text:
"Feel good.
City's breaking down on a camel's back.
They just have to go cause they don't know whack.
So all you fill the streets it's appealing to see
You wont get out the county cause you're bad and free
You've got a new horizon It's ephemeral style.
A melancholy town where we never smile.
And all I wanna hear is the message beep.
My dreams, they've got to kiss, because I don't get sleep, no..
Windmill, Windmill for the land.
Turn forever hand in hand
Take it all in on your stride
It is sticking, falling down
Love forever love is free
Let's turn forever you and me
Windmill, windmill for the land
Is everybody in?
Laughing gas these hazmats, fast cats,
Lining them up like ass cracks,
Ladies, ponies, at the track
its my chocolate attack.
Shit, I'm stepping in the heart of this here
Care bear bumping in the heart of this here
Watch me as I gravitate
Yo, we gonna ghost town, this motown,
with yo sound, you're in the place
You gonna bite the dust, can't fight with us.
With yo sound you kill the "inc."
So don't stop, get it, get it
until you're cheddar header.
Yo, watch the way I navigate
Don't stop, get it, get it
we are your captains in it.
Steady, watch me navigate,
Ha ha ha ha ha!
Don't stop, get it, get it
We are your captains in it
Steady, watch me navigate
Ha ha ha ha ha!"
Gorillaz, "Feel Good Inc." (repititions ommitted)
"Feel Good Inc," by Gorillaz, Demon Days, 24 May 2005, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feel_Good_Inc. [buy the cd, read ASL lyrics, read 3S lyrics, watch the video].
"O'Reilly: U.S. Should Leave Iraq 'as fast as humanly possible' because 'there are so many nuts in the country'," Media Matters for America, 22 February 2006, http://mediamatters.org/items/200602220007 (from Aaron).
"It Didn't Work, by William Buckley, Universal Press Syndicate, 25 February 2006, http://www.realclearpolitics.com/Commentary/com-2_25_06_WB.html.
It goes without saying that William F Buckley does not feel good
One can't doubt that the American objective in Iraq has failed. The same edition of the paper quotes a fellow of the American Enterprise Institute. Mr. Reuel Marc Gerecht backed the American intervention. He now speaks of the bombing of the especially sacred Shiite mosque in Samarra and what that has precipitated in the way of revenge. He concludes that "the bombing has completely demolished" what was being attempted — to bring Sunnis into the defense and interior ministries.
Our mission has failed because Iraqi animosities have proved uncontainable by an invading army of 130,000 Americans. The great human reserves that call for civil life haven't proved strong enough. No doubt they are latently there, but they have not been able to contend against the ice men who move about in the shadows with bombs and grenades and pistols.
Nor, on the opposite end of the intellectual spectrum, does Bill O'Reilly
Somewhat of a disturbing report out of Iraq, and it's more important than it first appears. The governor of — or the mayor of Karbala, which is a town in the south part of Iraq, Shiite-controlled, has banned any further government dealings with the American military in his province, saying that they're not behaving well.
Now, it's a small little thing, but I picked up on it, because here is the essential problem in Iraq. There are so many nuts in the country — so many crazies — that we can't control them. And I don't — we're never gonna be able to control them. So the only solution to this is to hand over everything to the Iraqis as fast as humanly possible. Because we just can't control these crazy people. This is all over the place. And that was the big mistake about America: They didn't — it was the crazy-people underestimation. We did not know how to deal with them — still don't. But they're just all over the place.
As Bill noted, the reason we don't feel good is that they don't know whack: too many Iraqis act inexplicably. Or perhaps we don't know whack: if we did, presumably we could control them. William continues:
One of these postulates, from the beginning, was that the Iraqi people, whatever their tribal differences, would suspend internal divisions in order to get on with life in a political structure that guaranteed them religious freedom. The accompanying postulate was that the invading American army would succeed in training Iraqi soldiers and policymakers to cope with insurgents bent on violence.
The reason for our whackless knowledge is that "the Iraqis" are operating at a high tempo. They can get inside our cognition loop, they can teach us, by quickly transitioning from one type of activity to another. The cognition loop is stable over the long term because ultimately every mind is attracted by both high-kinetic activities (teaching) and low-kinetic activities (learning).
However, by having powerful energy free energy sources — by exploiting the liberal concept of ideology and the preliberal concept of kin — our enemies can spend more time doing and less time resting. In the same way, by relying on free energy sources from the environment, windmills can run as long as the wind blows. The Iraq's powerful mix of religion and family is analogous to a similar movement in the United States — political movements that here have refined themselves into victors.
Not only are they powerful and built for victory, they are attacking us wisely. They are laughing-gassing us, what John Boyd might have called pulling us apart and collapsing our will to resist. They have magnified our entropy by working with critics in our own societies. Howard Deanesque criticisms of George Bush lying over the lack of hazardous materials — WMDs — in Iraq combine with William Lindoid concerns over real hazardous materials — centers of disorder — to try to get us to just leave.
These moral infiltration tactics rely on flow. Instead of trying to synchronize their forces, the enemies "seep or flow into any gaps or weaknesses they can find in order to drive deep" into our rear. By taking the path of least resistance, they rely on gravity — another free energy source — to do the heavy work for them. Instead, our objective of making them sane (O'Reilly) or making them value "religious freedom" (Buckley) requires us to constantly hold up the sky and defy gravity.
This is why we don't feel good about Iraq. Half of our strategies aren't working. We are not strong enough for the means we have chosen.
We see them choose which streams to follow, which mosques to destroy, which weddings to bomb. They seem crazy. We feel bad.
We need to stop dancing to the music of the guerrillas.
Guerrillaz, a tdaxp series in four parts
Part I: Feel Good Inc
Part II: 19-2000
Part III: Clint Eastwood
Part IV: Dare


text:
Some parents in our upper-middle-class Middle-Eastern school come in to see teachers and make demands such as, "I want my child moved up to the front row today, and I want him to stay right there for the entire school year!" When a teacher tries to explain that they have to consider and balance the needs of all the children in the classroom, these parents sometimes reply, "YOU don't tell OUR children what to do; we tell YOU what to do, because WE pay your salary by bringing our children to your school!" How does a teacher even respond to a parent with ideas like this?
As a foreign teacher, each time I had a strange encounter like this with a haughty and disdainful parent, I wondered about this strange behavior toward teachers and administrative staff. Whenever one of these encounters took place, I would ask my Middle Eastern assistant why these parents would behave this way. I was always told, "They behave that way because they are rich." It still wasn't clear to me what being rich would have to do with rude and imperious behavior. So when I asked how the two things were linked, I always got the response, "They think they can behave that way because they have money." This didn't clarify matters, either. It was especially not clear since I knew plenty of other people who had even more money and did not behave in that sort of manner at all.
I understood my assistant's words, but still did not understand the behavior, or what his words actually meant. Ten years later, I believe I now understand–it's not really about money, but about status. In every country, many people try to follow and copy what they perceive the rich people doing.
For example, let us look briefly at the fashion of suntanning, in Europe and the United States. In the 1800s, women used to stay out of the sun and even carry a parasol to keep the sun from falling on their skin. Prior to 1900, those with tanned skin were presumed to be low-class common laborers. In the 1920s, this perception began to change.
When Coco Channel returned from the French Riviera with a suntan, having a suntan (particularly in winter) became associated with having the time and money to vacation in warm places. By the 1940s, sunbathing and suntans were popular everywhere.
In the Western United States in the 1960s and 1970s, students took great care while skiing to never use suntan cream (in order to purposely come back from skiing with a tan or a sunburn), and to leave the ski-lift tickets attached to one's jacket all season. Both of these actions raised one's status, showing that he or she was someone able to afford to go skiing (an expensive sport). From the 1960s onward (the age of jet travel) a suntan in winter demonstrated that one was part of the leisure class, able to afford to jet off to a warm destination in winter.
Other countries have other ways of indicating that one is a member of the wealthy, or leisure class. In some Middle Eastern countries (such as Syria, among others), there is a special system which confers the ultimate status. The most important people carry special cards in their wallets which place them above the powers of law enforcement officials. Only members of the most important families are able to obtain this card, and so, are free to act without any repercussions.
Therefore, some people in the Middle East (especially the newly rich) perceive that what it means to "act like an upper-class person" is to act very haughty and imperious, as though you can order other people around, and no one can say anything to do no matter how rudely you act, or what acts you commit. This is what I believe was happening in my school. My conclusion at present is that the parents who behaved in an imperious manner were mostly not well-educated or well-brought up, yet had the fortune through business or inheritance, to come into money. Buy behaving this way, they are essentially trying to announce to others, "Look! We are important people, and we are more important than you (the teachers and school employees)!" So this behavior, in their mind, is a way for them to gain status and prestige, as well as to flaunt it to others. As a foreign teacher, it seems to me to be greatly lowering their prestige, but people in my local country seem to understand that, "Since they are rich, they feel entitled to act that way."
This system even affects the behavior of children in school. Children in our school are often rude to their teachers, and completely uncooperative with regard to class rules (continual talking while the teacher is teaching; not staying in their chairs; refusing to line up or walk quietly in a line; talking loudly, rather than whispering). Every new idea works for just a day or two, and then it's right back to the old behavior.
After teaching in the Middle East for twenty years, I now believe that the reason children are uncooperative is because being cooperative shows that you and your family must have low status. High-status children behave as they wish, because to do so shows the other children that they come from an "important" family and are "above" having to follow the teacher's rules.
–Lynne Diligent

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Yeah, I know. Radio silence. I haz it. I will be back in the new year. I read, like, three books! I know! Whoa! I have thoughts about them. I will write them down and hopefully you will read them.
In the meantime, I hope you all have a Happy New Year!
Here's to a great 2013!!
Image courtesy of idea go / FreeDigitalPhotos.net


text:
Salary: £30,111
Location: Swinton
Job type: Permanent
Category: Mobile specialists
Company description £25,911 / OTE £30,111 Making up for the breakdown, you'll be the friendly face of the UK's largest motoring organisation. To our members, you'll be a superhero. Ready for anything, you'll be there for them, anytime and anywhere. When their vehicle just can't be started, you'll still get their day moving forward. This is the job Who we are Solution bringers. Day makers. Extra milers. We are the AA. And we keep everyone's show on the road. There for our members wherever and whenever they need us, we're always ready for anything. That's why, for over 100 years, we've continued to evolve and adapt. Today, as the nation's number one motoring organisation, we offer a range of excellent products and services to millions of customers. As a Recovery Patrol, you'll always go the extra mile for our members. In return, we'll go the extra mile for you, with excellent training, support and development opportunities. What will I be doing? When we can't get an AA member's vehicle started after a breakdown, you'll be there for the next stage in the journey. Arriving at the roadside, you'll need to be ready for anything. While they'll often be thrilled to see you, the member may be angry, upset, afraid or impatient. They could be on their way to an important meeting, a job interview, or have a flight to catch. You might work alone, but as soon as you get out of your HGV recovery truck, you'll be a partner to the customer. You'll help them feel safe, understood and taken care of. You'll listen to their concerns, reassure them about what happens next, and decide on the next step. Which might mean, as well as taking their vehicle to a garage for repair, you'll travel on with them to their important destination. What do I need? Due to the nature of this HGV driving job an element of flexibility is required as this is not a 9-5 operation. you will be required to work shifts including evenings, weekends and Bank Holidays. So you'll need to be ready to do a lot of driving to all kinds of locations, in all weathers, and work quickly and efficiently. Your busiest - and longest - days are likely to come when the weather is least pleasant. It's essential that you have a full driving category C driving licence (HGV 2) and ideally you will hold the CE (HGV 1) licence. We'll expect you to be comfortable adapting to new technology. Most importantly, while you enjoy working solo, you're great at dealing with all kinds of people. You are always calm, friendly, reassuring and professional. What you'll love Helping people gives you a warm glow - so you'll relish every chance to shine. And there will be plenty of those, every shift, as you take all sorts of people and vehicles to safety. You'll enjoy the variety of the role, and the ability to manage your own work and boost your earnings with overtime. But you'll also appreciate the support and recognition available from your manager and colleagues. Perhaps most of all, you'll appreciate working for a trusted brand at the forefront of the industry - and all the opportunities for development and career progression that come along with it
Location: Home based
Advertising your job vacancies with the IMI is an ideal solution to fix your recruitment needs at low cost.


text:
2011 Honda Fit Introduction
The Honda Fit is the most enjoyable to drive of the subcompacts. It's also practical, economical, and roomy. The Fit was redesigned for 2009, just two years after its introduction. There were no changes last year, but the 2011 Fit adds electronic stability control, cruise control, remote entry, and USB interface to its list of standard equipment.
We found the 1.5-liter engine very smooth and powerful for an engine that small. It's rated at 117 horsepower at a high-revving 6600 rpm, with 106 foot-pounds of torque at 4800 rpm. There's never an issue with not enough torque, that force that propels you from intersections and up hills.
Mated to the 5-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters, it's an exceptional powertrain. Most other subcompacts have 4-speed automatics. The Honda automatic has a sport mode that holds the transmission in gears longer when you're in Drive, and not using the paddles for manual shifting. This sport mode is meant for sports-car-like driving, which the Fit likes. And the 5-speed manual gearbox is tight and fun, with a clutch that's easy to use.
Fuel mileage is rated at 27/33 mpg City/Highway, or 28/35 for the base Fit with the 5-speed automatic.
The Fit wears the face of the future, with its wedge-shaped front end. It has a presence that reaches beyond its subcompact status.
Underway, the Fit feels like a bigger car to the driver, partly because the dashboard is long, to accommodate the raked windshield, and partly because there's so much legroom in the front, again thanks to that rake. Thanks to the expansive greenhouse and big mirrors, there's excellent visibility in all directions, including out the vertical and unobstructed rear glass.
The Fit's size is just right for many drivers. It's easy to park and maneuver and inside is an amazingly configurable interior. The second row of seats can be folded and flattened for carrying cargo, and the front passenger seat slides way forward and reclines way back, creating a long space from dashboard to liftgate that can hold a kayak.
The standard black cloth seats are wonderful, upholstered in a smooth comfortable material that's pleasing to the touch, and the bolstering is just right, with excellent cornering support. In fact, the seats would work in a sports car. Lots of cubbies and cupholders make everyday driving convenient. Rear legroom is roomier than that of the Toyota Yaris, Mazda2, and Ford Fiesta.
The Fit is relatively expensive among subcompacts. It's the best driver's car among these, so if you're a driving enthusiast, the Fit is the best choice. However, if purchase price is the prime consideration, then you should carefully compare prices, features and equipment with Versa, Yaris, Fiesta, and Mazda2.


text:
Come on in and see our new addition and renovations.
Check out our collection of thousands of fiction, non-fiction, and audio books, as well as CDs, and DVDs.
Browse through our growing collection of local historical documents.
Enjoy the children's section.
Use one of our computers or bring your laptop and connect to our wi-fi.
Have a seat and join your neighbors working on one of our many jigsaw puzzles.
Come by just to chat or attend a program.
To receive monthly emails about programs, sign up at firstname.lastname@example.com. This email address is only for subscribing or unsubscribing to our eblasts.
Please email Joanne Rogers, our Librarian, with any other questions or requests at firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
Police on Tuesday were investigating a threatening note allegedly placed inside "Octomom" Nadya Suleman's minivan, which had also been vandalized.
The note reportedly read "Leave California or you will die," according to TMZ.
Police had responded to Suleman's home in the 2000 block of East Madonna Lane in La Habra, Calif., after her vehicle's window was smashed Saturday. They later learned about the note from TMZ and returned to the residence to investigate further, La Habra police Sgt. Jeff Baylos said.
U.S. & World
The day's top national and international news.
The note was not mentioned in the initial police report on the window-smashing. Suleman told officers she has received threatening notes in the past.
On NBC's "Today" show last week, Suleman said she had begun to use food stamps temporarily to feed her 14 children, who are all a result of fertility treatments. Suleman has been subject to death threats since the interview, TMZ reported.


text:
Your cart is empty
We are working hard to dispatch your order although as a result of COVID-19 Australia post has been experiencing delays due to the high volume of parcels. Because of this, we are unable to guarantee our normal delivery times. We appreciate your patience.
Only 65 pieces in stock!
Ladies Lycra 2pc Hijab


text:
I found several different recipes that I wanted to try for this month's Spice Rack Challenge but in addition to the Spice Rack Challenge, I still have my 101 in 1001 to think about. So, I opted for recipes that would allow me to do double duty. Cheating? Maybe. Efficient? Definitely. Besides, is it cheating if I do three posts with three different rosemary recipes?
All three recipes turned out great. First I made homemade pasta with rosemary, garlic and cracked pepper. Several days later I used the pasta as a base for a Dark Days dinner of Buffalo Stroganoff with Rosemary and Morel Mushrooms.
I also made Rosemary/Meyer Lemon Marmalade. I can honestly say it was the best marmalade I have ever made. It was part of Tigress' Can Jam round up last year and originally came from Prospect the Pantry. I should share this marmalade, but I think I will end up hoarding it.
I also made Rosemary Lemon Muffins. I intended to make Rosemary Lemon cupcakes, but I toyed with the recipe and ended up with more of a muffin. I found three different recipes for lemon cupcakes and married them. The result is a light but sweet rosemary/lemon corn muffin. The flavor is excellent and I think I will make them again, but I will go back to the original recipes and tinker a little more first.
Rosemary/Lemon Muffins
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 stick real butter, melted
- 4 eggs, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1 1/2 cups corn flour (flour, not the grittier meal)
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 cup milk
- zest from 2 lemons, divided
- juice from 2 lemons
- 1 T. fresh minced rosemary, divided
- 1/3 cup sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cream melted butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time mixing thoroughly after each. In a separate bowl combine flours, salt and baking soda. Alternately add 1/3 of dry ingredients and 1/3 milk to wet ingredients mixing after each addition. Add lemon juice, half the minced rosemary and half the zest; mix for one minute more.
Combine remaining zest, rosemary and 1/3 cup sugar. Reserve.
Spoon batter into greased muffin tins. Fill each tin half full. Sprinkle Rosemary-Lemon Sugar onto each muffin. Bake 17-20 minutes.
I used jumbo muffin tins so mine needed to cook 23 minutes.
Feeling inspired? Have a good rosemary recipe? There's still time for you to join the Spice Rack Challenge. Hop on over to Mother's Kitchen to sign up and post your recipe before Friday January 21st.


text:
18 comments:
- David Scott9/27/2012 04:09:00 AM
Excellent portraits. Astonishing detail. In fact, for me, it's the extreme level detail that sets these apart. I know high resolution, on-screen presentation of picture files can enhance most any image but these are exceptional. I think your approach of engaging your subjects this way makes for very intriguing photos. Well done, Robin.ReplyDeleteReplies
Thanks David !! I see you finally can post a comment.Delete
I appreciate your kind words !
Hello Robin,ReplyDelete
I am back.
Love those details and the connection made between you and the subject. The clear sign of trust in their eyes are awesome.
Great works.
BTW Singapore trip was great and my wife allowed me to roam the street on the 3rd day to do my shutter therapy session. I am a very lucky man.
May you have a great evening.
John RagaiReplies
Hello John,Delete
Glad to know you had such a wonderful and understanding wife !! I have heard stories of horror when husbands spent too much time with the camera !
Eyes are the mirrors of the soul. These excellent, intimate portraits indeed show the soul. Impressive!ReplyDeleteReplies
Thanks Andre,Delete
Agreed !!
This comment has been removed by the author.ReplyDelete
- Anonymous9/29/2012 11:20:00 AM
Robin, these 2 portraiture shots with the new macro are truly impressive!! Very captivating facial details, especially the eyes I must say...ReplyDelete
Well done!
Thanks Alvin !! Always pay attention to the eyes !Delete
Robin, what kind of PP did you do to get that specific greytone?ReplyDeleteReplies
Here is the answer to your question:
Really nice portrait!ReplyDelete
Can you tell me what settings you had on the camera?Replies
I do not have a fixed setting on my camera, I adjust them as I need for different shooting condition. Lighting conditions change, subjects change, and it also depends on what you want to achieve in your shots. You have to have more specific in that question, and I honestly can tell you there is no "fixed" setting to follow.
OK, I understand! Thanks,ReplyDelete
Robin, these are two of a long string of outstanding street portraits that you have shown on you blog. I've always wondered how much interaction do you have with these people before you take there photo. You don't have to answer here, but it would be very interesting to find out if any words are exhanged, and if so, what do you typically say? Or do you just give them a look, with a shrug, as if to "ask persmission without using words"?ReplyDeleteReplies
Hey Gregg,Delete
It was more of the last bit you have described, I looked at them, gestured my camera and usually they would respond with a smile or nod. Sometimes I do talk to them, but it would be very short and just very casual conversation. The connection I made was usually very brief and quick, nothing special really.
Hi Robi, wonderful shots i as well consider street portraits one of the more satisfying part of street photography. Specially the approach part. In some cases you even work as a psicologist. People like speaking and telling you about their lifes. If you have the time i as well have a lot of street portraits in my blog. ailukewitsch.wordpress.comReplyDeleteReplies
Thanks Alejandrol for the kind words. Yes, indeed street portraits are MORE satisfying, I wish more people can see it that way.Delete


text:
Ladies and gentlemen, place your bets! ... on China.
Shares of Las Vegas Sands (LVS) rallied 6% Thursday after the casino operator's creme de la creme Macau property delivered "record financial results."
Las Vegas Sands also beat revenue forecasts and hiked its dividend by 5 cents. That was enough to offset any disappointment from the company's earnings shortfall.
The company has carved out a nice cushy position for itself on the key Cotai Strip, which drew 11 million visitors to Las Vegas Sands' properties during the fourth quarter.
But they shouldn't get too comfortable. Rivals are nipping at its heels.
MGM Resorts International (MGM) recently got the green light to build a $2.5 billion hotel-casino on the Strip. And Wynn Resorts (WYNN) is moving forward with plans to open a $4 billion resort on the Cotai Strip in 2017 -- a year later than originally planned and coinciding with MGM's planned debut.
StockTwits traders were also placing their bets on Asia.
Asia clearly delivering across the board for Sands; strong casino growth = super cash generation = big cash returns for shareholders $LVS
That's very true. Just take a look at the stock. Shares have soared nearly 38% over the past six months. That's not too shabby.
They also weren't alone. Both MGM and Wynn had similar rallies, which just goes to show that investors like to gamble in good times and in bad. It's not like the economy was falling off a cliff (get it? cliff?). But it's clearly not all about the U.S. For all three big casino operators, Macau is the place to be right now.
Singapore has been a bit of a hit or miss, as VIP gamers cooled their heels a bit. And analysts are still putting most of their chips on Macau.
But Las Vegas Sands is stepping up its marketing efforts in Singapore so stay tuned.
Haha. I hear that. The Strip no longer refers to Sunset or Vegas. It's all about Macau baby!
All of the growth for $LVS is coming from Macao and Singapore http://stks.co/aJf9
Investors betting on casino stocks are seeing a nice payoff Thursday.
Wynn Resorts (WYNN), which operates casinos in Las Vegas and Macau, blew past analysts' expectations, reporting earnings per share late Wednesday of $1.48 and announcing a special $7.50 dividend. Aptly named Wynn also said it expects to double its quarterly dividend to $1 in fiscal 2013.
One note of caution: revenue was just in line with estimates. That's symptomatic of MORECatherine Tymkiw - Oct 25, 2012 11:57 AM ET
Not a member yet?Sign up now for a free account


text:
If you'll kindly direct your attention to the right side of your screen, you'll notice a profusion of new links where before there was only a blogroll.
I used to swear to myself that I wouldn't add any other categories of history-related websites, simply because there are so many fine ones out there. Lately, however, I've decided to show my support for and share my interest in some of these worthy historical entities by providing you folks with easy access to them here, should you decide to pay them a visit.
As you can see, I've added a link category for "Institutions, Organizations, and Resources" and another for "Museums and Historic Sites." The latter is pretty self-explanatory. The former is for scholarly associations, state historical societies, archival repositories, preservation groups, and online historical publications and journals. (Of course, some of the institutions in the first group have great museums of their own, but I've refrained from double-linking them, at least for now.)
Some of these entities will be familiar, but I hope others will be something new and interesting for you. It's a safe bet that I'll be adding more links as time goes on, to these new categories as well as the trusty ol' blogroll. Feel free to scroll through the lists and do some exploring.


text:
Green machine
11.22.10 - Permalink
by Allison Copenbarger
With guidance from ECE professor Wen-mei Hwu, CS professor Bill Gropp, and cluster experts at NCSA, students got hands-on experience building their own supercomputer with NVIDIA graphics-processing units. When the Green500 list of energy-efficient supercomputers was posted Nov. 18, their system took third place overall and was named the greenest self-built cluster.
For Tyler Takeshita, helping to construct a supercomputer was like meeting a familiar friend in-person for the first time. Takeshita, a graduate student in chemistry at the University of Illinois, has been interested in computers since a young age and belongs to a computational research group led by chemistry professor Thom Dunning, director of the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA). He felt that in order to take his knowledge to the next level he needed to delve right inside the system.
"It was very helpful to get hands-on experience," Takeshita said. "It was almost like putting a face to the name when you have an idea of what things look like and how they fit together."
Takeshita, along with around 15 other students, participated in building a supercomputer to enter into the Green500 competitiona ranking of the most energy-efficient supercomputers in the world. The project is part of an independent study course led by Bill Gropp, the Bill and Cynthia Saylor Professor of Computer Science, and Wen-mei Hwu, the AMD Jerry Sanders Chair of Electrical and Computer Engineering. NCSA's Mike Showerman provided cluster-building expertise and assistance.
"The idea is kind of original because it's not trying to use a big machine that consumes a lot of energy to be really fast," computer science major Chengyin Liu said. "We were interested in efficient power consuming. I found the idea very interesting."
According to Showerman, the first step was selecting the perfect equipment. In this case, that was NVIDIA's C2050 graphics-processing unit (GPU).
While GPUs were originally developed to render graphics, today they are being adopted as computational accelerators; with the proper software adaptations, some codes can run substantially faster using GPUs' many-core architecture. Even as the students were building their cluster, China announced that their GPU-CPU hybrid machine, Tianhe-IA, was the fastest supercomputer in the world.
NVIDIA donated 128 C2050 units to the Illinois CUDA Center of Excellence, led by Hwu, and NVIDIA research scientist Sean Treichler spent time on campus helping to plan and build the cluster. QLogic also donated a portion of the interconnect.
Treichler said donating the technology seemed like a great opportunity for NVIDIA.
"We are interested in researching power-efficient computing," he said. "And working with students was greatthey have a lot of good ideas that aren't mainstream. They often have new ideas for old problems."
Treichler said the students had some good ideas when it came to connecting everything together in a creative way. To save money and reduce the cluster's footprint, the team used nontraditional materials, like wood and Plexiglass, to mount the motherboards.
The students had three big sessions working tirelessly in the new National Petascale Computing Facility to build the cluster, which is currently called EcoG but might be rechristened "Green Street" in honor of one of the campus's main thoroughfares. They also needed to configure all of the settings and check each memory card, processor and cable for problems before finally running benchmark code to test their cluster's performance and another test to gather power-usage data by the deadline for the Top500 list, a ranking of the fastest supercomputers in the world. Finally, the team recorded performance of 33.6 teraflops (or 33.6 trillion calculations per second) and 938 megaflops per watt.
The cluster landed spot 403 on the Top500 list and then took third place when the Green500 was posted on Nov. 18, 2010. EcoG won an additional Green 500 honor as the "greenest self-built supercomputer."
Showerman still feels the project was a success said Illinois will likely continue to have cluster-building classes in coming years.
"There is a value in learningthat's what higher education is all about," he said. "But is it valid to leave the University knowing things but not having the ability to do anything? This project was very unique in that it gave students access to something few people ever have the opportunity to do."
Now that it's built, the cluster will continue to be a teaching and research tool.
"We will use the cluster to conduct studies on how real applications may need to be adapted to run well on such power-constrained systems," said Hwu. "This will likely be the norm in exascale computers in the next decade."
Showerman said there are also people interested in using the cluster for physics and chemistry applications.
"We are already running some physics codes on the system with good performance results," he said.
Team members
Jeremy Enos, NCSA
Bill Gropp, Computer Science
Andres Guzman-Ballen, student
Wen-mei Hwu, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Forrest Iandola, student
Danny Johnson, teaching assistant
Matt Johnson, teaching assistant
Chengyin Liu, student
Gregory Meyer, student
Nady Obeid, teaching assistant
Abhishek Pradhan, student
Lucas Scharf, NCSA
Mike Showerman, NCSA
Craig Steffen, NCSA
Tyler Takeshita, student
Felix Wang, student
Lu Xu, student


text:
The white bean, sun-dried tomato, and Feta mixture can be prepared up to six hours in advance, but it's best to toast the bread at the last minute.
- Yield
- Makes 40 hors d'oeuvres
- 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 (8.5-ounce) jar sun-dried tomatoes in oil, 2 tablespoons oil reserved and tomatoes chopped
- 1/3 cup pine nuts
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped (from about 10 sprigs)
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 ½ (15-ounce) cans white beans, drained and rinsed
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice (from 1 ½ lemons)
- ½ cup fresh basil, coarsely chopped and loosely packed
- 1 ounce Parmesan cheese, finely grated (about ¼ cup)
- 3 ½ ounces Feta cheese, crumbled (about ½ cup)
- 10 slices white sandwich bread, each slice cut into 4 squares
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In small saucepan over moderately low heat, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and tomato oil until hot but not smoking. Add pine nuts and toast, stirring occasionally, until light golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in garlic, thyme, and red pepper flakes. Continue stirring until mixture cools slightly, about 3 minutes. Stir in beans, tomatoes, lemon juice, basil, Parmesan, and Feta. (Topping can be prepared ahead and refrigerated, covered, up to 6 hours. Before serving, bring to room temperature.)
- Arrange bread squares on parchment-lined baking sheet and brush on both sides with remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil. Toast, turning once, until light golden brown, about 3 minutes per side.
- Top squares with white bean topping and serve immediately. (Alternately, serve white bean, sun-dried tomato, and Feta mixture in bowl and arrange toast squares alongside.)


text:
Third Round, Sixty-Sixth Overall
Name: Radko Gudas
Position: Defenseman
Shoots: Right
Height: 6.00
Weight: 189 lbs
Born: 6/5/1990, Prague, Czech Republic
Last Team: Everett (WHL)
Rankings: CSS 91 (North American Skaters), RLR 147 (Overall), THN NR (Overall)
2009-2010 Statistics:
Everett (WHL), 65 GP, 7-30-37, +45, 151 PIM
Everett (WHL Playoffs), 3 GP, 0-2-2, E, 4 PIM
Scouting Comments:
"Ultra competitive prick to play against." -Red Line Report
An older prospect who turned 20 in June, Gudas has earned a reputation as one of the biggest hitters in this draft class. He competes hard, and despite his small frame he loves to take the body. Red Line rates Gudas the third biggest pest in this draft class and compares his demeanor to that of a pit bull. Was named a Western Conference Second Team All-Star this season, partly because he also has the ability to move the puck resonably well and he has decent mobility.
Stickhandling is considered poor and his decision-making with the puck needs refinement. Because he's two years older than most of the prospects in this draft, what you see is what you get, to an extent. He's not going to get much bigger than his current size, although his tenacity compensates for his stature.
Because of his age, the Lightning could sign him immediately and send him to Norfolk of the AHL. He's got a lot of experience, having played 14 games for Kladno in the Czech Extraliga two years ago and 65 games in the Czech second tier league with Beroun between 2006 and 2009. He also was a training camp invitee of the Kings last Fall, so he won't be entering his first NHL training camp. With one or two seasons of refinement, he could make it to the NHL as an energetic third pairing blueliner and world class pest.
- 1884 reads
- Printer-friendly version


text:
Our literature is available for download in different languages. To download please click with the right mouse button on the appropriate version and choose "Save target as" to name the saving-location on your computer. The leaflets are available in PDF-format. To open the files you need Adobe® Acrobat® Reader version 7 or higher. It can be obtained from Adobe® (www.adobe.com) as a free-of-charge download.
Liquid Handling Life Science Volumetric Instruments Other Products


text:
The biggest issue with make good rye bread is to make the starter since it needs to rise in a very controlled temperature for some time. What are good and reliable ways to achieve this?
I've had good results with the procedure from 'Secrets of a Jewish Baker' (page 163). I don't think it's appropriate to type in copyrighted recipes here, so I'll leave you with the reference.
I've received some portions from friends and family, which have always worked well. :-)
When I'm creating it from scratch, I mix 200g of rye flour, a little bit of yeast (which you can leave out), 1 tsp of salt, 1 tsp of honey, 1 dl of organic yogurt and 2 dl of water. I leave this mixture out on the kitchen table (at around 20C) for a day with a piece of wet cloth on top. After that I add 2 dl of rye flour and enough water to make the dough soft. This sits on the kitchen table for yet another day, after which is should look like a pool of lava and smell a bit acidic.
The honey and the yogurt is the magic touch that makes this starter work, according to my books and research. I've never done anything special to control the temperature or anything else.
I usually maintain 1 cup of flour vs 1/2 cup of water.
As a side effect, you first few batches will have a nice light hint of grape flavor :-) The key is not to add regular yeasts in it unless you want to grow that strain.
What I had done to start mine was to start with regular wheat starter and just start feeding it rye flour.


text:
- Prayer and Worship
- Beliefs and Teachings
- Issues and Action
- Media
- Bible
- Catholic Giving
- About USCCB
Problems common to the combined books Ezra-Nehemiah have been pointed out in the Introduction to the Book of Ezra. The achievements of the two men were complementary; each helped to make it possible for Judaism to maintain its identity during the difficult days of the Restoration. Ezra was the great religious reformer who succeeded in establishing the Torah as the constitution of the returned community. Nehemiah, governor of the province of Judah, was the man of action who rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem and introduced necessary administrative reforms.
The biblical sources for Nehemiah's life and work are the autobiographical portions scattered through the book. They are called the "Memoirs of Nehemiah," and have been used more effectively by the editor than the "Memoirs of Ezra." The substantial authenticity of Nehemiah's memoirs is widely accepted. From these and other sources, the picture emerges of a man dedicated to the single purpose of the welfare of his people. While serving as cupbearer to the king at the Persian court in Susa, Nehemiah received permission from Artaxerxes I to fortify Jerusalem, and served as governor of Judah for two terms, the first lasting twelve years (445–432 B.C.), the second of unknown length (Neh 5:14; 13:6). Despite temperamental shortcomings, Nehemiah was a man of good practical sense combined with deep faith in God. He used his influence as governor of Judah to serve God and the fledgling Jewish community in Jerusalem.
The Book of Nehemiah is divided as follows:
By accepting this message, you will be leaving the website of the
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. This link is provided
solely for the user's convenience. By providing this link, the United
States Conference of Catholic Bishops assumes no responsibility for,
nor does it necessarily endorse, the website, its content, or
sponsoring organizations.


text:
I love this – super cute. Thanks so much!
very fun! thanks for the how-to!
Very cute and inventive. Great tutorial. Doesn't look too hard. I think I've got a watch face around here that will work…
What type of snap fastener do you use? I got one and the snaps just don't work on the fabric…. I'd love to find one that really works!
I love your red watch face! I want one, it;s so adorable
Pretty!!!!!!!! what a good idea!!!!!!!!!
Ohhh, this is fantastic! I will definitely be making some of these :)
Where in the world do you come up with such beautiful ideas? And ….. so glad to see you are feeling better. Great Christmas and birthday gift idea!!
This is just adorable. Love it. The ruffle is such a fantastic idea. Thanks for sharing!
That is so, so pretty! I love the ruffle. Thanks so much, I'll be linking.
I'm loving this. I have all of these old, broken watches lying around. Now I have to replace the batteries and get them working so I can do this project.
This is so cute. Loved the way you turned the tube with the safety pin. What a great tip. Usually my watch bands have that little loop on them that the end of the band goes through and it always gets broken, now I can revive those watch faces with a new, made by me, band.
Thank you. I like your content. Very nice
I googled how to sew a watch band & the leather ones came up, so I just kept sear Hong & scrolling & found this! thank you!
[…] Fabric Watch Bands by Cluck Cluck Sew […]


text:
In order to do some load testing on Steam Broadcasting, we're going to be streaming the Qualifiers (via DotaTV) at this link:
This is a 1920x1080 60fps stream, and in addition to doing some load testing, we're interested in your feedback:
- How do you feel about the video quality? Resolution, framerate, color, contrast, etc.
- How is your connectivity to the stream? Do you experience lag? Reconnections? Down-rezzing? (if so, where are you located?)
- How is the transcode quality?
- Do you have any other feedback about the stream?
The machine streaming this will be auto-spectating games, so it should switch from game to game as they finish, and will be broadcasting the English casters.


text:
Sign Up for Our Monthly Cruise Newsletter
I accept the T&C and Privacy Policy.
With the return of Insignia from a two-year charter to Hapag-Lloyd, Oceania now has a five-ship fleet for the first time, including three 684-passenger vessels and two larger ships, the 1,250-guest Marina and Riviera.
The additional capacity made available by having three 684-passenger vessels along with the two larger ships has allowed Oceania to try unusual tactics, like dedicating Insignia's entire first year to two back-to-back 180-day world cruises.
"Insignia's return has certainly unleashed our more artistic side, as demonstrated by our one-of-a-kind 180-day voyage," said Oceania president Kunal Kamlani. "And we're able to offer a Miami-to-Miami summer departure for one of these voyages in 2015, which opens up a northern voyage route and a host of new and exciting destinations to explore." Kamlani promised more itinerary surprises ahead.
Oceania has also embarked on a $50 million dry dock makeover project that will bring some of the interior elements of Marina and Riviera to Insignia, Nautica and Regatta, including Baristas coffee bar and the cook-to-order grill on the Terrace Cafe.
Kamlani said the makeovers will maintain the warmth, intimacy and charm that guests cherish in the 684-passenger ships. He said Oceania has gone to considerable trouble to be sure the experience on all five ships is the same, so that itinerary is what drives customers to choose one ship over another.
Oceania has steadfastly refused to be considered a luxury line, although its guests have no such constraints. While Oceania's price point is higher than those of premium lines such as Holland America Line, Celebrity Cruises and Princess Cruises, Kamlani said the line's focus is on value.
"When our travel agent partners step their clients through what is included in our fares, such as roundtrip airfare, free alternative dining in all specialty restaurants and soft drinks, bottled water and specialty teas and coffees, the client realizes an Oceania cruise is a more upscale experience for approximately the same price," Kamlani said. "That is how we define value."
He noted that the extras add up on premium cruise lines, often generating charges that can significantly increase the overall cost of the cruise.
"Our value-based approach is not only a win for the client but also our travel agent partners, who earn a significantly higher commission because we compensate them on many of these inclusions," Kamlani added.


text:
Weblink Items (1)
Mobile Shopping Takes Hold Worldwide - eMarketer
Marketers and retailers have been waiting for the m-commerce revolution, and, according to a Motorola report, more than one-half of Internet users worldwide made a mobile device part of their shopping
BagTheWeb Recommends
Related Bags (0)
No bags have been linked.
BagTheWeb Suggests
Door - Gate - Digital lock - blog
Door - Gate - Digital lock - blog https://mypresidentmattress.com/ https://mydigitallock2018.com.sg/ http://firerateddoor.com.sg/
Dyman & Associates Risk Management Projects
Dyman & Associates Risk Management Projects utilizes its decades-old track record in cyber security to provide protection for your employees, intellectual property, and other precious assets. Our consultants not only have many years of experience, but are also dedicated to the regular honing of their skills and keeping current on the innovations in...
Tips to Planning and Organizing Office or Business Moving by Professional Movers Company in Singapore
Moving your business to a new workplace area is a multi-step method that requires careful making plans and several practise steps. As with any large project, it's fine to divide the workload and assign precise tasks to different personnel. Starting the method early and retaining open and frequent conversation are the keys to a successful, and less...
TPG Mobile Accessories Wholesaler Exporter
The Peterson Group, Kaohsiung, Taiwan was founded as a small family import and export business company in 1999 by Ian Peterson, originally a Scottish descent who sadly passed in 2011, and has grown by his Taiwanese wife and sons into a respected mobile accessories and computer peripherals wholesaler exporter in Jakarta Indonesia, Shenzhen and Taiwan.
Juvenile Prison Outreach for Libraries
A compilation of "best practice" resources for youth services librarians who are interested in or are currently providing outreach services to juvenile detention centers.


text:
Tonight's episode of The Office begins with a cold open in which it is revealed that Pam and Jim are basically total jerks. In their efforts to avoid mandatory corporate meetings and uncomfortable conversations, they have, on numerous occasions, faked labor in order to escape, as told through a brief montage. However, the office has collectively decided this has gone on long enough, and that they've cried labor too many times, but then they look like idiots when Pam's water breaks during one such attempt. As everyone ushers Pam out the door, and it seems like this is going to be the birth of Jim and Pam's second child, a water bottle contraption falls out from between Pam's legs, suggesting the lengths she would go to in order to avoid having to fulfill her job requirements.
Yes, in case you were wondering, I recount this particularly silly cold open because I consider it a metaphor for the season. In fact, "Gettysburg" is filled with metaphors for the season, given that Robert California spends half the episode searching for "Gamechangers" on a show that has squandered any potential "gamechanging" his character represented at the start of the season. In the case of the cold open, though, it seems like the show wants us to keep getting excited about the same basic scenario in which Andy's neuroses about being the boss are transposed into an ill-conceived strategy to bring the entire office together, a strategy that is entirely unnecessary given that the people in the office actually like him and consider him a competent manager. The comedy is apparently supposed to be that Andy doesn't seem to realize this, but the problem for the series is that they don't seem to realize that Andy's ignorance is not nearly as funny or even as meaningful as they think it is.
Whenever people suggest that I overanalyze this show, I wish I could agree with them. However, this isn't a show that has stopped trying to be meaningful and instead aimed for simple fun, although there are certain storylines that suggest this (like the completely random, and not entirely unwelcome, 'Gabe as Abe' sequence embedded within "Gettysburg"). When Jim confronts Andy at the end of the episode and tells him that they honestly, truly, like his work as manager, that's supposed to feel like a climax that says something about Andy as a character, but it's something that we've already known, and that we could have predicted as the resolution of this storyline the moment we read an episode synopsis. Compared with the tattoo resolution earlier in the season, which operated along similar lines and felt as though it earned its final sentiment, the conclusion here struggled to find any emotional or even comic payoff, with the jokes about the hats having been sitting on the surface since they were first revealed (with the "It's probably a sex thing" choreographed way too easily by the "DM does GB" text, and the color thing way too on-the-nose).
The Gettysburg field trip was a mistake on a number of levels, both because the series is overusing non-office settings this season and because they had to spend way too much time dancing around the fact that they were clearly in southern California. The decision to go to a "real" place allowed them some room to play around with history, which did result in the solid payoff to the otherwise pointless "Battle of Schrute Farms" storyline, but there was something wholly generic about the trip that didn't help make the episode feel eventful. The entire storyline felt as though it was dragging on, with no characters outside of Gabe being given an opportunity to explore any particularly specific comic territory, and even Gabe was basically acting out a Saturday Night Live sketch that has a single joke and then drives it into the ground. I liked the idea of Gabe stumbling into this role and throwing himself into it, but at the same time the "joke" didn't have any sort of payoff (even in the coda), and how do we reconcile this Gabe with the increasingly sketchy Gabe we've seen for the past few episodes?
I thought there was going to be more potential in having Robert California stumble upon the stragglers who chose not to go on the field trip, but the show chose to explore the least interesting pairing of them all here. I would have loved to have seen more of Ryan and Robert, given that the former has been underserved and I want to see B.J. Novak work for that place in the main credit sequence, but having Robert somehow fail to see that Kevin was honestly just talking about cookies was just a profound waste of time. Not only does it reinforce that the show has absolutely no faith in Kevin's intelligence, but it continues to dismantle the character of Robert California as he could be best utilized within the series.
Spader is doing his strongest work when the character is disarming and forceful, and when those qualities are at least somewhat unpredictable. However, Robert Padnick's script took away any of this by turning the character into a formula, presenting his "Gamechanger" challenge as some sort of lesson plan that he would then judge as though he were judging a reality show. Spader sold some of the dialogue (I particularly liked his reading on being unable to relate to the situation Stanley recounted), but the rest of it was so structured that no character was serviced well. Stanley's idea for "Papyr: Paper for Women" in particular, struck me as entirely disconnected from his character, and I kept waiting for the talking head where he would laugh about how he can't believe Robert thought he was serious. However, it turns out he was completely serious, for reasons that we never get to learn, and for reasons that I don't know if the writers even considered. It simply felt like a rigid story structure designed to give the writers an excuse to have Robert California judging the characters' ideas, which reveals how narrowly they have conceived of the character's function in the series. Instead of the show changing to reflect the character, the character is changing to reflect the show, a decision that is more clearly delineated as a missed opportunity with each passing episode.
The Office is still capable of finding humor in these staid situations, as evidenced by a few of Ryan's lines and the "Battle of Schrute Farms" resolution. However, it doesn't feel like the show is willing to explore that humor, instead content on making the same statements the show has been making for quite some time. When things do feel new, like the revelation that Schrute Farms had been a Civil War hippie commune, they also feel just a bit too contrived, especially given the homosexual context being paired with Oscar's involvement. The writers seems to have given up on introducing simple comic situations and developing them into successful episodes of television, something that the show seemed like it was both more willing and more able to do in previous seasons. It's as though the writers room suddenly downgraded to a smaller white board but forgot to write in smaller font, still trying to tell the same kinds of stories but not giving themselves the space to follow through to the degree that they have in the past (and not bothering to adjust to fix it).
There have been some suggestions this season that this is just something we should accept, but I want you to tell me why. Yes, the show is getting old, but it is the only show on NBC that's absolutely guaranteed to return next season given its ratings, and thus it finds itself in a secure position from which the producers could easily explore new comic material without any real consequence. The idea that we should shut off our critical faculties when a show runs for this long would only encourage them to stop trying, although there's evidence in "Gettysburg" to suggest that this has already taken place. I point this out not to display my utter distaste with the series, but instead to voice my disappointment with the writers' unwillingess to say something new, or something different, when they have every chance to do so.
And given the sheer volume of missed chances thus far this season, I'm reticent to just shrug my shoulders and accept it. There have been opportunities to reinvigorate this series buried within some mediocre episodes this season, and that they haven't been explored isn't simply a case of the show being different from my expectations: It has simply failed to be as good as it has the potential to be. "Gettysburg" had more of a point than last week's "Pam's Replacement," but that point was so reductive and repetitive that it's hard to see it as an improvement.
And an improvement is what this show needs right now.
Stray observations:
- I'll give the show some credit and applaud it for finding a way to use Andy's overeager qualities to justify skipping the official tour, and thus making it easier to pretend some random California heritage site was actually Gettysburg. A smart trick there, even if it was also quite transparent.
- I feel as though we need to go on Creed Watch, as we're getting so little content from the character at this point. I mean, I enjoyed his sheer enthusiasm in cheering for Limitless on the bus, but we deserve more Creed.
- I really wish the show would treat Kevin as it's treating Creed, actually. I would have loved if all we saw of Kevin here was his life of game-changing combination devices that had both "Phone-Marker" and "Marker-Phone" on it. The character's dullness would be charming, honestly, if it was only told through those subtle moments. That it gets expanded and exploited kills it.
- Anyone have a particularly dirty potential meaning to "DM does GB"? I feel as though you folks can run with this.


text:
The Hook - Charlottesville's weekly newspaper, news magazine
Search this site:
Are you open? Confusion doesn't mar Restaurant Week
Published on
Jul 13th, 2009
1 comments
The basement of C&O had every table filled with diners. PHOTO BY STEPHANIE GARCIA Nearly every table at the Melting Pot was full of guests. Manager Jennifer Burke expects Tuesday night to be...
© 2002-2012 Better Publications LLC - The Hook
100 Second Street NW - Charlottesville, VA 22902
434-295-8700 (fax: 434-295-8097)


text:
GateHouse News Service New England Budget • December 28, 2007
GateHouse News Service New England Budget • December 28, 2007
Here are the top New England regional stories coming today from GateHouse News Service. Stories are available at gatehousenewsservice.com. Please submit stories below no later than 6 p.m. local time, unless you have breaking news that is changing significantly. Questions?
Note: Chris Biondi is off this week, returning Dec. 31. Please submit budget/stories to: email@example.com
A three-part regional project on a potential casino boom in Massachusetts and New England is set to launch between Christmas and New Years, Thursday/Friday/Saturday Dec. 27-29.
· A budget WITH STORY LINKS can be found by clicking here. http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/regional_news/east/massachusetts/budget/x357260009
· opportunities for localization are noted.
· DAY 2 ANALYSIS and a timeline now linked in budget
· The graphics (in three formats), additional photos and logos can be found in the CNC ftp, at the top level in a "CASINOS PROJECT" folder, broken down by Day 1, Day 2 and Day 3. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --News-- STATELINE: Attendance records- state lawmakers with less-than-perfect
attendance defend or explain their absences. Including chart with the worst
offenders and those with 100 percent voting attendance. / coming this evening MASS ACTION / coming this evening FATAL HIT-RUN FOLO: Hit-and-run driver: I was texting at the time. http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/regional_news/east/massachusetts/news/x1059345532 HOLIDAY TRASH: The Christmas holiday generates a huge increase in food and paper trash. We talk to folks at E.L. Harvey and other trash haulers to find out what we threw out. KELLY, MetroWest. http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/regional_news/east/massachusetts/news/x1295923174 HEALTH RECORDS: Medical records to be shared electronically as part of greater Brockton project. http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/regional_news/east/massachusetts/news/x531355779 MILK FOLO: What more do state health officials know about how listeria-contaminated milk got out of the barn? How can consumers be sure the milk they buy is safe? MCDONALD/MALACHOWSKI / MetroWest, 6 p.m. with: MEN - sidebar - Mendon milk delivery company got all their milk from Whittier. We hear they have a new supplier now. Are they getting lots of calls? MCDONALD / MetroWest, 6 p.m. PATRIOTS: With historic matchup on national TV today between the Patriots and Giants, we get a bead on how people plan to party while watching the game, etc. CONN/pix working...will include MDN, Lord feeding some quotes / MetroWest, 6 p.m. PERMIT PROBLEM: Renovation work lacked permits at burned-out building. Beverly. http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/regional_news/east/massachusetts/news/x603828502 PROTEST ARREST: Somerville -- Just one arrest Friday during prostest at F.W. Russell site. http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/regional_news/east/massachusetts/news/x603828527 --Business-- YEAR-END REVIEW STORIES: - Mass. Market: The best light-hearted biz news of the year. Chesto. http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/regional_news/east/massachusetts/news/x1059345462 - Top local business stories of the year. Chesto. http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/regional_news/east/massachusetts/news/x1151534976 --Opinions-- EDITORIAL: Why was the son of the former Quincy police chief hired for the DPW after a trail of run-ins with the law and why is he still working after being arrested yet again for drunken driving, possibly while on the job? 15''. Ledger MAHONEY TOON: Cartoon on the Mass. Lottery's New Year's resolution: to have more lottery losers. http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/regional_news/east/massachusetts/opinions/x546804375 --Sports-- A PRO SPORTS BUDGET will be e-mailed this afternoon --Lifestyles-- TRAVEL: - GETAWAY: Land of the Water Horse -- exploring Scotland's Loch Ness region. http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/lifestyle/travel/x546802986 - IN NEW ENGLAND: Lonesome Lake in New Hampshire has plenty to offer in the winter. http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/lifestyle/travel/x546802611 EVE PARTY: Ringing in 2008 with New Year's Rockport Eve. http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/regional_news/east/massachusetts/news/x546804507


text:
There is something about Hovel terrain I really like that makes them one of my favourites. When one thinks several companies make better sculpts and the clean up needed on Hovels is often quite bit to get them up to snuff one must ask why do I like them so much then? I suppose you could say they are very cost friendly, however that's not it, but rather I'd sum them up as certain quaintness about them that I find extremely charming that gives a feeling of I just got to have that.
The buildings I did here are from their 15mm battlefield series which are a Ruined Church, Factory Chimney, Coal Shed and Industrial Building. After the clean up they were fun to paint up and really take weathering very nicely. I plan on getting more from the series and already own some others from other sets in both 15mm and 28mm. I also plan on picking up their awesome 28mm Hougoumont and La Haye Saint Nap sets one day!
Miniature Company- Hovels
Well the year has gone by so lets take a look at my 2011 project list and see how I did. As always I never complete nearly as much as I like, but with that in mind I think I did ok or even passably good.
The review of 2011:
-Paint a new Brigade of 28mm American AWI towards my BG Guilford Courthouse project-30% completed- At 30% I'd have say I missed the mark by a good measure, but still managed something which is good. So a generous incomplete for this.
-Paint a Brigade of 28mm Union ACW for GaG- 90% completed- At 90% that is a success! I only need to paint the commander then the brigade is finished. Of course I can increase it's size at later date if I wish.
-Paint a Brigade of 28mm Confederate ACW for GaG- Nothing is nothing so zero here.
-Paint 550pts. of US Airborne for Disposable Heroes- 100% completed- Total success!! Actually I even did more points then that and plan on adding more at some point!
-Paint 550pts. of Fallschirmjäger for Disposable Heroes- 25% completed- Hardly did anything here so incomplete.
- Build, buy and paint terrain for Disposable Heroes- Errr zero...
-Complete my 15mm FOW Fallschirmschirmjäger army-70% completed- Pretty darn good and so a minor success here. A couple units more and then should be where I want to be.
-Paint up a 2000pts WAB 28mm Mercenary Spanish Christian army for El Cid- 100% completed- A smashing Success even if it was arduous at times! I plan on adding some infantry to this at some point, but for now it's finished.
-Paint a Basic Impetus Arab Ayyubid army for Impetus(evt. 300pts or more)-10% completed- Oh dear, way under par on this! I do really need to pick up the tempo!
- Build, buy and paint terrain for 15mm.- 40% completed - Well... I did some so a minor success here, but again really need to do more.
-Complete a small warband for Chaos in Cairo- 40% completed- For such a small amount of figures to do 40% is a pretty darn low and so incomplete on this.
-Paint a few Zombie survivors and zombies for DWA- 70% completed- I would call this a success as I painted enough to game with, but still room for more of course.
- Build, buy and paint terrain for 28mm ACW- Err, bought the terrain and..well umm..ok not acceptable.
-Renovate and remodel Hobby Room- 75% completed- Even at 75% this is a huge success as I really just need to do a few more things and it will hit the target completely!
- Construct movement bases for Impetus for armies already based for WAB-I knew there was something I was supposed to do........zero.
Another thing about 2011 is the sheer amount of rules and supplements that I purchased. I have never bought so many in one year before resulting in I haven't fully read half of them!
Providing the Aztec's get it wrong and we are still here in 2012 I have quite a few projects planned which is not surprising from me!
Planned Projects:
- BG AWI(28mm)- Last year I only managed a regiment on my 2nd American Brigade and so I need to add a couple more to finish off the brigade.
-GAG Union ACW(28mm)- Virtually finished my first brigade with only really needing to do a commander to be done, However I might add a cannon and another infantry regiment to it if the mood takes me.
-GAG Confederate ACW(28mm)- Really need to get a brigade of this done. I'm looking forward to painting these guys as earth tones are in my comfort zone of painting which usually means a relaxing stress free painting session. I tend to favour the brown tones(butternut in particular) and so expect my confederates to have slightly less grey then many others do. Hopefully with the completion of this brigade my friends and I can pool our troops together for some Guns at Gettysburg gaming!
- Read all the rules and supplements I bought in 2011!- With the explosion of wargames hitting the market coupled with others I've wanted to try plus all the deals has quite literally buried me in rules thus I haven't had a chance to read all that I purchased in 2011. So many games to look forward to!
- Fallschirmjager Operation Squad(28mm)- FJ's are very hard to paint and so my outlook of attaining a force needed to play DH looked pretty darn grim to do in any reasonable time.......until I discovered Operation Squad which uses far less miniatures! Where I before needed about 40 miniatures I now only need about 11 or so leaving me only a few to paint. So I'll be able to actually play them while I build up for larger skirmish games.
- Build, buy and paint terrain(15/28mm)- Painting up terrain is just as important as painting your miniatures I think. You can have very nicely painted miniatures, but if your terrain isn't equally as nice it can spoil the whole effect. I've already purchased quite a bit and already have a good start on the painting, but much more still needs to be done.
-Fallschirmschirmjäger(15mm)- Already have large chunk of this finished for FOW and just need to do a couple more units and I'll reach my target of around 1750pts or so not including tank support. I also plan on using my 15mm stuff to try out TFL "I ain't been shot Mum" rule set.
-Shimazu Samurai for Impetus(28mm)- After years of procrastination I've finally decided on the rule set, clan and approach to painting them. I can really see this really jumping into it's own as I'm not only just interested in the Samurai, but their enemies as well to include Warrior Monks, Koreans and of course other Samurai. As matter of fact the Japanese interest me in several periods to include the entire Medieval period, Japanese/Russian conflict, Boxer Rebellion and WWII.
-Arab Ayyubid army for Impetus(15mm)- I got a weak start on them in 2011, but I plan on picking up the pace in 2012 and at least paint up a basic army and with some luck actually completing 300pts. worth. So far they have been interesting and fun working with so much color!
-Chaos in Cairo(28mm)-One would have thought with just a few miniatures I would have finished it, but as always something came up. With just a little luck I should be able to do this.
-US Tank Company(15mm)- With my hobby room I've become much more focused on collecting armies for both sides of a given period so as to insure I have an army available for guests to either use or to subsidise their armies with. With the miniature count low and painting complexity not too difficult I see this project standing a very good chance of seeing completion.
-Late War British WWI(28mm)- Thanks to Sindney over at Roundwoods world I started to seriously look at WWI and so picked up the Great War series of books at WH. The combination was just too much for my weak mind to resist and so I decided to jump in! My plan of approach is to start at squad level collecting and playing until I have sufficient miniatures for larger skirmishes. Looking forward to painting a few and with the earth tones of the British it should be a comfortable start.
- Put in a new wargames table and buy some wall hangings- It would be nice to get a permanent table into my room next year instead of the folding tables I'm using now. I also need to pick up some historical weapons to hang up on my walls to compliment my pictures and complete the look I#m going for.
-Paint up squad or so of Natal Carbineers(28mm)- The Zulu War does interest me, but isn't a huge one of mine, however it is a favourite period of a friend and so I'm supporting his interest by collecting some Natal Carbineers and some Boars that I happen to like and will use in his campaigns.
Other Projects that may get started :
-French and IndianWar(28mm)- I've been wanting to do some French Marines and Indians for quite some time and they could easily end up going into the planned projects, but for now they will remain on the maybe projects pile.
-French Naps(28mm)- Well I've decided how I want them to look and how I'll paint them, but this would be a major commitment and so not sure yet if 2012 is the year for them. As always I'll let the winds of mood and time decide.
-Aztecs and Spanish for Impetus (28mm)- If I start them it would be slowly with only a base or two. This would be more of a painting project then a gaming one. I really would like to paint this as the mini's for this period are some of the best Foundry ever did which will be the only ones I use for this project.
-Italian Wars for Impetus(28mm)- Like the Aztecs and Arabs it gives me a chance to step out of my comfort zone and paint lots of color for something different and one just has to like the looks of huge pike blocks!
-SCW(28mm)- Again something I'd like to do and with all the squad level games out it might not be to difficult to start and so this could get moved to the planed projects.
-Romano British(28mm)- Another army I've been meaning to do, but I just can't seem to fit them in. I really want to as Bill has done superb work on them, but just don't see the time yet.
- Praetorian Romans(28mm)- Need to be re-painted and possibly re-based as well and as of now I just not in the mood to do so.
- Assyrian's(28mm)- No longer sure which rules I want them for or if I want to do any more biblical armies at all. For now this stays on the back burner.
-Ancient Germans(28mm)- Pretty much tied in with the Praetorian Romans and so if I do one then I'll do the other. So far, they will remain on the maybe list.
-ECW(28mm)- Just can't seem to decide if I want to sell them or paint them. For now they will sit on the lead pile.
-El Cid(28mm)- Since I only have mounted figures completed I really need to add some infantry to the force, but other projects take precedence.
-Moors(28mm)- Another army that's been on my to do list for a number of years. Maybe this year I'll actually do it. Time will tell, but for now didn't make the planned projects.
-Ironclads(28mm)- Still thinking of doing this someday, but haven't quite worked out how.
Thank you for following my blog and for reading this long winded post! Happy New Year!!


text:
Escapee nabbed after 32 years
Former fugitive drawing sympathy
The Associated Press
SANTEE, Calif. — Marie Walsh kept a low profile for 32 years, trying to escape her past life as Susan LeFevre.
She raised three children with her husband of 23 years, Alan, who never knew she was using an assumed identity.
|Exclusive interview With Marie Walsh
Now, LeFevre, 53, is in jail awaiting extradition from California to Michigan on an escape warrant.
She was arrested April 24 outside her home in San Diego's posh Carmel Valley area, wearing a sweat suit and driving a black Lexus SUV. Authorities say her cover was blown by an anonymous caller who tipped Michigan authorities to her new name.
"It's been a secret no one knew for so long, and now everyone knows," LeFevre said in an interview Wednesday at Las Colinas Detention Facility in Santee, a San Diego suburb. "I hope there's some mercy."
LeFevre, who grew up the second of five children, was just 19 when she was arrested during an undercover drug operation in Thomas Township, outside Saginaw, Michigan, in 1974. She said she got into drugs after graduating from her Catholic high school because she was despondent over the death of her teenage sweetheart in the Vietnam War.
Her parents, strict Catholics who took away her John Lennon albums and prohibited their daughter from wearing faded blue jeans, encouraged her to plead guilty to spare the family the embarrassment of a court trial. LeFevre said she agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy and violation of drug laws in hopes of winning leniency from the judge but was given the maximum sentence of 10 to 20 years.
"I kept thinking it had to be a mistake. I was supposed to have probation," LeFevre said.
In jail, LeFevre said, she was threatened by other inmates at the Detroit House of Corrections, now known as Robert Scott Correctional Facility. One night, she decided she had to leave. Her grandfather and another relative agreed to meet her, and in February 1976 LeFevre walked across an open yard, threw her jacket over a barbed wire fence and climbed over, then started running.
"They had helicopters looking for me. ... You don't think about fear, you don't have time. You just run," she said.
When she got to the car, her relative was saying a rosary for her.
A few weeks later, friends let her ride with them to California, where she went by Marie, her middle name.
LeFevre said only a few people knew about her secret past. She said she told a fiance, who broke their engagement. She decided to keep it secret when she married her husband of 23 years, Alan Walsh.
"We're still just getting over this, but it's been a tremendous shock to us," Alan Walsh said in a brief telephone interview.
He described his wife as a woman of "the highest integrity and compassion."
A brother said he periodically heard rumors that she was living in California.
"As far as I was concerned, I lost a sister back then," said David LeFevre, of Cass City, Michigan "There was always a big question as to where she was, but then when this happened. Well, it surprises you after all these years."
Steve Jurman, the U.S. Marshals Service officer who arrested LeFevre, said the fugitive established her new life with a Social Security number belonging to someone who died in 1981, a number she says she made up. She obtained a California driver's license using a false date of birth but didn't risk renewing it after it expired in 1999.
"Obviously, she had done a good job of obtaining and maintaining a new identity and could have gone another 10 years undiscovered if it hadn't been for this tip," said Jurman, supervising deputy of the U.S. marshals' fugitive operation in San Diego. "She was extremely comfortable with her new identity. It wasn't like she was actively trying to hide or anything."
Jurman said LeFevre initially denied her identity but admitted it once he told her she could face additional charges for lying to a federal agent. She told him her husband and children knew nothing of her past.
"Can you imagine? You think you know everything about your spouse," Jurman said. "She immediately broke down and said, 'I was a child; I don't know why I got involved in this."'
Alan Walsh said he will support his wife.
"Our family is threatened to be destroyed by something that happened to her as a 19-year-old teenager 34 years ago in Michigan," he said.
An attorney for LeFevre did not respond to message left with Walsh. Prosecutors in Saginaw County did not return a message left seeking comment.
Request product info from top Correctional Armor companies
Thank You!
- Tags
- Corrections


text:
With his rock 'n' roll wail, Adam Lambert has one of the wildest voices in "American Idol" history – and the star told the Los Angeles Times he figured out his sound himself.
"I started rejecting the proper way to sing and I started singing," he told the newspaper of his teenage training as an opera singer. "I was listening to more and more rock music and wondering, 'Wow, how does that person do that with their voice?'"
VIEW THE PHOTOS: From 'Wicked' To 'Idol': Hot Shots Of Adam Lambert
The answer, he discovered, wasn't something that could be taught.
"I met with [a vocal coach] over the summer and talked to him about it and the funny thing was, you know when I do those little, crazy, screamy notes? He's like, 'We don't really have a way to teach that. It kind of goes outside of our box.' Those notes that sound sort of like rock-scream, no one ever taught me to do," Adam said. "I sort of had to teach myself. You just do it. It's just a sound you make."
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Gay & Lesbian Hollywood
It's a sound fans are looking forward to with the November 23 release of his first post-"Idol" album, "For Your Entertainment," and the "Idol" runner-up said the album will be just that – entertainment.
"I want to put it out there that I don't take myself all that seriously," Adam said. "The dress-up supports that; the fantasy element supports it. People want to talk about whether I have rock cred, whether I'm selling out, the theatricality, the gay stuff. . . . Chill out! And just enjoy yourself. It's not that deep."
While he noted that the album does have some emotional tracks, such as "Soaked," a song written by Muse, and "Broken Open," a track Adam himself co-wrote, it's mostly a celebratory effort.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: 'American Idol's' Final 3: Adam Lambert, Kris Allen & Danny Gokey
"Sometimes it's just, 'This is hot, I feel good, this song makes me want to go get a drink and flirt with somebody and have a good time,'" Adam said. "Good energy is just as credible as the cathartic, dark, heavy [stuff]. It's just as important!"
And the album is sure to find him being himself – something he's confident that fans will accept.
"I think the next generation coming up is a little bit more open-minded," the star said. "More accepting, more colorful, more multi-genre, multiethnic, multi-sexuality, which is more utopian. Or I think so. I hope so."
Related Content from AccessHollywood.com:
PLAY IT NOW: Behind The Scenes: Adam Lambert's 'Time For Miracles'
PLAY IT NOW: Dish Of Salt: Adam Lambert Reacts To His Sexy Details Magazine Photos
MORE ACCESS ON THESE TOPICS: Adam Lambert - American Idol - Reality TV - Music - Rock


text:
(CNN/Gray News) - A Russian town is facing a mass invasion of polar bears, according to Russian state news agency TASS.
People in Belushya Guba, a town of about 2,500 people, have reported more than 50 sightings of the bears. The town is on an island in the Novaya Zemlya island group, which is in the Arctic Ocean off of northeastern Russia.
Administrator Alexander Minayev said bears have attacked people and entered buildings, and parents are scared to send their children to school.
The authorities have announced a state of emergency.
"I have been in Novaya Zemlya since 1983, but there has never been so many polar bears in the vicinity," Novaya Zemlya leader Zhigansha Musin said.
World Wildlife Fund Russia blamed the polar bear invasion on disappearing sea ice in the area because of climate change.
"In the absence of ice cover, animals are forced to go ashore in search of food. And settlements with spontaneous waste deposits are the most attractive places: bears will go for the smell of food waste, regardless of the availability of other food," the organization said.
The bears have been gathering since December, the Siberian Times reported.
Because the bears are considered a vulnerable species, people in the town can't shoot them without permission, but the emboldened bears seem to not fear the usual efforts to scare them off.
Authorities said they might have to consider a cull, TASS reported.
One video on YouTube shows a man walking past, and seeming not to notice, a polar bear roaming around an apartment block.
The island is a former Soviet nuclear test base, and where the largest nuclear explosion, the Tsar Bomba, was detonated in 1961.
Copyright 2019 CNN and Gray Television Group, Inc. All rights reserved.


text:
Anthony O'Keeffe's Blog
The write stuff.
Subscribe here for regular updates. And get your FREE GIFT of the first 2 chapters of my book, A Brief History Of Man.
Name *
Email *
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Return to top of page
Copyright © 2020 · Prose on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in


text:
Athletes (Individual)
Athlete(s) and team members sign up here. Also, athletes needing an AAU membership to compete in an event, sign up here.
Non-Athlete (Individual)
Coaches, club contact, club administrator, bench personnel, coach, instructor, manager, official, team leader, tournament director, volunteer, or other register here.
Club (Group)
Register your team or organization to compete in AAU events.


text:
Jonathan Benson
Natural News
Friday, April 20, 2012
Things are heating up on the genetic engineering front in the state of Vermont, where an overwhelming 96 percent of Vermonters vehemently support "right to know" legislation that mandates full disclosure of genetically-modified organisms (GMOs) on food labels. But according to Ronnie Cummins from the Organic Consumers Association (OCA), Monsanto is now threatening to sue the state of Vermont should it dare to pass such legislation, which has stalled it in committee.
H.722, also known as the Vermont Right to Know Genetically Engineered Food Act, would require any food product that contains GMOs to be labeled as such. It would also prohibit GMO-containing foods from being labeled "all natural" or "naturally grown," which is quite common today, including even on some food products sold at health food grocers.
If passed, H.722 will make Vermont the first U.S. state to take a stand for transparency in food labeling, which will set a precedent for the other 49 states to mimic. And since numerous polls have showed that the vast majority of Americans from all states are in favor of GMO labeling, it will only be a matter of time before every state legislature is forced to come to terms with the GMO issue, or at least address it.
"H.722 is a simple but powerful bill — it will give all Vermonters the right to know if their food has been genetically engineered," said Andrea Stander, Executive Director of Rural Vermont, about the bill. "Whether their need to know is based on health concerns such as new allergens, religious beliefs, or concerns for the impacts the production of genetically engineered food crops are having on farmers and the environment, a huge majority of Vermonters are demanding the right to know what's in their food."
Monsanto bullies Vermont with threats of legal action if it passes GMO labeling bill
But with GMO labeling comes widespread awareness about the presence of untested, unsafe ingredients throughout the food supply, which is sure to turn most people away from buying or eating them. At least 70 percent of the "inner aisle" food supply, or packaged, processed foods found in the center aisles at the grocery store, now contain GM ingredients.
Monsanto knows that if GMOs are labeled, its business would quickly crumble. So to stop this from happening, the biotechnology giant has reportedly resorted to bullying the Vermont House Agriculture Committee (VHAC), which just so happens to support GMO labeling by a 6 – 5 majority, into stonewalling until the legislature adjourns for the year at the end of April.
According to OCA, VHAC members are thus far refusing to take a vote on the bill, even after a recent hearing in which hundreds of farmers and members of the public testified as to the need for GMO labeling. It appears as though they will continue to hold hearings on the bill until the legislative session ends, which will force H.722 into hibernation, or even kill it altogether.
Since this important issue affects us all, it is vitally important that the VHAC vote to pass H.722 as soon as possible. Along with California, Washington, and several other states that also have their own GMO labeling bills moving through the legislative process, Vermont has the chance to lead the way in deconstructing Monsanto's "Frankenfood" monopoly, and restore freedom of food choice for all Americans.
So will the state's legislators have the courage to actually follow through with passing it, or will they cave to pressures from the most evil company in the world?
Sources for this article include:
The platinum standard of advanced multivitamin formulations is back in stock! Order Vitamin Mineral Fusion at 50% off with double Patriot Points and free shipping today!