text:
The obvious next question is: Can Kentucky Derby winner Orb go on to sweep the Triple Crown races?
The feat has been accomplished only 11 times and not since Affirmed took the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes in 1978. Winning the Triple Crown is regarded as one of the toughest accomplishments in any sport.
"I think there's still something there," winning trainer Shug McGaughey said after Orb came charging through the Churchill Downs mud from near the back of the 19-horse field to win Saturday's Derby by 2 1/2 lengths over Golden Soul.
"I think there's more there. I don't think we've bottomed out," said the veteran conditioner who won his first Kentucky Derby after just six earlier tries. "I think he's still learning how to run a little bit."
Orb had not raced since winning the Florida Derby March 30 -- a five-week layoff. To wear the Triple Crown, he now will have to win three times in six weeks. The 1 3/16-mile Preakness, at Pimlico in Baltimore, is May 18. Then it's on to Belmont Park for the 1 1/2-mile Belmont Stakes three weeks later.
"To tell you the truth, I can't wait," McGaughey said. "We're set up better than anybody and, if everything is right, I can't wait to get to the Preakness and do it again."
Despite the sloppy track, the Derby worked out to be a relatively formful race. Orb was the post-time favorite. Golden Soul was a long shot second but the third- and fourth-place finishers, Revolutionary and Normandy Invasion, were both well-backed.
The biggest flop in the race was previously undefeated Verrazano, who finished 14th after racing near the quick early pace. Jockey John Velazquez, who rode Orb to victory in the Fountain of Youth and the Florida Derby, then picked Verrazano for his Derby ride, said his mount did not handle the muddy track.
Joel Rosario, the jockey who benefited from Velazquez's mistake, already has a memorable year going even with two-thirds of the Triple Crown still in front of him. Rosario rode Animal Kingdom to victory March 30 in the $10 million Dubai World Cup, then returned to be the leading riding at Keeneland's spring meeting.
It was Rosario's first Kentucky Derby win and also the first for owners Stuart Janney III and Ogden Mills "Dinny" Phipps.
The field for the Preakness will be a lot different than the Derby lineup.
Trainer Dallas Stewart said Golden Soul is unlikely to be in Baltimore. "At this point, I think we will pass on the Preakness and look at the Belmont," Stewart said Sunday morning. "That would give us five weeks and hopefully we can get one of the three" Triple Crown wins.
Todd Pletcher, who saddled five starters Saturday, said his initial consultation with the owners left him feeling both Revolutionary and Overanalyze, who finished 11th in the Derby, also will skip the Preakness and target the Belmont. As for Verrazano, he added, "We'll step back with him, too, and make a plan at some point."
Chad Brown said he was already thinking about the Grade I Travers at Saratoga, the "Mid-summer Derby," for Normandy Invasion. "I don't know what I'll do between now and then," he added.
Trainer D. Wayne Lukas said his two Derby starters, Oxbow (sixth in the Derby) and Will Take Charge (eighth), are both Preakness candidates.
One of the more interesting contenders at "Old Hilltop" in Baltimore may be Lines of Battle, the Irish-trained horse who won the UAE Derby on World Cup night over the Meydan all-weather course and finished a sharp-closing seventh Saturday for trainer Aidan O'Brien and jockey Ryan Moore.
O'Brien assistant T.J. Comerford noted Lines of Battle is bred for dirt racing but was making his first start on the surface in the Run for the Roses. "He was a little bit like a 2-year-old with his first start," Comerford said. "There was no time after Dubai to run on dirt and you hate to use the Kentucky Derby as a prep." He said O'Brien may consider the Preakness but the Belmont "may be more of a consideration."
Other Derby starters likely for the Preakness as of Sunday morning are Itsmyluckyday (15th) and Goldencents (17th).
There was a nice Epsom Derby prep for Godolphin Racing, which undoubtedly welcomed good news. Milers were on display in Hong Kong and in Japan. A roughly run Kentucky Oaks produced an upset winner. And the reigning U.S. Horse of the Year, Wise Dan, was an easy winner on the Churchill Downs Derby Day undercard when his chief rival, Point of Entry, was a late scratch.
Here they come, spinning out of the turn:
Dawn Approach provided a ray of light to the embattled Godolphin Racing empire with a dramatic, 5-length win in Saturday's Group 1 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket. The Irish-bred son of New Approach, under the personal gaze of Godolphin master Sheik Mohammed bin Rasheed al-Maktoum, surged to the lead with a furlong to run and powered home without further opposition. Glory Awaits was the best of the rest, followed by Van Der Neer and Toronado. Dawn Approach now is undefeated in seven starts and advances to a possible start in the Epsom Derby. "Sheik Mohammed agreed we would sleep on it and talk about it in a few days," trainer Jim Bolger said about a potential Derby start for the budding star. "But we wouldn't be ruling anything in or anything out. I would be very happy to go but we have to see how he comes out of this. He's hardy and I'm sure he'll come out of it well." The victory was a welcome one, indeed, for Sheik Mohammed and Godolphin after a doping scandal that resulted in trainer Mahmood al-Zarooni picking up an eight-year ban and several Godolphin horses ordered sidelined temporarily.
In Sunday's Group 1 1,000 Guineas for 3-year-old fillies, Sky Lantern was along just in time to snatch victory from Just the Judge. Moth, who got going late after traffic issues, also was flying late but settled for third. Sky Lantern, with Richard Hughes up for trainer Richard Hannon, more than made up for her second-place finish behind Hot Snap last time out in the Nell Gwynn. Hot Snap threw in a dull one Sunday, finishing ninth. Sky Lantern, an Irish-bred daughter of Red Clubs, was eighth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf last fall after a troubled trip.
Hong Kong
Dan Excel came after pacesetting Helene Spirit in the final 400 meters of Sunday's Group 1 Champions Mile at Sha Tin and just got there, winning by a short head. Dan Excel, a two-time Group 3 winner in Ireland before relocating, had been knocking on the door, with second-place finishes in two earlier local group races. He was second to Glorious Days in the Stewards' Cup in January, then second behind Packing Whiz in the Chairman's Trophy last month. "Drawing gate 1 won the race for us," said winning trainer John Moore, who won the Champions Mile for the fourth straight year and also lifted Sunday's Queen Mother Memorial Cup with Dominant. "He kicked really well and we know he's a fighter. He doesn't give up." Moore already plans to send Audemars Piguet QE II Cup winner Military Attack to Singapore for the Group 1 Singapore Airlines Cup in two weeks' time and now is considering Dan Excel's chances in the Group 1 Kris Flyer Sprint on the same card at Kranji. "The owner's very keen and so we'll make the trip if invited," the trainer said. Packing Whiz and Glorious Days finished third and fourth Sunday. New Zealand-based King Mufhasa raced prominently before fading on the turn. He was found after the race to have bled and showed lameness in his left front leg. Xtension, who provided Moore his last two Champions Mile wins, finished sixth.
Miner Ho O raced near the back of the large field in Sunday's Group 1 NHK Mile for 3-year-olds, joined two others in overtaking the leaders after the grueling the climb up the straight and prevailed by a neck over Impulse Hero in the final strides. Flamme de Glorie was another neck back in third. Miner Ho O, a Suzuka Phoenix colt, finished the left-handed mile over firm turf in 1:32.7 with Daichi Shibata in the irons. He went to the post at odds of 34-1 after a seventh-place finish in the New Zealand Trophy in his last previous outing.
Churchill Downs
Derby Day stakes
The expected showdown between the reigning U.S. Horse of the Year, Wise Dan, and top rival Point of Entry fizzled when the latter was a late scratch from the $500,000, Grade I Woodford Reserve Turf Classic. That left Wise Dan without meaningful competition and he showed why he is Horse of the Year. With Jose Lezcano up, the 6-year-old Wiseman's Ferry gelding parked in third and out of trouble until the leaders hit the stretch turn. Then, he swept by, surged to the lead and basically coasted home, finishing 4 3/4 lengths ahead of the runner-up, Optimizer. Middie rallied from last to finish third. Wise Dan ran 9 furlongs on yielding turf in 1:51.84, picking up his sixth straight win. He has won nine of his last 10 starts -- a string broken only by a second-place finish behind Ron the Green in the Grade I Stephen Foster 11 months ago at Churchill Dows. That was the last time trainer Charles LoPresti put Wise Dan on the main track.
Belino de Tiger pressed the pace in the $125,000, Grade III Twin Spires Turf Sprint, got the lead late and was all out to hold on and win by a nose over Chamberlain Bridge. Southern Dude finished third and Regally Ready was fourth. With Leandro Goncalves in the irons, the Brazilian-bred Belino de Tiger covered 5 furlongs on good turf in 57.01 seconds. It was his first win in three tries in North America.
Aubby K sat just behind the early leader in the $300,000, Grade I Humana Distaff, worked her way to the lead entering the stretch and won by 1 1/2 lengths over Burban. Holiday Soiree was along for third and the early leader, Jamaican Smoke, salvaged fourth. Aubby K, a Street Sense filly out of the Capote mare Lilly Capote, ran 7 furlongs on the sloppy, sealed track in 1:22.93 with Edgar Prado riding. "She's such a good horse. She just keeps overcoming everything," winning trainer Ralph Nicks said. "She's such a stalker and has the turn of foot. She can press if she needs to or set off. It works well for her."
Stephanie's Kitten and Hungry Island rallied together down the stretch in the $250,000, Grade II Churchill Distaff Turf Mile, with Stephanie's Kitten hitting the wire in front. Daisy Divine held the lead early in the stretch run and settled for third. Stephanie's Kitten, a 4-year-old Kitten's Joy filly, finished in 1:37.94 with Julien Leparoux up. She now has six wins from 11 starts, including victories in the 2011 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf and last summer's Grade II Lake Placid Stakes at Saratoga.
Delaunay surged by the pacesetter turning for home in the $400,000, Grade II Churchill Downs Stakes, opened a big lead and won off by 4 lengths. Pass the Dice was second and Laurie's Rocket finished third. Delaunay, a 6-year-old Smoke Glacken gelding, ran 7 furlongs on the sloppy track in 1:22.35 with Rosie Napravnik up. It was his sixth straight win, dating back to last September but his first in a graded stakes. Trainer Tom Amoss, who claimed the horse a year ago at Churchill Downs, said, "The best claim I ever made. I saw a horse that I thought that was worth $40,000, which is what I paid. What's different? I really don't know. He's just come around and he looks great. He doesn't look like a $40,000 horse, that's for darn sure." He has lost only once in eight starts since the claim.
Oaks Day
Princess of Sylmar, a 38-1 long shot, ran by 2-year-old champion Beholder in the final sixteenth to win Friday's $1 million, Grade I Longines Kentucky Oaks. Beholder held onto second, a half-length back and 2 lengths ahead of Unlimited Budget. The favorite, Dreaming of Julia, was slammed sidewise and shuffled back at the start, raced well off the pace and then closed belatedly and wide to finish fourth. Princess of Sylmar, a Pennsylvania-bred daughter of Majestic Warrior, ran 1 1/8 miles on a fast track in 1:49.17 with Mike Smith up. Princess of Sylmar, despite her long odds on Friday, now has won five of her last six races, with only a second-place showing behind Close Hatches in the Grade II Gazelle marring that streak. Close Hatches finished seventh on Saturday. Todd Pletcher trains Princess of Sylmar and Dreaming of Julia among the four he saddled for the Oaks. "When she was able to drop back and make a run," Pletcher said of the winner, "she was able to fire her best shot. We thought she might have a chance if they gave her some pace and they did." Of Dreaming of Julia, the trainer said, "She had to deal with that incident at the start, then she had to take up on the turn and it was just too much. She might have been able to overcome one of those things, but the two of them virtually eliminated her. I thought she was gutsy to run as well as she did." He said he has no immediate plans for any of his four Oaks starters.
Noble Tune found running room inside rivals in the stretch run of the $200,000, Grade II American Turf Stakes for 3-year-olds, shot through and went on to win by 1 3/4 lengths over Admiral Kitten. War Dancer finished third. Noble Tune, an Unbridled's Song colt, ran 1 1/16 miles on firm turf in 1:41.63 with Javier Castellano up. It was his fourth win from five starts with the only loss a second-place finish behind George Vancouver in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf last fall at Santa Anita.
Take Charge Indy attended the pace in the $300,000, Grade II Alysheba Stakes, took complete charge in the lane and won by 6 lengths. Cyber Secret finished second but was set down to eighth for coming over on rivals shortly after the start, causing a serious traffic jam. That left Hymn Book and Bourbon Courage to pick up place and show money, respectively. Take Charge Indy, a 4-year-old A.P. Indy colt, ran 1 1/16 miles on the main track in 1:41.41 with Rosie Napravnik at the controls. It was only the third win of his career but came after a second in the Grade III Skip Away and a third in the Grade I Donn Handicap at Gulfstream. He also was second in the Grade I Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs last fall.
So Many Ways raced well off the lead in the $150,000, Grade III Eight Belles Stakes for 3-year-old fillies, swung six-wide into the stretch and was up in time to win by a half length over Fusaichiwonderful. Irish Lute was third and the favorite, Calistoga, finished fourth. So Many Ways, a Sightseeing filly, ran 7 furlongs on the main track in 1:22.84 with Garrett Gomez riding.
Kitten's Dumplings came from last to win the $150,000 Edgewood Stakes for 3-year-old fillies by 3 3/4 lengths over Praia. Broken Spell finished third and the favorite, Tokyo Time, settled for fourth. Kitten's Dumplings, a Kitten's Joy filly, ran 1 1/16 miles on the grass in 1:41.24 with Joel Rosario up. It was her third career win.
Authenticity and On Fire Baby hooked up in a duel through most of the $300,000, Grade II La Troienne Stakes for fillies and mares with Authenticity finally prevailing by a head. It was another 4 3/4 lengths back to the favorite, Believe You Can, in third. Authenticity, a 6-year-old Quiet American mare, ran 1 1/16 miles on a fast track in 1:42.09 for jockey John Velazquez. She picked up her third win from seven starts.
Belmont Park
Dayatthespa attended the early pace in Sunday's $90,000 You Go West Girl Stakes for state-bred distaffers, took over when asked by jockey Javier Castellano and won by a widening 4 lengths. Kibosh finished second and Elusive Rumor was third. Dayatthespa, a 4-year-old City Zip filly, ran 1 mile on firm turf in 1:33.52.
The $100,000 filly division of Sunday's New York Stallion Stakes went to Lovely Syn, who went quickly to the lead and never looked back, winning by 9 1/2 lengths. Bit Bustin was the best of the rest, a length better than Sharon Spagetti. Lovely Syn, a daughter of Freud, ran 6 1/2 furlongs on a fast track in 1:16.33 with Mike Luzzi up.
The $100,000 colt and gelding division was a little more competitive with Belief System holding off Chapman in the final yards to win by a half-length. In Harm's Way led early and finished third. Belief System, a Read the Footnotes gelding, got 6 1/2 furlongs on the main track in 1:17.35 for jockey Junior Alvarado.
Lubash came widest of three down the stretch in Saturday's $150,000, Grade III Fort Marcy stakes and edged ahead late to win by a half-length. Bombaguia was second and King Kreesa finished third. Lubash, a 6-year-old son of Freud, got the 1 1/16 miles over firm turf in 1:38.89, missing the course record by 0.36 second. Alvarado had the winning ride. "Very nice horse. Really honest. Always tries," winning trainer Christophe Clement said.
Hessonite outfinished Peace Preserver in the late running in Saturday's $150,000, Grade III Beaugay Stakes for fillies and mares, winning by 3/4 of a length. The favorite, Dream Peace, got to the lead early in the stretch run but only managed to hold on for third. Hessonite, a 5-year-old Freud mare, ran 1 1/16 miles on firm turf in 1:40.82 with Alvarado in the irons.
Hollywood Park
Bob Baffert didn't have a runner in the Kentucky Derby but consoled himself with winning Saturday's $150,000, Grade II Mervyn LeRoy Handicap with Liaison. With Martin Garcia aboard, the 4-year-old Indian Charlie colt stalked the pace, took over when asked and won by 1 1/2 lengths. Kettle Corn rallied from last to finish second, 2 1/2 lengths ahead of Guilt Trip. Liaison ran 1 1/16 miles on the all-weather track in 1:42.79. Liaison, who finished sixth in last year's Kentucky Derby, is owned by long-time Baffert supporter Arnold Zetcher. Baffert also campaigned Indian Charlie, who finished third in the 1998 Run for the Roses behind stablemate Real Quiet and Victory Gallop. Baffert assistant Mike Marlow said Liaison "moved up a lot" from his last start in the March 31 Santana Mile, "which was a good race coming off a layoff. But today he was right up there on the break and I think Martin really rode him smart today."
Comma to the Top put an exclamation point on Saturday's $70,000 Cool Frenchy Stakes, leading from the early jumps and winning by 1 3/4 lengths over Italian Rules. Ain't No Other finished third. Comma to the Top, a 5-year-old Bwana Charlie gelding, ran 5 furlongs on the all-weather track in 56.90 seconds. "I knew five-eighths was going to be a piece of cake for him," winning rider Edwin Maldonado said. "He can go 6 or 6 1/2 without a problem and today it was just a matter of breaking cleanly. He just has too much class for these."
Teddy's Promise kicked into high gear in the lane in Sunday's $90,000 Time to Leave Stakes for fillies and mares and got home first by 4 1/4 lengths. Shumoos was second and Magical Band finished third. Teddy's Promise, a 5-year-old Salt Lake mare, ran 5 furlongs on the all-weather track in 56.80 seconds with Victor Espinoza up.
Pyrite Mountain started last of four in Sunday's $100,000 (Canadian) Wando Stakes for 3-year-olds, got going on the turn and ran by his rivals late, winning by 1 1/2 lengths over odds-on favorite Uncaptured. Midnight Aria and Tesseron completed the order of finish. Pyrite Mountain, an Ontario-bred Silent Name colt, ran 1 1/16 miles on the all-weather track in 1:44.24 with Luis Contreras up. Pyrite Mountain won the Kingarvie Stakes Dec. 2 at Woodbine, then was winless in two stops at Gulfstream Park and Keeneland this winter. Uncaptured won the Grade III Iroquois and the Grade II Kentucky Jockey Club at Churchill Downs last fall, then finished second in the Grade III Spiral Stakes at Turfway Park before being drubbed in the Grade I Blue Grass at Keeneland.
Spring in the Air rallied to the lead in the final furlong in Saturday's $100,000 (Canadian) Fury Stakes for 3-year-old fillies and held off Smartfly at the end to win by a half-length Nadurra finished third. Spring in the Air, an Ontario-bred miss by Spring At Last, got 7 furlongs on the all-weather surface in 1:23.51 with Patrick Husbands aboard. In was the first win for Spring in the Air since the Darley Alcibiades Stakes at Keeneland last fall.
Beulah Park
Candy Bites drew off in the stretch run of Saturday's $50,000 Babst/Palacios Memorial Handicap for Ohio-breds and won by 3 1/4 lengths over the favorite, Klassy Korbin. Raise the Reward completed the trifecta. Candy Bites, a 3-year-old Candy Ride colt, got 6 furlongs on a fast track in 1:11.40 with Yuri Yaranga in the irons.
Will Rogers Downs
Du Da Dandy was all of that in Saturday's $50,000 colts and geldings division of the Oklahoma Stallion Stakes, kicking clear early and driving to win by 8 3/4 lengths. Chuck was second, 20 1/4 lengths to the good of Okie Can Do as the placing judges put their feet up. Du Da Dandy, a Tactical Cat gelding, ran a mile on a sloppy track in 1:39.27 under Bryan McNeil.
In the $50,000 fillies division, Hard Cider sat off the early pace, then kicked into gear and went on to win by 3 1/2 lengths over pacesetter Mari's Big Rock. The favorite, Rah Rah Rachel, took show money. Hard Cider, a daughter of Liquor Cabinet, finished in 1:41.40 with Garrett Steinberg in the irons.
Startin' Something let her rivals do the starting in Friday's $50,000 Dr. T.F. Classen Memorial Stakes for Ohio-breds but did all the finishing herself, winning by 2 1/2 lengths under mild urging by jockey Deshawn Parker. The pacesetter, Isadella finished second and I'm Kiddin was third. Startin' Something, a 5-year-old Musical Dreamer mare, ran 6 furlongs on a fast track in 1:12.02.


text:
Herman Koch's The Dinner met with tremendous success worldwide and I still think it has some literary value, but this next one, about a seriously flawed medical doctor and his dysfunctional family and friends, seems to me like a quick cash grab follow up. This is a weak novel with no point.
Though a difficult book to read, The Dinner certainly seemed to have some merit in raising interesting issues and examining middle class morality. But after hearing several interviews with the author and reading another one of his books, I have come to the conclusion that he really just likes writing about disgusting people and there is no further purpose, there are no underlying themes. He simply believes that people, given the chance and the right circumstances, will behave badly. Finish.
I'm not against reading books about awful people if there is a point to it, if there is some character development, if there is some redemption somewhere. Or if the writing is good and shines a light on the reality of darkness in our world and helps us deal with it. Darkness in the hands of a good novelist can be very meaningful. But Koch ticks none of these boxes. I picked it up mostly because it is translated from the Dutch. I kept reading because the author built in a bit of intrigue and I wanted to find out what was going to happen. And I kept expecting it to improve, but it never did.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Ivana Ticar chose Southwestern Adventist University for her faith. After enrolling at a non-Adventist university, Ticar began to question if she was going the right direction. She auditioned for the Meyerson Festival Scholarship as a soloist and upon acceptance as a finalist, Ticar officially decided to attend Southwestern.
Ticar started voice lessons at just five years old and piano lessons in third grade. She enjoys singing with her younger sister, and performed for 3ABN. While attending academy at The Oaks (Adventist Christian School), she played piano for choir. Now she is a sophomore music major and plays in the Southwestern Wind Symphony and Southwestern Symphony Orchestra.
"Even though I had taken many years of voice lessons, I still didn't think I was a good enough singer," said Ticar. "Becoming a scholarship finalist boosted my confidence. It made a significant difference in my life."


text:
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text:
Wrote this for a few people that I work with to clear some things up. It's VERY basic, but covers just enough to get people into trouble. lol
Ricks TCP/IP primer--------------------
Programming networked applications can be a pain, especially if youre unfamiliar with how networks work, and what all of the fancy terminology means. I intend to explain the basics, in an easy to understand manner with the hope of easing some of this pain.
TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol) has emerged as the standard protocol stack used in most network scenarios that a programmer will encounter. There are several protocols in the stack, but we will focus on the 2 most common, and leave the rest as a research exercise for the reader (if needed, or wanted).
The basis for TCP/IP network is the IP address. In this text I will focus solely on IPv4 (Internet Protocol Version 4), which is still the most widely used protocol on the market. From this point forward it is assumed that when I talk about an IP address, Im discussing an IPv4 address. Should we all convert to IPv6? Absolutely. Have we? Nope.
I WILL NOT teach you how to be a network engineer, nor will I delve into the details of the protocols, and packets that are passed. If your intention is to get into to packet sniffing, and understanding what SYN and ACK mean, then there are plenty of other texts available on the topic.
This is arguably the most confusing aspect of networking to the programmer. What do these numbers mean? WTF is a netmask?! Thankfully there isnt any magic here. An IP address is simply a 32-bit number, broken down into 8-bit octets like this:
so the first octet (192) can be expressed as 11000000 in binary
and the second (168) as 10101000 and the third and forth (both 1) as 00000001. So all together we have:
Yay! .. well. Not really. What good does that do us? Well, to decide that, we need to figure out what the IP address is used for. Amazingly enough, its used just like a mailing address. Computers can use the IP address to locate another computer to send information to, or get information from, and just as your mailing address is broken down to street address, and city/state/zip, the IP address is broken down to Network and Host.
The first portion of the IP address is used to specify a network, and the last portion of it is used to specify the actual host on the network. But how?!, you cry, Its just a single 32-bit number!. Thats where the netmask comes in. There are some network/host combinations that can be assumed by the numbers (and fancy words like Network Class), but we wont concern ourselves with those. Just like the IP address, the netmask is a 32-bit number, broken down into 8-bit octets like this:
and it is used just as the name implies, as a mask. So lets take our netmask in binary:
and compare it to our IP address in binary:
What this tells us is that the first 24 bits of the IP address are used as the network address, and the last 8 bits are used as the host address. Any bit that lines up with a '1' in the mask, is considered to be part of the network address, and any bit that lines up with a 0 in the mask, is considered to be part of the host address. So this computer is host 1 on network 192.168.1. Now, those thinkers among you are probably already formulating some pretty gnarly combinations of network/host, and although they will work on some systems (Ive tried a few), I recommend sticking with all of the network bits on the left, and host bits on the right.
You may have already latched on the the number 24, when I said that it was how many bits were used for networking, and if that looks familiar, then youve most likely been exposed to people who use the abbreviated addressing scheme. This address can be express as:
IP Address: 192.168.1.1
Netmask: 255.255.255.0
OR, in the abbreviated form of:
which is to say, 24 bits of networking.
Now, at first glance it might appear that there are 256 usable addresses in the 192.168.1.0/24 (pay attention to how I wrote that) network, but 2 of those addresses are reserved for special use. In every IP network, the very first (or lowest/all 0s) host address is reserved as the network address, and the last (or highest/all 1s) is reserved as the broadcast address. Well deal with broadcast later, but the network address is generally used to label a network. So when Im talking about the network that our IP address lives in, I refer to it as the 192.168.1.0(/24) network. This IP address cannot be assigned to a host on the network, and neither can 192.168.1.255.
The one last question that is burning in your mind, Im sure, is what happens if I plug a computer with IP 192.168.1.1/24 into a computer with IP 192.168.2.1/24. Can they talk to each other? No, they cannot. Those two computers are on separate logical networks (192.168.1.0/24 and 192.168.2.0/24), and therefore will not be able to talk to each other without the use of a router. Which segues nicely into our next section:
If your computer decides that it needs to send packets to a computer on the same network as itself, it simply sends those packets to the IP address on the local network (There are other protocols used to take this to the physical level, but were not interested in those.) This is all well and good, and things would be an awesome, happy place if we all lived on the same network, but what happens when I want to connect to a computer that is NOT on my local network?
Your computer holds what is known as a routing table, that it uses to make these decisions. The routing table can be simplified as the following pseudo code:
if destination_network == my_network:
elif destination_network in static_routes:
So you saw the term default gateway buried in there and got excited? Its exactly what you think it is. The default gateway/route is where your computer will send packets that it otherwise doesnt know what to do with. The one issue with gateways, that must always be remembered, is that they MUST reside in the same network as your computer. So if I have an IP address of 192.168.1.35/24 and a default gateway of 192.168.1.254, then Im golden, but a gateway of 192.168.2.1 absolutely will not work. The gateway must be reachable on a network that is local to the computer wishing to use it.
The magic behind the gateway is that its connected to 2 or more networks, with additional routing information to take the packet either further down the line, or to the destination itself.
Lets imagine, for a moment, that I have 3 linux machines. Two on separate networks, and a third that is on both networks. Theyre configured like so:
eth0: 192.168.1.25/24
eth0: 192.168.5.22/24
eth0: 192.168.1.10/24
eth1: 192.168.5.10/24
now, the cool part here is that we can use MACHINE3 as a router to let MACHINE1 and MACHINE2 talk to each other. Firstly, MACHINE3 would need to have ip forwarding enabled:
MACHINE3:/# echo 1 > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/ip_forward
Then we would need to add a static route to MACHINE1:
MACHINE1:/# ip route add 192.168.5.0/24 via 192.168.1.10
w00t! We did it! Lets ping and test:
MACHINE1:/# ping 192.168.5.22
Sadly, this wont work. Can you figure out why? The packet actually goes out to the router, and the router sends the packet to MACHINE2, at which point MACHINE2 attempts to reply by sending a response back to the source IP address (192.168.1.25). Uh oh! MACHINE2 doesnt have a route back to 192.168.1.25. This is a HUGE gotcha, and still bites me every now and again. So lets fix that:
MACHINE2:/# ip route add 192.168.1.0/24 via 192.168.5.10
again, note that the gateway address for this route is on the same network as MACHINE2, which is an absolute must. I cant stress this fact enough, simply because I catch technicians trying to enter routes to ip addresses on a completely different network ALL THE TIME.
So, now our ping should work.
One more thing I feel that I must mention is the concept of NAT (Network Address Translation), AKA Firewalling or Masquerading. A NAT device has two or more interfaces, and acts as a router with one special exception. It proxies connections on one side, to connections on the other side. In this way we can have a single Internet IP address on our firewall/wireless router/whatever and an entire network of IP addresses on the private network. Whenever a packet traverses the NAT device, it sends the packet out, on behalf of the private address, and returns whatever packets get sent back for that connection. The details involved (connection tracking, etc) go beyond the scope of this text, but suffice it to say that connectionless protocols like UDP tend to not work without special port-forwarding in the NAT device.
--TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) is the most commonly used protocol on the Internet. It uses handshakes, error checking, and flow control to ensure that the data youre sending is actually getting to where its going. It uses a basic three-step handshake to establish a connection which roughly goes like this:
Source machine: Hey, you there, do you have a service on this port? Write me back on my port number (some random port above 1024) if you do. (SYN)
Destination machine: Why yes, kind sir, I actually do have a service on that port. (SYN-ACK)
Source machine: Ok then, cool, I have some data for you. (ACK)
In this way, TCP is able to ensure that the connection is valid. This seems pretty simple, but in reality its not at all. Without all of the connection tracking, handshaking, etc you would simply be throwing packets at something, hoping that they got there. In fact theres a name for that:
--UDP (User Datagram Protocol) is most commonly used where speed is far more important than data integrity. There is no handshaking or error checking. Our example above would look like this:
Source machine: Hey, you there, heres some data on a port.
Source machine: <twiddles thumbs>
unless the application on the other end is written to respond, the source machine has NO idea if the packet got where it was going, or if it even got there in one piece. So why would this be useful? Without all of the overhead incurred by TCPs tracking, error checking and handshaking, UDP is much faster, and in applications such as audio, or gaming, where speed is at a premium and a few dropped packets make little-to-no difference, the gain is significant.
This also introduces an interesting concept in the form of broadcasting. Do you remember the broadcast address that was mentioned earlier? Amazingly enough, any packet that is sent to that address is received by every single computer in that network. Now since UDP is connectionless, you can send UDP packets to the broadcast address, and any machine listening on that address (and to the port that youre sending to) can receive those packets, and because its connectionless, you wont get a crap-ton of errors back from all of the other computers/printers/cellphones that are not. Pretty cool huh?
Hopefully this has cleared up some of the magic behind networking, and will help some of you to get a little further along, with a better understanding of the way things work. If this kind of stuff interests you, then please please please research it further. With VirtualBox, and a few small linux router virtual machines, it is really easy to set up an experimental network, and break things until they work.
D. Rick Anderson


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DOVER — Prosecutors say a Somersworth man used blankets, nylon rope and a duffel bag to smother a 2-year-old boy last week, recklessly causing his death, then lying to police about the boy's injuries.
DOVER — Prosecutors say a Somersworth man used blankets, nylon rope and a duffel bag to smother a 2-year-old boy last week, recklessly causing his death, then lying to police about the boy's injuries.
Jared Pope was arraigned by video in Dover circuit court Monday morning on a felony manslaughter charge. He faces a potential sentence of 15-30 years if convicted.
Prosecutors say Pope was trying to get his girlfriend's child to quiet down on Friday evening when he allegedly wrapped the toddler in blankets, tied a nylon rope around him, covered him with a sheet, placed a pillow over him, laid him face down in bed and left a duffel bag weighing in the range of 15-20 pounds on top of him.
The scenario was laid out in court Monday by state attorney Geoffrey Ward, whose words brought at least two family members in the courtroom to tears.
The incident took place at an apartment at 231 High St. in Somersworth, where Pope lives with his girlfriend and her child.
After wrapping the boy up on Friday night, Pope walked away and left the boy alone for a period of about five to 10 minutes, Ward said. He then called 911 when he found the child in distress.
The boy, Noah York, was transported to Wentworth-Douglass Hospital in Dover. He was later pronounced dead.
At first, Pope told police he believed the child had choked on milk, or a piece of meat, Ward said, but the evidence painted a different picture. An autopsy showed the boy had been smothered to death, and that he suffered internal injuries. He appeared to have weaving marks on his body, Ward said, and evidence suggests he tried to escape his confines.
At some point over the weekend, Pope allegedly confessed to smothering the child, police said. He also allegedly told investigators he had done something similar in the past to quiet the child down.
Police also found evidence Pope tried to clean up the crime scene by moving the duffel bag, rope and blankets into a closet, Ward said.
"This is not an accident," he said, asking the judge to set bail at $250,000. "This is not an accidental smothering."
Ward also recounted Pope's past criminal history, which involves a recent allegation of driving while intoxicated and other offenses. Pope has also been flagged as a habitual motor vehicle offender, Ward said.
Pope was ordered held on $250,000 cash only bail pending a probable cause hearing on June 28 at 10 a.m. He was instructed to have no contact with the biological mother of the victim, or any minor children.
If he is released on bail, Pope will be required to wear a GPS bracelet and be monitored by Strafford County Community Corrections.


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Food & Drink
14 coolest hotel perks across Latin America
By Jill Becker, for CNN • Updated 10th December 2013
View Gallery
14 Pictures
Pillow menus, Wi-Fi included in room charge, made-to-order omelets at the breakfast buffet -- these are the ho-hum trappings hotels are offering these days to get your business.
Hotels across Latin America, however, offer the kind of unique and memorable perks that actually might get you to book a stay.
MORE: Most amazing hotel pools in U.S.
Worry dolls
(Casa Palopó, Santa Catarina Palopó, Guatemala)
This stylish seven-bedroom property overlooking Lake Atitlán adds a twist to turn-down service.
On the night of check-in, staff place a pouch containing a set of traditional Guatemalan worry dolls atop your bed.
Local lore holds that if you place the dolls under your pillow at night, they'll take your worries away as you sleep.
Casa Palopó
, Km. 6.8 Santa Catarina Palopó, Solola, Guatemala; +502 7762 2270; contact hotel for rates
MORE: Hidden beauty of Garifuna Belize
Oxygen enrichment
(Palacio Nazarenas, Cusco, Peru)
At Palacio Nazarenas, they help you breathe it all in.
Courtesy Adrian Houston/Orient-Express
Housed in a former convent, this cozy retreat takes your breath away -- literally.
Because the hotel is located 11,152 feet above sea level, the lungs take some time to adjust, leaving some guests gasping.
To combat altitude sickness, the hotel pumps extra oxygen into rooms through the air-conditioning system.
Palacio Nazarenas
, Plaza Nazarenas 144, Cusco, Peru; +51 8 458 2222; from $375 per night
Business cards
(Bristol Panama, Panama City)
Located in Panama City's bustling financial district, the Bristol is a biz travel standby.
You don't have to be a CEO to appreciate the free business cards the hotel prints up for guests, which include their name, personal telephone number and hotel's fax line.
Bristol Panama
, Avda. Aquilino de la Guardia, Panama City; +507 264 0000; from $189 per night
MORE: Postcards vs. The Future: 10 endangered travel items
Fountain of Youth
(UXUA Casa Hotel & Spa, Trancoso, Brazil)
Who doesn't love a good hotel pool?
Especially one with healing powers.
UXUA's supposed fountain of youth is constructed of 40,000 local luminescent-green aventurine quartz stones that are believed to have the most potent healing properties of any gem.
Uxua Casa Hotel & Spa
, Quadrado Trancoso, Bahia, Brazil; +55 73 3668 2277; from $425
MORE: 8 of Brazil's best beaches
Hermés swag
(Alvear Palace Hotel, Buenos Aires)
If you're one of those travelers who socks away the stash of hotel toiletries, you'll waste no time pilfering the luxe lotions at this elegant hotel.
They're made by Hermés, and include the popular Eau d'Orange Verte unisex fragrance created by famed perfumer Françoise Caron back in 1979.
Alvear Palace Hotel
, Avda. Alvear 1891, Buenos Aires; +54 11 4808 2100; from $480 per night
MORE: 23 reasons it's great to be a tourist
Fender guitar and am
(Hard Rock Hotel Panama Megapolis, Panama City)
At the Hard Rock Panama City, all you need to supply are three chords to become a rock god. For a night.
Courtesy Hard Rock Hotels & Casinos
With Hard Rock's exclusive Sound of Your Stay program, you can pretend to be anyone from Keef to Coldplay on world tour.
Upon request, digital music-mixing software is loaded on your in-room laptop, and you can borrow one of 20 Fender guitars, complete with amp and headphones -- all you need to supply are three chords and some world-weary lyrics and you're set to record the next "On the Road Again" travel anthem.
For the ultimate rocker-like stay, you can tell people you coptered in via the hotel's helipad.
Hard Rock Hotel Panama
, Ave. Balboa al lado de Multicentro, Panama City; +507 380 1111; from $159 per night
MORE: 12 best travel songs of all-time
History lessons
(JW Marriott Cusco, Cusco, Peru)
Surrounded by magnificent archaeological sites, this landmark hotel has its own history worth exploring.
It's built on the grounds of a 16th-century San Agustin convent, and has been meticulously restored to showcase original Incan architectural details, some of which are located in select guestrooms.
Free guided tours exploring the ancient remains and artifacts are offered nightly.
JW Marriott Cusco
, Esquina de la Calle Ruinas 432 y San Agustin, Cusco, Peru; +51 84 582 200; from $225 per night
Treehouse meals
(Pacuare Lodge, Limón, Costa Rica)
An eco-friendly retreat surrounded by lush jungle, the Pacuare Lodge offers guests a unique eating experience.
Located 60 feet up in the branches of a Ceiba tree, The Nest is a canopied perch that holds up to four people -- it can be reserved for breakfast, lunch or dinner (complete with candles).
There's action even before you sit down. To access The Nest you must slide down a 400-foot cable.
Pacuare Lodge
, 2½ hours east of San José airport on Pacuare River, Limón, Costa Rica, hotel arranges transportation; +506 2225 3939; rates from $377 per night
MORE: World's most amazing hotel restaurants
Polo lessons
(Estancia Vik Jose Ignacio, Punta del Este, Uruguay)
Among this resort's 4,000 acres you'll find a full-size, world-class polo field that plays host to professional matches featuring some of the game's biggest names.
So what if you can't name any of them? If you want to get out there and swing a mallet yourself, the hotel offers private polo lessons.
Estancia Vik Jose Ignacio
, Camino Eugenio Saiz Martinez, Km. 8, Punta del Este, Uruguay; +5989 4 605 212; rates from $385 per night
(Hotel de Larache, San Pedro de Atacama, Chile)
At Hotel de Larache, guests search for a different kind of nightlife.
Courtesy Hotel de Larache
Chile's Altiplano region may have the driest desert on earth, but there's nothing barren about its night skies.
The area is a center for serious astronomy, and this luxury lodge from the Explora travel company has taken advantage of its location by opening its own observatory, with a powerful, 16-inch, advanced-optics Meade telescope that allows guests to marvel at the wild black yonder.
Hotel de Larache
, Domingo Atienza s/n, Ayllu de Larache, San Pedro de Atacama, Chile; +56 2 2395 2800; from $2,790 (thre
-night minimum)
MORE: Underwater hotel room opens in Africa
Pole-dancing classes
(Paradisus Playa del Carmen La Perla, Playa del Carmen, Mexico)
Lots of hotels offer free fitness classes, but this all-inclusive may be the only one with gratis pole-dancing lessons.
The 60-minute classes are held twice a week in an outdoor palapa, and are more about strengthening and stretching than stripping. So we're told.
Guest experience manager Sadri Alexander admits when he first suggested the idea, people thought he was nuts. But the classes have become so popular that the hotel has had to add more poles.
Paradisus Playa del Carmen La Perla
, 5ª Av. Esq Calle 112, Col. Luis Donaldo Colosio, Playa del Carmen, Mexico; +52 984 877 3900; from $462 a night (all-inclusive)
Tree planting
(Los Suenos Marriott Ocean & Golf Resort, Herradura, Costa Rica)
A chance to make Costa Rica even greener.
Courtesy Los Suenos Marriott Ocean & Golf Resort
If you like green travel, you might appreciate Los Suenos' Reforest the Rainforest initiative.
Situated amid a 1,100-acre rainforest that's home to more than 150 animal species, including the increasingly scarce scarlet macaw, the hotel has set aside an area along the La Iguana Golf Course where guests can plant a tropical almond sapling, a native tree donated to the hotel by a nearby national park.
Los Suenos Marriott Ocean & Golf Resort
, 60 miles southwest of San José airport in Herradura, Costa Rica, contact hotel for directions; +506 2630 9000; from $309 per night
Rum ... lots
(Mukul Beach, Golf & Spa, Rivas, Nicaragua)
The family that owns this gorgeous property on Nicaragua's Emerald Coast is responsible for the 100-year-old Flor de Caña Rum company.
Guests not only receive a complimentary bottle of five-year-old Flor de Caña rum in their room each day (along with mixers, snacks and juice), they can order free cocktails made with Flor de Caña at the bar or pool until 5 p.m.
They're also privy to a rum tasting with the hotel's official rum connoisseur.
Mukul Beach
, Golf & Spa
, Km. 10 Carretera Tola-Las Salinas, Rivas, Nicaragua; +505 2563-7100; from $550 a night
MORE: World's 10 best drinking nations
Warrior dogs
(Sandos Caracol Eco-Resort & Spa, Playa del Carmen, Mexico)
You won't feel as bad leaving Fido behind during your stay at this sprawling beachfront resort. That's because the hotel has Mayan "warrior" dogs -- a breed known as Xoloitzcuintle that dates back 3,000 years -- that you can take for a walk around the property.
Along the way, you might encounter some of the numerous critters roaming the grounds, including spider monkeys and sea turtles.
There's also an onsite zoo with donkeys, deer, peacocks and more.
Sandos Caracol Eco-Resort & Spa
, Carretera Chetumal Puerto Juarez Km. 295, Solidaridad, Playa del Carmen, Mexico; +52 984 873 4444; from $294 a night
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AURORA — Sonny Archuleta was a talented guy, an artist who filled his garage walls with graffiti murals and fashioned molten glass into pipes and bongs, according to neighbors.
But Archuleta, 33, apparently went over the edge Saturday, killing three people before police shot him to death after he opened fire on them from the townhouse where he lived with his wife, Stephanie Philbrook Archuleta, 30.
Police have not officially identified the gunman or his victims, who were found dead in the home after the six-hour standoff ended Saturday morning. But neighbors and other sources say the shooter was Archuleta and that the victims were his wife's father, Anthony Ticali; her sister, Stacie Philbrook; and Philbrook's boyfriend.
Philbrook Archuleta escaped the home by jumping from the second-floor window. She didn't want to talk to the media, her mother, Shannon Ticali, said Sunday.
"Stephanie needs to grieve the loss of her sister and dad," Ticali said.
After escaping from the home, Philbrook Archuleta told police her husband was mentally unbalanced, according to a police source. Authorities are investigating the possibility that the gunman was a methamphetamine user.
The Archuletas rented the townhouse from Stacie Philbrook and had lived there together for about a year, said Melissa Wright, 33, who lives across an alley from the townhouse in the 16000 block of East Ithaca Place.
They were an "odd couple," said Wright, a registered nurse at the Medical Center of Aurora, who worked at a drug-rehabilitation facility in the past. "His eyes were always dilated; he was very loud and running around all the time. I'm a nurse — my job is to assess people, and he seemed like he was on drugs.
"She didn't seem anything like that; she was very reserved. She seemed like a good girl. Stacie too," Wright said of Philbrook Archuleta and her sister.
Doug Welch, a neighbor, said he frequently saw Archuleta outside the house working on his motorcycle. Inside the couple's garage, Welch said, he could see large murals that Archuleta had painted.
Wright said Archuleta built the motorcycle himself and practiced glass blowing. "He was a talented guy," she said.
The couple had been married for at least seven years, said a woman who knows the family but asked that her name not be used because she didn't want to speak for them.
"Sonny and Stephanie definitely loved each other," Ticali said. They were married in a civil ceremony by a justice of the peace, but on their second anniversary the couple tied the knot again at a religious ceremony at the Word of Life Christian Center, Ticali said.
Philbrook Archuleta worked at the Word of Life Academy, a day-care and tutoring center at the church in Lone Tree.
"We need to pray for Stephanie. The loss of her sister, husband and other family member is beyond our understanding," senior pastor Mark Bagwell said at Sunday services.


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The case of the runaway sailboat has been settled. You may remember that back in the wee hours of the morning on Sept. 30, a 45-foot catamaran belonging to the French America's Cup Energy Team broke free from its moorings just off Piers 30-32 and took off on an unmanned solo sail.
The boat fetched up on the rocks on the west shore of Treasure Island, where an enterprising sailor named Todd Tholke spotted it and decided to rescue it with his 15-foot Boston Whaler. With some difficulty – court documents would later say his boat took on water and nearly capsized – he was able to tow the racing boat to the Treasure Island Marina.
And that's when things took a turn. Through his attorneys, Tholke claimed that he was entitled to "a liberal maritime salvage award." He was thinking something "in excess of $200,000," according to his court filing.
The Energy Team found that a little excessive. Attorneys challenged Tholke's contention that when he notified the Coast Guard of the ship in distress, he was told it "would not come to the aid," leaving him as the sole chance for rescue. They also said that evidence suggests that Tholke's rescue was "considerably less colorful than portrayed."
That's where things stood until last week when the two sides met with Judge Nathanael Cousins and reached a settlement. Although the exact amount of the settlement was not made public, those familiar with the case imply that it was a fraction of the original $200,000.
That's good on two levels. First, the entire "salvage" seemed like a rip-off. And second, a large settlement would have encouraged others to try the same stunt.
There's an update on another story, although not a happy ending. A few months ago Robert Runkle, a Potrero Hill resident who was suffering from severe kidney problems and a bout with cancer, lost his service dog, Lola, to a thief during dialysis treatment.
But after the story got out, and neighbor Tracy Moon put up a $3,000 reward, Lola, a Yorkshire terrier, was found and returned to Runkle in December.
"I was crying every day," Runkle said at the time. "And when she came back I cried again. But it was a different kind of crying."
Sadly, Runkle died a little over a week ago, finally succumbing to his medical problems.
"I will miss his amazing strength and positive attitude," Moon said. "I often wondered if I could do as well under such difficult circumstances."
Lola, meanwhile, is being placed in a loving home, ready to start another life as friend and companion to a new owner.
"She's a spunky little thing, and I know she will be fine," Moon said.
The annals of crime: You know it is not your day when Central Station Capt. Garret Tom says the arrest of the week goes to a private citizen. It seems a woman was walking down Jones, near Sutter, when a man attacked her from behind, grabbed her iPhone and began running away.
Unfortunately for the phone snatcher, he was confronted by a man who knocked him to the ground, placed him in a choke hold, and held him until police arrived. The Good Samaritan is an expert in Brazilian jujitsu. Don't you hate it when that happens?
C.W. Nevius is a San Francisco Chronicle columnist. His columns appear Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com Twitter: @cwnevius


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Hello, Creative Heart
I see you.
"Who me?"
Yes, you with the sparkling eyes and the soul full of wonder. I see the magic in you.
You see, this is a studio and a studio is a home for creative hearts, like you.
This isn't a space for the naysayers, for the "that's the way it is" believers, for the mean art teachers or the internet trolls.
This isn't a place with an exclusive velvet rope letting in the select few, those deemed worthy, those who passed the test and came up "talented".
Here, it doesn't matter how old you are, if you've danced or drawn or sewn or sang your whole life or started yesterday.
Here you won't be told it's too late.
Here you won't be told what you can't do.
Here you won't be told to rein it in.
Here you are allowed to shine.
Here, in Jamie Ridler Studios, your creativity will come to life.
In the studio, you are free to play, to leap, to laugh, to love, to reflect and to discover. You are encouraged to try, to risk, to stretch, to grow, to wonder, to practice and to celebrate. Here all the arts belong to you – so grab your journal and your camera, your paints and your pens, sing and dance and doodle and knit and whatever else strikes your fancy. Here there is room for good moods and dark days, for introverts and extroverts, for the messy and the organized.
Here, there is room for you.
Many have stood on this threshold before you.
Some have built their lives on their creative hearts. They are artists and entrepreneurs, teachers and leaders, some at the beginning of their journey and some well in. They step into the studio to come back to themselves, to stretch and grow into who they are becoming next.
Some are discovering or recovering their creative hearts. Many were told the arts and creativity were just a hobby or not for them but in their souls they knew this was a lie, that their love of colour and music and song and stories and words and pictures meant something. They step into the studio to discover what that is.
Wherever you are, creative heart, in the studio, you'll come alive.
You'll be immersed in a world of inspiration, magic & creativity – delivered through workshops, coaching, a podcast, videos, a reading nook and a newsletter that keeps you in the know.
Step in, creative heart.
Welcome home.
If you've been looking for a place to fill your creative well, to discover your creative self, to stretch your creative wings, Jamie Ridler Studios is here for you.
I'd love for you to be a part of The Studio, to have a sanctuary for your creative explorations. Let me welcome you in.
Wonderful! I'm so glad you're going to join me in the studio. You are two steps away from fully activating your membership. Check your inbox for a studio email explaining how you: 1. Confirm your subscription. 2. Create your log-in to the studio. Once that's done, you'll officially be a member and gain access to a wonderful treasure trove of creative inspiration in the studio. I can't wait to see you there! Jamie
When you sign up, you will receive a weekly email love letter plus occasional announcements for courses and offerings. You will also gain a 10% discount on all classes and access to abundant free resources such as a guided meditation on connecting to your creative self, the Dreams Really Do Come True e-book and Studio Forum recordings on topics such as Journaling, Creative Habits & Creative Challenges!


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NBA Playoffs
Sponsored By
NBA Contenders Make Moves In Buyout MarketFor many NBA contenders, the busy part of the season begins now, as veterans get bought out and seek to sign on to chase a ring.
Keidel: Would Another Cavs-Warriors Finals Be Good For The NBA?Two NBA dynasties, the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors, will probably play each other again in this year's NBA Finals.
2017 NBA Eastern Conference Finals PreviewThe NBA Eastern Conference Finals match up the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers. Here's what to expect.
Keidel: Can Wizards Overcome History?The hard-luck Wizards look to make the East Finals for the first time since 1979. The Celtics have other plans.
2017 NBA Western Conference Finals PreviewThe NBA Western Conference Finals matche up the Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs, as predicted. Here's what to expect.
NBA Analyst Charles Barkely: I'd Rather Watch NHL PlayoffsCharles Barkley has been critical of the modern NBA, and said that he watches the NHL playoffs during NBA blowouts.
2017 NBA Playoffs: What Have We Learned So Far?The NBA Playoffs' second round tipped off Sunday. With the Cavs, Celtics, Spurs and Warriors still alive, what's been revealed so far?
Keidel: Would Warriors' NBA Finals Win Hurt Durant's Legacy?The Warriors are coasting through the NBA Playoffs without much help from all-star Kevin Durant, who is hurt.
Keidel: LeBron's Not Done YetThe Cavaliers are struggling, but do you really want to bet against LeBron James, who's reached the NBA Finals in six straight seasons?
Keidel: LeBron's Not Done YetThe Cavaliers are struggling, but do you really want to bet against LeBron James, who's reached the NBA Finals in six straight seasons?
Keidel: Don't Underestimate The Warriors Like I DidDid the Warriors win the Western Conference Finals, or did the Thunder give it to them? Either way, Golden State is favored to repeat.
Will Golden State's Playoff Run End In Oklahoma City?The Warriors changed the NBA with their new-world game. But one eternal basketball truth still holds... shots closer to the rim are easier.
Keidel: Charles Barkley's Rough TakeCharles Barkley suggested the Atlanta Hawks get physical with the Cleveland Cavaliers to slow them down. And he's right.
Physical Play Continues In Pistons, Cavs Series; LeBron Takes Shot At DrummondAs the Cleveland Cavaliers look to complete a series sweep of the Detroit Pistons - a shot across the bow.
Blowouts Were Everywhere On Sunday In The NBA Playoffs Sunday was a truly rare day in NBA history.


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State DOT picks out-of-state company to design blue signs along highways
If you drive on the interstates you can't miss the big blue signs that point to restaurants and gas stations.
They are made in Milwaukee, but the state might be taking their business out of state.
VIDEO: Local highway sign company may lose Wisconsin contract
Derse, in the Menomonee Valley, has been making the blue signs for the past 30 years, but said the end of that road may be near.
"We really feel like it's a slap in the face to a Wisconsin business, by the state of Wisconsin," said Brett Haney, who works for Derse.
Haney said after their 10-year contract expired at the end of 2013, through a bidding process, the Department of Transportation picked up a new company, Interstate Logos, owned by Louisiana-based Lamar Advertising.
Haney said they formally complained and are appealing to the state Department of Administration.
There are about 8,000 of the signs all across the state, and Derse said if it loses the state contract, the company won't be the only one hurting.
Derse claims Interstate Logos will raise prices for space on signs, which worries business owners like Pat Gedig who owns a Shell gas station near Interstate 94 and Ryan Road.
"As far as an impact, if I weren't on one, yes there would be an impact, and if it got more expensive, I'd have to look at it at that point," Gedig said.
A representative for the DOT told WISN 12 News, "The procurement process is still underway. No contracts have been signed, costs are subject to negotiation and no prices have been established."
Derse is still hopeful it can win back its place on Wisconsin's roads.
The state Department of Administration told WISN 12 News the appeal is under review.
For now, Derse is on a month-to-month contract.
WISN 12 News' calls to Interstate Logos were not returned.


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Galvis picks up Papelbon as Phils top Braves
Shortstop's walk-off HR makes winner out of closer after blown save
PHILADELPHIA -- The supposition all along has been that Freddy Galvis is far more likely to win a Gold Glove Award than a Silver Slugger Award. And that's probably still true even though the 23-year-old had the first four-hit game of his Major League career Saturday night, including a one-out homer off reliever Freddy Garcia that gave the Phillies a 6-5 walk-off win over the first-place Braves at Citizens Bank Park.
Galvis came into the game hitless in his last 17 at-bats. But interim manager Ryne Sandberg liked what he'd seen in the three singles Galvis had gotten prior to the ninth, including one up the middle that drove in a run in the fifth.
"I liked his line-drive stroke that he had. Base hit up the middle for an RBI. I think he just got a hold of a pitch [in the ninth] and reacted to it, resulting in a home run without a big home run swing. So I think the hits leading up to it all worked. And that's his game, staying on top of the ball and using the whole field with his line-drive stroke," the manager said.
Galvis wouldn't have even gotten to the plate in the bottom of the ninth if closer Jonathan Papelbon hadn't served up a two-out, game-tying two-run homer to Braves shortstop Andrelton Simmons in the top of the ninth. It was Papelbon's seventh blown save of the year and snapped a 10-inning scoreless streak. He was roundly booed when he walked off the mound at the end of the inning, before the shortstop got him off the hook.
"When I went to [Triple-A] Lehigh Valley, I tried to work on going to the opposite field. Tried to spray the ball more. Try to let the pitch get deeper and hit a line drive. And I think it's working," Galvis said.
Noted Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez: "We left a ball out over the plate, and Freddy Galvis got us and we're walking off."
Until that point, the Phillies' stars of the game were catcher Carlos Ruiz and starting pitcher Kyle Kendrick.
Ruiz drove in three runs with a single and a double. And that could have an impact beyond accounting for half the Phillies' runs.
Ruiz can be a free agent at the end of the year. After missing the first 25 games for testing positive for a banned amphetamine and then another month with a hamstring strain, the 2012 All-Star was struggling both offensively and defensively. It wasn't that long ago that general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. was talking about catching being a crucial issue that the team would have to address in the postseason, and it appeared the Phillies would take a close look at what else might be available on the market before thinking about re-signing Ruiz.
Ruiz, however, has picked it up since then. In his last 28 games, he's hitting .319 with four homers and 16 RBIs. If he finishes strong, the Phils could decide that retaining him is their best option. Especially since Atlanta's Brian McCann figures to be the prize catching catch of the winter, but he bats left-handed and the Phillies' lineup is desperate for a productive bat from the right side. A.J. Pierzynski and Jarrod Saltalamacchia are also lefty swingers. Dioner Navarro of the Cubs could be a possibility; so could Kurt Suzuki if Oakland doesn't pick up his option.
"It means a lot. I think I've come a long way. I worked real hard to get my swing back and right now I feel great. I've had some good at-bats and I hope to continue that," Ruiz said. "They haven't said anything about next year. We're open to talk whenever they want. At the same time, I'm happy and healthy. Everything depends on the Phillies. If they want to talk before the end of the season, we're OK with that. If not, we'll wait and see what we've got in the market. It's not in my hands, you know? The only thing I can do is continue to play and try to finish strong."
Sandberg won't have the final vote, but he has been impressed with the catcher's play of late.
"He's playing real well. I think he's playing like the Chooch that everybody knows," Sandberg said. "He's a key guy in the lineup right now. And he has been for three weeks now. I don't know if I have a vote, but he's a pretty good player right now."
Ruiz's production was a big reason why Kendrick was in line for just his second win since July 19, a chance that went out the window when Papelbon gave up the tying homer.
Kendrick's 2013 has been a tale of two seasons. In his first 12 starts, he was 7-2 with a 3.12 ERA. In his next 16 outings, going into Saturday night, he was 4-9, 5.74.
In his first 12 games, Kendrick gave up as many as five runs twice and two or fewer nine times. Since then, he's allowed five or more nine times and two or fewer four times.
Kendrick looked more like the April-May Kendrick against the Braves on Saturday. He allowed three runs on four hits. His eight strikeouts tied a career high, accomplished once before. Tellingly, only two of his 18 outs were on balls hit in the air. Kendrick is most successful when he keeps the ball down in the zone.
"That's good. It means I'm keeping the ball down," Kendrick said. "Obviously with most pitchers, especially with myself, when you're up, there's a chance for damage there. I was able to keep the ball down most of the night. And that was a goal of mine going into the night."
Sandberg lifted Kendrick after six innings and 91 pitches.
"At that point, he had done his job," the manager said. "He had better stuff. He had both fastballs working. To right-handed hitters, he had cut fastballs away. To left-handed hitters, he had his two-seam fastball. He had the stuff to be effective."
The second straight comeback win assured the Phillies of a series win over the team with baseball's second-best record. They had been just 3-10-1 in series since the All-Star break after going 13-12-6 in the first half.
"I think it means a lot," Sandberg said. "There are games to be played. And there are games to be won. But I think the quality of baseball and the improved baseball against a team like the Braves shows the resilience in the guys. Good hustle out there. Good baseball being played, and that's what you have to do to beat the Braves."


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Maori Party MP Te Ururoa Flavell is refusing to comment on his prospects of becoming the party's leader after his challenge of Pita Sharples was put on hold last night.
Mr Flavell arrived at Ratana this morning but said the leadership issue was in the hands of the party's governing council.
"I have nothing to say.''
The council decided last night to keep Dr Sharples as leader at least until a further meeting to discuss the matter was called in a few months. It has to sort out how to deal with the challenge - something its rules do not provide for.
Green Party co-leader Metiria Turei said she was surprised the Maori Party had no process for it.
NZ First leader Winston Peters said the Maori Party was in a shambles and did not think it could survive.
"This is unseemly and a great number of Maori who have given their support to the Maori Party realise that faith was misplaced now.''
He did not think Hone Harawira's proposal of a merger between Mana and the Maori Party would increase its chances of survival.
"I think it would be very damaging to both of them.''
He said he was happy being the leader of his own party - ``a very, very high prospects party which is on its way to holding the balance of responsibility at the next election''.


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8 Single Varietal Ciders You Should Try
Cider making, for the most part, is a blender's art. There are very few types of apples that provide the right amount of tannins, flavor, and acidity to make an enjoyable cider on their own. As a result, most of the ciders we drink today are a blend of base apples (affordable and full of juice), aromatic apples (great for flavor nuances) and cider or crab apples (not what you'd want to eat out of hand, but full of acidity and tannins for structure and tartness). But just as there are a variety of wines produced from a single type of grapes, there are a handful of apples that can hold their own in the glass.
For an apple to work in a single varietal cider, in needs the right balance of tannins, acidity and sugar. We recently checked in with some of America's leading cideries to find out which types of apples work best (and which bottles you should seek out.)
The Baldwin is an apple native to American soil. It was identified around the 18th century in the Boston area and was, at one time, the most widely planted apple in the Northeast. Baldwins have a long history as both an eating and a cider apple. While their popularity in the supermarket has dwindled over the years, they're still popular cider apples, both blended and on their own.
Two top examples of Baldwin-based ciders are West County Cider's Dry Baldwin Cider from Massachusetts and Michigan's Uncle John's Fruit House Winery Baldwin Cider. Both are completely dry with with austere, mineral qualities not unlike Champagne. While there are slate-like, chalky flavors and a fresh-apple character in both, the Uncle John's is a bit more subtle and nearly saline. Serve either example as a pre-meal aperitif.
Newtown Pippin
The Newtown Pippin, also known as the Albermarle Pippin, originated in Queens, New York during the early 18th century and was planted on the personal estates of both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. There is documentation of its use as a cider apple in pre-prohibition bar menus and in scientific papers as far back as the late 1800s.
Original Sin has recently revived the apple's status in their Newtown Pippin Single Heirloom Varietal cider. This off-dry cider is driven by an edgy, apple skin character with earthy undertones and hints of tangerine. The mild acidity in this apple makes it a mellow partner for roast vegetables (and would work well at Thanksgiving.)
Golden Russet
Another native New York apple, Golden Russets are thought to be seedlings of an English russet apple and date back to the mid-19th century. The "russet" part refers to the coarse, brownish skin that develops around the apple as it ripens—the antithesis of those shiny, smooth-skinned, honeycrisps found in your local supermarket—and is a reference to the scratchy wool cloth that was commonly worn by England's poor.
Golden Russets have fallen out of fashion lately as an eating apple but that has not stopped Oregon's Wandering Aengus Ciderworks from sourcing a few hundred bushels from local farms for their Golden Russet Single Varietal cider. This powerful cider is deceptively drinkable with its combination of big, sweet flavors and dry finish. The nose is everything that you are hoping for on the first day of autumn; aromas of honey, caramel and freshly baked apples. But the taste is earthy and grassy, with apple-skin tannins, and a long, tart finish.
Hidden Rose
The Hidden Rose is a rare, late fall Oregon apple with a distinctly pink flesh. The red hue results in a pinkish juice when pressed, making for naturally rosé-colored cider. The Hidden Rose was discovered in the 1960s, and has been one of the Pacific Northwest's hidden secrets ever since. Thankfully, Alpinefire Cider in Port Townsend, Washington has discovered this gem and is using it for Glow, their summer cider.
Glow is an aromatic cider with big, sweet strawberry-like flavors. Unlike most American ciders, Glow is bottle conditioned which result in natural carbonation and rich yeasty characteristics. The final product is complex and luscious.
The Gravenstein apple has enough sweetness for snacking but also offers a distinct tartness that's ideal for cider making. While many West coast cideries are using Gravensteins as part of a blend, Blue Mountain Cider Company has made an outstanding single varietal cider from this apple.
The Blue Mountain Estate Gravenstein cider, fermented from apples grown on the cidery's own orchards—is more rounded than most blended ciders. This citrusy-tasting cider reminded us of summer stone fruit and homemade lemonade, with a touch of floral character. This approachable cider is great with a simple piece of grilled fish.
Kingston Black
Often considered the single varietal cider apple, Kingston Black is an English apple praised for its perfect balance of acidity, tannins, and sweetness. Kingston Black is a temperamental apple and historically difficult to grow, but there are two American orchards producing outstanding ciders using soley Kingston Black apples.
New Hampshire's Farnum Hill has long been a leader of the American cider revival and their Kingston Black Reserve is prized as their only single varietal cider. This austere, complex cider is still, dry, and drinks more like a white wine than a traditional cider. There is enough acidity and tannin to compensate for the lack of carbonation and the final cider has a wonderful mineral character. This is one of the few ciders we recommend decanting to let the flavors fully develop before drinking.
Maryland's Distillery Lane Ciderworks produce a sparkling Kingston Black Cider, which softens the mineral qualities of the apples with hints of peach and papaya. It's a cider to seek out, for sure.
All ciders were provided as press samples for review consideration.
All products linked here have been independently selected by our editors. We may earn a commission on purchases, as described in our affiliate policy.


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Rise of the Warrior Cop
Is it time to reconsider the militarization of American policing?
On Jan. 4 of last year, a local narcotics strike force conducted a raid on the Ogden, Utah, home of Matthew David Stewart at 8:40 p.m. The 12 officers were acting on a tip from Mr. Stewart's former girlfriend, who said that he was growing marijuana in his basement. Mr. Stewart awoke, naked, to the sound of a battering ram taking down his door. Thinking that he was being invaded by criminals, as he later claimed, he grabbed his 9-millimeter Beretta pistol.
The police say that they knocked and identified themselves, though...
To Read the Full Story


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Distinguished people receive high acknowledgments of the Serbian Church
His Holiness Irinej, Serbian Patriarch, today, on 18 February 2013, handed over high distinction of the Serbian Orthodox Church to the deserved individuals for their contribution in the fields of economy, science, art, culture and for the improvement of the human rights and freedom.
For the expressed unselfish love towards the Hoy Mother Church, the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church awarded Mr. Radomir Bojanic, director of Srbijamarka – PTT Saobracaj Srbija; Mr. Rados Bajic, film director; and maestro, Mr. Bora Dugic with the Order of Saint Sava of the second degree. Mrs. Nada Milojevic, clerk of the Ministry of Finance and Economy of the Republic of Serbia was awarded with the Order of Saint Sava of the Third Degree. Professor Ivan Hiti from Varazdin was awarded with the Order of Saint Emperor Constantine. Mr. Bozidar Djurovic, actor Bozidar Djurovic and academic sculptor Ljubisa Mancic were awarded with the Order of Despot Stephen Lazarevic.
The members of the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Bishop Irinej of Backa and Jovan of Sumadia, as well as members of the families and friends of the awarded, attended the award ceremony.


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starting to feel some Christmas in July spirit
starting to feel some Christmas in July spirit
I'm back for another year of Christmas...this is site has become a tradition for me, its been four years now! Happy October 1st! Holiday season has offically started!!
Last edited by Sean; 10-01-2012 at 07:08 PM.
Thank you, Im sure we all will!
While the Christmas music doesn't start around our house until Nov 1, Oct 1 is when those 'feelings' start to creep back again
All I can say is I'm glad that this forum exists! Every time I've mentioned Christmas in the last couple of weeks to my friends and family they've rolled their eyes at me 'cause it's not even Halloween yet. However they roll their eyes at me every November 1st when I try to get them pumped too, so I guess they're just lost causes. It's so great to have a place where I can say I'm listening to Christmas music right now and just can't wait 'til it starts snowing and the lights go up. I'm such a sucker for the this holiday.
So that was my rant. To those who are like me: You are not alone. We may be crazy, but we smile often and I can't see anything wrong with that .
Being a true Christmas fanatic it's never really far from my mind and heart.
'I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future!' Scrooge repeated, as he scrambled out of bed. 'The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. Oh, Jacob Marley! Heaven, and the Christmas Time be praised for this! I say it on my knees, old Jacob, on my knees!' (Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol)


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So, this is new. Instead of just a $5 bundle of games, they have a weekly sale where you can get the game and some other neat stuff as well.
The first one is Bastion.
For $1, Unlock Bastion on Steam and DRM-free downloads.
For minimum, Digital Soundtrack (MP3/FLAC), Bastion Digital Art Pack, Bastion Sheet Music, Bastion iPhone/Android Ringtones.
For $25+, Bastion Bandana, Bastion Original, Soundtrack CD, Bastion Postcard, Transistor Postcard.
That's pretty awesome. Hope weekly really means weekly.


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#0165 Siding3-7/16" x 1-5/16" (width x thickness)
this was used for a porch wall panel where you can see the beaded pattern from both sides. Comes from 2 x 4 material.
Moulding 13/06...T-15
$120 set up plus we run it twice, therefore add another .30 per foot to foot price
Take your unique conceptual design to the next level.
We can manufacture custom moulding designed to match your existing profile. Look through our extensive custom mouldings database, or provide us with a sketch and we will quickly create it for you. Our turn around on moulding is 1-2 days.
Submit a message or call (713) 686-6176 to get started.
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Houston Hardwoods Company is located in Houston, Texas. We offer the largest selection of mouldings in Texas. Marine grade plywood is our specialty. Every day, we are providing a better selection of softwoods, hardwoods, exotic wood, plywood, MDF and melamine, edgebanding and veneer sheeting. We have been in business for more than two decades, and the organization still starts every day with the partners who got it started!


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|Article Index
|UNRIC Library Newsletter - July 2010
|New information material
|New titles
|All Pages
UN Women
United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women
In an historic move, the United Nations General Assembly voted unanimously on 2 July 2010 to create a new entity to accelerate progress in meeting the needs of women and girls worldwide. The establishment of this entity is a result of years of negotiations between UN Member States and advocacy by the global women's movement. It is part of the UN reform agenda, bringing together resources and mandates for greater impact.
The Millennium Development Goals
Report 2010
English: http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/pdf/MDG%20Report%202010%20En%20r15%20-low%20res%2020100615%20-.pdf
French: http://www.un.org/fr/millenniumgoals/report2010.shtml
Spanish: http://www.un.org/es/comun/docs/?path=/spanish/millenniumgoals/pdf/MDG_Report_2010_SP.pdf
The report notes that even though the economic crisis took a heavy toll on jobs and incomes around the world, the world is still on track to achieve the MDG target of cutting the rate of extreme poverty in half by 2015.
The path to achieving the
Millennium Development Goals: A synthesis of evidence from around the world
This report synthesizes country-level evidence generated through a sample of 34 MDG Country Reports — 20 of which are in Africa — that have completed their national MDG assessments and shows trends in progress, successes, failures and the impact of the recent global crises.
Todo lo
que siempre has querido saber sobre las Naciones Unidas
La publicación «Todo lo que siempre has querido saber sobre las Naciones Unidas» es un libro de texto para estudiantes de nivel intermedio y secundario.
publications go mobile
United Nations Publications announced the release of the UN e-book applications for iPhone and e-books for Amazon's Kindle which give users easy access to offline reading and reference on global issues. The first UN publications available as iPhone applications, or 'apps', are UN flagship titles such as The Charter of the United Nations, The United Nations Today, and Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Available for a nominal fee at the App Store, UN e-book apps allow users to take advantage of the advanced capabilities of the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch user interface. Features of the UN e-book apps include: Simple and clean user interface, Full-text search across the text, Intuitive navigation to different parts of the book, Linking to other UN titles.
UN Office for the Administration
of Justice - new website
English: http://www.un.org/en/oaj/
French: http://www.un.org/fr/oaj/
Spanish: http://www.un.org/es/oaj/
The new website provides information about the internal justice system at the UN including the Office of Staff Legal Assistance, the United Nations Dispute Tribunal and the United Nations Appeals Tribunal. All judgments rendered by the Tribunals are available for download on the website.
Addressing Conflict-Related Sexual
Violence: An Analytical Inventory of Peacekeeping Practice (UNIFEM / DPKO / UN
This publication captures best practices and emerging elements for a more effective response by peacekeepers to women's security concerns. From initiating firewood patrols in Darfur to establishing market escorts, night patrols and early-warning systems in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the document catalogues direct and indirect efforts to combat sexual violence during and in the wake of war. While the focus of this publication is on the practical methods by which military, police and civilian peacekeepers can prevent sexual violence, it is also part of a broader agenda to improve the capacities of peacekeepers to protect civilians effectively.
de paz de las Naciones Unidas: Resumen del año 2008
Mientras la comunidad internacional celebró durante el año 2008 el 60º aniversario de las operaciones de mantenimiento de la paz de las Naciones Unidas, los cascos azules se encontraban trabajando más allá de sus capacidades y afrontando numerosas operaciones cada vez más complejas en todos los lugares del mundo.
Security Council Concept Paper:
The promotion and strengthening of the rule of law in the maintenance of
international peace and security
English, French & Spanish: http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=S/2010/322
The President of the Security Council for June 2010, Mexico, has issued a concept paper for the Security Council open debate on The promotion and strengthening of the rule of law in the maintenance of international peace and security, to be held on Tuesday, 29 June 2010 (S/2010/322).
United Nations Peacekeeping
Operations – Background Note: 31 May 2010 (DPI/1634/Rev.109, June 2010)
English: http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/bnote.htm
French: http://www.un.org/fr/peacekeeping/bnote.htm
United Nations Political and
Peacebuilding Missions - Background Note: 31 May 2010 (DPI/2166/Rev.84, July 2010)
English: http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/documents//ppbm.pdf
French: http://www.un.org/french/peace/peace/pdf/ppbmf.pdf
Blame and Banishment: The
underground HIV epidemic affecting children in Eastern Europe and Central Asia (UNICEF)
An underground HIV epidemic in Eastern Europe and Central Asia is intensifying at an alarming pace, fuelled by drug use, high-risk sexual behaviour and high levels of social stigma that discourage people from seeking prevention information and treatment, according to a new report released by UNICEF. It highlights the issues faced by children living with HIV, adolescents engaged in risky behaviours, pregnant women using drugs, and the more than one million children and young people who live or work on the streets of the region.
DESA launches new social media
The Development Policy and Analysis Division (DPAD) of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) has launched today a new communication campaign including a 'new media toolbox' to disseminate its information - including the World Economic and Social Survey 2010 - on the fastest growing media in recent years. Three social networks will be part of this effort: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Through them DESA staff plans to build partnerships with colleagues in other UN Departments, Agencies and Commissions for promoting the UN Development Agenda.
The Economics of Ecosystems and
Biodiversity (TEEB) for Business Report (UNEP)
Business leaders in biodiversity-rich developing economies are concerned about losses of 'natural capital', a new UNEP report highlights. Over 50 per cent of Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) surveyed in Latin America and 45 per cent in Africa see declines in biodiversity as a challenge to business growth. In contrast, less than 20 per cent of their counterparts in Western Europe share such concerns. The findings, compiled by a study of The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB), indicate that those corporate chiefs who fail to make sustainable management of biodiversity part of their business plans may find themselves increasingly out of step with the market place.
FAOSTAT – free access to database
of hunger statistics
The world's largest and most comprehensive database on food, agriculture and hunger is now open to the public, free of charge, as the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) announced. The database contains over one million data points covering more than 200 countries and territories.
Multidimensional Poverty Index
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Oxford University today launched a new index to measure poverty levels which they said give a "multidimensional" picture of people living in hardship, and could help target development resources more effectively. The new measure, the Multidimensional Poverty Index, or MPI, was developed and applied by the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) with UNDP support. It will be featured in the forthcoming 20th anniversary edition of the UNDP Human Development Report to be released in October 2010, and replaces the Human Poverty Index, which had been included in these reports since 1997.
Needs Assessment Toolkit on the
Criminal Justice Response to Human Trafficking (UNODC)
Trafficking in persons is a complex phenomenon demanding a coordinated and multisectoral approach in order to achieve an effective response. The toolkit is analyzing country's criminal justice response to human trafficking.
Report on the second UNCTAD Public Symposium - Responding to global crises: New development Paths (TD/B/57/5)
The Symposium discussed the enduring effects of the global economic and financial crises with a view to exploring new development paths, anchored on the premise that responding to global crises relies on the advancement of new thinking and new approaches.
Tourism and the Millennium Development Goals: sustainable -
competitive – responsible (UNWTO)
Maximizing tourism's contribution as a main driver of economic growth and development, UNWTO is currently implementing numerous programmes to reduce poverty, fight gender inequality and foster sustainable development.
UNAIDS report on HIV treatment
Treatment 2.0: http://data.unaids.org/pub/Outlook/2010/20100713_outlook_treatment2_0_en.pdf
Outlook: http://data.unaids.org/pub/Outlook/2010/20100713_outlook_report_web_en.pdf
A new United Nations report says that a radically simplified approach to ensuring access to HIV treatment for everyone who needs it could prevent 10 million deaths by 2025 and 1 million new infections annually. The so-called 'Treatment 2.0', says the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), could lower the cost of treatment, simplify treatment regimens, ease the burden on health systems, and improve the quality of life for people living with HIV and their families. For the new plan to succeed, the agency's 'Outlook' report calls for action to be taken across five key areas.
World Drug Report 2010 (UNODC)
Report in English: http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/data-and-analysis/WDR-2010.html
Executive Summary available in English, French & Spanish.
The Report shows that drug use is shifting towards new drugs and new markets. Drug crop cultivation is declining in Afghanistan (for opium) and the Andean countries (coca), and drug use has stabilized in the developed world. However, there are signs of an increase in drug use in developing countries and growing abuse of amphetamine-type stimulants and prescription drugs around the world.
Economic and Social Survey 2010: Retooling Global Development (DESA)
Report in English: http://www.un.org/esa/policy/wess/index.html
Overview available in English, French & Spanish.
According to the 2010 World Economic and Social Survey a major rebalancing of the global economy is needed to make it sustainable. The main message in the report is that we have seen in the past couple of years, multiple global crises emerging - the food crisis, energy crisis, climate change crisis and the global financial crisis - all to a large extent a part of major systemic failures in the global economy and weaknesses in the mechanisms for global governance and particularly also a lack of coherence among many areas of policy-making.
Youth employment in crisis (ILO)
The United Nations labour agency is calling for urgent action to tackle the crisis of youth unemployment, which has increased significantly in the wake of the global economic slowdown and has repercussions for the economy as well as social cohesion. Young people – those aged 15 to 24 – account for over 22 per cent of the increase in the number of unemployed since the beginning of 2007 and is now nearly three times the average level among adults aged 25 and over, according to the new report issued by International Labour Organization.
Minimum Standards for Education:
Preparedness, Response, Recovery (INEE Minimum Standards Handbook, updated 2010 edition)
This handbook, produced by the Inter-Agency Network for Education in Emergencies and supported by the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), aims to raise the quality of education in emergency situations to help the 25 million children who are living in conflict-affected areas and are missing out on primary education. The 2010 edition of the handbook encourages preparedness, response and recovery, and focuses on the links between education, disaster risk reduction and conflict mitigation.
Les Nations
Unies et l'assistance humanitaire (Nouvelle version du site)
Face au bilan humain et financier des conflits et des catastrophes naturelles, le système des Nations Unies est l'un des principaux prestataires de secours d'urgence et de l'assistance à plus long terme. Il porte secours le plus rapidement possible aux victimes et s'efforce d'élaborer des stratégies efficaces pour prévenir les situations d'urgence.
UN Global Pulse: new website to
protect the vulnerable from emerging crises
UN Global Pulse, an online platform which uses sources as varied as statistics, traditional warning systems and new sources such as mobile phone messages and social media to visually detect emerging crises and protect the most vulnerable, has launched a new website. The launch of Global Pulse, formerly the Global Impact and Vulnerability Alert System or GIVAS, coincides with the release of the Secretary-General's second 'Voices of the Vulnerable' Report. In addition to the report the website features detailed information about research and projects with UN agency partners, over 100 reports focusing on vulnerability and coping in response to external shocks, events and links to Twitter, Facebook and YouTube pages.
The Brussels based United Nations Regional Information Centre for Western Europe - UNRIC provides information on UN activities to the countries of the region. It also provides liaison with institutions of the European Union in the field of information. Its outreach activities extend to all segments of society and joint campaigns, projects and events are organized with partners including the EU, governments, the media, NGOs, schools and local authorities.
United Nations Regional Information Centre for Western Europe (UNRIC Brussels)
Residence Palace, Rue de la Loi/Wetstraat 155, Block C2,7th and 8th floor, Brussels 1040, Belgium
Tel.: +32 2 788 8484 / Fax: 32 2 788 8485


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Steak lovers! Reward yourself or give someone a gift that sizzles, a Black Angus Steakhouse gift card, from one steak lover to another. It's great for all occasions: birthdays, anniversaries, work incentives, thank yous or just to simply brighten up someone's day! Serving the best with all-natural beef, we specialize in U.S.D.A. choice fresh-cut steaks, seasoned, seared U.S.D.A. Choice Prime Rib, slow-roasted to perfection, variety of seafood entrees and much more!
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text:
So, I've been contemplating this year's Christmas cards and I'm drawing a blank on ideas. We did the whole professional family picture last year and I plan on taking my maternity pictures in January or we could potentially use those.
So, I can't decide if we should do another photo or something simple and boring...what are your thoughts. What are y'all doing this year for Christmas cards?


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Emergency Contraception
General Contraception
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