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The cast of NBC's Constantine TV series has expanded, and now we know three new characters who will team up with, be annoyed by and invariably regret knowing the titular magician. And that includes an actual angel played by a former Lost castaway.
The new cast members include Harold Perrineau, True Blood's Lucy Griffiths, and Charles Halford, most recently seen as the very unpleasant Reggie LeDoux on True Detective. Here's the character descriptions from Deadline:
When Liv (Griffiths), the daughter of a late friend, is targeted by demons, Constantine steps in to save her. Griffiths' Liv is an offbeat young woman tired of her ordinary life who comes to discover that she has the ability of seeing the supernatural world among us, which makes her a key player in the battle between good and evil. Liv teams up with Constantine to save lives, master her power, and learn more about her late father.
Perrineau will play Manny, an authoritative angel assigned to watch over Constantine who has the power to step into other people's bodies, and although he is meant only to observe, Manny will not hesitate to help out if he can save a life.
Halford will play Chas, Constantine's oldest friend and staunch companion who possesses powerful survival skills that might possibly be supernatural.
I don't think this is bad, just odd. I'm used to Constantine being an inveterate loner, mostly because he's an unrepentant asshole and no one can stand to be around him for more than a few minutes. But a TV series obviously needs to give him some actual pals, because otherwise the show would just be 45 minutes of Constantine smoking and drinking.


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DAVI VIEIRA was born in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, studied percussion, capoeira and dance. As a percussionist and vocalist Davi has contributed to recordings, share stage and/or toured live with such great artists as Sergio Mendes, Gilberto Gil, Angelique Kidjo, Carlos Santana, Carlinhos Brown, Siedah Garrett (Michael Jackson's vocalist) Forro in the Dark, Bebel Gilberto, Patrícia Marx, Steve Earle, Talib Kweli, Sun Ra, Gogol Bordello, Yerba Buena, Me'Shell Ndege'Ocello, Richard Bona, David Byrne, Alexander Kogan, Maria de Barros,Tony Mola/Bragadá, Muzenza and more. He was a co founder of Brazil's Hip Hop group MD MCs. MD MC's appear on Tommy Boy's Planet Rap compilation and have released CD and music video (Você Me Deixou) in Brazil with EMI records. Davi's hands could be seen on the opening footage of Ivete Sangalo's Madison Square Garden DVD playing urban objects around the city of New York. He was a member of the Off-Broadway show STOMP for ten years. Currently he leads and fronts a band that support the music of his album Ghetto Linha 8.
Davi's music is a modern exploration of the sound of Bahia, Brazil -a foray into a part of Brazilian Music and Culture that is unique to Salvador and its universally distinct African Rooted traditions.

subset: commoncrawl


text: As usual, I've opened up the Fantasy Baseball thread (and teams) as early as possible! Gotta get a jump start on obsessing over my teams! Anyway, looking for 11 brave souls to sign up for the yearly TrekBBS Baseball league. Please send me a PM with your email address in it, and I'll send you the invite through ESPN. We used them last year, and I think it all went pretty well, plus for those of us in the Keeper League as well, it lets us control both teams through the same site... Live draft date as been set up for Thursday, March 25th, 9pm EST. Of course, autodraft can pick just as badly as a human, so if you can't make it, that's ok too, I just ask that if you sign up, please try to keep up with the team... As for the Keeper League, that's been reactivated too, with a draft date of Sunday, March 21st, 8:15pm EST. Keeper Selections lock on March 10th, so remember to select up to 6 keepers before that date... And, as always, looking to make a trade or two before we get started. A 2-1 keeper trade that improves a spot for me, or my spare "keeper-worthy" guys for a draft pick. If you have any interest, shoot me a PM or just propose a trade on ESPN.


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The MODY Calculator and Diabetes Diagnostic App
We have developed an online MODY probability calculator which can give a probability score of a patient having MODY, and a Diabetes Diagnostics App (available for iOS and Android) which can also indicate the most likely type of diabetes. These just require a few clinical details to be entered.
Enter Dan's details into the MODY probability calculator to see how likely it is that he has monogenic diabetes:
- At time of referral for genetic testing he was 17 and was still on insulin injections.
- All the other information you need can be found in the previous sections.
© University of Exeter


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Performances begin promptly at the time scheduled. Latecomers will be seated at the discretion of management.
Broadhurst Theatre
235 West 44th Street
(Between Broadway and 8th Avenue)
New York NY 10036
View on map
This season, desire is taking on a whole new rhythm as the greatest play from America's most celebrated playwright sizzles onto the stage at The Broadhurst Theatre. From the producers of the trailblazing 2008 Broadway production of Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, comes a hot new take on Tennessee Williams's Pulitzer Prize-winning masterpiece, A Streetcar Named Desire. Leading the cast is 2-time Golden Globe nominee Blair Underwood, in his Broadway debut as Stanley Kowalski, Nicole Ari Parker (Soul Food) as Blanche DuBois, Daphne Rubin-Vega (Rent) as Stella Kowalski and Wood Harris (The Wire) as Mitch. Directed by Emily Mann (Artistic Director of Princeton's esteemed McCarter Theatre) and featuring an original score by 5-time Grammy Award winner Terence Blanchard, this scintillating Streetcar brings a whole new rhythm to Williams's enduring portrait of sex, class and secrets in one of America's most fascinating and diverse cities. Come and feel the heat.
Blair Underwood, Nicole Ari Parker, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Wood Harris
Author: Tennessee WilliamsDirector: Emily MannOriginal Score: Terrence BlanchardProducer: Front Row Productions, Inc. Press Agent: Springer Associates
Bashan Aquart, the creative director of AKA, the entertainment advertising agency that created the poster, recently spoke with ArtsBeat about what inspired it.
2 hours and 55 minutes, including one intermission
See this week's prices
Appropriate 12+Children under the age of 4 are not permitted in the theatre.
Currently not open.No future sales 30 minutes before start of performance.
A Streetcar Named Desire
Telecharge.com Mail OrderP. O. Box 998 Times Square Station New York, NY 10108-0998
Yes. No strollers or furs.


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I was only allowed to ride my bike on the cul-de-sac behind our house and, of course, I always had to wear a helmet. (Once, my mom even made me and my sister wear helmets INSIDE. Tornado warning. The stress of being crammed into the basement powder room with our bike helmets must have really affected my sister. She totally tossed her cookies.)
Every morning before school, my mom walked me to the bus stop (2 houses down the street) until I was old enough to realize that this was SO EMBARRASSING that I begged her to stop. So as a compromise, I walked to the bus stop like a big kid, alone, and my mom stuck her head out the door--watching to be sure that I got on the bus safely. Much better.
Well into my teens, I still wasn't allowed to go to the mall without parental supervision.
And R-rated movies? Uh uh.
I don't remember ever being as upset about not being allowed to see an R-rated as I was about my parents sending me to bed while they watched "The Bodyguard" on HBO.
Excuuuuuuse me. I might have only been nine-years-old, but I knew Whitney was a goddess. (Emphasis on was. Sorry, Whitney. I saw your reality show. Eek!) I had The Bodyguard soundtrack on cassette, which I blasted in my walkman that was bedecked in stick-on gem earrings.
I pitched a fit. I cried. I stomped. It was SO! UNFAIR! I threw myself on my bed and cried the whole time my parents watched the movie in the other room. Or maybe I just cried until I thought they weren't listening to me cry anymore. At that point, I likely retreated to the Barbie Dream House (the one with the elevator) and took out my rage on Western Fun Barbie.
I want you and your damn horse out of my FACE!
Anyhow. It just came to my attention that here I am, approaching my 28th birthday, and I STILL haven't seen the movie! Methinks it's about time that I serve my nine-year-old self some justice, Netflix-style. (It's streaming. My nine-year-old self is astounded with how far technology has come. Be kind, rewind.)


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La Journée mondiale des ONG célébrée le 27 février est l'occasion de mettre en avant les initiatives des organisations de la société civile pour bâtir une société plus inclusive. Une de ces initiatives est le 'Petit Potager' qui permet à des familles qui ont de faibles revenus à
Author: Press and information team of the Delegation to MAURITIUS AND SEYCHELLES - Publication date: 24/02/2020
From 24 February to 13 March 2020 the EU will participate actively in the 43rd session of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC43) taking place in Geneva, taking a strong stance in the protection and promotion of Human Rights and against any attempts to redefine human rights in international law and
Author: Press and information team of the Delegation to the UN in Geneva - Publication date: 21/02/2020
They climb the highest mountains, excel in science, fight for human rights… They move the boundaries in every field and open doors for others. They do different things. What brings them together is their talent, resilience, courage, their commitment and drive- to defend human rights, to protect the
Author: Strategic Communications - Publication date: 21/02/2020
EU Election Observation Missions are a highly visible demonstration of the EU's commitment to supporting democratisation and promoting respect for human rights across the world. The new database will make it easier to find out and learn more about these missions.
Author: Election observation missions team - Publication date: 20/02/2020
Today (17 February) the European Union convened the international donors' conference "Together for Albania", to support reconstruction efforts after the earthquake that struck Albania at the end of November. The 6.3 magnitude earthquake caused the loss of 51 lives and injured many more.
Author: Strategic Communications - Publication date: 17/02/2020
On the occasion of the year marking the 75th anniversary of the entry into force of the UN Charter, the Council conclusions reaffirm EU's commitment to the rule-based international order – human rights protection being an important part of it.
Author: Strategic Communications - Publication date: 17/02/2020
"Westlessness'" is the term chosen by the report ahead of this year's Munich Security Conference to describe "a feeling of uneasiness and restlessness in the face of increasing uncertainty about the enduring purpose of the West". High Representative/Vice President Borrell will
Author: Strategic Communications - Publication date: 14/02/2020
The traditional culture and art festival in Segou, central Mali is threatened by Islamist violence. The civilian EUCAP Mission supports local security forces that protect festival goers and their established way of life.
Author: The Civilian Planning and Conduct Capability (CPCC) - Publication date: 14/02/2020
Mongolia has been selected as a pilot project under the European 'Houses' of Culture. The project proposes "Nogoonbaatar" an International Eco-Art Festival, the first-ever in Mongolia. It will take place in Ulaanbaatar in May 2020. The purpose of this festival is to critically engage with
Author: Press and information team of the Delegation to MONGOLIA - Publication date: 14/02/2020


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Gift Certificates
Lazy? We call it brilliant. Why give a tacky sweater when you can give the gift of food,
spa or a hotel stay? Just follow these simple steps and you're ready to gift.
Step 1:
Choose the amount in dollars you would like to give (nobody is judging, we promise)
Step 2:
Choose the outlet you are gifting for.
1. Parker New York (this is for a hotel stay, including room and incidental charges)
2. Moonshine Spa
Note: burger joint is not applicable. If you want a gift certificate for burger joint,
you must visit the location to purchase.
Step 3:
Fill in the "To", "From" & "Message.". Wit is always appreciated.
Step 4:
Preview the certificate. Make sure it looks great before finalizing.
Confusing names are never a good thing.
Step 5:
Decide if you want it emailed directly to the recipient or printed out.
Just make sure they know the Gift Certificate is required upon redemption.
Gift Certificates are transferable.
Please note, we are not responsible if it is lost, stolen or misplaced.
Questions? firstname.lastname@example.com or call 212.708.7440.
Happy Shopping – Click Here to begin!


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THE SQL Server Blog Spot on the Web
I have a new Dell desktop. The first thing I did was install Vista 64-bit and bumped it up to 4GB of RAM.
I'm now trying to install a default instance of SQL Server 2005 Developer and can't get Reporting Services to run because IIS isn't installed. After trying the click-a-bunch-of-stuff in the "Turn Windows features on or off" dialog, I decided to read the instructions. I may have to start by reading the instructions from now on... click-a-bunch-of-stuff may no longer be my default...
The instructions are here - and I am happy to Report (pun intended) that they work.
The dialog you're after looks like this:
Be sure to install the latest service pack (SP2 at the time of this writing) when the install completes.
:{> Andy
If you would like to receive an email when updates are made to this post, please register here
Subscribe to this post's comments using
My new laptop came with Visa Home Premium and I took on the task of installing SQL 2005 this weekend. I had followed the KB article you pointed out but I have one issue. Under Security I do not have a Windows Authentication option. Looking closer, I do not have a few of the possible check boxes you show. I did check around a little but did not put too much effort in the finding the solution since Vista was barking about updates.
Any help would be appreicated.
Mea... This may be a little off-topic. I use Virtual Server and Virtual PC a lot for things like testing
I have been trying to set up Reporting Services on Vista business. I have failed dismally on account of inetmgr.exe dissapearing and reappearing... After 3 days of effort I manager to get localhost/reports up, but without any functionality. (only Home and Help showing). After a reboot, that too was gone followed by 503 errors. This is a typical example of untested software being dumped prematurely onto the market. The MS KB docs are incomplete and innaccurate.
Hi Geee,
I couldn't disagree more.
First, all software is subject to errors. Second, there is always a dearth of available and helpful information until a product release has matured.
Andy , we are not talking about plain old errors - we are talking complete failure to get the Reporting Services to work at all. I have been talking to the IIS program managers and they have yet to get it working on Vista....many tried .. all failed
That's incredible - literally. I have tried it on several computers and got it working every time.
Reporting Services 2005 works on the very computer on which I'm typing this reply - a 64-bit installation of Vista Ultimate - on my laptop (32-bit Vista), and on several virtual servers running Vista 32-bit.
I'm not sure who you're talking to, but Reporting Services runs on Vista.
Reporting services will only run on windows vista ultimate/business/enterprise. It doesn't run on premium.
Hello Andy:
Vista Home Premium does not have an option for Windows Authentication. Hence SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services cannot be installed. I am trying to install the SSRS Dev Edition and it will not work cause of this. Very frustrating cause it worked with Windows XP and not I cannot run SSRS on my new laptop, duh ;-(
I have followed the above steps very close, I am running Vista Buisness 64 bit.
I am unable to get past the ASP error.
Could their be something else blocking the ASP?
Thank you,
Hi Clay,
I haven't tried this on Vista Business 64-bit, so I'm not sure.
Glad you got it to work.
Guess 'if it works on your machine, we must all be idiots'
Thanks Andy
Hi Steve,
Goodness, I hope I didn't give anyone that impression. If you're having issues I'll be happy to try to help. Please contact me directly using the Email link on the upper right side of this blog.
I apologize for sounding like I think anyone is an idiot.
I don't feel that way at all. We're all learning. I have a post about me learning here (http://sqlblog.com/blogs/andy_leonard/archive/2008/07/30/virtualization-x64-a-red-laptop-and-blue-screens.aspx). I don't think I was an idiot. But I did make some incorrect assumptions and acted on them - to the tune of $200 USD out of pocket. :| I think that's part of life and learning, and I'm still learning stuff.
Please let me know if I can help.
I just got new machine running vista Home Premium,all effort to install SSRS 2005 proved abortive.Can someone gives an helping hand?
Hi ID,
Earlier in these comments bisi reported SSRS will not run on Premium. Srini also reported there was no option for Windows Auth in Premium. I'm not sure, I'm running Ultimate on my machines here. You may need to upgrade from Premium to run SSRS.
Hope this helps,
Hi Everyone,
First I installed Visual Studio 2005, latter uninstalled SQL Server Express as i want to install SQL Server 2005 Developer Edition and
applied SP1 for Visual Studio 2005.Installed IIS Pre-requisites as in http://support.microsoft.com/kb/934164
Then i installed Complete SQL Server 2005 Developer Edition along with Reporting Services,Analysis services,Integration
services etc on Vista Ultimate 64 Bit,it installed successfully without any errors.I am facing problems when running the URL
http://localhost/reportserver , the error displayed is as follows.Looking forward for a solution,thanking you in advance.
HTTP Error 403.1 - Forbidden
You have attempted to run a CGI, ISAPI, or other executable program from a directory that does not allow executables to run.
Thanking in advance
Hi Sri,
I'm not sure if this the issue or not, but I usually start SSRS in http://localhost/reports , not http://localhost/reportserver .
Everything went fine for me once I ensured my Settings were as the original post.
Installed SQL Server 2005 x64 (all components) on Vista Business x64 and it works like a charm.
Just my two cents.
I am running SQL Server 2008 and Reporting Services on an XP Home machine and therefore I cannot access http://localhost/Reports
However you can get some functionality if you can access Reporting Services Configuration Manager. this has two URLs I publish to the web Service URL and the reports are found at the Report Manager URL.
This is found at Start/All Programs/Microsoft SQL Server 200?/Configuration Tools
I was reading this as I am looking to change PC and wanted to get the full functionality upon changing
Hope this helps
Iam uses sql server 2005 and reporting services on Windows 7 ultimate. virtual directory reports and reportserver created at instalation. when running localhost/reports or localhost/reportserver erorr and reporting services configuration error


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Life of giving leads math student to needy classroomsCaris Daily | Mathematics, Undergraduate | Department of Mathematical Sciences From that first stint as an algebra tutor as a high school sophomore, Caris Daily knew she wanted to spend her career mentoring people in the classroom.
"When I decided to become a teacher, I considered my love of math as the way I can best help people," said Daily, a senior mathematics education major. "I want to work in junior high and high schools where students need a lot of guidance and someone to help them get excited about math and understand how important it can be."
Daily found that type of support while a student at Community Baptist Christian High School in South Bend, Ind. She was encouraged to explore her interest in math and determine how to best impact those people who need it most.
Once she enrolled at IUPUI, she found a wealth of opportunities awaiting her in Indianapolis. She joined the Good News Youth Center, a local education outreach program, where she started as an intern and later became director of education programs. This experience solidified for her that she could do the most good as a teacher in needy classrooms in the inner city.
She has since worked as a lifeguard at a school for the blind and as a summer camp counselor, as a student teacher at three different urban schools in Indianapolis and also served as an IUPUI advocate in the Campus Ambassadors Program. When she graduates in May 2013, she plans to apply for a position at Teach for America, an organization dedicated to placing much-needed teachers in low-income school districts.
"I think a lot of these kids need good mentors, people who can help them overcome their fears and really look at a way to help them relate math to everyday life," Daily said.
Daily said she considers her best asset in the classroom to be her ability to get students engaged in active learning. Her student teaching experiences while an IUPUI student were extremely helpful in forming how she plans to approach her own classroom once out of college, she said.
"I plan to be honest with students about math and tell them, 'Some of this stuff you will never use again, but it's important to remember that math is more than just memorizing formulas,'" she said.
"That's one of the key lessons I've learned from my great instructors at IUPUI—that learning math really is about training your brain to think about problem solving in a logical way," Daily added. "Math brings you logically to conclusions for problems, and that's what really gives me energy in this subject. It's what I love."
Daily considers herself part of a new, progressive generation of math teachers entering the field. Learning the applications of math and its versatility are just as important as learning formulas and theories, she said. Students who first understand the uses of math outside of the classroom have a better chance at success while in the classroom, she said.
Daily also serves as the president of the IUPUI Math Club. She sees her leadership role with the club as important in recruiting future math teachers and helping students to "see the fun side of math."
"Math Club is really about getting people to be passionate for their own subject," she said.
Daily has two younger siblings enrolled at IUPUI. She encourages them to get involved in student clubs and groups that have a considerable impact in the Indianapolis community.


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Adrien Brody might have already won an Oscar at 29 for his work in The Pianist, but for the actor, playing the legendary magician Harry Houdini for History's latest miniseries was a real bucket list moment.
"He was a very heroic person to me as a boy," Brody tells TVGuide.com. Much like the magician he idolized, Brody grew up in New York City the child of a Hungarian-Jewish mother and took up magic at an early age, performing at children's birthday parties as The Amazing Adrien. "What he represented to me then was a real bravery and a fearlessness," Brody says. "I think what magic represents is this ability to kind of defy the laws of nature."
His love of magic soon transformed into a love of acting, solidifying Houdini as one of "the greatest influences" in Brody's life and making Houdini a personal project for the star. "I spent a lifetime poring over magic books and loving magicians," Brody says. "My mother's a photographer and she's photographed Penn and Teller at Houdini's grave. I've visited his grave, it's in my neighborhood. He's been present somehow in my life."
Though getting to become Houdini is Brody's childhood dream come true, the two-night event is not necessarily an accurate portrayal of the magician's life. Based on the controversial biography Houdini: A Mind in Chains (not so coincidentally penned by the Houdini screenwriter's father), the series draws heavily on Bernard C. Meyer's psychoanalytical theories of Houdini and presents his possible work as an American spy as pure fact. But Brody takes no issue with History taking creative license.
Emmys fashion: Hits and misses
"I feel like I was given a remarkable opportunity to delve very deeply into the man's life and the element of him working as a government agent in some capacity is very intriguing," Brody says. "The concept of the government having the insight to take a performer who has proficiency for foreign language and access to czars and rulers of other nations in an intimate way is pretty interesting stuff. I think people will get a real kick out of that."
The four-hour event manages to cram in as much of the illusionist's life as possible, from his childhood discovery of magic to his painstaking success as an escape artist and eventually his grief-ridden mission to debunk spiritualism. Leading us through all the twists and turns of Houdini's journey is Brody's all-knowing voiceover, which at points provides insight into Houdini's state of mind ("The one thing I can't seem to escape from is me") but at times does no more than gratingly foreshadow his eventual death in 1926 ("Some things can hit you in the gut more than any punch").
But more so than anything, Houdini paints a portrait of a man overcome by insecurities as well as Houdini's drive to escape the social constraints and stigma of immigrant — and Jewish — life in the 20th Century. "I think it's a personality type. It's relentlessness. I can relate to pushing against things that are intimidating," Brody says. "I try to take roles that are very challenging and very different in an effort to push the limits, and I think that's something that he always tried to do — to keep pushing his own boundaries and be innovative."
Houdini was a pioneer in not only the field of magic, but marketing. Rather than paying for advertising, he would invite the press to witness his over-the-top stunts or even take the acts directly to them, performing his infamous upside-down straitjacket escapes while suspended in front of newspaper buildings. And while it's fascinating to watch Houdini's ferocious grassroots publicity campaign, History knows that what everyone really wants to see is how he accomplished his tricks.
From simple handcuff escapes to the Chinese Water Torture Cell, Houdini breaks the magician's code and gives viewers an inside look at the tricks behind Houdini's trade. "It's definitely an interesting aspect for the viewer and I think it's part of a storytelling approach that works," Brody says. "Sure, I feel a responsibility also being a magician at one point that I have an oath to abide by, and I'm not so sure Houdini, who've I've been asked to represent, would necessarily want secrets to his illusions to be revealed. But I can understand the curiosity."
Houdini airs Monday and Tuesday at 9/8c on History.


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Heh. I didn't say she was a "mere right-winger," though. I identified her as a right-winger only in the context of establishing that even the most rabid affirmative action opponents, and ones with true right-wing chops, acknowledge the existence of the stereotype threat. Thus, I described her not as having been blinded by ideology, as you suggest, but rather as not having been blinded by ideology (at least not enough to deny the existence of the stereotype threat). Her "empirical sense" is not at issue here, though, given that she did not actually do any primary or peer-reviewed secondary research on the topic.
Also, you're going to have your anti-AA troll card pulled if you fail to recognize that someone who received her advanced degrees at Harvard and Columbia can be an ideologue. Your friends won't like this argument one bit.
ETA: FWIW, I agree with Wax that the stereotype threat is not the magic bullet some commentators would like it to be. For one, I don't know how much it accounts for the test gap. More important, even if it is a significant factor in testing disparities, I don't know how we can do away with it in order to make sure the same results aren't reproduced down the line. I think the encouragement and reassurance Wax allows is a good start; in the law school context, academic support resources for struggling students and pre-orientation, skills-based training programs are other fine ideas.
Are you using "you're gay!" as a comeback? Really?
A nugget tangentially related to stereotype threat:http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/23/education/23gap.html?_r=4&ref=usThis has probably been posted elsewhere, but I have not kept up with the relevant threads.
Quote from: txn_20 on February 01, 2009, 01:41:29 PMIm sorry, but Affirmative Action is reverse racism.next you'll be saying it's racist to have a black law student discussion board.and thanks for apologizing. but it's your parents who should apologize for raising you so poorly.
Im sorry, but Affirmative Action is reverse racism.
I just have one question with regard to stereotype threat:If all of this is based on the expectations of those around you (for example, black people worried about a negative performance causing them to land in an unflattering stereotype) could it not be based on something besides race?The first thing that comes to mind is the way that whites from uneducated, working class backgrounds are portrayed. I am a white person from a poor family (I assure you there are plenty of us), and many times (because of my accent, and where I am from) I have been labeled as a "redneck", "white trash", etc. Those stereotypes certainly don't flatter my intellectual capability. However, I have never expected any special treatment because of my background. Instead, I have always used the stereotype to catch people off guard, to suprise their expectations whenever I outperform them on whatever it is we are competing at. This is in no way an attempt to compare my "white plight" to the widespread discrimination against blacks. I grew up in one of the most racist areas in the United States and I know that racism is still an enormous problem that must be addressed, even during the law school admissions process. I just have a hard time accepting "sterotype threat" as a compelling argument for poor performance on the LSAT.


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Steroid investigation deeply implicates Los Angeles Dodgers
Fans and teammates anointed him the "heart and soul" of the Dodgers, the late-blooming hard-charger whose 2004 trade stung like a betrayal to those who bleed blue.
Now, the explosive report by former U.S. Sen. George Mitchell on the use of steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs in baseball paints a much different picture of Paul Lo Duca. The All-Star catcher is described in the document as the pivot man in the virus-like spread of steroids and human growth hormone through the team clubhouse, to the lockers and doorsteps of then-Dodgers Eric Gagne -- the beloved "Game Over" relief icon -- and pitcher Kevin Brown, and even to the former minor league franchise in Albuquerque.
Lo Duca is portrayed as both consumer and conduit of the drugs, the happy-to-oblige middleman between teammates and Kirk Radomski, a onetime New York Mets clubhouse worker and admitted steroid pusher.
"Thanks," Lo Duca once wrote to Radomski on Dodger Stadium stationery, the report says. "Call me if you need anything!"
And when Dodgers officials decided to trade Lo Duca, the report suggests, one of the reasons wasn't his own use of steroids, but the fact that he apparently had stopped taking them.
"Got off the steroids. . . . Took away a lot of hard line drives," the report quotes from notes of an internal discussion by the officials in 2003. "Can get comparable value back would consider trading. . . . If you do trade him, will get back on the stuff and try to show you he can have a good year. That's his makeup."
Perhaps no team comes off worse in the 409-page report than the Dodgers, who are portrayed as nearly top-to-bottom complicit in the steroid culture from roughly 1999 through 2004. The depiction features bundles of cash, one dropped on a front stoop in the rain, a Gagne query on proper injection technique and sober front-office musings on the link between a player's muscle growth and use of the "stuff" and "meds."
Dodgers owner Frank McCourt, who bought the team from Rupert Murdoch's Fox Entertainment Group in early 2004, said in a written statement that he had not read the entire report, but was "steadfast in the belief that performance-enhancing drugs have no place in baseball."
In addition to Lo Duca, Gagne and Brown, the report names Todd Hundley, Matt Herges, Chris Donnels and Adam Riggs as among the players who used the illicit drugs while in the Dodgers organization. Hundley and Santangelo could not be reached for comment. Agents for the other players either declined comment or did not return phone calls.
The report shows that unnamed Dodgers officials had been highly suspicious, if not plainly aware, that steroids had become part of the Dodgers training regimen, at least where certain players were concerned. The internal team notes excerpted in the report indicate that the officials, including apparently then-general manager Dan Evans, had matter-of-factly assessed which of the players were using the drugs -- and, more important, whether the drugs were helping or hurting them on the field. (Evans declined to comment Thursday.)
"Kevin Brown -- getting to the age of nagging injuries. . . . Question what kind of medication he takes," the report quotes from the October 2003 team notes. "Common in soccer players and are more susceptible if you take meds to increase your muscles -- doesn't increase the attachments.
"Is he open to adjusting how he takes care of himself?" the notes continue. "He knows he now needs to do stuff before coming to spring training to be ready. Steroids speculated by GM."
During the same month, other notes said of Gagne, according to the report: "He probably takes medication and tendons and ligaments don't build up just muscle."
Those present at the 2003 meetings, the report said, included Evans, trainer Stan Johnston, manager Jim Tracy, advance scout Mark Weidemaier, team physician Frank Jobe, senior scouting advisor Don Welke and director of amateur scouting Logan White. The notes were taken by Ellen Harrigan, an administrator in the scouting department, and were provided to investigators by the team, according to the report.
Weidemaier said Thursday that during meetings the possibility that some players around the league had used steroids was discussed.
"However, I don't recall it coming up in regard to any of our own players -- at least not in the meetings I was in," Weidemaier said.
A former Dodgers executive who requested anonymity said Thursday that "individually, a lot of us may have had our suspicions during that period, but it was difficult to know what was really going on or how to address it."
The Dodgers' passages in the Mitchell Report begin with Lo Duca on Page 208, where it is noted that he played seven seasons in L.A. before the trade to the Florida Marlins.
In spring 1999, Albuquerque Dukes conditioning coach Todd Seyler allegedly spoke with five of the minor league players -- including Lo Duca and Herges -- about using the performance enhancer.
Seyler said that he and several players gave Herges money for steroids, and that Herges and Lo Duca became the buyers for the group, with a source in Florida, the report states.
The players and Seyler would meet in an apartment and inject themselves, it says.
During his L.A. tenure, the report says, Lo Duca was referred to Radomski by Hundley, and soon after the Dodgers catcher and Mets clubhouse assistant were exchanging money for drugs.
Radomski told the Mitchell investigators that he sent kits of human growth hormone by overnight mail to Lo Duca's home or to the Dodgers clubhouse, and the player would send him a check -- typically for $3,200 -- about a week later.
Federal agents found Lo Duca listed in Radomski's address book when they searched the assistant's residence. They also found this note from Lo Duca to Radomski, according to the report:
"Sorry! But for some reason they sent the check back to me. I haven't been able to call you back because my phone is TOAST! I have a new # it is . . . Please leave your # again because I lost all of my phonebook with the other phone. Thanks, Paul."
The report points out that Lo Duca told Sports Illustrated in 2002 that he understood why a player battling for a job would be tempted to use steroids, but that he added: "Don't get me wrong. I don't condone it."
Lo Duca was dealt to Florida on July 30, 2004. And, the report alleges, he apparently proved correct the speculation by the Dodgers officials that he would turn again to drugs. It says he wrote Radomski another $3,200 check the month after he was traded.
Back in L.A., Gagne remained a Radomski customer, thanks to a Lo Duca introduction, the report alleges. Lo Duca had called up Radomski and told him Gagne was there and wanted to buy human growth hormone, according to the report.
It says Gagne then took the phone and "asked Radomski a question about how to get air out of a syringe. This is the only time Radomski spoke to Gagne. Radomski said that Lo Duca thereafter placed orders on Gagne's behalf."
Those orders were posted to Gagne's Florida home and Dodger Stadium, the report says. Included in the document is a photocopy of a Radomski Express Mail receipt for what is identified as the Aug. 9, 2004, stadium delivery.
On an occasion when Lo Duca didn't handle the transaction, Gagne sent Radomski $3,200 in cash by Federal Express, the report says.
Later, the report adds, Boston Red Sox officials referred to Gagne's suspected steroid use while the team was considering signing him. It quotes from a Nov. 1, 2006, e-mail from Boston General Manager Theo Epstein to a Red Sox scout:
"Have you done any digging on Gagne? I know the Dodgers think he was a steroid guy. Maybe so. What do you hear on his medical?"
The report says the scout, Mark Delpiano, responded: "Some digging on Gagne and steroids IS the issue. Has had a checkered medical past throughout career including minor leagues. Lacks the poise and commitment to stay healthy, maintain body and reinvent self.
"What made him a tenacious closer was the max effort plus stuff. . . . Mentality without the plus weapons and without steroid help probably creates a large risk in bounce back durability and ability to throw average while allowing the change-up to play as it once did."
Gagne has denied using steroids. Meanwhile, Lo Duca had referred Brown to Radomski sometime in 2000 or 2001, the report says, and the steely pitcher spoke to the clubhouse worker for up to two hours about human growth hormone. Radomski sent Brown several shipments of it, and the pitcher paid in cash, sometimes up to $10,000, according to the report.
One $8,000 payment arrived when Radomski was not home, and the package was left unsigned-for at his door in the rain, the report says.
"Radomski called Brown and told him not to check the signature waiver box on the overnight delivery package when he was sending cash, because the envelope was left on Radomski's doorstep for several hours and could have been taken," the report says.
It says that Brown also asked Radomski for Deca-Durabolin for an injured elbow.
Lo Duca also put Herges and Riggs in touch with Radomski, the report says. Radomski allegedly sold Riggs six to 10 batches of human growth hormone, clenbuterol and Winstrol from 2003 to 2005, including after he started playing in Japan. (Riggs played with the Angels in 2003 and 2004.)
Herges bought human growth hormone from Radomski from as early as 2004 through late 2005, the report says. At one point, it says, Herges called to make another purchase, not knowing Radomski had started cooperating in the federal investigation.
Radomski is said to have told Herges he "was dry right now."
Hernandez and Pringle are Times staff writers; Newhan is a special correspondent.
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Rock star Bret Michaels stayed on pace to make a dramatic TV return on next week's finale of "the Celebrity Apprentice."
In a show taped months before the Poison singer suffered a near fatal brain hemorrhage, Michaels made it to the final round as Donald Trump sent three competitors packing. Next week's season-ender will air live, with Michaels facing model Holly Robinson Peete.
"I came in here as a complete underdog," said Michaels in the boardroom when he heard the news from host Trump. "You know what everyone's mistake was? They so underestimated me!"
U.S. & World
All of the season except the finale was taped last year, with the results kept under wraps. Michaels suffered the hemorrhage on April 22, but has since made a stunning recovery. His friends have said he intends to make it back for Sunday's finale and then resume his concert tour.
"What he's done is amazing," Trump told Access Hollywood last week. "He had, essentially, an explosion in his brain and he's really doing better. He's having a little bit of a difficult time, but he's really doing better and I know one thing, I don't know if it's going to happen, but he wants to be ... on the finale of 'Celebrity Apprentice.' He wants to be there."
Fired on Sunday's edition were wrestler-model Maria Kanellis, Australian chef Curtis Stone, and rock-star wife and TV personality Sharon Osbourne.
Michaels, a father of two and VH1 "Rock of Love" bad boy has had a long history of medical issues, including Type 1 diabetes.
If the rocker proves successful in the finale, his winnings will be donated to the American Diabetes Association.


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The Place
The Instructors
Calendar of Events
Dance Hall Available for Rent New Year's Eve
1st & 3rd Saturday Dances - Ballroom - Social Ballroom dances are held 1st & 3rd Saturdays preceded by a lesson. 1st Saturdays feature live bands & 3rd Saturdays are DJ music to include Waltz, Foxtrot, Rumba, Swing, Quickstep, Mambo, Samba, Viennese Waltz, Cha Cha & Polka.
2nd Saturday Dance - Dance for Everyone - features a DJ music mix suitable for a wide variety of dance styles. Dance is preceded by a beginner and intermediate dance lesson in a different style of dance each month taught by various visiting guest instructors.
4th Saturday Dance - Hustle/West Coast Swing - Held 4th Saturday of each month features a guest instructor teaching beginner and intermediate hustle, and a 50/50 DJ music mix of hustle and west coast swing.
5th Saturday Dance -Tango- Blue Moon Milonga held 5th Saturday of the month. DJ music.
Tuesday Dance for Everyone - Weekly dances featuring DJ music mix suitable for a wide variety of dance styles preceded by a Beginner/Intermediate West Coast Swing lesson at 7:00pm. Dancing from 8:00pm to 10:30pm.
Colvin Run Dance Hall is unique as it is the only landed dance venue in the Washington Metropolitan area. The Dance Hall has been maintained and preserved as an historical building since 1931. The interior is charming with its beadboard vaulted ceiling, special lighting creates a glowing ambience and the dance floor is the highest quality 1,850 sq. ft. oak.
We welcome people of all ages and all levels of dance. We provide dance instruction prior to all dances by professional, outstanding and fun instructors. So, no matter what your level of ability, this is the place for you! We invite you to come out and join the fun here at Colvin Run, where you will meet many warm and friendly people. Colvin Run Dance Hall is run by the Colvin Run Citizens Association, an IRS designated 501(c)(3) public charity. All donations are deductible in accordance with IRS rules and regulations.
Colvin Run Board of Directors
Great Falls | Colvin Run Dance Hall | 703-759-2685


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- Meshfree method (1) (remove)
Finite Pointset Method Based On The Projection Method For Simulations Of The Incompressible Navier-Stokes Equations (2001)
A Lagrangian particle scheme is applied to the projection method for the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations. The approximation of spatial derivatives is obtained by the weighted least squares method. The pressure Poisson equation is solved by a local iterative procedure with the help of the least squares method. Numerical tests are performed for two dimensional cases. The Couette flow, Poiseuelle flow, decaying shear flow and the driven cavity flow are presented. The numerical solutions are obtained for stationary as well as instationary cases and are compared with the analytical solutions for channel flows. Finally, the driven cavity in a unit square is considered and the stationary solution obtained from this scheme is compared with that from the finite element method.


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Click here to see what is planned for this Sunday including message text, songs for each service, special music, and scriptures associated with our songs!
Our special song this week is How Deep the Father's Love for Us.
Praise ye the LORD. I will praise the LORD with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright, and in the congregation. Psalms 111:1
Call to Worship is a weekly post to help prepare our hearts for corporate worship in our Sunday morning service.


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Thanks to everyone that participated in our Why I Love Arizona Photo Contest. We had some amazing photos submitted and enjoyed seeing all the different ways that you love Arizona. Our winners were selected by a public vote of the top rated photos in each category.
>> Check out our Grand Prize Winner and list of Category Winners
Take a Look at last year's finalists:
Arizona is a great place to live. The beauty of the desert, the warmth of the winter and so much more. Long Realty is proud to make Arizona our home and to have served our communities since 1926. We love being here and are thrilled to have given you the opportunity to show your Arizona pride too through our "Why I Love Arizona" online photo contest.
Privacy Policy © 2013 Long Realty Company


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Looking for slingshots for sale? You're in the right place. Here are all our slingshots. Every brand. Every style. Find your slingshot here.
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Product information
TripleGrip cam lobes have a raw aluminium finish with additional bite points to create a greater contact area, this in turn, helps to increase friction between the lobes and the rock which increases holding power and reduces 'walking', particularly in slick or soft rock types. The dual axle, single stem design ensures 360° flexibility and a great expansion range which offers excellent performance and a better chance that you get the right piece the first time.
The hot forged thumb press has been carefully considered to help reduce the chance of fumbling with gloved hands or pumped fingers while the extendable dyneema sling cuts down the number of quickdraws you'll need to bring with you which significantly reduces the weight you need to carry on your harness making an all-round more enjoyable experience.
Product features
- TripleGrip cam lobes for increased holding power and torsional rigidity
- Dual axle, single stem design for 360° flexibility
- Ergonomic, hot forged thumb press with extendable 8mm Dyneema sling
- 13.75° cam angle for high holding power
- Colour coded for easy identification
- Strength: 14kN
- Passive strength: 14kN
- Range: 38-64mm
- Colour: Yellow
- Weight: 154g


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Pick up the pace in a bold, head-turning design with the new Asics Gel Noosa Tri 10.
Updated with a host of speed-centric features, including a new SoLyte Midsole and an advanced Propulsion Trusstic for quicker toe-offs, the 10th Edition of Asics' iconic Gel Noosa Tri is a superb choice for the serious runner or triathlete.
Built with Gel Cushioning Units at the heel and forefoot for enhanced impact protection and ride quality, the Gel Noosa Tri 10 incorporates Asics' renowned Impact Guidance System – a unique design philosophy which improves the transition between heel strike and toe off for greater efficacy through the stride.
This edition of the shoe, new for 2015, also employs Elastic Laces and Tactile Heel and Toe Grips to make it easier to pull on and off when you're in a hurry, and there's a revised AHAR+ Wet Grip Outsole for improved durability and maximum traction on slippery surfaces.
Asics' next generation Dynamic Duomax System also provides increased stability underfoot, while the inclusion of a Removable EVA Sockliner ensures the Noosa 10 is Asics' most comfortable endurance shoe to date, moulding to the shape of your feet for a snug, sock-like fit.
Stand out from the crowd with the Asics Gel Noosa Tri 10.
Asics: The Runner's Choice.
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Regular Price: £153.60
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The Atomic Mover Skintec is our new ski for cross-country ski tourers, featuring skin skis with Skintec technology.
The Touring profile for our longer, narrower Mover skis.
100% Mohair skins deliver a strong grip and fast glide in all snow conditions.
Light, stable and tough. Densolite is produced in Atomic's own facilities and comes in three variations. SDS camber construction keeps kick zone high in the glide phase for no friction. Then easy to compress in the kick phase for full energy into the kick.
The Atomic Mover Skintec is our latest skin ski for ski tourers with a totally new design. Thanks to waxless Skintec technology there's no need for time-consuming kick-waxing. Instead, just jump on the ski and the Mohair grip zone gives you a perfect kick and glide in all snow conditions and temperatures! Good stability is delivered thanks to a broad sidecut. Then if you need to change skins it's easy to do it yourself: we offer a universal skin (pre-set on the ski) and a grip skin with better grip properties. We also offer a 204cm xstiff version for heavier skiers.


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31 's
Handmade Dark Brown Leather Large Notepad Cover
Back (this one has a design on the back, but this is not the normal back)
Inside Empty
Inside Filled
Available Colors
Color and Design Examples
Available Buttons
Available Alphabets
Check out now. Fast, Easy, Secure Checkout.
Primary Material: Leather
Size: 12 x 10
Pattern: Personalized
Color: Brown
Love this cover! Works exactly like I wanted. The Velcro is very sturdy. I slip my finger between the leather and the voyage for easy holding. Very pleased.
This is a great kindle cover! Shipped promptly. Thank you!
I love the purse. It is even better in person!! I will refer you to all my friends!! Thanks!!!
Thank you for your business! If you have any questions or need more information, please contact me using the "Contact this seller" button. I am happy to assist you.
After 2 weeks your items will automatically renewed for another 60 days and $0.23 per item will be added to your billing ledger.
While you were away our TOU was updated,
read the terms of use here.
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When Google launched the Chrome App Store, it was one a good step ahead to provide users with Extensions and apps from a centralized location. However, Chrome still allowed users to install extensions and user scripts from any website making it a little insecure.
However, it looks like Google is now beefing up on security and disallowing users from installing extensions, apps and user scripts from outside the Chrome Web Store. Users will now be prompted with a message saying "Extensions, apps and user scripts can only be added from the Chrome Web Store" when they try to install something which is not part of the Chrome Web Store.
While this is a good thing, it means that Greasemonkey and Stylish scripts will stop working out of the box now unless a users changes Chrome's settings or till they are included as a part of the Chrome Web Store.
So will users be able to still install extensions and scripts that are not part of Chrome Web Store? Well, the answer is Yes. Earlier this month, Martin from GHacks had posted about this problem and the potential fix. The fix is listed in a Chrome bug report which says:
You are no longer supposed to be able to install extensions off-store in Chrome. See bug 55584 for details.
In order to install off-store extensions, the user must download them to a directory and drag them onto chrome://extensions/.
I intend to polish this UI a bit to hide the download bar so that people don't click on it. I'd also like to add some UI that tells users that extension install is disabled off store or something, but we still haven't figured out what that will look like.`
The bug referred in the above fix was a feature request which will allow enterprise users to disable users from installing extensions outside the Chrome Store while providing them with an option to whitelist other sources through an admin interface.
So dragging and dropping those extensions and user scripts to the extension page should currently allow you to install those extensions. You can also completely disable this feature by loading Chrome with the "–enable-easy-off-store-extension-install" flag. However, this is not recommended.
*Please note that the blocking currently does not happen in stable builds of Google Chrome.


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|Dec 09, 2013
Pioneering path to electrical conductivity in 'tinker toy' materials
|(Nanowerk News) Sandia National Laboratories researchers have devised a novel way to realize electrical conductivity in metal-organic framework (MOF) materials, a development that could have profound implications for the future of electronics, sensors, energy conversion and energy storage.
|A paper to appear in Science magazine, debuts in the Dec. 5 edition of Science Express ("Tunable Electrical Conductivity in Metal-Organic Framework Thin-Film Devices"). The paper co-authored by a group of Sandia researchers and collaborators at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) describes a technique that experiments show successfully increases the electrical conductivity of one MOF by over six orders of magnitude.
|"Fundamentally, this sheds enormous light on the conduction process in these materials," said Alec Talin, a material scientist at Sandia and the paper's lead author.
|Applications for electrically conducting MOFs, said Sandia senior scientist Mark Allendorf, include chemical sensing, medical diagnostics, energy harvesting and storage and microelectronics.
|Sandia National Laboratories' Alec Talin inspects a silicon chip coated with a thin oxide layer, an array of platinum electrodes and a MOF film. Optical absorption and interference in the MOF and silicon-dioxide layers give rise to the deep blue color.
|MOFs: "tinker toys" for chemists
|Materials researchers have considered MOF materials primarily for use in gas storage, drug delivery and other conventional applications for porous materials. Their crystalline structure, which resembles molecular scaffolding, consists of rigid organic molecules linked together by metal ions. This hybrid of inorganic and organic components produces an unusual combination of properties: nanoporosity, ultrahigh surface areas and remarkable thermal stability, which are attractive to chemists seeking novel materials that combine the superior performance of traditional inorganic semiconductors with the low cost and ease of fabrication typical of conducting organic polymers.
|Allendorf, a chemist and MOF expert who called the research findings the most exciting development in his 28-year Sandia career, likens them to "tinker toys" for chemists.
|"When you imagine the 'tinker toys' we played with as children, you recall they are essentially wooden balls with holes that you can link together with sticks," Allendorf explained. "MOFs work the same way, only you substitute metal ions for the balls and organic molecules for the sticks."
|The resulting open space within the scaffolding can be filled with guest molecules, which gave Sandia's Talin the idea to use the pore to make the MOFs electrically conducting.
|"Importantly, MOFs possess a characteristic of molecules that allows us to adapt their properties to a specific application: we can perform chemistry on them, unlike traditional inorganic electronic materials, such as silicon and copper," said Talin. Molecules, he said, represent the "ultimate, small-scale unit" at which electronic devices can be made. They are so difficult to manipulate and organize, however, that practical "molecular electronics" have not been realized. "How you connect to molecules, where you place them those issues have consistently perplexed materials scientists," said Talin.
|The power of empty space
|So he considered a different approach. "With MOFs, we can get around this problem by using the nanopores to organize molecules. The trick is to pick the right kind of molecule, so that it binds to and interacts with the entire framework." Some MOFs, says Talin, have empty holes in the tinker-toy balls that can bind molecules that infiltrate the pores.
|"This isn't like silicon, which can't change its electrical properties," Talin said. "You can add tiny amounts of dopants to silicon or introduce other impurities, but with our approach, you suddenly have the potential to tailor the material to achieve exactly the properties you want. This is the beauty of molecular electronics."
|To test their hypothesis, Sandia and NIST's researchers added a molecule known as tetracyanoquinodimethane, or TCNQ, to their framework. First, they took a substrate with platinum electrodes patterned on its surface and coated it with a thin film of the MOF. The substrate was then dipped in a solution containing the TCNQ molecule, which they knew would seep into the MOF's tiny pores. The MOF film containing the TCNQ bridged the electrode connection points, which then could be connected to a current meter for measuring.
|"Frankly, I thought it would never work," said Allendorf. "But that's the great thing about science: being wrong can be a good thing."
|The results are in, and they are good
|The research team found that the MOF materials were conducting, though at relatively small quantities at first. "It was clear that something good was happening, so we were very excited," said Allendorf.
|The experiment was repeated several times with slight but important improvements in film quality achieved by optimizing the laboratory fabrication process.
|"Conditions matter, and we had to be very deliberate in how we prepared the framework to accept the guest molecule," said Allendorf. Removing the water and excess solvent from the film is no trivial matter, he said. The research team fine-tuned the process over the course of several months and, in doing so, began to see large leaps in electrical conductivity.
|"The increase was massive," said Talin. The conductivity in the material, he says, is now a million times higher than that of the starting material, and a thousand times higher than anything previously reported using a metal-organic framework.
|The researchers plan on patenting their approach and also hope to land additional funding in order to experiment with other guest molecules.
|Keeping up with Moore's Law and other applications
|"The overwhelming success of this project opens a whole new way to design electrically active materials," said Talin. Organic materials, he pointed out, offer low costs and mechanical flexibility. "There are probably hundreds of potential applications for this work that come into play, such as breath analysis and microelectronics," he said.
|The ability to make smaller and faster electronic devices to keep up with Moore's Law has always been a motivator in the field of molecular electronics, Allendorf said. MOFs have the potential to create molecular electronic devices on the scale of their pore dimensions, or approximately 1 nanometer.
|Solar technology is another potential application, said Allendorf, and the Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy funded some of the initial research. "With electrically conducting MOFs, we might very well be able to combine the high efficiencies achievable with traditional inorganic thin film materials such as polycrystalline silicon with the low cost and flexibility aspects of organic photovoltaics," he said.
|"Our next step needs to be the exploration of other hosts and guest molecules," said Talin. "We'd like to experiment with different MOF structures and different organic molecules to see if new behavior emerges. We want to see where this new learning takes us."
|Source: Sandia National Laboratories
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Other Ambient (and related) Music / Re: Bandcamp« on: July 12, 2013, 06:07:44 PM »
As a consumer and DJ, I like Bandcamp a lot for all the reasons listed here. I'd also like to add that it's easy for musicians to offer promo downloads to DJ's and reviewers, too. As a DJ, I'm seeing more and more promo downloads these days, and I've never had problems with the Bandcamp system.
Scott Raymond
Scott Raymond


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Linescratchers artist Jeff Zentner has released a new album entitled A Season Lost on his Bandcamp page. From his Official Facebook Page:
My friends, it is my great pleasure to announce the release of my new album, A Season Lost, on July 24, 2012. I could not be more proud of this album. It features performances from my friends Elin Palmer, Rykarda Parasol, Arborea, Matt Bauer, Sumie Nagano, Hannah Fury, and Josie Little.
I will be getting back with you soon on pre-order details, details about physical copies, etc. But for the moment, allow me to make a small entreaty for you to purchase this album, which will cost $8 for the digital version.
Every penny that went into the making of this album came from my own pocket. Aside from the prodigious musical and artistic talents of my friends, I had no help in making it. Music is not my primary source of income. I work very hard during the day so that when I come home, to steal a few moments for making music, I am able to fund these albums, and I am at the whim of no record label or person. To say the least, sales of this album will not be funding a swimming pool in my backyard.
I don't need to sell millions or even thousands of copies to achieve my sole financial goal for this album, which is to simply not lose hundreds of dollars. But I do need to sell hundreds, which means that if you are reading this, I need your help.
I know that times are difficult, and money is tight. But imagine the sort of fleeting pleasures you'll spend $8 on. A salad at a modest restaurant. A movie ticket. A couple of drinks with friends. Coffee and a pastry. Parking for the day in a big city. A couple of gallons of gas. I hope that if you invest your hard-earned money in this album, it will provide you with a more lasting pleasure and satisfaction than any of those things. I hope it's one of the best $8 you've ever spent. I've worked very hard to make it so.
And now, please enjoy your first complete listen of A Season Lost.


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Apple has hired a new chap to deal with Mobile Commerce, and it just so happens that he has years of near field communications experience.
For the uninitiated, NFC is used in swipe cards and can be used for anything from paying for goods (like the Barclaycard PayWave) to tickets (Oyster cards) and even to open your car.
The fact Apple has employed Benjamin Vigier as Product Manager of Mobile Commerce doesn't necessarily mean the iPhone 5 will have the technology in, but he's well placed to implement it should that come about.
The reason for the conjecture of his role comes as earlier this year Apple applied for a patent on a device that would contain NFC technology, highlighted by Engadget.
Vigier was product manager at mFoundry, where he developed applications like the PayPal Mobile service and a mobile payments system for Starbucks.
So even if he doesn't make your iPhone 5 the cool new way to beep around town, fingers crossed Apple will be working on even more ways to use your iPhone to make life easier.
From NearFieldCommunications World via Engadget and MacRumors


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HANJING, China — One of China's lesser-known exports is a dangerous brew of soot, toxic chemicals and climate-changing gases from the smokestacks of coal-burning power plants.
In early April, a dense cloud of pollutants over Northern China sailed to nearby Seoul, sweeping along dust and desert sand before wafting across the Pacific. An American satellite spotted the cloud as it crossed the West Coast.
Researchers in California, Oregon and Washington noticed specks of sulfur compounds, carbon and other byproducts of coal combustion coating the silvery surfaces of their mountaintop detectors. These microscopic particles can work their way deep into the lungs, contributing to respiratory damage, heart disease and cancer.
Filters near Lake Tahoe in the mountains of eastern California "are the darkest that we've seen" outside smoggy urban areas, said Steven S. Cliff, an atmospheric scientist at the University of California at Davis.
Unless China finds a way to clean up its coal plants and the thousands of factories that burn coal, pollution will soar both at home and abroad. The increase in global-warming gases from China's coal use will probably exceed that for all industrialized countries combined over the next 25 years, surpassing by five times the reduction in such emissions that the Kyoto Protocol seeks.
The sulfur dioxide produced in coal combustion poses an immediate threat to the health of China's citizens, contributing to about 400,000 premature deaths a year. It also causes acid rain that poisons lakes, rivers, forests and crops.
The sulfur pollution is so pervasive as to have an extraordinary side effect that is helping the rest of the world, but only temporarily: It actually slows global warming. The tiny, airborne particles deflect the sun's hot rays back into space.
But the cooling effect from sulfur is short-lived. By contrast, the carbon dioxide emanating from Chinese coal plants will last for decades, with a cumulative warming effect that will eventually overwhelm the cooling from sulfur and deliver another large kick to global warming, climate scientists say. A warmer climate could lead to rising sea levels, the spread of tropical diseases in previously temperate climes, crop failures in some regions and the extinction of many plant and animal species, especially those in polar or alpine areas.
Coal is indeed China's double-edged sword — the new economy's black gold and the fragile environment's dark cloud.
Already, China uses more coal than the United States, the European Union and Japan combined. And it has increased coal consumption 14 percent in each of the past two years in the broadest industrialization ever. Every week to 10 days, another coal-fired power plant opens somewhere in China that is big enough to serve all the households in Dallas or San Diego.
To make matters worse, India is right behind China in stepping up its construction of coal-fired power plants — and has a population expected to outstrip China's by 2030.
Aware of the country's growing reliance on coal and of the dangers from burning so much of it, China's leaders have vowed to improve the nation's energy efficiency. No one thinks that effort will be enough. To make a big improvement in emissions of global-warming gases and other pollutants, the country must install the most modern equipment — equipment that for the time being must come from other nations.
Industrialized countries could help by providing loans or grants, as the Japanese government and the World Bank have done, or by sharing technology. But Chinese utilities have in the past preferred to buy cheap but often-antiquated equipment from well connected domestic suppliers instead of importing costlier gear from the West.
The Chinese government has been reluctant to approve the extra spending. Asking customers to shoulder the bill would set back the government's efforts to protect consumers from inflation and to create jobs and social stability.
But each year China defers buying advanced technology, older equipment goes into scores of new coal-fired plants with a lifespan of up to 75 years.
"This is the great challenge they have to face," said David Moskovitz, an energy consultant who advises the Chinese government. "How can they continue their rapid growth without plunging the environment into the abyss?"
Living Better With Coal
Wu Yiebing and his wife, Cao Waiping, used to have very little effect on their environment. But they have tasted the rising standard of living from coal-generated electricity and they are hooked, even as they suffer the vivid effects of the damage their new lifestyle creates.
Years ago, the mountain village where they grew up had electricity for only several hours each evening, when water was let out of a nearby dam to turn a small turbine. They lived in a mud hut, farmed by hand from dawn to dusk on hillside terraces too small for tractors, and ate almost nothing but rice on an income of $25 a month.
Today, they live here in Hanjing, a small town in central China where Mr. Wu earns nearly $200 a month. He operates a large electric drill 600 feet underground in a coal mine, digging out the fuel that has powered his own family's advancement. He and his wife have a stereo, a refrigerator, a television, an electric fan, a phone and light bulbs, paying just $2.50 a month for all the electricity they can burn from a nearby coal-fired power plant.
They occupy a snug house with brick walls and floors and a cement foundation — the bricks and cement are products of the smoking, energy-ravenous factories that dot the valley. Ms. Cao decorates the family's home with calendar pictures of Zhang Ziyi, the Chinese film star. She is occasionally dismissive about the farming village where she lived as a girl and now seldom visits except over Chinese New Year.
"We couldn't wear high heels then because the paths were so bad and we were always carrying heavy loads," said Ms. Cao, who was wearing makeup, a stylish yellow pullover, low-slung black pants and black pumps with slender three-inch heels on a recent Sunday morning.
One-fifth of the world's population already lives in affluent countries with lots of air-conditioning, refrigerators and other appliances. This group consumes a tremendous amount of oil, natural gas, nuclear power, coal and alternative energy sources.
Now China is trying to bring its fifth of the world's population, people like Mr. Wu and Ms. Cao, up to the same standard. One goal is to build urban communities for 300 million people over the next two decades.
Already, China has more than tripled the number of air-conditioners in the past five years, to 84 per 100 urban households. And it has brought modern appliances to hundreds of millions of households in small towns and villages like Hanjing.
The difference from most wealthy countries is that China depends overwhelmingly on coal. And using coal to produce electricity and run factories generates more global-warming gases and lung-damaging pollutants than relying on oil or gas.
Indeed, the Wu family dislikes the light gray smog of sulfur particles and other pollutants that darkens the sky and dulls the dark green fields of young wheat and the white blossoms of peach orchards in the distance. But they tolerate the pollution.
"Everything else is better here," Mr. Wu said. "Now we live better, we eat better."
China's Dark Clouds
Large areas of North-Central China have been devastated by the spectacular growth of the local coal industry. Severe pollution extends across Shaanxi Province, where the Wus live, and neighboring Shanxi Province, which produces even more coal.
Not long ago, in the historic city of Datong, about 160 miles west of Beijing, throngs of children in colorful outfits formed a ceremonial line at the entrance to the city's 1,500-year-old complex of Buddhist cave grottoes to celebrate Datong's new designation as one of China's "spiritually civilized cities."
The event was meant to bolster pride in a city desperately in need of good news. Two years ago, Datong, long the nation's coal capital, was branded one of the world's most-polluted cities. Since then, the air quality has only grown worse.
Datong is so bad that last winter the city's air quality monitors went on red alert. Desert dust and particulate matter in the city had been known to force the pollution index into warning territory, above 300, which means people should stay indoors.
On Dec. 28, the index hit 350.
"The pollution is worst during the winter," said Ji Youping, a former coal miner who now works with a local environmental protection agency. "Datong gets very black. Even during the daytime, people drive with their lights on."
Of China's 10 most polluted cities, four, including Datong, are in Shanxi Province. The coal-mining operations have damaged waterways and scarred the land. Because of intense underground mining, thousands of acres are prone to sinking, and hundreds of villages are blackened with coal waste.
There is a Dickensian feel to much of the region. Roads are covered in coal tar; houses are coated with soot; miners, their faces smeared almost entirely black, haul carts full of coal rocks; the air is thick with the smell of burning coal.
There are growing concerns about the impact of this coal boom on the environment. The Asian Development Bank says it is financing pollution control programs in Shanxi because the number of people suffering from lung cancer and other respiratory diseases in the province has soared over the past 20 years. Yet even after years of government-mandated cleanup efforts the region's factories belch black smoke.
The government has promised to close the foulest factories and to shutter thousands of illegal mines, where some of the worst safety and environmental hazards are concentrated. But no one is talking about shutting the region's coal-burning power plants, which account for more than half the pollution. In fact, Shanxi and Shaanxi are rapidly building new coal-fired plants to keep pace with soaring energy demand.
To meet that demand, which includes burning coal to supply power to Beijing, Shanxi Province alone is expected to produce almost as much coal as was mined last year in Germany, England and Russia combined.
Burning all that coal releases enormous quantities of sulfur.
"Sulfur dioxide is China's No. 1 pollution problem," said Barbara A. Finamore, a senior attorney at the Natural Resources Defense Council's China Clean Energy Program in Washington. "This is the most serious acid rain problem in the world."
China released about 22.5 million tons of sulfur in 2004, more than twice the amount released in the United States, and a Chinese regulator publicly estimated last autumn that emissions would reach 26 million tons for 2005, although no official figures have been released yet. Acid rain now falls on 30 percent of China.
Studies have found that the worst effects of acid rain and other pollution occur within several hundred miles of a power plant, where the extra acidity of rainfall can poison crops, trees and lakes alike.
But China is generating such enormous quantities of pollution that the effects are felt farther downwind than usual. Sulfur and ash that make breathing a hazard are being carried by the wind to South Korea, Japan and beyond.
Not enough of the Chinese emissions reach the United States to have an appreciable effect on acid rain yet. But, they are already having an effect in the mountains in West Coast states. These particles are dense enough that, at maximum levels during the spring, they account at higher altitudes for a fifth or more of the maximum levels of particles allowed by the latest federal air quality standards. Over the course of a year, Chinese pollution averages 10 to 15 percent of allowable levels of particles. The amounts are smaller for lower-lying cities, like Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles.
China is also the world's largest emitter of mercury, which has been linked to fetal and child development problems, said Dan Jaffe, an atmospheric scientist at the University of Washington.
Unless Chinese regulators become much more aggressive over the next few years, considerably more emissions could reach the United States. Chinese pollution is already starting to make it harder and more expensive for West Coast cities to meet stringent air quality standards, said Professor Cliff of the University of California, slowing four decades of progress toward cleaner air.
Nothing Beats It
China knows it has to do something about its dependence on coal.
The government has set one of the world's most ambitious targets for energy conservation: to cut the average amount of energy needed to produce each good or service by 20 percent over the next five years. But with an economy growing 10 percent a year and with energy consumption climbing even faster, a conservation target amounting to 3.7 percent a year does not keep pace.
All new cars, minivans and sport utility vehicles sold in China starting July 1 will have to meet fuel-economy standards stricter than those in the United States. New construction codes encourage the use of double-glazed windows to reduce air-conditioning and heating costs and high-tech light bulbs that produce more light with fewer watts.
Meanwhile, other sources of energy have problems. Oil is at about $70 a barrel. Natural gas is in short supply in most of China, and prices for imports of liquefied natural gas have more than doubled in the last three years. Environmental objections are slowing the construction of hydroelectric dams on China's few untamed rivers. Long construction times for nuclear power plants make them a poor solution to addressing blackouts and other power shortages now.
For the past three years, China has also been trying harder to develop other alternatives. State-owned power companies have been building enormous wind turbines up and down the coast. Chinese companies are also trying to develop geothermal energy, tapping the heat of underground rocks, and are researching solar power and ways to turn coal into diesel fuel. But all of these measures fall well short. Coal remains the obvious choice to continue supplying almost two-thirds of China's energy needs.
Choices and Consequences
China must make some difficult choices. So far, the nation has been making decisions that it hopes will lessen the health-damaging impact on its own country while sustaining economic growth as cheaply as possible. But those decisions will also add to the emissions that contribute to global warming.
The first big choice involves tackling sulfur dioxide. The government is now requiring that the smokestacks of all new coal-fired plants be fitted with devices long used in Western power plants to remove up to 95 percent of the sulfur. All existing coal-fired plants in China are supposed to have the devices installed by 2010.
While acknowledging that they have missed deadlines, Chinese officials insist they have the capacity now to install sulfur filters on every power plant smokestack. "I don't think there will be a problem reaching this target before 2010," said Liu Deyou, chief engineer at the Beijing SPC Environment Protection Tech Engineering Company, the sulfur-filter manufacturing arm of one of the five big, state-owned utilities.
Japan may be 1,000 miles east of Shanxi Province, but the Japanese government is so concerned about acid rain from China that it has agreed to lend $125 million to Shanxi. The money will help pay for desulfurization equipment for large, coal-fired steel plants in the provincial capital, Taiyuan.
The question is how much the state-owned power companies will actually use the pollution control equipment once it is installed. The equipment is costly to maintain and uses enormous amounts of electricity that could instead be sold to consumers. Moreover, regulated electricity tariffs offer little reward for them to run the equipment.
In 2002, the Chinese government vowed to cut sulfur emissions by 10 percent by 2005. Instead, they rose 27 percent. If Chinese officials act swiftly, sulfur emissions could be halved in the next couple of decades, power officials and academic experts say. But if China continues to do little, sulfur emissions could double, creating even more devastating health and environmental problems.
Even so, halving sulfur emissions has its own consequences: it would make global warming noticeable sooner.
China contributes one-sixth of the world's sulfur pollution. Together with the emissions from various other countries, those from China seem to offset more than one-third of the warming effect from manmade carbon dioxide already in the atmosphere, according to several climate models.
But the sulfur particles typically drift to the ground in a week and stop reflecting much sunlight. Recent research suggests that it takes up to 10 years before a new coal-fired power plant has poured enough long-lasting carbon dioxide into the air to offset the cooling effect of the plant's weekly sulfur emissions.
Climate experts say that, ideally, China would cut emissions of sulfur and carbon dioxide at the same time. But they understand China's imperative to clean up sulfur more quickly because it has a far more immediate effect on health.
"It's sort of unethical to expect people not to clean up their air quality for the sake of the climate," said Tami Bond, an atmospheric scientist at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
The Hunt for Efficiency
The second big decision facing China lies in how efficiently the heat from burning coal is converted into electricity. The latest big power plants in Western countries are much more efficient. Their coal-heated steam at very high temperatures and pressures can generate 20 to 50 percent more kilowatts than older Chinese power plants, even as they eject the same carbon-dioxide emissions and potentially lower sulfur emissions.
China has limited the construction of small power plants, which are inefficient, and has required the use of somewhat higher steam temperatures and pressures. But Chinese officials say few new plants use the highest temperatures and pressures, which require costly imported equipment.
And Chinese power utilities are facing a squeeze. The government has kept electricity cheap, by international standards, to keep consumers happy. But this has made it hard for utilities to cover their costs, especially as world coal prices rise.
The government has tried to help by limiting what mines can charge utilities for coal. Mines have responded by shipping the lowest-quality, dirtiest, most-contaminated coal to power plants, say power and coal executives. The utilities have also been reluctant to spend on foreign equipment, steering contracts to affiliates instead.
"When you have a 1 percent or less profit," said Harley Seyedin, chief executive of the First Washington Group, owner of oil-fired power plants in Southeastern China's Guangdong Province, "you don't have the cash flow to invest or to expand in a reasonable way."
A New Technology
The third big choice involves whether to pulverize coal and then burn the powder, as is done now, or convert the coal into a gas and then burn the gas, in a process known as integrated gasification combined combustion, or I.G.C.C.
One advantage of this approach is that coal contaminants like mercury and sulfur can be easily filtered from the gas and disposed. Another advantage is that carbon dioxide can be separated from the emissions and pumped underground, although this technology remains unproven.
Leading climate scientists like this approach to dealing with China's rising coal consumption. "There's a whole range of things that can be done; we should try to deploy coal gasification," said Dr. Rajendra K. Pachauri, chairman of the United Nations-affiliated Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
The World Bank in 2003 offered a $15 million grant from the Global Environment Facility to help China build its first state-of-the-art power plant to convert coal into a gas before burning it. The plan called for pumping combustion byproducts from the plant underground.
But the Chinese government put the plan on hold after bids to build the plant were higher than expected. Chinese officials have expressed an interest this spring in building five or six power plants with the new technology instead of just one. But they are in danger of losing the original grant if they do not take some action soon, said Zhao Jian-ping, the senior energy specialist in the Beijing office of the World Bank.
Another stumbling block has been that China wants foreign manufacturers to transfer technological secrets to Chinese rivals, instead of simply filling orders to import equipment, said Anil Terway, director of the East Asia energy division at the Asian Development Bank.
"The fact that they are keen to have the technologies along with the equipment is slowing things down," he said.
Andy Solem, vice president for China infrastructure at General Electric, a leading manufacturer of coal gasification equipment, said he believed that China would place orders in 2007 or 2008 for the construction of a series of these plants. But he said some technology transfer was unavoidable.
Western companies could help Chinese businesses take steps to reduce carbon-dioxide emissions, like subsidizing the purchase of more efficient boilers. Some companies already have such programs in other countries, to offset the environmental consequences of their own carbon-dioxide emissions at home, and are looking at similar projects in China. But the scale of emissions in China to offset is enormous.
For all the worries about pollution from China, international climate experts are loath to criticize the country without pointing out that the average American still consumes more energy and is responsible for the release of 10 times as much carbon dioxide as the average Chinese. While China now generates more electricity from coal than does the United States, America's consumption of gasoline dwarfs China's, and burning gasoline also releases carbon dioxide.
An Insatiable Demand?
The Chinese are still far from achieving what has become the basic standard in the West. Urban elites who can afford condominiums are still a tiny fraction of China's population. But these urban elites are role models with a lifestyle sought by hundreds of millions of Chinese. Plush condos on sale in Shanghai are just a step toward an Americanized lifestyle that is becoming possible in the nation's showcase city.
Far from the Wu family in rural Shaanxi, the Lu Bei family grew up in cramped, one-room apartments in Shanghai. Now the couple own a large three-bedroom apartment in the city's futuristic Pudong financial district. They have two television sets, four air-conditioners, a microwave, a dishwasher, a washing machine and three computers. They also have high-speed Internet access.
"This is my bedroom," said Lu Bei, a 35-year-old insurance agency worker entering a spacious room with a king-size bed. "We moved here two years ago. We had a baby and wanted a decent place to live."
For millions of Chinese to live like the Lus with less damage to the environment, energy conservation is crucial. But curbing that usage would be impossible as long as China keeps energy prices low. Gasoline still costs $2 a gallon, for example, and electricity is similarly cheap for many users.
With Chinese leaders under constant pressure to create jobs for the millions of workers flooding from farms into cities each year, as well as the rapidly growing ranks of college graduates, there has been little enthusiasm for a change of strategy.
Indeed, China is using subsidies to make its energy even cheaper, a strategy that is not unfamiliar to Americans, said Kenneth Lieberthal, a China specialist at the University of Michigan. "They have done in many ways," he said, "what we have done."


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Webbing of the fingers or toes is called syndactyly. It refers to the connection of 2 or more fingers or toes. Most of the time, the areas are connected only by skin. In rare cases, the bones may fuse together.
Syndactyly is often found during a child's health exam. In its most common form, webbing occurs between the 2nd and 3rd toes. This form is often inherited and is not unusual. Syndactyly can also occur along with other birth defects involving the skull, face, and bones.
The web connections most often go up to the first joint of the finger or toe. However, they can run the length of the finger or toe.
"Polysyndactyly" describes both webbing and the presence of an extra number of fingers or toes.
More common causes include:
Very rare causes include:
This condition is normally discovered at birth while the baby is in the hospital.
The health care provider will perform a physical exam and ask about the child's medical history. Questions may include:
An infant with webbing may have other symptoms that together may be signs of one syndrome or condition. That condition is diagnosed based on a family history, medical history, and physical exam.
The following tests may be done:
Surgery may be done to separate the fingers or toes.
Review Date:
Reviewed By: Neil K. Kaneshiro, MD, MHA, Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.


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text:
SAN DIEGO, Calif. – Indira Esparza is in her third year of college, but she still remembers the stress of applying to her favorite universities.
"Being sure of myself and being confident was really what helped me," she said.
Esparza also found help in Marjorie Hansen Shaevitz, a college admissions counselor. Shaevitz says many high schoolers don't know who they are – so they can't decide what they want to be.
"Parents need to start early helping their children figure out who they are as people," she explained.
Shaevitz says pay attention to what your kids like to do starting at about age three, and give them resources to explore their interests. She says showing your choice college who you are is most important. In that infamous admissions essay write about a specific experience that describes your character. On your application – remember quality is more important than quantity when it comes to extracurricular activities, so focus on what you were involved in most. Also, show colleges you're interested.
"It's not a bad idea to begin making friends with the admissions people," Shaevitz said.
Rebecca Orlowski's son Jesse took Shaevitz's advice.
"Jesse would email schools or call schools just to get on their radar and introduce himself," Orlowski said.
Shaevitz says admissions officers usually look at test scores, the rigor of courses a student takes and grades in those courses, in that order. She says it's typically better to take an advanced course and get a "B" than to take a regular course and get an "A" because it shows the student is up for a challenge
Jesse applied to ten universities after receiving a 2320 out of 2400 on his SAT.
"So he applied to ten and got into ten," Orlowski said.
Jesse decided on his first choice: MITand Esparza got into UCSD. For both students the hard work paid off.
"I am super happy that I didn't give up on myself, not once," Esparza said.