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Kristen Stewart kisses rumored girlfriend SoKo in Paris
Actress KRISTEN STEWART has gone public with her rumored new girlfriend by passionately kissing her on the streets of Paris.
The "Twilight" star has been avoiding labeling her sexuality since last summer, when she was reported to be dating her personal assistant, Alicia Cargile.
Now Robert Pattinson's ex appears to have a new woman in her life, after openly locking lips with French singer/actress SoKo on Tuesday.
Photos of their intimate embrace emerge a day after Kristen and SoKo, real name Stephanie Sokolinski, were spotted holding hands during a romantic stroll in the French capital.
Representatives for both women have yet to comment on the relationship speculation, but Kristen alluded to her bisexuality in a candid interview with Nylon magazine last year, when she was questioned about her personal life.
"Google me, I'm not hiding," the 25-year-old actress retorted.
"I live in the f—ing ambiguity of this life and I love it," she explained. "I don't feel like it would be true for me to be like, 'I'm coming out!' I think in three or four years, there are going to be a whole lot more people who don't think it's necessary to figure out if you're gay or straight. It's like, just do your thing."
Her comments emerged months after her writer/director mother, Jules Stewart, attempted to distance herself from quotes attributed to her in an interview for Britain's The Mirror newspaper, in which she appeared to confirm Kristen's alleged romance with Alicia.
In the June piece, Jules was quoted by reporter Sharon Feinstein as saying, "What's not to be accepting about her (Kristen) now having a girlfriend? She's happy. I've met Kristen's new girlfriend, I like her."
Jules subsequently insisted the quote was made up, stating, "I spoke to Sharon Feinstein about my film K-11 that has been put on display in the Hollywood Museum. It's currently there under the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) banner on the third floor. She also asked me about my views on gay rights, which I was happy to express… Never ever did we discuss Kristen!"
However, the reporter hit back at the accusations, insisting she had Jules' remarks on tape.
Liberty Ross: 'I have no problem with Kristen Stewart'
British model Liberty Ross has "no problem" with Kristen Stewart after the actress' tryst with her husband Rupert Sanders led to the breakdown of the marriage.
Ross' divorce from the director was finalized this summer two years after he was snapped smooching his "Snow White and the Huntsman" star Stewart.
The catwalk star, who has two children with the moviemaker, has now insisted she is not angry with the young actress or her former husband over the kissing snaps.
She tells Harper's Bazaar magazine, "God, no. Ugh. People need to learn to forgive. I have no problem with anyone involved. I'm completely compassionate, I really am. No life is perfect; we all have our problems and issues. … Rupert and I were together since we were very, very young. I was 18 – essentially, I married my first boyfriend. I always used to say we were more like brother and sister anyway. We'd been together for so long, we weren't really evolving together as a couple so much. …
"I think we can grow from all experiences, even the most tragic, s— ones where you think you're going to die. …"
Ross also reveals she was shocked by the public reaction to her personal crisis and hid herself away from a month to escape the spotlight.
She adds, "Unfortunately, we live in a world where everything is so overexposed that it's actually terrifying. I was horrified at how relentless and extraordinary going through something like that was."
Liberty Ross: 'Rupert Sanders divorce was amicable'
British model Liberty Ross has opened up about her recent divorce from Rupert Sanders, insisting she has nothing but "love, respect and compassion" for the Hollywood director.
The couple's marriage crumbled after Sanders was photographed kissing his "Snow White and the Huntsman" star Kristen Stewart in July 2012, and Ross filed for divorce in January 2013.
The divorce was finalized in May, with Ross taking possession of their former home in Los Angeles, a 15 percent share of the profits from his movies, and joint custody of their two young children.
However, the brunette beauty is adamant the process of dissolving the marriage was not bitter.
She tells Britain's Style magazine, "I have nothing but love, respect and compassion for him. … My parents taught me that life is an adventure and I embraced it."
Kristen Stewart refuses to smile out of principle
Kristen Stewart explains why she refuses to smile for photographers out of principle and the desire to not gratify what people want.
Kelly Osbourne's hair makeover
Check out Kelly Osbourne's and Kristen Stewart's new hairstyles.
Kristen Stewart to make directorial debut with music video
Kristen Stewart is making her directorial debut by helming a music video for county band Sage + The Saints.
The "Twilight" star is making the move behind the camera and her first project is a promo for her pal, the band's front woman Sage Galesi.
Stewart was spotted filming the band in Nashville on Tuesday, as Galesi called on fans to be extras for the shoot via Facebook.com.
She wrote, "We are shooting our music video and need you to come party with us. Bring your friends, lovers, enemies, and mothers!"
Kristen Stewart is a budding poet
"Twilight" star Kristen Stewart spends her free time writing poetry.
The actress shared a sample of her work during an interview with Marie Claire magazine and allowed the editors to publish the poem in full.
Stewart reveals she wrote "My Heart Is A Wiffle Ball/Freedom Pole" last year during a road trip across Texas and adds of her hobby, "I don't want to sound so [bleep] utterly pretentious … but after I write something, I go, 'Holy [bleep], that's crazy.' It's the same thing with acting: If I do a good scene, I'm always like, 'Whoa, that's really dope.'"
An extract from the poem reads, "I reared digital moonlight You read its clock, scrawled neon across that black Kismetly… ubiquitously crest fallen Thrown down to strafe your foothills… I'll suck the bones pretty."
Robert Pattinson sells home home he shared with Kristen Stewart
Actor Robert Pattinson has sold the mansion he once shared with ex-girlfriend Kristen Stewart.
The star purchased the Los Feliz, Calif., home in 2011 for $6.2 million and sold it for $6.3 million earlier this month.
The property boasts three bedrooms, three-and-a-half bathrooms, a large study and a tropical-themed backyard, complete with a pool.
Pattinson and Stewart began dating in 2008.
They broke up in 2012, after she was caught cheating on the actor with married director Rupert Sanders.
The couple briefly reconciled in 2013 before breaking up for good.
Stewart moved out of the home in 2012 and Pattinson left shortly after.
Kristen Stewart terrified of '1984' adaptation
Actress Kristen Stewart is "terrified" of starring in the upcoming romantic adaptation of George Orwell's 1984 as critics are expecting a classic movie.
The "Twilight" star has signed on to star opposite "Warm Bodies" actor Nicholas Hoult in futuristic love story "Equals," which is a take on the 1956 film based on Orwell's classic novel.
Despite her experience in the popular vampire film franchise, Stewart tells the Associated Press she is wary of the role as movie fans are already predicting the film will be a hit.
She says, "I can't believe I agreed to do it. I'm terrified of it. Though it's a movie with a really basic concept, it's overtly ambitious. It's a love story of epic, epic, epic proportion. I'm scared."
Stewart even confided to director Drake Doremus that she fears she is not up to the task of taking on such a high-profile role, but the Like Crazy filmmaker refused to believe her excuses.
The actress adds, "I trust Drake's process and I know we will do something really natural and real. But I told Drake, 'Don't expect that I am going to be able to do this. It's too hard.' But he wouldn't take 'no' for an answer. I've given directors disclaimers before, but never this much."
Kristen Stewart is new face of Chanel
"Twilight" star Kristen Stewart has been named as the new face of luxury design house Chanel.
The actress has been hired to model the French brand's latest fashion line and the news was announced during the company's star-studded Metiers D'Art Paris-Dallas runway show in Dallas on Tuesday.
Stewart's advertising campaign will be photographed by Chanel's style guru Karl Lagerfeld and will be released in May 2014.
She follows in the footsteps of other Chanel ambassadors including Keira Knightley, Brad Pitt, Blake Lively and Vanessa Paradis.


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I got an e-mail a couple weeks back from one of my readers, requesting a style for her homecoming dance that is this next weekend. As I've stated before, it's always tough trying to come up with a style that will be "the right fit" for the person requesting the style. I don't know most people's personalities and face shapes, etc. For this request all I know is that her hair was about shoulder length & not overly thick. So my hope with this style, is that regardless of length or thickness – pretty much anyone could do this. (Unless your hair is as short as mine, of course!)
Begin with sectioning out hair at the temples to make a "poof" in the front. Give it a bit of a twist.
Secure with a few bobby pins. You can push the "poof" forward as much as you want for height up front. Because I think the whole "poof bang" look is a bit mature for Goose I opted to only give her a little bump up front!
Next section off the hair from the ear forward. Do that to both sides. I clipped off the hair hanging down in back to keep it out of the way.
Part off a small section of hair on the left side, just in front of the ear. You'll be making a vertical part for this section.
Comb it upwards and start twisting the hair, pulling it to the right side of the head (hopefully covering your bobby pins from your "poof bangs." Secure it with a bobby pin on the right side of the bobby pins you are covering up. If you can't get your bobby pins to stay — go HERE and watch the 2nd video in the post. That's the method I use to keep bobby pins in.
Here's a look from the right side of the head once you've secured that first twist with a bobby pin.
Repeat on the right side – parting off a section and twisting it over to the left side of the head & securing it with a bobby pin.
It should look something like this. You've basically made a bit of an X with the two twists.
On the left side, part out a "triangle" section of hair – sort of on an angle anyway.
Hopefully you can see the part a bit better in this picture. Comb the hair up and back and twist it. Bring it across your other twists to the right side of the head.
Once again, secure it over on the right side of the head with a bobby pin.
Repeat on the right side of the head – bringing the twist over to the left side of the head.
Secure the last twist with a bobby pin on the left side of the head. Again, you should have made a bit of an X with these two twists.
With the remaining hair that is hanging down by the ears, take the section on the right side & mist it with hairspray, combing it up and towards the back of the head.
Take a little clip & secure it to the middle of the back of the head for a moment.
Take the hair on the left side & smooth it up as well. Pull it towards the middle of the back of the head to join with the right side hair you clipped back there.
Secure the two strips of hair with a small rubber band. Technically you could be done at this step & add some curls. But I went a bit further.
Hopefully as you secured the twists on each side of the head, they all ended up in the same area. You should have a section of their "tails" hanging down on both sides underneath the hair you just pulled back.
Starting on the right side, take the tail from the right side twists & make a loop like this. I basically did it like my video HERE shows – except using a lot less hair. Secure it at the bottom with a bobby pin. I also ended out using a hair pin in the top of the loop to keep it from flopping forward too.
Make a middle loop using the "tail" from the hair you secured with the rubber band in the middle. Make a 3rd loop on the left with the "tails" from the twists that came over on the left side.
When you're all done it'll should something like this from the top front & top back. I did a lot of this dry, so sorry about some of the fly aways. I just didn't want it to look totally "slicked" back!
Views from the sides:
To finish it off, I curled the ends of her hair under with my flat iron. Then I did a bunch of random ringlet curls with our small curling iron. Make sure you curls the tails of the loops when you make your random curls.
She got a ton of compliments on this when she wore it at church, so I'm sure it'd be a hit for any dance of formal even you have. I hate to admit it, but combining this hairstyle with the little high heels she was wearing, it made her look a bit too grown up for my liking! I sure wish I could bottle them up & keep them young & innocent for a lot longer! They grow up way too fast!

subset: commoncrawl


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Story highlights
- All eyes will be on Justice Anthony Kennedy on Wednesday when the Supreme Court hears the most significant abortion case in years
- This will be the first major case heard after the death of Justice Antonin Scalia
Washington (CNN)When the Supreme Court meets on Wednesday to hear a challenge to a Texas abortion law -- the first major case to be heard this term with only eight justices -- all eyes will be on Justice Anthony Kennedy.
The case will most likely come down to the 79-year-old justice, and from his perch near the center of the bench, he will be a target for lawyers hoping to get his vote.
It's a position Kennedy has been in before and both sides have reason to worry.
The death of Justice Antonin Scalia shifts the calculus somewhat. Before his passing, supporters of abortion rights knew that one scenario could be that the justices might uphold the law and use the Texas case to narrow a woman's right to an abortion nationwide.
That now seems unlikely to happen, experts say.
"Justice Scalia's passing eliminates that possibility since there will be at most four votes to uphold the Texas anti-abortion law -- which would produce a 4-4 result that would make no new precedent at the national level" says American University Law School Professor Stephen I. Vladeck, a CNN contributor.
If Kennedy sides with the liberals, and rules against the law, Scalia's death won't impact the case.
Kennedy's history with abortion challenges
Kennedy has been key to the legal case concerning abortion for years.
In 1992, he wrote an urgent message to one of his colleagues concerning a pending case that could have imperiled Roe v. Wade.
"I need to see you as soon as you have a few free moments," Kennedy wrote to Justice Harry Blackmun, the author of Roe.
Kennedy's missive came as a welcome surprise.
"I want to tell you about some developments in Planned Parenthood v. Casey, and at least part of what I say should come as welcome news," Kennedy concluded.
Indeed it would. Kennedy, joined by Justice Sandra Day O'Connor and Justice David Souter, both since retired, were in the process of writing an opinion to uphold the core of Roe.
A relieved Blackmun scribbled a note to himself. "Roe sound" he wrote, and tucked away Kennedy's note in his personal files.
Blackmun's files were released in 2004, five years after his death, and they now reside at the Library of Congress.
"We were convinced before Casey that Justice Kennedy would vote to overturn Roe," Kathryn Kolbert, who argued against the Pennsylvania law, said in an interview.
"It is absolutely the case that he changed his mind back then and it was clearly, very courageous," Kolbert, who is now a professor at Barnard College, said.
Wednesday's case
This week, the justices will take another look at the Casey precedent that upheld Roe but also left room for states to act as long as they didn't place an "undue burden" on pregnant women.
At issue in the case is a Texas law -- passed in 2013 -- that abortion rights supporters say is one of the most strict in the nation.
There are two provisions of the law at stake. The first is a requirement that clinics that provide abortions have hospital-like facilities. The second requires that doctors who provide the procedures have admitting privileges at a local hospital.
Critics want the court to strike the law and hope that Kennedy will move to bolster the Casey decision.
There exists one significant tea leaf going in their favor: Last spring, Kennedy voted with the liberals to place the law on hold while the Supreme Court decided whether to take it up. Chief Justice John Roberts, Justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas and Justice Scalia dissented from that vote.
Still, going into arguments no one is sure how Kennedy will vote.
After Casey, Kennedy disappointed abortion rights supporters in two other cases and he expressed some frustration that Casey was being misunderstood.
In 2000, he wrote a dissent when the Court struck a state law banning all partial birth abortions.
"When the Court reaffirmed the essential holding of Roe," Kennedy wrote, "a central premise was that the States retain a critical and legitimate role in legislating on the subject of abortion, as limited by the woman's right the court restated and again guaranteed."
Seven years later, after Justice Sandra Day O'Connor had been replaced by Justice Samuel Alito, the issue of partial birth abortion came before the court again, as the justices considered a similar federal ban.
This time, with Alito's vote, the court upheld the ban. Kennedy wrote the opinion for the majority. He touched a nerve with some women when he wrote, "it seems unexceptional to conclude some women come to regret their choice to abort the infant life they once created and sustained."
Kolbert notes a modification of Kennedy's views in the two partial birth abortion cases.
"In later years, Kennedy has given states greater latitude to restrict abortion," she said. She is cautiously optimistic that Kennedy will vote against the Texas law, but she says it is not clear which way he will go.
How far can state laws go?
"In the cases concerning partial birth abortion, Justice Kennedy said he believed states could ban particular abortion procedures out of a stated desire to protect the health of a pregnant woman," said Vladeck. "The question in the Texas case is how far that logic goes. Can states effectively ban abortions throughout much of their territory by requiring providers to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals, even though there is no correlation between such local privileges and the efficacy of abortions?" he said.
Stephanie Toti, who will argue the Texas case on behalf of clinics challenging the law, distinguishes her case from what was at issue in the cases concerning partial birth abortion.
"The law at issue in this case is different than previous laws that the Supreme Court has considered, including the federal ban on a method of second trimester abortion, because it would impose unprecedented burdens on abortion access, while failing to promote any valid state interest," she said in an interview.
The law does not directly target Roe, but its critics say it is a sham meant to end abortion and that if it is allowed to go into effect it will shutter all but a handful of clinics and force some women to travel hundreds of miles to obtain an abortion.
Lawyers challenging the law take aim at Kennedy in court briefs, saying the law renders the undue burden standard a "hollow protection."
Texas, on the other hand, says the law is in line with Casey and that it is meant to provide abortion patients with the "highest standard of care."
In court briefs, Solicitor General Scott A. Keller speaks directly to Kennedy and says that precedent establishes that "states may regulate abortion, so long as the regulations have a rational basis and do not have the purpose or effect of creating a substantial obstacle to abortion access."


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VA Philippines Office:
Maintain Operations, but More Information Needed to Determine Future Presence
GAO-12-20R: Published: Oct 27, 2011. Publicly Released: Oct 27, 2011.
Additional Materials:
- Full Report:
- Accessible Text:
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Office of Public Affairs
(202) 512-4800
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) operates a regional office in the Republic of the Philippines--the only one of its 57 regional offices that is located in a foreign country. Over the last two decades, Congress has periodically reauthorized the office for an average of 3 years each time. The Philippines was a U.S. territory prior to World War II and was granted independence in 1946. Congress authorized limited benefits for Filipino veterans who served under the command of the United States during the war, and authorized VA to operate a regional office to administer these benefits. In 1958, the office expanded to include an outpatient health clinic. VA estimates that about 18,000 Filipino WWII veterans were alive as of 2010, down from an estimated 452,000 in 1977. In light of this declining population eligible for benefits, maintaining the office may no longer be warranted at some point. Public Law 111-275 extended the authority for VA to operate this office until December 31, 2011, and directed GAO to submit this report. Our objectives are to (1) describe the primary activities undertaken by the VA regional office in the Philippines, and (2) identify the estimated costs and benefits of maintaining this office in its current location versus moving its activities to the U.S.
The VA Philippines office processes disability compensation, and survivor, pension and other VA benefits for all Filipino WWII veterans and dependents, as well as for U.S. veterans and dependents living in the Philippines. In fiscal year 2010, the office processed $187 million in compensation and pension benefits for both Filipino and U.S. veterans. According to VA officials, in order to combat high levels of fraud the office staff use a variety of methods, including using photographs and interviews to determine identity, verifying claims using forensic analysis, and using WWII Japanese records to determine whether a Filipino WWII veteran collaborated with the enemy during the war. The Philippines office also provides medical exams through its outpatient clinic to support compensation and pension claims and provides other health care services for U.S. veterans. In fiscal year 2010, about 4,600 veterans made almost 24,000 visits to the clinic, which serves primarily U.S. veterans; Filipino WWII veterans are not eligible for services other than compensation and pension exams, and no dependents are eligible for these services. VA staff also process SSA benefits for individuals--which includes veterans and nonveterans--living in the Philippines and 41 other countries throughout the East Asia Pacific region. Currently, the benefits of maintaining the Philippines office likely outweigh its costs; however, more information will be needed to determine the need for its continued presence in the future. Financial savings from lower personnel costs and fraud detection efforts currently offset or lower some of the office's operating costs. The cost of processing VA benefits in the Philippines office is about $5.1 million per year. However, VA estimates that the personnel cost is about $5.5 million less than it would be in the U.S. because most employees in the Philippines office are local staff who are paid substantially less than staff would be paid in the U.S. In addition, VA estimated that this office recently prevented over $4 million in fraudulent payments through fraud prevention and investigation. The operating cost for the outpatient clinic was $10.1 million in fiscal year 2010. VA has not estimated the costs or savings that would occur if the outpatient clinic were closed and/or some of its health services were administered from the United States, such as through VA's Foreign Medical Program. According to VA, there are cost savings associated with completing the compensation and pension exams in-house by VA rather than having the exams completed by Philippine private sector physicians because this sector is known for pervasive fraud. Beyond financial savings, other benefits of the Philippines office support its presence in the short-term. VA has not developed information that would help decide the status of the office in the future, such as projections of the number of veterans and dependents in the Philippines and their future impact on office workloads. Other factors to consider in maintaining or closing the office include the capacity to investigate fraud, the impact on services to veterans in the Philippines, and geopolitical considerations. Currently, continuing operations appears to be warranted because of lower payroll costs, the specialized workload, and other factors. However, as the population of Filipino WWII veterans and dependents declines, so should the need for specialized staff and extensive fraud investigation activities. Over the past two decades, Congress has reauthorized a series of short-term extensions (averaging 3 years in length) to allow VA to operate this office. A 3-year extension beyond the December 31, 2011, deadline would allow VA to conduct a thorough analysis of future feasibility. Congress should consider extending authority for the Philippines office, but require VA to assess and report to Congress on the feasibility of maintaining a future presence in the Philippines.
Matter for Congressional Consideration
Status: Closed - Not Implemented
Comments: Congress considered reauthorizing the VA Philippines Office but did not require VA to report on its feasibility.
Matter: Congress may wish to consider extending authority for the Philippines office, but require VA to assess and report to Congress on the feasibility of maintaining a future presence in the Philippines. In conducting this analysis, VA should be required to consult with SSA and State to develop and use information on the potential future workload of the office based on the projected number of Filipino WWII veterans, U.S. veterans, and dependents in the Philippines; the costs and benefits of alternative ways to provide services to veterans in the Philippines, such as delivering medical services through the Foreign Medical Program and providing some services from the United States while maintaining fraud investigation staff in the Philippines; and the foreign policy implications of maintaining or closing the VA office in the Philippines.
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Jan 30, 2018
VA Disability Benefits:Opportunities Exist to Better Ensure Successful Appeals ReformGAO-18-349T: Published: Jan 30, 2018. Publicly Released: Jan 30, 2018.
Jan 18, 2018
VA Health IT Modernization:Historical Perspective on Prior Contracts and Update on Plans for New InitiativeGAO-18-208: Published: Jan 18, 2018. Publicly Released: Jan 18, 2018.
Jan 17, 2018
VA Construction:Actions Taken to Improve Denver Medical Center and Other Large Projects' Cost Estimates and SchedulesGAO-18-329T: Published: Jan 17, 2018. Publicly Released: Jan 17, 2018.
Jan 11, 2018
VA Facility Security:Policy Review and Improved Oversight Strategy NeededGAO-18-201: Published: Jan 11, 2018. Publicly Released: Jan 11, 2018.
Dec 7, 2017
Veterans Affairs Contracting:Improvements in Buying Medical and Surgical Supplies Could Yield Cost Savings and EfficiencyGAO-18-274T: Published: Dec 7, 2017. Publicly Released: Dec 7, 2017.
Veterans Affairs Information Technology:Historical Perspective on Health System Modernization Contracts and Update on Efforts to Address Key FITARA-Related AreasGAO-18-267T: Published: Dec 7, 2017. Publicly Released: Dec 7, 2017.
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Transitioning Veterans:Improvements Needed in DOD's Performance Reporting and Monitoring of the Transition Assistance ProgramGAO-18-225T: Published: Nov 8, 2017. Publicly Released: Nov 8, 2017.
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Remove the "last ditch" code path in join_search_one_level(). So far as I can tell, it is no longer possible for this heuristic to do anything useful, because the new weaker definition of have_relevant_joinclause means that any relation with a joinclause must be considered joinable to at least one other relation. It would still be possible for the code block to be entered, for example if there are join order restrictions that prevent any join of the current level from being formed; but in that case it's just a waste of cycles to attempt to form cartesian joins, since the restrictions will still apply. Furthermore, IMO the existence of this code path can mask bugs elsewhere; we would have noticed the problem with cartesian joins a lot sooner if this code hadn't compensated for it in the simplest case. Accordingly, let's remove it and see what happens. I'm committing this separately from the prerequisite changes in have_relevant_joinclause, just to make the question easier to revisit if there is some fault in my logic. Branch ------ master Details ------- http://git.postgresql.org/pg/commitdiff/e54b10a62db2991235fe800c629baef4531a6d67 Modified Files -------------- src/backend/optimizer/path/joinrels.c | 76 +++++++------------------------- 1 files changed, 17 insertions(+), 59 deletions(-)
Next: From: Robert Haas Date: 2012-04-13 20:43:26 Subject: pgsql: Add Peter Geoghegan as additional author of pg_stat_statements. Previous: From: Guillaume Lelarge Date: 2012-04-13 19:57:58 Subject: Re: [COMMITTERS] pgsql: Add new replication mode synchronous_commit = 'write'.


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Extended Presidents' Day Sale! Use Code OFFICE for 20% Off!
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Saturday & Sunday: Closed
Bulb Not IncludedWith rustic charm as unique as its design, The Cross Creek Collection puts a modern spin on a classic fixture. Each piece is constructed from long lasting cast aluminum ensuring a quality fit and finish that will last for ages. Our Aged Bronze finish adds a distressed appearance to the piece, while Textured linen seedy glass panels additional warmth make the Cross Creek Collection the perfect balance of ambiance, style, and value. This one light wall lantern from the Cross Creek Collection uses a 150-watt (max) bulb and is 16" high. It is U. L. listed for wet location and comes with removable backplate.


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Tag Archives: quilts
Quick Vintage Estate Sale Quilts!
So, I found two quilt tops at an estate sale near Seattle not too long ago and was instantly in love with them for several reasons; first, because they are completely completed quilt tops (the hard part is done!!!); second, … Continue reading
Posted in Crafts Tagged applique, butterfly, estate sale, long arm quilting, quilts, summer, sun bonnet sue, twister 1 Comment


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An irreverent look at some of the week's other news...
Potential Mira Testers Complain About Cost, Age of Devices
I've received several email messages from Mira beta testers, who are upset about the beta program's cost and that they'll be testing outdated hardware. Rather than seed testers with new ViewSonic (or similar) Mira devices, Microsoft is requiring the testers to spend $800 on a Windows CE-based Web tablet that the company will retrofit with Mira capabilities. My recommendation to testers who have written me about this is simple: Don't bother. You'll be able to buy a real Mira device for less than $800 by the end of the year, and the device will have better wireless range and will weigh less.
Microsoft Remedy Hearings: Ex-Gateway, Red Hat Execs Trash Settlement
Two computer-industry executives testified yesterday that Microsoft is still a dominant force that intimidates its partners and competitors. A former Gateway executive and a current Red Hat executive told Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly that PC makers can't sell Linux-based PCs because Microsoft will blacklist them through higher prices and delayed access to technology. Furthermore, new licensing rules governed by Microsoft's antitrust settlement contain enough loopholes that Microsoft could continue to bully PC makers into excluding Linux. Microsoft even referred to Gateway as "a bad partner," according to the Gateway executive. When Gateway tried to offer Linux solutions, Microsoft forced Gateway to pay higher prices than rival PC makers paid for Windows. I've seen better behavior from elementary-school children picking dodgeball teams at recess. Maybe a conduct remedy isn't such a bad idea.
Microsoft Remedy Hearings: Microsoft Claims AOL Execs are Biased
And speaking of corporations acting like children, Microsoft accused a top AOL Time Warner executive of being biased against the software giant. I suppose this charge is so obvious you can't argue with it, but aren't Microsoft executives also biased against AOL Time Warner? After all, Microsoft refused to bundle AOL 7.0 with Windows XP because AOL Time Warner wouldn't remove its integrated RealNetworks media-player software. Imagine that--Microsoft getting upset because another company integrated middleware in its product. I'm sure AOL Time Warner had sound technical reasons for the integration.
Microsoft Works on Visual Password System
Microsoft Research is working on a new type of password system that will make it easier for users to remember passwords but more difficult for intruders to crack them. Instead of typing in strings of letters and numbers (which, 9 times out of 10, are simply a child's name, a birth date, the word "password," or something equally obvious), you could tie your logon to several pixels in a particular bitmap image. The password system would then convert those pixels into a random series of 20 numbers for use as the authentication scheme. To log on, you'd simply need to remember where to click on the image. This scheme--which I think of as "Passwords for Dummies"--is probably some years away from fruition.
Study: Macintosh Isn't a Supercomputer
This item is so obvious that only a Macintosh sycophant would have a problem with it, but it's funny nonetheless. Despite Apple Computer's repeated claims that its Power Mac G4 systems are "supercomputers," independent performance tests revealed that they are simply PCs, and fairly underpowered PCs at that, compared with their Intel rivals. The "megahertz myth" might indeed be based on reality, but here's another reality for you: A new 1GHz G4 doesn't outperform a 2GHz Pentium 4 (let alone a relatively ancient 1GHz Pentium III, according to the tests). Where the Mac does charge ahead, of course, is on certain Adobe Systems' Photoshop tests, which use specially written routines that take advantage of G4 "AltiVec" features. In the real world ... well, you know.
Red Hat Has "A Good Year;" What Constitutes a Bad Year?
Like Apple, Linux-maker Red Hat likes to put a positive spin on its situation vis-a-vis the rest of the computing industry. Witness the company's recently completed fiscal year 2002, which Red Hat referred to as "a successful year for \[the company\]." How successful was the year? Red Hat reported a net loss of $139 million, a dramatic increase over its loss of $87 million the year before and a figure that's higher than the company's total sales for the year. Most alarmingly, sales of embedded products dropped dramatically--and yet we continue to read about the embedded market as the new frontier for Linux sales. After announcing its "successful" yearly results, the company eliminated its network-consulting group, cut staff, and announced a corporate-headquarters move that will save $700 million in real-estate costs. I'm coming around to the idea that the Linux phenomenon might see its best successes in the hundreds of tiny companies that support the technology, rather than large corporations such as Red Hat, which simply try to ape Microsoft.
CNN Drops QuickTime for Fee-Based RealOne Content
This news is ugly, Internet-news hounds: CNN has dropped its free QuickTime video content in favor of fee-based video content based on RealNetworks' new RealOne Player. In other words, if you want to watch CNN news clips on the Internet, you have to pay. I have a news flash of my own for CNN: The reason you're popular on TV is that you're part of the basic cable package; we're not interested in paying for you again. Insert ads, or whatever you want, but I doubt that many people will pay for a service they can get for free elsewhere. Shame on CNN for making this move and retarding the Web's growth in the process.
Apple Raises Prices
Here's one innovation PC makers won't copy: MacWorld Tokyo 2002 is underway this week, and Apple made a few announcements--all of which involved its customers paying higher prices. The company raised the price of each iMac version by $100, despite the fact that the product is now "shipping in volume" after being difficult to find for the past 2 months. A new iPod that features a 10GB hard disk will set you back a whopping $500; the previous unit, which Apple had already overpriced, is still $400. And, worst of all, a beautiful new 23" Apple Cinema HD Display will set Apple customers back $3500, a whopping $1000 more than the 22" Apple Cinema HD Display. That's a lot of moola for an extra inch, don't you think?
Netscape Releases Version 6.22: Skip It
As if we needed yet another reason to question whether Netscape could have survived even if Microsoft had just ceded it the Web browser market 5 years ago, the company released Netscape 6.22 this week. The product is based on the Mozilla code base, but it seems to ignore many of the coolest Mozilla features, including tabbed browsing and pop-up-ad elimination. My advice: If you absolutely must use a non-Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE) browser, go with Mozilla 0.9.9. I highly recommend it.
Microsoft Boots PlayStation 2 Out of CeBIT
This item is humorous. This week, Microsoft officials complained to CeBIT show organizers that Sony let attendees play PlayStation 2 games in Microsoft's booth. It turns out that CeBIT has specific rules about video games because the show is designed only for business resellers and purchasers. So CeBIT told Sony to take down its PlayStation 2 displays, cart 'em up, and get 'em on out of there. Pay no attention to that maniacal laughing you hear in the background.
Correction: Microsoft Issues Fixes for .NET Framework, Java
After speaking with Mike Kass, Microsoft .NET Framework product manager, I have two clarifications to Wednesday's article titled "Microsoft Issues Fixes for .NET Framework, Java." First, Microsoft didn't issue the security update in the .NET Framework Service Pack 1 (SP1) in response to a vulnerability, per se, but because of feedback from customers who felt that, in light of Microsoft's recent security initiative, the company should change the default Internet code permissions. Second, Microsoft released the .NET Framework in January 2002, not February 2002. I confused the date with the Visual Studio .NET launch. I apologize for any confusion these errors might have caused.


text: The current rage in movie trailer design is what audiences hear, not see, as Hollywood marketers create unique sounds to position their movies in the crowded summer sweepstakes. The trend walks the fine line of "taking familiar sounds that are not too far outside the ballpark, but processing them differently so they are unique," says Yoav Goren, president of production music library Immediate Music. "It's not what you've heard before but there is a reference to what you've heard before." Film trailers have become their own artform because, after all, they are celebrated by the Golden Trailers and other kudofests. But originality isn't given a high priority because imitation isn't just the best form of flattery, it is often deemed the best creative approach to sell a movie. Among the more popular trends sweeping film distributors and trailer shops from Los Angeles to New York are: ** Sound design elements (or "cues") that blend music with synthetic sound effects, such as camera flash bulbs popping, deep-toned whomps and large machines eerily creaking. Sound design is employed particularly by horror and sci-fi films to impart the feel of another world and to build tension. ** Symphonic orchestra music to position big-budget action-adventure movies as grand epics. After a while, even the richest orchestrations all start to sound the same, so trailers overlay a dose of electronic, hip hop or other contemporary music while maintaining the foundation orchestration audiences associate with glossy blockbusters. ** In a less-is-more trend, soundtracks increasingly rely on an even-keel, cavernous tone, instead of a succession of crescendos that audiences can find fatiguing and overtly manipulative. ** 3D trailers are edited to a slower pace than normal, because fast cutting can give viewers headaches. Interestingly, these trailers are produced in 2D because 3D elements typically aren't finished when trailers are made and 2D's smaller data files are more manageable. This leaves trailer shops to tell client distributors, "Trust me, this will really work great in 3D." ** Previously scarce because of restrictions in theaters, R-rated red-band trailers are booming online where they get wider circulation. Most prevalent are R-rated comedies that aim to spark a buzz online. ** Anything that directly connects to online media is in fashion, such as the trailer for "The Grey" quoting tweets and blog posts by film critics after seeing the survivalist drama in pre-release screenings. ** What never goes out of style is surprising audiences with the unconventional, such as the weirdly engrossing "Prometheus" teaser that acts as a fictional commercial for robots manufactured by the "Weyland Corp.," in which a humanoid robot played by Michael Fassbender sounds eerily like Hal of "2001: A Space Odyssey" fame. Trailer music has been a growing point of emphasis for several years as marketers came to realize "as much as footage is important, it is music that drives emotion and uniqueness," says David Stern, owner of trailer house Create Advertising, whose credits include "The Amazing Spider-Man." There's plenty of room for creative latitude because movie soundtracks are usually one of the last elements in post, and so musicmakers for trailers can depart from the script. Trailers and TV commercials are extensively audience-tested before rolling out because film distributors know they are the most influential. Results range from small tweaks to substantial overhauls to completely scrapping a trailer. By the time distribution execs and talents get involved, pressure ratchets up considerably. In this supercharged environment, with the clock ticking down to the film's premiere date, the choice usually boils down to conformity vs. breaking the mold. "No matter what you think is popular, if you do the opposite, sometimes that will let the trailer stand out," says Scott Goldman, executive VP of theatrical at trailer house mOcean that worked on "The Avengers" and "The Vow." "If it's earth-shatteringly weird, it could get everyone's attention. But if it doesn't serve the movie, then absolutely not."


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WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--On June 3, 2014, the Council for Citizens Against Government Waste (CCAGW) will release its 2013 Congressional Ratings, highlighting the voting records of all 535 members of Congress. The report, which CCAGW has issued since 1989, identifies members whose voting records helped protect and save the taxpayers' money, as well as those who consistently voted against the peoples' fiscal interests.
CCAGW's 2013 Congressional Ratings for the first session of the 113th Congress scored 80 votes in the House of Representatives and 48 votes in the Senate. CCAGW rates members on a 0 to 100 percent scale. Members are placed in the following categories: 0-19 percent; Hostile; 20-39 percent; Unfriendly; 40-59 percent; Lukewarm; 60-79 percent; Friendly; 80-99 percent; Taxpayer Hero; 100% Taxpayer Super Hero.
|The Council for Citizens Against Government Waste
|2013 Congressional Ratings
Tuesday, June 3, 2014 at 2 p.m. EDT
An online version of the 2013 Congressional Ratings with full vote descriptions will be available the day of the release at www.ccagwratings.org.
For answers to further questions, to schedule an interview, or to order a hard copy, please contact Alexandra Booze at 202-467-5318 or by e-mail at email@example.com or Leslie K. Paige at 202-467-5300 or firstname.lastname@example.com.
The Council for Citizens Against Government Waste is the lobbying arm of Citizens Against Government Waste, the nation's largest nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in government.


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Working with soil can quickly dry out hands and cause cracking, not to mention it can leave behind ground-in dirt that's hard to remove, especially under fingernails. Gloves protect hands from soil and drying, and they provide a barrier to any questionable organisms contained in manure and compost. Gloves also help prevent blisters from using shovels, rakes, and other gardening tools. But with the range of choices, we're here to help in the form of a garden glove buyer's guide.
The best garden gloves are the ones that fit your hands and the task. If the gloves are too big, they will limit your dexterity and possibly chafe and cause blisters. Small gloves limit hand movement. No one pair of gloves will be ideally suited to all types of gardening activities. Here are the basic types of gardening gloves and the jobs for which they are best suited.
Cloth Gloves
When and how to use them: These gloves are suitable for light planting chores, mixing soil, digging, and raking. Some styles have palms and fingers reinforced with leather or latex, making them longer lasting, better for gripping, and more impervious to prickles and thorns. They can be tossed into the washing machine.
Garden glove tip: Cloth gloves can soak up water and become cold and clammy. They're neither durable nor expensive, so plan on replacing them regularly.
Sheepskin & Goatskin Gloves
When and how to use them: These gloves are suited for planting and digging. They are ideal for cutting, planting, digging, raking, and shoveling. Both sheepskin and goatskin gloves keep your hands relatively dry and remain supple even after they get wet. Stronger than cloth and very comfortable, goatskin gloves are the top of the line in comfort and dexterity. Some styles can be machine-washed.
Garden glove tip: Sheepskin tears more easily than other leathers, so it's less desirable for pruning trees, shrubs, and brambles. These gloves do not stand up well to constant abrasion, so wear heavier-duty cowhide gloves when building a stone wall or patio.
Rubber & PVC-Coated Gloves
When and how to use them: Nothing beats these gloves for working with mud and prickly plants. What these gloves lack in dexterity they make up for in protection. Some styles reach up to your elbow.
Garden glove tip: If you are allergic to rubber, choose the PVC option.
Cowhide & Pigskin Gloves
When and how to use them: Use these gloves for handling wood and rocks, planting trees and shrubs, and operating power equipment. Traditional work gloves, these are generally more durable than other leather gloves.
Garden glove tip: Some types are lined with fleece or wool for winter.
Neoprene & Nitrile Gloves
When and how to use them: These gloves offer the best protection when working with greases, oils, herbicides, pesticides, and other caustic materials.
Garden glove tip: Make sure your gloves are labeled for use with the chemicals you are using.
Guide to Fitting
For the best fit, try on leather and cloth gloves before you buy. Make a fist and check for any pinching or bulky seams. If trying on isn't possible, hold your hand flat and measure around your hand knuckles (minus thumb) to determine the right size. Then use this general garden glove guide to fit for sizing.
- 6-1/2 to 7-1/4 inches: Small
- 7-1/2 to 7-3/4 inches: Medium
- 8 to 8-3/4 inches: Large
- 9 to 9-3/4 inches: X-large
- 10 to 10-3/4 inches: XX-large
- 11 to 11-3/4 inches: XXX-large
Caring for Gardening Gloves
Keep your garden gloves in tip-top shape with this garden glove guide to care.
- Knock the dirt off your gloves when you're finished for the day.
- Bring gloves inside to keep them dry.
- Dunk cloth and rubber gloves in a bucket of water to remove caked-on mud.
- Wipe mud off leather gloves with a rag to help keep them from stiffening.
- Lay leather gloves flat or hang from clothespins so they keep their shape.


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Hi All,
I am using JfileChooser.I have OK button for approval.I want to make a check that when i click on OK button it checks for some condition and if that condition is true then only file chooser window should close.But as Approve option is on OK button everytime i click OK file chooser window gets close.
Could you please tell me how to put that check.
public File createFileSelectionBox(){
fileSelectionDialog = new JFileChooser();
fileSelectionDialog.setDialogTitle ("FileSelectionBox");
// Choose only files, not directories
fileSelectionDialog.setFileSelectionMode ( JFileChooser.FILES_AND_DIRECTORIES);
int result = fileSelectionDialog.showDialog(null,"OK");
if (result == JFileChooser.CANCEL_OPTION) {
return null;
} else if (result == JFileChooser.APPROVE_OPTION) {
file = fileSelectionDialog.getSelectedFile ();
return file;
Thanks in Advance,


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Just for the heck of it...Ouray/Silverton
5 Attachment(s)
Went as a family to the Silverton/Ouray area over labor day weekend. Went down Friday, rode the the train from Durango to Silverton saturday morning. We did Engineer Pass and Corkscrew Gulch saturday afternoon. Then Black Bear Pass and Imogene Pass Sunday, with lunch in To-Hell-U-Ride. Returned home Monday. Just an awesome area, and not a bad drive.
Some pictures from Blackbear...
More Photos...
4 Attachment(s)
More of Blackbear, and two from Imogene...
Looks like you guys had a good time. And nice weather. Still wish I could have made it :mad: . Next time.
I think that is just so cool. Having a wheelin' family like you have. Seeing those pictures always tells me we have a great place to play. Glad to see you going out to do just that.
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Online Article Directory!
Make your homes look better with a variety of gates
Whenever finding yourself in control of any construction project for your house or even workplace, Whatever the dimensions, every part of the home construction takes its own priority. Each and every concoction involved in has a significant role to experience.
From the bricks, concrete, cement to the installed gates, everything is actually set up with a objective. Each and every element has its own importance. In all the main reason for all thing that we enter our offices or homes to ensure optimum protection and to provide a excellent turn to the viewer. Possibly it's the cement walls or the gates as well as rails, both these should function these two purposes. The cement partitions might appear very boring but when colored these people grow to be an attractive resource. And I need not let you know that these types of walls
safeguard all of us.
What is more, for those who have not experienced to your home, judge your lifestyle as well as living requirements from the gates Surrey. The actual fabrication and just how the actual gate has been installed provide an impact as to the other people think about your own residing standards.
Gates can be fabricated in numerous methods, extending from the metal entrance, the actual steel sheet gates, entrance along with wood
panels, to those fabricated out of light weight aluminum. Apart from, the gates can be categorized on the basis of panels they have. You can have a single solar panel gate, the double panel entrance, or a triplet. Besides that gates can be classified as for each the outlet. These can be the sliding gates, solitary way opening or dual aspect starting. You can have these Wrought iron gates surrey according to your requirements.
Moreover , another protection set up the railings. The actual railing not just pads towards exterior burglars but these an element of security even in the actual homes. Especially for the senior citizens, the railings act as a great protection measure compared to the drops or slides. Besides protection the actual gates and railings have the decorative utility to furnish the outside as well as interiors of your home .
What are the recipes in order to fix the gates and railings. Certainly, you're advised to search for the actual blacksmiths in your town.
Blacksmiths have got the types of various kinds of entrance and railings that you could choose as per your likings. Then the Steel Fabricators Surrey will take the actual dimensions of the gate as well as railings that you would like to get created. When the measurements tend to be taken and the designs are completed, you can get the gates as well as railings fabricated. Also the blacksmiths can help you using the installation of these gates as well as railings.
For variety of gates log on to: http://www.bubearandjones.co.uk
Glyn Jones - About Author:
Glyn Jones is a renowned SEO Expert and content writer who has written many articles on Builder Beams Crawley, Railings Surrey and href="http://www.directlocksmithslondon.co.uk/locksmith_sutton.html">Locksmith sutton
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[Architect Christ Hardwicke, whose project "Farm City" is pictured above, is one of the diverse group of panelists assembled for Foodprint: Toronto.]
Google Analytics tells me that Canadians make up the second largest portion of mammoth's readership and that, of you Canadians, approximately one-quarter are located in Toronto. Neither of these facts are particularly surprising, but I do hope that those of you who live (or happen to be) in proximity to that city are aware that Foodprint: Toronto — "a truly cross-disciplinary discussion that explores the past, present, and future of food and the city" — is this Saturday. (It took two feet of snow and a pair of canceled bus routes last February to keep mammoth from attending the inaugural Foodprint event in Manhattan.)
If you're not familiar with the event, I recommend reading this interview with the event's founders, Nicola Twilley and Sarah Rich, at Pruned, as well as this interview, also with Twilley and Rich, at Azure Magazine.
It's also worth mentioning that the event will be live-streamed. For more on food, infrastructure, Toronto, and cities in general, I highly recommend Alphabet City: Food (and, on other topics, the entire Alphabet City series — "Water" is a particular favorite of mine, for obvious reasons).


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Great Community
Hi Everyone,
Thank you for providing this great community.
I've been looking for a community like this for a while now.
It's great to find a place with like minded users who are entrepreneurs online.
I hope we can all help each other by providing information and all have great success
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text:
Friends: 10
Member Since: September 9, 2010Add to Friends
Jack Jack is my lovable little comedian. He may be tiny but he has enough personality for ten Jack Jacks. He loves to dig whether it be inside or outside, on people or furniture, anywhere he can get his little paws. When he isn't digging, he enjoys laying belly up in front of the fan, preferably with his monkey somewhere nearby.View Profile
Zeus is our clumsy little English Pointer. He is still growing into his hunting instincts which makes him a bit of a clutz and very unorganized. When he isn't tripping over his own feet or getting food all over his ears, he likes to snuggle and sleep as much as possible. He is very lovable and sweet.View Profile


text:
Crime ebbs, not debate
Saratoga cops say fewer DWIs and other arrests reflect a smaller city force
Published 12:00 am, Friday, January 21, 2011
SARATOGA SPRINGS -- Drinking and driving, and other crime is down in the city.
Reason for celebration? Maybe not.
Calls to city police for service in 2009 totaled 30,157 in 2010, down 2 percent from 2009, while total arrests increased 6 percent to 1,139.
But arrests for driving while intoxicated in Saratoga Springs plummeted 44 percent in 2010 from the year before; disorderly arrests declined 31 percent; weapons arrests sank by 24 percent; and the number of traffic tickets, which generate money for the city, went down by 6 percent, according to police department statistics released this week.
So did this seasonal tourist community with dozens of sidewalk bars suddenly become a lot safer? Police administrators and union beat officers aren't convinced.
They agree that the significant drops, especially in DWI charges and traffic tickets, result from having seven fewer police officers on the street. The seven officers lost their jobs to budget cuts enacted by the City Council on Jan. 1, 2010. Police Chief Christopher Cole reassigned staff to ensure police calls were answered. Traffic Division officer Dan Mullan Jr., who made more than 100 DWI arrests in 2009 and won a performance award from Mother's Against Drunk Driving, had to be moved from the midnight traffic shift to answering calls, Cole said.
"I'm given a budget, and I have to work within that budget," the chief said. "We don't want intoxicated people in cars, but we need to have people answering calls."
Public Safety Commissioner Richard Wirth has called a meeting with police staff for next week to talk about the DWI numbers and scheduling. He said the loss of seven officers had made a big impact. "I have some concerns," Wirth said. "I want to look at the scheduling and make sure we have the best coverage."
Sgt. John Catone said, "I absolutely believe the numbers are down because we have less people."
City budget cuts also discontinued the department's 21-year-old DARE classes at elementary schools, K-9 patrol and Child Passenger Safety Seat Program.
The misdemeanor and felony DWI numbers are the lowest in six years that the department has kept statistics, though only 185 DWI arrests were made in 2008. The department made 237 DWI arrests in 2006 and 254 in 2005.
Other statistics show that drug arrests in the city dropped by three to 148 in 2010; criminal mischief arrests jumped from 44 to 66; and domestic violence calls increased from 509 to 564. The department reported two rapes, 10 robberies, 20 felony assaults, 91 burglaries, 505 larceny/thefts, one arson and 43 forgeries. There were no murders in the city in 2010, though driver Travis Carroll pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter in the March hit-and-run death of Ryan Rossley.
The Saratoga County Sheriff's Office reported a decline in calls for service this year, from 78,062 in 2009 to 77,679 in 2010. It made 114 DWI arrests in 2010.


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Are US State CIOs Investing In The Right IT?
Posted by John Santucci (View Profile | View All Posts) at 11:18 AM
Infosys and NASCIO survey assesses the four key components that are essential for effective IT decision-making
As opportunities multiply and technology advances, US state CIOs face numerous options to support the core missions of their states. The challenge they face is to make sure that Information Technology (IT) investments are directed towards 'the right things.'
To understand this space, Infosys Public Services collaborated with the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) to survey state CIOs on their organizations' ability to identify and invest in the right IT. We assessed state IT organizations on four key components essential for effective IT decision-making - alignment, operating structure, infrastructure and applications, and investment management. The results were very interesting indeed.
Effective IT decision-making requires high degree of consistency between what state IT is executing and what the state's business community needs are. Our research found that state IT and business teams are strongly aligned. However, 38 percent of the CIOs said that new projects, which are not aligned to a state's business strategy, often get approved. This disconnect indicates that the business strategy may be out-of-date. It also leads to an increase in complexity of the IT environment. Addressing this disconnect requires state CIOs to identify areas of fundamental stakeholder disagreement and involve executive leadership to establish direction.
Half of the state CIOs polled said their organizations understood which data and processes were common to the enterprise and how should they operate to share these common processes and data. While this understanding should help make IT investment decisions, only 21 percent are actually able to operate like this in practice. One of the reasons cited was that the existing IT systems are too complex to easily support shared services. In such a scenario, CIOs can set up the right operating model by simplifying their systems. They also need to communicate the benefits of enterprise-wide shared investments more effectively to improve collaboration among agencies.
Years of decentralized decision making has resulted in complex IT landscape in many states. 44% of CIOs said they spend 80% of their IT budgets in maintaining existing systems, instead of investing in new technologies that can help improve outcomes. As such, many CIOs are upgrading and transforming their IT landscape to become more effective and efficient. Business platforms can help state CIOs accelerate IT simplification. Platforms allow CIOs to 'acquire' core IT capabilities 'as-a-service,' enabling them to shift focus back to service delivery and away from technology.
Investment management is essential for prioritizing IT investments. This ensures that the return on IT investment is optimized. About 70 percent of the CIOs polled said that they have a process of evaluating and prioritizing prospective projects, but nearly two-thirds said that they struggle to measure benefits and value after they complete a project. To tackle this, CIOs need to institute a robust value realization methodology to measure benefits. Doing so can provide a feedback loop for controlling the benefits estimation process and the prioritization of future IT investments.
Study findings indicate that state CIOs understand the shortcomings in their IT investment decision-making process, but find it difficult to address those in practice. Why? Maybe because they are still not sure if they should operate like an enterprise or like a collection of independent agencies. Finding an answer to this question should to be the starting point as state CIOs try and build the right foundation to identify and invest in the right IT.
For the full results of the survey, please click here.


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Valerie Solanas
Valerie Solanas walked into the Factory, Warhol's studio, in 1968, pulled out a gun, and fired into the chest of America's most famous artist. Warhol never fully recovered and in 1987 died prematurely. Solanas had once been a member of his crowd, and had even appeared in his films. Neither jealous lover, nor disgruntled employee, Solanas was the founding member and front-line warrior for SCUM, The Society to Cut Up Men.
Solanas was abused as a child and put herself through college by working as a prostitute. She had a short career with her college newspaper, where she wrote columns arguing that females can reproduce without males and should do so. Solanas seems to have been quite gifted and studied psychology at an honors level. After graduation she headed for New York, where she turned tricks and slept on rooftops with her trusty typewriter at her side. She wrote plays and gave readings of her material in luncheonettes.
"Sex is the refuge of the mindless" proclaimed Solanas. And famous for his asexuality, the cultivatedly passive Warhol agreed with her. For publishing her manifesto she was prepared to make him head of SCUM's Male Auxiliary: "men who are working to eliminate themselves."
Warhol finds her an interesting, and perhaps even a kindred spirit, and she writes a play hoping that Warhol will produce it. When she handed the play to Warhol he praised her typing . . . but then the precious playscript (entitled Up Your Ass) got lost among the chaos at the Factory. This annoyance, along with the mocking she received from Warhol's acquaintances no doubt riled Solanas into taking violent action.
But someone as intense as Solanas was probably not overly compatible with a filmmaker who, to quote one description, made four-hour movies of "someone eating a mushroom", and in the end she shoots a ghost of a man, proving herself to be no more than a ghost herself.
Her SCUM manifesto was published shortly after the shooting and became a seminal text of the worldwide feminist movement that followed. Her life has been recently documented in the highly acclaimed film I Shot Andy Warhol by Mary Harron.
Though deranged, Solanas was outrageously lucid in her hostility, and arguably had a good sense of humour. The sheer energy of her ravings bring some very important truths to the surface, and these deserve to be taken seriously. However, because her ideas are mere ravings, they cannot rightly be called thoughts, and consequently not truths either. Intuitive insights, undeveloped and unplaced, remain just that. Any truth to be gleaned from her words must come from ourselves.
Solanas died of pneumonia in a welfare hotel in San Francisco in 1988.
by Valerie Solanas
(Full text available here)
With brief and sporadic commentary by Kevin Solway
Life in this society being, at best, an utter bore and no aspect of society being at all relevant to women, there remains to civic-minded, responsible, thrill-seeking females only to overthrow the government, eliminate the money system, institute complete automation and destroy the male sex.
It is now technically possible to reproduce without the aid of males (or, for that matter, females) and to produce only females. We must begin immediately to do so. Retaining the male has not even the dubious purpose of reproduction. The male is a biological accident: the y(male) gene is an incomplete x(female) gene, that is, has an incomplete set of chromosomes. In other words, the male is an incomplete female, a walking abortion, aborted at the gene stage. To be male is to be deficient, emotionally limited; maleness is a deficiency disease and males are emotional cripples.
As emotions themselves are the symptoms of a crippling disease I think it is no great disadvantage to not have the full-blown disease.
The male is completely egocentric, trapped inside himself, incapable of empathizing or identifying with others, of love, friendship, affection or tenderness. He is a completely isolated unit, incapable of rapport with anyone. His responses are entirely visceral, not cerebral; his intelligence is a mere tool in the service of his drives and needs; he is incapable of mental passion, mental interaction; he can't relate to anything other than his own physical sensations. He is a half-dead, unresponsive lump, incapable of giving or receiving pleasure or happiness; consequently, he is at best an utter bore, an inoffensive blob, since only those capable of absorption in others can be charming. He is trapped in a twilight zone halfway between humans and apes, and is far worse off than the apes because, unlike the apes, he is capable of a large array of negative feelings - hate, jealousy, contempt, disgust, guilt, shame, doubt - and, moreover, he is aware of what he is and isn't.
Yes, man is mostly ape, but is not awareness a good thing? Man has attempted to stand, and is stumbling - should he then lie down again?
Although completely physical, the male is unfit even for stud service. Even assuming mechanical proficiency, which few men have, he is, first of all, incapable of zestfully, lustfully, tearing off a piece, but is instead eaten up with guilt, shame, fear and insecurity, feelings rooted in male nature, which the most enlightened training can only minimize; second, the physical feeling he attains is next to nothing; and third, he is not empathizing with his partner, but is obsessed with how he's doing, turning in an A performance, doing a good plumbing job. To call a man an animal is to flatter him; he's a machine, a walking dildo. It's often said that men use women. Use them for what? Surely not pleasure.
The alternative to being able to feel shame is of course to be without shame.
Eaten up with guilt, shame, fears and insecurities and obtaining, if he's lucky, a barely perceptible physical feeling, the male is, nonetheless, obsessed with screwing; he'll swim a river of snot, wade nostril-deep through a mile of vomit, if he thinks there'll be a friendly pussy awaiting him. He'll screw a woman he despises, any snaggle-toothed hag, and furthermore, pay for the opportunity. Why? Relieving physical tension isn't the answer, as masturbation suffices for that. It's not ego satisfaction; that doesn't explain screwing corpses and babies.
Completely egocentric, unable to relate, empathize or identify, and filled with a vast, pervasive, diffuse sexuality, the male is psychically passive. He hates his passivity, so he projects it onto women, defines the male as active, then sets out to prove that he is ('prove he's a Man'). His main means of attempting to prove it is screwing (Big Man with a Big Dick tearing off a Big Piece). Since he's attempting to prove an error, he must 'prove' it again and again. Screwing, then, is a desperate, compulsive attempt to prove he's not passive, not a woman; but he is passive and does want to be a woman.
Obviously he doesn't entirely want to be a woman, or he wouldn't go to so much trouble to prove he's a man.
Being an incomplete female, the male spends his life attempting to complete himself, to become female. He attempts to do this by constantly seeking out, fraternizing with and trying to live through and fuse with the female, and by claiming as his own all female characteristics - emotional strength and independence, forcefulness, dynamism, decisiveness, coolness, objectivity, assertiveness, courage, integrity, vitality, intensity, depth of character, grooviness etc. - and projecting onto women all male traits - vanity, frivolity, triviality, weakness, etc. It should be said, though, that the male has one glaring area of superiority over the female - public relations. (He has done a brilliant job of convincing millions of women that men are women and women are men.) . . .
Considering that women are supposed to be superior to men with regard to assertiveness, objectivity, courage, integrity, and independence, it is mighty strange that women have not been able to overcome the reversed image of themselves imposed on them by their inferior oppressors. (Until now, of course)
. . . The male claim that females find fulfillment through motherhood and sexuality reflects what males think they'd find fulfilling if they were female.
It requires a masculine mind to understand the female mind, because the female mind is not self-conscious, not self aware. Everything true that has ever been written about women has been written by men.
Women, in other words, don't have penis envy; men have pussy envy. When the male accepts his passivity, defines himself as a woman (males as well as females think men are women and women are men), and becomes a transvestite he loses his desire to screw (or to do anything else, for that matter; he fulfills himself as a drag queen) and gets his cock chopped off. He then achieves a continuous diffuse sexual feeling from 'being a woman.' Screwing is, for a man, a defense against his desire to be female. Sex is itself a sublimation. ...
Incapable of a positive state of happiness, which is the only thing that can justify one's existence, the male is, at best, relaxed, comfortable, neutral, and this condition is extremely short-lived, as boredom, a negative state, soon sets in; he is, therefore, doomed to an existence of suffering relieved only by occasional fleeting stretches of restfulness, which state he can only achieve at the expense of some female. The male is, by his very nature, a leech, an emotional parasite and, therefore, not ethically entitled to live, as no one has the right to live at someone else's expense.
Yes, men need to become fully masculine to escape the pain of being an incomplete woman. Only then will men have no sexual/emotional need of women.
Just as humans have a prior right to existence over dogs by virtue of being more highly evolved and having a superior consciousness, so women have a prior right to existence over men. The elimination of any male is, therefore, a righteous and good act, an act highly beneficial to women as well as an act of mercy.
However, this moral issue will eventually be rendered academic by the fact that the male is gradually eliminating himself. In addition to engaging in the time-honored and classical wars and race riots, men are more and more either becoming fags or are obliterating themselves through drugs. The female, whether she likes it or not, will eventually take complete charge, if for no other reason than that she will have to - the male, for practical purposes, won't exist. ...
Whether to continue to use females for reproduction or to reproduce in the laboratory will also become academic: what will happen when every female, twelve and over, is routinely taking the Pill and there are no longer any accidents? How many women will deliberately get or (if an accident) remain pregnant? No, Virginia, women don't just adore being brood mares, despite what the mass of robot, brainwashed women will say. When society consists of only the fully conscious the answer will be none. Should a certain percentage of women be set aside by force to serve as brood mares for the species? Obviously, this will not do. The answer is laboratory reproduction of babies.
As for the issue of whether or not to continue to reproduce males, it doesn't follow that because the male, like disease, has always existed among us that he should continue to exist. When genetic control is possible - and it soon will be - it goes without saying that we should produce only whole, complete beings, not physical defects or deficiencies, including emotional deficiencies, such as maleness. Just as the deliberate production of blind people would be highly immoral, so would the deliberate production of emotional cripples.
Why produce even females? Why should there be future generations? What is their purpose? When aging and death are eliminated, why continue to reproduce? Why should we care what happens when we're dead? Why should we care that there is no younger generation to succeed us?
Eventually the natural course of events, of social evolution, will lead to total female control of the world and, subsequently, to the cessation of the production of males and, ultimately, to the cessation of the production of females.
But SCUM is impatient; SCUM is not consoled by the thought that future generations will thrive; SCUM wants to grab some thrilling living for itself. And, if a large majority of women were SCUM, they could acquire complete control of this country within a few weeks simply by withdrawing from the labor force, thereby paralyzing the entire nation. Additional measures, any one of which would be sufficient to completely disrupt the economy and everything else, would be for women to declare themselves off the money system, stop buying, just loot and simply refuse to obey all laws they don't care to obey. The police force, National Guard, Army, Navy and Marines combined couldn't squelch a rebellion of over half the population, particularly when it's made up of people they are utterly helpless without.
... In a sane society the male would trot along obediently after the female. The male is docile and easily led, easily subjected to the domination of any female who cares to dominate him. The male, in fact, wants desperately to be led by females, wants Mama in charge, wants to abandon himself to her care. But this is not a sane society, and most women are not even dimly aware of where they're at in relation to men.
The conflict, therefore, is not between females and males, but between SCUM - dominant, secure, self-confident, nasty, violent, selfish, independent, proud, thrill-seeking, free-wheeling, arrogant females, who consider themselves fit to rule the universe, who have free-wheeled to the limits of this 'society' and are ready to wheel on to something far beyond what it has to offer - and nice, passive, accepting, 'cultivated,' polite, dignified, subdued, dependent, scared, mindless, insecure, approval-seeking Daddy's Girls, who can't cope with the unknown, who want to continue to wallow in the sewer that is, at least, familiar, who want to hang back with the apes, who feel secure only with Big Daddy standing by, with a big, strong man to lean on and with a fat, hairy face in the White House, who are too cowardly to face up to the hideous reality of what a man is, what Daddy is, who have cast their lot with the swine, who have adapted themselves to animalism, feel superficially comfortable with it and know no other way of 'life,' who have reduced their minds, thoughts and sights to the male level, who, lacking sense, imagination and wit can have value only in a male 'society,' who can have a place in the sun, or, rather, in the slime, only as soothers, ego boosters, relaxers and breeders, who are dismissed as inconsequents by other females, who project their deficiencies, their maleness, onto all females and see the female as a worm.
But SCUM is too impatient to wait for the de-brainwashing of millions of arseholes. Why should the swinging females continue to plod dismally along with the dull male ones? Why should the fates of the groovy and the creepy be intertwined? Why should the active and imaginative consult the passive and dull on social policy? Why should the independent be confined to the sewer along with the dependent who need Daddy to cling to?
A small handful of SCUM can take over the country within a year by systematically fucking up the system, selectively destroying property, and murder:
SCUM will become members of the unwork force, the fuck-up force; they will get jobs of various kinds and unwork. For example, SCUM salesgirls will not charge for merchandise; SCUM telephone operators will not charge for calls; SCUM office and factory workers, in addition to fucking up their work, will secretly destroy equipment. SCUM will unwork at a job until fired, then get a new job to unwork at.
SCUM will forcibly relieve bus drivers, cab drivers and subway token sellers of their jobs and run buses and cabs and dispense free tokens to the public.
SCUM will destroy all useless and harmful objects - cars, store windows, 'Great Art,' etc.
Eventually SCUM will take over the airwaves - radio and TV networks - by forcibly relieving of their jobs all radio and TV employees who would impede SCUM's entry into the broadcasting studios.
SCUM will couple-bust - barge into mixed (male-female) couples, wherever they are, and bust them up.
SCUM will kill all men who are not in the Men's Auxiliary of SCUM. Men in the Men's Auxiliary are those men who are working diligently to eliminate themselves, men who, regardless of their motives, do good, men who are playing ball with SCUM. A few examples of the men in the Men's Auxiliary are: men who kill men; biological scientists who are working on constructive programs, as opposed to biological warfare; journalists, writers, editors, publishers and producers who disseminate and promote ideas that will lead to the achievement of SCUM's goals; faggots who, by their shimmering, flaming example, encourage other men to de-man themselves and thereby make themselves relatively inoffensive; ...
Being in the Men's Auxiliary is a necessary but not a sufficient condition for making SCUM's escape list; it's not enough to do good; to save their worthless arses men must also avoid evil. A few examples of the most obnoxious or harmful types are: rapists, politicians and all who are in their service (campaigners, members of political parties, etc.); lousy singers and musicians; Chairmen of Boards; Breadwinners; landlords; owners of greasy spoons and restaurants that play Muzak; 'Great Artists'; cheap pikers and welchers; cops; tycoons; scientists working on death and destruction programs or for private industry (practically all scientists); liars and phonies; disc jockeys; ...
Both destruction and killing will be selective and discriminate. SCUM is against half-crazed, indiscriminate riots, with no clear objective in mind, and in which many of your own kind are picked off. SCUM will never instigate, encourage or participate in riots of any kind or any other form of indiscriminate destruction. SCUM will coolly, furtively, stalk its prey and quietly move in for the kill. Destruction will never be such as to block off routes needed for the transportation of food and other essential supplies, contaminate or cut off the water supply, block streets and traffic to the extent that ambulances can't get through or impede the functioning of hospitals.
SCUM will keep on destroying, looting, fucking-up and killing until the money-work system no longer exists and automation is completely instituted or until enough women co-operate with SCUM to make violence unnecessary to achieve these goals, that is, until enough women either unwork or quit work, start looting, leave men and refuse to obey all laws inappropriate to a truly civilized society. Many women will fall into line, but many others, who surrendered long ago to the enemy, who are so adapted to animalism, to maleness, that they like restrictions and restraints, don't know what to do with freedom, will continue to be toadies and doormats, just as peasants in rice paddies remain peasants in rice paddies as one regime topples another. A few of the more volatile will whimper and sulk and throw their toys and dishrags on the floor, but SCUM will continue to steamroller over them.
A completely automated society can be accomplished very simply and quickly once there is a public demand for it. The blueprints for it are already in existence, and its construction will only take a few weeks with millions of people working at it. Even though off the money system, everyone will be most happy to pitch in and get the automated society built; it will mark the beginning of a fantastic new era, and there will be a celebration atmosphere accompanying the construction.
The elimination of money and the complete institution of automation are basic to all other SCUM reforms; without these two the others can't take place; with them the others will take place very rapidly. The government will automatically collapse. With complete automation it will be possible for every woman to vote directly on every issue by means of an electronic voting machine in her house. Since the government is occupied almost entirely with regulating economic affairs and legislating against purely private matters, the elimination of money and with it the elimination of males who wish to legislate 'morality' will mean there will be practically no issues to vote on.
After the elimination of money there will be no further need to kill men; they will be stripped of the only power they have over psychologically independent females. They will be able to impose themselves only on the doormats, who like to be imposed on. The rest of the women will be busy solving the few remaining unsolved problems before planning their agenda for eternity and Utopia - completely revamping educational programs so that millions of women can be trained within a few months for high level intellectual work that now requires years of training (this can be done very easily once our educational goal is to educate and not to perpetuate an academic and intellectual elite); solving the problems of disease and old age and death and completely redesigning our cities and living quarters. Many women will for a while continue to think they dig men, but as they become accustomed to female society and as they become absorbed in their projects, they will eventually come to see the utter uselessness and banality of the male.
The few remaining men can exist out their puny days dropped out on drugs or strutting around in drag or passively watching the high-powered female in action, fulfilling themselves as spectators, vicarious livers, or breeding in the cow pasture with the toadies, or they can go off to the nearest friendly suicide center where they will be quietly, quickly and painlessly gassed to death. ...
There is much truth to be found in Solanas' words - even though that truth is, as I say, probably entirely by chance, and more in the mind of the reader than anywhere else. Men have indeed only taken a few faltering steps into the realm of consciousness, and have by no means committed themselves to the task. So men are pretty much as cowardly and pathetic as Solanas says they are.
But women have so far made no steps at all.
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