text:
Favorites and duds from today's commenting.
I know it's just me, because of the volume of Favorites in the average Shitehawk or Apprentice Roundup, but I am just not seeing a ton of jokes that I like all that much. Really, it's less that I am reading a lot of bad jokes, and more that I feel like I'm reading just piles and piles of not-jokes-at-all. There is so much discussion and yelling and other garbage.....boy it stinks. But the good jokes are still good.
This is classic SavetoFavorites. For one, he makes two jokes in the same post. In addition, the later joke comes way after the post has gone up and people are done reading the comments. But most of all, it's a tight, deliberate joke with a bunch of character - hallmarks if I've ever seen 'em.
Here's a nice score by Nikkolai in the Browns Prospects post. Look, the Browns are fucking ridiculous. But they're so fucking ridiculous that if your joke is "the Browns are bad", it's just not going to be nearly enough. This one works because of its absurdity, obviously, but also because it's kind of endearing to think of the Browns fans resorting to a straightened out paperclip to fix their tortured franchise. This joke is like Star Wars, to me. I know it's not real, but I kind of want to go live in the universe where it is real.
On the.......less sweet end of the "Browns are bad" spectrum was SameSadEcho with this dialogue-driven slam in the same post. It's not kind to the organization, of course, but there's actual intelligence in it. SSE actually has to set up the joke because there is a joke. A punchline with no set-up is nothing. It's a fucking meme, probably. I'm sure you saw the "Browns Flappy Bird" photoshop floating around the other day. Is that funny? No. It's just junk. Sometimes you gotta work for the damn joke. Thankfully some people around here still get that.
Liked this subtle nod from cobra, brah in the Rangers Photos post. This one has some character too. cobra's voice is sort of meek at its best, with an "aw, shucks!" quality to it that you don't see in more acerbic commenters' jokes. It's nice.
Total Fucking Duds
Wow, I wonder why that is, CosmicDrive00? Dummy.
Am I to believe it is within the power of the people on the other side of the keyboards here at Deadspin to delete or de-emphasize the old, disagreeable comments that resurface with reposts, and yet the power to do something about this offensive trash remains just out of reach? The guy posts a boobs pic. Put it in the grays. That way we don't have to watch it devolve into a misogynistic, masturbatory hatefest.
Finally, virtually every comment on this inexplicable post was predictably terrible. I wouldn't expect an article about a random woman's Facebook breakup to spin off a particularly hilarious comment section, but then again I also wouldn't expect that article to be on Deadspin.
Yours below.


text:
Barley Grass Juice Hordeum vulgare L.
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We make sure that it is harvested at maximum freshness, before being freshly juiced and dried at a low temperature to create this amazingly alkalising, cooling and cleansing barley grass juice powder.
Barley grass juice powder is a crucial part of Pukka's Organic Wellbeing supplements Vitalise and Clean Greens. We like the juice powder because it tastes so fresh and is so easy to digest.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
About SkullCowboy
Vox being a Comcast mouthpiece after a $200M infusion of cash, maybe?
No offense, but you are wrong. Asus, MSI and others touted overclocking as a feature on their 900m series equipped laptops. Their overclocking utilities made this easy to do. Now that doesn't work.
I disagree. That laptop was marketed and sold with overclocking as a major feature. As such it certainly should be easily accessible. In fact, instead of using settings in software provided by the manufacturer the general populace you speak of now have to resort to hacked drivers or other workarounds to get the performance they paid for.
It's kind of like the red key and the black key for the Hellcat. You would be pretty upset if all of a sudden that red key didn't work anymore...
Yea, trying to overclock your eBook probably isn't a good idea. But when you pay close to $3,000.00 for a laptop that was designed so you could, well, not too many children buying those...
That's nice, but you shouldn't need a workaround to enable a marketed feature you paid money for...
Actually, there are multiple manufacturers (Asus is a big one) that sell Gaming Laptops. The are specifically built with much higher thermal capability than your Chromebook. Do some Googling. These machines were (and still are, funny enough) being marketed as having the ability to be overclocked.
Asus copy:
"With ASUS TurboMaster technology, the G751 offers stable GPU overclocking along with an optimized dual-fan cooling system that keeps everything cool even in the heat of battle."
A lot of people bought them just for that reason. Now that capability is gone.
If this was a 'bug', the OEM vendors sure used it to drive sales. And funny how this 'bug' has existed for YEARS...
Officer Ronk should have called in SWAT to shoot the place up and close it down. That IHOP is obviously a wretched hive of scum and villainy.
...your acceptance of this sales contract prohibits you...
Aside from the fact that such dickery wouldn't be enforceable anyway, according to the article they never received any product and the transaction was cancelled. Seems to me no sale means no sales contract.
At Beech:
All the things you describe only matter for PVP or groups playing ONLINE. For the player never going online, only playing a solo playthrough there is NO added value to having to be online. None.
Blizzard could have added an option to create a character that could not go online at all. Diablo II had it. Hmmmm...
Okay, but should they be reviewing anything seized, since they never should have seized it to begin with? I know laws are complicated but it would seem the first act (unlawfully seizing) would cancel out the ability to perform the second act (reviewing for relevance to the charges).
Not a lawyer so asking a question. Since the search warrants were deemed illegal shouldn't all the seized items be returned immediately? If they were unlawfully seized doesn't that make them all inadmissible as evidence?
The demand letter Carreon sent was supposedly representing his client, Funnyjunk. Yet in the MSNBC interview Carreon said 'my mother' when referring to the picture Inman had drawn. Several references he made to Inman's response letter seemed to indicate he thought it was directed at him personally. Seems to me a lawyer would know better. And now bringing the lawsuit himself instead of for Funnyjunk.
Has anyone heard anything from the owner of Funnyjunk since this fiasco began? Even a no comment?
"In a world where you can spend so much time arguing over the sandwichness of a burrito, there's a need for lawyers."
I submit that needing a lawyer to determine if a burrito is a sandwich is a direct result of politicians (who mostly used to be lawyers) writing laws in such a way as to REQUIRE a lawyer to to determine if a burrito is a sandwich, hence insuring their continued existence.
Do away with the lawyers. Eventually we won't need them anymore...
The problem here isn't so much that their witness used to mod xboxes. The problem is with the prosecution wanting to keep that tidbit secret from the jury.
Phantom of the Paradise! I love that movie. And yup, that Paul Williams.
Does it really matter if it HAS been cracked? Pirates say yes. UBI says no. But I wonder how happy UBI is that most of the buzz about this game has very little to do with the actual game itself. It's about the DRM. Such a waste.
Once again, a publisher has so focused on the 'Dread Pirate Roberts' that they lost sight of two REALLY important things. #1 is us. You know, the customers? The one's who actually pay them money for... #2 THE GAME!!!
What's being talked about now? What's getting all the press? The DRM and whether it works. Instead of pointing to a successful launch and crowing about sales numbers they are fighting a defensive skirmish with announcements that, true or not, no one really believes.
Valve recently pushed out an update to the game Portal that added some new content that has fans decoding files and morse code and finding an old style phone in BBS to get clues to... something. They have fans all agog over something that hasn't even been officially announced yet. The new HL episode? Portal 2? But they are buzzing about THE PRODUCT. Hows that for marketing.
What's being talked about with UBI's new releases?
Way to go, UBI.
It's a pity the reporter who wrote the article didn't ask a few probing questions, like what school policy the student broke. Or, 'after talking to the student' what led them to believe evacuation of the school and a search of the student's garage was warranted.
I can almost here the ultimatum offered by the school officials at the end of this.
Admit this was all you and your child's fault, don't contradict any of this at a later date and we won't file a bunch of bogus charges, make you pay for police and fire response and expel your child for reasons that will keep him out of anything but a school for violent offenders.
Oh, the student handbook for the school can be found here:
Maybe some of you can figure what policy he broke...
A quick search of the word Nexus finds a software company, an electronics manufacturer and a major level in the game Quake 4. I wonder if Dick's daughter got huffy with them as well...
"Hi, I'd like to buy that painting, the one with the cat chasing the yarn."
"Great, just fill out these forms, please."
"Forms? What are these for?"
"These register you as the current owner. They will be filed with the Artist Reimbursement Office and their audit division, the tax office, and your local police precinct. Should you ever sell the painting you will need to file a transfer of ownership package, with it's applicable fees, to each of these entities. Should the painting ever be lost, destroyed or stolen you will need to file the claim form package id-10-t and allow for possible inspection and verification of said claim.
Will that be cash or charge?"


text:
In The Digital Age, What's Old Is New Again For Some
April 17, 2014
By Maria Recio
WASHINGTON — Ralph Nader looks like the original geek.
Intense, driven, focused on detail, slightly disheveled, the consumer advocate and former presidential candidate has a large electronic footprint on the Internet and social media.
But it turns out that Nader, who just turned 80, is so last century — maybe so last two centuries.
His latest book, "Unstoppable," will soon be out, and like his previous 11 it was typed on a bulky manual typewriter. He doesn't have a cellphone — "Why should I have a cellphone? I have people I don't want to get phone calls from" — and his Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and email accounts are written by aides, under strict guidelines.
"I've never seen them," he said of his virtual accounts.
Nader is one of a small group of Americans who are digitally resistant. They avoid electronic communication — from computers to smartphones — as much as possible, even as the world goes digital. But there's another emerging group that's also turning to old technology: tech users distrustful of the breadth of electronic surveillance revealed by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden.
"I don't go near the stuff," Nader said of digital communication in an interview with McClatchy. "It's like liquor. I don't want to lose control of my time."
Former President Jimmy Carter is turning out to be a digital teetotaler, too, but for different reasons. He created a stir last month on NBC's "Meet the Press" when he said, "I have felt that my own communications were probably monitored, and when I want to communicate with a foreign leader privately, I type or write the letter myself, put it in the post office and mail it."
Although at 89 Carter is older than Nader, he's been a fan of digital media — until now. What is being called "the Snowden effect" has people securing their communications.
"After Snowden, how comfortable can anyone be putting their personal or professional life online, or even on their own computer?" said Warren Sack, a software designer and media theorist who's a professor in the film and digital media department at the University of California, Santa Cruz.
In a poll last month marking the 25th anniversary of the World Wide Web, the Pew Research Center found that 81 percent of U.S. adults use laptop and desktop computers at home, work, school or someplace else. The poll of 1,006 Americans, taken in January, also found that 90 percent of all U.S. adults have cellphones, of which 58 percent are smartphones. In the 18-29 age group, 98 percent have cellphones, 83 percent of which are smartphones.
The Pew Research Center's Internet project found that 87 percent of U.S. adults use the Internet at least occasionally and 71 percent use it every day.
"This is a significant increase from the year 2000, our first measure, when just 29 percent of all adults said they went online on a typical day," according to Pew.
In many ways, Jamie Patterson, 25, and Matthew Chojnacki, 27, are typical millennials. A young married couple, they grew up on the Internet and live an urban life in Toronto.
"I was very much ingrained in the digital culture," said Chojnacki.
But after stumbling onto an estate sale one day, Chojnacki bought several typewriters and started fixing them up. Pretty soon, he and Patterson had a business, buying, restoring and selling typewriters on, of course, a website, OldFortTypewriterCo.com.
"It started out as a hobby, and so many people appreciated it that it became a side venture," Patterson said. In their day jobs they work for a provincial transportation agency.
They would lug the typewriters to a weekly "vintage night" at a local bar, where some people would type, others would knit and a disc jockey would — naturally — play vinyl records.
"It's got a romantic appeal to it," Chojnacki said of the typewriter. "It's all mechanical."
Jeff Hendrie, an 18-year-old high school senior in metropolitan Detroit, is something of an anomaly. He lugs a typewriter to school every day and does just about everything the old-fashioned way. Before he typed, he wrote his papers in longhand. He uses a flip phone and considers the U.S. mail "the most secure system." He has an email account, out of necessity, but he isn't on social media and teachers who usually send students their assignments by text will give them to him in person instead.
"Pretty much everyone, including myself and my parents, say I was born in the wrong era," Hendrie said.
Lynne Joyrich is a professor of modern culture and media at Brown University, but she has a fondness for mid-20th-century devices, such as rotary phones.
"I keep them because they are very beautiful," she said of her collection of vintage phones. Several work.
She has a smartphone to keep in touch with students but often forgets she has it, "for the pleasure of being able to be left alone." And that ability to control whom you are in contact with matters more and more.
"In today's world, there is more — and at the same time, less — comfort with surveillance and people being aware of what you're doing," she said.
New York City-based Laura Pitter, senior national security researcher at Human Rights Watch, a nonprofit group, said: "From my perspective, I'm much more careful about what I do online. I talk in person more now."
She and others who monitor human rights worry about foreign governments watching them.
"People are keeping things in notebooks," she said. "Even the most savvy people who work in this area find it's very difficult to protect yourself."
Investigative reporters are using disposable phones and are also going old-school, using fax machines to transmit material and scouting the few remaining pay phones in U.S. cities to reduce their electronic imprint.
Robert Thompson, a professor at Syracuse University who's quoted frequently as a pop culture guru, has, somewhat surprisingly, a minimal online presence. He's used his Facebook account once. Asked whether he was on Twitter, Thompson, the director of Syracuse's Bleier Center for Television & Popular Culture, replied, "Definitely not."
"I get in enough trouble with what I say at faculty meetings," he said.
©2014 McClatchy Washington Bureau
Visit the McClatchy Washington Bureau at www.mcclatchydc.com
Distributed by MCT Information Services


text:
Chris Knight: On the plus side, the actors — both young and old — do great work in their roles, Bill Hader especially
It Chapter 2 spends too much time clowning around
It Chapter Two is a very interesting movie, and a very scary one. Its problem (or It's problem; hard to go grammatically wrong here) is that it isn't very scary when interesting, and it isn't very interesting when scary. And it's too long any way you slice It, which, alas, no editor seems to have done.
The action picks up 27 years after the original, which cleverly set itself in 1989, which means we're now more or less in the present. The evil clown Pennywise, much like certain species of insects and of course Mary Poppins, has a habit of returning every few decades. The kids who were terrorized in the first movie have grown up and mostly moved away from their hometown of Derry, Maine, putting the past behind them.
The lone holdout, hunkered down in the town's library, is Mike (Isaiah Mustafa), who calls up all his old pals after something wicked his way comes. Bill (James McAvoy) is now a screenwriter, Richie's a comedian played by Bill Hader, Ben has slimmed down to become Jay Ryan, and Eddie's a financial type played by James Ransone. Beverly, who left an abusive parent for an abusive spouse, is played by Jessica Chastain.
The group reunites at a Chinese restaurant to discover that they have only tattered memories of the original film. (I can sympathize; I'm like that with a lot of middling movies myself.) But over the course of the meal, they gradually recall more of what happened, until the dessert – let's call them misfortune cookies – makes things clear. Pennywise is back, and it's up to these pound-foolish mortals to vanquish him.
The film, from returning director Andy Muschietti and writer Gary Dauberman – and based on the work of Stephen King, who gets an amusing cameo as a second-hand dealer – makes much of the notion that not all the demons from our childhoods are of supernatural origin. Bullies, fights with friends, words misspoken in anger and all the other vicissitudes of growing up continue to haunt the kids who once branded themselves The Losers Club. (A surprisingly large portion of the film flashes back to the younger characters and their look-alike actors.)
Kudos to the filmmakers for dramatizing normal as well as paranormal trauma, and for (mostly) eschewing jump scares in favour of creeping dread, which is harder to put on the screen, but always scarier when done well. But where It Chapter 2 falters is the decision to have each member of the Losers Club track down an item from his or her childhood, which requires a trip to a spooky location, a grapple with an evil entity, and a getaway.
It adds up to six separate quests – the term "horcrux" was heard more than once in the wake of the film's press screening – and it pushes the running time to nearly three hours. That's a lot of time spent clowning around, bogged down in mid-level terrors on the way to what looks to be a final showdown between good and evil. There's a superb 100 minutes of movie in the film's 169 minutes.
On the plus side, the actors, both young and old, do great work in their roles. Hader in particular is perfect at popping the tension with a barbed joke, which is a useful defense mechanism with all those red balloons floating around. And Chastain not only brings gravitas to her character, but is the spitting image of her younger self, played by Sophia Lillis.
Given the literary source material, we can be fairly certain that the studio won't trot out a Chapter 3, although it might be weirdly amusing to see a sequel set in near-future 2043. But the best course of action for now is probably to close the book on It.


text:
Card losses fell by 7pc year on year to reach £341 million in 2011, the lowest figure in a decade following a three-year reduction of nearly 45pc, Financial Fraud Action UK said.
Meanwhile, online banking fraud losses fell by 24pc to £35.4 million in 2011, despite a surge in phishing attacks which rose by 80pc year on year to reach around 111,000 in 2011.
But telephone banking losses increased by around a third and cheque fraud losses saw a 17pc rise in 2011 as more cheques were simply stolen and altered, the figures show.
Detective Chief Inspector Paul Barnard, head of the industry-sponsored dedicated cheque and plastic crime unit, said: "As technological advances have made our payments more secure, we've seen a spike in more simplistic crimes.
"Many scams involve customers being conned into handing over their cards and pins or their telephone banking security details by someone calling, pretending to be their bank or police.
"Our appeal to the public is to be wary of any unsolicited phone calls or emails. Never hand over your card and pin or bank security details in full as neither your bank or the police will ever ask you for these."
Card identity theft losses dropped by 41pc year on year while fraud from skimmed or cloned cards was down 24pc. UK cash machine fraud dropped by 12pc.
But fraud on lost or stolen credit and debit cards rose by 13pc and fraud from cards going missing in the mail rose by a third (34pc) year on year.
Financial Fraud Action UK said the continued upgrading of chip cards has played a major part in cutting fraud, as well as improved sharing of intelligence within the industry and with law enforcement bodies.
Cards with an "updated integrated circuit card verification value" have been rolled out since January 2008 and have helped to thwart fraudsters trying to harvest card details by tampering with chip and PIN terminals.
Issuers have also introduced "dynamic data authentication" cards which make each transaction unique, making it harder for criminals to simply copy details.
Greater use of up-to-date anti-virus software and banks providing customers with extra software such as hand-held devices to log on to internet banking have also helped drive down online fraud, Financial Fraud Action UK said.
But telephone banking fraud losses rose by 32pc from 2010 to 2011 to reach £16.7 million, with most losses involving customers being duped by emails or cold calls from criminals who tricked them into disclosing their personal information.
Cheque fraud losses also saw a 17pc year-on-year rise to reach £34.3 million, mainly due to an increase in fraudsters stealing genuine cheques and simply altering the payee name or using details from genuine cheques to create counterfeits.
Financial Fraud Action UK emphasised that more than 90pc of attempted cheque fraud is stopped before the cheque is paid.
The organisation co-ordinates the financial services industry's fraud prevention and works with bodies like the UK Cards Association.
Melanie Johnson, chair of the UK Cards Association, said: "This is the third year card fraud losses have fallen; clear proof that our endeavours to fight fraud are packing a punch.
"Customers have also played their part in driving down losses by taking heed of advice about looking after their personal and financial details.
"Fortunately they can always be confident that if they are the innocent victim of fraud, they have excellent fraud protection that they don't get if they use cash."


text:
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Quirky Tourist Attractions in or near Arizona
While in Arizona, you might enjoy a visit to:
Phoenix, Arizona: Governor Hunt's Pyramid Tomb
Lavish burial site of Arizona's wackiest (and seven times elected) governor, George W.P. Hunt. The pyramid sits on a hill in scenic Papago Park.
Phoenix, Arizona: Hole-in-the-Rock
Natural erosion created this sandstone portal to tourism in scenic Papago Park.
Carefree, Arizona: America's Largest Sundial
Giant copper-clad fixture tells time the old fashioned way. It stretches 62 feet and points to the North Star.
Coolidge, Arizona: Casa Grande Ruins
WPA giant metal umbrella protects a four-story, crumbling ancient Indian building. The mud structure's original purpose remains a mystery.
© RoadsideAmerica.com, Doug Kirby, Ken Smith, Mike Wilkins. Information provided as an unofficial resource on attractions as a convenience to our visitors.
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Adventure - Hiking - Trails - BikingCamelback Mountain
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Airport - TransportationWilliams Gateway Airport (IWA)
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Art Galleries & DealersAlwun House
Botanical - Strolling Gardens - ConvervatoriesDesert Botanical Gardens
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Universities & CollegesUniversity of Phoenix
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text:
The asylum is definitely not just a boots board. I rode the 138 Asylum yesterday in the Solent at high tide & 20+knot with straps.
The board is smooth riding, feels light & lively underfoot & not like towing a bucket which you get on some high rocker boards, probably due to the concave in the bottom. It cushions the landings nicely & genuinely doesn't spray water! Its a very good free ride board & much nicer to ride than either the misfit or the lunacy of previous years. For me it's up in the Monk/Trax category in terms of how good it is as a free ride board.
If anyone wants to come over to Calshot & demo it alongside the new Monk/Jaime/Protoy etc just give us a shout.


text:
No. 23 Illinois isn't going to play beat the clock this season. With players who can get to the rim, the Illini don't want to wait 35 seconds before trying to score.
In a 95-67 victory over Division II Missouri Southern in the exhibition opener Friday in Assembly Hall, the Illini were more run-and-gun than those days when the shot clock would evaporate, leaving fans to squirm in their seats and wonder what coach Bruce Weber was thinking.
No. 23 Illinois isn't going to play beat the clock this season. With players who can get to the rim, the Illini don't want to wait 35 seconds before trying to score.
In a 95-67 victory over Division II Missouri Southern in the exhibition opener Friday in Assembly Hall, the Illini were more run-and-gun than those days when the shot clock would evaporate, leaving fans to squirm in their seats and wonder what coach Bruce Weber was thinking.
"That's always the question in the Rotary, Kiwanis and Lion's Club,'' Weber said. "You going to have those 35-second plays, take bad shots and dribble it out? If you have more guys who can create, it definitely helps you.''
Even though the Illini went with the upperclassmen in the starting lineup — Demetri McCamey, guard Alex Legion, forwards Dominique Keller and Mike Davis with center Mike Tisdale — the four-man freshman class injected the athleticism and ability to finish plays that have Illini fans anxiously awaiting the regular season.
Illinois faces Division II Quincy in the final exhibition game on Nov. 8 before the regular-season opener against Southern Illinois-Edwardsville on Nov. 13.
OK, so the Illini coughed up too many turnovers in the first half (15 turnovers with 17 baskets made), then lost only four in the second half. The defense is still a work in progress, but the Illini have only scratched the surface with a young, promising lineup.
"You can tell we have talent,'' said McCamey, a junior guard. "It's just practice right now. You have to get better everyday. It came with intensity. Turnovers, the season is young. It's just started. It's the first game of the year. You can't look at the turnovers.
"You look at the energy and the good things. The turnovers can be corrected. That comes with practice.''
McCamey had 16 points and seven assists to lead Illinois. Freshman guards D.J. Richardson (14 points) and Brandon Paul (13) also scored in double figures. Richardson struggled with nerves and three early turnovers before settling down, and Paul slashed to the rim.
If a concern about getting to the free-throw line carried over from last season, it's likely moot. Paul was 7-for-10 from the line, and the team was 26-of-37. Remember, this was a team that didn't even attempt a free throw in a home loss to Penn State last season.
"Last year, we didn't get to the free-throw line and didn't get easy baskets,'' Weber said. "We've got guys who can get to the basket.''
Freshman guard Joseph Bertrand logged 19 minutes after sitting out practice Thursday to rest his right knee, the third time he's remained on the sidelines in 11 practices. Bertrand battled swelling in the knee during preseason practice after undergoing cartilage surgery in early September. He will likely sit during practice Saturday, and Weber will make a decision later on Bertrand's status and a possible redshirt.
"I told him, 'We're happy with you, proud of you and how you battled. I didn't know how tough you were,'" Weber said. "He really wants to be part of it. He's really pushing not to redshirt. We just have to see. Yesterday, we sat him so we could get him in the game and get some time. It continues to swell.''
Everyone played except junior guard Jeff Jordan and redshirt freshman center Stan Simpson. Jordan knew he wouldn't play in the exhibition opener, Weber said, after rejoining the team following preseason conditioning. Simpson's spot in the program appeared more tenuous when Weber announced that Simpson must clear up his academics.
'If you're struggling, you better get your butt in the classroom and be in the front row,' Weber said of the redshirt freshman.
Illinois led 19-1 but Missouri Southern pulled within 32-24 late in the first half. The Illini led 49-28 at halftime. After an early basket, the Illini lead was never smaller than 22 points in second half. Missouri Southern was picked to finish seventh in the MIAA Conference.
John Supinie can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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There has been considerable activity at the University of Canberra with the implementation of Apple-based systems for supporting teaching and learning. With the University installing a new lecture recording system, staff here in the Teaching & Learning Centre have been focused on ways to optimise the capture, editing, and delivery of videos from all sources (including learner-created, teacher-created, and lecture-recorded).
Amongst the many ideas for content delivery we have been investigating iTunesU and the use of iPod Touch and iPhone devices for accessing content on-campus (or at home) for later review and reflection. With that in mind, I applied for one of the Apple University Consortium (AUC) scholarships to attend last week's iPhone Software Developer's Kit (SDK) Workshops in Sydney, and was delighted to be accepted.
The three-day event was hosted at Clifton's Training on George Street, and the facilities were excellent. There simply wasn't a technical glitch the whole time we were there, which meant we could focus on learning instead of troubleshooting. The facilities were adequately spacious, well-lit, quiet, clean and modern. A shiny new Apple Powerbook was provided to each participant from the AUC's own "Classroom(s) in a Box" – this was a simple and flawless way of ensuring all participants were up and running in mere minutes.
The main trainer trainer was Nicholas Circosta, a 21-year-old Honours student from Murdoch University and a founding partner in start-up software development company Codelity. Nick's interest in all things Apple has naturally led him to apply his studies in Software Engineering to developing all manner of cool, useful, and whacky iPhone apps. It was a privilege to have someone so knowledgable and talented as our trainer, and he made learning iPhone development heaps of fun. I'm no Apple fanboy, but talking with Nick I couldn't help but be somewhat infected with his enthusiasm for all things Apple! No surprise, then that he's been headhunted by Apple themselves and will shortly be heading over to begin working for them in Cupertino.
Nick was assisted by Louis Cremen, a mobile developer and teaching member at the University of Wollongong's Faculty of Informatics. Louis provided excellent support during the "hands on" practical coding parts of the course, as well as great perspectives during teaching and discussion. When Nick goes off to Cupertino, Louis will be taking on the main teaching role for future iPhone SDK Workshops run by AUC, and we were very lucky to have both experts supporting our class during this transitory handover period of the course.
The course was divided into 10 modules of varying size and increasing technical complexity. The course content was designed to be approachable for those with little experience in coding Apple applications in Objective C; and was really ideal for the mixed experience levels in the class (which contained everything from post-doctoral through to minimally-experienced developers!) The first day focused on fundamental concepts of iPhone development (I shall never forget the Model/View/Controller Song from last year's WWDC), the language (Objective C) and the development environment (XCode+Interface Builder+iPhone Simulator).
We finished the day with a look at the basic structure of an app in development and the concept of "Views" created through both code and Interface Builder. On Day 2, we got into the guts of development and did plenty of coding based on Nick's examples, achieving things like storing data between sessions, enabling multitouch, and having a look at the various ways to implement 2D, 2.5D, and 3D graphics. By the third day our brains were pretty much bursting… but we were pushed harder conceptually, exploring the Core Animation and Core Location frameworks. Nick allowed us some free programming time at the end of the session, even putting up a nice prize for the participant who could code the best app in the last 3 hours of the day. 🙂
This was only my second ever AUC event (the first being CreateWorld09), but if this is an indication of the quality of AUC events I will definitely be hoping to attend more in future. First class training begins with first class trainers, and Nick's ascendancy into the realms of Apple itself provides some indication of his energy, enthusiasm and talent in iPhone development.
This iPhone SDK workshop is being held again several times this year – in Melbourne, Brisbane, and Perth. While I don't believe it's possible to get into the Melbourne workshop any more, if you are able to attend the Brisbane or Perth workshops I would highly recommend them. See the AUC website for more details.


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Once every couple of months, a former "Arrested Development" cast member hints at the possibility of a feature film reuniting the Bluth family.
Thursday was another such day.
"The answer is I think we're going to make it. I think we're going to make 'Arrested Development,'" said actor Jeffrey Tambor, who played frozen banana entrepreneur, George Bluth Sr., and his brother/hermano Oscar Bluth.
U.S. & World
"It looks good. Everybody's on board. Mitch is on board, and the whole cast. We're all very excited," Tambor said during an interview for Nonstop News LA at 7 P.M.
"What's holding it up is my negotiations for a trailer," he added. "I insist that there be a toilet, and we're bogged down."
Tambor, who stars in the upcoming film "Lucky," was ready for the question, a now clichéd final inquiry all cast members are apparently accustomed to receiving (see: Will Arnett, Jason Bateman, Michael Cera, David Cross).
"I know what you're going to ask me," Tambor said before we actually had a chance to ask about the film's possibility.
Earlier this year, series creator Mitch Hurwitz confirmed that he is in the process of writing the script with producer James Vallely.
"Lucky" opens in select theaters in Los Angeles and New York on July 15. The dark comedy stars Colin Hanks as a serial killer who wins the lottery and romantically pursues a childhood friend, played by Ari Graynor. Tambor plays a hapless detective hot on the trail.


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Adobe Launches PDF Print Engine 4 for Next-Generation Print Production
SAN JOSE, Calif. — May 31, 2016 — Adobe (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced the availability of version 4 of Adobe PDF Print Engine (APPE), Adobe's high-speed, high-fidelity print platform employed by the leading print equipment manufacturers, and running in more than 150,000 print operations around the world. As the fastest and most reliable PDF rendering platform, APPE 4 will deliver new performance efficiencies and breakthrough color features to extend Adobe's market-leading print technology. APPE 4 will enable printers to increase workflow efficiency, and capitalize on the profit potential of new innovations. (More)


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Caring at Heart in York
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Call Us if …
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- Your loved one is fiercely independent, living alone, at risk for falls, forgetting to take his/her medication……
- You need someone to run errands, take you to doctor's appointments.
- You need someone to help with grocery shopping, and provide light housekeeping & laundry.
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text:
Debra A. Spark
Professor of English
5284 Mayflower Hill
Waterville, Maine 04901-8852
M.F.A. the Iowa Writers Workshop
Areas of Expertise
- Fiction writing
- Teaching fiction writing
- Creative nonfiction writing
- Editing, fiction and nonfiction
Courses Currently Teaching
|Course Title
|Fiction Writing I
|Fiction Writing II: Constrained Writing
|Special Topics: Documentary Radio
Professional Information
Visit her home page at http://www.colby.edu/~daspark
Curious Attractions
forthcoming from University of Michigan, 2005
The Ghost of Bridgetown Graywolf Press
(2001) "In this intelligent, often bitingly funny exploration of liberal guilt and confusion, Spark's utterly believable characters balance on the razor's edge between justice and mercy, truth and love. The result is an edgy and unusual novel." —Andrea Barrett
Coconuts for the Saint Faber and Faber; Avon
(1996) "A gorgeous novel — as richly imaginative, wildly sensual and wisely unsettling as they come. Real world magic." —Washington Post Book World
Twenty Under Thirty Scribner's
(1986) "A confident and exciting new generation of literary talent. 20 Under 30 should be patented-it's that full of miraculous invention, incantation and heartfelt reality." —Jayne Anne Phillips
The directory information is for individual use only, it may not be retransmitted or published for any reason. It is not to be used for mass solicitations by email, mail, phone, or other means. Sale or other distribution of this document is prohibited by College policy.


text:
Tempers frayed in long gas lines and millions were still without electricity across the U.S. Northeast on Friday as the death toll from superstorm Sandy hit 102 and crews searched for more victims in devastated communities in New York and New Jersey.
The U.S. government moved to ease the fuel crunch by tapping strategic reserves and buying millions of gallons of gasoline and diesel to be trucked to storm-damaged areas.
With the U.S. presidential election four days away, television and newspaper images of angry storm victims could affect the campaign. President Barack Obama, locked in a tight race with Republican rival Mitt Romney, has so far generally received praise for his handling of the storm.
New York City canceled its annual marathon in the face of mounting anger as utilities restored power to about a million East Coast homes and businesses but still had about 3.5 million customers in the dark four days after Sandy hit the U.S. coast.
New Jersey natives Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi, along with Sting and a host of others, staged a televised benefit concert on Friday to raise money for victims of Sandy.
The massive storm, which combined a Caribbean hurricane with another powerful weather system, b rought 80 mile-per-hour (130-kph) winds and a record surge of seawater to Manhattan, Staten Island and coastal towns on Monday, sweeping homes from their foundations, shattering piers and swamping subway tunnels.
Forty-one died in New York City, about half of them in Staten Island, which was overrun by a wall of water.
Acute gasoline shortages led to long lines and short tempers across the region. In a move to ease the shortage, the Obama administration directed the Defense Logistics Agency to buy up to 12 million gallons (45 million liters) of unleaded fuel and 10 million gallons (38 million liters) of diesel for distribution to areas affected by Sandy.
The government also waived rules that barred foreign-flagged ships from taking gas, diesel and other products from the Gulf of Mexico to Northeast ports, and said it would tap strategic reserves for diesel for the Defense Department to distribute to emergency responders.
"There should be a real change in conditions and people should see it quickly," New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said.
Starting before dawn on Friday, long lines of cars snaked around gasoline stations in scenes reminiscent of the energy shortage of the 1970s. Some of the lines stretched for miles.
"It's a catastrophe," said Anthony Ennab, a 21-year-old student, as he waited in line at a Staten Island gas station with a container. "If I had an emergency, I would have no gas."
Police were in place at many locations to keep the peace between frustrated drivers. On Thursday, a man who attempted to cut in line was charged with threatening another driver with a gun in the borough of Queens.
Less than half of all gas stations in New York City, Long Island and New Jersey operated on Thursday because of power outages and limited supplies.
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie ordered gas rationing in 12 counties to begin on Saturday.
Sandy started as a late-season hurricane in the Caribbean, where it killed 69 people. At its peak, it stretched from the Carolinas to Connecticut and was the largest storm by area to hit the United States in decades.
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said he had spoken to the father of two boys, aged 2 and 4, who were swept from their mother's arms as she tried to escape rising waters on Staten Island. Their father is a sanitation worker and was helping the city respond to the storm when it happened, Bloomberg said.
"It just breaks your heart to even think about it," Bloomberg said on Friday. "While life in much of our city is getting back to normal, for New Yorkers that have lost loved ones, the storm left a wound that I think will never heal."
Search crews scoured beaches and went house-to-house in Staten Island and other neighborhoods in New York and New Jersey looking for bodies.
In Brooklyn's Coney Island, home to a large Russian immigrant community, Anna Ladd's basement still was swamped and she had no power or gas. Ladd, 62, has applied to the government for help but was wary of what aid, if any, she would receive.
"We have a saying in Russia – when someone promises something, you have to wait three more years until they deliver," she said.
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano visited Staten Island on Friday amid angry assertions by some residents that the New York City borough had been ignored.
"A lot of people are hurting and we want to work through the next days and hours to get people on their feet as quickly as possible," Napolitano told reporters.
Bloomberg reversed an earlier decision to go ahead with the marathon, which was expected to draw more than 40,000 runners, after rising criticism from residents who said the city should focus on recovery. He said the race had become a source of "controversy and division."
Runner Arthur Sorenson, 51, expressed disappointment at the news but said he would put his energy into fixing his Long Island home, which was swamped by Sandy's storm surge.
"All the nasty things that were written and tweeted. It's a race, people!" Sorenson said. "I just wonder if all the people who opposed the marathon so much will use that energy for good."
But Michael Cremer, 45, a benefits consultant, said before the cancellation was announced that the marathon had become a "symbol of insensitivity" to Staten Island.
"Staten Islanders feel like the forgotten people," Cremer said. "The thing about the marathon is just mind-boggling and people here are just extremely angry. … The insensitivity of Mayor Bloomberg is just unbelievable."
Much of lower Manhattan still lacked power and subway service on Friday, while midtown and uptown Manhattan were close to normal. Power was expected to be restored throughout Manhattan by Saturday, but it could be a week or more in suburbs and more distant towns along the coast.
Disaster modeling company Eqecat estimated Sandy caused up to $20 billion in insured losses and $50 billion in economic losses, double its previous forecast.
At the high end of the range, Sandy would rank as the fourth costliest U.S. catastrophe, according to the Insurance Information Institute, behind Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and Hurricane Andrew in 1992.


text:
Lyrics: Woody Guthrie
Music: Woody Guthrie
Played by the New Riders of the Purple Sage in the late 1970s and more recently by the David Nelson Band.
The crops are all in and the peaches are rottingNotes
The oranges are piled in their creosote dumps
They're flying them back to that Mexico border
To pay all their money to wade back again
Some of us are illegal, others not wanted
Their work contracts out, and they've got to move on
It's six hundred miles to that Mexico border
They chase us like outlaws, like rustlers, like thieves
Goodbye to my Juan, goodbye Rosalita
Adios mis amigos, Jesus y Maria
You won't have a name when you ride the big airplane
And all they will call you will be deportee
The airplane caught fire over Los Gatos Canyon
Like a fireball of lightning, it shook all our hills
Who are these friends all falling like dry leaves
The radio says they are just deportees
No tendras su nombre [?] avion (note 1)
Il solo [?] deportee
My father's own father he waded that river
They took all the money he made in his life
My brothers and sisters come working the fruit trees
And they rode on the trucks 'til they took down and died
We died in your hills and we died on your deserts
We died in your valleys we died on your plains
We died 'neath your trees aAnd we died in your bushes
Both sides of that river we died just the same
Is this the best way we can grow our big orchards?
Is this the best way we can grow our good fruit?
To fall like dry leaves and rot on my topsoil
And be known by no name except deportee
|New Riders Recordings
|Marin County Line


text:
Wider Problems Found at IRS
Probe Says Tax Agency Used Sweeping Criteria to Scrutinize Conservative Groups
The Internal Revenue Service's scrutiny of conservative groups went beyond those with "tea party" or "patriot" in their names—as the agency admitted Friday—to also include ones worried about government spending, debt or taxes, and even ones that lobbied to "make America a better place to live," according to new details of a government probe.
The investigation also revealed that a high-ranking IRS official knew as early as mid-2011 that conservative groups were being inappropriately targeted—nearly a year before then-IRS Commissioner Douglas Shulman told a congressional committee the agency wasn't targeting conservative groups.
The new disclosures are likely to inflame a widening controversy over IRS handling of dozens of applications by tea-party, patriot and other conservative groups for tax-exempt status.
The details emerged from disclosures to congressional investigators by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. The findings, which were reviewed by The Wall Street Journal, don't make clear who came up with the idea to give extra scrutiny to the conservative groups.
The inspector general's office has been conducting an audit of the IRS's handling of the applications process and is expected to release a report this week. The audit follows complaints last year by numerous tea-party and other conservative groups that they had been singled out and subjected to excessive and inappropriate questioning. Many groups say they were asked for lists of their donors and other sensitive information.
On Sunday, a government official said the report will note that IRS officials told investigators that no one outside the IRS was involved in developing the criteria the agency now acknowledges were flawed.
On Friday, Lois Lerner, head of the IRS tax-exempt-organizations division, said the agency was "apologetic" for what she termed "absolutely inappropriate" actions by lower-level workers. She said those workers had selected some conservative groups for extra scrutiny to determine whether their applications should be approved. She said they had picked groups for extra scrutiny according to whether they had "tea party" or "patriot" in their names, among other criteria.
Ms. Lerner came to the IRS in 2001 from the Federal Election Commission, and assumed her current position in 2006. IRS officials said Sunday that Ms. Lerner wasn't available for comment, and she didn't respond to an emailed request.
GOP lawmakers stepped up their criticism on Sunday. "The bottom line is [IRS officials] used key words to go after conservatives," Rep. Darrell Issa (R., Calif.), said Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press." "There has to be accountability for the people who did it. And, quite frankly…there's got to be accountability for people who were telling lies about it being done."
Some Democrats also voiced criticism. "I'm concerned about that," said Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D., Calif.), also on NBC. "Somebody made the decision that they would give extra scrutiny to this particular group. And I think we have to understand why."
The IRS said over the weekend it is in the process of independently confirming the dates mentioned on the timeline of events contained in the inspector general report, "but we believe the [inspector general's] timeline is correct." The IRS said the report supports its view that its missteps weren't politically motivated and were limited to lower-level workers.
The IRS also said the report reflects that "IRS senior leadership was not aware of this level of specific details" at the time of a March 2012 hearing where Mr. Shulman denied any targeting of conservative groups. Mr. Shulman, who no longer works for the IRS, declined to comment.
The new details suggest that agency workers were examining statements in applications for tax-exempt status to determine whether groups had political leanings.
Tax-exempt social-welfare groups organized under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code are allowed to engage in some political activity, but the primary focus of their efforts must remain promoting social welfare. That social-welfare activity can include lobbying and advocating for issues and legislation, but not outright political-campaign activity. But some of the rules leave room for IRS officials to make judgment calls and probe individual groups for further information.
Organizing as such a group is desirable, not just because such entities typically don't have to pay taxes, but also because they generally don't have to identify their donors.
IRS officials said last week that the focused review of conservative groups was initiated by lower-level civil servants in the IRS Cincinnati office, not by political appointees in Washington, and that it wasn't politically motivated. They say it stemmed from a misguided effort to centralize review of a growing number of applications for tax-exempt 501(c)(4) status.
But questions continued to swirl about the failure of IRS officials to disclose the problems until the inspector general's report was about to become public.
The timeline contained in the draft report indicates that IRS scrutiny of tea-party and other conservative groups began as early as 2010 and came to the attention of Ms. Lerner, the head of the tax-exempt-organizations division, at least by the following year.
The report's timeline indicates that the criteria were changed to be more neutral in July 2011 after Ms. Lerner "raised concerns." The criteria for heightened scrutiny continued to evolve over the next year or so, even as complaints from tea-party groups—and questions from GOP lawmakers—mounted over IRS inquiries to various groups about their activities.
Letters from Ms. Lerner in April and May 2012 responding to questions by Republican lawmakers made no mention of the problems that had surfaced in the IRS unit.
According to the draft report, on April 24 and 25 of last year, officials in Ms. Lerner's office were reviewing "troubling questions" that had been asked of organizations, including "the names of donors."
Ms. Lerner's April 26 letter to Mr. Issa, the chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, said that "there are instances where donor information may be needed…such as when the application presents possible issues of…private benefit."
The report indicates that in 2010 and 2011, some IRS workers weren't just singling out groups because their names contained certain words, as IRS officials suggested on Friday, but appeared to be probing for indications of political interests or leanings.
According to the report, by June 2011 some IRS specialists were probing applications using the following criteria: "issues include government spending, government debt or taxes; education of the public by advocacy/lobbying to 'make America a better place to live'; statements in the case file criticize how the country is being run."
Write to John D. McKinnon at email@example.com and Siobhan Hughes at email@example.com
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text:
OK all you gun guys out there. If I were going to get a decent deer rifle for my dear sweet hubby for his birthday, what would you recommend, and how much would you pay for it? Probably used, and not too expensive. (Guns are like fishing poles, I know. You can never have enough of them, and the prices range widely) It will be used for Minnesota deer hunting-Not real long shots, cold weather, woods, etc.
Also, are any of you familiar with the British 303 (Enfield I think) That is what he will be using otherwise, but he's not happy with it. Says the trigger pull is too long-(can it be shortened?) and it isn't real accurate. (Not an aim problem, he's real accurate with the other guns) I hate to put too much money into the 303 if it's not very good to begin with.


text:
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We have four heavy weight and super heavy weight fights on our "Count Down to War" New Year's Eve show! Thomas O'Connor vs Darnell Clark, 6 foot 10 The Soul Taker, Steve Shaw vs Arnold Adams from Chicago, DaVonta Nug Nunn vs Brad Scholten, and a super fight Brett Murphy vs Travis Wiuff! Go big or go home ha ha! The Pourhouse is donating free drinks and food to the people who buy the $100 VIP seats. I have tickets now and can sell them in advance for $30 and $90(at the door they will be $35 and $100).
We even have a heavy weight to MC our show ha ha. UFC legend Dan Severn will be the MC and he will be doing three seminars on catch wrestling and other submission grappling techniques.
He will do two seminars back to back on Saturday Dec. 28th. The first one will start at 10:00 am and go until Noon. He will sign autographs and take pictures with the students in the seminar and then do another seminar from 12:30 until 2:30.
He will return on Sunday at 10:00 am until Noon and sign more autographs and take pictures for a half hour after.
The cost per session is a very reasonable $25. If these times or dates change, I will let you know, but this is what he said he will do before the NYE show.
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The seminars will be at Valhalla Combat Sports 13501 Balsam Lane suite 110 in Dayton, Mn 55327
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Jen Shyu
Peoria, Illinois born Jen Shyu is one of the most fascinating new artists currently emerging from New York City's experimental and avant-garde world. Or to quote Val Jeanty of Val-Inc "Jen's work is amazing and inspiring." What strikes me most about Jen Shyu is her stage presence and the aura she manages to create with a mere motion, with a facial expression. Even though placed in a completely different corner of the creative spectrum, it is a gift very similar to that of Genesis P-Orridge. Who, much like Jen, just by the look in her eyes manages to create greater artistic depth than other artists do with their full back catalog. No matter whether Jen appears under her own name or as part of groups like Bobby Previte's Amniotic, her performances are nothing short of impeccable. Below is a selection of live impressions, presenting Jen Shyu on her A-game. With words by Steve Coleman/Five Elements, Patricia Magalhães/Poet & Writer, Jan VanAssen, Dale Fitzgerald/Founder & Executive Director Emeritus Jazz Gallery, Rio Sakairi/Artistic Director Jazz Gallery and Bobby Previte/New Bump Quartet.
[Patricia Magalhães | Poet]
Jen Shyu is an urban-tribeswoman. She is curiosity and dance, poetry and sense, and our collaboration is one of symbols and souls. Her compositions are an ineffable poetry, sonic art pieces with original handmade colors — they are a bouquet of wild flowers picked at dawn. Always eager to learn and discover new paths, Jen is somewhat the Bela Bartok of this time; from all sources she seeks, from all springs she drinks, and to us all she delivers the voice of beauty, tradition and modernity. She is symbiosis and semiotics, and an artist in its purest sense.
Patricia Magalhães | Brazil, January 2010
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Church Missionary Society - Australia is a member of the Micah Network
In September 1999 a small group of leaders from Christian relief and development organisations met in Kuala Lumpur. Here they developed ideas for a new international network, one which would have the potential to significantly strengthen the capacity of participating organisations, as well as develop their ability to act collectively in key areas of concern.
After the establishment of an international secretariat in May 2004, Micah Network has sought to build its membership base and the level of engagement of its members in regional and global initiatives, which enhance capacity, promote integral mission in and through the church and advocate with and for the poor.
Since late 2005, Micah Network strengthened its capacity to support member organisations on a regional basis. A regional coordinating group was established for Asia-Pacific region in November 2005; the Latin America regional coordinating group met for the first time in November 2006. In February 2007, the Africa-Middle East regional coordinating group was also established.
Where members have expressed a desire to form national coordination groups so as to faciliate netwotking in country, this has slowly evolved. Currently there are National Coordination groups in:
For a further informtion on the historical background read on:
By the end of World War II our world lay broken and bleeding. The rehabilitation and development agenda was established, noticeably by the Northern countries. It was seen as problem solving or problem reducing rather than searching for alternative approaches, such as social transformation. In the proceeding years we see the United Nations rapidly evolving, the establishment of global aid responses, both secular and faith based. The agenda still firmly in the hands of Northern countries.
The Church evolved too, from the 1966 Wheaton Congress on World Mission through to the 1974 Lausanne I Congress on World Evangelisation – where we find the following statement:
The salvation we claim should be transforming us in the totality of our personal and social responsibilities. Faith without works is dead. Subsequent meetings have continued to wrestle through what this means both theologically and practically. How to proclaim the good news and demonstrate God's love, how to engage in transformational development where our practice is inclusive, our values biblical, our approach contextual and our walk one of integrity – in other words our ministry is distinctive and in line with that of Christ's. Further, how do we address the inequalities of the North / South, how do we demonstrate our unity through partnership, cooperation and service, how do we stand together to influence our world for good change, good practice and good governance, and how do we support one another as we share a common goal, vision and mission?
It was with these questions in mind that in April 1999, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, a small international gathering of leaders of relief, development and advocacy organisations took place. The outcome was that a task group was commissioned with the responsibility of developing a new international network – a network that would provide.
Choosing a name for the network was not a difficult task, as the words of the prophet Micah resonated with the dreams and hopes of the budding network. Micah 6:8 "What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" underpinned our aspirations and so the network was named Micah Network.
The task force evolved into the first Micah Network International Coordinating Group (MICOG). C. René Padilla kindly agreed to be President and the MICOG expanded to ensure members were represented from all regions. As Micah Network has grown and the need to have registration became apparent, the decision was taken to register as a charity in the United Kingdom. The MICOG now carries the more formalised title of international board of Micah Network.
Micah Network facilitated regional and global platforms for Christian organisations engaged in relief, development and advocacy ministries so as to create the environment in which learning and sharing could occur, as well as development of shared good practices in the promotion and application of integral mission.
The first global consultation was held on the theme of integral mission in September 2001. At this consultation, 140 Christian leaders contributed to the development of the Micah Network Declaration on Integral Mission, which has become Micah Network's defining statement.
In May 2004 the MICOG appointed the first International Coordinator. The size of the network by then was 267 members and 47 associate members. The 2005 – 2007 global strategy was designed with the three core aims guiding the work and emphasis of the network and it members. They were:
In 2005 while deliberating on how to effectively implement aim three Micah Network entered into a strategic partnership with the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) in order to establish a global campaign to mobilise Christians against poverty.
The goals of the campaign were twofold:
This global campaign would be directed by an international secretariat who would be tasked with not only establishing a global campaign but also with the orchestration of national campaigns that would focus on the contextual needs of that country. The name Micah Challenge was given, as the campaign would focus on the challenge of raising awareness and response from Christians to poverty as well as challenge leaders to effect good change. Oversight and governance of Micah Challenge is given jointly by Micah Network and WEA, who sit on the Micah Challenge International Board.
The timeframe for the campaign is 2015, as this is when the MDG progress indicators were set for.


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Brothers come to Lucy's aid
THEY are young, talented and philanthropic.
Tim Aitken, 13, and his younger brother Sam, 10, will hit the Bulcock St Markets this weekend to raise money for two-year-old Lucy Day who desperately needs surgery on her ear.
Lucy has a rare condition that has left her with just 30% hearing.
It can can only be repaired by having surgery in the United States.
Tim, a guitarist and singer, won the Caloundra Music Festival's busking competition last year.
Since then, Sam has taken on singing and percussion by his brother's side.
After regular stints at the Caloundra markets, the boys were asked to play at a fundraiser for Lucy, whose family is trying to raise about $60,000 for the operation.
Sam and Tim met Lucy that night and dedicated a rousing version of Coldplay's Fix You to her.
As their mother Lisa tells it, they then showed just how much of an impact Lucy had on them.
"They came up to my husband and me and said, 'Would it be okay to busk on Sunday and give all the money we raise to her operation?'" Mrs Aitken said.
"Obviously we said 'of course'."
So the Aitken boys are preparing to raise up to $1000 from a single Sunday session.
Their planned gig on March 18 had to be postponed due to the gloomy weather.
Mrs Aitken said that for a pair of working parents, it was wonderful to see the two boys so determined to help.
"They're going to do the best they can to raise the most amount of money they can," Mrs Aitken said.
"The market has confirmed that they will put them on the main roundabout near Henzells.
"After the juggle of parenting and working - both of us have businesses - you realise you must be doing something right."
Young Lucy and her mother are expected to try to catch some of the show on Sunday.


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Haslingden derives from Hazeldean or Valley of the Hazels. It lies 19 miles north of Manchester in the County of Lancashire. A area at one time noted in particular for its Stone, it also played a big part in the Woollen and then later Cotton Industries from the 18th and through the 19th and early to mid 20th Century... It is steeped in Local History and can also boast to have one of the most beautiful Natural Valleys around, where thousands come and visit annually
Michael Hogan ex pat South of France - 26th Feb 2016
I really enjoy the Haslingden blogspot. It is certainly the most interesting town website that I have ever seen.
Kind regards, Mike Hogan
(26th March 2013) A email request for information on "The Boys Home" is made by Jane Thynne. To see email please click here.
(25th March 2013) Lynda Batty (ex pat from Olney in Buckinghamshire) has kindly sent in the 1956 or 1957, and the 1961 student photographs for the Haslingden County Primary School. Please Click here and then scroll down the blog to the desired date.
(25th March 2013) Peter Hoyle has kindly sent in the 1954 Student photograph from Haslingden St. James C of E School. Also some of the names have been listed but there are still some gaps. Please Click Here to go to blog then scroll down to 1954.
(20th March 2013) Even more names now added to the 1969 HGS photo by Ian Edmundson and Jackie Ramsbottom. PleaseClick Here to blog and scroll down to 1969
(19th March 2013) Alison May (nee Heywood) has kindly sent in a scan of the more recent HGS Cap Badge. Click Here to blogand scroll down a little.
(19th March 2013) Even more names added to 1969 HGS photo by Ian Edmundson. Click Here to go to blog and scroll down to 1969.
(18th March 2013) More names have been added to the 1969 HGS photo, kindly offered by Alison May (nee Heywood) and also more by Ian Edmundson. To check more complete listClick Here to go to blog and then scroll down to 1969.
(17th March 2013) HASLINGDEN OLD AND NEW BLOG would love to make a request to anyone attending the "Local History Day" at the Haslingden Cricket Club next Sunday, and maybe could help with old school photographs etc., that they may wish to bring them along to the event and I will take a copy of them whilst they are present, which would help enormously for future inclusion within the school blog photos. Also any other photos or information which they would like to include within the blog would be most welcome.
(16th March 2013) Two lovely old photographs, one of Deardengate and another of a very old student photo from the old Haslingden Wesleyan Methodist Day School. These were kindly sent in by Alison May (nee Heywood) ex pat from Nottingham. Alison has also sent in photos of memorabilia, eg: programmes for Trinity Baptist and adverts etc etc. these will soon be uploaded to the "Document" files. To check the photos please look across the page beneath the advert for the forthcoming Haslingden Local History Day.
(16th March 2013) Adrian Bury (ex pat currently residing in Hungary) has so kindly sent in a full school student photo for May 1969 for the Haslingden Grammar School. This widescreen photo has been broken up into four separate photos for ease of viewing. He has also offered quite a lot of names for teachers and students, but if you can add to these please let me know by emailing me at email@example.com To check out the photos Click Here, then scroll down to the 1969 date near the bottom of the blog.
(13th March 2013) Adrian Bury has so kindly sent in three student photos from Haslingden St. James for the years 1960,1962 and 1965 and a Haslingden Grammar School photo to follow. (Please click here and scroll down to the desired date) - some names of students have been added below the photos, but if you can fill in any of the missing gaps - please let us know by emailing me at firstname.lastname@example.com
(7th March 2013) Carol Scott has sent a email and notes about her brass modelled MKIII Tank, and she has noted that there are conflicking dates etc. Please check out her mail and photos by Clicking here and then scroll to the bottom of the blog.
(3rd March 2013) Clifford Hargreaves has kindly sent in two photos and a flyer, which show "The Old School Mews", which are the new buildings built on the original site of the old Technical School (later the Haslingden Grammar School). Check out the Haslingden Grammar School Blog and go to the end or click here and then scroll to the end of the blog.
(26th February 2013) Christine Bailye (daughter of Margaret Newey, nee Tattersall) has just sent a email enquiring on details of J.H. Birtwistle factory and the Tattersall family etc. Please check her letter under filed under the Emails and Snippetts.
Please check under emails and snippetts by clicking here - 2nd email down
(23rd February 2013) Chris Aspin has kindly informed me that there will be another Local History Day at Haslingden Cricket Club on Sunday March 24th (11am - 4pm). Groups from Helmshore, Rawtenstall, Ramsbottom, Holcombe and Whitworth will be putting on displays. Second-hand bookstall, food/drink, easy parking. Free Admission. Highlight of Helmshore Local History Society's display will be a map of 1575 with coloured pictures of St. James's Church and a cross. Never seen before.
(24th January 2013) Bryan Gudgeon has been kind enough to identify three of the missing names on the 1948-49 Haslingden St. James C of E School photo. There are still a couple missing, and Bryan thinks that they were possibly refugees .
(21st January 2013) Thanks to Arthur Keown (ex pat from Devon who has kindly sent in this fabulous Haslingden Grammar School photo from May 1947.
(8th January 2013) More WW1 Soldiers have been added to the War Blog today and still more to come. Jackie informs me she is getting great support on this, and still welcomes as much information as possible eg: text, newspaper cuttings, photos, details of memorials etc etc. Thanks to all who have kindly offered help.
(2nd January 2013) Happy New Year to everyone.Some great feedback now added by David Desforges (see below).
To check out his mail Click Here.
(11th December 2012) Dave Roughley has contacted me requesting information on Haslingden FC 1907-8 season, especially in regards to the ground where they played. To check out his request email please click here, and obviously any help for his project would be very welcome.
Just click here to check out site. When deleted from here "Just added" snippetts are filed below - Check out "Just added or about to" HISTORIES below
(30th November 2012) Just added a new blog for "Haslingden County Primary School Student Photos" also requesting help with the naming of the Teachers and Students c1952/1953 period. Check out by clicking here
(30th November 2012) Dave Rothwell has now added two more photos and further text showing 1) Rossendale Motor Club Outing (with a very young Dave)c1959 and also the Rossendale Enduro from c1960. His dad Leslie played a big part in both organizations. Click here and scroll down to the Rothwell's.
(30th November 2012) In response to Dave Rothwell's request for a photo of the original Cordingley's Car Showroom, Jackie Ramsbottom has kindly sent in a photo, also in response Clifford Hargreaves has kindly sent in a original advert for the Old firm. Please click here and scroll down to check them out.
(29th November 2012) Dave Rothwell has kindly sent in some photographs of the recent demolition of the Cordingley's old building which was the Bed Centre or later The Pine Centre for parts of the last twenty years. He is currently looking for a old photograph showing it when it was the original Cordingley's Car Showrooms, can anyone help? To check out the demolition photos please click here and scroll.
(29th November 2012) Dave Rothwell has kindly sent in a photo showing his dad serving in the shop together with a brilliant story of when his dad built a special "balsa aeroplane" to take part in a competition, but disaster struck, yet with a happy ending, so click here and scroll down to read on
(26th November 2012) Eddie Sheppard has just made a request for further history on Bentley House, Grane, and also information of its former residents and if possible more information on one of his wife's ancestors who was born there. To check out his mail please click here
(22nd November 2012) Can we help Lee along with his other students with his St. Peters Church Project creating information boards about the Church its history etc. Check out his email Please click here
(18th November 2012) A request for information and/or photos of our brave Haslingden and Helmshore Soldiers who lost their lives in either World War 1 or World War 11. This request is to help with a new blog being started to give a comprehensive and permanent record for future generations. The blog is being researched by Jackie Ramsbottom and compiled by Bryan Yorke. If you have any information will you kindly send it through to Jackie. You will find her email address within the "introduction request information blog here".
(14th November 2012) from Ann Whittaker J.P. has sent in some information on her grandad Mr. Gilmartin and the painters and decorators shop he had on Regent Street. She is requesting any further information and is also requesting for a more full on photo of the Regent Street Shops, if anyone can help. Please click here to check out her mail.
(14th November 2012) Ann Whittaker J.P. has kindly sent in some ancestral information of the Riley family, to hopefully help in the request made by Keith Riley on 9th Nov 2012.Please click here and scroll down to 8th November.
(9th November 2012) I have put a small blog on requesting any information on the "Bury Road School" of which there is a photo going back all the way to c1877. It was Keith Riley's search for his Assistant Headmaster relation which triggered me into looking at these old photos. Check out blog here.
(8th November 2012) Keith Riley from Ontario, Canada is researching is family connections and is requesting any help. Please check out his mail by clicking here. If you can help either contact him direct at the email supplied or alternatively contact me with any information. Thanks.
(7th November 2012) Received a mail from Mike Hogan in France in regards to Michael Grieco. To check out blog pleaseclick here and scroll down to (7th November 2012)
(6th November 2012) Started a new blog called "Manchester Road Shops". Now got the outline going, but lots more to come with this blog eg: text, photos, adverts etc. Thanks also to Clifford Hargreaves for sending in adverts relating to some of the shops. Click here to check out blog.(4th November 2012) Tomorrow is bonfire night and so I have done a little sketch and poem relating to our old bonfires which we used to have at Martin Croft (off Hud Hey) Them were the days!
(1st November 2012) Just done a little blog on "Haslingden's Original Chip Shops" Click Here to Check it out If you can add any information please feel free to let me know. Its great to include a newspaper clipping kindly given to me by Jackie Ramsbottom which shows Taylors Chip Shop and also Barnes's shop next door. Also now added a further four shops with information kindly given by Ray Ramsbottom, John Bedford and David Johnson. Constantly updating this blog eg: What is a mixture?
(31st October 2012) Martin Molloy has kindly sent in a email kindly offering information as to where Anne Grieco's parents chippy was at top of Prinny Hill near Bramwells Fish Shop. Click here to read mail. and scroll down a little.
(31st October 2012) Happy Halloween! and if tha fancies a smile or a laugh, just look at this owd chap doing his bit about Rag and Bone fellas. Well its nowt to do with Halloween, but plenty scary especially at the end, Click Here and watch if you dare! and should you require more check this out about the Shebbies (Starlings) by clicking here.
(29th October 2012) Anne Southon (nee Grieco) ex pat from Australia is requesting a photo of the chippy which her parents used to own which was on Blackburn Road. Please click here to see her mail.
(25th October 2012) Jeff Stevens sent this mail. In regards to the Haslingden Bomb Holes, which can be seen filed under Blitz and Bomb Damage. Please click here to see blog and scroll down.
(25th October 2012) John Sumner can now confirm that the photograph of the houses which used to be near sizehouse and by the side of the Haslingden Grane Mill are definately "Lonsdale Buildings". He only wishes he had a photograph of the rest of that row.
(25th October 2012) John McGuire has sent in this information request and would be grateful for any further information on Haslingden's first "slum clearance". Please Click here to check out his email.
(25th October 2012) Here is a fabulous piece about the "Tipper Toilet" or the Tippler Toilet. Thanks to Shiela Bell (Nee Waller). Added to the "Tiddles down Tippler Blog".
(16th October 2012) Joan Merrill (nee Mead) has sent a snippett - with thanks to Carol for photo and some good stuff about her childhood days and also the maypole in Carrs Click here and scroll down to 16th October (just below Carols photo).


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Greg, Thanks....I will give you a call. we get our girl back from the trainer in early June....So anytime after that I will be looking for traiining opportunities/group. Depending on the weather, heat, etc. I know you guys train around Smithville, I live near to Platte City so that is ideal for me.
Carl Cameron


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By Neal Wallace
A petition urging changes in Scottish football will go before the Scottish Government next week.
The petition is put forward by Iain Jack, who set up Help Change Scottish Football, and requests two fundamental changes; to merge the Scottish Football Association (SFA), Scottish Premier League (SPL) and Scottish Football League (SFL) into one representative governing body, and to investigate the SFA's use of public funding.
Jack believes the SFA does not take enough responsibility for the problems facing Scottish football, saying that the task "beyond the scope of a lot of the clubs".
With many fans affected by the recession, clubs have seen a sharp decline in attendances. Hibernian's average attendance has dropped from nearly 15,000 four years ago to 11,000 this season. Celtic recorded an 11,000 drop in their average last term. Sky Sports' David Tanner believes the game needs modernising, and should look Stateside for inspiration: "If you look at American sports you can get all kinds of franchised food. None of these things are available at Scottish football. That has to be modernised or the game will die. I think the attendance levels dropping reflect that."
In a statement, the SFA said this was an issue for the SPL and SFL and made no further comment.
Mike Riley, Chairman of the Hibs Supporters' Club, believes the introduction of a winter break would encourage more fans to come to the game: "I think Scottish football's seriously got to look at that. That would bring it into longer situations where we're having good weather. Making it better for the young kids as well."
Jack believes the SFA have not done enough, stating that: "The reality is that there aren't any real sort of plans. That's why the SFA have to lead it."
A change in the system has to be decided at club level through a mandate, but without the backing of all three governing bodies it cannot be completed. A single governing body, Jack believes, would make changes easier to implement: "When two large companies merge to form a larger corporate entity, each company will be different in it's business systems and it's technical areas. The decision to merge is often a simple one. Scottish football has to undergo a similar process but has to see beyond the detail which hampers decision making by confusing the issue."


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When is a prediction of a $1.9 billion shortfall actually considered good news?
In deficit-battered, recession-weary California, that's the case.
It sounds strange, until you consider that it sounds a whole lot better than the staggering $41 billion deficit projected at the end of 2008 -- and much better than the $25 billion hole that the state's Legislative Analyst was forecasting in 2010. And much more rosy than the $16 billion shortfall Gov. Jerry Brown was projecting just last spring.
On Wednesday, the Analyst's office -- respected for its nonpartisanship -- said its $1.9 billion deficit estimate covers the next year-and-a-half. The report cast the state's recovering finances in a favorable light, thanks to earlier budget cuts and the voter approval of Proposition 30.
"The additional, temporary taxes provided by Proposition 30 have combined to bring California a promising moment: the possible end of a decade of acute state budget challenges," the LAO report said.
In fact, the report floated the possibility of the state actually running a surplus of up to a billion dollars by 2014.
But no one should break out the champagne just yet.
First, use of the term "surplus" gives the state's budget-writers heartburn, since revenues fluctuate all the time.
Second, and more importantly, this glimpse of a recovery depends to an enormous degree on Gov. Brown's ability to hold the line on new spending. After years of cuts, there's a lot of pent-up demand. Everyone will have their hand out.
The last time this happened, during the dot-com boom a dozen years ago, the state spent heavily on programs including schools; reducing class size and emphasizing teacher accountability. When the bottom fell out, the spending was unsustainable.
With Democrats sewing up a super-majority in the legislature, there are no Republican hold-outs to block spending increases. Even Gov. Brown, who has vowed to exercise restraint, could find himself outflanked if Democrats show enough unity to override a veto.
The Legislative Analyst's projections of a surplus are welcome news to a Capitol weary of budget strife and stalemates. But they are likely to lead to a different kind of conflict in 2013, a budgetary civil war between Brown and his fellow Democrats.


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After taking lead in ninth, Rays lose on slam
Longoria's two-run homer negated after Balfour allows five runs
CHICAGO -- The Rays opened a 10-game road trip in crushing fashion on Friday night, allowing a walk-off grand slam to Jose Abreu in the bottom of the ninth after taking a two-run lead in the top half in a 9-6 loss to the White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field.
"We saw a lot of pitches, we drew our walks, we had good at-bats and we had a 6-4 lead with the right guy pitching," Rays manager Joe Maddon said, "So that's just unfortunate."
After Evan Longoria hit a two-run homer in the top of the ninth for a 6-4 lead, Grant Balfour allowed a leadoff double to Alejandro De Aza and walked three batters as the White Sox scored one run to get within 6-5.
"I probably pitched away from contact a bit -- not getting my breaking balls over and getting in bad counts and walking guys," Balfour said. "I got to be more aggressive. You can't put three guys on."
Maddon echoed that sentiment.
"Reluctant is a good word," he said, describing Balfour's performance. "Way too many sliders, not enough of his challenging type of an attitude, not enough fastballs. I'd just like to see him be more aggressive with the fastball."
The Rays challenged a potential game-ending play before Abreu came to the plate. With one out and the bases loaded, Adam Eaton grounded into a fielder's choice at second. The Rays tried to turn a double play to end the game, but Eaton was called safe at first, allowing De Aza to score and pull Chicago within 6-5. Had Eaton been ruled out, the game would have been over.
Rays manager Joe Maddon requested an umpire review, but the call was confirmed.
"I just had to give it a shot," Maddon said. "Who knows?"
Following a walk by Marcus Semien, Abreu hit his walk-off grand slam. Abreu, who homered earlier in the game, finished 3-of-5 with two home runs and six RBIs.
"Not too many guys do that -- that have the ability to hit balls out to right field, and that's one a line, too," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "It could have been a line drive right at the guy, but he's strong enough to get it over the fence."
With nine home runs, Abreu set the Major League rookie record for most home runs before the end of April.
"It's just something amazing," Abreu said. "God is the one who gives me the strength to do this, and it's just amazing to be involved in this situation."
Longoria's home run, his third of the season, came off Matt Lindstrom and traveled 415 feet. It was also the Rays' first runs since a four-run second, despite threatening to score throughout the game.
Tampa Bay went 1-2-3 in the first inning but batted around in the second. Seven Rays reached base -- including six with two outs -- as Tampa Bay scored four runs, all earned, off White Sox starter Erik Johnson, who exited with two outs in the second. Johnson allowed consecutive RBI hits to Yunel Escobar, Ryan Hanigan and Ben Zobrist before walking Desmond Jennings and Matt Joyce, whose base on balls plated Hanigan.
Longoria, who led off the inning with a single to right, grounded out to end the four-run frame.
Johnson allowed four runs on four hits and waked four in 1 2/3 innings. He threw 60 pitches -- 32 for strikes -- and had one strikeout and one wild pitch.
The Rays had several chances to add on, but stranded nine runners over the next four innings. Their most promising chances came in the fourth and fifth, but Longoria and Hanigan ended each inning, respectively, with a double play, stranding a combined five runners. The Rays stranded two more in the sixth and grounded into four double plays.
"We had so many chances to score many more runs and did not," Maddon said. "We played a really good game otherwise. We just didn't get runs when we needed to."
Chris Archer fell short in his bid to win consecutive starts. He struggled against Abreu, who had an RBI single in the first and a 409-foot home run to straightaway center in the third, in addition to his ninth-inning heroics.
Archer then worked himself into a bases-loaded, no-outs jam in the fourth, with Tyler Flowers lining the first offering to center for a two-run single that tied the game at 4.
"They just feel like they can always come back," Ventura said. "[Being] able to come through is big, too, but you've got to give yourself an opportunity, and these guys -- they just keep grinding out at-bats. It's fun to watch."
The next batter, Gordon Beckham, missed a three-run homer by about two feet, but Archer got out of the jam with a 1-5-2-4-6 double play, in which Flowers and Alejandro De Aza were tagged out on either side of third base.
Archer allowed four runs on nine hits in 6-plus innings, finished with four strikeouts and did not walk a batter. He has pitched at least six innings in four of his five starts this season and threw 101 pitches on Friday -- his first time crossing the century mark this year.
"Going six innings doesn't ever really feel like an accomplishment to me," Archer said. "I expect much more out of myself. I was happy with what I did, but I'm never going to think that six innings and four runs is an accomplishment."
Eight of Tampa Bay's nine starters had at least one hit. The only one who didn't, Matt Joyce, set a franchise record with five walks.
"I just didn't get a lot of pitches to hit," Joyce said. "You're always going to take your walks." Tampa Bay finished with 11 walks overall to tie the franchise record for a nine-inning game.
Jake Petricka and Zach Putnam each pitched 2 2/3 innings of relief for the White Sox. They allowed five hits and five walks, but zero runs. Chicago's bullpen pitched 6 1/3 scoreless innings before Longoria's blast.
"That's a tough loss for us for sure," Joyce said. "We had that game in hand. But you know what? That's the game. It's going to happen over the course of the year. We're just looking at it like we're getting it out of the way now and we'll come back tomorrow and bounce back."


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Software stitches a high-resolution 3-D model by processing overlapping photos.
Drones don't have very reliable GPS fixes by comparison, and can't carry large sensors or cameras. But they are cheap, and Pix4D's software can build highly accurate models by comparing many different overlapping photos, says Strecha. In fact, using lidar would have been impossible with the Rio statue, Strecha says, because of its size, shape, and location.
Other projects have also been weaving 3-D models from drone photos. Researchers led by Horst Bischof, a professor at the Technical University of Graz, Austria, are developing software that extracts information from such images. For example, for a company that restores old buildings, the researchers made a version of the software that calculates measurements necessary for producing custom-fit thermal insulation.
With the image processing more or less a solved problem, the ambitions of drone scanning will depend more on how well drones can be controlled or coӧrdinated in challenging conditions like the winds around Rio's Christ, or to cover larger areas, says Carl Salvaggio, a professor at Rochester Institute of Technology's Center for Imaging Science. "Drones are good for small-scale projects but traditional aircraft offer the time in the air to collect whole cities," he says. "Perhaps when there are 'armies' of drones in the air, we will see a different landscape emerge."