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The last time I visited Kennedy Space Center, the U.S. was months away from launching the space shuttle for the first time. My return visit was last week, a little more than a year after the spacecraft was retired. Much has changed at Kennedy in the time between.
When I was there in 1980 as a teenager, there was an air of expectation and optimism surrounding the shuttle. In 2012, it seems that all is left is nostalgia or perhaps the different frames of mind reflect the two stages of my life I was at during my visits.
While there are attempts to hype future projects like the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle, which is more theoretical at this point than realistic, much of Kennedy Space Center focuses on past glories like the Apollo program and the Space Shuttle era which is rapidly slipping into the rear view mirror of history.
None of that detracts from the attraction. When I visited, I managed to spend an entire day there with my family and we didn't come close to exhausting the activities we could have enjoyed during our visit. And that's on the base ticket which doesn't include upgrades which allow you to tour special areas such as the Vertical Assembly Building (VAB) or the launch pads.
Visitors are free to explore the centre at their own pace. Armed with a schedule of events, you can customize your visit to your own taste. The first thing you see as you enter is the "rocket garden," a display of rockets from NASA's history, such as a Jupiter-Redstone from the Mercury missions or an Atlas rocket from the Gemini program. It's the perfect place to peruse your guide as you orient yourself and a place that you will return to a few times throughout the day.
We started with one of the day's highlights, the astronaut encounter. People pack an auditorium to hear that day's astronaut describe his experiences. On our visit it was Marcos Pontes, Brazil's first man in space.
He was a charming fellow and an entertaining speaker. He told lots of interesting anecdotes and showed some home videos and photos of his time in space which were fascinating to watch. For the inevitable question from kids in the audience about how they could one day become astronauts, he said that if they want to attain their dreams, they should study hard and persist no matter what obstacles life throws at them. It's probably a lesson that still applies to us grownups.
Next up, we went on the bus tour which takes about two hours, but can take longer depending on how long you stay at the different sites. The first part of the tour drives by the massive Vertical Assembly Building where the shuttle was coupled to its rocket boosters and external fuel tank. Before that, it was used to assemble the huge Saturn V rockets that were used by the Apollo program that took astronauts to the moon. Hardcore space fans can purchase separate tour tickets that take them inside the building for a close-up tour.
You also get to see the crawler that ferried the shuttle out to the launch pad from the VAB, some other launch equipment and a drive by the Launch Control Center (LCC). Again, there are separate tours for the LCC for those NASA fans who are devoted enough to have memorized the many acronyms likes to use, like the LCC and VAB.
From there, you drive out to an observation tower that gives you a panoramic view of launch pad 39-A that was originally built for Apollo, but later modified for use the space shuttle. You can also observe other launch pads used for earlier space missions and are still in use today. You also can see launch pad 39-B which is now being modified for the Orion program.
With the nearest launch scheduled nearly a month away, the area was quiet, but it was easy enough to imagine what it was like back when throngs of people would come to cheer on the astronauts as they rode on rockets roaring into space.
To help you in the imagination department, visitors can hop on the next shuttle bus to the next stop on the tour which is a re-enactment of the Apollo 8 launch, the second manned Apollo mission after the disastrous Apollo I fire that claimed the lives of three astronauts. Apollo 8 also had the distinction of being the first in the program where astronauts flew to the moon and back, although they only flew around it and didn't land.
The climax of the tour is at the next stop, the Apollo exhibit that features an honest-to-goodness Saturn V rocket, still the largest rocket ever built. Close up, it is truly gargantuan. When I was there back in the day, the Saturn V was sitting on its side in front of the visitor center, slowly rusting in the sun. It's now housed in a modern facility that lets you admire it from stem to stern.
Also on display are a lunar lander that was never used, a lunar rover, a command module and even a piece of moon rock that you can touch. There is a movie theatre and several other displays of historical artifacts from the lunar program.
If all of what I've described above is not enough, there's more. We returned to the visitor center and had our choice of two IMAX movies to watch. There was one about the Hubble space telescope and another about the International Space Station. We'd seen the latter, so we went for the former. All I can say is that seeing those dazzling space views on the towering IMAX screen in 3D makes them even more awe-inspiring.
The next item on the agenda, and the most popular with my kids, and probably the grownups as well, was "The shuttle experience." It's a flight simulator that is supposed to recreate the sensations of a space shuttle launch. After an amusing introductory video, visitors enter the simulator which lets them imagine they are sitting in a module in the shuttle's cargo bay.
There is a lot of shaking and rattling, inversions and rolls to be worthy of a roller-coaster ride. About the only thing missing are the high G-forces that a real astronaut would encounter, but it's still a lot of fun.
Once that's done, you can take a sneak peek at a real space shuttle, the Atlantis. It was only rolled out to the Kennedy Space Center Visitors Complex on November 2 so it's still not ready for display. The special building that will house it is still under construction, but when it opens next summer, it should be a star attraction at a site that already has its share of star attractions.
The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Center is located on Florida's "Space Coast." You can visit on a day trip from Orlando, but you'd be better off staying near the ocean in a place like Titusville or Cocoa Beach.
All the info you'll need for your visit can be found at www.kennedyspacecenter.com


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From Our Files
June archives
(page 1 of 2)
Our History
In 1888, King Kalakaua issued a royal charter, commissioning a magazine. Then titled Paradise of the Pacific, this publication became HONOLULU Magazine, making it the oldest magazine west of the Mississippi.
Hui Manu, a bird society founded in 1930 to acclimatize exotic birds, introduces 1,000 cardinals to Oahu. "The brilliantly red cardinal seems a particularly fortunate selection, as few birds seem to fit into the tropic scene more effectively than this vividly colored bird," observes Paradise of the Pacific, predecessor to HONOLULU Magazine. The bird was common in the eastern and southern United States. It had also recently been introduced in Bermuda, which has a similar climate to Hawaii. The birds were brought in from Mexico. "Observation has also proven that the cardinal is a fierce enemy of the Japanese rose beetle, cockroaches and small centipedes."
In 1955, 80 percent of the Islands' visitors arrived by plane. Approximately 100 stewardesses flew with them into Honolulu International Airport each week. It was 25 years earlier that the position of female stewardess was created, noted Paradise. "Ellen Church presented the idea of feminine flight attendant to officials of Boeing Air Transport. Somewhat skeptical at first, the Boeing executives agreed to the novelty." Hawaiian Airlines' stewardesses were the first in Hawaii, introduced on interisland flights in 1943. To become stewardesses, women had to be unmarried U.S. citizens between the ages of 21 and 26, weigh no more than 135 pounds, be between 5-feet-2 to 5-feet-7 and have at least 20/40 vision.
"To his family and friends he's Jesse Kahaulua, but to thousands of sumo fans in Japan, he is Takamiyama, the namesake not only of one of Japan's highest mountains but of one of the country's greatest 19th-century sumo wrestlers," writes HONOLULU. The magazine sits down with Kahaulua, a 26-year-old Maui native, who is 6-foot-3 and 365 pounds. He grew up in Wailuku, had a large appetite and played football for Baldwin High School. In the off-season, Kahaulua took up sumo wrestling and trained with Isamu Ogasawara. After graduating high school and a stint with the Hawaii National Guard, he entered sumo competitions in Honolulu and eventually wrestled on the Mainland and in Japan. "Without question he is one of the most popular figures in Japan's No. 1 sport."
"We do not expect the public to like everything we're doing. But we do expect people to learn to become occupied with art," says Alfred Preis, head of the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts (SFCA). Preis has been the planning coordinator of the SFCA since its inception in 1965. The Legislature stipulated that 1 percent of construction costs for a new building would go to new art. It was the first of its kind in the nation. "The role of the SFCA is to introduce into government and other active spaces the aspect of feeling, aesthetics." He discusses "Skygate," near Honolulu Hale and "The Fourth Sign," (seen in photo above) on the UH campus. Preis retired in 1980. The SFCA is now on the second floor of the Hawaii State Art Museum.


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The Russian Weightlifitng Library
A De-masculinization of Strength
The Russian Weightlifting Library
The Russian Weightlifting Library is compilation of articles (weightlifting yearbooks - called Yezhegodnik in Russian) and books written by prominent Soviet era sport scientists.
The article compilations (yearbooks) and books cover a wide range of topics from weightlifting technique, training methodology, planning training, restoration, analysis of the training and technique of eilte weightlifters; research of strength training methodology and so forth. All texts are translated directly from the original Russian to English.


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(v. 163) 18. Mercy let be off: damn them who pity! Kill and torture; spare not; be upon them!
(v. 164) 19. That stélé they shall call the Abomination of Desolation; count well its name, & it shall be to you as 718.
(v. 165) 20. Why? Because of the fall of Because, that he is not there again.


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This is what the slipcover will look like when fitting. It is easier to fit this way when it's inside out.
And this is the finished product...Hopefully! I recommend studying photos and look up "How to make a slipcover" on youtube. Ther are many to choose from that will suit your needs. If you have a slipcover already, turn it inside out, study it, get a concept of how you'll be piecing it together. You could even rip it all apart and use it as a pattern for different fabric if you aren't using it anymore. I've made many slipcovers through the years, so to me, this is easy...but it took some guts to finally start doing it instead of procrastinating about it. I hope I haven't confused you any and I hope this will help a little.
Now go make a slipcover...no time like the present!


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Game Summary
The goaltending duel between Braden Holtby, called up from Hershey as Michal Neuvirth was feeling under the weather and Semyon Varlamov had played the night before in Ottawa, and Carey Price would keep the scoring tight all game. The Caps would get the game winner just 84 seconds into the game.
Nick Backstrom took a shot on Price and the rebound bounced right to Sturm's stick. He slipped it past a sprawling Habs' goaltender to get his fifth goal of the season, his first as a Capital. Backstrom had a fantastic night pressing the offensive effort with a pair of assists and seven shots, a career high in shots for him.
That would be the only goal that Holtby would need. He eased into the game facing only 3 shots in the first period. A testament to the Caps new and constantly improving defensive scheme. After that the Habs' offensive fore-check started up and Holtby answered the call. His ability to suck in shots and not allow rebounds, especially on the power play. The local media only gave him the game's number 2 star, but he was far more deserving of the game's first star than Price.
The second goal would not come until late in the third period as the Habs were pressing the play. Sturm pressed the puck passed the Hab defender at the blue line, and it broke into a two on one for Backstrom and Alex Semin. Backstrom's quick pass set up Semin's roof shot over Price to ice the game for good for the Caps.
While the Caps come away with a good defensive win, there were still break downs in their end. They were able to keep their penalties down to three, but they were at critical junctions in the game as the Caps held on to a one goal lead.
The power play also struggled with out Alex Ovechkin on the point. At times it looked disjointed and often selfish. Semin would come down the ice on his own to try to score. Eric Fehr was used on the point, but it didn't seem to work causing Bruce Boudreau to change up lines on the PP.
The Capitals finish their six game road trip with 4 wins, 8 points. They were shut out once and had a pair of shut outs (Neuvirth against the Devils, Holtby against the Habs). The Caps still remain a game behind the Flyers for first in the Eastern Conference and tied with the Penguins. They have also clinched a playoff spot during that road stretch.
They return home to face a Carolina Hurricanes team that is fighting for a playoff spot. It should be a very interesting game, one that might have a playoff feel to it as it's important for the 'Canes to keep picking up 2 points. The 'Canes also play the Caps tough and this divisional rival game will be an important one for both teams.


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Part 1 - Introduction & Background
Part 2 - Character & Animation
Part 3 - Physics & Controls
Part 4 - Platforms & Collisions
Part 5 - Scrolling & Game States
First of all I want to thanks for the responses to my tutorial, all the comments, emails and tweets I receive. It's an awesome feeling - to be aware that someone is reading all that stuff and even likes it. Oh, and don't forget to follow me on Twitter - http://twitter.com/michalbe.
Part 5a. SCROLLING & POINTS
During the last lesson we teach our angel how to use platforms. Now let him jump higher than screen height. To obtain that we need to use trick as old as platform games - stop the character in one place and move everything else in opposite direction. In our example angel will stop in the middle of the screen and rest of the speed will move background and platforms down. Let's modify checkJump() method of the player:
(...) that.checkJump = function() { if (that.Y > height*0.4) { //if player is under about half of the screen - let him move that.setPosition(that.X, that.Y - that.jumpSpeed); } else { //in other dont move player up, move platforms and circles down instead MoveCircles(that.jumpSpeed * 0.5); //clouds are in the background, further than platforms and player, so we will move it with half speed platforms.forEach(function(platform, ind){ platform.y += that.jumpSpeed; if (platform.y > height) { //if platform moves outside the screen, we will generate another one on the top var type = ~~(Math.random() * 5); if (type == 0) type = 1; else type = 0; platforms[ind] = new Platform(Math.random() * (width - platformWidth), platform.y - height, type); } }); } that.jumpSpeed--; if (that.jumpSpeed == 0) { that.isJumping = false; that.isFalling = true; that.fallSpeed = 1; } }When the platform moves outside the screen we will generates another one on the top, but not directly on 0-y, because we need to keep the distance between the platforms. So first we calculate how far it goes under the bottom, subtract hat value from total height and generate platform on that Y with random X. Yes, I know that it will show up suddenly in the middle of the screen, but while whole attention of the player is focused on the character, no one will notice that.
Ok, it is possible now to jump as high as we want, but there are still couple of things to fix, eg difficulty level.
To make everything harder let's give movement ability to some platforms. The higher your character will be, the faster platforms will move. To achieve this, first we will implement very simple points system, and after that modify a little Platform object and GameLoop() part responsible for drawing platforms.
var width = 320, height = 500, gLoop, points = 0, //adding points to global variables (...) var Platform = function(x, y, type){ (...) that.isMoving = ~~(Math.random() * 2); //first, let's check if platform will be able to move (1) or not (0) that.direction= ~~(Math.random() * 2) ? -1 : 1; //and then in which direction (...) } var GameLoop = function(){ clear(); DrawCircles(); if (player.isJumping) player.checkJump(); if (player.isFalling) player.checkFall(); player.draw(); //moving player.draw() above drawing platforms will draw player before, so platforms will be drawn over him. It looks better that way because sometimes angel 'sinks' in the platform with his legs. platforms.forEach(function(platform, index){ if (platform.isMoving) { //if platform is able to move if (platform.x < 0) { //and if is on the end of the screen platform.direction = 1; } else if (platform.x > width - platformWidth) { platform.direction = -1; //switch direction and start moving in the opposite direction } platform.x += platform.direction * (index / 2) * ~~(points / 100); //with speed dependent on the index in platforms[] array (to avoid moving all the displayed platforms with the same speed, it looks ugly) and number of points } platform.draw(); });Increasing points should be implement in player.checkJump(), after checking if player is in the middle of the screen:
that.checkJump = function() { if (that.Y > height*0.4) { that.setPosition(that.X, that.Y - that.jumpSpeed); } else { if (that.jumpSpeed > 10) points++; //here! MoveCircles(that.jumpSpeed * 0.5); (...)When everything is already drawn we could render GUI on the top of everything. So add in GameLoop(), just before calling another frame:
ctx.fillStyle = "Black"; //change active color to black ctx.fillText("POINTS:" + points, 10, height-10); //and add text in the left-bottom corner of the canvasPart 5b. GAME STATES
Everything works cool, but it is not possible to lose. In case we use setTimeout() instead of setInterval(), we need to create boolean variable with game state. It will be 'true' during the game and 'false' when game ends. It is nice to prepare also some GameOver screen. Let's start with adding new variables and modifying GameLoop().
var width = 320, height = 500, gLoop, points = 0, state = true, (...) var GameLoop = function(){ (...) //go to another frame only when state is true if (state) gLoop = setTimeout(GameLoop, 1000 / 50); (...) } //GameOver screen var GameOver = function(){ state = false; //set state to false clearTimeout(gLoop); //stop calling another frame setTimeout(function(){ //wait for already called frames to be drawn and then clear everything and render text clear(); ctx.fillStyle = "Black"; ctx.font = "10pt Arial"; ctx.fillText("GAME OVER", width / 2 - 60, height / 2 - 50); ctx.fillText("YOUR RESULT:" + points, width / 2 - 60, height / 2 - 30); }, 100); };Now we must determine when to stop the game and display GameOver Screen. We need to modify player's checkfall() method
that.checkFall = function(){ if (that.Y < height - that.height) { that.setPosition(that.X, that.Y + that.fallSpeed); that.fallSpeed++; } else { if (points == 0) //allow player to step on the floor at he beginning of the game that.fallStop(); else GameOver(); } }And that's all! Thank you one more time for your time. I'm waiting for questions and ideas of improvement so feel free to ask/write. As usual: - sources on github Simple game with HTML5 Canvas - and working example on jsbin: Simple game with HTML5 Canvas Tutorial: Simple game with HTML5 Canvas Part 1 - Introduction & Background Part 2 - Character & Animation Part 3 - Physics & Controls Part 4 - Platforms & Collisions Part 5 - Scrolling & Game States
I would like to thanks anyone who found my Simple HTML5 canvas game tutorial useful. I receive a lot of emails, tweets, and couple of comments in here with a lot of positive feedback. I know also that some of you tried to create own games based on my tips. Below I put links to games I know about, I hope authors don't mind. If you also have leaned something from my tutorial, and created anything interesting with it, feel free to write me about that, I will put your link here also.


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Praise for J. Kenner and The Stark Trilogy
"Kenner may very well have cornered the market on sinfully attractive, dominant antiheroes and the women who swoon for them."—RT Book Reviews
"J. Kenner has written a sensually seductive storyline that catches your imagination. . . . [Release Me] will suck you in from the very start."—The Reading Cafe
"[An] immensely satisfying series . . . The roller coaster events of Complete Me give this novel a page-turning quality."—Heroes and Heartbreakers


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South Sudan's recent appearance in the news prompted me to post this series recounting my experience operating on the Nile riverbank in 2007.
At night, after the last generator shuts off, animals and bugs are the only sounds. There is no through traffic. So the rumble of a truck near your tent wakes you with a startle. Between the rumble and me was a mosquito net and a bamboo fence any wolf cub could huff and puff and blow down. I couldn't see the truck, but imagined it was approaching the hospital gate.
The truck stops thirty feet from my tent and a tailgate drops. The song stops. Boots and quiet murmurs are the only sounds for half a minute, other than my pounding heart. I listen for weapons. Do they rattle during a march? Do magazines have to be slammed into an AK-47? Hammers cocked? Chambers loaded? Probably not, it wouldn't make for a discrete ambush. They must've worked out the kinks of the Automatic Kalishnakov since 1947, or it wouldn't be the world's best loved assault weapon.
Ten minutes later, the truck pulls away and the voices begin again. The rumble and song disappear slowly, overtaken by crickets and cats and the hee-haw of the town donkey foraging in Bor's burning garbage piles.
During my third week, the anesthesiologist and I were leaving through the hospital gate when I heard a few popping sounds behind us. I thought: firecrackers, fun! After about eight pops I wised up and looked in the direction of the gunfire. A bamboo fence obstructed my view, but I guessed the shooters to be about thirty yards away. I couldn't tell the direction of the shots, and had no idea of the targets, the motive, the number of shooters. As we scuttled back to our compound, the frequency of ringing shots grew like popcorn in the microwave. Overhead we heard the whirring spins of ricochets.
We were chastised on arrival at the compound.
You aren't answering your radio! You are to remain where you are when you hear gunfire!
I couldn't hear the radio for the gunfire, and remaining under a rain of bullets seemed unsafe, I replied. What's going on? Who is shooting?
We don't know anything yet, except that it's happening very close.
I'd never been this scared. This put the drunk man with a stick to shame. Twenty minutes of shooting, no answers as to why. I became suddenly aware that I might feel a bullet before I heard its attendant pop, then I wondered if I would feel a bullet at all if it traveled through insensate tissues. Was I hit already? Could a bullet enter my back, traverse my iliac vein, and exit my navel without my notice? Probably. I discretely inspected my body for blood.
One of my mates crouching next to me had a beer in hand. I reached for it as one one grabs for the banister when a stair is missed. He nodded for me to keep it. I thought of my one-year-old daughter and an ache tore through my chest. I looked again for blood. None.
Stupid. What was I thinking, coming here? I looked around at my companions who, though in varying states of alarm, all looked calmer than I felt. None had children, I realized, except the Ivory Coast doc and the Congo logistician.
As the pops continued on, and no information was incoming, I had a growing craving I never could have imagined. I wanted a gun. I knew the lunacy of the idea, even in the moment. But the maddening uncertainty – this half a bloody hour of exposure, of waiting, of not knowing. If they stormed our compound guns ablazing, I wanted firearms, one in each hand, Butch Cassidy and Robert F*cking Redford.
Dr Chris, Dr Chris for ER! says my walkie talkie. I finish my beer in a swallow.
This is Dr Chris, go ahead.
Yes, Doctor, I am calling for you to review some patients here in ER with gunshot wounds. We have four patients. Can you come to see them please?
I came here to help desperate people, not to drink beer and cower. But. If I am shot crossing the road, there is no surgeon in a 700-mile radius to operate on the four victims, or on me. I miss my family.
I will come when the shooting stops. Tell me about the victims. Where are their injuries? Have you started IV's and drawn blood for cross matching? He gives me a rundown. And what do you know about the shootings? Why are they shooting?
These patients are not from the shootings you hear, says the ER assistant. I think I hear him suppress a chuckle, as only a Lost Boy has the right to do in this situation.
These four patients have been shot while traveling the road to Juba many hours ago. They just arrived as the shootings began here. We don't have information about the shootings happening now.
The popping ceases. I wait five minutes.
Dr Chris, Dr Chris for ER.
Yes, yes, I am coming.
Dr Chris, I am just calling to inform you that we have a new patient. This one has been shot just now, and…
I am coming.
Arriving in the ER I found three gunshot victims on gurneys and two on the floor. I performed mass casualty triage for the first time in my life. The scene was a bloodbath, the decisions urgent, and my own fear of being shot substantial. The volley of gunfire yards away ended just minutes prior. The best available explanation of the recent incident came from one of the victims, a drunk 23-yr-old minus a proximal tibia, searching in vain for a comfortable position on the concrete floor. Local police were the shooters. A crowded street were the victims (including drunk boy on floor and a 14-yr-old riding a bicycle, now dead.) The inciting incident (note my herculean efforts to be impartial) involved boys told not to perform a weekly ritualistic dance (because fights always ensued), the confiscation of drums, a successful mob reconquest of said drums from the police station, warning shots into the air, mob response, and so on.
The other four victims had been shot in a crowded minibus which had tried to outrun a gauntlet of bandits on the only road out of town. We operated on four of the five. The urgent one had five gunshot entry wounds in his back.
Do I get on the ground? If so, why? I'm diagramming geometry in my head. Why is a body lying on the ground any safer than one standing, or trying to get back to sleep on a cot? That rule applies to grenades tossed your way, I decide, not random gunfire in the neighborhood. ZZZZZ.
I was getting used to local shootouts. Paralyzing as they were in the moment, great relief came in later learning the motives. However unsettling the circumstances of the gunfights, no violence seemed to be directed at our group or the other humanitarian aid groups. [Yet. See later episode.]
By they I mean scary f*ckers, heavily armed. At the time, I couldn't have told you to which team they belonged.
I was on my way to make rounds when they kicked in our only door. I caught my first view between buildings. The front guy held his AK ready to fire, swinging it in a wide arc pointing at everyone present. He moved like a wolverine, breaking from the pack, for our warehouse.
I'd gotten accustomed to seeing the AK's everywhere: Slung on backs, checked at the hospital gate. I'd not yet had one pointed at me by a fast-moving soldier.
Behind the wolverine, came a grimacing soldier carrying – in fire position – an RPG launcher, which also took its turn pointing at my chest. My eyes made an Alfred Hitchcock pan-zoom onto the rocket-powered grenade. The point of the missile had lost its paint and seemed rubbed shiny, as if long-overdue for a target. I wondered if it was sharp enough to enter my chest before exploding. Would it bounce off and spin around my feet like a ground-bloom flower? Would it pass through me and the water-sanitation engineer and continue on to Somalia before its report?
Then I saw the scariest thing yet: the leader. Leather-faced and wiry, talking to none of the pleading people from our compound, he barked short grunts at his men, who feared him as much as I did. A pistol hung from his hand as if connected, with a nonchalance telling twenty-two years of war stories. He looked old enough to have been a child soldier in the first civil war, before the brief peace of the seventies. His body moved with athletic grace while his eyes, liquid fury, moved with urgency. I could not have imagined the discomposure he struck in me by his mere appearance. I'd never seen, up close, a man who'd lived war his whole life.
His gang was still filing through our only door. I was vacillating between the cover of our stone building and proximity to the blocked exit. Were they here to loot? We had fuel, medical supplies, radios, trucks, cash, food, beer, and whiskey – everything an army could want. What was their mission? Would they kill unarmed men and rape the women, as per the habit of soldiers since the dawn of time? The stories I'd heard from our patients opened my eyes to vicious possibilities I'd never dreamed. I trembled, and my heart ached for my wife and child.
I had previously considered myself a soft-core adrenaline junky. Part of the reason I'd come here was to enjoy some fear. But presently I was learning the difference between the kind of fear I enjoyed (class IV whitewater) and pants-pissing terror.


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Now I have to get my hands on Wolf Hall. Hilary Mantel weaves spells with her novels about Thomas Cromwell and the bombastic, bloody reign of Henry VIII. Bring Up the Bodies ensnares you–and it is unusual, dense with names and tricky to follow unless you are paying close attention. I thought it was absolutely great.
Bring Up the Bodies follows on from Wolf Hall, chronicling the months and weeks leading up to the beheading of Anne Boleyn in the Tower of London. Cromwell is wiley, strategically brilliant, flexible of principle and self-protective in this account. He is also dedicated to the king, vulnerable to reflections on the losses in his life and his harsh childhood, witty, and smooth in his dealings with the treacherous operators in and around the court. Mantel's Cromwell is at once a despicable and likeable character and tremendously sympathetic. Anne Boleyn doesn't come off quite so well but there are no complete villains in this book, and certainly no saints.
The matter of a suitable heir to the kingdom looms large but not so large that the king's disaffection, his roving eye, and the headstrong and imperious personality of the queen are as much to credit for the rush to the Tower and the executioner's sword. Many people lose their heads on the block when Henry loses his in pursuit of Jane Seymour. Jane doesn't seem entirely competitive with the colorful Boleyn but she is surprisingly astute. So is Cromwell as he goes about changing history–again–in the name of honor and love. Or maybe just lust.
It's very intelligent–reads like a contemporary reign or campaign, actually, with really sharp people in many of the lead roles. The point of view is interesting–I think an intense third person subjective with Cromwell's thoughts and dialog reported and himself referred to as "he" frequently with no attribution. That POV required some work on my part, due to the wealth of characters, locations and events, but the effort was a pleasure. You are in capable hands in this book–Mantel is a master and Cromwell is a surprisingly worthy subject for her meticulous attentions. I'm looking forward to the Booker Prize-winning Wolf Hall, the prequel to Bringing Up the Bodies, to track how Cromwell helped Henry to dispose of Katherine of Aragon to pave the way for wife #2 and Henry's historic role as a royal serial killer.
Bring Up the Bodies Hilary Mantel | Henry Holt and Company 2012


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Welcome to my first weekly roundup. This is where I share the neatest things that caught my eye recently, the things that made me smile or go "Wow" or made me think. Enjoy!
General Geekery and science
Doctor Who knitted gear: http://www.themarysue.com/sonic-screwdriver-scarves/
DIY polyhedra garlands: http://offbeathome.com/2012/02/make-math-geek-garlands-in-rainbow-colors
Scientists have regenerated a plant from a 30,000-year-old seed: http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/1134177–russians-regenerate-plant-from-30-000-year-old-frozen-burrow-of-ice-age-squirrel
Survivors of domestic abuse walk the runway (note: I'm not a big fan of high fashion and runway culture and all that, but this is pretty cool anyway): http://www.themarysue.com/survivors-walk-runway/
For the Writers (and interested third parties)
Jennifer Crusie on first person vs. third person (I know you've read a lot about point of view, but this one is really good): http://www.arghink.com/2012/02/19/lost-in-translation-first-to-third-and-back-again/
Justine Musk on how to find the big truth of your writing: http://justinemusk.com/2012/02/17/meaning-truth-novel-how-to-blog/
Kristen Lamb on when to write prologues (and when not to): http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/2012/02/20/the-seven-deadly-sins-of-prologues/
Jody Hedlund on not succumbing to perfectionism: http://jodyhedlund.blogspot.com/2012/02/publication-perfection-not-required.html
Juliette Wade (and friends) on considerations for food, agriculture, and diet in your worldbuilding: http://talktoyouniverse.blogspot.com/2012/02/food-agriculture-and-diet-google.html


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Rhode Island Statutes: http://www.rilin.state.ri.us
State Library Association: Rhode Island Library Association
Security Breach Notification Law : R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-49.2-1 et seq.
Data Disposal Law: R.I. Gen. Laws §6-52-2
Library Records Privacy :
GENERAL LAWS OF RHODE ISLAND TITLE 11. CRIMINAL OFFENSES CHAPTER 18. FRAUD AND FALSE DEALING R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-18-32
§ 11-18-32. Video, audio and publication rentals
(a) It is unlawful for any person to reveal, transmit, publish, or disseminate in any manner, any records which would identify the names and addresses of individuals, with the titles or nature of video films, records, cassettes, or the like, which they purchased, leased, rented, or borrowed, from libraries, book stores, video stores, or record and cassette shops or any retailer or distributor of those products, whether or not the identities and listings are kept in a remote computing service or electronic storage or the disclosure is made through or by a remote computing service. It is not unlawful to make disclosures to other employees of the library or business that are incident to the normal course of their work or pursuant to lawful compulsion.
(b) All records of these transactions shall be maintained as confidential and may only be released by written waiver.
(c) Any person, firm, or corporation violating the provisions of this section shall be punished for each violation by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000), by imprisonment for not more than six (6) months, or both.
(d) Any person injured as a result of a violation of this section for each violation may bring a civil action against the violator for actual damages or for two hundred fifty dollars ($250), whichever is greater, plus reasonable attorneys' fees and court costs.


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About Sporty's
Who we are
Sporty's, the world's largest pilot shop, has been offering high quality aviation products and supplies for more than 50 years. Many of these products are designed in-house by our staff of pilots and tested in our flight school. Our experience as pilots, as educators, as airport managers, as aviation advocates–along with our many other endeavors–affords us a unique qualification to provide only the products and services that are the best value to our customers.
What we believe
- You have the RIGHT to same-day shipping at no extra charge.
- You have the RIGHT to a flight test guarantee on the products you buy.
- You have the RIGHT to speak to a knowledgeable, cheerful customer service rep rather than pressing digits on your phone.
- You have the RIGHT to pay the lowest published price on all items, and we back that up with Sporty's price guarantee.
- You have the RIGHT to expect quality products that have been pilot-tested and pilot-approved.
Learn more about our customer service »
Visit Us
Fly into the Clermont County/Sporty's Airport (I69) just outside Cincinnati, Ohio, and visit our retail store – we're right on the runway. We serve free hot dogs, Noon to 2 pm, every Saturday, all year long.
More than a pilot shop
You know us for our high quality products and our friendly service. What you might not know is that we operate a number of other businesses at our headquarters. This includes an avionics shop, flight school, FBO, charter service, and even a residential airpark. If it's aviation, we probably do it!
Learn more about our airport businesses »
The Sporty's Foundation
The Sporty's Foundation funds programs that work to educate young people on the excitement and life-enhancing potential of general aviation. To ensure maximum return on donor investments, 100 percent of The Sporty's Foundation operating costs are underwritten by Sporty's Pilot Shop. To date, we've donated over $1 million to worthy aviation causes.
Virtual Tour of Sporty's
Walk around Sporty's from your computer – visit our headquarters, including our store and flight school.
Online Magazines
Sporty's publishes three entertaining and informative online magazines, and they're all free.
iPad Pilot News shares real world tips on flying with the iPad, plus app reviews how-to videos.
Air Facts was first published in 1938, and today it still champions, educates, informs and entertains pilots worldwide.
Student Pilot News is an all-in-one resource for new pilots, with a flight school database, video tips, and much more.


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Covering the Front and Back Pages of the Newspaper
October 08, 2004
POLITICS: The Leadership Gap
There's another thing Bush needs to drive home tonight, and it's a point he's more comfortable making. Here's something like what I'd like to hear:
You know, I've been listening in this campaign to Senator Kerry talk about foreign policy, domestic policy. And it's clear that we have some fundamental differences in philosophy. But leadership matters too. You can't tell people you're going to get things done better if you can't lead.
There's a common thread throughout Bush's career, from his admittedly checkered business career, to his days as Texas Governor, to his presidential candidacy, to his domestic policy and his conduct of foreign affairs. Bush's expertise is in finding out how many people he needs on board to get a particular job done, and putting together a coalition that will do the job. He has a practical politician's understanding that you need to make concessions to win allies on any issue, so you don't bring along more than you need. And sometimes, you sacrifice some long-term good will to do it, from inflaming Jim Jeffords during the tax cut flap in 2001 to enlisting allies in Iraq (namely, Spain's Aznar government) who couldn't survive the poilitical pressures caused by going along. But in each case, Bush got what he needed.
Kerry's record couldn't be more opposite. Kerry's done nothing with respect to our allies this whole campaign - both the Iraqi allies and the countries that have sent troops - but scorn and insult them. There's a reason his Senate Democrat colleagues have never followed him anywhere, let alone cobbling together enough help from Senate Republicans to pass a bill. There's a reason the great majority of Kerry's peers in Vietnam, as well as the guy who spent the most time in his command on his boat, are willing to drop everything to run around the country opposing him. There's a reason almost nobody can find close Kerry friends among his peers anywhere he's been. Even Kerry's finest hours in the Senate were either lone-wolf investigations or tasks like the POW issue that nobody else wanted to get involved in. Kerry's not a coalition-builder, not a leader, not a guy who gets things done. And Bush, who is all those things, needs to point that out.
UPDATE: Linked this post to this week's Beltway Traffic Jam.
Posted by Baseball Crank at 09:25 AM | Politics 2004 | Comments (5) | TrackBack (2)
the playoffs are going on and 13 of the last 14 posts are crappy partisan rhetoric. you should rename the site republicancrank.com and stop talking about baseball completely.
there's no point in coming back.Posted by: Mike at October 8, 2004 11:58 AM
Mike's right, it's all crappy partisan rhetoric! Well, that's why I'm here, and here's my crappy rhetoric response:
1. That's much too long and flowing for Bush. He could never pull it off. I'm not just trying to be a smart-ass -- Bush really does better with a more chopped, almost lyric-like pentameter. Short and sweet.
2. It's crap. All of it. From Bush's record to Kerry's. But especially Bush's own record. It'll work as campaign rhetoric, and it will sound good, but it doesn't hold up to examination:
2a. President? Default. We know you've been President. The other guy next to you is making the case those very "tough times" are very much your doing, so this isn't really worth much.
2b. Governor? In a state where you're the third-most powerful guy, and you have no real achievements other than executing people at a frantic pace. The education reform you ran on? A fallacy. Your environmental record? A tragedy. Working with Democrats? You didn't have a choice.
2c. Ran businesses? Into the ground. To think that a guy with his connections and capital would fail so spectacularly in every venture boggles the mind. Not to mention the SEC violations and general shadiness involved. He's better off not going here.
2d. Baseball team? Traded Sosa. Not a fair criticism, but one he himself likes to joke about. Used his connections to fleece the City of Arlington for a stadium, and turned his own $600,000 investment into millions.
2e. Cheney? I won't disparage Cheney's record too much except to say I disagree with just about everything he ever did in Congress. As Defense Secretary he advocated for the very cuts (and more) he is now crucifying Kerry for. CEO? Halliburton hired him for his Roledex. Period. Accounting scandals abound, and scandal invovling overcharging the Army and no-bid contracts don't reflect well on this period. Cheney made the disastrous acquisition of (Dresser?) a company that exposed Halliburton to gazillions in asbestos liability. Bad business decisions followed by even more questionable practices.
3. First term acheievements? Cut taxes? Oo, tough one. Real leadership required there. You did it against the advice of your treasury Sec'y, and you fired him for his trouble. Education? Left unfunded, results are at best inconclusive. Drug Bill? Had to lie to the Congress you control to pass it, and it is widely heralded as a complete pork-laden crock.
4. Kerry. Actually, I believe Kerry has run (and still owns) a profitable business. something businessman bush never could. Entered public service in way way or another right out of college. Volunteered for Vietnam. Actually led troops in battle there. Upon returning, led a national movement against the war. Just because there were no shareholders doesn't mean it doesn't count. Ran for Congress. Became a successful state prosecutor. Ran for Senate. Won. Using his expertise as a prosecutor to concentrate on the oversight/investigative capacities in the Senate. Led on important issues others were unwilling to touch. Helped expose S&L scandal. Helped expose Iran/Contra. (Are you one of those who like to pretend it never happened or was fine?) went across the aisle to work with McCain on the POW issue.
5.Edwards. Like Cheney, came from modest means to rise up to tremendous success. A tremendously successful lawyer. Clearly an ambitious guy, clearly a short record. but he is running for Vice President with the same six years of politcal experience that was good enough for Bush to take a higher office. One could argue that his Senate experience is more relvant than Bush's governorship. And he had actually done something with his life beforehand.
It's a nice speech, Crank. If he could do it, it would be good for him. But he wouldn't deserve it, but when has he?Posted by: Mr Furious at October 8, 2004 04:23 PM
I didn't write it, but I wish I did. Since we're pushing hypothetical responses on our candidates, heres what Kerry should do:
The Short Answer
Okay, we've seen both of our guys in a debate now and they still seem incapable of giving a concise answer to the $87 billion question. I find this especially frustrating because I don't see this issue as a flip-flop at all. If I were in the debates, this would be my two-minute answer :
MODERATOR : What the hell did you mean when you said you voted for the $87 billion before you voted against it?
KERRY : Let's put things in perspective here. In the run-up to the war, the Administration repeatedly rejected the notion that the Iraq war would be expensive, they gave us an low-ball estimate, and some were even bold enough to suggest that once we got there, all we'd have to do is turn on the oil wells and the war would start paying for itself.
Then they came back to us and asked for another $78 billion dollars, which I voted for.
After that, the President signed a bill giving huge tax cuts to millionaires. I can't think of another time in our country's history when a wartime President was rejecting the idea that the people make sacrifices during war. Then it was revealed that the Administration was giving away billions of dollars in no-bid contracts. There was no way I could sit idly by while the President shamelessly gave away money to his campaign contributors.
So when the Administration came back to the Congress to ask for money for the third time in less than a year, I presented an alternative. My proposal supplied the full $87 billion the President was asking for on two conditions : that they pay for it by partially rolling back their most recent tax cuts for the rich, rather than pass the burden on to our children and that the Congress be given greater oversight into how the money was being spent, so we wouldn't see billions thrown into the off-shore bank accounts of corporations.
If Vietnam taught us anything, it's that the best way we can support our troops is to make sure our leaders are responsible and trustworthy. My amendment was an effort to restore that credibility to the President, but it was killed when Bush threatened to veto my funding request. So here's my question : Why does the President think keeping his millionaire tax cuts and no-bid contracts are more important than funding our troops?Posted by: Mr Furious at October 8, 2004 04:27 PM
Oops. Hazards of pasting... By "both our guys" he means Kerry and Edwards, not my guy Kerry and your guy Bush...Posted by: Mr Furious at October 8, 2004 04:29 PM
Actually, I was trying to write in something more like Bush's style.
The equivalency of Cheney and Kerry on weapons systems - you don't seriously believe that, do you? For the most part, what Cheney was doing was scaling back the size of programs at the end of the Cold War. Very different from Kerry, who among other things ran in 1984 on a platform of entirely eliminating many weapons systems in the heat of that conflict and who, in the mid-1990s, introduced legislation - which thankfully even the Democrats rejected - slashing the intelligence budget.
Yes, the attacks on a few of Kerry's votes in that area are exaggerated, but the fact is, his overall record is of a very dovish guy who has - whenever there was serious controversy - always come down on the side of less defense and intelligence spending and a foreign policy less assertive in protecting American interests. The fact that he's terrified of running as the guy he's been for decades should tell you all you need to know.Posted by: The Crank at October 8, 2004 04:38 PM
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Last night I appeared in a piece that aired on the 9 o'clock news here in Chicago, talking about the legal issues surrounding isanyoneup.com. (That site is definitely NSFW and I'm not linking to it because it doesn't deserve the page rank help.) The site presents some interesting legal questions, like whether and to what extent it is shielded by Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act for the harm that arises from the content it publishes (I don't think it is shielded completely). The site also engages in some pretty blatant copyright infringement, and does not enjoy safe harbor protection under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.
Here's the video:


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My Newest Bundle of (Yankee) Joy
Editor's note: I wrote this mainly for my sister Dina, who recently gave birth to her son, my nephew, Ryan James Martelli.
I never believed in love at first sight until Monday morning. It really does exist.
Back in March when my older sister Dina informed me she was pregnant, I flipped out – and that's a generous understatement. My sister is 26 years old (certainly old enough to have a baby) but she isn't married and I don't know the baby's father all that well. It shocked me and made me feel uneasy, awkward, and even angry.
My parents brought my sisters and me up with morals and values. I feel she went against that.
Over the summer she found out she was having a baby boy. I was happy for her, yet at the same time I maintained that uneasiness and anger over her situation. Instead of feeling good about the idea of a new baby, I found myself feeling confused and overcome with a bizarre emotion.
I suppose I just couldn't get used to the idea of my sister being a mom.
On Thanksgiving morning she gave birth to Ryan James Martelli. He weighed a little over eight pounds and was born at exactly 4:57 a.m.
Obviously on turkey day my entire family's attention shifted to him. My mom was already at the hospital and my dad skipped out of my aunt's Thanksgiving meal to go meet his new grandson. A number of my other family members also paid Dina and Ryan a visit on Thanksgiving and the days that followed.
I, on the other hand, stayed for turkey on Thanksgiving and wasn't able to meet my nephew at the hospital.
The high school hockey season began over the weekend, and to put it mildly, covering games on the ice ate a lot of my time following the holiday. I think Dina may have taken it personally – me not visiting her and her son in the hospital, that is.
When I woke up Monday morning there was a text message waiting in my cell phone inbox from my sister. She asked if I was ever going to see the baby. By then she was home from the hospital with the baby, so I grabbed my Yankee rally monkey and walked across the hall to her room.
I walked in and there he was, lying in his bassinet. A smile just lit up my face.
The second I laid eyes on the little man, I knew I loved him. Dina let me hold him, and my eyes welled up; I just couldn't contain my emotion for this baby. After holding him for a few minutes my sister took him back – and as soon as I let go of him, he began to cry.
Dina recognized that he was hungry. While she was preparing to feed him – and he was wailing – I presented the Yankee monkey to him. He immediately stopped crying once he saw the monkey and after I let out a chuckle, I shot my sister a glance and said,
"Would you look at that? He's already a Yankee fan!"
It's difficult to explain, but as soon as I laid eyes upon my nephew and held him in my arms, everything changed. All the bad feelings and the things that bothered me about her pregnancy disappeared and I suddenly realized so many different things.
I came to the realization that I have the opportunity to make a strong and positive impact in this child's life. Perhaps I can teach him all about the game of baseball – and encourage him to pursue playing the sport throughout his growing years.
Maybe by introducing baseball to him, he will fall in love with it (and the Yankees) just like his uncle.
Not only did I realize all those things, but in those moments that I held him, I reflected on all the things his mother – my sister – has done for me throughout my life. In keeping with the baseball theme, in particular I thought about June 20, 2010.
Dina bought tickets for the Yankee game that day for me as a birthday present, although the day of the game fell five days after my actual birthday on June 15. She and I went to Yankee Stadium and had a wonderful time.
The Yankees hosted the Mets in a Subway Series finale and we had the pleasure of seeing a 4-0 Bombers win over their cross-town rivals. The only offense was a grand slam off the bat of Mark Teixeira while a brilliant starting pitching performance from CC Sabathia held the Mets in check.
It was such a thoughtful gift and she went out of her way to give me a meaningful birthday present. I'll never forget that.
To Dina, I would like to say congratulations. I know I may have been critical and not the easiest person to be around while you were pregnant, but I would like to apologize if I may have driven you crazy.
I love you, my sister. And I love your son, my nephew. He looks to have a lot of potential in this world, and I know he will live up to it all. If you ask me, I think he could even be captain of the New York Yankees some day.
And when he is, I can look down at him from the press box, and he can look up at me from the field, just like the final scene in "The Sandlot." Before we give each other the thumbs up…
"Safe! Safe! Safe! I don't believe it! Ryan stole home! Ryan Stole home!"


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DirecTV and Tribune Reach Agreement For Retransmission of Tribune's Local Channels and WGN America
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- DirecTV and Tribune have reached a retransmission consent deal for DirecTV to continue carrying all of Tribune's local stations and WGN America for the next five years. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
"We're pleased that Tribune and their creditors now recognize that all DirecTV wanted from day one was to pay fair market rates for their channels," said Derek Chang, executive vice president of Content, Strategy and Development, DirecTV. "It's unfortunate that Tribune was willing to hold our customers hostage in an attempt to extract excessive rates, but in the end we reached a fair deal at market rates similar to what we originally agreed to on March 29. On behalf of our customers, we are very happy to close the deal and put this behind us."
Tribune restored all of their local signals and WGN America to DirecTV customers at approximately 9 p.m. ET.
Five million American homes blacked out from their local broadcaster cries out for an examination in Washington, D.C of the decades old telecom law that encourages these impasses.
About DirecTV
DirecTV (NASDAQ: DTV) is one of the world's leading providers of digital television entertainment services delivering a premium video experience through state-of-the-art technology, unmatched programming and industry leading customer service to 32 million customers in the U.S. and Latin America. In the U.S., DirecTV offers its 19.9 million customers access to more than 170 HD channels and Dolby-Digital(R) 5.1 theater-quality sound, access to exclusive sports programming such as NFL SUNDAY TICKET(TM), Emmy-award winning technology and higher customer satisfaction than the leading cable companies for 11 years running. DirecTV Latin America, through its subsidiaries and affiliated companies in Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Venezuela, Colombia, and other Latin American countries, leads the pay-TV category in technology, programming and service, delivering an unrivaled digital television experience to 12 million customers. DirecTV sports and entertainment properties include three Regional Sports Networks (Northwest, Rocky Mountain and Pittsburgh) as well as a 60 percent interest in Game Show Network. For the most up-to-date information on DirecTV, please visit www.DirecTV.com.


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The death of Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez has left South America without the charismatic leader who galvanized a wave of socialist victories across the continent — and has left the United States without one of its most enduring populist firebrand foes.
Politicians worldwide were reacting to the death of the leftist leader Tuesday night and remarking on the future of the oil-rich nation.
The White House took the chance to reaffirm its support for Venezuela's people and its hopes for a rapprochement with its government.
U.S. & World
For full U.S. and world news, visit NBCNews.com.
"At this challenging time of President Hugo Chávez's passing, the United States reaffirms its support for the Venezuelan people and its interest in developing a constructive relationship with the Venezuelan government," President Barack Obama said in a statement Tuesday evening.
"As Venezuela begins a new chapter in its history, the United States remains committed to policies that promote democratic principles, the rule of law, and respect for human rights," it continued.
In Venezuela, the challenger whom Chávez had recently beaten to secure a fourth term as president tweeted his support for the late president's family.
"My solidarity with all the family and followers of President Hugo Chávez, we advocate for the unity of Venezuelans at this time," Henrique Capriles Radonski tweeted. "In difficult times we must show our most profound love and respect to our Venezuela!"
His sentiments were shared by many South American leaders.
Bolivia's president Evo Morales, a long-time close friend and ally of Chávez, was reportedly en route to Caracas, and Uruguayan President José Mujica was reportedly heading there Wednesday morning.
Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, who had close ties to Chávez, was heading there as well. She decreed three days of mourning in Argentina and ordered all flags to fly at half staff, Argentine newspaper La Nacion reported.
The government of Cuba, perhaps Chávez's closest international ally all the way up until his death, released an emotional statement praising him as "an honest, lucid and brave fighter of the revolution" who "accompanied Fidel (Castro) like a true son."
"To our colleagues in the military and in the Venezuelan government we reiterate our support, alliance, and faith in the victory," it read in part.
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff said Chávez's passing "saddens all Latin Americans," as her country's Congress held a moment of silence in the capital Brasília. "The Brazilian government and people lost a great friend," she said.
Ecuador's self-described left-wing President Rafael Correa declared three days of national mourning in solidarity with Venezuela.
"A great Latin American is gone. The whole world recognizes the greatness of this revolutionary," Correa said Tuesday night. "Ecuador feels as though this death were ours."
Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos offered his condolences on Twitter, as did Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto.
"Goodbye, Comandante and friend Hugo Chávez," Peru's leftist President Ollanta Humala wrote in a tweet of his own.
In the U.S., Chávez's passing exposed his polarizing legacy, as members of Congress responded to his passing variously with tributes and derision.
"Good riddance to this dictator," California Republican Ed Royce said in a statement, while Arkansas Republican and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers called the news of Chávez's death "welcome news."
Some of the many Venezuelans living in Florida were reacting with cautious optimism that there will be change in their homeland following his death on Tuesday, and Republican U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Florida called it "an opportunity for democracy in Venezuela."
Sen. Marco Rubio, one of the GOP's rising national stars, agreed and urged the country to move past what he called the "socialist disaster" of Cháve's presidency.
"The Venezuelan people now have an opportunity to turn the page on one of the darkest periods in its history and embark on a new, albeit difficult, path to restore the rule of law, democratic principles, security and free enterprise system in a nation that deserves so much better than the socialist disaster of the past 14 years," he said.
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter released a statement saying Chávez "will be remembered for his bold assertion of autonomy and independence for Latin American governments."
Chavez also won an encomium from former Massachusetts congressman Joseph P. Kennedy II, who after leaving Congress has led the non-profit energy company Citizens Energy, which drew scrutiny in the U.S. for enlisting Chavez's help to provide heating oil to low-income Americans.
"President Chavez cared deeply about the poor of Venezuela and other nations around the world," Kennedy said in a statement. "Our prayers go out to President Chavez's family, the people of Venezuela and all who were warmed by his generosity."
At the United Nations, Russian U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin called the death "a tragedy. He was a great politician for his country, Latin America and the world."


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China Orb, online Chinese to English dictionary with nearly 1 million entries and plenty of excellent examples. The pin yin and pronunciation sound of Chinese wrods are provided. China Orb includes a lot of Chinese professional terms in many industries such as Medicine, Chemistry, Mechanism, Electricity, Computer, Economy, Law, Architecture. If you can not find satisfying translation elsewhere,try China Orb Chinese to English dictionary.
China Orb, online English to Chinese dictionary with more than 1 million entries and plenty of excellent examples. China Orb includes a lot of English professional terms in many industries such as Medicine, Chemistry, Mechanism, Electricity, Computer, Economy, Law, Architecture. If you can not find satisfying translation elsewhere,try China Orb English to Chinese dictionary.
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Life is wonderful
China Fashion
be disdainful of sb
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be devoid of
be devoid of...
be devoted to...
be diagnostic of...
be different from
be different in essence
be different than
be difficult of
be difficult of approach
be dignified with the name of
be dim and remote
be dim with
be directed towards
be directly proportional to
be disappointed about
be disappointed at
be disappointed in sb
be disappointed in...
be disappointed of one's purposes
be disappointed with
be disbursed from the cost and expenses
be discharged from hospital
be discharged from military service
be discharged from prison
be discontented with...
be disdainful of sb
be disgraced for
be dished out of sth
be disloyal to
be dismayed at …
be displeased with sb for doing sth
be disqualified for...
be dissatisfied at...
be dissatisfied with
be dissatisfied with...
be distal to...
be distant towards sb
be distinct from
be distinct from...
be distinctive from...
be distinguishable from...
be distinguished by
be distinguished for
be distinguished from
be distressed about sth
be distrustful of sb
be divided against itself
be divided into three types
be divorced from
be divorced from reality
be done for
be disdainful of sb
China Orb © 2009


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Mersea launches a unique Hair Conditioner fortified with keratin and Argan Oil, which is formulated especially to revitalize, soften and moisturize your hair thoroughly. Mersea Keratin Hair Conditioner will make your hair smoother, shinier, softer, silkier, easier to comb, flexible and frizz free. Mersea Keratin Hair Conditioner is combined with plant extracts and vitamins which will help nourish each strand of your hair in order to maintain the smoothing effect longer while intensively adding shine to your hair. This product is Paraben free.
Directions for use: Wet hair thoroughly and apply Mersea Keratin Hair Conditioner on the scalp and hair after you rinsed the shampoo. Work up with gentle circular motions of the fingertips, leave for 5 minutes and rinse thoroughly. Repeat, if necessary.
250 Ml


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anytime - I return messages quickly,
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We get a lot of requests to make FL Studio & Deckadance available on Steam and think it's a great idea. This would be in addition to not a replacement for the current installation methods.
As programs are considered based on community voting we need your help. If you have a Steam account or want to create one, please vote by following the links on the images below and lets GREENLIGHT FL Studio and Deckadance 2:
Thanks for your support!


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Foam Furniture That Turns Into A Bed
The Zipline Modular Kids Loveseat with two matching ottomans is a fun and functional addition to any kidÃs room.
The Marvin the Martian Polyester Flip Sofa is perfect for at home play and relaxation, or at grandma's house for a comfy napping spot.
Soft Plush Children's Sized Sofa with Flip Open Lounger that's perfect for lounging, playing and sitting.
The Marshmallow Furniture Flip-Open Sofa is the perfect size for young kids!
The 2-in-1 Marshmallow Furniture Flip-Open Sofa is just the right size for kids. You will be able to easily fit it into a lounger when little ones want to kick back and relax.
This ultimate three-in-one Flip Open Sofa is the perfect size for young kids!
Soft Plush Children's Sized Sofa with Flip Open Lounger
Introducing the Marshmallow 2-in-1 Flip Open Sofa that's the perfect size for young kids! Flip open the sofa and transform it into a lounger.
This convertible foam mattress offers both style and comfort, quickly folding from a thick, supportive floor mattress to a contemporary sofa. Eight inches of high density support foam create a supportive surface, while durable linen-look fabric complements modern deco
The Hello Kitty Bows Small Flip Sofa offers a comfortable place for young Hello Kitty fans to play, read, watch TV and relax.
Add the Batman Flip Sofa Bed to your child's bedroom or playroom. This Batman bed lets them show off their favorite superhero while giving them extra room for a sleepover with friends.
Make your childs room the coolest room in the neighborhood. Our Childrens Sofa Sleepers add an expressive touch to their room and it provides comfortable functions.


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Are you chasing paper to get signatures for a grant proposal? You can stop running around (save those strides for GetFit!): there's an easier way to prepare your grant proposal and route it to get the approvals you need. MIT's tools of choice are Coeus Premium, a full-featured downloadable application, and CoeusLite, a user-friendly, web-based version of the Coeus grants management system. Both versions of Coeus are supported by MIT's Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP).
[Note: For help deciding which program to use, see the OSP web page Coeus Premium vs CoeusLite.]
A digital path
Since 2004, when OSP developed the Coeus grants management system, members of the MIT community have submitted almost 20,000 grant proposals to government agencies, corporations, and foundations.
While a few hundred of these proposals were submitted online before 2007, digital submissions ramped up with the debut of CoeusLite that year. CoeusLite was developed to enable users to prepare Grants.gov applications via the Web. Grants.gov is the online portal for 26 federal funding agencies, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Coeus has been used to prepare over 5000 proposals that were submitted to federal agencies, with approximately 1700 "system-to-system" transmissions to Grants.gov. This has led to the perception that Coeus starts and ends with government grants and can only be used for "system-to-system" transmissions. That's not the case. Coeus is equally useful for preparing and routing grant proposals for submission to foreign sponsors, industry, and foundations.
What's more, going digital at the start benefits the entire process of grant administration, since Coeus is MIT's system of record for all proposals and awards. When Coeus is used up front, it becomes the repository for proposals, eliminating the need for paper files.
Learn all about it
If you're ready to make the switch from paper to Coeus, OSP has a course for you. CoeusLite: Non-Grants.gov Prep & Routing is a new two-hour classroom-based session that will be offered monthly.
This course integrates the basics of proposal preparation, from how to read an RFP to using the system to prepare and route a proposal. It covers everything from information gathering to uploading and attaching files. For the full course description, choose the MIT Learning Center link under the Training tab in SAPweb Self Service, then go to Course Catalog > Administration > Sponsored Projects & Practices.
In addition, OSP continues to offer Coeus courses that focus on proposal development and Grants.gov submissions. You can register for any of these courses through SAPweb Self Service.
Get with the program
OSP hopes to have all proposals created or routing in Coeus by fall 2012. If you submit grant proposals and are still filling out paper forms, you can do your part by taking the OSP course that's right for you.
If you need help using Coeus after taking a course, contact your OSP administrator or send mail to email@example.com. Depending on your needs, a member of the Coeus Support Team may be able to schedule a one-on-one session to help you escape the paper chase and streamline your grant proposal process.


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Want to look up the gender wage gap in your occupation? Fill out the calculator below:
EqualPayMA's Employer Tool Kit is a best practices guide designed to truly explain how to identify, understand, and promote equal pay in the workplace.
Official Website administered by the State Treasurer and Receiver General of Massachusetts, Deborah B.Goldberg
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Poe, Edgar Allan
Poe, Edgar Allan, 1809–49, American poet, short-story writer, and critic, b. Boston. He is acknowledged today as one of the most brilliant and original writers in American literature. His skillfully wrought tales and poems convey with passionate intensity the mysterious, dreamlike, and often macabre forces that pervaded his sensibility. He is also considered the father of the modern detective story.
Sections in this article:
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: American Literature: Biographies


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China and the United States established eight new pacts this week to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. Half of these announcements focused on a single climate change mitigation measure—carbon dioxide capture, utilization and storage (CCUS).
China and the United States are world's leaders when it comes to CCUS research and development, and this week's agreements build on a long history of CCUS collaboration between the two nations. In fact, China-US partnership on CCUS has in many respects now left the theoretical feasibility realm and entered the "steel-in-the-ground" phase.