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Under the Lacey Act, it is unlawful to import, export, sell, acquire, or purchase fish, wildlife or plants that are taken, possessed, transported, or sold: 1) in violation of U.S. or Indian law, or 2) in interstate or foreign commerce involving any fish, wildlife, or plants taken possessed or sold in violation of State or foreign law.
The law covers all fish and wildlife and their parts or products, plants protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and those protected by State law. Commercial guiding and outfitting are considered to be a sale under the provisions of the Act.
In 2008, the Lacey Act was amended to include a wider variety of prohibited plants and plant products, including products made from illegally logged woods, for import.
When the Lacey Act was passed in 1900, it became the first federal law protecting wildlife. It enforces civil and criminal penalties for the illegal trade of animals and plants. Today it regulates the import of any species protected by international or domestic law and prevents the spread of invasive, or non-native, species.
For more information on the Lacey Act and how it relates to injurious wildlife, visit the Office of Law Enforcement.


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From Trent:
ST. LOUIS -- From the Reds:
RHP Elizardo Ramirez today cleared waivers and was outrighted to Louisville.
Tomorrow, the Reds are expected to recall from Louisville LHP Phil Dumatrait and RHP Marcus McBeth.
# The Cards acquired former Red Russell Branyan from the Phillies for a player to be named.
Hamilton cf
Gonzalez ss
Griffey rf
Phillips 2b
Dunn lf
Valentin c
Hatteberg 1b
Encarnacion 3b
Shearn p
Eckstein ss
Ankiel rf
Pujols 1b
Edmonds cf
Duncan lf
Molina c
Miles 2b
Reyes p
Ryan 3b

subset: commoncrawl


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Robert Lunn is a former defensive tackle from UCONN. He graduated in 2008 and is now playing professional football - in Portchach, Austria. He's graciously shared some of the things he's experienced so far.
Lunn is no stranger to blogging, either. Some of his musings can be found on his personal blog "Thoughts From A Fat White Guy," guest appearances on Chris Cooley's blog portion of his personal site, and a blogger for the newly launched NESN.com.
Daulerio: You're useless, where's my column?
Lunn: Sorry, it takes twice as long to type with one hand.
Daulerio: Take your time, no one cares anyways.
So why exactly did this column barely meet its deadline? Here's the story. Last game we beat the Falcons (I'd tell you their home-city, but I can't pronounce it and smart money is on the fact that you don't really care). Our four touchdown victory margin was overshadowed by the fact that at one point during the second quarter I looked down and realized my right thumb was now facing backwards and touching my wrist. My brief moment of curiosity gave way to panic, which then of course gave way to "What the fuck do I do now."
Our "training staff" consists of a professional masseuse with limited English and the Austrian Red Cross. My playing days at UConn this injury would have been met with instant orthopedic assessment, local anesthesia, and some post game pain killers. Instead, our head Coach grabbed my thumb and tried to "pop it back in" (wrong move, as it wasn't dislocated—-tendons were torn) and I got a few Tylenol Extra Strength for my troubles.
So our victory over the Falcons, whose opposing quarterback is so hefty he puts Jared Lorenzen to shame, was overshadowed by an inevitable visit to an Austrian Hospital.
Now my most useful appendage (I'm right handed and my girlfriend doesn't come for another week) is rendered obsolete. My thumb dangles from my hand like a flaccid penis, and just like that my career as a hitch-hiker is over before it began.
Now all that is separating me from less evolved mammals is my superior intellect and that I'm not slinging poop from my cage at the San Diego zoo (although metaphorically, this is pretty close).
I consider myself a career underdog, and that's fine with me. When I wasn't recruited in high school I thought my football playing days would be spent at a 1-AA (excuse me, NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision) school. But I caught some breaks and received offers from UConn and Syracuse. I chose UConn and my first two years were spent as a long snapper, but eventually I broke the starting lineup where I remained for my final two years. That being said, it came as no surprise to me that my team in Austria was not a league powerhouse or even a contender. Last year they didn't win a game. But as is often the case, our band of misfits has some of the more interesting personalities in Austria.
We have Daniel, our safety. Who dates a Samoan girl whose cousin is Shawn Merriman. Daniel called Merriman and asked him "Hey, do you s-ink you cood get me a Patrick Willis Jersey?" (He did).
Our center is a guy named Matic, a Slovenian who sounds like Schwarzenegger, who will tell anyone within ear shot how awesome his village of 40 inhabitants is.
Our head coach (and Boston native), whose pregame speeches seamlessly weave their way between WWII land acquisition references and the occasional Vietnam flash back: "Gentleman, the Carinthian Black Lions wear black. You know who else did? The man in the black pajamas. CHARLIE! — they were underdogs too. Well the Ho Chi Mihn Trail might also lead to victory. Let's get it!"
Of course there is our resident man-whore, Peter, who is always asking me "Rob, ven does your seestercome to Austria?" Studboy had to be picked up on the way to our last game because he woke up late after a night of drinking in a strange bed, 45 minutes away. He routinely finds his car tires slashed by angry boyfriends and never once considers any of this out of the norm. Just "ze price of doing bee-niz."
I was a political science major at UConn (leisure studies wasn't offered). My 7th semester we learned about the "McPeace-Theory." This states that countries with McDonald's don't attack or start wars with other countries that have McDonald's (and it's actually true). Everywhere I go in Austria I try and see what part(s) of American culture have made their way into Austria. Typically it's New York Yankee hats, "Yes We Can," Flavor of Love and not much else. That said, our game against the Graz Giants revealed something new to me. Our teammates were excited about spending time after the game in Graz, possibly staying over. I inquired, "Is the Graz night life better than our city?" The answer was "No." Turns out the big draw for our team was that in Graz, Austria there is a HOOTERS.
Aha! So love of cleavage and fried food is global. So while SUVs and all you can eat buffets are taboo, HOOTERS has jumped the pond. God bless America.
Robert Lunn can be reached at thefatwhiteguyATgmail.com. Share your thoughts with him. He's a big boy.


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It's a Swiss chain specialized in laser hair removal, with more than 20 years of experience in the industry.
We are an innovative company, because each year we open new establishments in the country, resulting on various job opportunities creation.
Valid on each combined area of the body.
We're not around right now. But you can send us an email and we'll get back to you, asap.


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Zero Hedge
September 21, 2010
- A d v e r t i s e m e n t
- {openx:49}
An interesting development out of Jean Johnson, Circuit Judge in Duval Country, Florida, where in a case filed by JPMorgan/WaMu, as Plaintiff, and law firm of Shapiro and Fishman, attempted to evict defendants Hank and Marilyn Pocopanni. As basis for the legal case, WaMu had submitted an assignment of mortgage, which however the court just found never actually belonged to WaMu, and instead was carried on the books of Fannie Mae. Once this was uncovered is where this case gets really interesting: In point 5 of the filing we read that the "plaintiff predecessor counsel made "clerical errors" when it represented to the Court that the plaintiff was the owner and holder of the note and mortgage rather than the servicer for the owner." Which means that only Fannie had the right to foreclose upon the Pocopannis, yet JPM, as servicer, decided to take that liberty itself. And here the Judge got really angry: "The court finds WAMU, with the assistance of its previous counsel, Shapiro and Fishman, submitted the assignment when [they] knew that only Fannie Mae was entitled to foreclose on the Mortgage, and that WAMU never owned or held the note and Mortgage." And, oops, "the Court finds by clear and convincing evidence that WAMU, Chase and Shapiro & Fishman committed fraud on this Court" and that these "acts committed by WAMU, Chase and Shapiro amount to a "knowing deception intended to prevent the defendants from discovery essential to defending the claim" and are therefore fraud. While the Judge in this case did not also find declaratory damages against the plaintiff, and while the case of the defendants is unclear (we would expect Fannie to file a foreclosure act on its own soon enough), the question of just how pervasive this form of "fraud" in the judicial system is certainly relevant. Because if JPM takes the liberty of foreclosing on mortgages as merely servicer, when it has no legal ground for such an action, who knows how many such cases the legal system is currently clogged up with. The implications for the REO and foreclosures track for banks could be dire as a result of this ruling, as this could severely impact the ongoing attempt by banks to hide as much excess inventory in their books in the quietest way possible.
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We are confident quite a few other such cases will promptly appear.
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A true sight to behold for any coastal urbanite who has daydreamed—even once!— of skipping shoebox living for larger-than-life Midwest real estate markets, this 18,000 square-foot private Wisconsin estate, known as "Millennium Manor," leaves nothing to the imagination. An elevator spans three levels of living space, where six bedrooms (including a master suite with lofted home gym), seven bathrooms and a home office cover the basics. A home theater replete with DVD/Blu Ray surround sound and individual reclining leather chairs; a 3,500-bottle climate-controlled wine cellar, and in-home entertainment area with bar and access to the custom-shaped outdoor swimming pool, spa and tennis court lend this property a level of opulence only that much space could afford. In true suburban style, Millennium Manor is conveniently located next to the freeway—not that you'll have any reason to leave, of course! View the property.
$6.4M for a Magnificent "Millennium Manor"
Copyright LXTVN - LXTV


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Monday, September 14, 2009
Suicidal Tendencies
It's hard to imagine the feelings an operator faces after such an incident, and they appear to be happening with greater regularity, with five, by our count, in the past six months.
According to this article, "a commuter rail engineer will see as many as 20 [suicides] in his [25-year] career."
Seems a little high, but one would be enough to potentially cause some serious mental anguish.
The article says that "the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that 112 people nationwide killed themselves using buses, trains and subways in 2002, a tiny percentage of the approximately 30,000 suicides each year."
In Germany, the article says, there were 18 transit related suicide attempts a week.
One reason suicidal people might pick trains is that there's a 90 percent "success" rate, according to the article.
We asked Metro how it treats operators who've been involved in these kinds of incidents. They said "each incident is unique to the individual train or bus operator. They meet with a counselor from our Employee Assistance Program who then determines with the employee what the proper course of action for that employee is. Some employees may choose to come back to work the next day, others may require additional counseling and therapy."
Do you think three's anything Metro can do to prevent further suicides?
Other items:
Should Metro take a hint from VRE? (WaPo)
Board members learn from Labor Day closings (Examiner)
7 comments:
- Anonymous said...
My heart goes out to the operator, however Metro's reaction was once again disorganized at best. Red line trains were reported to be single tracking and not stopping at Chinatown or Metro Center. Of course what Metro says it is doing and what it actually does are far different.
Instead trains were stopped and offloaded at Judiciary Square. A single Metrobus was provided to then shuttle the entire train load to subsequent stations. Riders were informed of this not by the multiple announcements over the intercom system or the announcement boards on the platforms, rather a metro employee walked about halfway down the platform and saw riders milling around after about five minutes and said, "if y'all are waiting for a train there won't be one. You need to go upstairs and take the bus."
I had an impatient two year old with me. We were not going to be able to get on the one bus they provided with the dozens of people coming off the train.
- September 14, 2009 at 8:59 AM
- Michael said...
Toronto Transit had a program to improve response to suicides and attempts.
Their training improved employee ability to identify people who were there to commit suicide (typically crying, standing near or at the end of the platform, allowing one or more trains to go by inexplicably). Some people set down their belongings or partially undress, etc.
The training also used guidance from the mental health community for approaching people that appear to be in the system for purposes of committing suicide. Employees cited that it was helpful to know that approaching someone with concern was not likely to "send them over the edge", and that approaching people directly, by saying "are you here to commit suicide" was more effective than asking a less direct question like, "you're not going to do anything, are you?"
The link is worth a read. Note: I am not a mental health professional and this should not be considered advice for how to approach a person that might be at risk for suicide.
- September 14, 2009 at 9:15 AM
- Dan Franzen said...
Only in theory. If the system had a setup similar to Tokyo's, where there were are barriers along the platform edge with openings that line up with the train's doors, that would make it a lot more difficult. But we'd need a system that consistently lined up the doors with the openings.
- September 14, 2009 at 9:30 AM
- Brian said...
Dan, I had the same thought, but... we can't even get these operators to remember how many cars they're running with. Probably not going to work too well.
I'd be interested in seeing the suicide rates in other systems to see how their measures work compared to Metro. Maybe 'interested' isn't the word I'm looking for, actually.
- September 14, 2009 at 10:54 AM
- Joshua Davis said...
Not that it is Metro's or any government agencies job to prevent suicide, but Metro should introduce a suicide prevention training programing like Toronto did: http://www.fra.dot.gov/downloads/safety/trespass/ROWF&TR-2008-0401-02-06.ppt
- September 14, 2009 at 11:26 AM
- Dan Franzen said...
Well, in theory such a system would not need operator input. I agree that the operators often seem to have no idea of what they're doing. Automate it and include triple redundancy. If other cities can do it, we should be able to. In theory.
- September 14, 2009 at 1:24 PM
- Anonymous said...
Yesterday at Navy Memorial a guy tried to jump in front of the approaching train. Between the response of the passengers on the platform and the station manager he was stopped. The station manager was able to stop the train from coming into the station and moved the guy away from the edge (following him along the platform and talking to him.) I was impressed with the station manager because he knew exactly what to do and saved a life. Metro occasionally gets some things right.
- September 24, 2009 at 1:20 PM


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Make these roasted chick peas as a high fiber, sugar-free, vegan, protein packed treat for all of your family members that like to grab a snack as they wander (or whiz) through the kitchen. These roasted chick peas will keep your blood sugar in check and keep you satisfied so that you wont find yourself raiding the rugelach jar before bedtime.
- 2 cans of garbanzos, drained and patted dry (very important!) – Use a paper towel and lightly pat them dry, or place in a salad spinner taking care not to smash them.
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons curry powder
- sea salt to taste
- Heat oven to 400.
- Mix all the ingredients in a bowl.
- Spread out onto a cookie sheet.
- Bake for 15 minutes, then stir. Bake for another 15 or 25 minutes or until crunchy.
Check out Apartment Therapy's 15 More Ways to Flavor Roasted Chick Peas.


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Recently Derek Britton of Micro Focus issued an article giving some great advice on how to develop one's enterprise mobile strategy. As we have been discussing in recent posts, mobile is expanding exponentially and is putting even more pressure on IT teams to support these efforts. Derek covers some great ways to deploy a mobile strategy and support a mobile strategy in a cost-efficient way. In it he shared " The advent of the savvy end-user and the rising trend of "bring your own device" (BYOD) have immeasurably changed the way in which services must be provided by IT. As smart phone capabilities develop, so does the level of expectations for added functionality.
Businesses will find it impossible to ignore mobile if they wish to remain competitive in the next few years and must consider the most effective way to develop and adapt business applications to the needs of the mobile user.
The take-up of mobile technology will have "dramatic effect" on back-office IT systems, according to a study from Forrester Research. Modern users expect 24/7 mobile access to all the applications and online services that they would use on their desktop or laptop computer, visiting e-commerce sites, accessing their bank online, and more recently, loading their work applications. Yet, according to Forrester, "hidden costs and disruptions" are set to plague organizations that do not make appropriate pre-emptive action.
The Forrester Report suggests that mobile projects hide a variety of potential pitfalls as a result of infrastructure that is ill-prepared for exploding activity volumes. However, organizations need not think that embracing mobile will require a costly and complete overhaul of existing IT infrastructure to resolve these issues.
Businesses should consider re-using as much of their existing business applications and processes as possible in order to guarantee integrity, continuity and security of service for the future. Potential threats to the infrastructure of exploding activity volumes can be mitigated by making smart choices about application provision and workload management, to relieve pressure and offer a more cost- effective and viable solution to adopt mobile.
So what should businesses be doing to embrace mobile in a cost- efficient fashion? There are several steps that businesses can take to ensure that their IT infrastructures are prepared for the mobile explosion:
Re-use and adapt
All too often businesses approach mobile by developing new applications when in fact they could simply re-use and adapt existing, core back-end applications. The benefit of this approach is that costs are reduced and the existing infrastructure is not compromised.
While many may not consider COBOL for adapting business applications to support mobile use, its simplicity and therefore adaptability, makes this programming language, which accounts for approximately 70% of all critical business processes, the perfect candidate to take IT into the mobile era. With tools such as Visual Studio or Eclipse, developers are able to modernise applications to support new mobile applications across a wide number of technical platforms. COBOL can be used in each instance to efficiently deliver business services and their supporting data from the back-end to the user. The benefits of re-using COBOL systems rather than re-writing them are numerous and include a faster delivery of IT service, at lower cost and risk, while retaining intellectual property and competitive advantage.
Thoroughly test your mobile apps
When undertaking a considerable project such as adapting to mobile, testing is one area that cannot afford to be compromised. However traditional testing practices can mean that projects can overrun on time as well as budget. By moving application testing for mobile, web and related back-end systems to a more cost- effective environment that is easy to use, testing phases are able to be completed much faster and more thoroughly without eating into mainframe power. These environments also lend themselves better to supporting test automation and performance testing needs."
As Derek reinforced – the need to thoroughly test your mobile apps is critical and that doesn't have to be expensive either. Automated testing can be done in many different ways and utilizing different formats for different stages of your testing. From functional testing to performance testing, ensuring that your customers experience the highest quality of app or website is contingent upon how well it's developed, and tested. More on this topic to come so check back soon or follow our blog today!


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Junot Diaz, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao: 11/18/2010
Diaz is a smarty-pants of a writer (like Chabon and DeLillo), showing off his wit and knowledge in a story that goes outside our expectations of a novel. A few Book Club members liked the combination of playfulness and intellect, comedy and tragedy. Readers put off by extensive footnotes, untranslated Spanish slang, and allusions to characters from comic books and science fiction stories didn't enjoy it so much. Not a crowd-pleaser, this book was most appreciated by readers familiar with Spanish.
A couple of people commented that they preferred Julia Alvarez' In the Time of the Butterflies for a novel about the Dominican Republic.


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Hey all,
There's an idea I've been kicking around inside my head for a couple of weeks, and I've decided I'm going to try and get it all down here this week. Unlike my regular pattern of posting, this week will be far more chaotic in terms of frequency and post length. I'm hoping to get feedback from you, and hope that this will prompt some rigorous conversation.
As a heads-up to new readers, I will be marking my customary observation of Black History Month by taking on this book. While I recognize that there is much more to black history than the story of racism, my emphasis continues to be on placing contemporary race relations in a historical context, which requires an honest exploration of what race has meant in Canada up to this point. I am sure, incidentally, that there will be abundant references to Canada's treatment of Aboriginal people and various Asian migrant populations, so it will require a bit of branching out.
Anyway, that's what's going on over the next few weeks.
Like this article? Follow me on Twitter!


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'Vulnerability' and 'resilience' are among the new catch-words of the international community. These vulnerabilities range from the vulnerability of supply chains to the vulnerability of communities and people; and the proposed policy responses – aimed at strengthening resilience – range, accordingly, from the protection of maritime transport to installing early warning systems, putting houses on stilts and offering people affordable insurance.
These measures are important and urgently required, because statistics suggest that the number of risks we are confronting is rising; and so are the costs of the crises and disasters, natural and human-made, that we have to bear.
In fact, the list of global challenges is getting longer and longer, including, among others, global warming, loss of biodiversity, the rising spectre of water scarcity, new health threats, rising inequity and persisting poverty, excessive financial volatility, illicit trade, cyber insecurity and other forms of cross-border crime and violence.
If we consider these challenges as directly contributing to the mounting problems of vulnerability, then a further question poses itself: Is it just by chance that all these challenges are occurring together? Or, do they have a common root cause?
Tracing the macro-risk of vulnerability: the sovereignty paradox
In a recent paper I examine this question; and the main finding is that the latter appears to be the case: Today's multiplying risks and vulnerabilities can be traced back to a common root cause: the sovereignty paradox.
The sovereignty paradox arises because in almost all areas of policy states tend to hold on to a strict, conventional notion of sovereignty. Fear that international cooperation could jeopardise their policymaking sovereignty, leads states to shy away from effective and fair international cooperation. However, global challenges often require just that, viz. a multilateral collective solution. But as this type of cooperation is in short supply problems remain unresolved and are allowed to assume crisis proportions. In the end policymakers achieve the opposite of what they wanted: Rather than securing their policymaking sovereignty they are losing it, bit-by-bit, with each further crisis.
Of course, states' concerns about a loss in policymaking sovereignty is, in many instances, justified, as power politics and 'zero sum'-oriented strategies of international cooperation are still quite common, despite the rising trend towards multi-polarity and growing demands for more global fairness. Moreover, solving many global challenges means creating a global public good (GPG); and GPGs, like any other type of public good, are subject to free-riding. Importantly, in this case, free-riding is not limited to market actors but occurs also by states. The reason is that, when appearing internationally, states are also individual actors; and as such, they, too, may feel tempted to free-ride on contributing to a global public good like climate change mitigation. So, sovereignty concerns and lacking motivation to cooperate are often intertwined.
Yet, whatever the reason or combination of reasons for its existence, the sovereignty paradox is at the root of the crisis-proneness of today's world.
So, how can we escape this policy trap?
Escaping from the policy trap of the sovereignty paradox
In order to move the world on to a path of more sustainable global growth and development, two reforms deserve priority:
- Devising a sovereignty-compatible approach to international cooperation: This will first require compelling proof that for global-issues marked by policy interdependence among countries, fair and effective international cooperation is in states' self-interest. Second, we must forge consensus on a notion of 'smart' and mutually respectful sovereignty, i.e. an exercise of sovereignty that combines the pursuit of national interest with respect for the sovereignty of other states, including respect for the fact that others may want to derive a net-benefit from international cooperation.
- Establishing an independent high-level global stewardship council: This body would assist state and nonstate actors to be more aware of the global public domain, i.e. the ensemble of GPGs, including human and natural global commons, and are that is presently mostly overlooked and unmanaged. Therefore, the Council should not be just another intergovernmental, statist body. Rather, it should be a multi-actor body, concerned about combining the interests of states, however diverse, with the systemic requirements of GPGs, including those of the natural and human-made commons and those of the Earth as a whole. True, states are, today, often only one group of actors. Nevertheless, they have legislative powers; and, therefore, it would be useful to create such a Global Stewardship Council within the UN.
Promoting more sustainable global growth and development is, therefore, possible. Maybe, the Post-2015 Agenda process or the proposed subsequent Monterrey Plus conference in mid-2016 affords an opportunity to reach international agreement on the type of reforms suggested here.
Without undertaking such reforms, we might see a further rise in risks and vulnerability-generating crises and catastrophes. Resilience measures put in place to cope with the resultant disruptions would be merely palliative and not bring us on to a path of sustainability. We clearly need two sets of measures. measures that allow us better to cope with the ill-effects of the current global-governance reform back-log and measures that go to the root of the present problems and tackle the underlying macro-risk: the sovereignty paradox.
In other words, enhanced sustainability requires that we recognize that we have already stepped out of the classical world order of the Westphalian state and into 'Westphalia 2.0'. This new world order must recognize that in interdependent policy fields– of which there are more and more – the smartest way of meeting national interests is fair international cooperation.
The author is adjunct professor, Hertie School of Governance, Berlin, and former director of UNDP's Office of Development Studies, New York. Comments are welcome and can be addressed to [email protected]/ .
This note draws on:
Kaul, I. 2014. Fostering Sustainable Human Development: Managing the Macro-risks of Vulnerability. New York: UNDP Human Development Report Office. Occasional Paper.
_____. 2013. "Meeting Global Challenges; Assessing Governance Readiness". In The Governance Report 2013, ed. Hertie School of Governance. Oxford,UK: Oxford University Press.
Photo by Mangus Manske, Wikimedia Commons
The HDialogue blog is a platform for debate and discussion. Posts reflect the views of respective authors in their individual capacities and not the views of UNDP/HDRO.


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Tablet Market Booms as More Also-Rans Chase Apple
The tablet market is exploding — thanks largely to the runaway success of the iPad. And while there don't seem to be any new winners beyond Apple's first-to-market device, there are enough competitors (and losers) to force Wall Street to raise its tablet forecasts on their sheer number alone.
Consider Barclays analyst Ben Reitzes's calendar 2011 tablet forecast. Originally it called for 47 million tablets. Now it calls for 62.7 million. Of those, Reitzes expects 38.9 million to be iPads, significantly more than the 31.5 million he'd originally predicted. The remaining 23.7 million will be "non-Apple tablets," up from his first prediction of 15.6 million.
The rationale for these increases? For the iPad it's simple: Improved product availability in the U.S. and abroad and strong demand in the consumer and corporate spaces. As Apple COO Tim Cook said on the company's last earnings call, "We sold every iPad we made."
And for those non-Apple tablets? Says Reitzes, "While indications are that sell-through volumes have been soft for competitive products to the iPad, our 'other' tablet estimates are still driven higher by the sheer number of other vendors shipping devices into the channel — with some of the largest estimated volumes coming from Samsung, RIM, Motorola, HP, Acer, Asus and Amazon."
In other words, those companies are shipping a ton of tablets to their retail partners, despite a lack of demand. And no good can come of that. Push too much product into the channel when there's little demand for it and you end up with an oversupply and the sort of nasty inventory problems that dragged Palm into the mud. And those problems will only grow worse with the debut of Apple's next iPad, which Reitzes suggests could occur late this year.
"Note that based on increased evidence in the supply chain, it may be possible for a new special edition iPad to ship as early as this fall, featuring an enhanced display, upgraded cameras and faster wireless capabilities — which could make our estimates conservative," he writes, adding, "Apple does not necessarily need this product to maintain and even extend its lead."
Indeed. Remember, consumers don't seem to want tablets … they want iPads.


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That's the description of live octopus chopped into bite-sized pieces and drizzled with oil and herbs. In my brief escape from work today I came across this video Americans Taste Test Exotic Asian Food. It's pretty hilarious. I'm down to try almost anything except for that half born baby duck. #justsayno What's the craziest thing you've ever eaten? I had alligator flavored ice cream once…and a kangaroo burger.
"Its like you're trying to making out with someone and trying to eat at the same time…"
Filed under Casey, Contenders, Posts


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This is a reprint of an article I wrote for US Pro Cycling News.
Now that the Classics have come to an end with the closing of Liège-Bastogne-Liège, attention turns to the Grand Tours. The first of the Grand Tours starts this weekend, with the opening of the Giro d'Italia. There are three Grand Tours- called as such because they are three week tours of their host countries. May is the Giro d'Italia (Tour of Italy), July is the Tour de France (Tour of France), and August is the Veulta a España (Tour of Spain). Each of these races has its own personality, but they all require the utmost in dedication and preparation. Whole seasons are dictated and structured around Grand Tours. If one hopes to win, place on the podium, or even in the top ten, commitment must be 100%. There is no half-assing it at the Grand Tours! This is because Grand Tours are brutal to the max. Racing around 200 kilometres a day for 3 weeks, with only 2 rest days, is like running a marathon every day for 3 weeks. They offer different challenges than one day races, with the cyclists hoping to be a General Classification contenders or podium finishers having to race smart to make sure their bodies can survive 3 weeks of racing. As such, the tactics are subtler and attacks by favorites less frequent. In addition, an awesome team is needed that can protect and shepard their leader to the finish.
The Giro d'Italia was started by an Italian newspaper, La Gazzetta dello Sport. They were inspired by L'Auto, which had created the Tour de France five years earlier to boost sales. In 1909, the first race was held, with 127 riders on the start line. Only 49 riders finished 8 days later. Like most races of the era, it's run was interrupted by World War I and II. Until 1914, winner was decided by how many stages they won, not by overall time.
Until 1950, only Italians stood on the top step of the podium and it wasn't until 1919 that there was a non-Italian on the podium- Belgian Marcel Buysse. In 1925, Alfredo Binda started winning stages and races at such a rate, that in 1930, the organizers offered Binda 22,500 lire to not run the race! He returned in 1931, but had to abandoned due to a crash.
By the 1950's, wasn't being won just by Italians any more. In 1954,the the Swiss rider Hugo Koblet was the first non-Italian to win the race, and there wasn't another run of Italian winners until 1997.
Not surprisingly, Italians have won this race 66 times, with Belgium WAY back in second with only 7. Andrew Hampsten is the only American to have won the Giro, in 1988.
1931 was the year the pink jersey made its first appearance for the overall leader. The color was modeled on the color of La Gazzetta dello Sport's newsprint color. Francesco Camusso was first winner to bring this jersey home.
The best young rider's jersey is white, maglia bianca.
In the 1940s, there was a black jersey for the cyclist in last place. Another entry in the interesting fact file was Alfonsina Strada as a female rider in the 1924 Giro. She was disqualified form the GC when she crashed and finished outside the time limit, but she was one of the 30 riders to finish that year. This was because when the newspaper saw a spike in sales after her participation, they made her the highest-paid participant so she would finish the remaining 4 stages.
2011 version celebrating 150th anniversary of unification of Italy and promises to be a doozy. Many riders have expressed their fear that the route might be the death of them. Podium Cafe has a great breakdown of the race and also check out the US Pro Cycling News previews as well!


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The following statement is being reposted here from the website of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization:
Occupy Wall Street movement: Repression and resistance
By Freedom Road Socialist Organization
On Sept. 17, 2011, a group of protesters gathered in Zuccotti Park in New York City. Their intention: to expose Wall Street greed and corporate domination over the lives of working and middle class people, the 99%. Almost immediately, police responded to the protesters with repression and pepper spray. This caused thousands of New Yorkers to flood to Zuccotti Park. Occupy Wall Street was on. Protesters camped in the park and did not leave for 59 days. Support for the protest built quickly and spread across the country and around the world. Within weeks, almost a thousand cities had Occupy protests. U.S. cities big and small had Occupations, including Chicago, Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Oakland, Salt Lake City, Seattle, Tampa and Winston-Salem.


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Edited by DonnyDonuts, 14 October 2015 - 09:55 AM.
Started by DonnyDonuts, Oct 14 2015 06:14 AM
1 reply to this topic
Posted 14 October 2015 - 06:14 AM
Some of the best volleyball in the state is in this area and not one post since last year? This site has really declined
Posted 19 October 2015 - 10:38 PM
Agreed some of best VB in state. McComb should come out of the regional and hopefully (for NWO) bring home the trophy. not sure they can do it after this year.
1 user(s) are reading this topic
0 members, 1 guests, 0 anonymous users


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Reflexology - Springfield
Trafford is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. With an estimated population of about 211,800 in 2006, it covers 41 square miles and includes the towns of Altrincham, Partington, Sale, Stretford, and Urmston. Wikipedia
Found 18 listings
The Full Spectrum Centre Limited
Dukinfield, Greater Manchester, SK16 4DY
0161 711 0658
Located within the beautiful Old Courthouse on Chapel Street in Dukinfield, Greater Manchester we are a centre for excellence in education, training, development, holistic [...]Distance: 15 miles.
Latona Holistics
Swinton, Greater Manchester, M27 9GT
My name is Lyndsey Walker (was Jones), I'm a fully qualified Reflexologist at a Clinical Level 5 with the Centralia Access to Excellence Training [...]Distance: 4.63 miles.
Holistic Health Therapist Ltd
Salford, West Yorkshire, M6 7HL
Debbie Broadhurst - Professional Beauty, Reflexology, & Reiki Therapist - Welcome We all know that there is more to life than just feeling 'OK' and [...]Distance: 7.55 miles.
Hannah Tappenden Reflexology
Manchester, Greater Manchester, M3 4BQ
Clinical reflexologist offering reflexology treatments in Manchester City Centre. Can also offer reflexology at home for clients in South Manchester (including Didsbury, Chorlton, Heaton [...]Distance: 9.59 miles.
Dawns Therapies
Manchester, Greater Manchester, M28 3UA
Services Reflexology Reflexology is a complementary therapy based on the belief that there are reflex areas in the feet and hands which are believed to correspond to [...]Distance: 9.71 miles.
Spa Urban Oasis
Manchester, Greater Manchester, M60 1TA
0161 835 4061
Services Specialising in Reflexology and Reiki Spa Urban Oasis wellbeing hair and beauty spa is Manchester's best kept secret. Founder and owner Martha Mary Brophy BSc Hons. [...]Distance: 9.75 miles.
Relax & Revive
Warrington, Cheshire, WA3 1HP
3 Heathmoor Avenue
Reflexology! Be pampered, relaxed and healed by the stimulation of reflex points in the foot, hand or ear that contect with points all over [...]Distance: 9.89 miles.
Finding Felicity
Chorley, Lancashire
Passionate About Your Perfect Bliss I am a qualified and experienced reflexologist in Chorley. As well as standard Reflexology I can also provide the following: Indian Head [...]Distance: 10.34 miles.
Butterflies Beauty & Holistic Therapy
Manchester, Greater Manchester, M21 0XN
07580 344 971
Services Reflexology, Holistic Therapy, Deep Cleansing Hydrating Facial and Sinus Facial........................... Hot Stone Massage, Aromatherapy, Swedish Body Massage, Deep Tissue Massage, Sports Massage, Indian Head Massage..........................About [...]Distance: 11.2 miles.
Julia Kindon Reflexology – Warrington, Cheshire.
Warrington, Cheshire, WA1 4EZ
Relax, restore and rebalance with Julia Kindon Reflexology. Julia offers both general Reflexology & Hot Stone Reflexology. She is also trained in Hopi Ear [...]Distance: 12.94 miles.
Valerie Burt Reflexology
Leyland, Lancashire, PR25 4YX
I have worked as a Reflexologist for over 20 years. I visit most of my clients in their homes and I work in the [...]Distance: 13.71 miles.
Valerie Burt Reflexology
Leyland, Lancashire
Services Reflexology. I normally visit clients' homes. A reflexologist uses hands only to apply a gentle pressure to the feet. For each patient the application of [...]Distance: 14.2 miles.
From Sole to Soul
Bamber Bridge, Lancashire, PR5
I am a mobile Reflexologist covering Bamber Bridge and surrounding areas. Reflexology works by stimulating reflex points on the feet which correspond to areas throughout [...]Distance: 14.82 miles.
Body and Sole Holistic Therapy
Todmorden, West Yorkshire, OL14 5BS
Hi, I specialise in the areas of: Reflexology and Massage including: Deep Tissue, Swedish Massage and Aromatherapy. I am based in Todmorden and Hebden Bridge. [...]Distance: 16.6 miles.
Poynton Holistic Clinic
Stockport, Greater Manchester, SK12 1QL
07790 261914
Services Poynton Holistic Clinic offers professional reflexology, massage and reiki treatments in a quiet and relaxing environment, as a complementary way to improve health and [...]Distance: 19.45 miles.
Allison Roberts Reflexology
Widnes, Cheshire
07545 928280
I am a level 5 Reflexologist operating in and around the Widnes area. I offer bespoke reflexology treatments to suit your needs. Stress and [...]Distance: 19.62 miles.
Alternative Health Clinic
New Mills, Cheshire, SK22 3ES
01663 742282
Services Reflexology is a specific form of foot massage that aims to release blockages that prevent the body's natural energy flow, helping to balance the body [...]Distance: 22.45 miles.
Jackie Marsden Reflexology & Acupuncture
Warton, Lancashire, PR4 1AD
Services Reflexology and Acupuncture at Elder Cottage Clinic, Warton. I take an holistic approach taking the whole person into consideration, not just symptoms. £40 About me I qualified with [...]Distance: 22.71 miles.


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OSHA begins investigation after construction fatality
Federal investigators are trying to find out what happened in a construction fatality Sunday.
Jess Wilson, 44, was killed after his head touched a high-voltage line. Three other workers were hurt and have been released from the hospital.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration started an investigation into the incident Monday.
"OSHA typically responds to a workplace incident like this, a workplace fatality, and they'll do an investigation on their (own) and they'll request information from us," said Fayetteville Fire Marshal Harley Hunt.
Police said two employees, Wilson and Patrick Skaggs, were working at the Fayetteville site when the boom lift came too close to a high-voltage line. Two other workers were working the same line about 60 feet away.
"You want the safest workplace possible, but it could've been a freak accident," Hunt said. "Sometimes accidents, you can't prevent them completely."
Police said Skaggs performed CPR on Wilson, but he succumbed to his injury. A construction worker who knew Wilson said his death makes him want to be more careful on the site.
Hunt said OSHA investigators will be on site to make sure all safety precautions were followed.
"It's (an) unfortunate thing," Hunt said. "It's senseless, really. You got an individual trying to make a living, and it turns out fatal for them."
Another worker died at the same site in May. OSHA officials said that investigation is ongoing.
Parkcrest Builders out of Houston, Texas, is in charge of the apartment project. They have not responded to a request for comment.


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Video: Quiet Heavy Milling of Titanium
During test cutting with a new tool-and-toolholder combination for titanium, this video was shot to record the sound (or lack of sound) from a deep milling pass.
Stephen Eckersall, group engineering manager in the U.K. for toolholder maker Nikken, recently shot this video to capture the sound—or the lack of sound—of heavy milling passes in titanium using newly developed tooling. Specifically, this video shows the combination of a new toolholder design from Nikken and a new end mill for titanium from Technicut.
Technicut brought Nikken in on the development of its new high-metal-removal-rate tool for titanium, because the cutting tool maker was seeing minute axial sliding of the tool within various toolholders from high cutting force. Nikken's response to this problem was a new toolholder design able to restrain the cutter against this movement. Read more about the resulting tool and toolholder combination.
The video, which was shot at the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre in the U.K., illustrates how quietly the new tool and toolholder perform together. Mr. Eckersall provides these details:
- Toolholder: Nikken X-Treme Multi-Lock milling chuck
- Cutting Tool: 25-mm-diameter Technicut TiTan six-flute end mill
- Machine: Starrag Heckert HEC1600 horizontal machining center
- Spindle: HSK100A
- Material: Ti64 aerospace titanium billet 165 mm in diameter × 65 mm tall mounted on a 90-degree angle plate.
- Application: Three full-width slots—25 mm wide × 50 mm depth (one pass each slot cutting upwards from bottom of billet)
- Speed: 445 rpm
- Feed Rate: 214 mm/min.
- Coolant: Through tool at 120 bar plus flood supply around tool
Related Topics
10 Tips for Titanium
Simple process considerations can increase your productivity in milling titanium alloys.
How To Machine Composites, Part 2: The Cutting Tool, Workholding and Machine Tool
In carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP), the material removal mechanism is shattering instead of shearing. This makes it different from other machining applications.
Tips for Tapping Titanium Alloys
Creating threaded holes in titanium alloys calls for proper techniques based on an understanding of both the properties of these materials and the peculiarities of the tapping process.


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Here I'll say it my opinion, bluntly:Since the 1970's both parents have to work full-time, if you are middle class just to maintain, and then if you have children as teenagers, they are working. SOOOOO, when is there really adequate time to parent, care and nurture your children. We farm them out to day care and then the public school system. If they are overly excitable, high-energy, or don't follow a set behavior pattern, we go to the doctor and medicate our children to make them confirm. I think because the parents don't have adequate time to intervene and work with the children because of our American societal work obligations. Meds are filling a role caused by the inadequacy of our society and their view of parenting. Medicating young children, in my opinion is highly disturbing. You are setting them up for a lifetime of dependence.We really don't know how those drugs are interacting with the growing child's system. We are experimenting. I see more and more young people who were prescribed when they were very young just because they were rowdy or high-energy, becoming deficient or in need of continuing care into their twenties because of this, or suspected because of this. These comments don't even touch on how many parents are now on meds.
Wishing you all a Happy Thanksgiving. Hope its enjoyable
I wish the same to you and yours. Just please up your game on your radio show. Be conversational with your guests rather than using the same old boring questions that you ask every other guest. And please less infomercials. Thank you and God bless.A former Coast Rider
Ha, you're way off-base. You "listened" to a video?
What part of what he says is true? that most diseases are caused by Nutritional deficiency? and these same diseases can be reversed by nutritional supplementation? That there is no such thing as genetic diseases? again they are all the result of nutritional deficiencies? I could add more things but i'm tired right now, perhaps tomorrow.If so, why not give people a full list of the vitamins and minerals that could help them. Why does he charge exorbitant prices for them and suggest that you buy only from his website?How do i know Wallach hasn't killed anyone? Probably not directly (I'd like to not think), but indirectly he could have caused numerous deaths based on faulty advice given; advice he's not qualified to give in the first place. You don't know his history. He's a vet, not a doctor, yet pretends to be one.
I agree its expensive. So are doctors. Maybe his advice has harmed someone, but i doubt it. Because i cant find any stats on the percentage of U.S. deaths caused by naturopathic doctors (which Wallach says he is). On the other hand, allopathic (regular) doctors are the third leading cause of death, and cause 10% of U.S. deaths per. https://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2016-05-03/medical-errors-are-third-leading-cause-of-death-in-the-us. Most people dont know that naturopaths go to medical school.Doc gives a lot of his proprietary info away, if one listens (for free) repeatedly, and takes notes. His website gives away the "secret" mineral, which I believe is selenium (found in mustard).Here:http://nomdforme.com/faq/what-are-the-90-essential-nutrients/. . I dug them up for free. If you like this information I found at no charge to you😃, please check out https://www.gofundme.com/dellasdental.
The other point the quacks don't mention when they throw out "stats" about the dangers of doctors and hospitals. Like a person going to a hospital is already, likely, has some problems so more likely to be a risk. Illegals who come in droves to ERs. That people, especially illegals and poor (not necessarily their fault) won't abide by doctor's advice (change diet, stop smoking, stop drinking so much, take their meds, exercise, etc) but come in once something becomes an acute, crisis situation- which by definition is already bad and so higher risk. Psych Meds a risk for suicide or aberrant behavior? Yes. But people seeking them out are already (usually) depressed (or whatever) so already a high risk for suicide etc. Having said that. I do think there is LOTS wrong with our medical system and "big pharma." Popular advertising for meds. Meds prescribed by doctors for which they aren't totally qualified (why do primary care prescribed so much mental meds?) The painkiller issues. The VA crap. The bad food and lifestyles promoted by advertisers, Lack of follow up on patients. The whole insurance and billing issues and problems. Abagados and lawsuit abuses. The view by state agencies, especially for kids and vets, that everything, physical or mental, can be solved by a battery of pills (again without follow-ups or real diagnosis.) Faked, or bad, studies for certain Meds without 3rd party and real science behind them. Giving pills for purposes that aren't precisely approved for but off-label use. Over use of anti-biotics. And other things...
Hello and welcome. Among the online sites people are encouraged to examine a "certain" overnight radio program that fails to air proper disclaimers and maybe proper disclosures and who might be getting "money, compensation or anything of value" in exchange for what is presented as "news, editorial or program matter."Welcome to one of the place real people truly care about others. You know, those who can sense a scam when they hear one. You know, the type that aren't gullible, ignorant and may perhaps have real experience in examining what happens when cheap, lying profiteers attempt to manipulate others without conscience -- or worse, thinking they are "above scrutiny." Or maybe even federal laws.Welcome to a place where people are encouraged to help protect others. Welcome to a place where others are encouraged to file complaints and make their concerns known to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Food And Drug Administration (FDA) when certain broadcasts are suspect. So consumers aren't being lied to, cheated or far worse, harmed by "certain" programs posing as "medical truth" when it's nothing but that.Yes, Happy Thanksgiving. Tell that to those who may have blown so much faith and money on snake-oil salespeople. Tell that "certain" radio-program host to look at himself first, before he attempts to advance some "truth" or any and all "superiority morality" and dares slam others who are real, true and caring people as "little haters." Ask that host who is "little" now?That answer may surprise you. When reality sets in and delusions and narcissism take a holiday, like our upcoming holiday.
Who is paying you!No one here is complaining about being ripped off by Doc Wallach!
Are you the female The One?
I didn't realize that the doo doo birds helped build the pyramids. Wow. That caller was out there. LOL! Has that person called in before?
Yes. I play videos on one tab while I view material on another tab! No sense staring st a still life photo of Wells!
"Thank yeeewww, G! Enjoy your turkee. We know yeeewww do!"
Fat Tommee looks like some drug lord in that pic.
What a motley crew. Tommee running some kind of human trafficking ring?
Sorry for the long post, but it was important for this information to get out.
Ha! Jorch looks like he just came off of a cabernet bender.Maybe he'd been out cruising for babes.Come on back, Gnoory. Tell us more!


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By Bahar Gidwani
Publicly-traded companies are a big part of world economic activity. However, most of the world's goods, services, and jobs are generated by privately held companies (including large, medium-sized, and smaller companies), not-for-profit enterprises (including foundations, schools, and religious institutions), and government organizations (airports, ports, municipal governments, agencies, etc.). CSRHub's mission is to provide transparent information on the social performance of all types of enterprises. This past month, we have begun to offer ratings on a number of private and government organizations.
Why couldn't we do this before? The original pressure for revealing social performance data came from investors who wanted to put their money only into companies that had a positive social impact. These investors supported the work of financial analyst groups, encouraged the rise of reporting systems such as the Global Reporting Initiative, and helped fund not for profit groups like the Carbon Disclosure Project (which has recently re-christened itself "CDP"). These systems tended to focus on the largest and most widely-held companies—the ones that large investors most wanted to know about.
Competitive pressures—and investor interest in investing in smaller growth companies and public companies in less-developed economies—has caused the coverage universe of financially driven research to expand. Some of our data partners now claim to track the social performance of 30,000 publicly-traded companies. At the same time, a growing number of non-public organizations have begun reporting data on their sustainability performance. For example, we estimate that about 1,800 non-public organizations filed Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) reports in 2012, as did at least a thousand of the 5,000 reports offered via CDP.
Two additional sources of data have emerged on non-public companies over the past few years. One is crowd source/user contributed data feeds. Employee opinions about 110,000 companies come from Glassdoor, sustainability-oriented user ratings on 5,000 companies come from GoodGuide/ULE and more than 30,000 products and companies come from WeGreen, data on the brand value of 5,000+ organizations derive from Brand Finance, and 27 measures of risk on 32,800 companies, 7,000 projects, 5,300 NGOs and 4,500 governmental bodies come via RepRisk. Some of these sources receive fees from investors, some are supported by donors, and some generate revenue from selling services such as job ads or consulting.
The second new source arises from the effort by major companies to improve the sustainability of their supply chains. Engagement from a company's supply chain is vital to meet announced sustainability goals (e.g., a 20% reduction in carbon use) or respond to pressure from social groups on water user, treatment of indigenous peoples, child labor, etc. Using software systems from firms such as Source 44, OneReport, Credit360, Enablon, Eco-Vadis, CSRware, and others, large companies gather huge databases of sustainability data on their own operations and on their suppliers—many of whom are not publicly traded. Industry organizations (e.g., EICC, The Sustainability Consortium, SEDEX, and Sustainable Packaging Coalition) help by providing standard questionnaires and by allowing their members to share data and supply chain audits.
When we add data from some of these new sources to the information we obtain from other more conventional inputs, we can rate almost 200 non-public companies and organizations. The initial list includes companies such as Deloitte, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Levi Strauss, S. C. Johnson, and TIAA CREF. We also have partial ratings on McKinsey & Company, The US Postal Service, and Finnair. As a group, our non-public companies have a respectable average rating (using our average user profile) of 55.5—seven points above the average for all companies of 48.5.
This good performance makes sense—the first non-public organizations to report are likely to be those who have good social performance and who want others to know about it. We expect the next wave of smaller organizations and government groups to bring this average down—just as smaller public company scores lag behind those of bigger public companies. We also expect the number of sources on non-public organizations to converge towards the average for publicly-traded organization of about eight sources.
Average Number of Sources
|Non-Public Organizations
|Publicly-Traded Companies
Would you like to help us further our cause by bringing you more non-public organization information? If you would, please:
- Reward non-public organizations who report—even if their scores still are not as good as we might like—by giving them your business and your attention.
- Share ratings from non-public organizations with other non-public organizations. We need to break down the organizational barrier that says "we are private so we don't talk about these things."
- Encourage anyone who collects information to allow the groups they collect their data from to control their own data and to have the option of sharing it. It is unfair for big companies to require their supply chain components to pay to gather and report data, but to not get further value from their work.
Our long term goal is to provide a CSRHub rating for any type of organization—public, private, or governmental—of any size, in any location. To reach our goal, we need your help to encourage all organizations to report their social performance and to make available more of the data that has already been collected in various sustainability tracking systems.
Bahar Gidwani is a Cofounder and CEO of CSRHub. Formerly, he was the CEO of New York-based Index Stock Imagery, Inc, from 1991 through its sale in 2006. He has built and run large technology-based businesses and has experience building a multi-million visitor Web site. Bahar holds a CFA, was a partner at Kidder, Peabody & Co., and worked at McKinsey & Co. Bahar has consulted to both large companies such as Citibank, GE, and Acxiom and a number of smaller software and Web-based companies. He has an MBA (Baker Scholar) from Harvard Business School and a BS in Astronomy and Physics (magna cum laude) from Amherst College. Bahar races sailboats, plays competitive bridge, and is based in New York City.
CSRHub provides access to corporate social responsibility and sustainability ratings and information on 7,000+ companies from 135 industries in 91 countries. Managers, researchers and activists use CSRHub to benchmark company performance, learn how stakeholders evaluate company CSR practices and seek ways to change the world.


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Infosec Delegates at Infosec gave a resounding dismissal to a motion supporting VoIP deployment. The debate, "this house believes that the business advantages of VoIP outweigh the security concerns" ended in a fairly unanimous thumbs down, which implied security professionals don't think the technology is ready for big money corporate rollouts.
The proposers of the motion, a pair of technology consultants, said the cost benefits from switching to VoIP were great enough to make tackling the vulnerabilities head-on worthwhile. The sandwich technicians of Pret A Manger are saving themselves £10,000 per month on their communications spend having made the leap, they said.
The opposing pair, from investment banks, successfully argued that putting all their communications eggs in an IP basket is too risky at the moment.
Trial schemes and small deployments are absolutely relevant now, but piling the whole banking infrastructure on top of VoIP while still a toddler of a technology would be too much of an invitation to ne'er-do-wells, they said. Hacking traditional telephony is simple enough, but the difference with VoIP is that the attacker can be anywhere on Earth.
The feeling in the room was that VoIP needs time to crystallise as a technology. Genuine return-on-investment benefits, which will tip the debate in VoIP's favour (like a fully integrated communications desktop to increase productivity), are still further down the road.
In the meantime, it seems there's plenty of capital to be made from a burgeoning cottage industry in VoIP consultancy. ®


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WALLOPS ISLAND, VA - 224 Classic View
Observed Data 9 minutes ago
Station Details
Latitude: 37.75417 N
Longitude: -75.32500 E
Depth: 16 m / 54 ft
NDBC (WMO Identifier): 44089
CDIP's historic products and station information
A web server that provides metadata and data access for CDIP's NetCDF datasets, using OPeNDAP, OGC WMS and WCS, HTTP, and other remote data access protocols.
A web utility for accessing data from CDIP's NetCDF data files. It serves station data in traditional CDIP formats, as well handling newer formats and wavecdf datasets from any source.
Download an RSS reader (aka "aggregator") for your phone or add an RSS extension to your browser then click on the above button.


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'The Dark Knight Rises' Box Office Results Withheld for Colorado Shooting Victims
Although Warner Brothers did not report the weekend's opening earnings, the unofficial box office results for "The Dark Knight Rises" have been released.
It is estimated that the film, starring Christian Bale and Anne Hathaway, earned under its estimated $161.1 million at the box office over the weekend.
The distributor for the new Batman film did not report the earnings out of respect for the victims of the horrific shooting at a screening of "TDKR" in Aurora, Colorado on Friday.
Moreover, Sony, Fox, Disney, Universal, and Lionsgate also joined Warner Bros. in withholding the weekend's box office numbers.
"The only official number that they ever released was that [first] midnight gross," said Jeff Bock, senior analyst at a Los Angeles-based box office tracking company, according to the Denver Post. "On Saturday, we knew they weren't going to send out number officially. The interesting thing is that the studios also followed suit."
Numerous box office companies also did not post the numbers for the opening of the summer's most anticipated movie. The silence of the box-office numbers indicated the industry's attempt to acknowledge the horror of the tragedy while also still conducting business.
"We took our lead from the studios," said Bock.
James Holmes has been named as the suspect in the mass shooting, which killed 12 and injured over 50 victims.
Survivors of the shooting said that the 24-year-old gunman appeared 20 minutes into the midnight screening of "TDKR" with a rifle, handgun, and gas mask. First, he threw a canister which released a gas-like substance, and after shooting at the ceiling, took aim and fired into the crowded theater audience.
Social media sites are being flooded with messages about the shooting from people across the nation.
Director of "TDKR" Christopher Nolan released his own statement about the incident, calling it "unbearably savage," while actress Anne Hathaway also added her sympathies and said the shooting was an "unfathomably senseless act."
Moreover Bale, who portrays Batman in the film, issued a statement following Friday's shooting.
"Words cannot express the horror that I feel," said the actor. "I cannot begin to truly understand the pain and grief of the victims and their loved ones, but my heart goes out to them."
In addition to several other Hollywood celebrities, President Obama and Mitt Romney have also extended sympathies to the families of the victims.


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What Freelancer.com is likely to do with the Warrior Forum…
If you haven't heard the news yet, Freelancer.com recently paid $3.2 million AUD (that's roughly $3 million … and a steal of a deal considering that my estimations are that he shouldn't be making less than $1 million a year right now, and Allen way under-utilizes the forum) to acquire the Warrior Forum from long time owner Allen Says. You can read the official post from Allen here.
There's been a ton of speculation about what Freelancer might do with the Warrior Forum, but a lot of the speculation seems to be downright silly or stupid from a business standpoint, such as just redirecting traffic to Freelancer and so forth (no one in their right mind would do that to such a big and popular forum already making good money).
So I put together a list of what I would do if I were Freelancer, and what I really think they're going to try to do in two different phases. Time will tell if I'm right, but I bet I am. :)
What Freelancer.com will do to the Warrior Forum — Phase 1
We already know that they lowered the initial WSO (Warrior Special Offer) pricing — the main marketplace at the Warrior Forum — from $40 to $20 to list your special offers for sale in their market (still costing $20 to "bump" it up again after a few days usually when it drops below page 3 in their forum marketplace), and we also know that they changed the War Room (a special sub-forum section where people share tips and give freebies) pricing from $20 one time to $20 / year.
However, in phase 1 I think their next step would be to introduce their own WSO network option where instead of users tracking their affiliate sales on the WSO forum through other WSO networks like JV Zoo and Warrior+ (or larger non WSO networks like Clickbank, Paydotcom, etc.) where most of those networks collect a fee per sale, they'll have an option where you can use an option straight through the Warrior Forum itself.
Why does this make sense?
Simple, because it will mean more money in their pockets, and they can stand out by having more control over reviews, ratings, refunds, etc. than the other networks, which would give a major incentive to new users to use them.
Can they eliminate the competitors like JV Zoo, Warrior+, etc.?
Not initially — it'd be dumb of them to try to force WSO listings to go through them vs. just offering a big incentive to do so. They could piss off a large part of the community really quickly and risk the other networks trying to team up to drive the traffic outside of the forums altogether (something the other networks would be unlikely to do on a mass scale, but certainly could on a smaller scale with a handful of the vendors there).
So offering them as an alternative seems less intrusive and slowly builds their network. This will appease a lot of the members and prevent any major lash back, but that's where phase 2 comes into play…
Phase 2 — The Takeover of the WSO Marketplace
Phase 1 will start right off the bat with some changes happening within the first few weeks, while the other parts might take a couple / few months to start up. After they start, phase 2 will happen anywhere from 6 months to one year later.
During phase 2 of this, Freelancer will already have their own competing marketplace in the WSO forum marketplace with a healthy portion of the WSO listings using them. Those listings will have extra benefits of easier ratings, more trustworthy reviews, more seamless integrations, etc..
And this is where the phase 2 plan really starts…
At that point in time, it'd be dumb of them to allow JV Zoo, Warrior+, and the others to really partake in their playground. It'd come off as less of a disruption if they kicked them out now vs. at the start, but they'll have to go about it in the right way.
The best way to go about that would be to try to justify it for the better of the community, such as by saying that because of the reviews being abused by non-buyers or by the vendors themselves, they're going to require that listings go through their own network so all of this can be verified for a better user experience (or something to that nature).
This will effectively be shutting down the other networks and giving nearly 100% control to their in-house network, which could mean massive profits for them.
But what will happen to JV Zoo, Warrior+, etc.???
For a short time, JV Zoo and Warrior+, who rely on the forum (despite what they may or may not admit) for their business, will try to act like that's not a big deal and will act like they won't need the forum, and they'll do okay for awhile as they'll have their band of loyal vendors that stick to them for awhile, but their lifeline will have been cut and without massive changes, they'll likely die a slow and painful death.
The other networks that don't rely on the forum will continue to obviously be just fine, though, and may even have a slight increase in activity during this time if everyone plays their cards right.
Could I be wrong???
Sure, I could be wrong (although I don't think so), and there are a few possible moves that could change the above potential events slightly… For instance, Freelancer.com could make a lowball offer to buy one of the other forum networks.
I think it'd be kind of dumb of them to do that unless it's a dirt cheap price (which the owners will be likely to turn down and will try to fight it out), but they'd have the benefit of starting with a base of users. However, unless it's a dirt cheap price, they could easily get there themselves with controlling the entire forum to start with and being able to really push people into their new network if they create one (which almost certainly I believe they will).
Is it wrong of Freelancer to do this?
In short, no! If you drop $3.2 million, you have a right to try to get your investment back.
Why do I think they'll do this?
Simple — because I would do the exact thing above if it were me. :)
Agree or disagree? Let me know below!
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Snow or no snow, Great Works Regional Land Trust offers winter hikes on several of its properties, some of which are accessible only when the ground is frozen. Pick up your skis, snowshoes, winter boots (hopefully not mud boots!) and join Great Works Regional Land Trust for a weekend morning hike at a treasured place. The first excursion will be Sunday, January 20th, 10 am - noon at the Trust's 100-acre Kenyon Hill preserve off Ogunquit and Bennett Lot Roads in South Berwick, with Ogunquit board member Doug Mayer. Dramatic ledges are a highlight of this property in the Ogunquit River watershed.
Great Work's Tuckahoe Preserve in Berwick is once again on the list. Scheduled for Saturday, January 26th, the 108 acres between Hubbard Road and the Salmon Falls River offer a level easy glide for ski touring as well as an opportunity to explore the forested river bank. Berwick board member Michael Wright will lead.
Grant's Meadow on Beaver Dam Heath in Berwick/North Berwick is the site of two winter excursions. New this year is a Baby & Tot Walk for families with young children on Saturday, Feb. 2 (weather date Feb. 3). Strap your baby on your back and bring your toddlers to explore the new loop at Grants Meadow with board member Annie Cox. The trail should be packed down well enough to not need snowshoes. Hot chocolate will be provided to enjoy at the end! On Saturday, Feb. 16 (weather date Feb. 17), 10 am – noon, board member Michael Wright will lead a snowshoe or ski trek out on the frozen heath, conditions permitting. Beaver Dam Heath is a special, isolated place and winter is really the only time of year to venture far out on the wetlands.
If frozen solid, the "Wonders of Tatnic" draw hikers out on the beaver marsh of Orris Falls Conservation Area in South Berwick, providing open views that can't be had the rest of the year. Scheduled for Feb. 2, 9 am – noon, visit the Big Bump, Orris Falls, and conditions permitting, Baker's Oven. As time and interest allow, the excursion will also include a visits to Balancing Rock and Tatnic Ledges. Board president Tin Smith of Wells will lead.
Snow conditions permitting, Great Works Regional Land Trust will join with Kittery Land Trust to lead ski and snowshoe tours at Rustlewood Farm (on the Kittery/Eliot line), which the land trusts are working together to conserve. Scheduled for February 9th, time to be announced.
Space on hikes is limited to 25 people. Please call the Great Works office at 207-646-3604 to reserve your place. Anyone interested in joining any of these hikes is encouraged to visit the Great Works Regional Land Trust website www.gwrlt.org or call the office for more information, confirmation of the hike status and last minute suggestions for footwear. All hikes are open to the public and free of charge to Land Trust members. A $5 donation per person or $10 donation per family is suggested for non-members.
Great Works Regional Land Trust is a non-profit organization founded in 1986 to provide conservation options to the landowners of Eliot, South Berwick, Berwick, North Berwick, Wells & Ogunquit. Call 207-646-3604, email firstname.lastname@example.com or visit www.gwrlt.org to register and for more information. Reservations requested. Free to members, $5 suggested donation for non-members. Confirm conditions and suggested footwear prior to hikes.
Calendar listings:
-- January 20, Sunday, 10 am – noon
Hike to the striking ledges and varied terrain of the 100-acre Kenyon Hill preserve off of Ogunquit Road in South Berwick.
January 26, Saturday, 10 am – noon
Ski/Snowshoe – Tuckahoe Preserve, Berwick –
Located on Hubbard Road, approximately 4.3 miles north of Berwick center, this is a 108-acre "Forever Wild" preserve located along the Salmon Falls River. (Foul weather date Jan 27, Sunday)
-- February 2, Saturday, 9 am - noon
Explore 4 of the 7 'Wonders of Tatnic' - The Tatnic region of Wells, South Berwick and Ogunquit has a unique geology and natural history that has resulted in unusual features such as Baker's Oven (accessible only when the marsh is frozen) that have been the subject of much folklore. If time permits, the group will also visit a 5th 'Wonder of Tatnic', Balancing Rock. Snowshoes are suggested but not required.
-- February 2, Saturday, 10 am - noon
Baby and Tot Walk at Grants Meadow on Beaver Dam Heath
Strap your baby on your back and bring your toddlers to explore the new loop at Grants Meadow with board member Annie Cox. The trail should be packed down well enough to not need snowshoes. Hot chocolate will be provided to enjoy at the end!
Diamond Hill Road, North Berwick. RSVP, as numbers are limited. Day of hike phone number: 207-232-6151 (weather date Sunday, Feb. 3)
-- February 9, Saturday, time to be announced
Great Works Regional Land Trust will join with Kittery Land Trust to lead ski and snowshoe tours at Rustlewood Farm (on the Kittery/Eliot line), which the land trusts are working together to conserve.
-- February 16, Saturday, 10 am – noon
Ski/Snowshoe Beaver Dam Heath - Diamond Hill Road, Berwick. Explore the frozen beauty of this rare Atlantic White Cedar swamp and learn more about the natural history of this unique and biologically significant region. This trek requires excellent frozen conditions - do check with us. (Foul weather date Feb. 16, Sunday.)


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|Thu, Nov 9th 2000, 00:00
|HF Contesting, VHF Contesting, Digital Contesting, Beginner's Corner, QRP Contesting
Latest Posts
|Posted On
|Convert ADIF tyo CABRILLO
|on 12/11/13
|Hello Wes,
I have seen quite a few ADIF - to - Cabrillo converters. I have never used one, so I am unable to provide a specific recommendation. I can tell you, however, that most generate a file that takes some work to be accepted by the contest log robot. They never seem to come out perfect. I very highly recommend using a contest logging program just for contesting, for these reasons:
1) A contest logging program will generate a Cabrillo file, and it will likely be correct the first time, provided you've set the program up properly.
2) Most contest logging programs will also generate an ADIF file, which you can then import into Logger32 for awards tracking.
3) Contest logging programs are better for contest use. Much like a race car, it might not be comfortable for daily use, but you'll find that it performs much better "on the track."
Luckily, you have some time before this weekend to investigate a contest logger, if you were so inclined. The software that comes to mind is N1MM Logger (www.n1mm.com), TR log by N6TR (www.trlog.com), CT (www.k1ea.com - out of development, but simple to use). There are many, many others. While I am not affiliated with any of them, I use N1MM at home - and it's free to download and use.
If you do decide to use your current software and a converter, I recommend taking a look at the Cabrillo specifications (http://www.kkn.net/~trey/cabrillo/) to be sure that the file you generate will be acceptable; as I mentioned earlier, files generated by these converters are usually problematic.
Good luck, and I hope to work you this weekend!
Mike N1TA
ARRL Contest Branch Manager
|SS Contest Stratgy
|on 28/10/13
|I wouldn't say "hard to impossible." Plenty of stations work the sweep each year. In fact, operators at my station (built for DX contests) last year worked a sweep and my antennas are poor to the southwest. Being in 9-land, you stand at an advantage as well.
As for propagation prediction software, I am unaware of any program that will produce useful results for such close-in contacts. However, I would certainly look into EZnec and even YW (Yagi for Windows) as two programs that will help with modeling your antennas. Once you have an effective model of each antenna, you will be better able to plan your effort.
As a side note, last year a 5 element 15 meter monobander was often beat by a low (30' high) 40m dipole for working sections on 15m out to Michigan/Ohio from here.
73 es GL
Mike, N1TA
|Contest Results Waiting Record
|on 2/10/13
|Every contest is different. I cannot answer for the IOTA contest, as that is administered by the RSGB (not the ARRL). You will find the average seems to be about 7 months, and even longer for the major DX contests. I am not aware of any large contest that can turn results around within two months.
Decreasing this wait period is the current goal of most contest organizers. We are working here to publish results for our contests more quickly, and the widespread use of computer logging is making that increasingly easier. However, keep in mind that faster results often means shorter deadlines for entry submissions, and some operators still use paper logging for submission.
Mike N1TA
ARRL Contest Branch Manager
|2012 Sweepstakes Plaques?
|on 1/10/13
|Hello, the 2012 plaques will be out shortly. They will arrive before this year's event. We have made some changes to the processing to get plaques out the door faster, and will continue working to shorten the lead time even further in the future. Thanks for participating, and I hope to hear you on this year.
Mike N1TA
Contest Branch Manager
|Field Day submission email crashing
|on 10/7/13
|Hello Bob,
Please attempt to send the email again to email@example.com. We have repaired the problem and it should now work for you.
Mike N1TA
ARRL Contest Branch Manager


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Are there any beds available in hostels in Cannes on 6th August?
I've used several hostel engines, and they only list hotel rooms... it seems that everything is already reserved. Is it because of the high season and because of Cannes, or am I wrong and I'm looking in the wrong websites?


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This blog broadly talks about CALayer and its subclasses. In this part of the series we will build a loading indicator with CAShapeLayer and CAKeyFrameAnimation, a mirror reflection of the Haptik logo with CAReplicatorLayer and a colorful Haptik logo with CATextLayer.
core animation
February 26 / Vinay Jain / IOS


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