier to read text files:
example from http://www.emix8.org/forum/viewtopic.ph ... file#p8025:
Code: Select all
string[] lines; //Declare array
@FileAction( File : @File(FileName : "test.txt", TargetArray:lines) ); //Read from text file into array
for(int i=0; i<lines.SizeDim1-1; i++) //And just print out the lines
Skelatal Animation
Rado's Cal3D library can import rigged 3d models to zge.
I've tried, rigged models with : Cal3D exporter for 3ds Max (64-bit) and it works really well.
Cal3D has been dormant for a while - but they are still active and are planning some new updates for 2015.
Popular 3D Chat website, IMVU shares a lot of tools and tips for Cal3D development as well.
Image copy Buffer
Module Name: ZgameEditor Visualizer
Example :
Code: Select all
int ClipboardGetBitmapWidth() { }
int ClipboardGetBitmapHeight() { }
int ClipboardGetBitmapPixel(int x,int y) { }
Code: Select all
//get from clipboard
int pix=ClipboardGetBitmapPixel(x,y);
int r=(pix >> 16) & 255;
int g=(pix >> 8) & 255;
int b=pix & 255;
NoCustom Bitmap Component Comment
Use the comment "NoCustom" on the bitmap component to prevent image imports from replacing the default bitmap.
Example Bitmap component properties with No custom option:
Host message ID
It works just like the midi messages that you declare a library function that responds to messages.
Code: Select all
void OnHostMessage(int id, int index, int value) {
trace("hostmessage id: " + intToStr(id) + " index: " + intToStr(index) + " value: " + intToStr(value));
if(id==12) { //12 = FPD_SetPlaying message
"ref" syntax
This allows you to return more than one value from a function.
Example 1:
Another great thing with this feature is that it allows to call dll-functions that expects a pointer to an integer as an argument. This was previously not possible.
Code: Select all
//notice the "ref" word in front of the arguments that are passed by reference
void splitColor(int color,ref int r, ref int g, ref int b) {
//..separate r,g,b from color and return back to caller
//call this function
int r,g,b;
Example 2:
Of course it works with other data types too, not just integers.
Code: Select all
//OpenGL-function, generate a texture id and return it into the second argument
void glGenTextures(int n, ref int textureid) { }
//Delete a texture, pass the id using a reference
void glDeleteTextures(int n, ref int textureid) { }
"xptr" datatype
At the moment only DefineArray components are valid xptr but other components may be added too if needed.
These functions can now be called with an DefineArray instance as the last parameter. This should open for lots of interesting possibilities when working with OpenGL-functions.
Code: Select all
//OpenGL external library definitions, notice the last parameter "xptr pixels"
void glTexImage2D(int target, int level, int internalformat, int width, int height, int border, int format, int atype, xptr pixels) {}
void glGetTexImage(int target, int level, int format, int atype, xptr pixels) {}
ShaderVariable new ValueArrayRef
If you have a ShaderVariable:
<ShaderVariable VariableName="array1" ValueArrayRef="MyArray"/>
Then "MyArray" is your DefineArray component and in your fragment shader you declare the array like this:
Code: Select all
"uniform sampler1D array1;"
Use the GLSL-functions "texture" or "texelFetch" to read values from the array.
1. Download the latest ZgeViz-beta.
2. Copy/paste the following into the Content-node of a new ZGE-project: Code:
Code: Select all
ZZDC<?xml version="1.0" encoding="iso-8859-1" ?>
<ZLibrary Name="FL_Library">
<![CDATA[void OnMidiMessage(int status, int data1, int data2) {
3. Write code that acts on midi-input.
Note: For performance reasons please only include the above FL_Library-component in effects that act on midi input. This avoids redundant data copying in ZgeViz.
Table of Midi Messages :
In the ZgeViz user interface you can select which Midi-port to use. -1 means midi input is turned off.
Example Project:
Script based Component invocation
Introducing "Script based Component invocation"
@ <component> ( [ <property> : <value> ] ... );
This will declare and execute a component with the properties set to the desired values.
Code: Select all
@RemoveModel(); //A component that does not need any properties
//Components with a single property
@SetAppState(State : AppState_TitleScreen);
@SpawnModel(Model : TitleScreenModel);
@UseMaterial(Material : PlayerMaterial);
@RenderMesh(Mesh : PlayerMesh);
//Several properties
@RenderText(Text : "Hello" + intToStr(i), X : -0.5, Y : -1 + (0.1*i));
@PlaySound(Sound : Sound1, NoteNr : 85);
Arrays as parameters:
Code: Select all
//Add item to end of array
void addItem(int item, int[] ar) {
ar[ ar.SizeDim1-1 ] = item;
This function can be called like this:
where MyArray is a Array component with type=int and dimensions=1.
Code: Select all
addItem(42, MyArray);
Local arrays
A function can declare local arrays. Examples:
Code: Select all
int x[]; //Declare a one-dimensional int array
int xx[ , ]; //Declare a two-dimensional int array
int xx[ , , ]; //Declare a three-dimensional int array
x.SizeDim1=10; //Set array to hold 10 items
The arrays are automatically created on entry and freed on exit of the function.
The local arrays can now have specified default size:
Code: Select all
float[4,4] m; //A 4x4 array
string[10] lines; //Holds 10 items
new function getModels(items, category) :
This can be used for looping through models at runtime and do things like custom collision detection etc.
Code: Select all
//Get all model instances of category zero
model[] models;
//Loop through the list
for(int i=0; i<models.SizeDim1; i++) {
model m = models[i];
//do something
Explanation of FL Studio variables
This array is filled with the amount of audio at different frequencies. The values range from -1 to 1. Note that when the effect is loaded the actual length will be set by ZgeViz. The initial size is 32 but it can be configured to another size by the user in the settings dialog, so effects should be written with this in mind.
This array is filled with the audio pcm data that is currently playing. The values range from -1 to 1. The actual size of this array is set at runtime. **The 1D array uses interlaced values for stereo channels. **Like the SpecBandArray it can be configured by the user, but in the FL Studio Audio settings dialog(sample rate), so effects should be written with this in mind.
This variable holds the current position in beats. An example use of this variable is to take the fraction part and modify camera Z position to make the scene pulse in sync with the music.
This is an array that hold values that range from 0 to 1 and are controlled by the sliders in the ZgeViz interface. They can be used freely (or ignored) in the effect to modify visuals. **Set default start values by setting the array component to persistent and editing the values. The default value can be restored by the user by right clicking over the parameter.
This is a string (**constant variable type) that is used to hold the names of the parameters the effect is using. So if you have an effect with two parameters that controls shape and color, this property could hold the names "Shape" and "Color" separated with a carriage return. The names of the parameters are shown as labels in the ZgeViz user interface.
A zgeproj-file for FL Studio get stored in the a subfolder of your choice in this directory.
Program Files-->Program Files (x86)\Image-Line\FL Studio 12\Plugins\Fruity\Effects\ZGameEditor Visualizer\Effects
**Video cue points can use midi input to set the video playback to a specific time. Input cue points in the visualizer settings by selecting the Video texture cue points tab. Units are in seconds with decimal values. For ease of use you can also import a .wav file with marker information to add cue points automatically. Markers can be added to a .wav file with Edison. A third party app can be used to extract the audio track from the video, if needed. Cue points are triggered by midi input(the first cue point is mapped to c0, second=c#0, third=d0...). Cue point Midi key assignment cycles, so that cue points can be triggered from any octave.
Video: Realtime playback
Depends on system resources. If an HD video import is not playing back in real-time (skipped frames). Importing a smaller video for a better real-time editing is a good option. You can use the ZgameEditor Visualizer to convert the HD video to a lower res video and import that in it's place. The low res video can later be swapped with the HD video prior to rendering for HD quality video exports. Dropped frames is not an issue when exporting videos.
Add a DefineArray component of string type named "UserTextArray" if you want to use the strings that the user can enter in the custom content dialog.
Effect help
Use the comment property of the ZApplication-component to write some help text about your effect that will be displayed in ZgeViz when you right-click and choose "Show help for this effect".


text:
The SkyQuest™ XT10 continues its dominance over all other 10" Dobsonians worldwide by virtue of its dazzling optics, a contemporary new design, and most exciting of all, the ability to locate any of more than 14,000 fascinating celestial objects with pushbutton ease!
With the IntelliScope® Computer Controller, locating and viewing even the most elusive deep-sky curiosities becomes a "no brainer." Just select an object to view from the controller's 14,000-object database. High-resolution, 9,216-step digital encoders integrated in the telescope then pinpoint the object and guide the scope right to it. Choose from dozens of additional menu options, including tours of the best deep-sky gems each month and identification of any object in the field of view. Oh, so that's the Cat's Paw Nebula!
The XT10 IntelliScope® features exquisite optics: a 10" (254mm) parabolic mirror (1200mm focal length, f/4.7) figured from low-expansion, U.S.-made Pyrex glass for superior thermal stability. It gathers 56% more light than an 8" mirror, reaching stars as faint as magnitude 15. The steel optical tube, now finished in deep bronze metallic enamel, is equipped with a 2" cast aluminum Crayford-style focuser, a navigation knob for easy slewing, a big 9x50 finder scope, and two Sirius™ Plössl eyepieces.
The Crayford-style focuser is smoother and more accurate than a rack-and-pinion focuser. Roller bearing construction eliminates image shift due to drawtube "rocking". Upgraded metal focusing knobs with rubber grips give you a great feel, and a thumb screw for locking the focus position and adjusting tension give you greater control. The focuser includes an adapter for 1.25" eyepieces.
Orion has streamlined the rock-stable Dobsonian base and upgraded it with a springless CorrecTension system that ensures even better manual tracking control and tube balance. Bearings molded from ultra-high molecular weight (UHMW) polyethylene and Teflon provide silky smooth motion of the telescope on both axes. A 2"/1.25" eyepiece rack and new, ergonomic carry handle come standard. Even without the optional IntelliScope® Computer Controller, this next-generation XT10 provides an unparalleled deep-space observing experience. Smart scope. Smart price. Smart buy. Get the SkyQuest™ XT10 IntelliScope® today! One-year limited warranty.
The IntelliScope® controller is NOT compatible with other encoder systems or other computerized telescopes. Previous SkyQuest™ versions or other Orion cannot be retrofitted for IntelliScope® compatibility.
- Aperture: 254mm (10")
- Focal Length: 1200mm
- Focal Ratio: f/4.7
- Eyepieces: 25mm (48x), 10mm (120x)
- Finderscope: 9x50 Right-Angle
- Focuser: 2" Crayford
- Weight (assembled): 55 lbs. 4 oz.
- Tube Length: 47.8 in.


text:
Ol' Myrt here is taking some two weeks off for medical reasons. Not to worry, these aren't major compared to what some of my DearREADERS have been going through, but enough of a hassle for me to require medication that jumbles my sentences.
You've already had to deal with my typos for years, so there is no point in putting you through more torture. In the mean time, be sure to watch www.GeneaPress.com and www.GeneaWebinars.com to keep up with the latest news.
Since you'll have a little extra time on your hands, let me suggest this is the time to figure out how to use Google Reader. You can do it, yes you can! Then all your favorite bloggers' posts can be found in one place, on the net, not cluttering up your email box (or getting lost on the way there!) Even more important, if you have a computer crash, all your blogs will still be available through any computer with internet access, including your new one once it arrives.
Once you are logged in at Google Reader, just click the "ADD A SUBSCRIPTION" button as illustrated below. Then one by one add the URL for the blogs you love to follow and grow your "list of blogs". The blog posts themselves will appear in "newest on top" order. The only reason you'd need to go to a blog site itself is to post a comment on a particular post.
Here are four URLs to copy & paste to get you started with your list of blogs:
OK - here's the 4th one:
What do you think of the new look of the DearMYRTLE blog site? It will hopefully be easier for those of us with bi-focals or tri-focals.
Happy family tree climbing!
Myrt :)
Your friend in genealogy.


text:
Although S'mores are thought of as a summer treat, I personally think they're more fun in the fall, when the nights are getting cooler, and a warm, crackling fire after sunset is a little more welcome.
Camping in the summer, when it's too hot to even sleep at night and you wake up in the morning, already sweating in the hot tent, isn't really my favorite thing to do. But in September and October, when there's a brisk chill in the air, there's few things I like better than wrapping up in a blanket next to the fire, and roasting marshmallows to golden brown perfection.
Growing up in South Carolina, our house was heated with a wood-burning stove with a wide brick hearth in the living room, so we had a cozy fire every night when it started to get cold. Winters there could get pretty chilly, especially on a damp, rainy winter day; if we were lucky, the rain would turn into snow, which meant a snow day home from school. I loved gathering newspaper and splinters of wood for kindling and lighting the fire; my parents used to think I was going to grow up to be a pyromaniac because I was so fascinated by the process.
To fuel my fire-loving tendencies, my dad taught my brother, sister and I a few fire tricks with candles - how to run our fingers through the flames without getting burned, how to blow them out and then relight them through the smoke... And nothing draws a kid's curious fingers like a really, really drippy tapered candle. I wasn't all happy when my mom started buying drip-less candles to prevent me from picking at the drips of wax.
With fall comes football - something I could care less about - but Jamie and his friends do the whole fantasy football thing every fall, so for their first get together for the draft, I baked up a batch of cookies for them that represent all things warm, cozy and fall-ish. A combination of chocolate chip cookies and S'mores - scoops of chocolate chip cookie dough with marshmallows, baked on top of graham crackers, and topped with a piece of Hershey's chocolate.
Warm from the oven they were gooey, melty and rich. The next day, they might have been even better, with the crisp graham cracker base, the soft, chewy cookie on top, and the sweet milk chocolate.
Never has such an easy-to-make cookie created such a buzz - days later I'm still hearing about how much they loved them! Three dozen tempting cookies + a bunch of hungry guys = an almost empty container... with two left for me. All that's missing is the campfire...
S'mores Cookies
printable recipe
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 egg
- 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon coarse Kosher salt, divided
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
- 1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows
- 18 graham crackers (2 sleeves), broken in half for a total of 36 squares
- 3 Hershey's milk chocolate bars, broken into 36 pieces
With an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugars and vanilla until well combined, 1-2 minutes. Beat in the egg. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Stir into the batter until moistened. Stir in the chocolate chips and marshmallows. Cover and refrigerate for two hours, or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the graham crackers on the parchment paper.
Shape the cookie dough into rounded tablespoons, then flatten slightly between your hands. Place cookie dough balls in the center of each graham cracker.
Bake for 6 minutes, then remove from the oven; place the pieces of Hershey's chocolate on each cookie and press down slightly. Bake for an additional 3-4 minutes.
Let cool on the parchment paper for 5 minutes before eating and cool completely before storing in an airtight container. (If needed, chill the cookies in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to re-harden the chocolate on top, in order to be able to wrap them up in a container.)
Yields 3 dozen cookies.
Recipe from Curly Girl Kitchen


text:
"Many physicians got stung by the 1 percent electronic prescribing penalty for 2012. We don't want to repeat that experience in 2013," noted Jason Mitchell, M.D., assistant director for the AAFP's Center for Health IT, in reference to news that HHS recently proposed adding two more significant hardship exemption categories for Medicare's Electronic Prescribing (eRx) Incentive Program.
The proposal was published in the July 30 Federal Register(www.gpo.gov).
In an interview with AAFP News Now, Mitchell agreed with the intent of CMS' proposal. He said the rules set up to guide Medicare's eRx Incentive Program and the mechanism for reporting in that program and in Medicare's Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program, also known as meaningful use, "collided in a very ugly way."
"Now, CMS is trying to fix the problem," said Mitchell.
According to the posting in the Federal Register, Medicare's EHR Incentive Program and e-Rx Incentive Program "share a common goal of encouraging electronic prescribing and the adoption of technology that enables eligible professionals to electronically prescribe."
- HHS wants to add two more significant hardship exemption categories for Medicare's Electronic Prescribing Incentive Program.
- The second of the two exemptions deals with "intent to participate" and likely will be most helpful to family physicians.
- Physicians must closely follow instructions to ensure securing a hardship exemption and thus avoid a 1.5 percent Medicare pay cut in 2013.
- Physicians have until Oct. 15 to apply for the proposed hardship exemptions.
However, each incentive program has specific requirements for how physicians must demonstrate their electronic prescribing activity, and that has created angst among family physicians.
"In most cases, we believe the electronic prescribing objective of meaningful use would be a more rigorous standard for eligible professionals to meet than the standard adopted under the electronic prescribing incentive program," wrote CMS in the proposed regulation. "We believe it may pose a significant hardship for eligible professionals who are meaningful EHR users to additionally comply with the requirements of being a successful electronic prescriber under the e-Rx Incentive Program."
Mitchell noted that in a perfect system, physicians who have attested to meaningful use should automatically be exempted from penalties under the e-prescribing program. "But rather than using an automated process, CMS is requiring physicians to go through a manual process to apply for the hardship exemptions. A physician has to actively say to CMS, 'I'm a meaningful EHR user, don't penalize me,'" he said.
According to Mitchell, the exemption for which most family physicians would qualify is option B, which deals with "intent to participate." Specifically, that exemption would extend to "eligible professionals or group practices who demonstrate intent to participate in the EHR Incentive Program and adoption of certified EHR technology."
He noted that although physicians can qualify for the incentive programs as individuals or as a group practice, there is no way to apply for a hardship exemption request as a group for 2013. "Only individual exemption requests will be accepted; the process for 2014 still is not clear," he said.
Mitchell laid out additional details that physicians should keep in mind. For example, to qualify for the option B exemption, physicians cannot previously have adopted certified EHR technology or received an incentive payment through the Medicare or Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs. In addition, physicians must
- register to participate in the Medicare EHR Incentive Program via the registration and attestation system(ehrincentives.cms.gov),
- include the product number of the certified EHR they are using, and
- submit the hardship exemption request as soon as possible but no later than the Oct. 15 deadline.
Although the process can be completed online, Mitchell suggested that a hard copy sent through the mail would be safer. "I urge members to crank out a letter to CMS saying they are registered in the system, have adopted a certified EHR and are requesting a hardship exemption for the e-prescribing program," said Mitchell.
Mail those requests to: CMS, Office of Clinical Standards and Quality, Quality Measurement and Health Assessment Group, 7500 Security Blvd., Mail Stop S3-02-01, Baltimore, MD 21244-1850.
Regarding option A of the proposed new hardship exemptions, Mitchell said there's little physicians can do now to meet that proposed hardship exemption, which would extend to "eligible professionals or group practices who achieve meaningful use during certain eRx payment adjustments."
"Anyone who started using their certified EHR after April to get the meaningful use incentive would not qualify for the first hardship exemption," said Mitchell. "A physician's continuous 90-day reporting period had to be between Jan. 1, 2012, and June 30, 2012.
"Physicians can and should consider meeting that 90-day requirement between October and December to qualify for a meaningful use bonus for 2012; however, doing so will not prevent them from also receiving an eRx penalty," said Mitchell.
Exemptions already are available to physicians who
- practice in a rural area with limited high-speed Internet access;
- work in an area where few pharmacies have implemented e-prescribing;
- generate fewer than 100 prescriptions during a six-month reporting period;
- have insufficient opportunity to use the required CPT codes; or
- are unable to e-prescribe because of local, state or federal regulations.
Physicians who are granted exemptions will not face penalties for nonparticipation. As Mitchell noted, some physicians already are seeing the results of a 2012 penalty that amounts to a 1 percent reduction in physicians' Medicare payment; the penalty increases to 1.5 percent in 2013 and to 2 percent in 2014.
This page will be removed from your Favorites Links. Are you sure?


text:
Bearings manufactured pre-set for preload
The amount of preload depends on the bearing series, the contact angle, the internal geometry, and the size of the bearing and applies to bearing sets in back-to-back or face-to- face arrangements. Preload values are not standardized and are listed in the product table.
Bearings in the S70 .. W series are manufactured as single universally matchable bearings or as matched sets of two bearings. In either case, arranged back-to-back or face-to-face, standard preload prior to mounting is zero.
Matched bearing sets with a special preload can be supplied on request. These bearing sets are identified by the designation suffix G followed by a number. The number is the mean preload value of the set expressed in daN. Special preload is not applicable for sets of universally matchable bearings consisting of three or more bearings. Matched bearing sets consisting of three or more bearings have a heavier preload than sets with two bearings. The preload for these bearing sets is obtained by multiplying the values for a single bearing by a factor listed in table 1.
719 .. D, 70 .. D and 72 .. D series
- class A, extra light preload
- class B, light preload
- class C, moderate preload
- class D, heavy preload
718 .. D, 719 .. E and 70 .. E series
- class A, light preload
- class B, moderate preload
- class C, heavy preload
These preload classes are valid for:
- single, universally matchable bearings
- sets of universally matchable bearings
- matched bearing sets
In applications where high speeds take precedence over the degree of rigidity, the following additional preload classes are available:
- class L, reduced light preload for asymmetrical bearing sets
- class M, reduced moderate preload for asymmetrical bearing sets
- class F, reduced heavy preload for asymmetrical bearing sets
As indicated, these preload classes are only available for matched bearing sets that are asymmetrical, e.g. TBT, TFT, QBT, and QFT. Bearing sets in the L, M or F preload class consisting of three or four bearings, have the same preload as sets with two bearings in the A, B or C preload class. Therefore, the preload for matched bearing sets that are asymmetrical, e.g. TBT, TFT, QBT, and QFT, can be obtained directly from the product tables.
An example of the preload possibilities for an arrangement with a matched set of 7014 CE bearings is presented in table 2.
719 .. B and 70 .. B series
- class A, light preload
- class B, moderate preload
- class C, heavy preload


text:
Blue Jays not in on Manny
Earlier this week, Blue Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi told MLB.com that his club isn't targeting any big power bats on the free-agent market at the moment. Due to financial constraints, Toronto would prefer to solve its need for offence via trade.
Even so, various reports continue to toss the Blue Jays in as a potential player for free-agent slugger Manny Ramirez. Ricciardi once again attempted to put those rumors to rest in an interview with ESPN.com's Jayson Stark.
"We won't be involved with Manny," Ricciardi said. "That keeps coming up, but it's not true. I think one reason is that Manny has always liked it in Toronto. He's hit more home runs here than anybody. And he likes the city, because he can fly under the radar here.
"So he may be asking his agent to try to find a way to put him here. He's a great hitter, so it's tempting. But being tempted and being realistic are two separate things."
22 Comments
Is it true that the Jays are open to trading Halliday, who has two years remaining on his contract? I read that somewhere and couldn't believe it. Glad I discovered your blog today, btw.
JP can't trade Halladay because he is not allowed too. Even if Beeston wanted Doc traded to replenish the prospects, I can't see him trusting JP with the negotiating.
It would be a travesty if we traded him considering Doc has played every year above what he gets paid relative to the market. How do we trade him when he has said numerous times that he wants to stay in Toronto and is the best pitcher in the game? Sure he would fill our system with prospects if we traded him but Doc has to be a Blue Jay. He is everything you could ask for in a pitcher and leader. Guys like that don't come around everyday.
Uncle Teddy needs better phone sales people so we can start spending money on FA's!!!
In theory Doc is the best guy to trade because you will get the most for him. The only players on the Jays roster that will fetch any kind of return right now are Doc and Wells. And Wells is overpaid and has a back-end-loaded contract that no team wants to pick up. So, if the Jays are looking to rebuild, then Doc will be the first to go.
Also, you need to look at the buy-sell model. Buy Low, Sell high. Doc is at his highest value right now. If they wait until next season, he will only have 1 year left on his contract. Plus, if a pitcher shows any signs of injury, their trade value sinks like a stone. Right now Halliday is healthy, young, under contract, and underpaid. If that isn't a recipe for a trade, I don't know what is!!!
The only reason to keep Doc is if you expect to be World Series contenders. Doc will not put up with losing for much longer. Winners like Halliday NEED to be in the playoffs.
Do you have a prediction for the Mich. State vs Penn State game tomm.???
Penn State 19
Michigan State 16
The dumbest possible move JP could do is offer Burnett a 5 year deal, please tell me it isn't true.
Oh JP will offer 5 years seeing as that's his only possible way of keeping him. I'm all for it if it's the same layout as his last contract except the Jays would hold the option to opt-out after 3 years and not Burnett.
If I'm making the deal, I pay more per year but hold options on year 4&5… 5 years deal worth 90mil with 20mil club options on years 4 & 5. Keeps him in more contract years thus more effort and if he becomes a bandaid again we would only be stuck with him for 3 years. High salary but only 3 years guaranteed. But hey it's easy for me to throw that money out there since it's not mine.
It's looking more an more like 09 will be the year of the youngster for the Jays. I'm ok with that as long as they don't blow what money they do have on washed up old guys. It's ok to leave some money in the bank for a midseason trade or a FA that we WANT in 2010.
This isn't too bad considering we have guys like Cooper 1B, Arencibia C with power in the minors coming fast.
My dream lineup in 09
4 years 88 million with a team option for year 5 and 6 (and no intention of picking it up.) If that sucks up all the money for any other free agent then so be it. If the pitching stinks this year they'll still be in good shape for 2010.
I'd like them to trade one of the big contracts though.
(Ryan, Rios, Wells, Rolen or Lyle)
Look for a shortstop via trade. I've read the Angels are willing to make a move.
GS, it wouldn't surprise me to see them offer 5 yrs. If they can't give him the most money they have to offer something enticing.
I just can't see why we'd sign Burnett at all. Unless we sign a couple of huge bats like Tiexera and Manny and really go for it in 2009, we have no chance of winning. The Yanks, Boston and TB are going to be too tough for us to overtake them with the bats we have.
The Canadian dollar has dropped off a cliff in the last 3 months. The Jays 100 million US dollar payroll which cost them about $95 million Canadian in 2008 now costs them $128 million Canadian dollars, a significant change. If we signed Manny and Tiexera at $20 million US ($25.6 million Canadian) each in order to serious challenge in 2009, Rogers would have to pony up over $80 million more Canadian dollars in 2009 than they did in 2008. That is not going to happen.
In 2010, we have Marcum, McGown, Litsch and Halliday ( if we don't trade him and I hope we do) and by that time Purcey, Romero, Cecil and Mills offer legitimate contendors for other starting positions. In addition, Janssen, provides another option and hopefully we have more contendors coming at that point of time.
So signing Burnett will hamper us for whatever the length of contract we sign him to. We have enough of those types of contracts with Wells and Rolen. As an old song says: You go to know when to hold them and know when to fold them. In my view, 2009 is the year we should fold them, rebuild with smart trades and try to contend in 2010 or 2011.
GS, I don't necassarily disagree with your last paragraph. I think they should focus on acquiring a shortstop who's signed for a couple of years so that they are ready to contend for 2010-2011.
However if the opportunity to sign Manny presents itself as a realisitic option then i'm all for it (Big contract or not). I know it's not likely but the fact that the rumours wont go away keeps my hope alive.
His addition alone can make them a threat in '09. Him and a healthy Vernon Wells (if he isn't traded) will improve the offense greatly.
Why hasn't you-know-who signed and returned the $140 milliion offer sheet from the Yankees? I will be very surprised if he takes (too) much less money to play elsewhere. On a different note, there is no way that Burnett (and some of these other guys) should be paid more than Halliday. Either re-negotiate his (Halliday) contract now, or move him. If he does not get his money now, he will get it later once his contract expires and he can seek it south of the border. What we do not want to happen is another Matts Sundin scenario to unfold.
From MLB rumors, The Nationals appear to be making an offer for Tiexera. Scott Boras has advised them that if the offer isn't a minimum of $200 million over 10 years to forget even making an offer.
If any team agrees to that kind of contract they're crazy.
20 million per is actually less than what I thought he would go for but the term is ridiculous. Someone will offer him that though, unfortunately.
If the Jays can give Wells a contract for 120mm for 7 years what is wrong with giving Tex a 10 year 200mm deal????
We all know that 09 will be a ******** year,The only good thing about it is JP will be gone.
The best thing the Jays can do is forget Burnett and go after Manny,he will win more than 18 games for the Jays with his bat,and a 5 year deal with him is not out of line.
I think They have enough in house pitchin to get by,Bring in two big bats and lets roll.
Hello anybody home.
Any one out there have any idea of what kind of team the Jays will field in 09.??????
****(from SI) According to reports, 22-year-old Japanese right-hander Junichi Tazawa is considering offers from four major league teams — the Indians, Braves, Rangers and Red Sox — but is leaning toward signing with Boston. Definitive terms of the offers are not clear, but the Rangers are said to have made the best offer.
This kid has been clocked at between 94 and 97 mph and since he hasn't been drafted by a Japanese club there will be no club payment needed.
The Jays need to scout in Japan and find and sign some of these kids. It appears there's some serious talent coming out of Japan and we need to get our share.
Here is another perspective on the Japanese market this yr . This article says Tazawa fastball barely tops out at 90 mph but is usually closer to 88 and he isn't likely to get much better . I also read somewhere that he asked not to be drafted by the Japanese Nippon League because he wanted to play in the majors making him more attractive because there was no posting fee. There are way too many conflicting reports . Jays should look into scouting overseas but first we need good GM
It appears different stories state different things. I've now seen 4 and each one has a different speed from 87 to 97-so you're right, there are conflicting reports. Although the one thing has is consistent in each story is there is no posting fee.
If we had good scouts over there we could sign these kids when there 18-19 and not worry about posting fees at all. There is a wealth of talent there and we're not in the mix. The Sox have apparently been scouting him for over a year and it looks like they might sign him for $3 to $6 million over 3 years.
These developing talent countries like Japan and all of Latin America provide a great opportunity to find and sign kids because they don't go through the MLB draft and in some cases have no agents or at least not Scott Boras. We're being left behind again (surprise, surprise) because of lack of foresight, knowledge or desire-who knows.
I agree with your sentiments on a good GM. Japan is another case where we are asleep at the switch.
TORONTO (AP) — Paul Beeston thinks the Blue Jays still have a shot at re-signing pitcher A.J. Burnett.
With the economy sinking, however, the team's interim CEO acknowledged Thursday that Toronto might choose to save the $24 million Burnett passed up this offseason rather than spend it on other free agents.
"It's a possibility," Beeston said. "We can spend $100 million, but if it doesn't make sense, why do it?"
***Thank you Paul Beeston, you are right, it doesn't make sense to resign Burnett. How refreshing it is to see a Jays executive with common sense.
I think that you're right that all the rumors continue about Manny coming to the Jays because he is so successful over there. I'm sure he wouldn't mind it over there. It'll be interesting to see where Manny goes.
It looks like the Jays are just willing to let '09 play out and hope to have a chance of contending in 2010. They'll have some guys on expiring contracts and hopefully a healthy starting rotation. I wonder how the casual fan will take to that.
It seems like the Jays are only in on A.J. to make it look like they tried when deep down they know he wont accept it.
They'll probably make some minor tweaks for "window dressing" but i'm no longer expecting much.
A whole lot can change though between now and spring so we'll see.
On a light note I noticed today that Vernon Wells' left arm is a different colour than his right (check out the picture with him Halladay, and Rios on the Blue Jays home page near the bottom left)
Haha I looked at the "pale" arm on Vernon. Priceless!!! I didn't realize that a labrum operation causes pigment loss. Now that is the definition of having a new arm.


text:
Atomic number, the number of a chemical element in the periodic system, whereby the elements are arranged in order of increasing number of protons in the nucleus. Accordingly, the number of protons, which is always equal to the number of electrons in the neutral atom, is also the atomic number. An atom of iron has 26 protons in its nucleus; therefore the atomic number of iron is 26.
In the symbol representing a particular nuclear or atomic species, the atomic number may be indicated as a left subscript. An atom or a nucleus of iron (chemical symbol Fe), for example, may be written 26Fe.


text:
Volunteering Abroad with Animals
- Role: Assisting professional vets and staff at clinics with routine treatments and caring for animals at specialized centers by helping with feeding, cleaning, maintenance, and behavior observation.
- Requirements: None for Argentina, Bolivia, China, Ghana, Mexico (Falconry), Romania, and South Africa.
Some related education for Mexico (Veterinary Medicine)
Interns need to be aged 18 and above for Jamaica.
If you have a passion for working with animals, either in the field of veterinary medicine or in a more general animal care oriented role, you can choose volunteering abroad with animals as the perfect way to gain knowledge and put your skills to practice in the developing world.
Internships are suitable for anyone interested in interning abroad in veterinary medicine; this includes college students, those taking a gap year, or career breakers. No matter what your age or experience, we have an internship for you!
Interning or Volunteering Abroad with Animals
Attitudes towards animals in the developing world are different from those that exist in the developed world.
In poorer societies a great deal of dependence is placed on many types of animals for the completion of necessary tasks, particularly farming, where people do not benefit from the labor saving devices that are taken for granted in many developed countries. Working animals are therefore valued in terms of their strength and speed, and livelihoods depend on them being fit and healthy.
Attitudes towards other types of animals are also often very different. A dog might be "man's best friend" and considered another member of the family in the West, but it is hard to feel affection and empathy for such an animal when you live below the poverty line and struggle to feed your children. In many developing countries there is a much higher rate of animal neglect.
Care Work in Veterinary Medicine Abroad
By working as an intern on a Veterinary Medicine or Animal Care internship with Projects Abroad, you will gain fantastic insight that would not be possible in your own country. You are likely to see many exciting types of animals like snakes, big cats or even elephants! Interns will also get to see cases that have been virtually eliminated in the developed world, such as rabies, and you will develop a better understanding of the problems people are faced with in both urban and rural areas of the third world.
Whether you work as a Veterinary Medicine or an Animal Care intern, you will be given an internship supervisor who is responsible for giving you a full and varied introduction to the kinds of work done by people in this field. You will shadow local professionals and, depending on your certification and educational background, may be able gain hands-on experience. You will be able to ask questions and learn from your local colleagues.
You may work in a hospital or an animal centre depending on where you volunteer and your work is likely to involve going out on visits in the local community. Whether you are rehabilitating an injured falcon in Mexico or rescuing African penguins in South Africa, you will gain some fantastic experience and make a big difference to the lives of the animals and people you work with.
Group Veterinary Medicine & Animal Care Projects for High School Students
For teen volunteers, Veterinary Medicine & Animal Care projects are available as Animal Care High School Special programs. High School Specials are designed for volunteers aged 16-19 to join a group of their peers working together under the guidance of our local staff.
Volunteering Abroad as a Professional on a Veterinary Medicine Project
If you are a professional and want to put your skills to use on a Veterinary Medicine project, Projects Abroad has a skilled and qualified arm called Projects Abroad PRO. Our main focus is to match your skills with our partner organizations' needs. Please visit the Veterinary Medicine Projects for Professionals section for more information.
Animal Welfare Policy
We are committed to ensuring that all our international projects are thoroughly vetted and researched to guarantee that they are not connected to animal cruelty in any form. Our Animal Welfare Policy, which applies to both wild and domestic animals, can be read in full here.


text:
Santa Clara backs funding for 49ers stadium site
Recommended Video:
The Santa Clara City Council laid the groundwork for the San Francisco 49ers' long-awaited new stadium on Tuesday night, beginning with the approval of $10 million to prepare the site for construction.
Set to begin in January, the proposed work involves clearing an area next to the Great America amusement park - the 15-acre site of the proposed 68,500-seat stadium, which has a budget of nearly $1 billion and a construction start date of early 2013.
All utilities on the land, which is currently a parking lot, will be rerouted, such as storm drains, sewers, and electric and water lines. Features to be added include an access road on the south side of the 49ers' training facility across the street from the stadium site, sidewalks and additional parking spaces.
The council approved the work 7-0. Members also unanimously approved a number of personnel and procedural matters related to the stadium.
"This is really an exciting move, though it doesn't sound like very exciting work to prepare the site and move utilities and parking," said City Councilmember Lisa Gillmor. "It's really a great movement forward for our stadium."
But the city has to borrow about $6 million from the 49ers, because it lacks the funds to finish the work alone.
While the construction work was expected to gain enough votes to pass, critics say the financially strained city cannot afford the stadium - and, if it never gets built, the site preparations would be a waste of $10 million.
'Cycle of indebtedness'
"We see that as the beginning of the cycle of indebtedness for the Santa Clara Stadium Authority," said Bill Bailey, the treasurer of Santa Clara Plays Fair, a grassroots group that opposes the stadium. He was referring to the city-created agency that oversees the stadium.
Earlier in the day, the group wrote in an e-mail blast to its members: "Why are we borrowing money when our city is so cash-strapped that we have employee furlough days every month, library cutbacks, reduction in staff wages, etc.?"
Last June, Santa Clara voters passed a measure that would provide $114 million in public funds - including $40 million in redevelopment dollars - to build the stadium, which is slated to open in 2015. The rest would come from the city's electric utility, bonds and an increased hotel tax.
Gillmor noted the redevelopment funds would pay for the construction work up for debate. "This is nothing new," she said.
City Councilmember Jamie McLeod, who has expressed reservations about the stadium in the past, said she now feels confident about using redevelopment funds for the construction.
"There are still some key criteria we need to meet in order to make sure we're protecting the city from risk and protecting the city's interest," she said.
What remains unclear is how the 49ers and the city will afford the remaining project costs, which total an estimated $987 million. City officials say the 49ers have guaranteed they will absorb cost overruns.
Long-discussed move
The steps that the council took Tuesday are among the latest developments in the football team's oft-discussed move. In September, local real estate company JMA Ventures bought Great America for $70 million in what company officials said was an effort to integrate the stadium into the amusement park.
In addition to approving the construction work, the council unanimously voted to update the job description of a city planner who will help with the stadium at an annual salary of about $136,000.
The council also voted to give the city manager the authority to oversee hiring contractors who will help relocate electric lines near the stadium. And it set dates for council meetings in December to discuss financial documents.
E-mail Stephanie Lee at email@example.com.


text:
When 'Hydra' first came out I really hated it with a passion. It was boring beyond belief. The inclusion of four guests was just a desperate attempt to make it more interesting. But the very worse thing about it was including a rapper on 'And We Run'. I don't know what idiot thought of that. I have barely played any WT since and I did not go to the last tour.
But how do I feel about it now? I played it again today. It is still dreadful album and I'll probably never play it again.
Within Temptation peaked with the album 'The Heart of Everything' and they need to go back to that quality and style of songwriting. They also need to drop all the guests.
(I usually only post about thngs I like, so this shows exactly what I think and I won't apologise.)