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August 05, 2010
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Back in April I wrote up an investment case for American Water Works (AWK). Here's what I had to say about the company:
To me, Monopoly is the greatest board game of all-time. When playing Monopoly, high-end properties that rake in huge sums of cash when opponents land on them, like Boardwalk, are the most sought after. However, there's always a place in one's Monopoly portfolio for the game's steady, lower-yielding utilities, like Water Works. The same goes for one's real-life portfolios. It's nice to have a few conservative investments mixed in with those that have more upside. Publications have been all over water utilities lately. I have seen write-ups and recommendations on a number of different companies in the sector over the past several months. The thesis behind the sudden affinity for water companies is that many states and municipalities are having huge budget problems (that's an understatement - the pensions and free healthcare, etc... that the state workers get are nuts but that's a debate for another time that I don't want to get into now). These financial problems may increase the likelihood that state and local governments will sell their water-utility operations off to private companies. I personally would be all for my state selling off any water assets that it hasn't already. It could use the proceeds to pay down its massive wad of debt.Currently approximately three quarters of all utilities are government-owned, so clearly there a lot potential for growth for publicly-traded companies in the sector.I certainly can see the logic in this theory, however the privatization of public assets...particularly one as essential as water...is easier said than done. Even if states and municipalities want to sell off their water assets, the public often freaks out and attempts to prevent the transaction (see Trenton, NJ for an example of this).Even though I believe that the acquisition of public water assets will be more challenging than many believe, I still see some merit in this thesis. Many states are in big, big financial trouble and despite the public outcry they may not have a choice to sell off a number of assets.Seeking to capitalize on this potential trend, I looked into companies in the sector. I ultimately decided to go with American Water Works (AWK). Some of the people who are familiar with the industry may find this choice surprising. As the old saying goes, you pay a high price for perfection (or something like that). This is why I often look for companies that are a little dinged up when investing instead of the best-run organizations. The former often have more upside. Looking at the numbers, a number of the other companies in the sector appear to be run better than AWK. American Water Works' operating margin of 25.5% pales in comparison to Aqua America's (WTR) 35.4% (perhaps the industry's best run company). Furthermore, AWK's actually reported a loss last quarter (as a result of a wetter and cooler than normal weather).So why did I choose AWK? I went with it because it has all three elements that I look for in stocks.It's cheapThe company's relatively weak margins and the fact that it actually reported a loss last quarter have made the stock cheap. It currently trades at only 1.55 times sales, versus 1.82 times sales for California Water Service Group (CWT) and 3.75 times sales for WTR. American Water's price-to-sales ratio is a surprising 54.68% below the average of the Water Utilities industry.It pays a dividendAWK pays a solid 3.9% dividend that its cash flow from operations easily covers. That's higher than many companies in the sector. It has hidden catalystsIn addition to the aforementioned potential acquisitions from financially strapped states, AWK has another hidden catalyst that should help its performance down the road. American Water Works was taken private by a German company in 2003. In order to get regulatory approval for the purchase, the German company agreed not to raise prices at all for five years despite the fact that it was spending a lot of money on projects. The end of the five-year no rate hike time period is rapidly approaching. AWK's margins are worse than many of its competitors because it has been spending money on lots of projects yet getting no rate hikes in return. The logic here is that it will be allowed to raise its rates to the point that it receives the 10% return on capital that its competitors are getting on average. I have seen this sort of situation play out with power company rate hike decisions in the past. The companies that have terrible margins are allowed to raise rates, but the ones with awesome margins are not. It's illogical to punish well-run companies and reward poorly run ones, but that's the way the government works I guess.
Yesterday after the market close the company reported its first quarterly results since that write-up and it absolutely crushed it.
American Water Reports Strong Second Quarter Results; Increases Outlook for 2010
A ton of analysts follow this stock and they were looking for earnings of $0.36/share and $658.65 million in revenue. AWK reported a 31.3% increase in EPS to $0.42 and a 9.5% increase in revenue to $671.2 million.
Other highlights of the report include:
- A 30.1% increase in the Company's operating cash flow to $297.5 million.
- No immediate plans for a dilutive stock offering.
- More efficient operations, driving the AWK's gross margin percentage from 25.7% to 29.2%.
- Raised earnings guidance for the year to $1.42 - $1.52, better than the $1.40 that analysts were looking for.
- In Q2 American Water Works wn rate cases totaling an increase in annualized revenue of $118.6 million. That represents 4.9% of the company's total reported 2009 revenue.
- Ample opportunity for future rate increases with new rate increase applications worth a potential $168.7 million filed in NJ, PA, CA, & WV and pending rate increase applications worth $223.9 in eight states.
- The acquisition of new water systems in PA, IN, & MO and a new $3.4 million contract to build a wastewater treatment facility in Islip, NY.
- A 5% increase in its quarterly dividend to $0.22/share for a current yield of around 4.1%.
The thesis about the company's ability to improve its terrible margins and apply for rate increases now that it is allowed to is playing out beautifully. While American Water Works has outperformed the S&P 500 by 8.5% since my giving it the thumbs up in CAPS, its stock is only 2.5% higher than when I wrote the company up and it remains a bargain.
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SIR's luxury Signature Homes are known for their superior craftsmanship, flawless finishes and sophisticated fixtures. Each SIR Signature Home is located on a premiere property with detailed site and vista planning. SIR works with top architects and designers to ensure each home is unique and special.
Learn more about SIR's Signature Design Service. >

subset: commoncrawl


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IRVING, Texas -- The Cowboys' first bit of official 2011 business involved signing seven practice squad players on Monday, while also bringing defensive end Alex Daniels back into the fold.
The Cowboys re-signed wide receivers Troy Bergeron and Jeff Moturi, offensive tackle Robert Brewster, guard Travis Bright, tight end Jason Pociask, linebacker Kelvin Smith and cornerback Ross Weaver. Daniels was released last week to make room for Moturi because of other injuries at wide receiver.
While the practice squad might not seem that important, the Cowboys called up nine players from that unit during the season: tight end Scott Chandler, tight end Martin Rucker, wide receiver Teddy Williams, quarterback Chris Greisen, wide receiver Jesse Holley, wide receiver Manny Johnson, cornerback Bryan McCann, running back Lonyae Miller and safety Andrew Sendejo.


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I intend to do a comprehensive roundup of why Ted Cruz won the Senate race, and why David Dewhurst lost, but it's such a big subject I'm having trouble getting started. There's entirely too much to talk about, and I'm still digesting all the ramifications.
So instead, here are a few other random observations from last night's runoff:


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This month lovely wood anemones carpet the floor of New Lanark's woodland with a flush of starry white flowers. You can see these precious wild flowers, also known as Lady's Nightcap, beside the Clearburn Natural Outdoor Play Area next to the Clyde Valley Nature Reserve at New Lanark. According to the charity Plantlife, wood anemones are a well-known indicator of ancient woodland as they spread very slowly from rootstocks rather than seeds. On the grassy bank below Caithness Row, the daffodils are giving a brilliant display just now. It won't last, so come along soon and enjoy the fresh air and flowers!
You can find out more about visiting New Lanark at www.newlanark.org
Liz – New Lanark Guest Blogger


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- HubPages»
- Food and Cooking»
- Starter & Snack Recipes
Velveeta Cheese Dip
- 2 Lb. Block Velveeta Cheese
- 15 oz. can Hormel Chili No Beans, (Generic brand works just fine too)
- 1 lb. Ground Beef
- 1 Tbsp. Minced Onion
- 1 Tbsp. Minced Garlic
Crock Pot!
I totally recommend the crock pot with this. It is so easy, and in my opinion tastes better since the crock pot is not metal. As always, do what you are most comfortable doing, however, if you have never used a crock pot, then I suggest you start. It is much harder to mess up the food, and harder to burn food in a crock pot. If you are already familiar with the crock pot, then you already know what I am saying here! Enough said.
If you are preparing this dip for a party, again, I cannot emphasize enough using the crock pot. When you are doing a lot of cooking for party, there is enough stress just in preparing everything else alone. You are trying to clean the house, take care of the kids, getting your other food items ready, etc. etc... Using the crock pot for this will free up at least 2-3 hours of your time.
Using the pan on the stove top, you have got to have someone standing there to stir. Using the crock pot, you will put everything in and not have to even mess with it again for at least an hour. It cooks slowly, so putting everything together at least an hour or two before your party starts, the crock pot buys you this time and will most definitely be your best friend.
Need Dessert? Do You Like Caramel and Pecans?
- Caramel Rolls -Cinnamon and Pecans
This recipe comes straight from a Pillsbury Recipe Book. It is a recipe for crescent rolls. I made these last Christmas for breakfast. They were so good that I have had to continue making them throughout...
How To Make Your Yummy Warm Dip
There are so many little variations that you can make to this recipe, to make it exactly how you want it. There is a simple way, (by simple, I mean even a teenager that has never so much as boiled a hot dog could do it...)
There is a simple + hamburger way.
Simple + Jalapeno Peppers way.
And simple + do it however you want it way.
What I am trying to say here is that this is really fool-proof. Follow the basic concept, and then add whatever you want to it, and you can come up with your own genuine recipe for a Velveeta Cheese Dip of your own. I will give you suggestions for things that can be added at the end....which by the way, the end isn't far....because it is simple!
This is best used as an appetizer. You can't beat an appetizer that is made with Velveeta. Moving on.......
I am going to assume here that you have chosen to use a crock pot. Honestly, if you don't, and no offense, but you are an idiot. Having said that....
Plug your crock pot in, and turn it on low heat. This isn't like an oven where the need to pre-heat is a must. You just turn it on, put everything together, put the lid on, and let it do it's thing.
→The simplest recipe for this is to cube up your block of Velveeta Cheese. Simply cut up the block into pieces, there is no rocket science here.
Put the Velveeta pieces into the crock pot. Pour in your jar of salsa, and your can of chili with no beans....cover with the lid, and let it sit for the next hour. Don't keep taking the lid off to check on it, it is NOT going to burn. Keeping the lid on will keep the heat in, making the Velveeta melt quicker. After about an hour or so, stir everything together. It is done. You can even call it "Chili and Velveeta Cheese Dip." Call it what you want, it is scrumdeliumptious!
Like I said before, this is most definitely the easiest way. This simple way here is probably one of the best cheese dips you have ever tasted in your life. Yes, you can add more and make it even better, but I wanted to put this first just in case you are wanting to save a little money, and not have to buy anything else. Also, there is no cooking involved here, other than the crock pot doing the cooking for you.
Serve with tortilla chips. or whatever your favorite chip is! I think that this tastes best with tortilla chips.
So, if you are looking for the easiest way out, but still want an "Out of this world" cheese dip for your guests, feel free to use only these 3 ingredients and call it a day.
More Delicious Recipes!
- Dip-Dill, Yummy Dill Dip!
Dill Dip is probably one of the most popular dips for chips out there. The taste of dill dip is fairly neutral, meaning there aren't many people that don't like it. The recipe I have for this particular...
- Best Recipe, Meat Lasagna With Velveeta
For a very long time now, Lasagna has been a meal made for comfort and warmth. When we want something for dinner that is different from our every day eating habits, many of us turn to Italian food. It is...
- Velveeta Cheesy Chicken Potato Soup Recipe
O.K., so I have been writing about getting healthy, and exercising, and all of that good stuff. Just to let you know ahead of time, this is surely not a soup to eat when trying to cut calories. But, it is...
- Chicken Salad Recipe, Da Bomb!
Hellman's Mayonnaise 3/4 of a jar (Only Hellman's!) 2.5 pound bag of frozen boneless skinless chicken breast 2 stalks of celery 1 medium yellow or white onion (whichever you prefer) ...
Other Delicious Variations To Your Velveeta Cheese Dip, and Mexican Cheese Dip!
→Add hamburger to your basic recipe. I have found that for a 2 lb. block of Velveeta, 1 lb. of hamburger is plenty. If you are having a party for more than 10-12 people, you can use 2 of the 2 lb. blocks of Velveeta. If you are using a big size crock pot, there is plenty of room. You can just double the amounts of everything you put in. Another good money saving idea though, you can add another block of Velveeta and leave the amounts of the other ingredients alone. The dip is still delicious. The taste of the chili and salsa won't be quite as prominent, but it is still a crazy good taste!
→When you are cooking your beef, (hamburger,) add one Tbsp. of minced onion, and one Tbsp. of minced garlic. This just adds some more flavor. It is really not important to do, but if you like the onion and garlic taste, absolutely go for it. It just makes it that much better.
→If you like beans, you can also use the chili with beans. Keep the beano near by.
→Add Jalapenos! If you love jalapenos, then add them to it. I am not a huge fan of jalapenos, but I have made this dip with jalapenos when I had company coming, that I knew were fans of jalapenos. Another good idea is to just have the jalapenos there, sitting to the side of the crock pot. If someone wants them, then they are available, and for the ones that don't like the jalapenos, they can still enjoy the dip without them. I would suggest going this route, since jalapenos are one of those things that either you like 'em, or you don't.
→If you want a zestier Velveeta cheese dip, use the Mexican Velveeta to create a mexican cheese dip. You can do this numerous ways. Since the Mexican Velveeta already has some of the zesty ingredients in it, you can just simply cube up the Mexican Velveeta into your crock pot, and add hamburger. Or, you can follow your basic recipe and just substitute regular Velveeta for the Mexican kind, and let it have all that flavor. For me, this is a bit too spicy, but, if it is spicy that you like, then this is probably your answer. Go for it.
Just a few more things that you could simply add to the basic recipe would be bacon, bacon bits, black olives, fresh chopped onions, chopped green onion, and or cilantro.
And as if that wasn't enough, try the Velveeta Chicken Cheese Dip!
Create Your Own Hot Dip
I know that there are many other things that you could put in this, I just wanted to put the main things that I find the easiest to do. But, you put into it whatever it is that you like, and make this all your own.
One more helpful hint, if you are making food to serve at a birthday party, and the party takes place during the cold months, I many times have made a big pot if chili, and made this dip to go along with it so that my guests have something to munch on while they are sitting around. It is always a crowd pleaser, and I never have any left over. I have even watched my guests slather the cheese dip right on top of their chili! And that too, is good by the way. Mmmmmmm.......
Velveeta Cheese Dip
Like Eggnog? Try these Desserts!
- Recipe: Eggnog Bavarian Cream (Homemade)
This recipe from a Mc Call's book that I have had for a long time now, gives eggnog a whole new taste! Typically, eggnog is served as a drink with, or without alcohol. Whatever your prefererence may be, I...
- Eggnog Custard Pudding
Also from Mc Call's...MMMMMMM if you like custard, you have to try this! It's rich and Yummy!
- Easy Chocolate Eggnog Pudding
Another great eggnog recipe from a Mc Call's book that I have had for a long time now, is the Chocolate Eggnog Pudding. This is in my opinion, THE fastest and tastiest way to make eggnog. Although there...
This is such an easy recipe, and so good! Use the Frito's "Scoops" for dipping!
Love your hub! I have used Velveeta ever since my kids were little which is over 35 years. It makes their favorite mac and cheese and now serves the same purpose for my grandkids. It is so versatile and this dip is a version that I have made for a long time- am going to try yours now! It sounds better than mine! Bravo!
Love this recipe! Thanks


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By Kevin Rutherford
Days after first revealing the news at the Billboard Latin Music Conference, Enrique Iglesias and Pitbull have confirmed the dates and stops of their upcoming co-headlining tour.
After announcing the trek on their respective Twitter accounts, the duo revealed the details in a release today (April 29). Beginning this fall, the pair, along with Colombian reggaeton artist J. Balvin, will embark on a sizable U.S. tour over about a month and a half.
The tour will kick off Sept. 12 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, running through 16 total cities before closing up shop Oct. 25 at Hollywood, Florida's Hard Rock Live.
Related: Enrique Iglesias: It'd Be Cool to Do a Song with Miley Cyrus
The duo has collaborated before, particularly on Iglesias' 2010 comeback single "I Like It," which shot to No. 12 in the U.S.
"There's no better place for me than being up on stage in front of my fans," Iglesias remarked in a statement. "And going on tour with a close friend and someone I admire, like Pitbull, is truly an honor. We really want to give everybody a show that they will remember for the rest of their lives."
Added Pitbull: "Going on tour again with Enrique is exciting. He's a talented music star, and also a close friend who I respect and have learned a lot from. Together we are going to give fans great music, energy and what they really deserve — to enjoy life and forget the rest for three hours."
Tickets go on sale to the general public May 9, with a pre-sale for Citi card holders a few days before on May 6.
See below for a full list of tour dates.
9/12 – Newark, NJ @ Prudential Center
9/13 – Washington, DC @ Verizon Center
9/16 – Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre
9/19 – Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre
9/25 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
9/27 – Boston, MA @ TD Garden
10/2 – Kansas City, MO @ Sprint Center
10/3 – Rosemont, IL @ Allstate Arena
10/9 – San Diego, CA @ Valley View Casino Center
10/10 – Los Angeles, CA @ Staples Center
10/14 – Bay Area, CA @ TBD
10/17 – Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center
10/19 – Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
10/21 – Orlando, FL @ Amway Center
10/22 – Atlanta, GA @ The Arena at Gwinnett Center
10/25 – Hollywood, FL @ Hard Rock Live


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The city of Brockton will honor one if its most famous sons by unveiling a 22-foot statue of boxing champion Rocky Marciano on Sunday.
In honor of the unveiling, FOX 25's Mark Ockerbloom introduces you to a cartoonist who knew and drew Rocky during the boxing legend's brilliant career.
© 2018 Cox Media Group.


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bill-swift - October 16, 2013
There's a lot of talk these days about toy safety. Every mom out there in babyland wants to make sure their precious little snowflake is the maximum amount of safe. God forbid anything happen to little Dakota or Skyler! Well, weird Scottish guy Big Clive decided to make a doll that is not only unsafe but deeply disturbing. Fanny Flambeaux is a Barbie-like doll that shoots fire from her vagina. Not figurative fire, mind you, but a steady stream of flame. Apparently, she is the leader of the Smoking Pussies gang. I don't know how I feel about this. It's not good, though.


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It is Commencement on Friday, here at USC. Thousands of students will be dressing up in gowns and taking part of the ceremonies marking the ending of their time here at USC and the beginning of the rest of their lives. It's an exciting time.
Merrill Balassone and a team from USC Media Relations came by my office a few weeks ago to take 15-20 minutes of time to do a prototype of a project on this very subject of commencement. The result was fun, and apparently they used it to build onto in order to make the final short video you can see below. They did a great job! It is a group of USC professors and staff** giving brief thoughts to graduating students upon their graduation. You'll maybe guess what I say in my segment. It is a theme I mention here a lot, as part of my personal war on people being shut out of (or shutting themselves out of) participation in aspects of our society.
The summary of the piece is here and the YouTube video is embedded below:
**Deborah Harkness, professor of history with the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences and a New York Times bestselling author; Barnet Kellman, professor with the USC School of Cinematic Arts and an Emmy award-winning director; Clifford Johnson, professor of physics and astronomy with USC Dornsife, who is currently drawing a graphic novel about physics; Robert Hernandez, assistant professor of professional practice with the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism and creator of the first class based on Google Glass; and Cynthia Cooper, Olympic gold medalist and head coach of USC women's basketball team.


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The internet can be a dangerous place for your personal and company's secret information if no proper security procedures are implemented. When data travels from one computer to another via internet then it is at risk if not properly secured. Encryption and Tunneling are the most important security features of the VPN.
Encryption encodes the data and makes it unreadable for the intruders and hackers. Each computer that is involved in the encrypted data transfer is assigned a numerical value known as key.
VPN and Security Certification
Cisco System's VPN and Security certification is in high demand in the IT sector. VPN and Security Certification has become the security standard for many organization's around the world.
VPN and Security certifications validate the candidate's skills of implementing security procedures in the corporate networks. VPN Security Cisco Certified people are equipped with the skills and knowledge of doing firewall management, VPN router management, security monitoring, performance monitoring, operational management and implementing the security procedures such as PPTP, L2TP and IPSEC.


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C of I set for fall theatre production of 'Pericles'
The College of Idaho Department of Theatre & Speech Arts is pleased to present its fall main stage production, "Pericles, Prince of Tyre." The play opens Nov. 9 and shows at 7:30 p.m. nightly Nov. 9-10 and Nov. 15-17 with a closing matinee show at 2 p.m. Nov. 18. All performances take place in the Langroise Studio Theatre on the C of I campus in Caldwell. Tickets cost $15 for adults or $10 for seniors and students. C of I students, faculty and staff receive free admission. For more information, contact the Langroise Box Office at (208) 459-5426.
Pericles is a Jacobean-era play written by William Shakespeare. The College of Idaho production will be directed by Jenny Newbry-Waters, a 2003 C of I graduate and current adjunct professor in the theatre department. The ensemble play follows the life and adventures of Pericles, a prince of ancient Greece. It stars a talented cast of C of I students, including Eli Nary as Pericles, Danielle Blenker as narrator Gower and Jordan Bowman as Marina. Bowman also composed some of the music for the show.
"This play is about Pericles searching for his definition of himself and his home," Newbry-Waters said. "The narrative occurs in seven different locations over 16 years, so it's a big story. We're focusing on simple, clear storytelling that will really engage the audience with the play and its characters."
Scenic design for Pericles was done by C of I theatre professor Mike Hartwell, with costume design by Megan Richardson, lighting design by Deborah Penrod and sound design by Freddie Loucks. For more information about C of I theatre – including a performance schedule for Pericles and other 2012-2013 productions – please visit www.collegeofidaho.edu/theatre.
Founded in 1891, The College of Idaho is the state's oldest private liberal arts college. It has a century-old tradition of educating some of the most accomplished graduates in Idaho, including six Rhodes Scholars, three Marshall Scholars, and another 11 Truman and Goldwater Scholars. The College is located on a beautiful campus in Caldwell, Idaho. Its distinctive PEAK curriculum challenges students to attain competencies in the four knowledge peaks of the humanities, natural sciences, social sciences and a professional field, enabling them to graduate with an academic major and three minors in four years. For more information on The College of Idaho, visit www.collegeofidaho.edu.


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In my previous post I explained what event sourcing is and why is it so interesting. Today I'm sharing a minimal multi-threaded implementation of websockets server that uses event sourcing. My language of choice is Clojure. I used core.async channels to enable communication between threads. Alternatively, you may use blocking queues and manually create threads – it may be more performant but I haven't tested it. Another alternative is to use Disruptor for inter-thread communication – it is probably the most performant method but I also haven't checked it yet.
(ns event-sourcing-sample.core (:require [org.httpkit.server :as httpkit :refer :all] [ clojure.edn :as edn])) (require '[ clojure.core.async :as async :refer [chan <! >! go close! go-loop]]) (def conn-hub (atom {})) (def unmarshal-ch (chan 10)) (def journaling-ch (chan 10)) (def logic-ch (chan 10)) (def marshal-ch (chan 10)) (defn dummy-business-logic [state data user-id] {:state (update-in state [:id] (fnil inc 0)) :events {:event :all-ok :broadcast user-id}}) ;unmarshaller loop (go-loop [] (let [{:keys [body user-id]} (<! unmarshal-ch)] (try (let [data (edn/read-string body)] ;pass unmarshalled data to journaler (>! journaling-ch data) ; pass events to business logic (>! logic-ch {:data data :user-id user-id})) (catch Exception e (send! (@conn-hub user-id) "Bad request")))) (recur)) ;journaler loop (go-loop [] (let [req (<! journaling-ch)] ;replace with logging to a file (println req) (recur))) ;business logic loop (go-loop [state {}] (when-let [{:keys [data user-id]} (<! logic-ch)] (let [logic-out (dummy-business-logic state data user-id) new-state (:state logic-out) events (:events logic-out)] ;if there are any resulting events pass them to marshaller (when events (>! marshal-ch events)) ;repeat loop with a new state (recur new-state)))) ;marshaller loop (go-loop [] (let [e (<! marshal-ch)] ;get user-id from resulting event (let [user-id (:broadcast e) ;get rid of broadcasting information and form a message msg (dissoc e :broadcast)] ;get channel associated to user-id (if-let [ch (@conn-hub user-id)] (send! ch (pr-str msg)) ;send response (println "User " user-id " no longer connected")))) (recur)) (defn handler "Websocket connection handler" [request] (with-channel request httpkit-ch (let [user-id 1] (swap! conn-hub assoc user-id httpkit-ch) (send! httpkit-ch (str "Hi " user-id)) (on-close httpkit-ch (fn [status] (swap! conn-hub dissoc user-id))) (on-receive httpkit-ch (fn[raw] (go (>! unmarshal-ch {:body raw :user-id user-id}))))))) (defn start [] (run-server handler {:port 9090}) (println (str "Server started. listen at 0.0.0.0@9090"))) (start)
In the code above there are four channels that serve as pipes between threads. For each channel, a dedicated go-loop continuously checks if there is a new data available for processing. In this implementation I chose to first unmarshal the data and send it to journaler as Clojure data structure – this differs from diagram in the last post. Business logic is trivial as it doesn't do anything apart from returning a well formed value containing dummy event and state with just one field incremented (change-id).
All the client connection channels are stored in conn-hub atom that is accessible from all the threads. For extra performance it's better to avoid accessing this atom from more than one thread. In practice it's hard to achieve it as both the HTTP handler and marshaller need to do something with HTTP channel. One solution might be to send HTTP channel reference as part of a message between threads and don't store it anywhere. It might get tricky though if access to more than one HTTP channel is required to broadcast a message to many clients.
My impressions
I created a server that uses code above with a bit more complex business logic function. It handles 500000 (half million) concurrent connections while running on my local machine. It is only a beginning of my adventure with event sourcing but I must say I am pretty excited by ease of development and testing it enables. The performance gains make the whole exercise even more rewarding.
I need to explore possible application of event sourcing more thoroughly. I think it should do well in applications that are usually implemented with standard CRUD stack. Sounds like another idea to try out!


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A Family Undertaking
A Family Undertaking, explores the complex psychological, cultural, legal and financial issues surrounding an important and growing new trend: the home funeral movement. The film profiles several families who have made the decision to forego the typical mortuary funeral and instead prepare their loved ones at home for burial or cremation.
Dying Wish
Dying Wish, is a documentary about Dr. Michael Miller, an eighty-year old retired surgeon with end-stage pancreatic cancer who chose to stop eating and drinking in order not to prolong his dying process.


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PEMBROKE, Bermuda--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Validus Holdings, Ltd. ("Validus" or the "Company") (NYSE:VR) announced today that it plans to release its financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2014, after the close of trading on the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday, July 24, 2014. The Company will hold a conference call for analysts and investors at 10:00 a.m. (Eastern) on Friday, July 25, 2014, to discuss these results.
The conference call may be accessed by dialing 1-888-771-4371 (U.S. callers) or 1-847-585-4405 (International callers) and entering the passcode 3726 5015. Those who intend to participate in the call should dial in at least 10 minutes in advance. A live webcast of the call will be available online at the "Investor Relations" section of the Company's website located at www.validusholdings.com. A replay of the call will be available through August 8, 2014, by dialing 1-888-843-7419 (U.S. callers) or 1-630-652-3042 (International callers) and entering the passcode 3726 5015. A replay of the webcast will be available at the "Investor Relations" section of the Company's website.
About Validus Holdings, Ltd.
Validus Holdings, Ltd. is a provider of reinsurance, insurance, and insurance linked securities management operating through three primary segments, Validus Reinsurance, Ltd., Talbot Holdings Ltd. and AlphaCat Managers, Ltd. Validus Reinsurance, Ltd. ("Validus Re") is a Bermuda based reinsurer focused on short tail lines of reinsurance. Talbot Holdings Ltd. ("Talbot") is the Bermuda parent of the specialty insurance group primarily operating within the Lloyd's insurance market through Syndicate 1183. AlphaCat Managers, Ltd. ("AlphaCat") is a Bermuda based investment adviser managing capital for third parties and the Group in insurance linked securities and other property catastrophe reinsurance investments.


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So Long Shiny Shoes
| | Labels: Jeffrey Campbell, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Outfits, Skinny jeans, Something Else by Natalie Wood
7 comments:
- Sartorial Sidelines said...
Oh no! They're such awesome shoes...
Courtney ~ http://sartorialsidelines.com
- June 8, 2012 at 7:38 AM
- Frannie Pantz said...
Bummer! They are really cute!
- June 8, 2012 at 7:59 AM
- Caitie Schlisserman said...
oh no!! that's so sad about the shoes they are AMAZING! like totally amazing.
- June 8, 2012 at 8:54 AM
- Princeton Eats Portland said...
Jeffrey Campbell should be ashamed. Great outfit, and I'll pour one out for the homie.
- June 8, 2012 at 9:47 AM
- A Stylized Hysteria said...
Jeffrey Campbell, you say? I had a pair of boots from them that developed giant holes in the bottom after less than a year of wear. I emailed them to simply say I was disappointed with the quality and I got the rudest email back, saying that I must've "overworn them." Just be glad you didn't email them!
- June 10, 2012 at 6:00 PM
- xs said...
i love your lively photos . . . they have so much energy!
- June 10, 2012 at 10:14 PM
- Adiel said...
Awwww, rest in pieces, shiny shoes! Love these photos though! You are way too cute, Santina!
- June 11, 2012 at 11:40 PM


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In the United States, it is a crime to launder money for illegal drug cartels.
But in Florida, when the Bal Harbour Police Department and Glades County Sheriff's Office launder $71.5 million for drug cartels, collect millions in commission, and don't arrest anyone, it's called a "sting operation."
According to Forbes:
"Posing as money launderers, police in Bal Harbour and Glades County, Fla. laundered a staggering $71.5 million for drug cartels in an undercover sting operation, according to an in-depth investigation by The Miami Herald."
But were the officers posing as money launderers or were they just money launderers?
After picking up dirty cash, agents delivered the money to Miami-Dade storefronts, wired cash to banks in China and Panama and collected a three percent commission fee adding up to a reported $2.4 million.
Between 2010 and 2012, the inappropriately named "Tri-County Task Force" supposedly passed on information to federal agencies leading to the seizure of almost $30 million – less than half of what they helped to launder – and claim their information led to 200 arrests.
But they have no records of those arrests.
Meanwhile ….
Officers enjoyed $1,000 dinners at restaurants in the Miami area, and spent $116,000 on airfare and first-class flights and nearly $60,000 for hotel accommodations, including stays at the Bellagio and the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas and El San Juan Resort & Casino in Puerto Rico.
Police also spent over $100,000 on iPads, computers, laptops and other electronics, bought a new Jeep Grand Cherokee for $42,012 and even purchased $25,000 worth of weaponry, including FN P90 submachine guns.
(Bal Harbour, a seaside village of 2,500 residents known for having the nation's top sales-generating mall, reported just one violent crime in 2012.) – Forbes.
From the Herald:
Three years after the task force ended, confidential records show officers withdrew hundreds of thousands in cash with no records to show where the money went.
"They were like bank robbers with badges," said Dennis Fitzgerald, an attorney and former Drug Enforcement Administration agent who taught undercover tactics for the U.S. State Department. "It had no law enforcement objective. The objective was to make money."
Along the way, the task force spent tens of thousands on trips to Las Vegas and San Juan, and purchased expensive items like Mac computers and FN P90 submachine guns.
The 12-member task force drew the attention of the Department of Justice three years ago in an investigation that found Bal Harbour misspent money from seizing cars and cash to pay for police salaries, leading to the resignation of Police Chief Tom Hunker in 2013.
The South Florida cops were given start-up capital for their money laundering operation by a federal program that is funded by – you guessed it – seizing assets that may be related to drug activity.
In fact, the whole "War on Drugs" is little more than a con game allowing the government to seize the profits of the middlemen distributing the product.
"It's just unbelievable. It couldn't have gone on without the complicity of the DEA," said Dennis Fitzgerald, an attorney and former Drug Enforcement Administration agent, reporting that the DEA never counted the amount of money Bal Harbour had actually laundered for criminals.
"They couldn't have been flying around the country picking up cash without the DEA."


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We have been diligently trying to find an effective way to apply a silkscreen epoxy over a powder coat finish. We have tried different inks, prep methodologies, heat settings, etc., all without success. To be acceptable, these (aluminum) parts must be able to pass a tape adhesion test, meaning the application of clear tape that is pulled off rapidly . Currently, about 40% of the time the silk screen comes off with the tape. Any suggestions? Also, could there be powder coat characteristics that are contributing to the problem? B. R.
Yes, there are definitely powder coating characteristics that can be contributing to this problem. You should discuss, or better yet write a Powder Coating Material Specification, that not only informs them which mechanical and appearance properties you need, but also describes the silkscreen process that will be performed post cure. This is extremely important since most powder coating formulations have excellent solvent resistance, which means silkscreen ink resistance in this case. Therefore, your powder coating formulation may be incompatible with your silk-screening process. Furthermore, your powder formulator will also suggest a silkscreen ink that is compatible with the powder coating formulation. Silkscreening over a powder coated surface has been successfully accomplished by numerous companies, so I think that your problem can be solved easily with a powder coating formulation change.


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DAY 4- Paris
Paris Travel Blog› entry 5 of 35 › view all entries
Today we all had a free day in Paris. Breakfast at the hotel was scheduled for 8:20. It was a really good breakfast, too! Little did we know that it was going to be one of the best breakfasts of the tour. Our coach left the hotel at 9:00 and dropped us off at the Louvre. It turns out that on the first Sunday of every month, museums are free to enter. So, we visited the Louvre, and saw the Mona Lisa, then continued to wander around. Massive amounts of people made it hard to get a good look at everything, but we were able to see everything we wanted to see before leaving. Once we were done at the Louvre, some of us decided to head over to the Eglise du Dome, which is Napoleon's final resting place. So, Victoria, Chris, Nathan, Dan, Joel, Sarah, Rachel and I walked over there.
Main expenses (in Euros):
Breakfast-Included in the tour
Lunch- Ballpark guess: 22.00
Dinner- Included in the optional excursion price
Hotel- Included in the tour
Optional Excursions- Dinner and show at the Moulin Rouge- 137.00
The Louvre- Free on the first Sunday of each month!
Eglise du Dome (Napoleon's Tomb) and Musee de L'Armee- 8.50
Metro tickets: 1.60


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hey there!
Tara Falcone, CFP®
My name is Tara, and I'm on a mission to help you understand the seemingly complicated world of investing. I want to empower YOU to take control of YOUR financial future.
Like it or not, the wealth gap is widening. But if we level the financial playing field, we can all benefit from that abundance. I believe that can be done through high quality, credible, and - most important - FREE educational resources.
That's why I've combined my blue collar background and Wall Street know-how to create an easy-to-understand curriculum for you to follow.
Don't worry. Unlike other sites, I use layman's terms to break down investment concepts into bite-sized, digestible pieces. I've also laid out my lessons in a logical fashion, so you'll start making connections immediately.
It's time to "rise up" with ReisUP. Check out the curriculum below to start learning today.
My goal for this blog is to provide you a candid, no bullshit view on investing, especially as it pertains to millennials. That means I'll be telling stories about my wins and my losses, sharing insights and observations, and dishing out some tough love when needed.
If you enjoy my posts, please comment and share! Together, we can end the taboo of money talk.
the curriculum
Have you tried to learn about investing in the past, but couldn't figure out how all of the different concepts tie together? I feel you. It took me a good six months on the job to see how concepts like revenue, stock price, and debt all fit into the bigger picture.
So, unlike other investing info sites, which post content haphazardly, ReisUP's resources are laid out in a logical fashion. If your question is "I want to learn about investing. Where do I start?", I can show you.
I built this curriculum to teach you about investing in the order that I wish I had learned it. Each unit builds upon the one before it, as do the posts within each unit. The videos are numbered, so make sure to watch them in order to get their full benefit.
New content is added to the curriculum every week, so make sure to SUBSCRIBE below to stay updated on all of this useful investing info!
unit #1 - the basics
If you're completely new to investing, start here! You'll learn about basic concepts such as:
UNIT #2 - YOUR 401(k)
Wish you understood your retirement account better? This is the unit for you!
It's called YOUR 401(k), but the concepts covered here apply to all retirement accounts - 403(b), 457, TSP, and IRA. Check out this unit to learn about:
Why I've created ReisUP, and why you should ReisUP with me.
Click the button below to subscribe to ReisUP on YouTube!


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The OUYA started out with a vision to be a low-cost open gaming console. In that respect, it will probably find a small niche market.
… but OUYA's biggest success will come from something else…
If casual gaming isn't your thing, OUYA still has something for you that you cannot get anywhere else for only $99. XBMC.
Because of XBMC, OYUA is worth the 99$ price. At present there's nothing similar, at that price mark, able to play 1080p High Definition videos smoothly.
The OUYA is the perfect, inexpensive, low-energy, silent, pleasing to the eye, small media renderer.
If you're interested in gaming, the OUYA will eventually build up a library of decent games… But right now, who cares. OUYA will bring your TV to life.
Cancel your cable subscription and buy an OUYA to play all your media in high definition straight from the internet. OUYA will pay for itself.


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Sound Proofing / Insulation Glass Fibers and Fiberglass Cloth Datasheets
Duct Wrap Insulation (fiber glass) -- Microlite® Standard
from Johns Manville Corp.
from Johns Manville Corp.
Johns Manville Microlite ® Standard is a duct wrap made from flame attenuated glass fibers that delivers a high tensile strength core for improved handling and easy installation. It is available in plain or vinyl faced options and can be used where a vapor barrier is not required. This product... [See More]
- Features: Acoustic Insulation; Flame or Fire Retardant; Thermal Insulation; UL
- Material: Fiberglass
- Type: Blanket or Batt
- Thickness: 1.0000 to 3.0000
EcoTouch Insulation for Certified R Metal Building
from Owens Corning
from Owens Corning
Certified thermal performance, excellent recovery provides outstanding thermal and acoustical performance. Made with 96% natural materials. Soft to touch, uses a minimum of 65% recycled content. Easy to handle and laminate [See More]
- Features: Acoustic Insulation; Thermal Insulation
- Width / OD: 36.00 to 72.00
- Material: Fiberglass
- Applications: Architectural or Construction


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Witness the pulsating action of Codemasters' TOCA Race Driver 3 with this latest movie footage, which has been curiously offset with narration by a man with a voice as flat as the Netherlands.
TOCA Race Driver 3 is the latest in Codemasters' hardcore racing simulator series, which offers a truly comprehensive driving experience.
The game features over 120 different championships which allow gamers to test their racing driver credentials in different classes of car that range from the lightweight and tricky Formula 3 to the heavyweight and slightly ridiculous Monster Truck.
The game also features some of world's greatest courses located in 13 different countries.


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"Hi all, I m/c some time in the past month though I had no idea until I suddenly began bleeding in early August 2011 at 16w5d. I immediately left work and went to ER and had an ultrasound which revealed that my baby (who had a heartbeat a..."
Are you sure you want to delete your ?
You will no longer be able to add new data to this tracker.


text:
Forgot your password? Enter the email address you signed up with and we will send you a link to create a new password.
Your password reset has been submitted to the address provided.
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Arranging for ticket reservations for shows and other entertainment events
Business in New York, NY
Business in New York, NY


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My name is Greg. I draw things, I animate things, and, in my own time, I make cartoons about a boy in an infinite forest. I live and work in Portland, OR and have an MFA from the Columbia College of Chicago. Most of my work is wrapped up in a comic called The Greater Storybook.
I'm available for freelance, workshops, exhibitions, and afternoons spent throwing bread at geese or crows.
What you feeling what you thinkin?
twitter tumblr google+ youtube linkedin
emailz: browe(dot)greg(at)gmail.com


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The roar of the engines, the screaming of tires, the lack of CO2 emissions... When it comes to Formula 1, two out of three ain't bad. Right? Not according to your average outspoken environmentalist.
The call for F1 to change its gas-guzzling, tire-burnings ways has been going on for years, but
complacency wasn't much of an issue until now, when, like all things, F1 must appeal to a broader audience by introducing new innovative ways and energy-conscious ideas to improve racing and the auto industry as a whole.
The revolution started back in 2006 when the head of F1's governing body, Max Mosely, proposed the sport to go green, and as you can tell, that didn't quite catch on with fans and driving teams alike. The argument from gearheads was that the cars themselves only account for a measly one percent of total emissions from the sport. The rest is from the manufacturing and transporting of equipment. Granted, the engines only manage a little over four mpg, but in the big scheme of things, it's a drop in the bucket when compared to 18-wheelers to 767s.
Regardless, the brains at F1 racing have an ace up their sleeves to appease the nay-sayers. 2011 marks the return of the Kinetic-Energy Recovery System or KERS for short, which recycles the energy generated by vehicle during braking. 2013 is the target year to mainstream KERS, which would reduce fuel consumption by up to 35%. The process may not be pretty, but focusing on sustainability may bring about new and exciting aspects to the top tier of motorsport, creating a healthy environment while adding to the revenue that allows our favorite teams to do what they do best.
[Source: Wired]


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With the ominous explosion of the planets population nearing detonation, finding organic food production methods to feed the impending masses is drawing attention from farmers, scientists, and ecologists alike. Some of the more interesting ideas to date has been hydroponics and aquaculture that can produce viable nutrients to the human food demand.
As I've noted on a number of occasions, I totally think that aquaponics – or growing fish and food plants in a symbiotic relationship – makes a ton of sense in terms of concentrated, sustainable food production. But unlike many other fans of the concept, I'm not particularly confident in my abilities to take easily available materials and build my own aquaponics system. I'm not the only one who feels a bit intimidated by DIY plans, though, as a number of entrepreneurs have developed "plug-n-play" home aquaponics technology. The latest entry into the field: Andrew de Melo and his Blue Green Box.
What makes this concept different from, say, Back to the Roots' product (which we've also featured)? In a word, space: the Blue Green Box is designed to fit a 10-gallon aquarium, so 1) the fish have more room (and de Melo claims this creates a much more humane living space for them), and 2) there's a bigger grow bed, so you can go beyond herbs (de Melo claims he's grown a 7-foot-tall tomato plant in one of his prototypes).
Now, of course, since the Blue Green Box works with a separate aquarium, there's a little assembly involved… but I think even I can handle it – take a look:
Like other home aquaponics entrepreneurs, Andrew's gone to Kickstarter to raise start-up funding for production of the Blue Green Box. Unlike most others, though, he's keeping his costs way down: he only needs $5000 to get going. He's raised just over half of that… but only has a week left to raise the final $2300. If you like the concept (which he spells out in great detail on the project page), consider kicking a few bucks his way… or buying a custom Blue Green Box for a $300 donation. Hurry, though: there's only a week left in the campaign.
So, those of you with aquaponics experience and/or engineering background: what do you think? Is this a viable plug-n-play alternative? Another Small Aquaponics System for the Not So Handy: The Blue Green Box.
The ancient Aztecs had the same problem when their overpopulated habitat became strained and they developed the system of aquaponics. The genius is that it combines the benefits of both the above new ideas into one super system that allows 2 different food sources to benefit each other. People are also the beneficiary by having abundant clean organic food! Add modern technology to the mix and it appears that the problem of world hunger may be a thing of the past.


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Criminal proceedings have been suspended against a man described by authorities as a serial killer after defense attorneys raised questions about the man's mental stability.
A judge on Monday, March 17, ordered that doctors evaluate David Rey Contreras, 25, of Perris, and set a hearing April 28 to review the doctors' reports.
Contreras, who was arrested in August, has pleaded not guilty to three counts of murder and special allegations that make him eligible, if convicted, for the death penalty. He is being held with no bail amount set.
Contreras is accused of fatally stabbing three people last year – a mother and daughter in Nuevo and a man walking his dog in Perris. DNA evidence found on items at his home, including a dog leash taken from one of the victims, linked him to the crimes, court records show.
Riverside County sheriff's officials have said the killings were unprovoked and that there was no connection between Contreras and the victims.
Court records paint a picture of a disturbed individual whose family had begun to question his mental stability. Contreras' brother, who lived with him, told investigators Contreras had said that "he has seen the devil," court papers say.
Jose Apreza, 53, of Perris, was reported missing by his wife Dec. 29 after he took his pit bull out for a walk that morning and did not return. He was found dead in a field near his home. Apreza had been stabbed more than 20 times.
Maria Gonzalez, 51, and her 25-year-old daughter, Consuelo Gonzalez, also were on a walk near their home when they were slain Feb. 4 on Central Avenue near Ramona Avenue in Nuevo.
One witness saw a man stab a woman on the ground, then turn to another woman approaching, court records say. She said he stabbed the second woman repeatedly until she fell, then turned back to the first woman and stabbed her again, according to search warrant documents.
An autopsy showed Maria Gonzalez was stabbed 24 times and her daughter 11 times, court records show.
John Hall, a spokesman for the Riverside County district attorney's office, said the district attorney has not decided whether to seek the death penalty.
Contact Sarah Burge at 951-368-9694 or email@example.com


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AIRFORCE| ARMY| NAVY | MARINES | RAAF |ROK|AIRCRAFT|FWMAF| BASES|DUSTOFF| FACS | GUNSHIPS| SHIPS | MIG KILLS | WARSTORIES | UPDATES | WALL of HONOR | WEBRINGS |THE BOOK STORE | ASSOCIATIONS | REUNIONS | PATCHES | SENDING MATERIAL | SITE AWARDS |LINKS | IPMS-ALASKA | HOME
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Stories of the base and assigned units will be posted here. Looking forward to your story, photographs, patches, or...to post in this section.
On the 29th of May 1967 Phu Cat Air Base became operational. On this date the 416th Tactical Fighter Squadron arrived with their F-100's.
Always looking for Material
and Scans of "Anything" related to US Fighter Units to add to this site.
Questions or Comments?


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CustomerServiceJobs.com - FREE
by BEYOND.COM INC, Version: 1.1 , 10 KB Official Site
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11 ratings (3.545 average)
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For more information about CustomerServiceJobs.com's unique approach to the job search, visit the website. In the meantime, download the app—after all, it's free!


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This retrospective of British artist Richard Smith's "kite" paintings produced from 1972 through 1977grew out of a show at MIT's Hayden Gallery that was the first American exhibit of these works as a group. In her introduction, Marjory Supovitz describes this body of work as follows:". . .Cutaneous surfaces, hung individually or overlapped serially on the wall, or strung out and suspended from above. In these pieces, visible support mechanisms, such as aluminum rods or tubes, become a crucial part of the paintings' imagery.
One Rogers Street
Cambridge MA 02142-1209
Suite 2, 1 Duchess Street
London, W1W 6AN, UK
Contact Us


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The film takes the audience on an 8000-mile journey to the world's electronics factory floors, revealing the situations under which China's youth population has shifted by the millions in search of a better life.
Electronics Challenge
In January 2015, the International Campaign for Responsible Technology (ICRT) and the GoodElectronics Network and a array of expert allies came together to draft a 'challenge to the electronics industry' with regard to the hazards of the current irresponsible use of chemicals in the global electronics supply chain.
We are inviting organisations and individuals to endorse this 'Challenge'. You can do so by filling out the linked web form (name, organisation, email, country).
Thank You!
June 12, 2017
6:30 PM / Film Society of Lincoln Center's Walter Reade Theater
New York
Screening followed by panel discussion with filmmaker Heather White and special guests
June 17, 2017
7:00 PM / IFC Center
New York
Screening followed by panel discussion with filmmakers Heather White and Lynn Zhang and special guests


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June 2016 - Riviera to Europe - Western Mediterranean
Sailing on the Riveria on the Riveria
Quite nice I think the majority of folk would love this ship and the destinations. I am trying to make 150 characters because no one wants this review if I don't.
Sometimes being accommodating is not enough. this should be enough


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Sunday, November 28, 2010
History of the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show
Victoria's Secret is the only fashion retail company to have its own television special. The 2010 show airs Nov. 30 on CBS.
I was fortunate enough to attend the taping of this year's show on Nov. 10 in New York City. I also got a chance to interview some of the models during their hair and makeup sessions.
I asked model Edita Vilkeviciute of Lithuania if the show could be too sexy.
"Never. Come on. Everybody likes sexy," she said.
The first Victoria's Secret Fashion Show was held in 1995. This year's show is the 15th overall and the 9th to be broadcast on network TV.
The following is a timeline for the show, with information supplied by Limited Brands.
Victoria's Secret Fashion Show timeline
Model Stephanie Seymour opens the first Victoria's Secret Fall Lingerie Show with a cotton white bralette and black stretch bikini dressed up with naughty black vinyl go-go boots and a low slung belt at the Plaza Hotel in New York City. (New York)
The Victoria's Secret Spring Fashion Show returns to New York City and is covered by media in cities such as London, Tokyo and Sydney. (New York)
The Annual Victoria's Secret Spring Fashion Show becomes one of the most widely anticipated fashion events in the world. (New York)
Media from all over the world travel to New York City to cover the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. Hollywood celebrities and Wall Street stars fill the audience. (New York)
Victoria's Secret announces the first live webcast of its Fashion Show with a commercial during the Super Bowl, which immediately drives millions to VictoriasSecret.com. The show and webcast made fashion, advertising and Internet history with an audience of a billion people in over a hundred countries. (New York)
Victoria's Secret and Miramax Films partner to hold the spectacular Victoria's Secret Fashion Show and Webcast at the Cannes International Film Festival to benefit amfAR's Cinema Against AIDS 2000 in France, raising a record amount of about $3 million for Cinema Against Aids. (Cannes, France)
Victoria's Secret debuts its first-ever television broadcast of the Fashion Show with a 1-hour special on ABC drawing the network's largest audience and highest ratings of the season for that time period. Supermodels make appearances on several shows including "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" raising thousands for charities. The show is held in November to kick-off the holiday season. (Bryant Park, New York)
"The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show" jumps to CBS and airs on Nov. 20. The show coincides with the opening of the world's largest Victoria's Secret store in Manhattan's Herald Square. (New York)
"The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show" returns to CBS and airs on Nov. 19. The Broadway-spirited show was hosted by supermodel, Heidi Klum, as well as some of Victoria's Secret's other well-known Angels, and featured musical performances by Sting and Mary J. Blige. (New York)
No fashion show this year. Fallout from Janet Jackson's Super Bowl stunt prompted the cancellation of the show. Instead, the Angels (Tyra Banks, Heidi Klum, Gisele Bündchen, Adriana Lima, and Alessandra Ambrosio) did an Angels Across America Tour, visiting four major cities: New York City, Miami, Las Vegas and Los Angeles.
The holiday-themed show marks the final "Victoria's Secret Fashion show" for Tyra Banks and the first post-pregnancy runway appearance for Heidi Klum. It also debuted the next generation of Victoria's Secret "Angels" Selita Ebanks and Izabel Goulart, and featured musical performances by Seal, Ricky Martin and Chris Botti. (New York)
The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show takes place in Los Angeles at the legendary Kodak Theater featuring the "Angels" and musical performances by Justin Timberlake. It aired on CBS on Dec. 5. (Los Angeles)
The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show returns to the Los Angeles Kodak Theater. It aired on CBS on Dec. 5. The show featured celebrity "Angels" and musical performances from the Spice Girls and Seal. Plus, in celebration of the 25th anniversary of Victoria's Secret, the Hollywood Historic Trust and Johnny Grant, the late Honorary Mayor of Hollywood, presented the Victoria's Secret Angels with its "Award of Excellence" and a star on Hollywood Boulevard. (Los Angeles)
The Victoria's Secret Fashion show takes place at the legendary Fontainebleau Miami Beach, an iconic resort re-opened after a $1 billion renaissance. It aired on CBS on Dec. 3. The show included Grammy Award-winning superstar Usher as the sole musical guest, red carpet interviews, model profiles and a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the world's most celebrated fashion show. (Miami)
The Fashion Show returns to New York for a holiday-infused lingerie runway show. It aired on CBS on Dec. 1 and included red carpet interviews, model profiles, and a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the celebrated fashion show. The sole musical guest was three time Grammy Award-winning superstars, The Black Eyed Peas. The show's producers conducted their first-ever Victoria's Secret Fashion Show model search – an innovative cross-country hunt using open casting calls to find a runway model sexy, sophisticated and beautiful enough to walk in our world-famous fashion show. (New York)
The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show is headlined by supermodels Adriana Lima and Alessandra Ambrosio. The show featured musical performances by Katy Perry and Akon. (New York)
See also:
Victoria's Secret Fashion Show on Wikipedia
Victoria's Secret on Facebook
Victoria's Secret website
'The Walking Dead' saves fall TV season
It depicts the end of the world through the stories of a group of survivors. The characters are interesting and the stories are exciting and scary. And because it's on cable, it doesn't pull any punches with gore and violence.
The first season is only six episodes, but the series has been renewed for a 13-episode second season.
Two other new shows I'm watching are "The Event" and "No Ordinary Family." Neither of them is must-see TV.
NBC's "The Event" has been picked up for a full season, but its prospects for a second season are shaky. The science-fiction/government conspiracy show has been steadily losing viewers. Serialized television shows have to keep the plot moving swiftly or viewers will flee. (Example: AMC's "Rubicon," which was canceled after one season.)
ABC's "No Ordinary Family" would be a better show if it weren't so Disneyfied. The show about an ordinary family that gets superpowers is best when it takes a darker turn. The show can be sappy when dealing with family or teenage problems.
Two returning shows I like are still top-notch entertainment – "Supernatural" and "The Vampire Diaries."
I had my doubts about whether the CW's "Supernatural" could go on after last season's war between heaven and hell, but I'm glad I was proven wrong. Season six shows that there are still good stories left to tell about demon hunters Sam and Dean Winchester.
CW's "The Vampire Diaries" isn't showing any sophomore slump. It keeps the plot twists coming.
Photos: "The Walking Dead" cast (top) and "The Event" cast (bottom)
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Favorite websites in review, part 3
This is the third set of 25 favorite websites.
51. Illustrated 3-D Movie List (3dmovielist.com/list.html)
52. 3D Movies Database (3dmovieslist.blogspot.com)
53. Bearsharktopus-Man (deantrippe.tumblr.com)
54. TVShowsOnDVD.com (tvshowsondvd.com)
55. Digg (digg.com)
56. Hacking Netflix (hackingnetflix.com)
57. Cutting the Cord and Cutting the Bills (cuttingthebills.com)
58. Mila's Daydreams (milasdaydreams.blogspot.com)
59. One Man's Blog (onemansblog.com)
60. One Photo Reviews
61. Techdirt (techdirt.com)
62. TechCrunch Deadpool (techcrunch.com/tag/deadpool)
63. The Onion News Network (theonion.com)
64. CollegeHumor (collegehumor.com/videos)
65. Blogger (blogger.com)
66. Google Analytics (www.google.com/analytics)
67. Bitly (bit.ly)
68. Listicles
69. Blogs of Note (blogsofnote.blogspot.com)
70. Paris vs. New York (parisvsnyc.blogspot.com)
71. Something Clever
72. MouseHouses (mouseshouses.blogspot.com)
73. Throw Grammar from the Train (throwgrammarfromthetrain.blogspot.com)
74. Laughing Squid (laughingsquid.com)
75. Walking Off the Big Apple (walkingoffthebigapple.com)
Update (3-17-13): Listicles is no longer available; Blogs of Note stopped posting to its website on Jan. 22, 2013, and directs traffic to a Google+ account instead; Cutting the Cord and Cutting the Bills hasn't posted a new article since April 21, 2012; and Paris vs. New York hasn't posted a new article since Dec. 3, 2012.
Update (2-17-14): Listicles is back in business. Walking Off the Big Apple has been discontinued and directs to new website. Something Clever has been taken private. One Man's Blog is updated only sporadically. Bearsharktopus-Man is now called Dean Trippe - Moonbase One. 3D Movies Database hasn't been updated since 2010.
Update (Feb. 28, 2015): One Photo Reviews has changed its focus and is no longer what made it interesting to me.
Photo: Diorama from MouseHouses.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
More blogs: Throw Grammar from the Train, Laughing Squid, Walking off the Big Apple
Continuing the subject of yesterday's post, here are a few more favorites I've curated from Google's Blogs of Note.
Throw Grammar from the Train
Jan Freeman writes a very entertaining blog on grammar usage, word origins and other nuances of the English language. Freeman has written The Word, a weekly Boston Globe column, for 13 years. Throw Grammar from the Train was started in October 2009.
Laughing Squid
Laughing Squid is "an online resource for art, culture & technology," according to its founder, Scott Beale of New York City. It features entertaining videos, amusing photos and art. Beale has been running the blog for 15 years.
Walking off the Big Apple
Walking off the Big Apple is a strolling guide to New York City. It's written by Texas native Teri Tynes, who now lives in Greenwich Village. She launched the site in January 2007.
Throw Grammar from the Train
Jan Freeman writes a very entertaining blog on grammar usage, word origins and other nuances of the English language. Freeman has written The Word, a weekly Boston Globe column, for 13 years. Throw Grammar from the Train was started in October 2009.
Laughing Squid
Laughing Squid is "an online resource for art, culture & technology," according to its founder, Scott Beale of New York City. It features entertaining videos, amusing photos and art. Beale has been running the blog for 15 years.
Walking off the Big Apple
Walking off the Big Apple is a strolling guide to New York City. It's written by Texas native Teri Tynes, who now lives in Greenwich Village. She launched the site in January 2007.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Art blogs of note: Paris versus New York, Something Clever and MouseHouses
Last week, I mentioned that Google's Blogs of Note has a soft spot for blogs featuring arts and crafts.
Here are three blogs they've honored that I like.
Paris versus New York
Paris versus New York, subtitled "a tally of two cities," uses graphic art to compare the two great cities. It's the work of Vahram Muratyan, co-founder of art direction and graphic design studio ViiiZ in Paris.
"A visual but friendly match between those two cities seen by a lover of Paris wandering through New York's infinite details, clichés and contradictions," Muratyan writes.
See two examples here.
Something Clever
Something Clever is a blog by artist Lindsey Lydecker, who currently works for Six Point Harness Animation in Hollywood.
I love her style and sense of humor.
Maggie Rudy of Portland, Ore., creates stories with pictures of anthropomorphic mice figures and miniature sets. The photos at her blog MouseHouses are extraordinary.
Her work will be featured in the children's book "The House that Mouse Built" by Rudy and Pam Abrams, due out in March. The book is available for preorder at Amazon.com.
Here are three blogs they've honored that I like.
Paris versus New York
Paris versus New York, subtitled "a tally of two cities," uses graphic art to compare the two great cities. It's the work of Vahram Muratyan, co-founder of art direction and graphic design studio ViiiZ in Paris.
"A visual but friendly match between those two cities seen by a lover of Paris wandering through New York's infinite details, clichés and contradictions," Muratyan writes.
See two examples here.
Something Clever
Something Clever is a blog by artist Lindsey Lydecker, who currently works for Six Point Harness Animation in Hollywood.
I love her style and sense of humor.
Maggie Rudy of Portland, Ore., creates stories with pictures of anthropomorphic mice figures and miniature sets. The photos at her blog MouseHouses are extraordinary.
Her work will be featured in the children's book "The House that Mouse Built" by Rudy and Pam Abrams, due out in March. The book is available for preorder at Amazon.com.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Curating Lingerie Football League wardrobe malfunction photos
It's a niche that I'm a little embarrassed about, but it sure does drive traffic to the website.
With photos of LFL players inadvertently exposing their breasts and rear ends, my PG-13 blog is entering R-rated territory. But since these pictures are no more sexual than what you might see in National Geographic, I think it's OK.
So who are these people coming to my website to see photos of LFL wardrobe malfunctions?
Maybe they're people interested in debating the pop culture significance of the Lingerie Football League and its skimpy uniforms. (Seriously, it's not a sport if the uniforms aren't even functional.)
Or maybe all these Web surfers are just perverts.
On to the pictures!
These latest shots (above and below) are edited close-ups of photos taken by John Pozadzides of One Man's Blog. They were taken at the Oct. 23, 2009, game between the Los Angeles Temptation and the Dallas Desire.
Update: For the uncensored photos, check out the LFL Wardrobe Malfunctions blog.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Blogs of Note: Spotlight on the little guys
Blog directories tend to give too much attention to big, well-known commercial blogs.
So hats off to Google's Blogs of Note, which spotlights noteworthy blogs of individuals. It typically honors one blog each weekday that uses Google's Blogger service.
Blogs of Note leans heavily toward artist and craft websites. Too many for my taste. But occasionally it finds a real gem.
Some blogs that I've highlighted in Tech-media-tainment's favorite websites feature I learned about through Blogs of Note.
They include My First Dictionary, That is Priceless, The Big Storm Picture and Mila's Daydreams.
Photo: Sample photo from Mila's Daydreams.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Better Homes and Gardens magazine blurring the line between advertising and editorial
Last year, magazines lost a quarter of their ad pages from the previous year, the New York Times reported. So far this year (January-September), ad pages are down 1.6% from the same period in 2009, the Publishers Information Bureau reported.
Desperate times call for desperate measures, some may say. But the line between advertising and editorial is supposed to be sacrosanct. Advertisers may pay for product placements in TV shows, but they shouldn't be able to buy their way into articles written by journalists.
The October issue of Better Homes and Gardens got me thinking about whether that publication had crossed the line.
On page 152 of the issue a woman is holding a bottle of SoBe, a beverage owned by PepsiCo. The label of the bottle is clearly visible and appears positioned for the camera. The same photo appears on the table of contents on page 5.
With Photoshop and other photo-editing tools, it would have been very easy to erase or blur the SoBe logo on the bottle. Magazine editors doctor photos all the time for effect. So I can only assume that the SoBe bottle was purposely visible.
Was Better Homes publisher Meredith Corp. compensated by PepsiCo for the product placement? I don't know. There were no obvious ads for SoBe or Pepsi products in the issue as far as I could tell.
Either way, the SoBe cameo bothered me.
Photos: Intro page for the feature article "No Stone Unturned" from the October 2010 issue of Better Homes and Gardens (bottom), close up of SoBe brand beverage in the feature photo.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Pokemon: A cartoon ripe for parody
The whole premise behind the show is silly and ripe for parody.
I've joked about the parallels between Pokemon battles and dog fights or cockfights in a previous post.
The video-game comedy website Dorkly regularly pokes fun at Pokemon.
Here are some examples:
Ash Discovers New Pokemon (Oct. 11, 2010)
Pokemon: The Later Years (Oct. 20, 2010)
5 Pokemon Facebook Updates (Aug. 19, 2010)
And as a bonus, Pokemon fan art:
100 Pokemon Brought to Life through Creative Art (Sept. 18, 2010; Designzzz)
20 Pokemon re-imagined by artist Gavin Mackey on Dorkly
Artwork: Pikachu gives a jumpstart (top) and Pokémon Center Closed by Ry-Spirit (bottom).
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2010 another winner; Airs Nov. 30 on CBS
The show featured a bevy of lingerie-clad beauties, including Adriana Lima and Candice Swanepoel, and musical guests Katy Perry and Akon. An edited version will air on CBS primetime on Nov. 30.
The show was performed twice Wednesday at the 69th Regiment Armory in Manhattan – 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. Each performance lasted 45 minutes. It was a swift-moving affair with quick set changes and musical performances taking place while the models changed outfits.
More than 1,000 invited guests were seated at each of the two performances. The auditorium was decked out in pink and divided by a long sparkling runway. One end of the runway was shrouded by a pink curtain adorned with a large Victoria's Secret banner.
This year's show included six segments for displaying sexy lingerie, corsets, gowns, shoes and boots. The segments were "Tough Love," "Game On," "Country Girls," "Heavenly Bodies," "Wild Things" and "Pink Planet." In all, the models showed off 64 different outfits.
Newlywed Perry performed her hit single "Firework" and a medley of "Teenage Dream," "'Hot N Cold" and "California Gurls."
Akon fittingly sang "Angel."
I always enjoy the dance remix numbers that play as the Victoria's Secret Angels prance on stage. This year's remixes included Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance" with elements from LL Cool J's "Momma Said Knock You Out" and Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger."
Yet another cool remix blended Muse's "Uprising" with Blondie's "Call Me."
There's been lots of media coverage about the show on the Web today.
Here's a sampling:
'Victoria's Secret Fashion Show' Live! Where models earn their wings (Zap2it)
Victoria's Secret takes it over the top (Toronto Sun)
Victoria's Secret Angels Take to the Stage in Lingerie (StyleBistro)
The 2010 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show (Fox News)
Photos: Victoria's Secret Fashion Show with Adriana Lima, Alessandra Ambrosio, and more (New York Daily News)
Adriana, Alessandra, Rosie and More Take Over the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show (Pop Sugar)
Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2010: Angels, Akon, and Katy Perry! (Real Beauty)
The 2010 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show (The Superficial)
Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2010 [Pictures]: A Dance Party With Katy Perry and Akon (CBS News)
And just for fun …
Play Victoria's Secret Fashion Show Bingo! (Vanity Fair)
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Sorry, Wonka, the real Golden Ticket is entrance to the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show
With all due respect to "Willie Wonka & the Chocolate Factory," the real Golden Ticket isn't a tour of some weird candy factory, but entrance to the annual Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.
I was lucky enough to snag a ticket to this year's show, taped at the 69th Regiment Armory in New York City. (It was official press business. I swear.) Musical guests were Katy Perry and Akon. But the real stars were the Victoria's Secret Angels, including Adriana Lima and Alessandra Ambrosio.
I also got a chance to interview four of the Victoria's Secret models back stage, including Ms. Ambrosio, during their hair and makeup session.
The show airs on CBS on Nov. 30. I can't wait to see the finished product.
More thoughts and observations on the event to come.
Photos: Ticket to the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2010 (top) and Willie Wonka's Golden Ticket (below).
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Zombies are everywhere – TV, movies, books, video games and now toys
AMC's zombie-apocalypse series, based on a popular comic book franchise, is bringing in big ratings for the cable network. It was renewed for a second season after just two episodes.
A sequel to the comedy-horror movie "Zombieland" is in the works, as is a film adaptation of the book "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies."
In video games, the comical "Plants vs. Zombies" by PopCap Games has proven to be a hit on PCs and mobile devices. It joins more hard-core games like the "Resident Evil" series of survival horror games by Capcom.
Now, a toy company has come out with a line of zombie animal plush toys for kids. The ZombieZoo toys are the work of children's author and illustrator Neecy Twinem.
The ZombieZoo family of creatures includes Boo the black cat, Stich the pig, Muck the monkey, Rob the rabbit and Toxic the snake. The plush toys are 12 to 15 inches tall, made of soft fleece, and have a "loveable 'Frankenstein' quality of stitching adorning their bodies and over-sized heads," according to a press release.
Lovable zombies? Who would have thought that?
Photos: ZombieZoo toys (top) and still from "The Walking Dead" (below).
Monday, November 8, 2010
Finding a focus for your blog
I have yet to find a topic that I'd be willing to write about exclusively. My interests are too varied. But I can't help to think my efforts would be better spent on something with a bigger payoff. Instead of blogging for my own amusement and as a creative outlet, I could be freelancing or writing a book or doing a blog that's at least commercially viable.
Tech-media-tainment is still just an experiment for me. (As is my on-again-off-again video blog One Stop Video.) TMT covers entertainment, pop culture, personal technology and media from a man's perspective. So there's a little too much emphasis on pretty women, adolescent humor, sports and such.
One blog I like to check out from time to time is One Man's Blog by John Pozadzides. He writes about whatever tickles his fancy and his blog gets hundreds of thousands of unique visitors and around half a million page views a month.
Of course, John P. is a seasoned tech executive and entrepreneur. And I'm just an ink-stained wretch in my day job.
Over the last two years, I've toyed with doing blogs on everything from cool Web lists to dumb song lyrics.
There are lots of aggregators of interesting Web lists. (I wrote about several of them in May, including Listverse. A new one is Listicles.)
As for dumb song lyrics, I don't think I'm as current on pop music as I'd need to be for a blog on the subject.
I've also thought about doing a blog on fatal animal attacks worldwide. I'm fascinated by cases of lions, tigers and bears jumping out of the woods and randomly killing people. Morbid, I know, but interesting.
And finally there's no good blog on mancations – vacations for men. I'd like to see a blog about interesting vacations for the guys and not just trips to Las Vegas or golfing on Hilton Head.
A mancation blog is still a possibility for me. But I have so many other interests. Picking one is hard.
Photo: Beautiful view of Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, possible site of my next mancation.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Tech-media-tainment now 2 years old
I had thought by this point I would have picked an area on which to specialize. But two years later, TMT is as scattershot as ever. I thought a focus would naturally emerge over time as I continued to post articles. While I have found favorite subjects to blog about, none has taken precedence over the others.
Favorite topics include what I call the "fringe sports" (Lingerie Football League, beer pong, etc.) and "the failed promise of digital content." I also like writing about halls of fame, my libertarian leanings, and problems with modern copyright law.
Without much promotion, TMT now gets over 4,000 unique visitors each month. That's not bad, considering that 55% of hobbyist blogs get less than 1,000 unique visitors each month, according to Technorati.
I use Google Analytics to track traffic to the website, which is hosted on Google's Blogger service. I occasionally post Bit.ly shortened Web links on Twitter to promote blog posts. But that's about it for promotion.
I haven't been religious about posting something every day. But I try. Most hobbyist bloggers (23%) post two to three times a week, according to Technorati. The next largest group posts at least once a week (22%), followed by once every few weeks (21%) and once or twice per day (13%).
I tend to post between once a day and two to three times per week.
Most bloggers are well-educated hobbyists
Technorati's annual "State of the Blogosphere" survey, out this week, described the typical blogger today and he looks a lot like me.
The website's survey of 7,200 bloggers found that 65% are hobbyists and 79% have college degrees (43% have graduate degrees). That's me.
The survey results also showed that two-thirds of bloggers are male and that bloggers are more affluent than the general population. Bingo.
Plus, 81% have been blogging more than 2 years. Guilty.
I agree with the most cited reasons for blogging: To speak my mind on areas of interest (35%) and to share my expertise and experiences (26%). Though having a creative outlet for my wacky pop culture interests is also up there.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
The Failed Promise of Digital Content: a recap
But there have been bumps on the path to the libraries of content available anywhere and anytime that people were promised.
Over the last two years, I have written about the shortcomings of the Internet when it comes to content – music, video, documents, etc.
Here is an index of the first 20 parts of the series "The Failed Promise of Digital Content."
Part 1: Music
Part 2: Video
Part 3: Newspapers and magazines
Part 4: Books
Part 5: Web content
Part 6: Embarrassing videos and photos
Part 7: Yahoo
Part 8: NBC videos featuring Conan O'Brien gone
Part 9: Google as a modern day Library of Alexandria
Part 10: Magazine cover stories
Part 11: Hulu
Part 12: Specialty websites sometimes don't last
Part 13: Magazine covers a dying art form
Part 14: Erroneous information on the web
Part 15: Digital culture means less public culture
Part 16: Digital culture timeline
Part 17: Good TV shows locked in studio vaults
Part 18: TV shows not available on DVD or streaming
Part 19: Web services can disappear with little warning
Part 20: Web videos tend to expire
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
The clash of politics and video games
The timing is perfect, seeing how it's also Election Day.
Politicians love to pick on video games, especially those with violent or sexual content. They say these games are corrupting our youth. It's one of those family values-type issues that they think sells well to voters.
You'd think with high unemployment, a crushing federal debt and other major problems, they'd have more pressing issues to deal with.
Video games already have an industry ratings system in place, just like the movies, and retailers like GameStop and Toys R Us do an excellent job preventing minors from buying Mature video games. Plus, parents have to take responsibility for what their kids are playing on their game consoles and PCs.
During oral arguments today, Supreme Court justices seemed skeptical of the California video game law, according to Bloomberg and the New York Times.
So, in honor of Election Day, here are some video games that feature politicians as playable characters.
Up top are President Barack Obama and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as killers in "Mercenaries 2: World In Flames." (See Vanity Fair article.) The Electronic Arts game is rated T for teen by the Entertainment Software Rating Board.
Below is a screenshot of Obama and Vice President Joe Biden as basketball players in EA's "NBA Jam." The game also features Palin, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Al Gore, George W. Bush, John McCain and Dick Cheney, among others. (See Huffington Post article.) The game is rated E for everyone.
And finally Obama and other world leaders appear in the PC game "Rulers of Nations: Geopolitical Simulator 2" from Eversim. It's rated T for teen.
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text: On Wed 09-05-12 19:18:16, Michael Kerrisk (man-pages) wrote:> On Wed, May 9, 2012 at 7:01 PM, Nick Piggin <email@example.com> wrote:> > On 9 May 2012 15:35, Michael Kerrisk (man-pages) <firstname.lastname@example.com> wrote:> >> On Wed, May 9, 2012 at 11:10 AM, Nick Piggin <email@example.com> wrote:> >>> On 6 May 2012 01:29, KOSAKI Motohiro <email@example.com> wrote:> >>>>> So, am I correct to assume that right text to add to the page is as below?> >>>>>> >>>>> Nick, can you clarify what you mean by "quiesced"?> >>>>> >>>> finished?> >>>> >>> Yes exactly. That might be a simpler word. Thanks!> >>> >> Thanks.> >>> >> But see below. I realize the text is still ambiguous.> >>> >>>>> [[> >>>>> O_DIRECT IOs should never be run concurrently with fork(2) system call,> >>>>> when the memory buffer is anonymous memory, or comes from mmap(2)> >>>>> with MAP_PRIVATE.> >>>>>> >>>>> Any such IOs, whether submitted with asynchronous IO interface or from> >>>>> another thread in the process, should be quiesced before fork(2) is called.> >>>>> Failure to do so can result in data corruption and undefined behavior in> >>>>> parent and child processes.> >>>>>> >>>>> This restriction does not apply when the memory buffer for the O_DIRECT> >>>>> IOs comes from mmap(2) with MAP_SHARED or from shmat(2).> >>>>> Nor does this restriction apply when the memory buffer has been advised> >>>>> as MADV_DONTFORK with madvise(2), ensuring that it will not be available> >>>>> to the child after fork(2).> >>>>> ]]> >>> >> In the above, the status of a MAP_SHARED MAP_ANONYMOUS buffer is> >> unclear. The first paragraph implies that such a buffer is unsafe,> >> while the third paragraph implies that it *is* safe, thus> >> contradicting the first paragraph. Which is correct?> >> > Yes I see. It's because MAP_SHARED | MAP_ANONYMOUS isn't *really*> > anonymous from the virtual memory subsystem's point of view. But that> > just serves to confuse userspace I guess.> >> > Anything with MAP_SHARED, shmat, or MADV_DONTFORK is OK.> >> > Anything else (MAP_PRIVATE, brk, without MADV_DONTFORK) is> > dangerous. These type are used by standard heap allocators malloc,> > new, etc.> > So, would the following text be okay:> > O_DIRECT I/Os should never be run concurrently with the fork(2)> system call, if the memory buffer is a private mapping (i.e.,> any mapping created with the mmap(2) MAP_PRIVATE flag; this> includes memory allocated on the heap and statically allocated> buffers). Any such I/Os, whether submitted via an asynchronous> I/O interface or from another thread in the process, should be> completed before fork(2) is called. Failure to do so can> result in data corruption and undefined behavior in parent and> child processes. This restriction does not apply when the mem‐> ory buffer for the O_DIRECT I/Os was created using shmat(2) or> mmap(2) with the MAP_SHARED flag. Nor does this restriction> apply when the memory buffer has been advised as MADV_DONTFORK> with madvise(2), ensuring that it will not be available to the> child after fork(2). This text looks OK, to me. Thanks for putting it together. Honza-- Jan Kara <firstname.lastname@example.com>SUSE Labs, CR--To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" inthe body of a message to firstname.lastname@example.com majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.htmlPlease read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/


text:
Shine Arrives at Best Buy in Exclusive Colors, Wins GOOD Design Award
Oct 24, 2013, 10:00 ET from Misfit Wearables
REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Oct. 24, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Misfit Shine, an elegant physical activity monitor that you can wear anywhere, has won the GOOD Design Award (http://www.g-mark.org/) and is officially launching at Best Buy. It will be available in retail stores and at BestBuy.com starting Sunday, October 27 and will now come in two new colors: Topaz and Champagne, both available only at Best Buy in the US.
(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20121114/SF13534)
Shine measures the intensity and duration of your physical activity and provides data such as steps taken, distance travelled, and estimated calories burned. Wear it at night to track sleep as well. Shine comes with a clasp so you can wear it in a number of different locations. Other accessories available include a sport band, a leather and metal band, and a necklace which enable you to wear Shine anywhere on your body and to any occasion.
Tap Shine and a halo of lights appears to show progress toward your daily physical activity goal. Set your goals on the app and then wear Shine anywhere: hip, neck, wrist, shoes, chest, shirt, etc. Super-strong and water resistant to 50 meters, Shine is great for swimming. It is carved out of a solid block of aircraft-grade aluminum and is built to last a lifetime. Shine syncs with your iPhone in seconds and is powered by a regular user-replaceable coin cell battery which lasts up to four months - no cables for syncing or charging.
The Shine App, available on the App Store, allows users to set their personal activity goals and see visual summaries of how they're doing each day and week-to-week.
Shine with a clasp will be available for $99.99. The leather bands (black and tan colors available, black is only available at Best Buy and on BestBuy.com) and the necklace will be available for $49.99. Shine can also be purchased at http://store.misfitwearables.com/
About Misfit Wearables
Misfit invents and manufactures highly wearable computing products. The company was founded in 2011 by Sonny Vu with John Sculley, the former CEO of Apple and Pepsi, and Sridhar Iyengar, co-founder and CTO of AgaMatrix.
Misfit product images and videos: http://www.misfitwearables.com/media
Copyright 2013 Misfit Wearables Corporation. All rights reserved.
Media contact:
Justin Butler
SOURCE Misfit Wearables


text:
Today's post is a unique post for my blog. Typically, I gear all of my writings towards worship leaders, musicians, creatives, and church leaders. But yesterday my son was born. And as I reflected on this day – one of the most significant I have ever experienced – this is what overflowed from my heart. May it be an encouragement and a challenge to live your life fully – for what truly matters.
Tyler David,
July 10, 2012 was a day my life flashed before my eyes. A day I reflected on the last 27 years of my existence.
To see you enter the world floods my heart with joy, expectancy, and fear.
- Fear of not surviving the smell of your diapers.
- Fear of not living up to the expectations I've rehearsed.
- Fear of not being the best Dad in the world.
But this I know, my son – you are going to change the world.
You will face tremendous problems yet find epic solutions.
You will stare sin in the face and say, "Christ is better."
You will live your life to serve others and make the name of Jesus famous.
But it isn't just what you'll do that makes your life count. It's your very existence that speaks of the majesty of God.
You are unique, marked, and set apart. Your tiny breaths declare God's greatness. Your high pitched cries shout loud His sovereignty. Your precious frame pronounces the vast creativity of our God.
Tyler, I just want to say, I love you with my whole heart. You have a Father who is flawed, yet filled with love for you. Though I won't always respond perfectly, I will always be there for you.
I will listen when you want to vent.
I will watch when you need to show off.
I will be there no matter what the circumstance.
I will brag about you for the rest of my life.
And may you see in my few strengths and endless weaknesses a man who does not trust in his bow or the strength of his horse, but a man who depends on Jesus with every breath.
Not a man who just talks about Jesus, but actually lives the life with a ferocious passion.
So here's to many laughs, jokes, and good times together. Here's to many tears, hugs, and Scriptures shared through struggle. Here's to not just enjoying you for the wise decisions you make. Here's to you for who you are.
May you always return to the innocence of your baby years. You are loved just as you are. You have nothing to prove.
I love you, son.
Question: What is one moment in your life that changed everything? What has it taught you? Share your experience in the comments!
Are you a worship leader?
You may be interested in my FREE 20 part email course, "Next Level Worship Leading" - designed for local church worship leaders
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text:
Skip to comments.Bravests gush hour: Streaming fire heroes aid cops (firefighters use water cannon on thugs)
Posted on 12/07/2011 3:22:33 AM PST by lowbridge
Cops who found themselves on the losing end of a fight with a mob of armed thugs in front of a Staten Island home were rescued yesterday by firefighters shooting a water cannon.
The crowd start[ed] to jump and start beating up on the cops, one stunned Fire Department source told The Post.
Thats when a firetruck from Engine Co. 158 down the street from the Mariners Harbor home arrived, the source said.
Then one firefighter got up on the deck gun, and he aimed at peoples legs and just nailed them with water and drove them back, the source said.
It began apparently after a 15-year-old girl who lives in the home refused to take sides in an earlier fight at Port Richmond HS and angry classmates and their gangster pals swarmed her familys home, threatening her.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
"The girl, who asked that her name not be revealed, said she suffers from a hole in her heart and that the creeps even taunted her about that.
They were saying, Youve got a heart condition Im going to hit you in the chest! she said."
Shaking my head. Not surprised by anything anymore, but it still saddens me. Not a sliver of compassion or a spark of human kindness to be found here.
Yes the Amish strike again.
Zombies. When the checks stop it will be on.
Zombies. When the checks stop it will be on.
That thought crossed my mind too.
Water cannons can be effective.
I was in Okinawa for the reversion riots of about 1969-70. We manned a water cannon in Naha Port to defend the main gate, it was fed by two 143 ocean tugs equipped as fire boats. A lot of power. When rioters climbed the fence gate we not only blew them off but across a four lane highway.
Congrats to the firemen. That looks like fun!
On another note, it appears that poverty and food stamps cause fat butts.
Savages. Should be eliminated from society. Period.
Dang, I wish THAT was on youtube!
This should be SOP for clearing OWS pukes out of parks.
"Zombies. When the checks stop it will be on."
Along with rubber bullets, tasers, and truncheons.
Let's see how dedicated they are to "the glorious cause of World Socialism" then!
Holder's people
Obama's voters. The poor, the tired, etc.
Brings a smile to me!
Poverty, food stamps, and fat butts. Johnson's Great Society.
We liked it too. Those riots werent like the gentle anti-war and race riots here in the USA, they threw Molotov cocktails and bottles of acid.
When we cleared the gate area I had the crew wash down the President Hotel across the street. The manager was a friend and the building had some soot buildup from ships in the port illegally blowing down their stacks. That water cannon had range.
Long before the internet or digital cameras. I often wished we had the technology back then we have now. Im sure that even as busy as we were someone would have whipped out their iPhone and recorded it.
Heck, even a letter to or from home took over a week.
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