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The project will relocate the existing Airfield Lighting Vault building and related airfield electrical in frastructure to allow for the North Terminal project to be developed. The work consists constructing a new 4600 SF building to house equipment associated with the airfield lighting system. Airfield ductbanks will be re-routed around the proposed apron area. Once the new building is complete and operational, the existing vault building will be demolished to allow construction to begin on the North Terminal.
This project provided a modern ARFF Station
just to the west of the existing facility which is both antiquated and located
on a constrained site that doesnÆt allow for expansion. The project also
included the demolition of the DHL hangar and apron.
This project provided
for the construction of a customer service building, a ready-return parking
garage, new utility building and associated service areas for the rental car
companies to maintain their vehicles. The facility also includes concessions
and is connected to the Terminal via a covered walkway.
This project provided an additional six (air carrier) gates to
the current seven gates on Concourse D. Also included are new food and beverage
concessions, retailers, restrooms and modifications to the security checkpoint
that will allow for the increased capacity.
This project provided for the modernization of the exterior
features of the Terminal building. On the upper level, the curtain wall fańade
was replaced with windows and new entrances. Expansion joints along the
Terminal fańade were replaced. The inner and outer roadway curbs were expanded
by 3 ft on both levels and roadway lane widths were narrowed accordingly. This
project was bid with the Interior Terminal Improvements Phase 3 project and has
been coordinated to mitigate passenger and tenant impacts.
This project provided for the complete
rehabilitation of 12 restrooms along with minor renovations to an additional 9
restrooms throughout the terminal and all concourses. Work was phased with
other planned/ current interior construction work in the Terminal to minimize
impacts to passengers. (This project was originally bid in 2009 but was rebid
in 2010).
This project provided for the modernization
of the interior of the Main Terminal building. On Level 2, the offices on the
roadway side of the main corridor were demolished up to the curtain wall and
were reconfigured into a circulation area with new Terrazzo flooring. The
ticket counters were refurbished and relocated to allow for the placement of
EDS machines behind them. Level 1 modernization efforts consist of upgrades to
the flooring and baggage claim finishes. This project was bid with the Exterior
Terminal Improvements Phase 2 project and has been coordinated to mitigate
passenger and tenant.
This project provided for the rehabilitation and realignment of
the existing North Perimeter Roadway into a new, wider road that is easier to
navigate. Also included in this project was the re-contouring of nearby
This project included a number of aesthetic
upgrades including improvements to walls, ceilings, additional lighting, column
covers, speakers, carpet replacement, FFE (fixtures, furnishings, and
equipment), and replacement of escalators and trash receptacles.
This project provides for the replacement
of portions of the air carrier apron. Construction of this work is phased for
minimal impact to airline operations
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By: Dr Lynda Kelly, Category: Museullaneous, Date: 30 Oct 2009
Innovation in the Art Museum Education Tradition International Symposium, Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Taiwan October 17-18 2009. I am attending this conference as a panellist. Here's my notes from the Day 2 afternoon session Organisational Structure and Professional Development for Art Museum Educators. The paper I gave in the morning – Cultural Tourism and Museums – can be downloaded from the right-hand side of this page.
What do you need to be an art museum educator?
Organisational structure and professional development
Getty Principles:
Other points:

subset: commoncrawl


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Yahoo! Axis
Despite the term "Google" becoming somewhat synonymous with the term "search," where people say "Go Google this" meaning to do an Internet search, Google is far from a monopoly. I sometimes have a hard time convincing others that Google is not the only search engine available, and that Yahoo!, Bing, and others are highly competitive and in some cases superior to the ubiquitous Google. Of the major search engines today, Yahoo! is the oldest, starting operations in early 1994, when the World Wide Web was in its infancy.
Prior to Yahoo! and the Web, the major search utility was the University of Minnesota's "Gopher," text based, clumsy, difficult to use, not user friendly, but still the finest search utility available at the time. In early 1994, just months after the creation of the World Wide Web, the first real Web browser, Mosaic, enabled the primitive Internet to be viewed with a graphical interface, rather than the text based method used previously. Jerry Yang and David Filo, graduate students at Stanford University, created a Web site named "David and Jerry's Guide to the World Wide Web," which was a directory of other Web sites. This graphical guide organized the few thousand Web sites then online into a hierarchal and logical menu. In April 1994, "David and Jerry's Guide to the World Wide Web" was renamed "Yahoo!," and included in its earliest listings my Golden Triangle Weather Page (created in March 1994).
Contrary to some urban legends in circulation, Yahoo! was not named after an exclamation denoting joy or the popular chocolate drink of a similar name (YooHoo). Some even contend that it was named after the pejorative used in David Filo's native Louisiana when referring to someone who is a little crazy, ignorant or eccentric, calling them a "Yahoo." According to Wikipedia, "The word 'yahoo' as used by Yang and Filo is an acronym for the moniker that they used for their menu system, 'Yet Another Hierarchical Officious Oracle.'" Today Yahoo! is among the top three search services, employing 12,000 people, with about $5 billion in annual revenue, a net income of about $1 billion and about 700 million visitors a month.
The level and degree of competition among search engines and their related and complimentary services is very heavy. Google, Microsoft's Bing and Yahoo! all are continuously introducing new improvements, features and applications in order to better compete with each other. Recently, Yahoo! rolled out its Axis service, which (according to Wikipedia), " ... replaces the standard search results page in other browsers with a menu of search results appearing as thumbnails at the top of the page. The menu allows the user to stay on the current page without navigating away from it." Yahoo! explains it as, "Axis combines searching and browsing in one experience."
Axis is integrated and coordinated to work independently or interchangeably between a computer, iPhone and an iPad, with an Android app to become available soon. The computer version, which works as a plug-in or add-on with almost all current major browsers, is available for free from axis.yahoo.com. The iPad and iPhone versions are available free from the iTunes app store. The Android version will be available free from the Play Store (Android app store).
I first installed the computer-based version of Axis as a plug-in for Firefox, by clicking on the yellow "Get it now!" button on the top-right corner of the Axis Webpage (axis.yahoo.com). Installing in a matter of seconds, Axis "Home" appeared as a customizable dark gray screen with three interactive rows, "Read Later," "My Favorites" and "Read From Device." On the bottom left corner of the browser screen is a search box, an interactive "star" that can be used to instantly mark favorites, and a home icon that returns to the Axis home page. When I hovered my cursor over the search box, from the bottom of the browser window, a real-time listing of the most popular current Yahoo! searches (called "Trends" or "Trending Searches") was displayed. There was a momentary navigation instruction that appeared over the search box that said, "Up and down arrow keys for suggestions; right arrow to complete; press tilde access key to switch between panels." According to Yahoo!, as you type a search request, Axis predicts your results, based on the popularity and relevance of the search results. When typing the first letters of a search topic in the box, the most popular search terms beginning with those letters instantly appears in the table below the search box, and thumbnails of the Web pages appear, rather than the traditional line of blue hyperlinked text common in search engine results, referred to in the industry as "the 10 blue links." As an experiment, I started typing the letters of my last name in the search box, and search results started to appear; after I typed the first three letters "wil," the most popular searches beginning with "wil" appeared, including William Shatner, Willie Nelson, and Will Ferrell. Typing the fourth letter (wils) displayed Wilson Leather, Wilson Golf, and the thumbnails of several other popular Web pages beginning with "wils." Continuing to the first six letters (wilske) displayed the images of the most popular searches with that beginning, including some business and family Web sites, one of which was my last name. Upon completing my last name (wilsker) a string of thumbnail images were displayed, with an arrow icon on the right and left edges of the search recommendations, which are used to scroll and visually display the actual Web pages, rather than a simple line of text as shown on the traditional search engines. The order of the results is in terms of relevance and popularity. Clicking on the "star" icon will add the search term selectively to the "Read Later" or "My Favorites" ribbon.
Since many of us use multiple digital devices, Axis is explicitly designed to be used seamlessly between devices. For portable digital devices, currently the iPhone and iPad, and soon to also be available on Android devices, Axis works slightly differently, in that on portable devices it functions somewhat as a complete browser, rather than as a browser plug-in as it is on a computer. If the same sign-on is used among different devices, the search results are seamlessly synchronized between devices, with the same favorites and read-later bars appearing on each device. A search begun on one device can be instantly reviewed or continued on another device since bookmarks, favorites and searches can be automatically and instantly synchronized between devices with Axis. Since the portable versions of Axis function as a browser, a Web address or URL can also be typed in the search box on the page, with a thumbnail of the page appearing, allowing for a preview before the full page is opened. Yahoo! claims that a single Axis homepage on all of your digital devices enables easy access wherever you go.
I have tried Axis, and it is fast, convenient and useful. I especially like the way that it predicts the results before the search term typing is completed, and displays the results as a large thumbnail image of the page, instead of the more traditional "10 blue links." While currently available for any desktop or laptop computer running any of the newer major browsers (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari and Chrome), iPhones and iPads, I eagerly await the upcoming release of the Android version. Axis is one of those "try it and you will like it" kind of services, and I like it.
Listen to Ira Wilsker's weekly radio show on Mondays from 6-7 p.m. on KLVI 560AM.


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Los – Zero Gravity II – Mixtape Download
Zero Gravity II – 13th Official Los Mixtape
On April 26, 2010, Los released one of his most controversial mixtapes, Zero Gravity, a project filled mostly with remixes. Four years and five official mixtapes later, King Los and After Platinum are back with the sequel, Zero Gravity II. Swagga Boy Los left Bad Boy Records recently putting him in the free agency and making him hungrier than ever. Los announced this tape about a year ago and once again delivers us the potential mixtape of the year.
Zero Gravity II, the 13th official mixtape by Swagga Boy Los is presented by After Platinum Records. There are a total of 19 tracks on the tape and most of them are original tracks with a few of Los rapping over other music artist's instrumentals. ZGII features many popular artists such as Royce Da 5'9, Lola Monroe, Devin Cruise, Mario, Kid Ink, Jeremih and many more. The tape is filled with solid production with Los debuting, the usual J. Oliver, Dot N Pro, Hitmaka, Devin Cruise, Peter Pan and more. Hit the link below to view the track list and download Zero Gravity II by King Los.


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The Sports Xchange
Owener says Reid will lose his job if Eagles go 8-8 again
The Philadelphia Eagles owner said that if the team does not do better than the 8-8 record it posted last year, coach Andy Reid would be fired, the Philadelphia Daily News reported.
Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said on Thursday that he expects substantial improvement this season and another 8-8 season would not be enough for Reid to keep his job.
"No, it would not," Lurie said, according to the Daily News.
Lurie backed off that a little bit when asked whether that would still apply if the Eagles were hit with a rash of injuries.
"I'm not going to make blanket statements...I guess if two-thirds of the team is not playing, there's always exceptions," he said.
But there was no doubt that, barring extreme circumstances, another .500 season would not cut it.
Reid's current contract expires after the 2013 season, and Lurie said he would not consider an extension until after the season.
"I live to evaluate everything," he said. "...I reflect and analyze afterward."
Reid's son Garrett died during the summer, but Lurie said the team's personal feelings for Reid and his family situation would not be a factor in determining Reid's job status.
"He will always have our sympathy and support," Lurie said. "But this is a business. You're there to win and win big. You have to separate the two."
Lurie said the dissolution of his marriage would not change the team's ownership status. Christina Weiss Lurie would remain one of the team's limited partners. However, Lurie said he retains all of the key decision-making power, including the decision on Reid's future.
Lurie also said he believes the Eagles have "all the ingredient" to get to the Super Bowl.


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If, then, our natural ceiling is about 120 years, beyond which human life is unlikely, we should ask why so few of us come anywhere near that age, and why those who do are usually in an advanced state of decrepitude. Infirmity and disability are not attractive prospects, so why should the aim of a longer life be an attractive idea? Simply because it is not the aim of those promoting life extension to help us towards that 120 year barrier in anything other than a reasonable state of well-being.
Professor Leonard Hayflick of the University of California, San Francisco, is quoted as calling this search 'the last great biological frontier' ('The Fountain of Youth', Newsweek, 5 March 1990, page 34). In fact the quest has been summed up quite neatly by another Californian, Professor Edward Schneider (University of Southern California) for it was he who said 'We are trying to add life to years rather than years to life.'
In fact both aims are synonymous and should be equally vigorously pursued, for if quality of life, including vitality, vigour and lack of chronic disease could be achieved, it is almost certain that life expectancy would increase.
Expect to live longer by living longer
Any boy born in the US or UK in 1990 can expect to live just over 76 years, while a girl can look forward to 83 years of life.
The older you get the longer your life expectancy becomes. For example, if you are now 25 your life expectancy at birth was 72.7 if you are male and 80.6 if you are female. However, your life expectancy now is 76.2 years (male) and 83.1 (female). Since birth your life expectancy has increased by 2 to 3 years. This increase in life expectancy is even more dramatic for people who are now older than 25, as follows:
The longer you stay alive the longer you can expect to live, seems to be the message. But not even the longest of these 'expectancies' approaches our true biological potential, and life extension methods are aimed at redressing that shortfall, rather than actually altering the ground-rules.
The immediate prospect of living to well over 100 may not be attractive, especially if you hold the idea of advanced age alongside an image of physical and mental decline. However, Prolonged life would be a much more attractive prospect were it linked to an almost assured state of mental and physical wellbeing and fitness. This is the aim of natural life extension. Long life is not just seen as an end in itself, but rather has as its objective a state of excellence in health which will bring enjoyment to long life.


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NFL 2010 Preview : 32 Thoughts
Fresh off a recent NFL Season Preview episode of The Gunaxin Show, it only seems right for me to give you a bit of a written version of the journey. Here's 32 thoughts on 32 teams, giving you the 4-1-1 on each of the sets bendin' corners in the National Football League in one sentence.
Like the season, some will be longer than others.
Washington Redskins
The Redskins' offense resembles an outstanding roster built by sugar-addicted, bong-smoking teenager constructing his own dorm-room Pro Bowl team with Madden 2006, if that kid created his own list of receivers no one had ever heard of with a defense boasting a ton of name-brand apparel completely void of proven chemistry or performance, resulting in a squad that could be the perfect avatar for their coach: expensive, overrated, and long-since removed from greatness.
New York Giants
The Giants peaked three years ago as a defense once associated with overwhelming dominance is now associated with disappointment and frustration, an offense once thriving with options is now a squad with one definitive answer for a myriad of questions, and a coach once known as a tough-nosed motivator is now becoming a man whose time and voice has died.
Philadelphia Eagles
You won't find many names typically associated with Andy Reid on this reconstructed offense but there is an explosion-in-wait hidden in shadow of youth, a squad dripping with potential that could overcome an offensive line on the mend and a defense void of identity and low on proven, top-tier leadership.
Dallas Cowboys
On paper it certainly seems like this crew should dominate the division but the offensive line is a study in contradiction (guys getting too old or guys without any proven experience at all), the coach is a complete and total moron (this team went 11-5 last season despite Wade Phillips, not because of him), and an injury to either Tony Romo or Terence Newman could ruin it all.
Buffalo Bills
There may have been a time in your life when you walked into an anonymous restaurant in the middle of the day hoping to discover a hidden gem in culinary satisfaction only to find the restaurant is a front for a meth lab, inhabited by deviant scumbags profiting off the ignorance and failures of others and all but void of any substantial, positive benefit to society while masking their identity as a reputable business of the community, and this moment would be akin to the emotion 13 different NFL teams will experience in facing the Buffalo Bills this season.
Miami Dolphins
Miami is one of the more enigmatic football teams in the land, constructed by a man closely associated with greatness, coached by another short on experience but tall in respect, and led by a roster overflowing with potential and starving for the opportunity to prove they can compete in what will be one of the best divisions in the game, leaving fans wondering if the next Tony Sparano-led step forward will be humble crawl or a magnificent leap.
New England Patriots
While the once-proud kings of the AFC East have been dethroned and challenged for reign of the land, the faithful supporters of the grey-hooded mastermind remain strong in their convictions this team will rise again despite growing age, questionable value of those coming in support of proven leaders, and an overall effort that may be way too reliant on a disgruntled and aging arm.
New York Jets
Many will suggest this bodacious collection of Hard Knock egos have invited the collective hatred of the National Football League to their front doorstep in 2010 but the target was placed firmly on their backs by one of the most assertive defensive forces in the land, and while the offense may be in the midst of evolution that some might define as regression (listing questionable contributors at left guard, running back, and quarterback), there is no doubt this D is capable of putting the opposition, no matter who that may be, to rest.
Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks welcome rebirth under the guidance of a coach seeking the same, labeled a failure at the professional level after building a resume of humble NFL beginnings only to retreat to the collegiate ranks where a reputation as a leader of men and an innovative offensive mind has given him a second shot at the professional level, and as that man and his supporters will learn, rebirth doesn't happen in an instant.
St. Louis Rams
The devastating fall of a team once respected as an offensive historical precedent has been as traumatic as this league has seen in recent years, but the Gateway City has commenced with healing via the guidance of Steve Spagnuolo, and while he has been quick to install changes long overdue – new quarterback, new offensive line, new receivers, new linebackers, new defensive line – the prosperity those changes intend to influence are not likely to show in 2010.
Arizona Cardinals
There have been noteworthy evolutions in the desert where paper bags were once regular fashion attire at games, but the 2010 season may be three steps back after taking two steps forward last season as the retirement of a prolific field general and the complete implosion of the kid tabbed as his successor has overshadowed any and all progress made since coach Ken Whisenhunt arrived, leaving us to wonder if the only undeniable failure of this Arizona offseason will turn into a death sentence.
San Francisco 49ers
If you are searching for sources of hope from the NFL landscape you may find your answers on the left coast where the former Monster of the Midway is working hard to build a team in his own image, stout on defensive prowess, inventively built around the gifts of a talented rusher on offense, led by a quarterback with hopes of surpassing expectation, all supported by the rehabilitated foundation of a young and highly-touted offensive line hoping to make the best of a bad division.
Oakland Raiders
The Raiders are capable of destruction from the defensive side of the roster where you'll find more than a fair share of horses in stable, but the offense has been so inept for so long that the addition of a few minor changes won't be nearly enough to reverse the misfortunes of recent campaigns, even if one of those changes removes the most pathetic excuse of a professional football player in exchange for a capable, game-managing passer who could and should produce substantial upgrades in the effort to move the move the football.
Denver Broncos
Denver enters the second year of the Josh McDaniels reclamation project and locals may be wondering if the future is getting too much of the focus while the Broncos of today suffer, left to praise the league's 14th-best quarterback (in most fantasy leagues, he's not getting the start) as the clear and present danger of an offense that may be void of a clear and present danger, boasting a desire to run hampered by a lack of durability, a desire to defend hampered by the loss of Elvis Dumervil, and a desire to excel with a roster that may lack the weapons needed to do so… at least for today.
San Diego Chargers
The Chargers left last season as the undeniable powers of the AFC West with plans of further domination in 2010, but an offseason of strife has transformed a thorough offensive roster into one of the least experienced offenses in the NFL, working without the benefits of their Pro Bowl left tackle and the most feared deep threat left in the division, pushing all eyes to the rookie working out of the backfield, one of the best young passers in the game, and a D that has suffered just as many losses as the O.
Kansas City Chiefs
Held as the potential surprise of the short-bus division of the NFL, the Chiefs are hoping their known commodities on both sides of the roster are strong enough, durable enough, and competitive enough to trump the long list of questions brought by every other squad in the AFC West, boasting a somewhat reliable and somewhat proven passer, several talented offensive targets for that passer to utilize, and a defense with names that suggest potential to perform is not too far out of reach, leaving the coach and fate as the most likely obstructions on the road to success.
Chicago Bears
If you gather the teams that appear to be taking a definitive turn for the worse, the majority of football fans might consider the Chicago Bears to be the leaders in the clubhouse, putting two former head coaches directly behind the hottest seat in the league as they construct their audition squads in full view of lame-duck Lovie, and at this point we wonder if all three of those so-called leaders aren't destined for failure.
Detroit Lions
The tide may be turning as Detroit appears to have finally hired a head coach capable of not only evaluating talent but also managing and mentoring it towards what could be a season of progress, led by the powerfully potent talents of the Mattew Stafford-to-Calvin-Johnson connection and laced with a stable of rushers tailored to suit any need, leaving only the defense as the lingering source of instability.
Green Bay Packers
Some was nice enough to take Aaron Rodgers to pick up his talent from layaway last season, finally looking every bit the part of a man capable of replacing Brett Favre and leading the Packers back towards a successful record with thoughts of hope reaching into the playoffs, assuming the defense can keep the opposition in check and the man known as Ryan Grant can stay healthy, wealthy and wise ('cause they don't have anything behind him).
Minnesota Vikings
We understand the selection as one of the favorites to win the NFC Norse is resting on the arthritic and durability-challenged ankle of a man who was driving a tractor less than one month ago, but as every NFL fan has learned it does not matter when Brett Favre is that man as his charisma, his arm, and his ability to find an open man down the field are as influential as any weapon you and put on the field… and even if it wasn't, the Vikes tout the defense to put the teams listed above in pain.
Cleveland Browns
So long as the name Eric Mangini is attached to the Cleveland Browns, or as the name Jake Delhomme is working as the starting quarterback and being deemed as the leader of a supposed "new day" in the Pound, or as names like Jerome Harrison, Montario Hardesty, and Mohamed Massaquoi are counted as the foundation of the offense, or as long as the defensive linebackers continue as IDP candidates only because they spend so much time on the field… so long as that is happening in Cleveland, there is no reason to believe they will compete.
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers have the defense to compete with any squad in the land but there are undeniably obvious consequences to the suspension that will be served by Ben Roethlisberger, and his toilet-stall escapades could be the different between a season of reward and a season of horror for a team seeking playoff aspirations in what looks like the most difficult division in the game.
Cincinnati Bengals
There are more than a few reasons to believe the Cincinnati Bengals could fall right back to the not-so-charmed life that was the norm not so long ago, but there are just as many reasons to believe this offense, a list that includes one of the most talented arms with a stable of horses for targets, a rusher coming off a surprisingly-successful campaign, and a defense boasting more than a few names capable of keeping points low and tackles high.
Baltimore Ravens
Many organizations submit early picks for the Super Bowl and, in this particular season, many of those predictions float all over the league, but not matter which way you go you will find Baltimore is in the mix, and it is easy to understand why when you understand the power in every facet of their roster and the upside all of those contributors have to work as elite players at their respective positions, making the Ravens one of the most potent offensive, defensive, and special-teams squads you'll find on the planet in 2010.
Tampa Bay Bucs
When the stories of the off-season revolve around the potential of a rookie wideout, the hope for potential out of a rookie running back, and the affects those players might have on this roster, you know the situation is bad… and in Tampa, "bad" might as well be translated as "hopeless".
Carolina Panthers
The Panthers are packing a ton of hope into unknown commodities at quarterback with a 31-year-old Steve Smith serving as their only viable target for those unfamiliar arms, but the defense (or lack thereof) may be the ultimate downfall for a crew putting too much emphasis on the run in a division that will not allow a second-tier effort to compete.
Atlanta Falcons
The Dirty Birds have flashed a boatload of potential since Mike Smith took the reins and started to build it from the quarterback up, but questions continue to linger about the potency of a defense that served as the inspiration for off-season spending with hopes this crew can formulate the power needed to topple the defending champs, and while they appear ready for the battle on paper, putting on the field against a crew as strong a 'Nawlins is a tall order.
New Orleans Saints
When you consider the defending Super Bowl champs return with off-season bullet points focused on improved depth in the defensive backfield as well as enhanced options along the offensive line (an offensive line already established as one of the best in the land), both supporting an offense as lethal as you can find in the league this season, you understand the normally-oppressive scenario of defending the title may be the only worthy expectation for the Saints… and if they don't push to keep the Lombardi Trophy in the bayou, you know something has gone drastically wrong.
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars spent the off-season wondering why no one wants to buy tickets and the answer, from our point of view, is rather obvious: Maurice Jones-Drew translates better to the comforts of the couch and the 60" LCD, and until you push any other facet of this team to match and support his efforts, there is no need to waste time or money on what may be the worst team in the National Football League (a dubious honor they avoid only because of MJD).
Houston Texans
We keep waiting for the Kubiak army to rise and challenge the powers of the NFL, and the longer we wait, the more we suspect it will never come as an offense clearly gifted in the art of the pass is so substandard in effort to create any semblance of ability with the run that we wonder if the loss of rookie Ben Tate, the alleged savior of the Texans' rushing offense lost to a preseason broken ankle, isn't an omen of continued dismay and poor fortune.
Tennessee Titans
An objective review of the situation in Tennessee would reveal the same warts as many of the teams listed above – questionable quarterback with questionable receivers putting too much emphasis on the run with an unknown defense – but the Titans bring the wood on the offensive line, that guy pushing the run is as explosive as any other player in the league, and while the defense may be questionable, the coaching and proven ability to make a situation like this work is not.
Indianapolis Colts
The 2010 edition of the Indianapolis Colts may be as vulnerable as any we've seen during the era of Peyton Manning, but the same could be said about the division, the conference, and the league, leaving us with reason to believe the Colts may lack the overall strength to topple other favorites for this year's Lombardi Trophy but they certainly do not lack in weaponry, on both sides of the football, needed to put the AFC South in check.


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Baseball Capsules
NEW YORK (AP) — Jacoby Ellsbury got four hits and scored the winning run in the ninth inning on Brian McCann's pop-fly single that dropped near three Cincinnati Reds in shallow right field, giving the New York Yankees a 3-2 victory Sunday.
Ellsbury and Derek Jeter each had an RBI single for the Yankees, who finished a three-game sweep in their first series after the All-Star break. Ellsbury also stole two bases and made a sliding catch in center field that saved a run. He reached safely all five times up, including a leadoff single in the ninth off Aroldis Chapman (0-3).
David Robertson (1-2) pitched a perfect ninth to give the Reds their season-high, sixth straight road loss.
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Adrian Gonzalez hit a tiebreaking single in the ninth inning off St. Louis closer Trevor Rosenthal and Los Angeles salvaged the finale of a three-game series.
The Dodgers pulled into a virtual tie for first place with San Francisco in the NL West despite a so-so outing from Clayton Kershaw, whose run of seven straight starts allowing one or fewer runs came to an end. Yasiel Puig did not play after getting hit by a pitch on the left hand a day earlier and the Dodgers finished without Hanley Ramirez, who was taken out in the ninth — also after getting struck on the left hand.
Gonzalez leads the National League with 38 road RBIs. He missed a chance earlier, flying out with the bases loaded to end the fourth. J.P Howell (2-3) got the last out in the eighth and Kenley Jansen finished for his 28th save in 31 chances.
Rosenthal (1-5) struggled pitching on the third consecutive day after earning saves the first two games. Peter Bourjos' two-run homer off Kershaw tied it in the sixth.
TORONTO (AP) — Melky Cabrera hit a tiebreaking homer in the seventh inning, and Toronto beat slumping Texas.
Cabrera drove in three runs and finished 3 for 5, his 13th multi-hit effort in the past 28 games, as the Blue Jays won their first series since sweeping a two-game set against Milwaukee on July 1-2.
Cabrera's homer came on the third pitch he saw from right-hander Neftali Feliz (0-1), handing Texas its 13th loss in 15 road games. The Rangers have won just four of their past 28 overall and are a major league-worst 39-59. It is the first time Texas is 20 games under .500 since finishing the 2003 season 71-91.
Todd Redmond (1-4) worked one inning for the win.
Toronto sealed it with a three-run eighth against Matt West.
Rangers right-hander Nick Tepesch allowed five runs and nine hits in 4 1-3 innings.
DETROIT (AP) — Drew Smyly allowed four hits in seven innings, and Torii Hunter hit a two-run homer, helping Detroit beat Cleveland and avoid a four-game sweep.
Smyly (6-8) didn't give up a hit until Yan Gomes' two-out double in the fifth. The left-hander allowed one run on Gomes' seventh-inning homer — and two walks with six strikeouts.
Josh Tomlin (5-7) allowed four runs, six hits and a walk over 4 1-3 innings.
The AL Central-leading Tigers (54-41) stopped a four-game losing streak and increased their lead over Cleveland to 5 1-2 games.
Cleveland (50-48) had reached a season-high three games over .500 by winning four in a row.
BOSTON (AP) — Jon Lester allowed no earned runs for the third time in four starts, and Boston completed a three-game sweep of Kansas City.
In eight innings, the All-Star left-hander struck out eight and gave up two walks and four hits. Only one Royals player reached third base.
Lester (10-7) is 4-0 with a 0.85 ERA over his last seven starts with 47 strikeouts and eight walks in a span of 52 2-3 innings. He has yielded just one earned run in 31 innings.
Lester extended his scoreless streak to 14 innings before Junichi Tazawa got the first out of the ninth. Edward Mujica retired the next two batters.
Yordano Ventura (7-8) gave up all six runs.
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Odrisamer Despaigne came within four outs of the first no-hitter in San Diego's 46-year major league history, and the Padres beat the New York Mets on Seth Smith's run-scoring infield single in the ninth.
Making his fifth major league start, Despaigne didn't allow a hit until Daniel Murphy doubled to left-center with two outs in the eighth. San Diego, the only active major league franchise without a no-hitter, was playing its 7,264th regular-season game.
Murphy scored on David Wright's single to tie the score 1-1.
Vic Black (2-3) walked Carlos Quentin leading off the ninth, and Alexi Amarista bunted, with pinch-runner Cameron Maybin advancing to second and Amarista reaching when the ball went through Black's legs.
After a double play, Josh Edgin relieved, and then tumbled to the ground when he came off the mound to field Smith's bouncer.
Joaquin Benoit (4-2) threw a perfect ninth for the win.
New York scored one run in the last 18 innings of the series and has lost two in a row following a 9-2 spurt.
San Diego's Yasmani Grandal homered in the fourth off Zack Wheeler
CHICAGO (AP) — Matt Dominguez hit a two-run homer and a tiebreaking RBI double, and Houston tied its season high with 17 hits in a win over the Chicago White Sox that prevented a three-game sweep.
Chicago fell behind 4-0 early and tied it 7-all in the sixth on Alexei Ramirez's RBI double, Jose Abreu's run-scoring single and a run-scoring two-out grounder by Dayan Viciedo that went through the legs of All-Star second baseman Jose Altuve for Houston's second error of the inning.
Daniel Webb (5-3) allowed RBI doubles in the seventh to Dominguez and L.J. Hoes, and Marwin Gonzalez followed with a two-run single. Dominguez had three hits and four RBIs.
Tony Sipp (2-1) pitched 1-1 scoreless innings as Houston stopped a three-game skid.
Chicago's John Danks lasted gave up a season-high 12 hits and seven runs in 4 1-3 innings.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — James Loney had two hits and two RBIs, and Chris Archer won consecutive decisions for the first time this season as Tampa Bay topped Minnesota for its fifth straight win.
Archer (6-5) pitched 6 1-3 innings, giving up one earned run on six hits. Rookie Kirby Yates got two outs in the ninth for his first career save.
The Rays, who went 11-4 going into the All-Star break, matched their longest winning streak of the season against the punchless Twins, who scored six runs in the three-game series. At 47-53, Tampa Bay hasn't been this close to .500 since May 25, when they were five games under, and went on a 10-game losing streak.
Kevin Correia (5-12) took over the major league lead in losses, allowing four runs on seven hits and three walks in four innings. The veteran right-hander gave up two runs in the first and single runs in each of the next two innings.
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Grant Green hit a bases-loaded single off Fernando Rodney with two outs in the ninth inning after Albert Pujols tied it with an RBI double, and the Los Angeles Angels pulled out a victory over Seattle.
Rodney (1-4), the former Angels' closer, replaced Joe Beimel with one out in the eighth and retired the next two batters. He entered the ninth attempting to complete a five-out save and record the 200th of his career, but the Angels rallied for their major league-leading 30th come-from-behind victory.
It was Rodney's third blown save in 30 chances this season.
Joe Thatcher (1-1) worked a scoreless inning for the Angels.
Seattle starter Chris Young allowed three runs and 10 hits over six innings with seven strikeouts and no walks.
Angels lefty Tyler Skaggs gave up five runs and eight hits in 6 2-3 innings.
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Sonny Gray struck out eight to win his fifth consecutive decision, and Oakland pounded Baltimore.
Gray (11-3) gave up two runs, one earned, two hits and two walks in 6 2-3 innings. The 24-year-old right-hander hasn't lost since June 13 at the New York Yankees.
The major-league best A's (61-37) overpowered the AL East-leading Orioles (53-44) in the final regular-season meeting between the playoff-contending clubs. Oakland had 15 hits, chasing starter Kevin Gausman (4-3) in the fifth.
Eric O'Flaherty tossed 1 1-3 scoreless innings, and Sean Doolittle pitched a perfect ninth to help Oakland finish 4-2 against the Orioles.
Stephen Vogt had three hits and drove in a run for the A's. John Jaso tripled, singled and had two RBIs. Josh Donaldson had two singles and two RBIs.
MIAMI (AP) — NL hits leader Casey McGehee homered for the second time this season, and Miami took the lead for good on a wild pitch by Tim Lincecum in the seventh inning to beat San Francisco.
Miami stopped a six-game losing streak and averted a three-game series sweep.
McGehee came in with 118 hits and 54 RBIs, and the two-run homer in the first inning was his first since May 10. Lincecum (9-6) allowed three runs in seven innings, ending his streak of wins in four consecutive starts.
Brad Hand (1-2) gave the Marlins' shaky rotation a welcome boost by pitching seven innings to match a career high, and he allowed two runs. He had been 1-12 previously as a starter, with the lone victory in 2011.
Hand lowered his ERA to 5.02 in six starts this year. Steve Cishek pitched a perfect ninth for his 21st save in 24 chances.
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Andrew McCutchen hit a tiebreaking single in the seventh inning, Neil Walker followed with a home run, and Pittsburgh overcame a three-run deficit to beat Colorado for a three-game sweep.
With the score 3-all, Matt Belisle (2-6) relieved, and Josh Harrison worked out a seven-pitch walk leading off the seventh. Harrison stole second and scored on a single by McCutchen, who then was caught stealing second. Walker followed with his 14th homer.
Jeanmar Gomez (2-2) pitched a one-hit seventh, All-Star Tony Watson struck out two in a perfect eighth, and Mark Melancon pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his 18th save in 21 chances.
Pittsburgh has two series sweeps this month after failing to sweep any during the first three months of the season.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Jayson Werth hit a game-winning RBI double in the bottom of the ninth after the Brewers tied it in the top of the inning, and Washington edged Milwaukee.
Washington's bullpen tossed five scoreless innings in relief of Gio Gonzalez until Rickie Weeks' RBI single in the ninth off closer Rafael Soriano (1-1), who earned the win despite blowing his third save in 25 chances.
Anthony Rendon reached on a fielder's choice against Rob Wooten (1-4) with two outs and scored from first on Werth's drive into the left field corner.
Washington took two of three in the series. Ryan Zimmerman had two hits, including a two-run homer, for the Nationals.
ATLANTA (AP) — Tommy La Stella drove in three runs, and Chris Johnson hit a two-run homer to back Alex Wood and help Atlanta rout Philadelphia.
The Braves have won of five of seven and remained second in the NL East, one percentage point behind Washington.
Wood (7-7) allowed three hits and one run with eight strikeouts in six innings to win for the first time four starts.
The first five innings were played in a steady drizzle before heavy rain caused a 1 hour, 39-minute delay in the middle of the sixth.
Philadelphia took a 1-0 lead in the second when John Mayberry Jr. homered, but the Braves went up 2-1 in the bottom half of the inning on Johnson's seventh homer.
Phillies starter Kyle Kendrick (4-10) gave up five hits, six runs, two walks and struck out one in five innings. Over his last six starts, Kendrick is 1-4 with a 6.99 ERA.
PHOENIX (AP) — Josh Collmenter threw seven sharp innings, Arizona scored on an unusual play in the sixth inning and then completed a three-game sweep of the Chicago Cubs.
The only run off Collmenter (8-5) came on Anthony Rizzo's 23rd home run of the season and third of the series.
Arizona's go-ahead run scored from third base when the first baseman Rizzo caught a pop foul while tumbling into the camera well. By rule, runners are awarded a base when a defensive player carries the ball out of play.
David Peralta, who scored on the play, drove in two runs with a double and single.
Jake Arrieta (5-2) allowed three runs and four hits in 6 2-3 innings for the Cubs. Collmenter gave up four hits, struck out four and walked one.
Addison Reed pitched a perfect ninth for his 23rd save in 28 tries.
The Diamondbacks are 3-0 after the All-Star break for the second time in franchise history.


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Letters From Iwo Jima (UK - DVD R2)
Scott McKenzie reviews the companion movie to Clint's Flags of Our Fathers...
Ken Watanabe stars as General Kuribayashi, the leader of the Japanese troops on Iwo Jima who held up against the American forces for over a month in a battle that was only expected to last a few days. His methods are unorthodox and he doesn't endear himself towards some of his men by refusing their requests to commit suicide when the enemy is drawing close, instead ordering them to fall back. Among his men is a young soldier called Saigo and we learn about life on Iwo Jima before and during the battle from the letters written by him and Kuribayashi.
It's impossible to talk about Letters from Iwo Jima without discussing it in the same breath as Flags of Our Fathers. Made at the same time, the lower-budget Japanese language film focuses on the perspective of the 'enemy". As a result, the scope of the film is narrower and more personal. With very few Japanese survivors of the attack, the story is based on a short compilation of letters sent home from Japanese soldiers, both from Iwo Jima and other conflicts in the Pacific. Narration from the writers of the letters gives us a glimpse into the thoughts and feelings of the soldiers. By doing this, Clint Eastwood successfully makes the point that Michael Bay attempted to make in Pearl Harbor—that men on both sides are essentially the same. They want to fight for their country and go home to their families and these notions are universal, irrespective of which side you are fighting for.
Ken Watanabe is the stand-out performance. He's quickly becoming the go-to-guy when a Hollywood director is looking for a wise middle-aged Japanese man and it's likely that a decent slice of the estimated $15m budget went on his services. Kazunari Ninomiya also impresses as Saigo, who just wants to survive the war and go back to his wife and newborn child he has never seen. For the first forty-five minutes we learn about the characters, and I found the relationships between the characters more compelling than they were in Flags of Our Fathers. We get to learn about the people who pulled the triggers in the other movie, which also goes some way to helping the viewer appreciate Flags of Our Fathers more.
The theme of letters is a thread that runs through the whole film, whether it is the soldiers writing home to their families or the discovery of buried letters that prompts the flashback that tells the story. Even though the film is subtitled, this more personal approach makes the film more accessible because it's a lot easier for the viewer to imagine themselves in the position of the main characters, in particular Saigo. However, there was one scene that I thought laid on the sentiment a bit thick. When the Japanese capture an American soldier, they read out a letter from the soldier's mother and use her words to rouse the troops. Given that the writers had to fictionalise more of this side of the story, this scene feels particularly contrived.
Another theme that is too overused for my liking was the notion of honour and suicide. Clint Eastwood has obviously researched Japanese culture for his first movie in a foreign language, but the development of the Japanese people in general above the screaming savages of Flags of Our Fathers is not as fully realised as I would have liked. The only real difference we see is in the attitude of their superiors—the American soldiers were expected to serve their tours of duty and return home whereas the Japanese soldiers were expected to die with honour for their Emperor.
Letters from Iwo Jima has a very similar look to Flags of Our Fathers, and with almost all of the action taking place in tunnels and on the black sands of Iwo Jima, the colour is even more washed-out. This is of course intentional and often tips the picture towards black and white. Some key special effects shots are recycled from the other movie, which complement it rather than giving the impression that the filmmakers were working on a significantly tighter budget. All in all, I would say this is an excellent example of how to make a movie that tells the same story in a different way. The two could easily have been edited together into a four-hour epic but the differing themes deserve to be seen separately and Letters from Iwo Jima stands up on its own as a piece of high quality filmmaking.
With both movies sharing the same cinematographer and being shot at the same time, it's no surprise that the picture quality of Letters from Iwo Jima is very similar to that of Flags of Our Fathers. The caves and tunnels of Iwo Jima are the settings for most of the action and I'm happy to report that I couldn't find any problems with compression artefacts or colour levels in the shadows. Vibrant colour is only really provided by explosions but as expected, the picture is up to the standard you might expect from a recent Hollywood release.
One thing that sets Letters from Iwo Jima apart from its companion is the wonderful original score. One word of warning—it's used to death in the extra features so even though it sounds really good in Dolby Digital 5.1, you may become sick of it if you take in the whole package. The surround track to the movie is more enjoyable than in Flags of Our Fathers. With more battle scenes, there are more bullets flying around the speakers and powerful explosions going off all around you and it's almost worth picking up this DVD just for the audio track alone.
There are two main featurettes that appear to have been made as part of the same package of extras on the Flags of Our Fathers release. In the 'Making of' featurette, Clint Eastwood talks about his desire to make a movie from the Japanese perspective and the complications that arose from filming it in a foreign language. The featurette that focuses on the cast includes interviews with the principal actors, who talk about their roles, and also the casting director who talks about how she pulled such a large number of Japanese actors together at short notice.
'Images from the Frontlines' is a short montage of still shots from the movie and behind the scenes. If you're watching the extras in this order and you're anything like me, the score may be starting to grate on you by this point. Also included are featurettes that show footage from the world premiere and press conference in Tokyo. In both, Eastwood and the cast all talk about their roles and discuss the finer points of ensuring historical accuracy in a film that is mostly fictionalised. The theatrical trailer is also thrown in to round out the package.
Letters from Iwo Jima is a compelling film worthy of your time, especially if you have recently watched Flags of Our Fathers. The different perspective is welcome and reminds us that the soldiers on any side of a conflict all share common values. The movie looks and sounds great and while the extras aren't as comprehensive as those included on the companion release, this two disc set is still worth picking up.
Review by Scott McKenzie
Suitable only for persons of 15 years and over
Disc Details
Release Date: 9th July 2007
Discs: 2
Disc Type: Single side, dual layer
RCE: No
Video: PAL
Aspect: 2.40:1
Anamorphic: Yes
Colour: Yes
Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1 Japanese
Subtitles: English, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish
Extras: Red Sun Black Sand: The Making Of Letters From Iwo Jima, The Faces Of Combat: The Cast Of Letters From Iwo Jima, Images From The Frontlines: The Photography Of Letters From Iwo Jima, World Premiere Coverage, Press Conference Coverage, Trailer
Easter Egg: No
Feature Details
Director: Clint Eastwood
Cast: Ken Watanabe, Kazunari Ninomiya, Tsuyoshi Ihara, Ryo Kase, Hiroshi Watanabe
Genre: Action, Drama and War
Length: 134 minutes
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ROI Blog Day 125 – May 05, 2015 – Tuesday
Hummingbirds Are Here! First Official 80 Degree Day
• Another warm summery day. Sunny most of the time, but it was cloudy at times. Early this morning, a few minutes after midnight, there was a thunderstorm with some brief, but heavy, rain.
Temperature – from my weather station, in degrees Fahrenheit (F) and/or Celsius (C)
• High: 84.5 F (4:15 pm)
• Low : 63.3 F (7:22 am)
Temperature – official from TV or Weather Underground, in degrees Fahrenheit
• High: 82 – first time this year that we officially got to 80 degrees
• Low : 62
• about 0.5 inches of rain (0.375 when I measured but some will have evaporated)
Ground Conditions
• varies, as usual, from damp to very wet
Gardening and Yard Work
• B. came over to mow the lawn and help with yard work, he did the whole lawn this time, even the wet areas
• I filled the upside-down goldfinch feeder with fresh thistle seed
• I pruned the smaller branches off the broken cherry tree branch that hangs down to the ground so that B. could mow around it
• I pulled the weeds with the little white flowers from the corner garden
• a few other little odds and ends and supervising B.
• cabbage white
• red admiral – the first identified butterfly that isn't a cabbage white
• hummingbirds – sighted the first one of the year at 12:02 pm, it was at the feeder in the patio garden, saw another one (or the same one) later at the other feeder – this one was a female and I didn't notice with the first one, one or two more sightings after that
• cardinals – female, male
• wren
Other Animals
• rabbit – a little baby one
• squirrel


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Linked by Thom Holwerda on Tue 3rd Jun 2014 18:24 UTC
My love and appreciation for Palm OS is somewhat obvious around these parts, culminating in the detailed Palm OS retrospective I wrote a little over a year ago. I consider Palm OS to be the shoulders on which all subsequent mobile operating systems are built, and I believe it would do the current technology press and users a world of good if they acquainted themselves with this prescient masterpiece.
That being said, with Palm OS being old and dead, the only way to experience it is to get your hands on a real device on eBay or its local equivalent in your country of residence. If you go down this route - which I strongly advise everyone to at least look into - try and go for the ultimate Palm device, the Palm T|X. It's the most advanced PDA Palm ever built, and you can pry mine from my cold, dead hands.
Sadly, not everyone has the disposable income, time, will, desire, or any combination thereof, to go out and buy real hardware just to play with a dead operating system and all the hardships that come with it. Since I still want to spread the word of Palm OS, I've been looking into an alternative - namely, the Palm OS Simulator.


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Not a complete county tournament this spring
When one looks at the 2012 LeFlore County Baseball Tournament bracket, one of the biggest things which is noticed is that there are only 11 teams in the field and not the customary 13.The reason is quite simple.This year's tournament host was Arkoma, but due to lack of facilities and staff members to staff two sites for the first two days, it had to give up on the chance to be the host school."We're sharing the field with our softball team," Arkoma Baseball Coach Mark Weatherton said. "We have no parking whatsoever. We didn't have the faculty available to cover the gate and run the concession stands at two sites (for the first two days). (Arkoma Superintendent) Dr. (John) Turner asked me if I wanted to host it, and I told him that I really didn't want to. We don't have the facilities or the teachers."From what this humble LeFlore County newcomer (mind you, I've only been here since June 28, 2010) could ascertain, the "rule of thumb" is when a school passes on its opportunity to host a county tournament, it goes to the next one. However, that's not apparently what happened."I didn't even find out until basketball season when (Pocola Coach) Eddie Combs was refereeing a game, and he asked me, 'Why did you give the county tournament to Spiro?' Weatherton said. "I found out that Spiro asked Dr. Turner if we were wanting to host it, and he said that we weren't. He said Spiro asked if they could host it, Dr. Turner gave it to them. We probably messed that up, but we haven't been in this situation before. I thought there would have been a meeting where this would have been discussed, but I've never been involved in something like this."So, most of the schools were going to boycott the tournament. But in the end, two of them "stuck to their guns.""When it was first all coming about, there were only about four teams who were still in it," Talihina Coach Jon Bradberry said. "But (Whitesboro Coach) Bryan (Cartwright) and I were the only ones who stuck to our guns. I know it's the County Tournament, but it's really not that big of a deal."It was not handled right," Cartwright said. "It should have gone to Bokoshe. If they didn't want it, then it should have gone to Cameron. In all likeihood, it would have been at Cameron."So, the Golden Tigers and the Bulldogs are playing other people, and Talihina has actually found itself a different tournament."It only took me one day to find a tournament, the Atoka Tournament," Bradberry said.There's another drawback to the county tournament, especially if your team is eliminated early on."If you get beat out right off the bat, you're wasting a week of baseball when you could be playing baseball," Bradberry said.So, I guess you can say that this year's event won't be crowning a true county champion since not all 13 teams are in the field. What will next year hold in store, when (as of all indication) Bokoshe will be the host team for the 2013 Leflore County Tournament? I guess we'll just have to wait and see.


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Document Type
- Doctoral Thesis (1)
- Working Paper (1)
- Nonlinear feature selection using the general mutual information (2008)
- In the context of information theory, the term Mutual Information has first been formulated by Claude Elwood Shannon. Information theory is the consistent mathematical description of technical communication systems. To this day, it is the basis of numerous applications in modern communications engineering and yet became indispensable in this field. This work is concerned with the development of a concept for nonlinear feature selection from scalar, multivariate data on the basis of the mutual information. From the viewpoint of modelling, the successful construction of a realistic model depends highly on the quality of the employed data. In the ideal case, high quality data simply consists of the relevant features for deriving the model. In this context, it is important to possess a suitable method for measuring the degree of the, mostly nonlinear, dependencies between input- and output variables. By means of such a measure, the relevant features could be specifically selected. During the course of this work, it will become evident that the mutual information is a valuable and feasible measure for this task and hence the method of choice for practical applications. Basically and without the claim of being exhaustive, there are two possible constellations that recommend the application of feature selection. On the one hand, feature selection plays an important role, if the computability of a derived system model cannot be guaranteed, due to a multitude of available features. On the other hand, the existence of very few data points with a significant number of features also recommends the employment of feature selection. The latter constellation is closely related to the so called "Curse of Dimensionality". The actual statement behind this is the necessity to reduce the dimensionality to obtain an adequate coverage of the data space. In other word, it is important to reduce the dimensionality of the data, since the coverage of the data space exponentially decreases, for a constant number of data points, with the dimensionality of the available data. In the context of mapping between input- and output space, this goal is ideally reached by selecting only the relevant features from the available data set. The basic idea for this work has its origin in the rather practical field of automotive engineering. It was motivated by the goals of a complex research project in which the nonlinear, dynamic dependencies among a multitude of sensor signals should be identified. The final goal of such activities was to derive so called virtual sensors from identified dependencies among the installed automotive sensors. This enables the real-time computability of the required variable without the expenses of additional hardware. The prospect of doing without additional computing hardware is a strong motive force in particular in automotive engineering. In this context, the major problem was to find a feasible method to capture the linear- as well as the nonlinear dependencies. As mentioned before, the goal of this work is the development of a flexibly applicable system for nonlinear feature selection. The important point here is to guarantee the practicable computability of the developed method even for high dimensional data spaces, which are rather realistic in technical environments. The employed measure for the feature selection process is based on the sophisticated concept of mutual information. The property of the mutual information, regarding its high sensitivity and specificity to linear- and nonlinear statistical dependencies, makes it the method of choice for the development of a highly flexible, nonlinear feature selection framework. In addition to the mere selection of relevant features, the developed framework is also applicable for the nonlinear analysis of the temporal influences of the selected features. Hence, a subsequent dynamic modelling can be performed more efficiently, since the proposed feature selection algorithm additionally provides information about the temporal dependencies between input- and output variables. In contrast to feature extraction techniques, the developed feature selection algorithm in this work has another considerable advantage. In the case of cost intensive measurements, the variables with the highest information content can be selected in a prior feasibility study. Hence, the developed method can also be employed to avoid redundance in the acquired data and thus prevent for additional costs.
- Real-valued feature selection for process approximation and prediction (2009)
- The selection of features for classification, clustering and approximation is an important task in pattern recognition, data mining and soft computing. For real-valued features, this contribution shows how feature selection for a high number of features can be implemented using mutual in-formation. Especially, the common problem for mutual information computation of computing joint probabilities for many dimensions using only a few samples is treated by using the Rènyi mutual information of order two as computational base. For this, the Grassberger-Takens corre-lation integral is used which was developed for estimating probability densities in chaos theory. Additionally, an adaptive procedure for computing the hypercube size is introduced and for real world applications, the treatment of missing values is included. The computation procedure is accelerated by exploiting the ranking of the set of real feature values especially for the example of time series. As example, a small blackbox-glassbox example shows how the relevant features and their time lags are determined in the time series even if the input feature time series determine nonlinearly the output. A more realistic example from chemical industry shows that this enables a better ap-proximation of the input-output mapping than the best neural network approach developed for an international contest. By the computationally efficient implementation, mutual information becomes an attractive tool for feature selection even for a high number of real-valued features.


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Potato Hot Dog Bun
We're trying to start a hot dog business and don't have access to the "popular" hot dog buns in the US. We do have access to a professional baker and equipment -- and want to produce our own hot dog buns. We've found a few "pototo hot dog bun" recipes online, but would prefer to get a recipe from someone in this forum as the members here REALLY seem to understand bread.
We're thinking we should make potato buns so we have something unique. However, we don't need to use potato buns. It can be something else. The goal is to come up with something better than what can be bought at the grocery stores. We are tying to offer a gourmet experience and strongly believe that the bun will have a significant impact to that experience.
Suggestions? Thanks!


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Ryan564 necesitaba un nuevo diseño de página web y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 37 diseños de 14 diseñadores freelance.
NetNotations is looking for a homepage design for its new website. We are including an existing logo that hints at a desired look and feel for our page. We are also including a wireframe that presents a possible example of how the page might be organized, but we would have nothing against the designer modifying the layout or coming up with a completely different layout all together.
We are looking for a professional, yet stylish design with a clean, engaging layout. The site may incorporate some subtle Web 2.0 design themes, but nothing over the top (e.g. shiny round buttons).
See brief for complete details.
Description of our company:
The basic premise behind NetNotations is to "Annotate, organize, and share" the web. NetNotations is web application that allows users to annotate webpages with sticky note and highlighter annotations, organize annotated content into projects and categories, and share annotated pages with other users. See the sample text on our example wireframe for further details. Our site should cater to students, research professionals (e.g. analysts), journalists, bloggers, heavy web users, etc.
Description of our website:
We need a professional, yet stylish homepage that maintains the look and feel of our logo (available here). As mentioned earlier, we are looking for a professional, yet stylish design with a clean, engaging layout.
Also, to help you determine what components our home page might need, we've included an example wireframe (available here). Please note that the wireframe is an example only, and does not need to be followed verbatim (we are open to seeing what kinds of layouts you guys can come up with). The example wireframe is included mainly to show examples of which components may eventually need to go on the page somewhere, and to serve as a jumping off point for you guys. Be creative!
For our homepage, we need the following basic components:
- Company logo
- Top navigation bar
- Main panel showing major features of NetNotations (annotate, organize, share)
- Login button
- Register button
- "Annotate this page" button* (although it doesn't have to say that on it)
- Footer
- Spaces to put miscellaneous items (announcements, etc.). See wireframe for examples.*Clicking the "Annotate this page" button will display several pre-made annotations on the page to show the user how NetNotations works. It's basically a "try me first" button to convince the user that our product will be useful to them before they register.
Possible content for Miscellaneous sections: - Additional features of NetNotations
- Tasks made easier with NetNotations (shopping, research, blogging…)
- Screenshots (we don't have any screenshots yet, but feel free to use these as placeholders.)
- Blog updates
- Anything else?Hopefully this is enough information to get you started on some great designs. We will be very responsive as the contest progresses so that we can clarify any questions that arise.
As a side note, we will be contacting the winner of this contest to see if they are interested in further design work to help us flesh out a few other parts of our site.
- Professional, yet stylish design
- Fixed width
- Focus on the tool description panel (annotate, organize, share) and "Annotate this Page" / Register entry points
- Design that the matches the look-and-feel and of our logo
- Deliverables saved in a layered Photoshop file (.psd)
- Anything too corporate. We are a young startup that caters to students, research professionals, journalists, etc. and would like the look of our site to reflect that focus.


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James, Wade, Chalmers all out of Knicks-Heat matchup with injuries
MIAMI – Miami starters LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Mario Chalmers will not play Tuesday night when the Heat host the New York Knicks.
James has hamstring tightness. Wade and Chalmers have right ankle issues. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra says the trio will be re-evaluated Wednesday.
For the Knicks, center Tyson Chandler (back) was planning to take part in the shootaround, then decide if he could play. If Chandler can go, the Knicks will start him over Kenyon Martin. Chandler has missed New York's last 10 games.
The Knicks are bringing a league-best eight-game winning streak into the game. Miami is 29-1 in its last 30, with victories over New Orleans and San Antonio after last week's loss in Chicago snapped what was a 27-game winning streak, the second-longest in NBA history.


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Retooled Penguins aim for 15th straight win, host Islanders
The mighty Pittsburgh Penguins could have Jarome Iginla on the ice Saturday when they shoot for a 15th straight victory in a home test against the New York Islanders.
Pittsburgh is easily the hottest team in the NHL at the moment, winning 14 in a row since last losing at Carolina on Feb. 28.
Although the Penguins are 16 points ahead of New Jersey for first in the Atlantic and seven points in front of Montreal for the Eastern Conference lead, Pittsburgh has been busy picking up talent through trades over the last week and Iginla is the club's biggest, and most recent, acquisition.
The trade for Iginla was made official in the early-morning hours on Thursday, as Pittsburgh grabbed Calgary's all-time leader in goals (525), points (1,095) and total games (1,219) for forward prospects Kenneth Agostino and Ben Hanowski and the Penguins' 2013 first-round draft pick.
Prior to landing Iginla, the Penguins traded for former Dallas Stars captain Brenden Morrow on Sunday and picked up defenseman Douglas Murray the next day in a trade with San Jose. Morrow has yet to record a point in two games with Pittsburgh, while Murray logged over 18 minutes of ice time in his Pens debut on Thursday.
The Penguins didn't have their newest star forward on the ice on Thursday when they breezed to a 4-0 win over the visiting Winnipeg Jets, but they did receive a contribution from one of their old ones to pick up yet another victory.
Evgeni Malkin, the reigning Hart Trophy winner, delivered a goal in his return from a nine-game absence, while Tomas Vokoun turned back all 20 shots he faced to help Pittsburgh to a 14th straight win, a streak that is three wins shy of the club and NHL record of 17 set during the 1992-93 season.
Pascal Dupuis scored twice and Chris Kunitz added a goal and an assist for Pittsburgh. Vokoun, pressed into duty with No. 1 goaltender Marc Andre-Fleury injured in Tuesday's 1-0 triumph over Montreal, also notched an assist in addition to recording his 50th career shutout.
"It's pretty cool, pretty nice milestone," Vokoun said. "You know, they don't come easy in this league, so it was great to watch."
Fleury has been practicing with the team and is questionable for Saturday.
Iginla could play Saturday, provided issues with his work visa are settled before the afternoon contest. If Iginla is forced to sit out, then it's likely he'll make his Pens debut in Tuesday's home game against Buffalo.
Pittsburgh has won 11 straight on home ice and is 14-4-0 in the Steel City this season.
On Saturday, the Pens will face an Islanders' club that is hungry to end a five-year playoff drought and New York has aided that cause with wins in three straight games. The Isles enter Saturday tied with the New York Rangers for the eighth and final playoff spot in the East. The Rangers are in action Saturday night in Montreal.
Josh Bailey scored the winner in the fourth round of the shootout to lift the Islanders to a 4-3 win Thursday in Philadelphia. It was just the club's fifth win in the last 34 meetings against the Flyers and only the third victory in the Isles' last 17 games in Philadelphia.
After Wayne Simmonds was stopped by Evgeni Nabokov, Bailey won the game for the Islanders as he buried a wrist shot past Ilya Bryzgalov. Colin McDonald had two goals while John Tavares also lit the lamp for the Islanders, who have won their past three. Nabokov made 33 saves.
"Well for us, now we're fighting for the playoffs obviously," said Nabokov. "We're right there. Every point, not just two, is important for us, especially against a team like that. They're a good team. Regardless of what the stats are showing, they're a good team. There's a lot of character on that team. And we knew that it wasn't going to be easy."
The Isles are 2-0 at the start of a four-game road trip, improving the club's impressive away record to 10-4-1 this season.
Pittsburgh has taken three straight versus the Isles this season. The Pens have won eight of 11 overall against New York and the Isles have lost 14 of the last 16 encounters in the Steel City.


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Steamers, a longtime Tuscaloosa fresh seafood restaurant, is opening a second location this morning — this time on the Strip; The Tin Top, another restaurant known for its Gulf seafood and in-house aged steaks, has moved from north of the river to downtown Tuscaloosa; and a third locally owned restaurant, The Globe, has closed after a short-lived resurrection in Temerson Square.
Steamers, a longtime Tuscaloosa fresh seafood restaurant, is opening a second location this morning — this time on the Strip.
Meanwhile the Tin Top, another restaurant known for its Gulf seafood and in-house aged steaks, has moved from north of the river to downtown Tuscaloosa.
And a third locally owned restaurant, The Globe, has closed after a short-lived resurrection in Temerson Square.
Steamers has gone into the old Crimson Tavern location on University Boulevard.
Heath Wyatt and his twin brother Keith, who own and operate the Steamers on Hargrove Road, have partnered with Neal and Amy Mullins, who owned and operated the Crimson Tavern.
"We have brought our concept in as a management company," Heath Wyatt said Tuesday as he and a crew readied the restaurant for its 11 a.m. opening today.
The second Steamers' decor includes mounted deep-sea fish like the original Steamers but in a bow to the Crimson Tide, its walls will eventually be covered with about 400 framed covers of UA football programs, dating back to the 1930s.
The programs were collected by Neal Mullins, said his wife Amy Mullins who helped hang and lock into place some of the framed programs on Tuesday.
"Fans will be able to reminisce and talk about the games," Heath Wyatt said.
Eventually, all the programs will be posted on Steamers' website with information about the games for people who want to learn more, he said.
Steamers, which features fresh seafood, was started on 15th Street in 1996 by the Wyatt brothers and their parents, Bobby and Kathy Wyatt. The restaurant moved to Hargrove Road in 2001 and five years later, it moved to a newly built restaurant along the Black Warrior River on Bridge Street in Northport.
The Wyatts sold that restaurant to Winzell's Oyster House in 2009 and moved on to other business ventures.
In 2011, they reopened Steamers as a fresh seafood market that also offered some prepared carry-out items like gumbo and steamed shellfish. That Steamers was located in a small building along the river at the end of Greensboro Avenue. That market is now closed.
In 2012, the old Steamers location on Hargrove Road became vacant and the Wyatt Brothers decided to return there with a full-fledged Steamers restaurant and oyster bar.
Heath Wyatt said the Steamers on the Strip will feature the same fresh seafood brought in from Bayou La Batre as the Hargrove location. The only difference is it won't have an oyster bar.
The newest Steamers will have indoor and outdoor seating for about 120 people, making it a little smaller than the Hargrove Road restaurant.
"One of the main reasons we were attracted to this area is we built a big student following when we had our crawfish boil," Heath Wyatt said. "I think we are the only seafood place on the Strip so it should be popular with the students."
Steamers will be open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and will stay open later on Fridays and Saturdays. On Sundays, it will be open from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Tin Top
In downtown Tuscaloosa, Tin Top quietly opened late last week in the renovated Temerson Building, which formerly housed Veranda Home & Garden Furniture.
Bob and Patty Hallmark, who own the original Tin Top restaurant in Bon Secur on the Alabama Gulf Coast, joined a group of investors who bought the building last year.
The Hallmarks had opened a Tin Top in Tuscaloosa a few years ago at the Shops of Lake Tuscaloosa on Rice Mine Road. That restaurant has closed with the opening of the new restaurant.
Bob Hallmark said Tuesday he has delayed making a major announcement on the opening until the restaurant gets its liquor license transferred from its former location. The item is on the City Council's agenda this coming Tuesday and he said he hopes to be serving beer, wine and mixed drinks come next Wednesday.
The Tin Top occupies the first floor and mezzanine of the Temerson Building. The top floor remains vacant but there has been discussions of putting offices there, Hallmark said. The basement could be used for a banquet hall or bar, he said.
As for the Tin Top, "it was a work in progress for more than a year," he said.
Interior construction took three to four months with an eye to keeping the building's historic appearance, Hallmark said.
Construction of the Temerson Building started in the early 1940s but was halted when the U.S. entered World War II. It was finished in 1947 after the Cold War started and was built as one of the city's first civil defense shelters that could withstand a bomb blast.
The Tin Top has about 115 employees and is open daily for lunch and dinner. Its hours are 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sundays.
The Globe
As for The Globe, it's closed for good, said owner and chef Jeff Wilson.
Wilson originally opened The Globe in downtown Northport in 1992. He closed the restaurant in 2009, a victim of the economic downturn, which resulted in fewer people dining out.
In March, he brought The Globe back to life in the former Carmelo Cafe location on 23rd Avenue in the Temerson Square area. The venture was short-lived.
"There's just no capital to keep going," Wilson said Tuesday. "We have had four really bad weekends waiting for the first (UA football) home opener.
"I am at a loss to why it has happened. I just don't have the resources to wait out the economy again."
Wilson said he has no plans to try to revive The Globe again and said as of Tuesday, he is job hunting.
Patrick Rupinski can be reached at email@example.com or 205-722-0213.


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For additional premarket insight, read MarketWatch's daily Need to Know blog.
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Providing critical information for the U.S. trading day. Subscribe to MarketWatch's free Need to Know newsletter. Sign up here.


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Welcome to the Superintendent Page
This Page is Under Construction
Thomas Roth
Molly Payne
|Last Updated on Thursday, 23 January 2014 18:20
District Wide Calendar
High School | HS Sports
Middle School | MS Sports
Elementary School
Click Here for 2018-19 Printable District Calendar
NOTE: The District Wide Calendar contains all schools and sports functions combined.
Parents are encouraged to prepay for breakfast and lunches. We offer online payments thru: www.k12paymentcenter.com
Lunch Menus
Website Suggestions / Concerns?
If you have any questions/concerns or have an idea on how to improve our site, please feel free to contact us at firstname.lastname@example.com


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While stumbling upon a shady source, rumour had it...
KnM Blade - In Destiny's Way
- by Kixi Rajki
- Rating:
- Published: 26 May 2016
- Updated: 7 Nov 2018
- Status: In Progress
Kixi Rajki, a professional high speed racer, is a seemingly average citizen of the United Systems of Sol in the 31st century. Going by the alias of Kay Blade, she is also a secret agent for an underground resistance cell intent on bringing down the powerful freedom restricting government. Mako Jhasmin Zaneca, alias eM Blade, and Kixi's lover, recently trained up as an agent, is also an expert computer slicer and hacker in her own right. She must accompany Kixi on what will be her first mission, and with all certainty, an extremely dangerous mission. Choosing arrest in order to save her lover, the two narrowly escape death, and consequently trigger in motion an unprecedented course of events. Unwittingly, her actions will forever change the balance of power, and with it the face of humanity as a space faring species.
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Jays, Happ agree to a new 2-year contract
Dunedin, FL – The Toronto Blue Jays and pitcher J.A. Happ agreed to a two-year, $8.9 million contract on Wednesday.
The new deal supersedes the one-year contract Happ reached in January to avoid salary arbitration and includes a club option for 2015.
Happ, 30, went a combined 10-11 with a 4.79 earned run average in 28 games last season for Houston and Toronto.
The left-hander has posted a 1.90 ERA in seven appearances this spring training.
For his career, Happ has compiled a 35-35 record with a 4.19 ERA in 116 games (96 starts) with Philadelphia, Houston and Toronto.


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Bill Weir, who has co-anchored ABC News' "Nightline" since 2010, is moving to CNN.
Weir will start at CNN in November as an anchor and will also cover innovation and technology, the network said Friday. He will be based in New York and work with CNN producers to develop original programming.
"Bill's range, sensibility and curiosity set him apart," CNN Worldwide President Jeff Zucker said in a statement. "He brings a unique storytelling style, perspective and sense of humor to CNN, and he will be a key player as we continue to expand our lineup."
ABC News' president Ben Sherwood said earlier Friday that Weir was departing...


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Smithfield-Shuanghui Deal: Good or Bad for the U.S.?
Should Smithfield Foods be acquired by Shuanghui International Holdings? We offer two different points of view on the topic.
Back in May, news broke that Smithfield Foods, America's largest pork processor, struck a deal to be acquired by Shuanghui International Holdings, China's largest meat processor. While the deal undergoes regulatory reviews, it has stirred a lot of emotion. Should it be allowed to happen? What will it mean for food safety? Will it adversely impact American jobs? How will affect the price of pork? We asked two informed people to debate the subject. Farmer Jill Appell says it's good for American hog farmers. Wenonah Hauter of Food & Water Watch says its bad for food safety and the environment.
Deal is Good for America's Farmers
Jill Appell, Farmer
As a pork producer until recently, I follow what is happening in the livestock industry. Although I was surprised by the impending sale of Smithfield Foods to Shuanghui, I think that this deal could be good for both the U.S. and for China. I believe this is an opportunity to showcase America's rich history, experience, and best practices in agriculture on a global stage.
Bad for Farmers, Worse for Food Safety
Wenonah Hauter, Food & Water Watch
The purchase of Smithfield Foods by Chinese company Shuanghui International Holdings Ltd. is bad news for U.S. farmers and consumers, the environment and food safety. This merger tightens the grip of multinational agribusinesses and Wall Street on America's kitchens, as Shuanghui is partially owned by U.S. investment bank Goldman Sachs.
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