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Double arm transplant veteran Brendan Marrocco looking forward to swimming, driving
BALTIMORE A soldier who lost all four limbs in an Iraq roadside bombing says he looks forward to driving and swimming with his new arms.
Twenty-six-year-old Brendan Marrocco spoke at a news conference Tuesday at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. He was joined by the surgeons who performed the double-arm transplant there.
Marrocco says he's happy and amazed to have new arms. He has prosthetic legs but says that without arms, he felt "kind of lost for a while."
"It's given me a lot of hope for the future," Marrocco said. "I feel like it's given me a second chance."
The procedure was only the seventh double-hand or double-arm transplant ever conducted in the United States.
Dr. W. P. Andrew Lee, the lead surgeon on Marrocco's team, said this surgery "was the most extensive and complicated" transplant surgery ever performed, involving the connecting of bone, nerves, blood vessels, muscles, and other tissue. He said his team had rehearsed four times on cadavers in the last two years.
Marrocco said he already can twist the wrist in his left arm, which had a lower amputation than the right, allowing doctors to begin that arm transplant at his elbow. Lee said nerves regrow at about an inch per month, so given the length of an arm, it will take several months to more than a year for most normal arm movements to occur with Marrocco.
Lee said Marrocco, a New York native, will check out of the hospital Tuesday, and begin outpatient therapy while staying nearby for several months.
The infantryman was injured by a roadside bomb in 2009. The New York City man also received bone marrow from the same dead donor to minimize the medicine needed to prevent rejection.
The military is sponsoring operations like these to help wounded troops. About 300 have lost arms or hands in the wars.
- Quadruple amputee veteran receives double arm transplant
- Texas mother of three to get double arm transplant
- Man gets double arm transplant in Mexico
Through all the procedures and the recovery, Marrocco has generally maintained a positive attitude.}
In a 2010 interview with CBS News correspondent David Martin (at left), he said: "I just seem to have a good lookout on things. I'm still alive. My buddy wasn't as fortunate."
Marrocco was referring to one of the other members of his squad, whom he described as his best friend, who was killed when their Humvee ran over a tripwire.
"I remember the flash, the sound, it was ridiculously loud. I remember all the screaming in the truck trying to see who was hurt. After that I remember waking up in the hospital," Marrocco said.
He described the thing that took his limbs as a "copper dart" that was "molten hot," saying it "cauterized my wounds." The New York native said he has marveled at the fact that he survived, when others did not, adding that his friend who died "wasn't hurt nearly as bad as I was."
Even after waking up in the hospital and realizing that he lost his arms, Marrocco said his father told him his reaction was relatively nonchalant, saying "I just shrugged my shoulders and went back to sleep."


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Pierre Terras is a Toxic Campaigner in Greenpeace Mexico, and was part of the team that travelled to El Salto de Juanacatlán waterfalls for World Water Day to raise awareness of the toxic pollution that is destroying the Río Santiago. He wanted to share this story with you in order to shine a spotlight on the impacts this pollution is having on the environment and on the lives of local communities, and to show you why the work on the Detox Campaign is so important for people around the world.
When I first came to see El Salto de Juanacatlán waterfalls on the Río Santiago, the only things I knew were that there was a polluted river and community-based movements asking for a toxic-free environment.
I never expected such an apocalyptic landscape.
200 meters from the falls it is already hard to handle the smell. Getting closer, the gases and foams emitted from the cascading water gave me a pounding headache, nausea and a throat irritation. How can people live along this river?
Enrique, whose home is just five blocks from the falls told me:
"This is where we were born and we will die here. Hopefully before that day we can swim and fish in the river again, like when we were young."
We walked down the street towards the falls together, and he pointed to at least one house per block telling me of the people's stories: This person died of cancer. This kid suffers from leukemia.
I was shocked to see that there seemed to be hardly anyone older than 60 in this industrial city.
Río Santiago receives direct discharges from hundreds of industries that belong to a diverse range of sectors: from textiles, to chemicals, to electronics and pharmaceuticals. Already 50 km upstream, there is not a single fish in the biggest river in Western Mexico.
At the waterfalls, the whole cocktail of pollution gets mixed together in the water and in the air. No one knows what chemical reactions occur in this mix and local communities have no idea about what they are breathing in.
Curiously, when Greenpeace activists got into the kayaks on World Water Day, there was much more foam at the bottom of the falls than the day before.
"A couple of industries must have discharged during the night," said Enrique. "I smelt something strange at around 3am."
I asked him which industries he thought it could be. "How could we know?" he answered. "The only thing we are sure about is that this toxic pollution killed our river, and now it is killing us."
Global problem, global action:
Campaigners like Pierre work tirelessly to lobby and persuade politicians in countries such as Mexico to improve legislation to eliminate the use and release of hazardous chemicals and to make sure that this legislation is properly and transparently implemented. But big companies also have a key role to play, as they can implement strict policies globally and work with their suppliers to make sure these are enforced.
As the Detox campaign has demonstrated, big brands linked to polluting practices listen when enough of their consumers and fans make their voice heard and demand change. And when brands act, and show that a future free of toxic chemicals is not only possible but preferable for people, planet and business – governments soon follow.
Take action today:
Share this story with your friends and family to help raise awareness of the problem of toxic water pollution.
Share the latest campaign video of #PeoplePower shaking up the fashion sector.
Enter your photo to star in the next #PeoplePowered campaign video while pushing your favourite brand to be the next to Detox.
(Photo: World Water Day At The Salto Waterfall. Copyright Ivan Castaneira / Greenpeace.)
(Unregistered) ivan
things have got to change
27 March, 2012 at 18:28
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(Unregistered) shortyboy
we need to change because earth is changing in really bad way that hurt us or maybe even kill us. It is sad to know that we humans are killing our own...
we need to change because earth is changing in really bad way that hurt us or maybe even kill us. It is sad to know that we humans are killing our own planted earth.
4 April, 2012 at 19:30
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This site is very important for me and my company i like so very much this site so thankfull to this site.
Visit this link to know more in detai...
This site is very important for me and my company i like so very much this site so thankfull to this site.
Visit this link to know more in detail Vivexin
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Want to message someone you don't know on Facebook? You can . . . for a price.
Facebook introduced new features Thursday, including new message filters and a system where strangers can now message you for a fee, according to its corporate newsroom. The experiment will be tested at $1.
Essentially, Facebook is saying that if strangers have to pay to message you, then your spam will be reduced.
Here's what FB said directly.


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· Worship is at the center of our life and ministry here at GUC. Each time we gather, we strive to generate a worship service that honors God, nurtures faith, relates to everyday life -- and inspires hope. We celebrate the Lord's Supper on the first Sunday of every month. In the name of Christ, we welcome all who choose to come to the table.
· 1st - 4th graders are invited to join their families for the beginning of worship. Following the Children's Story in worship, 1-4th graders are welcome to attend Cornerstone - a separate worship time marked by singing, a story, and fun activities.
· Please join us after worship for coffee hour -- a great place to catch up, get to know folks, or sign up for an event or project!


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We have been selling on EBay for 16+ years as a Top Seller and opened our first online storefront in 2005. We hope you find our mix of novel photographic products along with products from the top manufacturers of photographic accessories to be to your liking and that you enjoy your shopping experience. It is important to note that we do not have a retail location but we are willing to arrange for local customers to personally check out items and purchase locally
Most orders are shipped within 24 business hours of receiving payment by FedEx, UPS, or US Postal Service based on your selection at checkout. You will be contacted with tracking information when your item ships.
You can shop with confidence knowing that we have successful sold on EBay for 16+ years as a Top Rated Seller. We securely accept PayPal, VISA, MasterCard, Discover and American Express for payment.
The easyCover camera case protects your camera while
it is still fully functional and all ports accessible. It protects
against bumps, scratches, sand and dust. Included are 2 screen protectors
that prevent your valuable LCD display from scratches and other
The easyCover camera cases are custom-manufactured
per camera model resulting in a perfect fit for your camera. Because
of the high quality silicon material the camera keeps its slim design
and offers a smooth texture and secure grip.
A PVC cover protects the LCD against damage
Snug-it Pro skins are perfectly molded around the lens mount to
provide the maximum amount of coverage while still allowing for
quick lens changes.
Silicone covers as much of the camera
as possible, including the hot shoe but leaves all ports, switches,
and doors accessible.
The powder-infused silicone provides a smooth rather than tacky
feel and won't collect lint or debris.
Product 25/33
This product was added to our catalog on Sunday 01 March, 2015.


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You have not viewed any products recently.
Shelves for Tennsco cabinet models: Tennsco Deluxe Cabinets, Tennsco Standard Cabinets, Tennsco Standard Counter & Desk High Cabinets and Tennsco Jumbo Storage Cabinets. Shelves are available in Black, Champagne/Putty, Sand, Light Gray and Medium Gray. FOB Shipping Point.
See Related Items tab for available cabinets.


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The top-seeded American had won all seven of her previous encounters against the 18th-ranked Kirilenko but was forced to dig deep on many occasions to ensure her eighth victory over the Russian would be completed in straight sets.
Kirilenko secured the first break of the match in the ninth game and had three set points on her serve in the next but Williams rallied to break back before sealing the set after her opponent double faulted.
"I just thought, 'what else can I do except fight for this point and the next point,'" Williams told the WTA website of the prospect of losing the first set.
"Maybe I got lucky a little bit - I just started to relax and kind of swing and not think about it too much out there. I'm obviously just really happy to get through this match today."
Williams fell behind again in the second set after being broken in the fifth game but the 17-time grand slam singles winner, who has won more than $9 million in prize money in 2013, rallied again to close out the set and the match.
Earlier, eighth seeded Serb Jelena Jankovic dished up a double bagel 6-0 6-0 beating of Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro to also advance to the last eight.
© 2010 Ahram Online.


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Anyway, I had a stroke survivor in the office, who asked me for information she could take home. I did a quick internet search, and found the Mayo Clinic website about stroke.
The information was good. Like many websites (including mine), Mayo sells ad space.
Unfortunately, the ad displayed on the stroke-prevention page was for Jack-in-the-Box tacos!
I just LOVE where it says "Tools for healthier lives" above and to the left of the taco ad.
Bon appetit, Mrs. Strokesurvivor. I'll see you back, soon.........
(click to enlarge)


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McCarthy, Joseph Raymond
Joseph Raymond McCarthy, 1908–57, U.S. senator from Wisconsin (1947–57), b. near Appleton, Wis. He practiced law in Wisconsin and became (1940) a circuit judge. He served with the U.S. marines in the Pacific in World War II, achieving the rank of captain. In 1946, McCarthy defeated Senator Robert M. La Follette, Jr., for the Republican senatorial nomination and then overwhelmed his Democratic opponent in the election. His career in the Senate was undistinguished and obscure until Feb., 1950, when he won national attention with a speech at Wheeling, W.Va., in which he charged that the State Dept. had been infiltrated by Communists. Although a Senate investigating committee under Millard Tydings exonerated the State Dept. and branded the charges a fraud and a hoax, McCarthy repeated his claims in a series of radio and television appearances. Challenged to produce his evidence, he refused and instead made new accusations. When the Republicans assumed control of Congress in 1953, McCarthy, who had been reelected in 1952, became chairman of the Senate permanent investigations subcommittee (Government Operations Committee), a post in which he wielded great power; he used his position to exploit the public's fear of Communism.
Through widely publicized hearings, the use of unidentified informers, and reckless accusation, McCarthy doggedly pursued those whom he classified as Communists and subversives. Careers were ruined on the flimsiest evidence, and his methods came under increasing attack by the press and his colleagues. In Apr., 1954, McCarthy accused Secretary of the Army Robert T. Stevens and his aides of attempting to conceal evidence of espionage activities that McCarthy and his staff had allegedly uncovered at Fort Monmouth, N.J. The army, in turn, accused McCarthy, his chief counsel, and a staff member of seeking by improper means to obtain preferential treatment for a former consultant to the subcommittee, then a private in the army. After widely publicized hearings McCarthy and his aides were cleared (Aug., 1954) of the army's charges. However, in December the Senate, acting on a motion of censure against him, voted to "condemn" McCarthy for contempt of a Senate elections subcommittee that had investigated his conduct and financial affairs in 1952, for abuse of certain senators, and for insults to the Senate itself during the censure proceedings. After this rebuke, and with the Democrats again in control of Congress after the 1954 elections, McCarthy's influence in the Senate and on the national scene steadily diminished until his death. McCarthy's indiscriminate attacks gave rise to the term "McCarthyism," which denotes similar assaults characterized by sensationalist tactics and unsubstantiated accusations.
See biographies T. C. Reeves (1982, repr. 1997) and D. Oshinsky (1983); studies by R. H. Rovere (1960, repr. 1973), M. P. Rogin (1967), A. J. Matusow (1970), R. Griffith (1970), F. J. Cook (1971), R. Feuerlicht (1972), R. C. Goldston (1973), D. Oshinsky (1973), T. C. Reeves (1982, repr. 1989), M. Landis (1987), E. W. Schrecker (1988), and A. Herman (1999); D. A. Nichols, Ike and McCarthy (2017).


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Nanotechnology researchers have built the darkest material ever made by man.
The material, a thin carpet of tiny hollow tubes of pure carbon vertically aligned like packaged spaghetti, absorbs more than 99.9% of light, according to researchers from Rice University and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
The nanotech-based material, which looks like a thin piece of black paper, could be used for solar energy converters, infrared detection and astronomical observation. The secret to the material's darkness lies in the way the tubes are loosely packed together. Researchers from Rice University noted that light is trapped in the spaces between the tubes.
Scientists from the two schools worked together on the project, which was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Basic Energy Sciences and the Focus Center New York for Interconnects.
"It is a fascinating technology, and this discovery will allow us to increase the absorption efficiency of light, as well as the overall radiation-to-electricity efficiency of solar energy conservation," said Shawn-Yu Lin, professor of physics at Rensselaer, in a statement. "The key to this discovery was finding how to create a long, extremely porous vertically-aligned carbon nanotube array with certain surface randomness, therefore minimizing reflection and maximizing absorption simultaneously."
Every material - water, plastic or even rocks - reflects some a certain amount of light. Basic black paint reflects 5% to 10%, for instance - or 100 times more light than the nanotube carpet. Researchers at Rensselaer noted that scientists have long tried to create a material that would absorb all the colors that make up light, while reflecting none. They have not been able to create a material that didn't reflect any light at all. Before this latest advancement, the darkest manmade material reflected 0.16% to 0.18%.
This new nanotech-based material has a total reflective index of 0.045%, which is more than three times darker than the previous record, which used a film deposition of nickel-phosphorous alloy, according to scientists at Rensselaer.
"The loosely-packed forest of carbon nanotubes, which is full of nanoscale gaps and holes to collect and trap light, is what gives this material its unique properties," said Lin. "Such a nanotube array not only reflects light weakly, but also absorbs light strongly. These combined features make it an ideal candidate for one day realizing a super black object."
The researchers have applied for a Guinness World Record recognition.


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7 beauty essentials for the party season
Whether you are a certified beauty junkie or an ordinary mortal – this is your cheat sheet to the holiday season.
Even before you step near a makeup brush, why not literally bathe yourself in some subtle shimmer, too? This gentle body wash has been infused with a bit of sparkle and a lush pomegranate and caramel fragrance so you'll be able to glow from head to toe!
QUICK TIP: Really invigorate the skin by using a loofah with the body wash – you get a bit of a massage and boost blood circulation.
Before you step out of the shower, take the time to exfoliate your lips with a specially formulated scrub. Gently buffing away any dry flakes with sugar granules, this scrub also nourishes with vitamins E and B5 and almond oil. The result? A clean and smooth canvas for your favourite lip product.
QUICK TIP: Apply to your lips and leave on for a few minutes (to let the moisturising ingredients really sink in) before massaging in a circular motion. Rinse with a damp washcloth.
Once you've dealt with skincare and applied your base (tinted moisturiser, foundation or BB cream just provide the even-toned canvas), concealer is what will really give you a flawless finish. With three blendable shades, you can custom-match everything from dark circles, pigmentation and blemishes.
QUICK TIP: Pinpoint concealing will make spots disappear before your eyes. Dot a minute amount of concealer with a tiny brush directly on a blemish and then lightly blend by patting your finger around the edges.
What's a party look without faux eyelashes? After cutting the faux lashes to fit the length of your eye, or cutting it up into two or three pieces for even easier application), take some time to bend the lash band around an eyeshadow brush or similar so they'll be more pliable and comfortable.
QUICK TIP: For a seamless application that barely feels like the falsies are there, try applying them under your lash line instead of on top of it (just be careful to avoid the waterline!).
With a palette of 20 luxe colours, there's plenty of eyeshadow to play with. For this look, though, opt for a combination of the same colour of varying shades. Start with a wash of the lightest shade over the entire lid, up to the brow bone, and then use the darker shade along the lash line.
QUICK TIP: Primer is especially important – it staves off oily lids, creased lids, smearing or fading and just makes eyeshadow application easier. If you don't have any on hand, a thick-consistency concealer will do the trick, too!
If you're wearing faux eyelashes, mascara will help blend the faux with your natural. Plus, you'll get an even fuller look. But if you're going the mascara-only route, opt for a curling formula to get the most height, volume, definition and length possible.
QUICK TIP: You can also try creating a cocktail of mascaras with different formulas – thicken and separate, volume and waterproof, you get the picture!
The pièce de résistance for this party look – glitter – need not be scary or a disco ball gone wrong. For that thoroughly modern take, it's about treating the glitter more like a highlighter. First, concentrate the glitter on the eyelids and then a bit under the lower lash line. Then apply glitter along the top of the cheekbone, connecting with the sparkly area around your eyes.
QUICK TIP: You'll need an adhesive for this glitter. Either dab the adhesive first and then apply glitter on top or mix the adhesive and glitter together before applying. Either way, you'll find a slightly damp eyeshadow brush will make things easier.


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Software for Manufacturing
MIE Solutions Announces Two Recent MRP Installations
In a second announcement, MIE notes that its Trak MES software has been installed at Coastal Steel, a steel-erection and fabrication company in Brevard County, FL. The firm works in the ride/show and aerospace industries, among others.
MIE Trak helps fabricators manage quoting, order entry, routing, work orders, costing, purchasing, receiving, raw materials, inventory, shipping, invoicing, scheduling, tracking and accounting.
MIE Solutions: 714/786-6230; www.miesolutions.com
See also: MIE Solutions
Related Enterprise Zones: Other Processes, Software
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text:
When it comes to alternative software for your Android device, CyanogenMod is still the cream of the crop. Over the weekend, the first semi-stable builds of CyanogenMod 10.1 were made available for select devices, giving us an idea of just how far CyanogenMod 10.1 is into development.
With the release of CyanogenMod 10.1 Milestone 1, we can see that development on CM 10.1 is progressing nicely. Depending on how well the initial batch of âM-Seriesâ releases go, a stable build could be right around the corner. CyanogenMod is generally released in four stages, with Milestones intended to be mid-development stable builds. The first M-Series release of CM 10.1 is available for the Nexus 4, 7, 10 and S, as well as the Galaxy Nexus and a handful of other Samsung devices.
If youâre not familiar with CyanogenMod, CyanogenMod 10.1 is based on the latest version of Jelly Bean, Android 4.2.1. Itâs built using only the source code for Android, and features a handful of nonintrusive customization and optimization options giving users full control over their device.
Weâll be keeping a close eye on the progress of CyanogenMod 10.1. If youâre interested in seeing if your device has a CyanogenMod builds of its own, visit get.cm. For those of you already in the know, what ROM are you running?


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English Teacher
My students were asked to write a postcard from holiday in Ireland.
They had to write where they are styaing, what they are doing and what are their plans for the weekend.
One girl wrote:
I am writing to you from Ireland. I am living in my aunt`s house. She has a really big family.
Very day I visit a lot of interesting places.
And the question is: Is the Present Simple justified in: 'I visit a lot of interesting places'. She is staying there for holiday so this is temporary but on the other hand she used the expression every day, so this would suggest using Present Simple.
Can you please confirm that present Simple shuld be used in this place
Thank you!
Yes, it's understood that she means every day while she is on vacation.


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Personal Banking
Coleman County State Bank is committed to making all of your banking needs as simple and convenient as possible. We offer a variety of savings and investment accounts to suit your individual financial needs.
With Coleman County State Bank's Money Market Account you have the ability to retain liquidity in your funds. Put your money to work for you with a higher rate of interest and the flexibility of writing checks today.
Interest is paid to the following Tier structure:
Enjoy competitive interest rates and ready access to your funds with Coleman County State Bank's Regular Savings Account.
> Top
Coleman County State Bank's Platinum Savings Account is perfect for those who don't want to tie up large funds but want to earn a higher interest rate.
If you have long-term savings goals and are seeking higher rates, then Coleman County State Bank's Certificate of Deposit (CDs) are an excellent choice.
Be sure and check out our CD Promotions!
We can help you plan for the future with our retirement accounts.


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Astro Photography
iOptron SkyTracker Adjustable AZ Base - Black - 3307B
- This iOptron SkyTracker AZ Base in black allows adjustments during polar alignment with the SkyTracker and tripod connected.
- Includes indicators for altitude modifications.
- Replacement AZ Base included as standard equipment on all new iOptron SkyTracker Mounts.
iOptron SkyTracker Adjustable AZ Base - White - 3307W
- This iOptron SkyTracker AZ Base in white allows adjustments during polar alignment with the SkyTracker and tripod connected.
- Includes indicators for altitude modifications.
- Replacement AZ Base included as standard equipment on all new iOptron SkyTracker Mounts.
Shop Telescope Cameras for Astrophotography
Photography of the night sky is called Astrophotography, or Astro-Imaging. The most common form of astrophotography is accomplished by attaching a camera to a telescope in order to use that telescope as a very powerful camera lens. However, astrophotography can be done with a variety of different set-ups, from attaching a DSLR camera to a tripod, pointing it at the sky, and taking a longer than normal exposures, to using a smartphone adapter to take quick pictures through a telescope or spotting scope. In fact, if you have a camera and want to take pictures of the night sky or a celestial object, there are several pieces of astrophotography equipment on the market today that will let you do just that, with or without a telescope.
While taking pictures of the Milky Way or star trails is cool, most amateur astronomers who enjoy astrophotography buy a special camera that is designed for astro-imaging through a telescope. Because astrophotography cameras vary so much in price, a beginner might start out with a planetary, or solar system imager. These inexpensive digital cameras use a small CMOS sensor to gather the light of a bright object, such as the Moon, Saturn, or Jupiter, and then off-load the image to the astrophotographer's computer for processing with specialized software that is included in the camera package. Once they get their feet wet, most amateur astronomers buy an astrophotography camera with a larger, more sensitive sensor so that they can image fainter celestial objects. Astro-imaging cameras come with either color or monochrome sensors and have a variety of features and accessories that enhance their results. Today's astronomy cameras are so sensitive and have so many helpful features that serious astro-imagers can get results that rival those found in astronomy and science magazines!


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You don't have to be terrible for multiple seasons to rebuild.
The problem is with the teams that are MEDIOCRE.
Case in point, the NFL's Buffalo Bills.
In the 13 years since they made the playoffs, there have been a ton of 6-10 and 7-9 seasons. That is just good enough to keep you out of the top of the draft where true superstars live. The other problem with the Bills is that they don't spend quite enough money to be largely enticing to top coaches and free agents.
The Sox have one of these problems and not so much of the other.
They have been a middling team for a while, which has kept players on a roster much longer than they should have. They have plodded along on the same course for a while, and results have been BLAH.
The good news is that they will spend money, and that can turn around a team in a fast manner. They need to bottom out, dump as much of this payroll as humanly possible (please get hot, Adam Dunn!), and start from scratch.
If they can get decent value for those players (Crain, Konerko, Dunn, Peavy, etc), they should move them. Loyalty be damned.
Bottom out, get some elite prospects from the top of the next couple of drafts, then spend money to augment that talent.
It may take a few years, but the team can be built in a rapid manner.
"Guess what? I bought you a Hawk and DJ bobblehead on ebay. It even says 'Hawk' on Hawk's hat. Isn't that cool."
---My awesome father
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Martinka White Roller Blind
Product is Discontinued
We are very sorry but this product has been discontinued. This means that we are no longer able to supply this product.
Please take a look at the other products we have on offer. We have a large collection able to satisfy any taste or decor.
Should you want any advice contact us, our friendly customer service team are available.
With over a decade of experience you can exact an expertly crafted blind, made to your precise specification. Whats more, nothing leaves our factory until they've passed a thorough quality check.
How to measure roller blinds
Quick Measuring Guide
To make sure you get everything perfect, we have put together this video guide to help you get your measurements just right. It's simple, easy, and will make your new blinds look flawless.
- Exact vs. Recess
- Easy, step by step instructions
- Top tips to ensure you measure correctly
Measuring and Installation Guide
Ensure your new blinds are the perfect size for your window with our simple measuring guide. With just a minute or two of your time and a tape measure, you can find out the perfect sized blind for your window.
We've spent years developing our products and are confident in the long term value they bring - we want you to feel the same. That's why we offer an industry leading 5 year guarantee on all of our products. Read the small print here.
With over a decade of experience you can exact an expertly crafted blind, made to your precise specification. Whats more, nothing leaves our factory until they've passed a thorough quality check.
|100% Polyester
|Available Widths
|20cm to 195cm
|Available Drops
|20cm to 400cm
|Fabric Width
- Fully made to measure to your specifications in our UK factory – perfect every time!
- Universal brackets for a simple fit – top or face fix.
- Strong aluminium roller tube – no bowing or warping.
- High precision sidewinder with a choice of operation chains, located per your specification.
These blinds are made to measure and have a variety of options. To find more information on an option click the ? next to the selection.
|Measurement Type
|Recess, Exact
|Fabric Direction
|Standard, Reverse
|Chain Colour
|White (plastic), Steel, Brass
|Side of Controls
|Left, Right
|No Motorisation, Motor, Remote and Charger, Motor only
Measuring Guide
Please click here to view the measuring guide for this product.
Fitting Guides
All of our blinds come with the fixtures and fittings you'll need to install your blind in addition to a set of fitting instructions. You can also download your fitting instructions below.
Measuring Guide Video
Fitting Guide Video
Product Images
Product images are for illustration purposes only. While we endeavour to provide the best representation possible, we always ask that you request a free sample before your purchase.
Made to measure blinds
A product which requires the exact width to be typed in the box is 'Made-to-Measure' and cannot be returned under our normal terms and conditions.
Fixing & Controls
The blinds are easily fitted using universal brackets which can be face fixed to the window or wall or top fixed. All necessary brackets and fittings are included.
Child Safety
We take the well-being of children very seriously at Blinds Direct, which is why all our blinds come supplied with a child safety device to ensure all our cords can be safely secured to the wall, further preventing the risk of strangulation by loose cords or chains. Each blind will be supplied with a maximum chain length of one metre to make sure that they will be out of the reach of small children. If you require a chain length of longer than one metre, please contact us as soon as you have placed your order. Conditions will still apply in accordance with child safety regulations.
Free UK Mainland delivery for orders over £149.00. For orders under £149.00 we only charge £7.95 for UK Mainland delivery.
International delivery is available, the price will be calculated during the checkout process.
Please see our Delivery Information page for further details.
Need help measuring your blinds?
Check out our measuring guide
week by fitting their own blinds.


text:
Oxford Mississippi
Decr 7th 1857 )
My Dear Pa,)
Filled with anxiety as I am about your health, I,"
in compliance with my promise, begin to write. I have
seen Pres. Barnard, and all is satisfactory with him."
I hope and trust Pa, that your health is yet improving and by
little precaution and by holding some restraint over your
passions you may never have another attack like the ones you
had a few days before I left. It is with difficulty that
I could get my consent to leave you. I felt as if I was
parting with you never to meet you again. But I hope
such is not the case, for nothing would bring greater joy to my
heart than to know that you are well. I received a letter
from Sister yesterday & answered it this morning. She is well and does
not wish to come home yet, unless you are anxious to see
her. She had not received the letter which you requested me to
write when I was at home, and was expecting you to


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Leave & Benefits
Leave from Work
Learn about leave to care for sick family members, pregnancy or childbirth disability leave, leave to care for registered domestic partners, leave for domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking victims, leave for spouses of deploying military personnel, and leave for volunteer firefighters, reserve peace officers, and members of the Civil Air Patrol.
Holiday, Vacation or Bereavement Leave
Does a business have to provide paid holiday, vacation, or time off for bereavement?
Pregnancy Accommodations
Workplace Rights and specific civil rights and protections for pregnant employees.
Health Benefits
Does a business have to provide health benefits to its workers?
What is considered a uniform and who has to pay for it?
Leave & Benefits Forms & Publications
Get forms and publications about workplace rights that may apply to leave and benefit issues.


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|Mobile Site
|eMail Author
|Caption Comp
|Monthly Poll
|Sudden Death
|Colour Key
|Cookie Usage
What's new - Jul 2001
|Size Comparison
|We've overhauled many of the size comp images. The Saladin, Hermes, Ptolemy and Centaur all have CGI-style images now, and the Soyuz, Nebula prototype, SWAC Nebula. Olympic, Norway, Niagara, and Holoship all have better images. The Dauntless entry also gains a size comp image, and an image has gone up for the Jupiter station.
|The low-information ship program (LISP! I have an acronym! :-) rolls on. Today we get full entries for the Raven, the Gage class (known to some as the Apollo) which went up on the sizecomp last week, and the Sydney class.
|A couple of dozen of the cast list entries have had episode and series data added. It's only a tiny proportion of the total, but at least I'm making the effort!
|Episode Guide
|"Natural Law" and "Homestead" go up today. We're in the home straight!
|Size Comparison
|In addition to the three new full entries, two more go up on the size comparison page today. The first is of a "Star Trek : Phase 2" model of a proposed USS Enterprise. This was used in the Wolf 359 graveyard scene as the USS Gage, and has gone up as the Gage class. Some sources call this the Apollo class, but the details of this are sketchy at best, and I tend to fall in line with the Encyclopedia as labelling the Vulcan ships used in Unification as Apollo class ships. Both this sizecomp and the one used for the Defender are the first such images I have created myself without kitbashing some other image.
|I'm starting to do some of the lesser known classes, filling in the blanks as it were. I've long held of doing this because given the nature of the site I more or less have to have full specifications for all Starfleet ships, and this involves a whole lot of speculation when all you have to go on is a ship name or a fuzzy three pixel high image on a screen! Nevertheless, I've finally caved in on this.
So, the Challenger class size comparison image has been replaced with a far more accurate one, and has been expanded to a full entry. The Springfield class has also gained a full entry. Both of the size comparison images used on these ships are coutesy of Ex Astris Scientia. Additionally, I have added the "Defender" class. This is the class name I have chosen for the four nacelled study model built as a potential Excelsior and later used as a graveyard ship at Wolf 359. The class name is speculative... in fact the entire entry is pretty much speculative! Still, I think it's one of my better efforts, and I became quite enamoured of this class while writing it.
|A biggie... a list of every cast member ever in all of Startrek! Stunt people, alien computer voices, the whole shebang - over 2,800 people! Alas, every silver lining... there is a downside. Most of the entries don't have episode or series references for them, so there are lots of people listed as playing stuff like "Tark", with no reference to who that might be. Still, I think this will be a useful resource for people who do know the character name and want to know who played him. I may make improvements to the list as time allows. Also, the sheer size of this one means there will likely be more than a few errors. Please report them to me so I can fix them!
|A couple of dates for Voyager episode 'Friendship One' have gone up.
|Entries have been added for DS9 episode 'The Visitor' and TOS episode 'Tomorrow is Yesterday'.
|Yet more minor species go up today. We now have an entry for virtually every species that has been seen in TNG. We also have for just about all of Voyager up to season 6.
|The Hirogen hunter ship has gone up to the other ships list.
|Bussard Collectors and Plasma Venting have been added to the Warp Drive page. Also a new page on Parallel Dimensions has been added.
|Episode Guide
|Another three episodes have been added today. This brings season seven up to episode 'Friendship One'.
Hope that makes up for some of the lack of updates recently!
|Lack Of Updates
|I know the updates have been few and far between lately, real life stuff has been somewhat interfering with my free time. Hopefully things will go back to normal in a couple of months.
|Well, the new Enterprise design is now out and it's an ever so slightly different Akira. To say that I'm disappointed by this is an understatement of epic proportions. My expectations for the new prequel series have never been terribly high, but I had been trying to work myself up into a positive mindset about it. The revelation that the show will have Klingons in it was a hell of a knock to that, but I had eventually managed to get myself into a position of accepting this. Then came the Akiraprise.
To my mind this ship shows a stunning lack of imagination on the part of the creators of the new show. They had an opportunity to show us a part of history, a stepping stone between the rocket-like Phoenix and the full Starships like the Daedalus and Constitution. Instead, they have taken a late 24th century ship, made a few minimal cosmetic modifications to it, and dumped it down in the middle of the 22nd century. The design jars badly with the Daedalus class which it predates by barely a couple of decades, if indeed it predates it at all.
I genuinely cannot understand why the creators have done this. Surely the whole point of doing a prequel series was to show us what the early years of space exploration are about? I can only guess that they either don't know or don't care about how the ship should have looked, but rather just wanted something that was 'cool' and so did a slightly modified version of a known fan favourite. But why bother doing a retro series only to ignore the retro aspect of it? Surely it would have been more sensible to set the series in the post-Voyager universe, where they could safely throw up a design as cool and sophisticated as they liked and have the fans cheer them on.
I've gone from trying to build optimism over dread to a point of near total despair regarding the new series. I have absolutely no confidence in those who are creating it and while it's still possible that something good will eventually struggle free from the shackles of a poor and creatively bankrupt concept, I am not holding my breath.
An online petition has already been set up to try and make Paramount change their minds about the ship. I urge all those who visit this site to go there and register a protest right now - it's probably too much to hope for that the design will be changed at this late stage, but if a sufficient number of fans make a stand here and now, then just maybe it will make them a little more reluctant to disregard the past they are stomping on in the future.
So please, please go and register your vote now by visiting this external link.
|Copyright Graham Kennedy
|Page views : 9,932
|Last updated : 29 Jul 2001


text:
BackupBuddy: Backup Introduction
The BackupBuddy Backup page initiates the backup process. Here you'll also find a listing of BackupBuddy backup files in the Local Archive Files, plus Recent Backup Status details.
Database Only and Complete (Full) Backups
By default, BackupBuddy makes two types of backups:
If you've configured a Custom Backup Profile, this option will also be listed with the Database Only and Complete (Full) Backup.
Video Tutorial
See also
- Introduction
- Creating a Backup
- Local Archive Files
- Recent Backup Status


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If nothing else, the three debates between gubernatorial candidates Democrat Jerry Brown and Republican Meg Whitman have distilled differences on one of California's most pressing problems: jobs. Curiously, each candidate proposes to use government to stimulate job growth but from radically different perspectives.
Brown believes that California's future lies in the creation of "green" jobs in areas such as solar panels, electric cars, smart grids, and alternative energy. He believes that legislation such as AB 32, California's effort to reduce greenhouse emissions to 1990 levels by 2020 will create hundreds of thousands of jobs. Indeed, Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has pointed to tens of thousands of jobs created in the past couple of years. Brown says that the environmental legislation enacted during his governorship in the 1970s is the forerunner to the kind of thinking that has emerged with AB32.
Whitman believes that California's future will be best insured through tax breaks to corporations which, in turn, will use the additional funds to hire new workers. In addition, she wants to cut capital gains taxes by $5 billion. The money saved from these changes will create new jobs and those holding the new positions will pay taxes that will more than offset any temporary losses to the state budget. This, she says, is the only way for California to be competitive with the rest of the world as well as other states. Otherwise, businesses are sure to leave.
Each candidate's ideas would seem to have a hitch. For Brown, if his administration set the tone for green jobs, why does California languish with 12.4 percent unemployment today, a figure considerably higher than the national average of 9.6 percent? For Whitman, how can she argue that tax cutting will create more jobs to balance the budget when those efforts failed miserably with the Reagan tax cuts of 1981 and the Bush tax cuts of 2001 and 2003, which led to huge budget deficits on each occasion?
Try as they may, the job programs of both candidates simply won't address California's massive deficit and shrinking ability to address critical issues such as underfunded public education and a decimated infrastructure. Neither candidate will say what really lies ahead--additional revenue sources--because that screams "taxes" of one kind or another to many.
Still, the facts are clear. From potholes to student performance to prisons, California is a mess by any standard, and neither green jobs nor additional tax cuts will save the day.


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Difference between revisions of "Divisional Committees"
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*ALCTS Program Committee. This committee meets twice during each ALA meeting to discuss, review and approve [http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/alcts/alcts.cfm ALCTS] (Association for Library Collections and Technical Services)sponsored Programs and Pre-Conferences.
*ALCTS Program Committee. This committee meets twice during each ALA meeting to discuss, review and approve [http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/alcts/alcts.cfm ALCTS] (Association for Library Collections and Technical Services) sponsored Programs and Pre-Conferences.
Revision as of 14:13, 20 January 2009
- ALCTS Program Committee. This committee meets twice during each ALA meeting to discuss, review and approve ALCTS (Association for Library Collections and Technical Services) sponsored Programs and Pre-Conferences. Our charge is: To oversee the division's conference and preconference program planning; to develop criteria for such programs; to review plans; to recommend approval of the Annual Conference programs and preconferences to the Board; to provide advice to the committees planning preconference and conference programs; to foster the development of Annual Conference programs and preconferences; and to serve as ALCTS liaison with similar committees of other divisions and units within ALA; and to plan and monitor activities using the Association's Strategic and Tactical Plan as a framework.
For a list of Programs and Pre-Conferences scheduled for the Annual meeting in Chicago, please see the ALCTS Upcoming Events page.
If you would like to learn more about the Program committee, or to learn about other volunteer opportunities with ALCTS, please
- ALSC All Committee Meeting is taking place on Sunday, January 25, from 8 - 11:30 a.m. in WEST, Continental C. All committee meetings (except for awards & scholarships) are open to visitors. There will be Born to Read giveaways at All Committee while they last! For other committee meeting time and locations, visit the ALSC Web site.
- YALSA All Committee Meeting Saturday Jan. 24th from 10AM - 12:30 PM. This is a working meeting for all of YALSA's Process Committees, Juries and Taskforces. Not on a committee or other member group? Stop on by and learn what it's all about. A continental breakfast will be served.
- PLA's All Committee Meeting Sunday, 1/25/09, 8-11 a.m. at the Hyatt Regency Denver, Mineral Hall
Coffee and bagels! PLA's committees and Communities of Practice (www.plaspace.org) have an opportunity to meet and mingle with other PLA groups. All PLA Members are welcome! These groups currently have meetings at the PLA All Committee Meeting: the Annual Conference Program Subcommittees 2009 and 2010, the Budget and Finance Committee (meeting at 9:30), the Endowment Task Force, the Every Child Ready to Read Evaluation Task Force (meeting at 9:30), the Intellectual Freedom Advisory Group, the Leadership Task Force/Leadership Institute Alumni, the Legislative Advisory Group, and the PLDS Statistical Report Advisory Committee. Announcements are at 8 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. The PLA Board of Directors Meeting is Monday, 1/26/2009, 8-10 a.m. in the Colorado Convention Center, Room 107
- Other PLA Committee Meetings
2010 National Conference Committee, 1/23/2009 Fri., 12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m., Sheraton Denver Tower, Court D
2010 National Conference Program Subcommittee, 1/24/2009 Sat., 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Brown Palace Palace ,Tabor Suite
2010 National Conference Program Subcommittee, 1/25/2009 Sun., 1:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m., Brown Palace Palace, Tabor Suite
Public Libraries Advisory Committee, 1/24/2009 Sat., 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.. Colorado Convention Center, Room 701
- The PLA meetings below are closed due to confidential information or seating restrictions.
Advancement of Literacy Award Jury, 1/23/2009 Fri., 4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m., Sheraton Denver, Century Room
Charlie Robinson Award Jury, 1/25/2009 Sun., 1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m., Brown Palace, Leadville Room
DEMCO New Leaders Travel Grant Jury, 1/24/2009 Sat., 4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m., Sheraton Denver, Capitol Room
EBSCO Excellence in Small and/or Rural Public Library Services Award Jury, 1/23/2009 Fri., 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m., Colorado Convention Center, Room 208
Gordon M. Conable Award Jury, 1/24/2009 Sat., 1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m., Brown Palace, Leadville Room
Highsmith Library Innovation Award Jury, 1/25/2009 Sun., 4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m., Marriott City Center, Denver Ball Room V/VI
Leadership Task Force Meeting, 1/23/2009 Fri., 4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m., Colorado Convention Center, Room 701
Past Presidents Breakfast, 1/25/2009 Sun., 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m., Grand Hyatt Denver, Pikes Peak Room
Turning the Page Meeting, 1/24/2009 Sat., 4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m., Crowne Plaza City Center, Library Room
- RUSA Divisional Committees
All committee meeting times and locations may be found here (PDF format).


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Archive:Rock Party Volunteers 2017
|Old Trip
|This is the sign up and organization page for an old trip. It already happened. Please do not sign up for it.
How to sign up (edit this page)
You need to create your own wiki account to edit this page and add your name. Just hit "sign up" on the top right of any of the wiki pages. It'll ask you a security question. We can't put the answer just here or the spam-bots will return, but it's easy to find on the VOC message board, and the word props up in our trip reports all the time :)
I will post the list of helpers at the event, so that everyone who signed up knows exactly where to be when!
Beer Pick Up
We will need someone who has a big car to pick up 8 kegs on Saturday (~220 L total) from A Frame Brewing and will set them up on Saturday after climbing. You will be reimbursed for gas, because kegs usually do not pay gas money like passengers do.
Sound System Pickup
We will need someone who has a big car to pick up the sound equipment that we have rented from xx. Would be best if you drive to Squamish on Friday. You will be reimbursed for gas, because speakers usually do not pay gas money like passengers do.
Wanna flip burgers? Sign up here! We will probably start the BBQ Saturday around 6 PM to have some burgers ready when people come back from climbing around 6.30 PM.
Help with set-up 5-6pm:
Flip from 6-7pm:
Flip from 7-8pm/help to clean up:
Longhike needs people who want to sell beer tickets and pour beer on Saturday from around 8pm-1am. To pour beer, you must have Serving it Right. If you do not have this, the club will pay for you to do the course online (takes about an hour)! If you sign up here, it would be very much appreciated if you show up for your shift relatively sober or send someone else. The beer will be sold in our party tent, where the music and dancing happens so you will not get bored!
PubMaster: Oversees the whole operations.
Checking IDs (6 PM to 8 PM)
Must have Serving it Right
Help DJ Put Stuff Away
We need two or three people to help the DJ pack up at 1 AM.
Sunday clean up(9-10 am)
Usually it does not get too messy, because we are all reasonably responsible. Right? Well we may not be as clean as we think and a little help tidying up is appreciated. After the Sunday clean up most people will head to the smoke bluffs and go climbing.


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This raises the specter of automobile drivers pointing the liability finger at GPS providers and filing lawsuits against such providers when GPS instructions are not accurate.
The facts of the particular rental car-train crash were reported at LoHud.com (a news outlet for New York's Lower Hudson Valley) on January 3. A California computer technician who was visiting the East Coast followed the car's GPS instructions, which told him to turn right as he was crossing the railroad tracks. He was trying to get to a parkway shortly beyond the tracks.
As the driver crossed the tracks, the car become stuck and could not move. The driver tried but failed to reverse the car off of the tracks. Ultimately, he left the vehicle.
The driver witnessed an oncoming train. He waved his arms, trying to stop the train. However, the train was not able to slow down enough to avoid a collision. The train smashed into the car. Although nobody was hurt, hundreds of passengers were delayed for two hours, and a number of other trains were canceled or delayed in the wake of the accident.
Because of the collision, the rental car, the train, and more than 200 feet of the electrified third rail of the tracks were damaged. The rental car driver was issued a summons and is being held liable for the damage to the train and track.
Does the rental car driver have recourse against the GPS provider? What if the instructions provided to him were not accurate in terms of his intended destination?
While not enough is known as to whether the GPS instructions in this particular instance were accurate, the question still remains, because, even though GPS instructions are of great value and often are correct, they are not perfect.
I recall one instance, when I rented a car in Florida. The GPS system told me I arrived at my destination, when in fact I was still in the middle of a highway with about another half mile to go before arriving. It was a good thing I did not assume I had arrived and simply stopped in the middle of the highway.
I remember another time when I was trying to get to a gym for a youth basketball tournament, and the GPS instructions concluded my route by leaving me at the end of a cul de sac facing a field with no gym in sight. No harm, no foul, as I found the gym a few miles away on my own.
But getting back to the question of what happens if a GPS unit's instructions lead to an accident? While a driver might argue that he or she paid for a service, is entitled to rely upon the accuracy of the service, and can seek to hold the provider of the service responsible if the service does not perform properly, a GPS service provider would have counterarguments.
Who bears responsibility?
First, likely, the written contractual materials, and the click-through materials to operate a GPS device, would disclaim any responsibility in this scenario and would require the driver to ensure that his or her driving of the vehicle was safe wholly apart from whatever the GPS device tells him or her to do.
The question then would be whether this would be considered a bargained for and enforceable contractual provision, or whether it would be considered an unenforceable "adhesion contract." That would be for a judge to decide.
Second, separate from contractual terms, a GPS service provider could argue that it was not too long ago that GPS devices weren't available to drivers. Indeed, to this day, many drivers do not use such devices. Thus, for decades and even now, drivers must independently figure out how to get to their intended destinations. Accordingly, just because a GPS now might provide some assistance, it is unreasonable to allow a driver to fob off all responsibility on the GPS provider.
On the other hand--and when it comes to legal matters, there always is another hand--a GPS device, when operational, at a minimum, is very distracting, and at most, is quite commanding. When tooling through unfamiliar territory and given explicit directions by a GPS device, a driver must make a decision in a split second what to do. At that point, it might not be unreasonable if he or she relied upon the GPS instructions.
As technology advances, the law follows, and I wouldn't be surprised to see more GPS cases going forward that map out (pardon the pun) this area of the law.


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Term: Foot
A foot is a unit of metre, consisting of a combination of stressed and unstressed syllables. If stressed syllables are marked "/" and unstressed "u", the main types can be shown thus:
Iamb: [ u / ], such as "delight". (The adjective is "iambic".)
Trochee: [ / u ], such as "badger" (Trochaic)
Anapest, or anapaest: [ u u / ], such as "unaware" (Anapestic / anapaestic)
Dactyl: [ / u u ], such as "multiple" (Dactylic)
and, more rarely:
Spondee: [ / / ], such as "tooth-ache"
Pyrrhic: [ u u ], such as "such as" was until it was put in quotation marks.
It is important to remember that feet and words need not coincide. The feet in John Heath-Stubbs' line, "A caterpillar among those mulberry leaves", from 'The Mulberry Tree' appear thus:
| a CAT | er PILL | ar a MONG | those MUL | berry LEAVES |
| u / | u / | u u / | u / | u / |
That one word "caterpillar" is scattered across three feet in this five-foot line - the first two are iambs, then after a single anapaest there are two further iambs (or one iamb and one more anapaest, depending on whether you say mul-ber-ry or mul-bree). Also note that, although there is an anapaest in the centre of this line, this is still a predominantly iambic line (especially as it is within a predominantly iambic poem) - varying the feet like this can keep a line from getting metrically dull.
The process of working out where the stresses fall is called scanning, or scansion. It's easiest to do it on poems where the rhythms are pronounced; on the other hand, it can be near-impossible, or simply unhelpful, to scan free verse. The poems suggested below have strongly accented feet, and the links to metre and form go into more detail on how poets use feet.


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Matthew Lickona and the Reader
San Diego wine and Porsche fans, Janet Flanner, Antiochian Orthodox church, Charger fans
Matthew Lickona 8:30 a.m., Oct. 20
South Carlsbad State beach
Image posted by Joe Ewing
September 25, 2014
Matthew Lickona 8:30 a.m., Oct. 20
Matt Potter 8:30 a.m., Oct. 19
3 p.m., Oct. 18
Jean Starr Untermeyer 2 p.m., Oct. 18
Walter Mencken 1 p.m., Oct. 18
Walter Mencken noon, Oct. 18
Walter Mencken 11 a.m., Oct. 18
© 2019 San Diego Reader. All rights reserved. No part of this site may be reproduced without our written permission.


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hi Guys,
I have to make a program which can identify the expression for example
V1=V2+P1, V1>i1(P1) or V1=(P1+P2)/V2
where V1,V2, P1 and P2 are variables. user will enter values of these variables first and then he will make an expression. My program will have to solve that expression.
in other way it is totally up to the user what expression he wants. I will really appreciate if somebody will help me.


text:
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It is about that time.
The 78th annual college flea market is in the books, and every team has new hope. Vikings fans certainly expect their team to be No. 1 in our post-draft Power Rankings. I Ponder'd it, for about two milliseconds.
Patience is the word of the day. Let's remember that these are fresh-faced kids who need time to develop. When I was 22, I was driving a teal green Probe with an equalizer. Like I said, give them time to grow.
Speaking of patience, your neighborhood writer pulled a Peter King and penned much of this column at Starbucks ... But not before he had to wait in line behind a guy with an uncomfortable amount of neck hair as he ordered a venti half-caff macchiato with a soy dandelion-root chaser. Basically, you should have gotten these Power Rankings 10 minutes earlier.
Now let's get to it. As always, feel free to drop off your thoughts at the usual place: @Harrison_NFL.
Let the dissension commence!NOTE: The following pecking order reflects changes from the March 19 Power Rankings, published after the initial free agency surge.
If anything, the 49ers strengthened their position at Radio City Music Hall. Trade up to get a safety ( Eric Reid) to potentially replace Dashon Goldson? Check. Get the biggest bargain in the draft ( Marcus Lattimore)? Check. Fortify an aging defensive front? Check.
The Seahawks make the big leap, pushing the Broncos down -- not because of anything that Denver did wrong, but rather because of how formidable Pete Carroll's group has become. First, the Seahawks have an outstanding free agency period. Then they follow that up with effective drafting. The Jesse Williams pick represents great value, as there is no way that guy should have fallen to Day 3.
Calm down, Denver. Your team is looking awesome. It's just one slot, this Broncos "drop." The only reason Denver falls here is because Seattle had the best free agency/draft offseason out there. For those non- Broncos fans out there who think Denver does not deserve to be ranked ahead of New England, Houston and Baltimore, bear in mind this club has the easiest strength of schedule (.430) in the league. That's scary -- especially considering this is a club that recently added Wes Welker, Louis Vasquez, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Terrance Knighton. Oh, and also drafted Montee Ball.
Atlanta approached the draft with the idea of getting its secondary in order. There might be some growing pains in the back four, but Desmond Trufant (first round, Washington) and Robert Alford (second round, Southeastern Louisiana) should help immediately.
New England typically knows what it's doing, so it's difficult to question organizational philosophy, but ... Couldn't this club have used a top-notch player, instead of trading down for more picks? Look around the roster; more and more, the Patriots are becoming Tom Brady ... and a bunch of guys. As opposed to: Tom Brady, Corey Dillon, Willie McGinest, Ty Law and Richard Seymour.
OK, so we basically learned in this draft that Green Bay hated all of its running backs. Ryan Grant probably isn't getting a Christmas card this year, and James Starks is penciled in for five carries ... like, in Oakland or somewhereselseville. Still, this idea that "You can never have enough running backs" is bogus. Quit treating these guys like they're MLB hurlers on an 80-pitch count. Whether The Guy is Eddie Lacy or Johnathan Franklin, I'm just not a fan of taking two backs in the first four rounds of a draft. There are scores of running backs throughout NFL history -- from Tony Dorsett to Barry Sanders to Curtis Martin -- who carried the ball 250 times per season. Franklin's a nice kid and a talented player, but at 125, Green Bay could have fortified the O-line, secondary or even drafted a backup quarterback.
Doesn't seventh feel about right for the Texans? They signed Ed Reed, and have taken out the Bengals in two straight postseasons, yet don't really deserve to be viewed as any better than the seventh-best team in football. In fact, the club directly above Houston shredded the Texans' defense in prime time last year -- a game known as Jordy Nelson Night in America. Is it just me, or does DeAndre Hopkins seem like the quintessential No. 2 receiver? ...
The Bengals had an awesome draft. And the club mostly re-signed its own in free agency. Draft and retain -- that's how you win in the NFL.
The reigning
Super Bowl champs drop again. Three reasons why:
1) The last time we did these rankings, it looked like Ed Reed might stay. Baltimore lost a little too much leadership to keep a top-five slot.
2) The Ravens play the fifth-hardest sked in the league.
3) Cincinnati is the most balanced club, from top to bottom, in the AFC North.
By drafting offensive tackle Justin Pugh and defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins in the first two rounds, Giants GM Jerry Reese successfully nabbed the best players available (almost) while simultaneously filling team needs. Getting Hankins at No. 49 was smooth.
The Redskins didn't have a first-round pick, but they grabbed themselves a player in Round 2. David Amerson picked off 13 balls in 2011. Last year, he "only" had five. The last time a Redskins DB intercepted more than 18 passes over two seasons, Rob Schneider made a good movie. Which is to say, never.
Vikings fans have to be excited about this draft class, though NFL Network researcher Drew Christensen made a hopeful plea to me on the subject of Cordarrelle Patterson: "Less Troy Williamson ... more Moss." Either way, that Vikings first round looks damn good on scrolls. (I'll be here all week.) Random aside: Anyone else think Aliens when they saw Patterson's hair under his hat?
Chicago took a leap of faith in taking inexperienced offensive guard Kyle Long in the first, and then followed with Jon Bostic, a linebacker out of Florida, in the second. I spoke with Lance Briggs on Saturday, and while his comments were ever-diplomatic and "team-first," I could tell the guy was wondering if Bostic can play -- and clearly believes the club will miss Brian Urlacher. This offseason, the defense parted ways with a well-respected defensive coordinator ( Rod Marinelli left for Dallas), as well as its on-field leader of the last 13 years. The problem at linebacker -- and ultimately in replacing Urlacher -- is that no teams really had any middle 'backers rated in the top 20 players of this draft class. Chicago picked 20th. So, hello, Kyle Long.
The Colts rank 14th on the strength of Andrew Luck and some smart, if not dynamic, free-agent signings. The addition of Greg Toler makes sense. This is an unheralded player who performed very well in Arizona last season. Meanwhile, LaRon Landry feels like Bob Sanders 2.0. Let's hope he doesn't parallel Sanders' injury history.
Miami got its man on draft day, and was willing to pay the price to do it. Jeff Ireland rolled the dice a lot this offseason, in more ways than just dealing his 42nd overall pick to swoop in at No. 3 and obtain the draft's best pass-rushing prospect ( Dion Jordan). I ran into Jordan in March, as well as at the draft. Bottom line: If his shoulder is right, he can be a force. With Cameron Wake, Randy Starks, Dannell Ellerbe and Reshad Jones in the mix, you might be looking at a wild-card team.
The ball is in your court, Sam Bradford. What's interesting to these Acuvue disposable contact lenses is that the Rams traded up to acquire Tavon Austin, yet several analysts felt third-round pick Stedman Bailey -- also from West Virginia -- could be the better prospect.
New Orleans drops a bit due to strong drafts by both the Dolphins and Rams, as well as having the third-toughest schedule in pro football. To that end, however, the Saints did receive a solid from the scheduling department, getting 10 days to prepare for their toughest game: at Seattle, Dec. 2.
You should look at the Cowboys' situation at safety. You won't be impressed. Dallas did get the best beard in the draft, so that's cool.
While many league observers question Jarvis Jones' longevity, the short term is an issue in Pittsburgh. More than at any time in recent memory, the Steelers are hoping a bunch of kids -- Le'Veon Bell, Markus Wheaton and Jones -- can provide significant contributions right now. Throw in David DeCastro, too, whose rookie season was pretty much a wash due to injury.
Exhibit A of modern pro football: In less than two months, the Buccaneers transformed a major weakness into a strength. They signed safety Dashon Goldson, traded for cornerback Darrelle Revis and drafted CB Johnthan Banks. Tell me those guys wouldn't have helped Tampa in the final six weeks of 2012, when the team completely fell apart and lost five games. The Bucs allowed 297.4 passing yards per game -- most in the NFL -- but at least they made up for it by recording the third-fewest sacks in the league.
Take another look at the defensive middle, once the weakness of this team. Ron Rivera now has Star Lotulelei and Kawann Short at DT, with 2012 rookie phenom Luke Kuechly at the "Mike." If the draftniks had Lotulelei and Short pegged correctly, consider it safe to say the Panthers' run D won't be giving up 110 rushing yards per game in 2013. Maybe, like, 75. Good night.
Don't look now, but those little San Diego Chargers had themselves a nice draft. Offensive tackle D.J. Fluker and wide receiver Keenan Allen could start immediately (although the transition to wideout at the pro level is often difficult). Meanwhile, all those people who bag on Manti Te'o have no idea what a student of the game he is. San Diego boasts Melvin Ingram (last year's No. 1 pick), Donald Butler, Jarret Johnson and Te'o at linebacker. How many teams have a more talented LB corps?
Philadelphia is yet another club that just completed an exemplary draft. Whether or not you're on the Matt Barkley train, the fact this team got him at 98th overall is notable. Philadelphia filled needs all over the place with savvy picks, starting, of course, with offensive tackle Lane Johnson, who should step in and start immediately. Tight end Zach Ertz should get on the field plenty, whether he starts or not. Ditto Bennie Logan on the defensive line.
A lot of Browns fans are not happy with the club's draft. It's imperative to remember, though, that Josh Gordon should be included as part of this class. (Taken in last year's supplemental draft, Gordon used up this year's second-round pick.) He's completely overlooked when the subject of young stars comes up. Considering Gordon caught 50 balls for 805 yards, even with Brandon Weeden's struggles, he shouldn't be.
The Lions got their man in Ziggy Ansah, a kid the Detroit staff was able to see up close and personal while coaching him at the Senior Bowl. Interestingly enough, GM Martin Mayhew drafted two other players (OG Larry Warford and TE Michael Williams) that his staff coached in the Senior Bowl. Power Rankings side note: Ran into Nate Burleson a couple of times at my hotel in New York. He's pumped about being the WR2 in Detroit's passing attack -- a spot that was ransacked by injury and inconsistency in 2012 -- and seemed ready to rock. Not to mention, he can sport a brick-colored vest without a hint of irony.
Since we last did these rankings, Carson Palmer has been added to the fray. There have been many comparisons to the Palmer signing and Kurt Warner joining the Cards back in 2005. Yes, they are similar players, except not at all.
There were some concerns heading into the draft regarding Sheldon Richardson and his motivation. Let's just say this: Most of these guys who walked across the stage Thursday night are 21 or 22 years old. Richardson is 22. Give him a chance to grow up. Here's the other deal with Sheldon: He led all SEC interior defensive linemen with 75 tackles. Last I checked, that was a pretty strong conference with relatively talented D-linemen. Last I checked, the Jets' run defense was watching Chris Johnson take one 94 yards to the house on Monday Night Football ...
... Speaking of the Titans, this is a franchise we'd like to move up. Nonetheless, it's hard to do. Reviews on their draft were mixed. Chance Warmack is a heckuva football player; guards never go in the top 10, so that tells you something. Yet, this club gave up too much to get Justin Hunter. Not to mention, Tennessee just drafted Kendall Wright 20th overall last year. Plus, the question mark that is Jake Locker certainly wasn't answered by the acquisition of Ryan Fitzpatrick. So I defer to you, Titans Nation. (Is there such a thing as " Titans Nation?") How do you feel about the draft and the general status of your team? The dropbox for all things Music City is @Harrison_NFL.
You know that "Sports Science" show that routinely studies the "catch radius" of a wide receiver? One wonders what that looks like for Robert Woods and Marquise Goodwin, as well as the other six or so guys Buffalo currently has on its depth chart. OK, EJ Manuel actually has fared alright in bad weather, and accuracy is not a concern. But that was a helluva draft risk, Buddy Nix, even if you did pick up two extra picks by moving down to the 16 spot in the first round. Hope it all works out. No, really. Bills fans deserve it.
Let's chat about something other than an offensive tackle who is unhappy with his contract. (Seriously, how much run is Branden Albert -- an OT on a 2-14 team -- getting in the media?) Third-round pick Travis Kelce (TE) and fourth-rounder Nico Johnson (ILB) are far more interesting; they could help the Chiefs immediately. Despite being a Day 3 guy, Johnson could beat out Akeem Jordan in August.
Matt Flynn has only started two NFL games, yet in those two games he's looked better than Blaine Gabbert has in his brief career. That gives Oakland the nod here over Jacksonville, because, frankly, both clubs have holes up and down the roster. Third-round pick Sio Moore could really give this team a lift at linebacker. He was quite productive last year at Connecticut, where he racked up 72 tackles, eight sacks and 11 pass breakups. Moore finished his college career with six tackles and a sack in the Senior Bowl.
The Jags keep swapping places with the Raiders. While I like the fact that Jacksonville was able to get an NFL-ready player in Luke Joeckel, that just means they have two solid tackles to protect a quarterback who doesn't make plays or, evidently, take responsibility. Justin Blackmon's four-game suspension doesn't help matters.
Follow Elliot Harrison on Twitter @Harrison_NFL.


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The Seneca Nation of Indians is starting a daily inter-territory bus service from Irving to Steamburg. Beginning Monday, buses will run Monday through Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The bus route connects Seneca Gaming and Entertainment Bingo in Irving and The Turtle Pit in Steamburg, with 13 scheduled stops along the route, including Seneca Nation government buildings, community buildings, Shop & Save in Gowanda, the Cattaraugus County Building in Little Valley and Grand Center Station in Salamanca.
Riders will be picked up anywhere along the route, and special diversion pickups can be arranged for people unable to get to a stop. Fares are $1 for each of the two zones; diversions are double fare. Children ride free.
Schedules can be found www.sni.org/STS or by phone 716-945-1790 ext. 3055.


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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) Mike Thorne had 16 points and 11 rebounds, and Denzel Ingram added 12 as UNC Charlotte held off a late second half charge and beat Kansas State 68-61 in the opening game of the Puerto Rico Tip-Off in San Juan on Thursday.
Charlotte led by as many as 13 points in the second half and won their second straight despite being held under 80 points for the first time this season.
Nigel Johnson led the Wildcats with 14 points.
K-State's loss ends a two-game win streak. The Wildcats led only once in the game, and struggled in the paint where they were outrebounded 46-34. It was the third time this season they have been beaten on the boards.
The 49ers will play the winner of Northeastern and Georgetown Friday.


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SAN JOSE — It seemed like a rational alternative to the pitched battles that erupt over charter school openings. For years, the downtown neighborhood near Washington Elementary has wanted a middle school. Downtown College Prep, the oldest high school charter in the county, planned to open one next fall.
So why not locate it on the Washington campus, which would have spare classrooms by 2015?
But despite interest and compromises by San Jose Unified School District, the charter school and residents, the effort fell victim to volatile charter-school politics. The agreement to create Downtown College Prep Middle was cemented in September, but the school remains homeless for 2014-15.
It appears the district fell short in reaching out to teachers, parents and the broader community. Although residents pleaded last fall for a middle school, seeds of doubt in some segments grew into vocal opposition. Last month, San Jose Unified staff withdrew its recommendation to place the charter at Washington.
"I feel disappointed. It was going to benefit all the students," said Patzy Cervantes, mother of a fifth- grader who has signed up to attend DCP middle next year.
She and others in the largely Latino community had long advocated for a neighborhood school for children who now travel 2 to 3 miles, many walking, to middle school.
"I'm feeling sad, because the district listened only to the other side," said a Washington parent who doesn't want her name used, because she received threats for speaking in favor of the charter school. "People didn't really understand the work of DCP," she said. Instead, she said, they succumbed to rumors.
They feared, for example, that allowing DCP to operate the middle school — which would be just sixth grade in the first year — would lead to it taking over Washington Elementary.
In November, downtown residents at a packed San Jose City Council meeting asked for a middle school in their neighborhood. Council members asked the district about its plans.
"My constituents would like to have a middle school," said Councilman Pierluigi Oliverio. "I thought by pushing the subject in public, (the school district) would be on the hook."
The message got through. "We came back and said, if they're publicly saying that, we've got to address that need," said Stephen McMahon, the district's chief budget officer.
Washington seemed like a perfect solution. It has three vacant rooms and in 2015 when it loses special state funding for small class sizes, it will have 12 surplus rooms, McMahon said.
But the district didn't get Washington teachers on board, and charter-school opponents began organizing parent opposition. They didn't like DCP's use of computers for remediation, and they feared clashes if "outsider" middle schoolers came onto campus.
"There would be problems commingling students from eighth grade to pre-kinder," said Brett Bymaster, a former Washington parent who successfully led opposition to placing a Rocketship charter school nearby, adjacent to the Tamien Light Rail station.
"It wasn't the right fit for our school."
Teachers, who had thought Washington would expand to a K-8, were surprised by the proposal. "We always have concerns when a charter school becomes part of a traditional school campus," said teachers association President Jennifer Thomas. She said partnership details weren't clear. "Who will oversee it, who can ensure the staffs can co-habitate?"
Other parents have responded with frustration.
"I'm pretty upset," said Liliana Muñoz, 28, who noted that her fifth-grader's school, Galarza, also has Hammer Montessori on the same campus. "We get along fine." She plans to send her son to DCP next year to a site yet unknown.
Downtown College Prep was founded in 2000, taking struggling students and accelerating them toward college. It has grown from one campus on The Alameda and added another high school and a middle school in Alum Rock. In last year's graduating class, 54 of 58 students enrolled in college. Of its graduates, one-third have completed a four-year college, four times the national rate for low-income students.
DCP co-founder and executive director Jennifer Andaluz said 150 sixth-graders have signed up for 140 spots in the school, wherever it is placed. An agreement the district signed obligates it to find a location for the school for next fall. But it might not be near Washington.
"The district has the opportunity to serve as a unifying force in the placement of DCP in that neighborhood. They've backed down," she said. She is disappointed.
"I don't like to feel I'm on the same team with somebody and then all of a sudden they've changed shirts."
Contact Sharon Noguchi at 408-271-3775. Follow her at Twitter.com/NoguchiOnK12.


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Following is an op-ed I had in the Wall Street Journal last week looking at the possibility of cutting the Social Security payroll tax for older workers. I make three main points: first, Social Security provides a very poor return on contributions for workers nearing retirement; second, these near-retirees are far more sensitive to such incentives than middle aged workers; and third, due to this sensitivity, lowering payroll tax rates on older workers could spur labor force participation such that extra collections from non-Social Security taxes could offset much or all of the loss to Social Security's revenues.
A Payroll Tax Cut Could Help Social Security
The annual Social Security Trustees Report, released on Monday, confirms that the program is significantly underfunded. After decades of delay, Congress and the next president will need to take steps to restore Social Security's finances and improve Americans' retirement income security. Although it might seem counterintuitive, one positive step toward achieving both goals is to cut the 12.4% payroll tax for workers nearing retirement, say, at age 62.
The reason is that the current system encourages too many individuals to retire early, forgoing the extra savings they could have by extending their work lives.
It is true that, in the aftermath of the Great Recession, more people are postponing retirement to rebuild their battered 401(k)s. Nevertheless, Americans on average still retire more than two years earlier than they did in 1960, despite less strenuous jobs and significantly longer life spans. The typical worker will spend one-third of his adult life in retirement, financed by entitlement programs that cannot bear the strain.
There are many reasons Americans retire young, but Social Security benefit rules unquestionably play a role. A 2009 study I coauthored with David Weaver and Gayle Reznik of the Social Security Administration (for the SSA's Office of Retirement and Disability Policy) found that for each dollar of additional payroll taxes a near-retiree pays into the system, he or she receives only around 2.5 cents in extra lifetime benefits.
The returns are meager because Social Security benefits are based upon an individual's highest 35 years of earnings—an additional year of work is unlikely to boost benefits. Second, most female retirees receive a spousal benefit based upon their husbands' earnings, and the spousal benefit is not increased by any additional taxes she may pay. Third, once individuals reach the full retirement age they are ineligible for Social Security disability benefits, but they must nevertheless continue to pay the 1.8% disability payroll tax.
Unlike other taxes, the work incentives presented by Social Security are a function of the tax workers pay in a given year minus the future benefits those taxes entitle them to. For younger or low-income workers, this "net tax rate" is low or even negative. For near-retirees, however, little or any new benefits are earned in exchange for taxes paid, making Social Security a clear disincentive to work.
How sensitive are near-retirees to changes in after-tax earnings? A 2005 study by Eric French of the Chicago Federal Reserve found that a 10% increase in wages as of age 62 would increase this cohort's labor supply by 18%, and the overall labor supply by 1.1%. In a 2009 study that relied on differences in state income-tax rates, Lucie Schmidt of Williams College and Purvi Sevak of Hunter College found that a 10% increase in after-tax earnings would increase labor force participation by 7.5% among men and 11.4% among women. And in forthcoming research, John Laitner and Dan Silverman of the University of Michigan find that eliminating the payroll tax at age 59 would cause individuals to delay retirement by an average of 1.1 years.
Obviously, reducing or even eliminating the payroll tax for older workers would lower Social Security revenues. But increased labor-force participation would raise non-Social Security tax collections. The budgetary question is how these balance out.
Using the standard Social Security models developed by the Policy Stimulation Group, I estimate that eliminating the 12.4% payroll tax for workers at age 62 would reduce annual Social Security revenues by roughly 2.2%, or about $16.2 billion in 2012 tax collections.
Using Eric French's parameters, it would increase the overall labor supply by around 1.4%. The average 62-year-old working full time in 2010 earned around $58,800, implying a federal income-tax rate of about 15%. Adding the 2.9% Medicare tax and a 4.4% average state income-tax rate, total non-Social Security revenues would rise by around $18.3 billion, of which the federal government would collect about $14.7 billion. Thus higher non-Social Security revenues compensate for much of the payroll tax cut. (Higher benefits earned by later retirements have no significant impact on these estimations.)
Meanwhile, the gains to individuals and the economy could be substantial. Working one additional year would boost average private pension income by almost 5%. And all Americans would benefit from the extra goods and services that older workers could provide.
Cutting the payroll tax on older workers won't pay for itself. But the fact that it would come so close to doing so illustrates the losses we suffer under current policy and the potential gains to individual welfare and the economy.
Mr. Biggs is a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and a former principal deputy commissioner of the Social Security Administration.Read more!


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::serialization fun!::October 29th, 2011 by hamish download the zooToolBox
I've been tinkering around with this little project for awhile now. I've always wanted to try to write a simple little serialization format. I know there solutions already out there – and in fact pyYAML seems to do everything mine does WAY better than I've managed.
But thats not the point. The point is I wanted to try and do it myself as an exercise. Its kinda tricky writing a nice serialization format and it was actually a fun little project.
Anyway, so what does it do? Well, I wanted a text based serialization format that was easy to read and on the odd occasion hand edit. You could write them by hand too if you're feeling masochistic, but I strongly discourage it. Having an easily readable, text based serialization format is terribly helpful for the occasions that you just want to crack the data open in an editor and see what the hell is going on.
Of course, you want to be able to write out interesting data too. Which is obviously why pickle is incredibly appealing. But pickle files are basically impossible for us mere mortals to read. Plus they can also be abused by bad programmers (bad meaning incompetent or malicious). I had a case recently where one of our tools was being hellishly slow. So I spent a heap of time in a profiler trying to figure out why. Turned out this particular tool, which was storing out data in pickle files, was pickling a database abstraction object. The mere act of unpickling the file would cause a bunch of database activity. In this particular case the tool was unpickling lots of these files which ended up taking a long time. It took awhile to even bother looking at file loading as the culprit because the files themselves were only a few hundred bytes.
This is an easy mistake to make inadvertently in a language like python.
Pickle is amazingly cool. Its also a VERY powerful tool to put in the hands of noobs and can sometimes cause headaches.
Anyway enough talking, lets look at some codez!
import os from maya import cmds import sobject objToSerialize = sobject.SObject() objToSerialize.sceneName = cmds.file( q=True, sn=True ) objToSerialize.currentSelection = cmds.ls( sl=True ) objToSerialize.someRandomDict = { 'data': os.getenv( 'USER' ), 'cwd': os.getcwd() } objToSerialize.subObj = subObj = sobject.SObject() subObj.interestingNumbers = range(3) subObj.cyclicReference = objToSerialize
Kinda pointless data, but basically the objToSerialize object will be able to serialize itself to disk in a nice human readable way. The above code serialized to disk looks like this:
42035216: sceneName(str):c:/somePath/someFile.ma currentSelection(list): (str):pSphere1 (str):pCube1 someRandomDict(dict): (str)data(NoneType):None (str)cwd(str):c:\Users\macaronikazoo\Documents\maya\scripts subObj(*):42035376: interestingNumbers(list): (int):0 (int):1 (int):2 cyclicReference(*):42035216
Thats fairly readable, right? Hardly a Dan Brown novel, but certainly easy enough to digest should you need to go poking around. And obviously if you need to get this information back into python, its as simple as passing either the string data to the Unserialize class method, or passing a filepath to the Load classmethod. Like so:
objToSerialize.write( '~/sobject_test_file.txt' ) unserializedFromFile = sobject.Load( '~/sobject_test_file.txt' ) #unserialize from file assert objToSerialize == unserializedFromFile
Anyway – if you're interested in taking a look at the code, feel free to! Its right here.
This post is public domain
This entry was posted on Saturday, October 29th, 2011 at 16:16 and is filed under main. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.


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KNIGHTS of Columbus Council 7024 sponsors a youth soccer challenge for ages 10-14 at 1:30 p.m. Sept. 29 at St. Mildred�s Church, Swansboro. Registration at 1 p.m. Call 910-326-1010.
KNIGHTS of Columbus Council 7024 sponsors a youth soccer challenge for ages 10-14 at 1:30 p.m. Sept. 29 at St. Mildred�s Church, Swansboro. Registration at 1 p.m. Call 910-326-1010.
PARADISE Point Reunion fundraiser for Bruce Hemingway from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Oct. 13 at Surf City Welcome Center with memorial paddle, raffles and barbecue plates. Call 818-489-7648.
ONSLOW NCSSA�s annual Poker Run for Teens from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 29 at New River Harley Davidson. Barbecue lunch provided. Call 910-219-1886.
COUNTRY Club of the Crystal Coast hosts a Pro-Am Tennis Tournament fundraiser for Carteret General Hospital held Nov. 1-3. For more information call 252-449-9048.
SNEADS FERRY Community Center, 126 Park Lane offers bingo every Monday at 7 p.m. Information call 910-327-3335.
RHODESTOWN VFD will be starting its door-to-door photo fundraiser.
ONSLOW COUNTY Fair will be accepting entries from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 30 at the Onslow Fairgrounds. Information, call 910-455-5873.
SWANSBORO Parks and Recreation offers a CPR/First Aid class from 4 to 8 p.m. Sept. 30 at the recreation center. Cost $44, registration required at 910-326-2600.
ONSLOW COUNTY Schools preschool will be accepting applications from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Thursday at 440 College Street. Information, call 910-346-6222.
HOMES4NC Charity Golf Tournament at 9:30 a.m. Oct. 16 at North Shore Country Club. Cost $75 per golfer. Information, call 910-329-1406.
CPR/AED training/certification held from 9 a.m. to noon Oct. 5 at Sneads Ferry Presbyterian Church. Cost $20 for church members; $40 non-members. Call 910-327-6477.
JACKSONVILLE High School Class of 1963 celebrates its 50th class reunion Oct. 11-13 with pig-pickin, school tour, reunion dinner and breakfast. Information at firstname.lastname@example.com.
BOWLING Extravaganza fundraiser from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 16 at Bowlarena with bowling, games, yard sale, prizes and more. Vendors welcome. Call 910-340-1689.
FREE PROGRAM for women diagnosed with cancer hosted by Hairtage salon stylists from 9 to 11 a.m. Oct. 14 at Onslow Memorial Hospital. Register at 800-227-2345.
BLOOD DRIVES from 1 to 6 p.m. Sept. 30 at Lowes, Yopp Road and from 3 to 7 p.m. at Swansboro First Baptist Church, 614 W. Corbett Ave.
NEW RIVER Harmony Chorus men�s barbershop seeks men interested in singing. For more information call 910-455-1528 or 219-1107.
BEAR CREEK VFD Trout/Flounder fishing fundraiser held Oct. 5 at Great Neck Landing, Queens Creek. Information, call 910-326-5999/3370.
ECHSA, 246 Georgetown Road hosts a ribbon cutting ceremony/open house for the agency at 11 a.m. Oct. 16 also celebrating its daycare facility 13th anniversary. Call 910-347-2151.


text: 29ers are all about speed, and the Hardrock 29 wheelset delivers on this in spades—no matter if you're just getting started or you're a seasoned trail rider. The wheels have been built tough to meet the rigors of mountain biking head-on, while the ample wheel size guarantees a fast-rolling good time. They features a durable, double-wall alloy rim construction that adds strength without stacking on the weight, and to ensure that you'll be able to stop once you get motoring, the wheels are both disc- and rim-brake compatible. High value just met high performance.