text:
Distance from Sparta, MI to Beaver Island, MI
Driving distance between Sparta, MI and Beaver Island, MI is 221.99 miles (or 357.26 kilometers). If you drove an average car (using about 3.6 gallons of gas per mile), the gas would cost you around $, since you would need about gallons of fuel.
Leaving from Sparta, MI you would reach Beaver Island, MI in about 6 hours 13 mins if you keep an average speed of miles per hour, assuming you don't make any breaks or get stuck in traffic.


text:
I really searched for a function that would do this as I've seen it in other languages but I couldn't find it here. This is particularily useful when combined with substr() to take the first part of a string up to a certain point.
strnpos() - Find the nth position of needle in haystack.
function strnpos($haystack, $needle, $occurance, $pos = 0) {
for ($i = 1; $i <= $occurance; $i++) {
$pos = strpos($haystack, $needle, $pos) + 1;
return $pos - 1;
Example: Give me everything up to the fourth occurance of '/'.
$haystack = "/home/username/www/index.php";
$needle = "/";
$root_dir = substr($haystack, 0, strnpos($haystack, $needle, 4));
echo $root_dir;
Returns: /home/username/www
Use this example with the server variable $_SERVER['SCRIPT_NAME'] as the haystack and you can self-discover a document's root directory for the purposes of locating global files automatically!

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Contact us 24/7: +1 877 678 9627
View product details
Zoom In
Need a second opinion? Ask your personal shopper:
Need a second opinion? Ask your personal shopper:
GET EXPERT ADVICE Need a second opinion? Ask your personal shopper:
- - Weighs approximately 2.6lbs/ 1.2kg
- Depth 9cm
- Height 23cm
- Max. Strap Length 45cm
- Min. Strap Length 40cm
- Width 28cm
Spotted on innumerable front rows, Proenza Schouler's 'PS11 Classic' shoulder bag is the carryall to covet this season and beyond. This latest navy textured-leather offering from design duo Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez is number one on our wish list - note the city-ready structure and deceptively spacious size. Carry yours to give urban separates a hit of hip, detaching the strap and using it as a clutch come evening.
Shown here with: The Row top, Sophia Kokosalaki cuff, A.L.C. skirt, Nicholas Kirkwood shoes.
- - Navy textured-leather (Calf)
- - Detachable shoulder strap
- - Turn-lock fastening front tabs, buckle-fastening front tabs, front flap pocket, back zip-fastening pocket, D-ring at base, silver and matte-black hardware
- - Internal zip-fastening pocket
- - Fully lined in taupe canvas
- - Snap-fastening flap front
- - Comes with dust bag
Product Code: 313008
Shop more:
For alternative suggestions, contact our Fashion Consultants
Help & Advice
Product Code: 313008


text:
SANDY, Utah – Real Salt Lake MF Luis Gil has been named to the 21-man U.S. Under-20 National Team roster that will compete at this summer's FIFA Under-20 World Cup in Turkey.
The 19-year-old Gil has played a major role for RSL this year, appearing in 14 of the club's 15 regular season matches, starting 13 of those games, scoring two goals and registering one assist. The Garden Grove, Calif. native departed Salt Lake City on Thursday evening to join with the U-20's in Europe for a training camp ahead of its Group A opener against Spain on Friday, June 21. Gil will miss a minimum of three of RSL's MLS matches and at least one of the club's Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup games while with the U-20's.
"We're extremely proud of Luis for being named to the U.S. U-20 World Cup roster," said RSL General Manager Garth Lagerwey. "His inclusion is a testament to all of his hard work and dedication over the last four years and also to the commitment to his development shown by our coaching staff. We are beaming with pride at Luis's inclusion in this team and wish him well on what will be the biggest stage of his career thus far. He has our unconditional support and all of Salt Lake City will be rooting for him."
Gil played a leading role for the U-20's during qualification for the World Cup, scoring a pair of goals to help the team to a second-place finish at the 2013 CONCACAF U-20 Championship in February and March in Puebla, Mexico. Gil and fellow U.S. U-20's Jose Villarreal (LA Galaxy) and Wil Trapp (Columbus Crew) were named to the Team of the Tournament for the CONCACAF U-20 Championship.
Gil, who will wear No. 10 for the U-20's, is one of nine MLS players on the U.S. roster. He is by far the most experienced professional on Head Coach Tab Ramos's squad, with his 68 first-team league appearances dwarfing the total of any of his teammates.
The U.S. was drawn into a very difficult group for the U-20 World Cup. The Stars-and-Stripes will open Group A action against Spain on Friday, June 21 (11:45 a.m. MT; ESPN2, WatchESPN) before taking on France on June 24 (8:45 a.m. MT; ESPN2, WatchESPN) and closing out Group A play on June 27 against Ghana (10:45 a.m. MT; ESPN2, WatchESPN). The top two teams from each group and the top-four third place teams from the eight groups will advance to the tournament's knockout stage, which is set to begin with the Round of 16 on July 2.
The U.S. recently completed a four-game stretch at the Under-21 Toulon tournament in France. Sixteen of the players on the U.S.'s 22-man Toulon Tournament roster are on the World Cup squad; Gil, Villarreal, Seattle Sounders FC DF DeAndre Yedlin, Philadelphia Union Academy GK Zach Steffen and FC Kaiserslautern FW Mario Rodriguez were the five players not on the Toulon roster that were named to the World Cup team. Gil, Villarreal and Yedlin were all held out of the Toulon camp due to regular participation with their MLS teams.
Real Salt Lake will continue its home stand on Saturday, when it will host the rival LA Galaxy at 7:30 p.m. at Rio Tinto Stadium. The Claret-and-Cobalt will have a quick turnaround following Saturday's match, hosting the USL Pro Charleston Battery in the U.S. Open Cup fourth-round at 7:30 p.m. MT at Rio Tinto Stadium on Wednesday, June 12.
The full U.S. roster for the FIFA Under-20 World Cup is below:
GOALKEEPERS (3): 1-Cody Cropper (Southampton FC; Maple Grove, Minn.), 12-Kendall McIntosh (Santa Clara; Santa Rosa, Calif.), 21-Zach Steffen (FC DELCO; Downington, Pa.)
DEFENDERS (7): 13-Eric Miller (Creighton; Woodbury, Minn.), 3-Juan Pablo Ocegueda (Guadalajara; Riverside, Calif.), 5-Shane O'Neill (Colorado Rapids; Boulder, Colo.), 18-Oscar Sorto (LA Galaxy; Los Angeles, Calif.), 4-Caleb Stanko (SC Freiburg; Holly, Mich.), 14-Javan Torre (UCLA; Santa Monica, Calif.), 2-DeAndre Yedlin (Seattle Sounders; Seattle, Wash.)
MIDFIELDERS (5): 16-Kellyn Acosta (FC Dallas; Plano, Texas), 10-Luis Gil (Real Salt Lake; Garden Grove, Calif.), 8-Benji Joya (Santos Laguna; San Jose, Calif.), 15-Mikey Lopez (Sporting Kansas City; Mission, Texas), 6-Wil Trapp (Columbus Crew; Gahanna, Ohio)
FORWARDS (6): 20-Daniel Cuevas (Santos Laguna; Sacramento, Calif.), 17-Danny Garcia (North Carolina; Dallas, Texas), 7-Victor Pineda (Chicago Fire; Bolingbrook, Ill.), 19-Alonso Hernandez (C.F. Monterrey; El Paso, Texas), 9-Mario Rodriguez (1. FC Kaiserslautern; North Hollywood, Calif.), 11-Jose Villarreal (LA Galaxy; Inglewood, Calif.)


text:
Recall Details
An electrical short can develop in the windshield wiper switch assembly. As a result, the wipers may not function as expected. If the driver's visibility is reduced the risk of a crash increases. Dealers will replace the wiper switch assembly in affected vehicles to correct this concern.
Our Quick Take
The windshield wipers may not operate as expected.
What Should You Do?
Toyota will notify owners of affected vehicles beginning November 8, 2013. If you don't receive notification you feel you should have, please contact your dealer for further instruction. They may ask for your vehicle identification number (VIN), so please have it handy when you call.


text:
The Microbe Discovery Project outlines an ambitious new study by top researchers that has collected patient samples, but needs desperately funds to complete the work.
Discuss the article on the Forums.
Jason 2010: Classification of ME/CFS by types of fatigue
Discussion in 'Latest ME/CFS Research' started by leelaplay, Mar 1, 2010.


text:
Friends of Wild Iris
802 W University Ave
United States
About Us
Friends of Wild Iris is a non-profit organization created to support the community space traditionally represented by Wild Iris Books. We have found that the mission of a "safe space" for our community often differs from the motive of a for-profit organization. We want to continue to provide a community center for the sharing of ideas and exploration of how we can better impact our society.
Mission Statement:
To create social, educational and cultural opportunities to empower a diverse feminist community.
Vision Statement:
The Friends of Wild Iris envision a community of empowered people who inspire each other to reach higher levels of self-actualization through celebration of our diversity and appreciation for the inherent value of all people.
Strategic Goals
1. To create an organizational structure to empower people to be involved in programs and activities for the Friends of Wild Iris 2. To develop financial support for programs and services for Friends of Wild Iris and ensure ongoing financial stability of the organization. 3. To identify, implement and raise awareness for programs that support opportunities related to the mission statement and vision of the organization. 4. To establish a grant fund for support of local artists, educators and activists in pursuit of feminist and multicultural activities within the community. 5. To identify, plan and build future programs and services that meet the Friends of Wild Iris mission statement, including developing relationships with like-minded organizations.


text:
Already a member? Log in.
Gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, transexual, intersex, pansexual, asexual, trisexual, cross dresser, questioning, undecided, polyamorous, monogamous, alternative are some of the words that people have used to describe "us." We are all of these and so much more than these.
On 5/18/15, I learned some more - queer, pan, omni, fluid, flexible, sapio, demi, pomo, unlabeled, or wibbly-wobbly sexy-sexy... I kinda like these better, they feel more "updated" :P
We want this group to be your "soft place to land". We are people with whom you can be fully yourself, exactly the way that you are! Feeling alone, weird, left out, misunderstood, cast out? Welcome home!
We are friends hanging out and getting to know each other, and hopefully forming longterm friendships.
We want to know what you want to do - so please "suggest an event" at any time! And, come out and have fun with us!
FYI - This is not a "hook-up" group. So if that what you're looking for, please look elsewhere.
195 Members
2,977 Young Professionals
1,945 Cinephiles
1,637 Vegan Cooking/Baking Enthusiasts
5,007 WhyNot Members
343 Members
Or sign up with email
Already a member? Log in.
Meetup members, Log in
By clicking "Sign up" or "Sign up using Facebook", you confirm that you accept our Terms of Service & Privacy Policy


text:
Status XGetGeometry(display, d, root_return, x_return, y_return, width_return,
height_return, border_width_return, depth_return)
Display *display;
Drawable d;
Window *root_return;
int *x_return, *y_return;
unsigned int *width_return, *height_return;
unsigned int *border_width_return;
unsigned int *depth_return;
XGetWindowAttributes can generate BadDrawable and BadWindow errors.
The XGetGeometry function returns the root window and the current geometry of the drawable. The geometry of the drawable includes the x and y coordinates, width and height, border width, and depth. These are described in the argument list. It is legal to pass to this function a window whose class is InputOnly.
0 0>=40 .vs 0u 0<=39 .vs 0p typedef struct { int x, y; int width, height; int border_width; int depth; Visual *visual; Window root; int class; int bit_gravity; int win_gravity; int backing_store; unsigned long backing_planes; unsigned long backing_pixel; Bool save_under; Colormap colormap; Bool map_installed; int map_state; long all_event_masks; long your_event_mask; long do_not_propagate_mask; Bool override_redirect; Screen *screen; } XWindowAttributes;
The x and y members are set to the upper-left outer corner relative to the parent window's origin. The width and height members are set to the inside size of the window, not including the border. The border_width member is set to the window's border width in pixels. The depth member is set to the depth of the window (that is, bits per pixel for the object). The visual member is a pointer to the screen's associated Visual structure. The root member is set to the root window of the screen containing the window. The class member is set to the window's class and can be either InputOutput or InputOnly.
The bit_gravity member is set to the window's bit gravity and can be one of the following:
The win_gravity member is set to the window's window gravity and can be one of the following:
For additional information on gravity, see section 3.3.
The backing_store member is set to indicate how the X server should maintain the contents of a window and can be WhenMapped, Always, or NotUseful. The backing_planes member is set to indicate (with bits set to 1) which bit planes of the window hold dynamic data that must be preserved in backing_stores and during save_unders. The backing_pixel member is set to indicate what values to use for planes not set in backing_planes.
The save_under member is set to True or False. The colormap member is set to the colormap for the specified window and can be a colormap ID or None. The map_installed member is set to indicate whether the colormap is currently installed and can be True or False. The map_state member is set to indicate the state of the window and can be IsUnmapped, IsUnviewable, or IsViewable. IsUnviewable is used if the window is mapped but some ancestor is unmapped.
The all_event_masks member is set to the bitwise inclusive OR of all event masks selected on the window by all clients. The your_event_mask member is set to the bitwise inclusive OR of all event masks selected by the querying client. The do_not_propagate_mask member is set to the bitwise inclusive OR of the set of events that should not propagate.
The override_redirect member is set to indicate whether this window overrides structure control facilities and can be True or False. Window manager clients should ignore the window if this member is True.
The screen member is set to a screen pointer that gives you a back pointer to the correct screen. This makes it easier to obtain the screen information without having to loop over the root window fields to see which field matches.
Table of Contents


text:
Louisville police use tear gas, armored carrier to disperse crowd after Cardinals NCAA victory
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Louisville police used tear gas and an armored car early Tuesday to calm disturbances that erupted during a celebration of the Cardinals' NCAA championship win over Michigan.
Gatherings were mostly peaceful following Louisville's 82-76 victory that clinched the school's third title and first since 1986. Campus police, working with Louisville police and sheriff's deputies, reported just 10 arrests and three injuries after students swarmed the area following the Cardinals' win.
However, things got out of hand around Cardinal Boulevard and Third Street as the revelry was winding down.
Riot police were called in after an officer was attacked. Students quickly fled the area but several scuffles ensued and bottles were thrown, forcing police to use tear gas.
The armored carrier was brought in and order was restored before 2:30 a.m.


text:
Once again the disciplinarians of the NHL leave us wondering just how many spots the ball can land in on their roulette wheel of justice.
Bruins winger Brad Marchand was suspended two games today by the league one day after San Jose' s Dany Heatley was handed a ban of the same length for a more egregious act.
Marchand will miss tonight's game in Nashville and Saturday's in Toronto. It was fully expected that Marchand would face some sort of suspension after his elbow from behind to the head of Columbus' R.J. Umberger Tuesday. Two games might not seem like much, but relatively speaking it's too long of a ban.
Keep in mind that while Heatley has been in the league much longer and Marchand is a rookie with a reputation for rambunctiousness, neither player has been in trouble with the league prior to their respective head-knocking elbows Tuesday night.
When you watch the two plays, they're not equal in severity or intent, yet the league deemed them worthy of equal punishment.
Here are the two hits again, starting with Heatley's blow to the head of Dallas' Steve Ott followed by the Marchand/Umberger contact:
In neither case did the NHL issue an explanation other than to say that the suspension and fine were for "an elbow to the head." I for one, was disgusted by Marchand's play, but was even more offended by Heatley's action (even if it did come at the expense of Ott). At least Marchand is chasing the puck and it's in the vicinity. You could make a case that it's incidental contact. Heatley goes out of his way to throw an elbow at a guy's head after the puck isn't only gone off Ott's stick, it's being passed by a second Dallas player. Ott was shaken up enough to stop play, while Umberger gets up and goes after Rich Peverley along the wall and then gets involved in the scrum in front of the Columbus net seconds later.
One of the few things things the players and fans want from the league is consistency. In my mind, the Heatley suspension should've been longer. The league's general managers spent three days debating ways to get more serious about head shots and legislate their reduction from the game, and then the league gives Heatley just a two-game ban for executing a maneuver that once made Terry Taylor famous in the old WWF.
If the league had gotten the Heatley punishment correct, then a two-game ban for Marchand would've been understandable. But to equate these two plays and dole out the same discipline just doesn't make any sense, especially in light of the three-game ban Pavel Kubina got for this hit a couple weeks ago:
So now we know what the league office really thinks about what the GMs were talking about all week. All we get is a lot of concerned rhetoric and then the same old measly suspensions that have no rhyme or reason to them.
I guess imagining that big roulette wheel with the ball that determines these suspensions is better than the alternative, which is that there's actual human beings capable of reason making these decisions down in New York.


text:
Managing Director
DiplArch GradDip(Consv)AA MSc RIBA FRSA
John has over thirty years' experience as an architect in his own practice. He is a Chartered Architect with a Masters in Urban & Regional Planning and has a Post Graduate Diploma from the Architectural Association School in Conservation Studies.
His particular interest in architecture is in designing mixed-use schemes in urban areas, many of which include important Listed Buildings or are in Conservation Areas.
He has won numerous awards for design including 'Architect of the Year' 2008. Other awards for design include RIBA Awards, British Homes Awards, Building Awards and Building Sustainable Communities Awards. He won the RIBA Globe Road Architectural Competition and was runner up in the Budapest Conference Centre Competition for Graphisoft.
John was a nationally-elected member of the RIBA Council and was Vice President for Professional Services, chairing the RIBA's Professional Services Board. He was also a trustee of the RIBA Board. In addition to these posts he was the Chairman of the RIBA Journal. He is a Trustee of the Architects Benevolent Society and a Member of their Executive Committee. He has recently been elected to the Architect's Registration Board, the professions regulator.
He has been a judge for the RIBA Regional Awards. He is on the judging panel for the National Home Builder Design Awards, the What House Awards and has also judged the Evening Standard Home Awards.
He has been a Visiting Fellow at Oxford Brookes University since 2000. He is an External Examiner at Huddersfield University and has lectured at Cardiff, Manchester and Westminster Universities.
Along with sponsoring a student bursary at Oxford Brookes University for research, John also supports an annual post-graduate scholarship to the joint RIBA and V&A's Architecture for All Foundation focusing on cataloguing architect Erno Goldfinger's archive.


text: Double: The Captain Of Her Heart 1985 (Maloo/Hug) ... Print comment MP3 file Description This content was published on November 19, 2007 11:21 AMNov 19, 2007 - 11:21 Neuer Inhalt Horizontal Line Survey Swiss Abroad Survey: Keyboard and Hand close-up Dear Swiss Abroad, tell us what you think subscription form Form for signing up for free newsletter. Sign up for our free newsletters and get the top stories delivered to your inbox. Email address Top stories (weekly) Latest news (daily) Business (weekly) Politics (weekly) Society (weekly) Fintech (biweekly) Multinationals (biweekly) Click here to see more newsletters


text:
minsan kung lilipat mga tao walang choice kundi makisama sa cultura, di2 sa canada maraming pinoy. pag nagsama sama kami puro tagalog na medyo na oout of place mga laki di2 or mga foreigner rofl
tsaka isa pa sa ibang bansa mahirap mabuhay kung di ka makikisalo... gotta be open to change devah tsaka minsan tlgang nakaka influencya na indi na mahirap na mapansin na ganun ka na pala (kunware maarte, parang puti ka na umakto or itim), well anywaysits upto ppl who they want to be tsaka ikanga bsta do the right thing.. pero eto lng, proud na proud ako maging pinoy. PAquiao ftw!
kakamiss din pinas ang mura ng kung ano ano >.< tsaka puro inuman
i wanna go back again >.< mga filipino dubbed pre licensed anime pa fresh from japan
4 anime channels
and di ko lng namimiss ung lagkit tsaka traffic
if you don't try to fit in you woun't have friends...
it's not always about trying to b cool...
someone's using my cr! don't know who
i live in New Zealand and all the Filipinos i've met haven't really changed. they all speak tagalog. and they all behave....well like pinoys and hey there is even an area/place/location at my high school where 90% of the Filipinos hang out.
and yes i am proud of being a Filipino, even though most people think i don't look like one lol.
I don't like my username
coz mostly teenagers in USA are assholes... ye ive change a lot sincei movd here in USA. IDC. dats our choice. coz....... (we dont care ;])
Love is endless.
I don't like my username
I know quite a few. They are people of great humour and of fine intellects.
i migrated sa US 5 years ago, and i've really changed, coz madaming nanlalait, " huy style pinas ka pa rin ? states na toh ! " haha
Back again * Yawn *
Ahh, luckily all the ones I know, both young and old, are still down to earth Filipinos. Never forgetting traditions, good manners and of course, speaking and/or understanding Filipino, Tagalog, etc. Even some of my cousins who have grown up here act like a balanced mix of Filipino-American.
I've only lived in the States for almost 5 years (this coming August is our fifth year here) and hopefully I can keep the good values alive for when I have kids of my own. I couldn't just let them forget about their amazing Filipino-ness. Haha! :)
Maybe it's just me, but some people who aren't even born or raised overseas are the ones who think they're so Mr. Popular or Ms. 'Sosyal'. xD;;; *shrugs* Oh well~
Attending MangaNEXT on October 30! :D
i live in Nebraska in a farming community of 900 people total mostly German. my family hasn't changed our ways to fit in at all an surprisingly no one cares here...other than the fact some people thought we were Mexican made us mad..... any who. we can still go on about being Filipino an not worry about not fitting in. I may be half Filipino but i will still keep the values and traditions through my family and down the line when i have children.
I still remember that day
Thats odd Ive never experienced something like that. I have black friends, white friends, friends from spain, Guatemala, and other places.
We migrated to Canada years ago. It's not na kinalimutan na completely yung culture. I for one is an example, I miss pinas pero di ko mapipigilan na maki-adapt sa cultures din nila. Hndi pwedeng puro pinas lng ung nasa utak ko; sometimes kelangan kse for studies like ss. My friends are Filipinos but they were born here in Alberta. Sila gusto nila malaman ung cultures natin kasi minsan lang sila bumisita sa pinas. Syempre, its normal to think that they're better since maayos ung buhay nila dun. We just try our best to keep in touch kse mga pinas just rock :D
&& yeah, totally agreeing with Uchisasu.
the hottest jaywalker in the planet.
for me its kinda the opposite or will be the opposite.xD
i have been living here in germany since i was 4 years old. there my mum married my "dad"
for her i think she didnt changed much?xD i think its because of all the filipinos in our neighborhood or in the city.xD
but for me. i have been here for 11 years. so i have grew up in this enviroment so i dont really know how the filipino enviroment is, of course we had holidays there to visit my whole family but i didnt expirience it much.
after i finish my school we going to move back to philippines with my "dad" but i cant even speak the language.xD okee english.xD
but you know:P. will also go to school their.xD
the german people are really nice..but only a few. when i was young the others bullied me because of my nose!?
helloow about my nosexD.kinda stupid.xD
some of my friends also say that i am kinda tough.so what!?. go live with it, i am not going to change because of this.xD
ahhh~ i hope in the philippines its all going to be better
i hope they going to accept me how i am.xD
they all so brave and nice.xD
but when i move back i am going to miss my best friend and the people of the dance school.
maaaah~ their is still a bit time:P
i think dun sa mga filpino n ganun.. tinatry lng nila n mkipag associate sa iba..
so sana dalhin nmn nila yung good manners ng mga filipino....
thank you lord
haha ngayon nasa jeddah ako pero wala pa ring pinagbago! =)
ika nga naman. why do we need to fit in, when we are born to stand out! =]
baka hindi mo ko maintindihan eh! =))
I think they are major suckers. =) If they want to be cool and fit in, they must use their own abilities. Not to the extent of forgetting their values and manners and changing the way they are. Coz that just proves they are major losers. =))
I'm back in action ! Japan, I am praying for you soon prosperity! :)
Napapansin ko maraming pinoy teenagers think that they r cooler kaysa sa mga pinoy sa pinas
"I'm happy, that's just the saddest lie"


text:
They scuttle product launches and send company stocks through the floor. They steal precious years from patents and require pricey new trials. They have the entire drug industry on edge, from struggling one-hit biotechs to struggling large-cap pharmas. They're FDA approvable letters—that odd regulatory response that isn't quite an approval and isn't quite a rejection—and in the past three or four years, they've become a major part of the FDA's arsenal for dealing with (or, as many say, not dealing with) new drug applications (NDAs).
As of October 1, the agency had already issued 23 approvable letters this year, including second letters for four drugs and a third for one. After hearing industry insiders grumble that a scared-safe FDA was upping the letter's use, Chris Milne of the Tufts Center for Drug Development looked into the issue in 2005 and counted 35 approvable letters for NDAs between 2001 and 2004, causing an average delay until approval of 20 months. FDA has issued 36 such letters since January 2006 alone.
So Approvability Gulch is a real place. The question is, what does the trend mean? Has FDA quietly raised its safety standards, as many people argue? Or is it using the letters to simply avoid approving drugs—waiting for the current political storms to settle? And if there is a new safety order, what are the potential risks for both the industry and the agency?The Regulatory Creep of 'Basically Approvable'
That may sound benign, but in the post-Vioxx real world, "resolving" an "issue" can lead a drugmaker off a cliff. Some "approvable" drugs are hardly on the verge of approval:
Novartis CEO Dan Vasella, virtually the only pharma CEO willing to speak openly on the subject, has his take on the trend. "The FDA has become subject to politics," he told the Financial Times in September.


text:
When the topic of winning streaks arose before Wednesday afternoon's game against the Toronto Blue Jays, Orioles manager Buck Showalter insisted that his players don't pay much attention to them.
"I don't think they had a thing up there where they were X'ing out [and saying] 'There's one more,'" Showalter deadpanned. "Our guys, they don't get too bogged down."
But later Wednesday, a streak that has defined the Orioles' resilience ended as they dropped a 6-5 decision in 11 innings at Camden Yards, snapping their remarkable franchise-record run of 17 straight regular-season extra-inning wins.
"These guys competed really well today," Showalter said after the game. "It is what it is. Stay in the moment. I was proud. It's not something I dwell on. I know our guys don't. But I understand how it's noteworthy."
After the would-be winning run was thrown out at the plate in the bottom of the 10th, closer Jim Johnson walked in a run on four pitches with two outs in the 11th for an anticlimactic ending to a win streak that provided so many thrills.
"I just had a hard time throwing a strike," Johnson said. "Kind of lost feel and obviously that's a terrible way to lose a game."
Johnson, who entered opponents to .115 batting average in his previous eight appearances, hadn't allowed an earned run in his past 22 games dating back to last season and had allowed just one earned run in his last 37 outings dating back to July 27.
"Jimmy's been great this year," Showalter said. "I thought he was pretty good today, too. It was what it was. He got a big out against some tough hitters there the inning before, and he got two outs there [in the 1th]. Just one pitch away. We had opportunities."
The Orioles (12-9) finished their nine-game homestand with a 6-3 record and now embark on an 11-day, 11-game West Coast road trip to Oakland, Seattle and Anaheim.
"We'd like to win them all, but we held serve at home," Showalter said. "Now comes as tough a part of that, going west and playing three good clubs. It's kind of behind us right now."
The Orioles appeared on their way to a third walk-off win within the past week in the bottom of the 10th when J.J. Hardy, mired in a 1-for-18 slump, hit a two-out single to left with Manny Machado at second.
Machado was waved home by third-base coach Bobby Dickerson, but Blue Jays left fielder Rajai Davis' pinpoint throw beat Machado to the plate to end the inning.
"[It] just one-hopped basically to a guy with a plus-arm," Showalter said. "You've got to send him there, and he made a good throw. Sometimes you've just got to tip your hat."
Pitching for the third straight day, Johnson (1-2) quickly retired the first two batters in the 11th before allowing a flare single to center by J.P. Arencibia. Munenori Kawasaki followed with a single past shortstop.
Johnson then hit Brett Lawrie with the second pitch of the at-bat to load the bases, then he wildly threw four straight fastballs to walk No. 9 hitter Maicer Izturis and force in the go-ahead run.
"It started with the Lawrie at bat," Johnson said. "I wasn't able to get back on top of the baseball. I talked to [catcher Taylor Teagarden] about it afterward, and hindsight [being] 20-20, I probably should have thrown [a different] pitch to try to change things up. But in that situation, I'm going to try to throw my best pitch."
The three relievers before Johnson — Tommy Hunter, Darren O'Day and Troy Patton — each pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings. The Orioles bullpen had thrown 9 2/3 straight scoreless innings before the Blue Jays (9-13) scored against Johnson.
The Orioles rallied to tie the game at 5 with a three-run seventh, capped by Machado's game-tying, two-out RBI triple that rolled to the wall in right-center.
Ryan Flaherty's one-out double scored the first run of the inning, plating Nolan Reimold from first and chasing Toronto starter Brandon Morrow from the game. Two batters later, Nate McLouth singled home Flaherty to make it a one-run game.
"We were finally able to string together some good at-bats there in a row in the seventh inning and score some runs," said McLouth, who was 2-for-3 with two walks and three runs. "They were able to score. We didn't play a bad game by any means. Their hits came with some damage. We weren't quite able to push that last one across a couple of times."
Right-hander Josh Stinson, making his Orioles debut and just his second big league start, yielded four homers, the most allowed by an Orioles pitcher since Jason Hammel allowed four last May 30.
Stinson had allowed just two homers over 23 1/3 career major league innings, but the Blue Jays launched four well-hit balls into the seatsagainst him. He paid for a one-out walk to Melky Cabrera in the second when Arencibia took a 1-2 pitch into the center-field bleachers to give Toronto a 2-1 lead.
The Blue Jays then pounced on Stinson early in the count for three more solo homers.
Davis hit his first homer of the season on an 0-1 pitch in the third. Edwin Encarnacion and Jose Bautista both homered to left on first-pitch offerings in the fourth and sixth innings, respectively, giving the Blue Jays a 5-2 lead.
"The first two were sinkers I was trying to go away with," Stinson said. "I thought they were fairly down [in the strike zone]. The Bautista one was all-around a bad pitch. The Encarnacion one, he just ambushed me. After giving up those home runs, I came back and still battled."
After the game, the Orioles optioned Stinson back to Triple-A Norfolk so they can add an extra reliever for the start of the road trip. That move will be announced Thursday.


text:
Update: This story was originally published on May 4. We thought you guys might like a little weekend DIY project to help you show off your toes in your new summer sandals.
While part of us is rejoicing that we can finally bust out our best open-toed shoes, the more practical half is looking at our neglected tootsies and wondering if we'll look totally crazy wearing socks all summer. Getting your peds pampered weekly is a surefire way to make your lower half look presentable — and to go bankrupt trying to pay for all those pricy salon visits.
With that in mind, we asked Emma Lara, the nail expert at Haven Spa in NYC, to concoct a DIY pedicure you can do in the comfort of your living room. From shaping your talons to a sweet-smelling mask that will soften your feet up stat, here is the DL on getting your down-below digits ready for the big unveil.


text:
CCC Says: "Y So Serious, GTA V?
I appreciate the Grand Theft Auto V series for what it is, and totally get the love and devotion people have for the games. It's good stuff. The thing is, everything's also so darkly serious. It's just so dramatic. Sometimes, you've just got to lighten up. You need to kick back, relax, and enjoy the mayhem. Which is why, when my favorite indie retail store had used copies of GTA V and Saints Row IV this weekend for the same price, I went with the Saints."
"As much fun as roaming around Los Santos might be, exploring virtual Steelport is better"
Because nothing beats roaming around the same exact city you did in SR3, as opposed to GTA 5's completely rebuilt Los Santos.
If you think GTA V is serious, you probably did not play it...
Your sentence says all,when you say :"GTA 5's completely rebuilt Los Santos"its more than obvious that you are targeting the graphic side of the game!Its an obvious assumption since you dont talk about anything other than rebuild visuals.This all taking in context the rest of your sentence.Not to mention that your response to the article is off the context in every way.


text:
Featured News - Current News - Archived News - News Categories
For the first time ever, "The Price Is Right," daytime television's most-watched program, is inviting children to "come on down" and play with their parents in a special kids episode, Friday, May 3 (11 a.m.), on the CBS Television Network. (Note: The episode date was changed to accommodate CBS news coverage).
The special episode - one of the fans' most requested - will feature children playing with their parents at "Contestants' Row" and participating in the show's famous prizing games, including "Let 'Em Roll," "Secret X" and "Plinko." They will have the opportunity to play for prizes, which kids and parents can enjoy together, including a set of video game consoles, a backyard trampoline, a pair of go-karts, an overnight zoo experience and a family vacation.
"Having the kids in this episode gave the show an exciting energy we've never seen in the studio before," said executive producer Mike Richards. "The vibe was electric and it also brought out the kid in Drew too!"
Drew Carey hosts "The Price Is Right," the longest-running game show in television history.


text:
Columbia University's Earth Institute Center for Environmental Sustainability (EICES) invites students to apply for the 2016 Summer Ecosystem Experiences for Undergraduates (SEE-U) Program.
- Fulfill 2 of the 3 core curriculum science requirements
- Earn 6 points of science credit at Columbia in just 6 weeks.
- Designed for students of all majors. No prerequisites to enroll.
- Special fellowship funding is available from EICES.


text:
Ex-Army inspector accused of stealing troops' IDs
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A former Fort Campbell inspector whose job was to investigate misconduct has been accused of stealing the identities of Army personnel, including a soldier killed in combat, in a scheme to obtain thousands of dollars in bank loans.
The indictment handed down Wednesday alleges James Robert Jones, 42, of Woodlawn, Tenn., used his position as an assistant inspector general at the Army post on the Kentucky-Tennessee line to obtain personal information on active-duty Army officers, some of whom were deployed to Afghanistan.
Jones, whose rank is sergeant first class, is accused of using the information — including Social Security numbers and dates of birth — to apply for loans in the officers' names, the federal indictment said. He successfully obtained fraudulent loans from two financial institutions, it said.
Among those targeted was an enlisted soldier who had been killed in combat in Afghanistan, the indictment said.
In an email to The Associated Press on Thursday, Jones said he is not guilty of the charges.
"What I find the most disturbing and shocking about these charges is the allegations that I would use information from deceased soldiers to pull off this so-called scheme," Jones wrote. "I am embarrassed and saddened for the government that they would stoop to a level of using a fallen soldier's sacrifice in order to provide a dramatic element to their case."
Jones said he has been in the Army for nearly 20 years and was in the inspector general's office at Fort Campbell for close to two years. Jones said he served in Afghanistan in 2010 and was wounded three times. A voicemail greeting on Jones' cellphone included portions of the song "God Bless the U.S.A."
The indictment did not identify the soldiers allegedly targeted in the scheme, and it mentioned two credit unions allegedly targeted.
The alleged scheme took place from February to May of this year, it said. Jones is accused of creating fake email accounts in the officers' names as part of his loan applications and called the credit unions pretending to be the officers when following up on the applications, the indictment said.
The indictment said Jones applied for a $12,000 loan from Fort Campbell Federal Credit Union.
Jones withdrew cash from loans he fraudulently obtained, the indictment said, without specifying the amount. He also purchased a cashier's check from the Navy Federal Credit Union, using funds from a loan he had obtained, it said.
Jones failed to make payments on the loans he fraudulently secured, it said.
When confronted by investigators, Jones tried to conceal his role by falsely accusing a deceased Army officer of planning the scheme, according to the indictment.
"This defendant abused a position of trust and used his position to specifically target those who serve our country, including certain officers who were deployed overseas, when he stole their identities," Acting U.S. Attorney David Rivera said in announcing the indictment.
Jones was indicted on charges of aggravated identity theft, bank fraud and making a false statement to a financial institution.
He's also charged with obstructing justice and making false statements to investigators. Those charges stem from allegations that Jones asked a colleague to delete information on his work computer in an alleged effort to impede the investigation, the indictment said.
Fort Campbell spokesman Bob Jenkins said the post was reviewing the indictment and would have no additional comment.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service and the U.S. Army Criminal Investigations Command.
If convicted, Jones faces up to 30 years in prison for the counts of bank fraud and making a false statement to a bank, along with an additional two years for each count of aggravated identity theft. Jones also faces up to 20 years if convicted of attempting to destroy records and five years for allegedly making false statements to investigators.
Schreiner reported from Louisville, Ky.


text:
The Associated Press reported today that Russ Feingold has invited John Dean, former White House counsel who was imprisoned and disbarred following Watergate (great witness!), to testify at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in favor of censuring President Bush for using electronic surveillance of international communications to catch terrorists:
Dean, a one-time White House counsel under President Nixon, testified before the Senate committee investigating the events that eventually led to Nixon's impeachment.
He recently wrote a column comparing Bush's conduct to Nixon's, saying both authorized warrantless wiretapping and broke the law.
That's Dean's opinion, and I suppose he's entitled to it. But when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Nixon's surveillance in internal security cases was illegal in United States v. United States District Court, 407 U.S. 297 (1972), it specifically distinguished between the case before it and surviellance involving foreign intelligence. The Court said that its holding did not apply to surveillance for purposes of foreign intelligence gathering, as is involved in the NSA program:
[T]he instant case requires no judgment on the scope of the President's surveillance power with respect to the activities of foreign powers, within or without this country.
And again:
We emphasize, before concluding this opinion, the scope of our decision. As stated at the outset, this case involves only the domestic aspects of national security. We have not addressed, and express no opinion as to, the issues which may be involved with respect to activities of foreign powers or their agents.
With all due respect to Mr. Dean, I don't think the President was required to consult him before acting to protect the American people from terrorists. I think the President was entitled to rely on the six federal appellate court opinions that have held that the President has the constitutional authority to carry out warrantless electronic surveillance for foreign intelligence gathering purposes.


text:
The court date for a Bluffton Middle School teacher arrested in April on suspicion of third-degree assault and battery and public disorderly conduct has been continued to June 5.
Patricia Mulholland, a seventh-grade teacher at the school, is accused of grabbing one of her students by the collar, pulling him out of his seat and yelling anti-Semitic comments.
Sgt. Joe Babkiewicz, spokesman for the Bluffton Police Department, said the court date originally scheduled for Tuesday has been continued to allow both sides to have more time to review reports and evidence.


text:
Linked by Thom Holwerda on Thu 3rd Apr 2008 22:40 UTC
Microsoft will shutter its Windows XP line June 30, as planned, ceasing sales of Windows XP Professional and Windows XP Home to retailers and direct OEMs, Microsoft confirmed to eWEEK April 3. The statement from Redmond executives ends weeks of speculation that Microsoft would extend the life of the operating system as users turn up their nose at Vista, the operating system meant to supplant XP, and OEMs argue lighter versions of desktops and notebooks don't have the juice to run Vista.
Thread beginning with comment 307971
To read all comments associated with this story, please click here.
To read all comments associated with this story, please click here.
So then
by SlackerJack on Thu 3rd Apr 2008 23:01 UTC


text:
Trade shows are trading activities that often accommodate business, industry associations or non- profit associations as well as the other promotional groups. Basically, trade shows and exhibitions are a wonderful method that you can use to support and encourage your business. A trade show exhibition can draw potential consumers and huge crowds straight to your company. As most of the people involved in the show may be interested in your products, it's your role to ensure that you target demographic and make sure that you exactly know the kind of people you are there for.
What are the Various Pros of Exhibiting at Trade Shows?
There are plenty of merits you'll reap by exhibiting your company at trade shows. However, before you begin to reap the rewards, an efficient marketing as well as design strategy should be in place. For you to be in a position to hassle free gain maximum brand exposure at any trade shoe, you must make sure you have an outstanding design, right display board, staff members to sell your commodities and an understanding of all the competitors.
Here are the various pros you are likely to reap by exhibiting at a trade show;
* Providing your Company with a Great Platform:
Trade show exhibitions often tend to open to large and in most cases, though not that usual, a quite diverse audience. Generally, it is most likely that all those people attending a particular trade show have got at least some knowledge of the industry. Typically, this will offer you with a great platform to really promote and sell what your firm does.
*Knowing the Other Competitors Better:
Trade show exhibitions will also provide you with a very handy time period to check out your competitors. Perhaps there may be a company that you've never considered a threat but they actually have got the most pristine stand during the exhibition. Or the firm that you are locking heads with has not delivered the goods during the exhibition. These are some of the things that you'll likely realize during trade shows and they'll keep you on toes towards improving your firm's operation.
How Trade Shows Can Be Beneficial to Just About any Company
* Settling on the selling Cost:
When the potential buyers become satisfied, it's possible to make their idea about the price which they're expecting from the commodity. When suggestions are obtained from the different visitors coming from the different corners of the globe, the companies can be able to decide the right cost at which their commodities can be sold out in a particular place.
* Promotion to the Goods:
Some companies are not usually able to spend huge amounts of cash for advertising purposes. Such firms normally conduct external trade shows so that they can advertise their commodities. The commodities can easily be publicized in front of audiences via these kinds of shows.
Last but not the least; trade shows are ideal ways of saving time as they normally link the purchasers with the suppliers.
If you are looking for some great trade show resources try visiting the following sites
http://www.tsnn.com they are a trade show network site with lots of information
http://www.exhibe.com is a full service display company with over 30 years of experience
http://www.trade-show-advisor.com is great directory with lots of listing of about trade show companies


text:
Sapphire HD 4550 512MB Review
There is so much hype around the biggest and baddest video cards around, but what about more mainstream cards? Not every computer needs a video card that smokes the competition in frames per second. Some computers are built for media viewing, encoding or even for casual home use with little or no gaming, so why go out and spend a fortune on a video card with too much power that is not needed? ATI has been releasing a series of cards targeted towards this very use and one of them is the HD 4550 series. Aimed at the more budget conscious user the HD 4550 cards are not to be taken lightly. With Support for DirectX 10.1 and Shader Model 4.1, just because you are buying for less doesn't mean you get less.
Today we are going to be taking a look at the Sapphire HD 4550 which is a low profile, actively cooled graphics card. The HD 4550 is based on the RV710 core and is priced to be competitive among system owners with various uses.
Closer Look:
As we are seeing with most mainstream cards being shipped from Sapphire they are coming in smaller more eco friendly boxes. These boxes reduce waste and save on shipping costs helping the environment. The HD 4550 arrived in an attractive box featuring a Sapphire mascot and some of the logos of the features offered on the card. The back of the box expands on the features included in the Sapphire HD 4550 video card as well as how you can play the "Vista way". Another thing of note is how Sapphire always includes the system requirements and what external ports are available on the card on the left spine of the box, so you can find them easily.
Inside the box is a wealth of goodies included by Sapphire. They are one company who always makes sure anything you might need to operate your new hardware is there, so you do not need to go finding adapters elsewhere. Included with the HD 4550 card is a manual, driver CD, low profile bracket converter, component video dongle, S-Video dongle, DVI to VGA adapter, and a DVI to HDMI adapter.
Now that everything is out we can get a better look at the card itself.


text:
The Reserve Bank of India can pay interest to banks on their cash reserve ratio deposits if the laws are changed, senior-most Deputy Governor Kamalesh Chandra Chakrabarty has said.
"Under the present law, I can't pay interest on the CRR. . .that modification came four-five years back . . .The government should change the rule (for payment of interest on CRR)," Chakrabarty told PTI in an interaction at his office.
"If the CRR is a cost on banks, then they can adjust that somewhere else," he added.
Explaining the rationale behind the regulatory mandate, the deputy governor, who looks after banking supervision, apart from a host of other departments at the central bank, said the CRR is charged on banks because only they can create money.
"Who creates money?. . . It's only bank deposits that too chequeable deposits or demand deposits that create money.
"That's why CRR is imposed only on banks. . .if a bank gives money to NBFCs, it will go not to NBFC but to some bank accounts (of NBFCs)," Chakrabarty, who recently got a two-year extension, said.
Non-banking finance companies, insurance companies or any other financial institution can't be equated with the banks with regard to CRR as they don't create money, he said.
The CRR is the portion of deposits that banks have to keep with the RBI
CRR stands at 4.25 per cent currently, while the policy rate or repo (rate at which the RBI lends to banks) stands at 8 per cent.
Most of the profits that RBI accrues (last year it paid Rs 16,000 crore or Rs 160 billion to the government as dividend alone) come from the CRR, and there have been media reports in the recent past that North Block favours the idea of paying banks interest on the CRR.
The RBI used to pay interest on CRR in the past, but a few years back the government had changed the rules in this regard and since then it was stopped.
At the current level, 1 percentage point reduction in the CRR can release Rs 70,000 crore (Rs 700 billion) liquidity into the system.
Globally only very few countries have CRR requirements on their banks and most of them get paid for it as well.
For instance, the US Fed since the Lehman crisis started paying interest on CRR, which currently stands at 0.25 per cent, the benchmark lending rate in the US.
The CRR came into news recently, after State Bank of India chairman Pratip Chaudhuri described 'CRR as a waste of money and leading to huge loss to banks' and called for scrapping it or at least getting an interest on these deposits.
He had also called for banks getting a level-playing field as insurance companies and NBFCs are not required to keep such mandatory funds with regulators.


text:
The range of mineral shades -- from subtle to intense -- can be customized by how many layers you apply. Try a sheer wash of color, or brush on a few coats for a brighter payoff.
1. GloMinerals gloEye Shadow in Mermaid
2. GloMinerals gloLoose Eye Shadow in Charming
3. Bare Escentuals Bare Minerals Glimmer in Azure
4. MyChelle Eye Shimmer in Spring
5. Mineral Fusion Eye Shadow in Element
6. Avon Smooth Minerals Eyeshadow in Enchanted Lilac
7. Avon Smooth Minerals Eyeshadow in Pixie Dust
8. Afterglow Cosmetics Organic Pencil Eye Liner in Planet
9. The Body Shop Nature's Minerals Eye Colour in Platinum Shimmer
To keep the look natural, employ these sleight-of-hand application tricks.
Lips: For full-color coverage, swipe the lipstick across your lips. For a more subtle shade, dab on to lips with your fingertip.
Cheeks: Mineral pigments are intense, so start with a sweep across the apples of your cheeks, and add more depending on how deep you want the color.
Eyes: Mineral eye shadows can be used in two ways: swept onto the eyelid, or as a liner with a brush dipped in water.
Foundation: Be careful not to overapply. When you're dealing with mineral pigments, less is more.
"One of the biggest complaints about loose mineral powder is that it's messy," says Colorescience's Diane Ranger. "The reason this technique works so well is that it gets the minerals into the brush head and not all over the place."
Spin: Put a small amount of makeup into the cap and spin your brush.
Tap: Tap the brush against the side of the cap to knock off loose minerals.
Press: Working in small circles, press the powder into your skin.


text:
Our balcony is a gorgeous jungle of foliage, flowers, and herbs.
June 2, 2014
Our balcony is a gorgeous jungle of foliage, flowers, and herbs.
Meg Allan Cole
Meg Allan Cole is a prominent name in the DIY and crafting world, usually seen wielding a glue gun in one hand and a rescue dog in the other. Meg has been creating DIY videos since the very first DIY network, Threadbanger, aired on the internet in 2006. Since then, she has been a DIY home and lifestyle blogger, and has created videos for Etsy, Curbly, MAKE, The Knot, Martha Stewart, and she now proudly makes regular content for HGTV's YouTube channel, HGTV Handmade.
Posts by Meg Allan Cole
The Beagle Ball is a CLASSIC fav in this household.
November 13, 2018
Is wearing this giant ballot box while walking your dog too extra? Asking for friend
November 6, 2018
VOTE TODAY 🗳 Vote blue up & down the ballot for people of color, for children in cages, for coverage of pre-existing conditions, for trans youth, for immigrants, for women, for endangered specifies, for climate change, for free elections, for our dignity. 🗳 art by @ashlukadraws
November 6, 2018
Proof our dog knows how to spell.
November 4, 2018
We have sent out 500 postcards to voters for @staceyabrams, @betoorourke, & most of them were for Leslie Cohen NC House. Looking for a way to get involved? Text voters or phonebank with @swingleft. @williedictionary is the best resistance partner ever
November 1, 2018


text:
|2006-08-25, 06:38
|Link #61
Mad Scientist
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: In the Garden...
Age: 33
Personaly I was considering buying the Blu-ray edition of AIR but since I still don't know Japanese and chances that getting an English sub are slim, I dropped the idea and planned on buying a DS lite >.>;
|2006-08-28, 03:09
|Link #62
seiyuu maniac
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Tokyo, Japan
It's not worth buying, the difference is marginal at best. Throwing more bitrates doesn't automatically make it better when the studio in question still doesn't know how to optimise the encoding process.
Plus I don't want to support Blu-ray when it is pretty clear that at this moment in time Blu-ray technology is still a lot of empty promises which has yet to delivered (50G movie disks, h264 encoding etc) and is just trying to make money off ignorant people.
|2006-08-28, 10:03
|Link #63
wingéd prettygirl
@ houkoholic
On the one hand (assuming you've bought the LE/other DVDs) I am in complete agreement. However, for those of us who have yet to buy Air in any form, I suggest you look hard at the comparative pricing. True, this presupposes that such of us will be buying a Blu-ray player. But, if you think that the anime industry, both R2 & R1 (for the current regions) won't adopt HD, well... think again.
Personally, I have every intention of getting a Blu-ray drive for my computer, simply because of the backup potential. No, I won't be buying one until media and drives are at a more suitable price point. But then, that's what I said for DVDs as well, and I picked up an external DVD burner for my laptop a year or two ago (16x RW-DL) and can now buy disks for what, fifty cents each Australian. Blu-ray will hit that point too, you can count on it. It'll just be a matter of time.
Oh, and in reference again to the pricing - Air on Blu-ray (for slightly better video, box set) is costing ~¥30000. Air on DVD (without the pretty art box, nor the 'extra HD footage') was ¥5700 or so for the limited editions. Multiply that out, and you'll see the 'saving' inherent here.
Admittedly, I can see that people with the DVDs would have effectively no reason to buy AIR on Blu-ray without a proper HD encode. But, for those of us who don't yet have it, and who fully intend to invest in Blu-ray in the not too distant future - well, from that perspective, it's not a bad idea.
|2006-08-28, 10:58
|Link #64
seiyuu maniac
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Tokyo, Japan
I know anime is going HD just like all other shows, but that is not a reason to blindly support BR IMNSHO. Especially after seeing BR demos like AIR, GitS etc at the Tokyo Anime Festival in person I definitely do not see the cost/benefit in becoming an early adopter and supporter of BR.
I also know perfectly well that the BR set is cheaper than the DVD collection, but I'm just not willing to support BR due to the reasons I've stated in my previous post. I do not want half-ass beta-like products to get my money and win market share (and in turn the format war) period. Currently all reviews points to HD-DVD being the superior (better and more efficient VC-1 codec vs mpeg2 on BR, and more space with dual-layer 30G vs 25G BR disk) AND being a cheaper format (cheaper player at almost half the price) to support, and I really wish anime companies would try to release their contents on the (currently) cheaper and (currently) better HD-DVD and that's the stance I'm going to take - by not buying any BR product until they can show to me that it is the superior format which they have been preaching and not the other way around. Until then, I'll stick with DVD and my up-converting DVD player.
|2006-08-29, 04:21
|Link #65
wingéd prettygirl
Which is fair enough. However, in regards to your previous posting (about the lack of 50GB disks and the lack of H.264 support)
VC-1, which you're citing as better and more efficient, is in no way AVC. VC-1 should never have happened. It's only included in the HD spec of both formats (yes, it's in both) in order to have Microsoft on board, as they kicked up as stink... wow, nearly two years ago? about the lack of a WMV-based codec in the HD selection. And, since my opinion of WMV is, oh, very very low, I could care less about a lack of VC-1. Now, a lack of AVC support... that would make me rather irate. But neither Blu-ray nor HD-DVD lack AVC.
50GB disks are definitely available. In movie format? I'm not sure as of yet, so I'll grant you that. But looking back at the launch of DVD - how long was it before dual-layer DVD's became available at all, let alone widespread? It definitely took a while. And Sony is shipping DL-Blu-ray media right now. If they can provide it to the home market, I'd be rather surprised if the studios/content producers can't get their hands on it.
I'm actually curious here, as a search and a memory think (~_^) can't turn up the answer: are any HD titles (HD-DVD specifically) authored in VC-1/AVC yet? As in available market titles, not upcomings or demoes? I honestly can't remember. I'm sure that Blu-ray isn't yet, I seem to recall that the disks released so far have been MPEG-2. Which is quite capable of doing HD video, it just requires a great deal more disk space. I assume that a proper encode set will be released in the near future, unless Sony really are trying to shoot themselves in the foot. The current player lineup and its cost, as you have touched on, aren't exactly reassuring.
But then, as I stated earlier, I'm not specifically an early adopter. Yes, I'm buying Air on Blu-ray (unless I change my mind vis-a-vis the HD issue - in either sense, I'll pick up Kanon HD, which I'll bet will be Blu-ray, not HD-DVD), so in that sense I'll be buying a Blu-ray device of some kind. Which kind? As I mentioned before, guaranteed I'll buy a Blu-ray burner for my computer. And that's a point in Blu-ray's favour, every single large computer manufacturer is currently in the BDA. Will that help Blu-ray in the home entertainment space?
Perhaps. It's more likely for those who watch their movies on their computers to want to be able to watch them on the TV too, I'd guess. Especially if Sony does manage to pull a nice trick with the PS3, which is a somewhat chancy issue. But there'll be, in the not-too-distant future, millions of PCs shipping with Blu-ray burners built in. And that comes down to how I see Blu-ray at the moment - I view it primarily as a data storage/backup medium, with the added bonus of being able to play HD content with it. In that regard, it's superior to HD-DVD.
*shrug*. Your mileage may vary. But I'll be buying Air on Blu-ray in October, simply because I will be Blu-ray capable at some point in the near future, and as such, it makes sense for me to buy it in this format rather than pay the extra hundred thousand odd yen for the R2 DVDs.
|2006-08-29, 05:06
|Link #66
seiyuu maniac
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Tokyo, Japan
My beef is that Sony is using "but our format is *going* to be better" tactic to stomp out the other format while not actually delivering what it claims it can do *as of this current moment*, whereas something better is actually available right now. It would be a real shame when something better and cheaper loses out because of empty promises which they may or may not deliever in the future. I mean I don't see how greedy companies would have any incentive to produce better products when there is no competition in the market place. On the same token and hypothetically speaking, if Blu-Ray wins on hype alone, I don't see them moving onto dual-layers and new codecs anytime soon, just like how Sony came out and said mpeg2 is good enough.
Currently I really wish that Kanon will get the HD-DVD treatment due to the reasons I've already stated, because I'm seeking for the best quality possible to watch these shows. Unless, again if BR delievers on their promised spec of dual-layer AVC, but that is just still a big "if" and "when".
|2006-08-29, 05:28
|Link #67
wingéd prettygirl
@ houkoholic
I completely understand where you're coming from. Thanks for a very cohesive and well articulated response, 'tis always a pleasure to read them. And as I hope you've gathered, I'm not exactly happy with Sony's treatment of the Blu-ray medium either. I see potential there, and I wish they'd follow through with it. In terms of data storage and such (which is the kicker for me at this point), sure, they've got something going. In terms of HD video?
Wait and see is the approach I too would nominally recommend. Depending on the personal situation, of course.
Interesting to note as well has been Sony's reactions (and lack thereof) to the HD 'revolution', especially in regards to MPEG2vs VC-1/AVC (oh, and for the record, it's not so much a generic Microsoft-DRM-Evil-Empire hate for me, it's more the way they pushed it... and the bad experiences I've had with WMV in general in the past). Yep, sure, MPEG-2 can look damn good. But the kicker is, of course, that AVC/VC-1 can look just as good, if not better... with a hell of a lot less bitrate/storage. This might not be an issue to a lot of consumers, sadly, as quality is often a neglected thing - look at the way people treat HDTV, for instance, with many consumers apparently unable to see much of a difference, if at all, between 720p & 1080; not to mention the online music stores of the iTMS et al distributing horribly compressed music that makes me cringe, yet most people are perfectly fine with...
I suppose, as with most things, the voting with your wallet as you are doing is the way to go. I'm still hoping for a Blu-ray/HD-DVD combo drive at some point that is also an upscaling DVD player. Otherwise? Well, go with what I need most.
|2006-08-29, 07:25
|Link #68
tsubasa o sagashite
The AIR BD set comes on 50GB dual layer BluRay discs, you know.
|2006-08-29, 07:27
|Link #69
seiyuu maniac
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Tokyo, Japan
AIR BD doesn't come out until November 1st, until I see physical proof that they're dual layer BD, it doesn't exists *as of now*.
EDIT: After googling, the only place which I saw the mention of dual layer 50G is amazon jp. I do not see such mention of 50G disk on the AIR official site, Pony Canyon or any other news such as Impress Watch and online vender's site. Needless to say I'm very skeptical at this point
|2006-08-29, 07:40
|Link #70
tsubasa o sagashite
EDIT: The main AIR site does claim average 40Mbps for the main feature. Assuming each episode is 25 minutes, we get 14*25*60*40,000,000/8 = 105GB. The main features are contained on 3 discs, and hence, we get approximately 35 GB per disc, which would not fit on a single layer disc.
|2006-08-29, 07:53
|Link #71
seiyuu maniac
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Like I said, I can't even find a mention of 50G disk on Pony Canyon's site itself, you can't find BD AIR in their November release line-up and heck punching in the disk code doesn't even bring up a product hit. Likewise all other reputable online venders does not mention this at all. I'm not convince that this one and only one source is proof that it is indeed 50G. Unless you're saying that Amazon is so special that they're the only one who have access to manufacturer text while nobody else has.
Eitherway It's even more disappointing if they have 50G to work with and still come up not much better than the DVD as I've seen and other Japanese people can attest to, just further proves the format is not mature enough to support.
|2006-08-29, 08:09
|Link #72
tsubasa o sagashite
|2006-08-29, 08:35
|Link #73
seiyuu maniac
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Matsushita's storage device specalist who is the technical spokesman respresenting the group specifically said that dual layer ROM disk should appear on the market at around Christmas, this goes in direct conflict with the AIR BD box release date of November 1st. More interesting is that Yokujin Densyokai, the group which sponsers and produces AIR AND Pony Canyon were part of the conference but does not correct such a statement.
So either:
1) BD AIR will be delayed till Christmas, if the Christmas release claim is true.
2) AIR official site's claim is false and just PR gimmick, if the Christmas release claim is the truth.
3) Matsushita's own spokesman was wrong and made a balant mistake.
Either way you take it, if you look at the overall picture with all these conflicting reports and claims, it certainty doesn't introuduce any consumer confidence.
*EDIT* Looks like 1 is the case. BD AIR is officially delayed for one month because of "technical issues"
Last edited by houkoholic; 2006-08-29 at 09:19.
|2006-08-29, 23:04
|Link #74
tsubasa o sagashite
|2006-08-30, 03:09
|Link #75
seiyuu maniac
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Also let me guess, did you by any chance obtained the HD source off the internet, which obviously had gone through another compression process which would degrade the picture quality? Because off the air BS-i AIR was really quite a fair bit nicer than the DVD if you watch it as it was, SD source up-converted or not, it was done well. This was the reason that the Japanese fans were disappointed about the BD AIR because most agreed that it looked barely better than the DVD.
Yes, BD AIR would be encoded in MPEG2, which is a mature codec, but what about the other parts of the equation I've mentioned which also factors into the overall maturity of the format - the players and the manufacturing process, both are being held up right now (as evident by the BR group having to hold a conference to instill consumer confidence that they're on target on delivering what they promised). No matter how you try to spin it, the fact of the matter is that BD has only been out for a few months as players only just began to hit the streets, plus the first of these players are riddled with hardware problems, it is an immature format and there is no arguments you can make against this fact.
|2006-08-30, 14:33
|Link #76
tsubasa o sagashite
Now, when you said that the BS-i version was a ton better than the DVD version, I had thought you meant that the BS-i version was from some mysterious HD source. Even a bad rip of that would've captured at least some (albeit noisy) detail from the HD that wasn't in the DVD release. However, if it was from a SD upconvert, the bad rip would then probably look poorer than the DVD, due to the fact that the bad rip of the upconvert would be travelling through 2 lossy channels (BS-i, ripper), while the DVD would be travelling through only 1 lossy channel (DVD encode). If the original source were HD, the DVD would've traveled through two lossy channels (downconvert, DVD encode). Furthermore, if the original source were only SD, then of course BS-i would have a much better time fitting the same material onto a bitstream more than twice as wide (assuming 20Mbit stream for BS-i).
|2006-08-30, 23:07
|Link #77
seiyuu maniac
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Tokyo, Japan
You've pointed out why the BS-i broadcast looks better than DVD, and by the same argument, BD AIR should at the very least look just as good as the BS-i broadcast assuming that 1) they use the same source (which is very likely) and upconverted it correctly 2) BD has a higher bitrate and more bandwidth to work with. But the result is contrary according to reports, with BD AIR sitting somewhere inbetween the BS-i and DVD.
Also don't forget that there's also the *decoding* chain where image degration can occur. Not all signal processors are made equal.
|2006-09-02, 03:38
|Link #78
tsubasa o sagashite
My guess is that their upconvert created too much high frequency noise/errors, and thus totally killed the encoder. For example, those alias edges have *got* to be ugly to compress.
|2006-09-09, 21:33
|Link #79
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: United States
Age: 31
*Finished Pre-Ordering AIR Box 初回限定生産 (Blu-ray Disc)* Oh well... It is worth it. I know for sure I'll say it was a stupid move. But I'll love it for sure.
Last edited by Shakugan no Shana; 2006-09-09 at 21:51.
|2006-09-18, 09:27
|Link #80
Junior Member
Join Date: Sep 2006
Maybe it's just me and I don't want to talk about technology I don't know a lot about as to be honest I don't know all the technical specs regarding bluray and hd dvd. I think both have a LOT of hype right now and i'm really waiting to see which technology takes off. Currently the war is sounding a lot like Betamax vs VHS. Yeah Betamax was superior in a few ways but it wasn't really cost effective. Also I remember during the VHS war we had a really nice Pioneer Elite Laserdisc player. I remember the quality of the video was very very clear but the discs were huge and not very cheap. I don't know what happened to the technology but it never became a standard at least in the US.
What i'm wondering is how either HD players could benefit myself, I really don't think it will if my primary viewing is Anime. I've seen the screenshots and realize it can't really represent how media would look on a regular hdtv. I myself am running I believe a 2nd generation Plasma display, it's a EDTV display 42" by Samsung with DVI therefore it's not truely HD. While I get HDTV channels from Dish and they are very colorful and vibrant (and my satellite box is set to 1080i) I believe this is actually scaled down to 480p so my tv is able to fit the resolution on the screen. It looks better than dvd quality in ways but even then it's a significant improvement. I've seen new generation plasma displays with HDTV content playing on them and it blows me away how clear it is even close up to the screen, with mine you walk up to it and you can see the pixels but from a good viewing distance it still looks as clear as any modern day plasma display.
Now with anime, i've noticed anime will really look good even on a regular CRT as it seems like there is little worry about skintone and realism as a real human compared to a drawing. I've watched anime in 16:9 through dvd upscaled and it looks very clear and vibrant, i'm sure anime will look better on hd dvd and bluray but the question is will it really be a noticeable difference? I'm sure the new anime coming out and stuff like Air would look better. I'm wondering if either player is even worth an investment with my current tv or if i'm just better off buying a new tv with a player within 2007.
One large marketing gimmick it seems especially at walmart are "HDTV ready tv's" which aren't truely HD, rather they downscale the signal. I bought my tv in early 2003 however so at the time I didn't really know about that though I bought mine at circuit city.
|Thread Tools


text:
Romi Rain - American Daydreams
Billy just got back from the lingerie store with a surprise for his girl. He can't believe what an amazing store it was. The employees even tried on the lingerie for him to make sure that it was the perfect gift. He instantly fell in lust with the employee that was helping him, a hot brunette who was wearing this pink bikini outfit. Once home, Billy passes out and awakens to the hot brunette employee reaching for his cock. He takes this chance of a lifetime and bangs her brains out until he wakes up and realizes it was all a dream....or was it?
.4Mp SD
Related Galleries


text:
It is possible that the main title of the report Bejel is not the name you expected. Please check the synonyms listing to find the alternate name(s) and disorder subdivision(s) covered by this report.
Bejel is an infectious disease that is rare in the United States but common in certain parts of the world. The infection is very similar to syphilis but is not sexually transmitted. Most frequently, transmission is by means of non-sexual skin contact or by common use of eating and drinking utensils. The organism that causes bejel belongs to the same family as the bacterium that causes syphilis, pinta and yaws and is known as treponema. Treponemas are spiral-shaped bacteria (spirochetes). Also known as endemic syphilis, bejel is characterized by lesions of the skin and bones that begin in the mouth and progress in gradual stages. The late stages are the most severe.
Bejel is very common in dry, hot climates especially in the countries of the eastern Mediterranean region and in Saharan West Africa.
Center for Disease Control and Prevention
1600 Clifton Road NE
Atlanta, GA 30333
Tel: (404)639-3534
Tel: (800)232-4636
Email: email@example.com
Internet: http://www.cdc.gov/
NIH/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Office of Communications and Government Relations
6610 Rockledge Drive, MSC 6612
Bethesda, MD 20892-6612
Tel: (301)496-5717
Fax: (301)402-3573
Tel: (866)284-4107
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Internet: http://www.niaid.nih.gov/
World Health Organization (WHO)
Avenue Appia 20
Geneva 27, 1211
Tel: + 41 22 791 21 11
Fax: + 41 22 791 31 11
Internet: http://www.who.int/en/
Genetic and Rare Diseases (GARD) Information Center
PO Box 8126
Gaithersburg, MD 20898-8126
Tel: (301)251-4925
Fax: (301)251-4911
Tel: (888)205-2311
Email: http://rarediseases.info.nih.gov/GARD/EmailForm.aspx
Internet: http://rarediseases.info.nih.gov/GARD
This is an abstract of a report from the National Organization for Rare Disorders, Inc. ® (NORD). A copy of the complete report can be obtained for a small fee by visiting the NORD website. The complete report contains additional information including symptoms, causes, affected population, related disorders, standard and investigational treatments (if available), and references from medical literature. For a full-text version of this topic, see http://www.rarediseases.org/search/rdblist.html
The information provided in this report is not intended for diagnostic purposes. It is provided for informational purposes only. NORD recommends that affected individuals seek the advice or counsel of their own personal physicians.
It is possible that the title of this topic is not the name you selected. Please check the Synonyms listing to find the alternate name(s) and Disorder Subdivision(s) covered by this report
This disease entry is based upon medical information available through the date at the end of the topic. Since NORD's resources are limited, it is not possible to keep every entry in the Rare Disease Database completely current and accurate. Please check with the agencies listed in the Resources section for the most current information about this disorder.
For additional information and assistance about rare disorders, please contact the National Organization for Rare Disorders at P.O. Box 1968, Danbury, CT 06813-1968; phone (203) 744-0100; web site www.rarediseases.org or email email@example.com
Last Updated: 5/15/2009
Copyright 1986, 1993, 2004, 2009 National Organization for Rare Disorders, Inc.
This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information.


text:
The web-slinger was all set to return for his fourth big-screen adventure in 2011, but stop the presses -- Spider-Man 4: The Movie has been cancelled? That's true, and with it, the Spider-Man 4 videogame was all wrapped up as well.
But fear not, Marvel fans -- an all-new Spider-Man movie series reboot brings The Amazing Spider-Man to gamers in the place of this cancelled game.
NOTE: This game is no longer planned for release.
Also known as: Spiderman 4, Spider-Man 4: The Movie
Release Region: United States
Release Date: Canceled
Publisher: Activision


text:
Stories by dragonmage [1] Series by dragonmage [0] Reviews by dragonmage [0] Challenges by dragonmage [0] Favorite Series [0] dragonmage's Favorites [0]
Favorite Series
No results found.
|The authors own nothing. Joss, UPN, WB, etc. own Buffy, the show, the characters, the places, and the backstory. The authors own any original plots.


text:
*release provided by Conference Carolinas
HIGH POINT, N.C. -- Conference Carolinas is proud to announce the 2011 Men's & Women's Soccer Academic All-Conference Team award winners. League member institutions stress the role of "Academics and Athletics Working Together" and each sport's Academic All-Conference award winners exemplify this continued league-wide commitment.
The 2011 Conference Carolinas Men's & Women's Soccer Academic All-Conference representatives have been awarded to the following junior and senior student-athletes with a cumulative grade point average of 3.25 or higher on a 4.0 scale in all work completed at their member institution that have played in a conference sponsored sport. The GPA is calculated based on the student-athletes cumulative average through the previous semester and each student-athlete must have attended their member institution for at least one academic year.
Each year the Academic All-Conference Team is released while closing out each regular season before starting the tournament championships. Women's soccer will begin tournament play on Monday, October 31st while the men kick-off on Tuesday as all quarterfinal games will be played at the higher seeded team. Semifinal and final matches are also at the higher seeded team with the women playing that following Thursday and Saturday and the men playing on Friday and Sunday. Keep up with all the Conference Carolinas fall tournament action on the league website Fall Championship Central link or at www.conferencecarolinas.com/Championships/2008-09/20082410_08-09ChampionshipsLinks
|Men's Academic All-Conference Team
|Women's Academic All-Conference Team
|Brian Riesenberg, Barton
Richard Worthy, Barton
Josh Koerner, Belmont Abbey
Ross Smith, Belmont Abbey
Mario Nunez, Belmont Abbey
Nathan Price, Belmont Abbey
Noah Lascell, Coker
Jonathan Pent, Coker
James Sweeney, Coker
Cade Weatherly, Erskine
Colby Childress, King
Erik Douglas, King
Michael Johnson, King
Matthew Kilgus, King
Patrick Milfield, King
Luke Duffy, Lees-McRae
Tyler Gibson, Lees-McRae
Harry Lockwood, Limestone
Michael Stephenson, Limestone
Tyler Jameson, Mount Olive
Raymond Stan Smith, Mount Olive
William Allen, North Grenville
Nick Williams, North Greenville
Kristopher Jaggers, Pfeiffer
Fahret Salihovic, Pfeiffer
John Rush, Queens
Patrick Morgan, Queens
Zachary Melon, Queens
Thomas Gwilt, Queens
Joshua Dowd, Queens
Matthew Cavallo, Queens
Giancarlo Aristondo, Queens
|Brittany Bobbitt-Barton
Ashley Mikulski-Barton
Hilary Peterson-Barton
Sara Treadwell-Barton
Stephanie Avila-Belmont Abbey
Alexa Hale-Belmont Abbey
Juliana Stalzer-Belmont Abbey
Alana Ryczek-Belmont Abbey
Kristin Foster, Belmont Abbey
Rebecca Blackmon, Coker
Morgan Hartline, Coker
Sarah Kinsey, Coker
Jessica Bosak, Converse
Emily Brown, Erskine
Molly Harpe, Erskine
Talisa Vire, Erskine
Emily Wentzky Erskine
Caroline Gentry, King
Abigail Kitts, King
Hannah Shankel, King
Morgan Shelton, King
Stephanie Wettin, King
Mary Dorn, Lees-McRae
Brooke Santerre, Lees-McRae
Victoria Rich, Lees-McRae
Emily Jones, Lees-McRae
Jessica O'Leary, Lees-McRae
Monica Young, Lees-McRae
Leeann Sullivan, Lees-McRae
Ashley Alderin-Fleagle, Limestone
Ashley Spanitz, Limestone
Holli Schwartz, Limestone
Patrice Clark, Mount Olive
Jennifer Floyd, Mount Olive
Lyndsey McIntyre, Mount Olive
Cara Paxson, Mount Olive
Caroline Smith, Mount Olive
Lindsey Stanley, Mount Olive
Brittany Thurlow, Mount Olive
Jamie Alcala-Pfeiffer
Lexie Makris-Pfeiffer
Rachel Shapelow-Pfeiffer
Alyssa Wombwell-Pfeiffer
Amanda Wemple-Pfeiffer
Sarah Yates-Pfeiffer
Katherine Carr, Queens
Brynn Feeney, Queens
Sara Jones, Queens
Kariel Parian, Queena
Megan Sload, Queens
Samantha Striano, Queens
Kathryn Sylvester, Queens


text:
In the wake of Steve Jobs's resignation as CEO of Apple Inc., there has been the predictable tsunami of articles chronicling Mr. Jobs's accomplishments. You can count me among those who marvel at all that Steve Jobs has done to reshape the world we live in. How different (and inferior) our technology would be today if Steve Jobs had not shepherded the development of the Macintosh, the iPod, the iTunes Store, the iPhone and the iPad.
If you think similar products by someone else's hand would have reached our shelves anyway, think again. Go back and read Guy Kawasaki's The Macintosh Way to see how, from the very start, Apple's success was a direct result of the corporate culture Mr. Jobs created. Despite a few misgivings regarding his management style, if I had a choice, I'd prefer that Steve Jobs remain CEO of Apple indefinitely. Unfortunately, we were not given that choice.
At a personal level, Steve Jobs is responsible for changing the trajectory of my life. My first computer was an Apple II. I purchased a Macintosh in January of 1984, the week after it came out. At the time, I was convinced I had just seen the future of personal computing. My assessment has not changed. Thus began a relationship with Apple that has spanned decades. I began writing about Macintosh computers in the late 1980's. Eventually, via several books and a website, it became a full-time career. I thank Steve Jobs for all of this.
When I look back in time through the lenses of my rose-colored glasses, I can almost convince myself that I was aware of Steve Jobs's genius from the very beginning. With the glasses off, the harder truth becomes apparent: I did not always have the reverence for Steve Jobs that I have today. And I believe I am far from alone in this regard…
In 1985, when Steve Jobs was ousted as CEO of Apple, I was surprised, almost shocked. I was well aware of Mr. Jobs's critical role in the development of the Mac. I wondered whether his departure would signal the loss of Macintosh-like products going forward. Still, I was not especially concerned or alarmed. I remained confident that Apple could and likely would succeed without Steve Jobs.
It didn't turn out that way. A decade later, Apple was on the verge of bankruptcy. Microsoft Windows had taken over the world. The current crop of Mac computers were beige and undistinguished. The Mac OS was in tatters. Still, I don't recall longing for Steve Jobs to return to Apple. It was far from clear that his absence was the major factor leading to Apple's decline or that his return would help. Indeed, a commonly held belief was that Steve Jobs's bungling was what had allowed Microsoft to "steal" the Mac's GUI from Apple in the first place. In the meantime, Mr. Jobs's NeXT computer was hardly burning up the marketplace.
By 1996, Apple's attempts to revamp the Mac OS had failed. Mac OS 8 Copland was all but dead. Apple began shopping for a replacement OS, quickly narrowing down the candidates to two possibilities: BeOS (from former Apple executive Jean-Louis Gassée) vs. Steve Job's NeXT.
If you think the entire Mac community was shouting for Apple to choose NeXT, you'd be wrong. At best, there was a 50:50 split. The arguments centered around the merits of each OS. Although BeOS was a more modern OS with a more Mac-like interface, it was still in its early stages (there weren't even printer drivers as I recall). NeXT was more mature, already running on its companion hardware. But its less attractive interface and underlying UNIX base made Mac diehards nervous.
For what it's worth, I was one of those who was rooting for BeOS. But my main point here is that, as far as I can recall, the potential return of Steve Jobs to Apple was not a major consideration in the debate. Certainly, there was no groundswell suggesting that Steve Jobs's return would save Apple. On the contrary, many viewed this prospect as another strike against going with NeXT.
Happily, in the end, Apple ignored my preference and chose NeXT. Soon thereafter, Steve Jobs resumed his role as CEO. Even at this point, the wisdom of this move was not immediately recognized. Over the next year, people continued to question the merits of putting Mr. Jobs back in charge. At the Boston Macworld Expo, when Steve Jobs announced a deal with Microsoft (with a 1984-like image of Bill Gates on a screen behind him), there were more gasps than applause. Mac users were, by and large, disappointed when Mr. Jobs killed off the Newton. There were predictions of doom when he withdrew the licensing for Mac clones. Yes, we can see the wisdom of all of these decisions now; but it wasn't clear at the time.
[For an interesting at-the-time perspective, read my MacFixIt "Year in Review" articles for 1997 and 1998. You'll see how my perceptions of the future of Apple and the role of Steve Jobs dramatically shifted over 12 months.]
It wasn't until 1998 that the great turn-around began — with the release of the iMac. From its radical Jonathan Ive all-in-one design to the elimination of the floppy disk drive, it was beautiful and bold. Mac OS X was still several years away, but it was already becoming clear that Steve Jobs was sending Apple in a new direction. And, at least among those in the Mac community, we liked where he was going. As it turned out, the iMac was the first of a string of products whose success remains unrivaled in any industry.
From the vantage point of 2011, I am convinced that, if Steve Jobs had not returned to Apple, the company would not exist today. I would not be writing this article on a MacBook Air with an iPhone in my pocket. As the book title aptly puts it, Steve Jobs's second tenure at Apple is the "Greatest Second Act in the History of Business." Founding Apple and being the driving force behind the creation of the Macintosh are landmark achievements. No doubt. But it is Steve Jobs's post-1997 accomplishments that turned a successful entrepreneur into a legend.
I would like to say we all knew this even back then. But we didn't. Regardless, we know it today. Whatever happens from this day forward, Steve Jobs's legacy is assured.
Where does Apple go from here? Can Apple continue to succeed without Steve Jobs at the helm? These questions have been asked, over and over again in the past week. The consensus answer appears to be that Apple can and will do quite well, at least in the short run. The long run is more of an uncertainty — and with justification.
I believe that Steve Jobs's success at Apple is based on two key qualities: vision and implementation.
Mr. Jobs had the vision to anticipate what products consumers would want and how best to design these products. But he did not act alone in this regard. As he would be the first to admit, Steve Jobs had a great team behind him, with people such as (new CEO) Tim Cook and Jonathan Ive. This team remains at Apple, together with the culture Steve Jobs created that is now part of Apple's "DNA." That's why I am confident that Apple's pipeline will churn out successful products for years to come.
But Mr. Jobs also had an unrivaled power to implement his vision. It wasn't always pretty to watch but, when Steve Jobs said he wanted something done, it happened — no matter what the risk, no matter what the cost, no matter how many others thought it might not be a good idea. He could be persuaded to change his mind. But if persuasion failed, Mr. Jobs would get his way. His power extended beyond Apple itself. According to behind-the-scenes accounts, Steve Jobs was able to get AT&T to agree to his terms for an iPhone, without top AT&T executives ever even seeing a prototype. This power enabled Mr. Jobs to accomplish goals that no other CEO would have been able to do. Combine this with the "vision thing" and it's an unbeatable duo.
Will anyone else at Apple be able to wield this type of power? The short answer is "No." I believe decisions at Apple will now require more of a consensus than was the case with Steve Jobs in charge. But this hardly means that Apple will not continue to be a successful company. It can be successful in a different way — a way that could turn out to be more positive than negative. A little less of Mr. Jobs's "tight control" could have benefits.
Still, the long run remains a concern. You can view corporations metaphorically as digital clocks — ones that do not run with 100% accuracy. The degree of inaccuracy of a particular clock varies as a function of how well the company is being run. A well-run company, such as Apple, might lose a barely perceptible 30 seconds a year. Still, left alone, even this small loss grows over time — until the gap becomes large and noticeable. If and when this happens, even a well-run company finds itself in trouble. Part of the job of a CEO is to monitor and periodically reset the clock to prevent this from happening. Steve Jobs could manage the clock better than anyone. How well Tim Cook can handle the task remains to be seen. Given what I know of Mr. Cook, I am very optimistic. However, the clock metaphor implies that it could be years before we know for sure. Time will tell.