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Fujitsu today introduces a new era of business-centric storage, with new-generation ETERNUS DX systems that are the industry's first to put business priorities ahead of storage, easing IT challenges such as the management of ever increasing volumes of critical data. This announcement is made at Fujitsu Forum 2013, Europe's biggest single-vendor IT event. With its new-generation ETERNUS DX S3 disk storage arrays and latest release of the ETERNUS SF V16 system management software, Fujitsu is delivering business-centric systems that are completely flexible and adaptable to users' business priorities, instead of allowing the technology to rule over its users.
New ETERNUS DX disk systems enable storage professionals to seamlessly adapt to the needs of their users, and deliver better service levels at lower costs. These benefits are a result of a combination of advances, including a fivefold improvement in performance and intelligent data priority management, meaning that the systems themselves are able to shape backup according to business priorities. Across the range, the scalable entry-level ETERNUS DX100 S3 and DX200 S3 models and the midrange ETERNUS DX500 S3 and DX600 S3 models provide unmatched support for data consolidation projects thanks to seamlessly integrated unified NAS and SAN connectivity.
For the first time, Fujitsu is enabling storage professionals to boost system utilization up to 90 percent, breaking with conventional storage wisdom that system capacity should not exceed 50 percent to avoid slow system response times.
Combining significantly increased performance with business-centric, automated quality-of service management, the new Fujitsu ETERNUS DX systems also deliver industry-leading performance, running at five times the IOPS, three times the bandwidth and double the bus performance of previous models. The entire ETERNUS DX line-up is based on the latest Intel multicore processors, featuring optimized multiprocessing and threading capabilities, bigger caches and additional flash caches, the latest SAS3 drive interfaces and 16 GB Fibre Channel connectivity.
A new automated quality of service management means that storage professionals no longer need to perform complex and costly tuning to set required response time for high-priority applications. This increases operational efficiency and enables storage professionals to more easily maintain critical service levels.
All new ETERNUS DX systems can be configured as unified storage systems with seamless integrated block and file, and SAN and NAS capabilities. In a major difference from simple gateway architectures, this unified functionality is seamlessly integrated within storage controllers, resulting in a consistent user experience, and providing the ability to share all high availability and failover functionalities for SAN and NAS operations across storage controllers.
Fujitsu is also publishing a roadmap confirming upgrades that will introduce further new functionality as well as boosting performance, efficiency, utilization and business continuity capabilities. Enhancements include the transparent failover of ETERNUS DX systems across model classes, dramatically accelerated data rebuild for failed disks, better disk utilization through data compression and deduplication and the introduction of InfiniBandTM connectivity.
All ETERNUS DX S3 systems are easier to manage and share the same flexible family architecture, providing investment protection and offering extensive scalability, thanks to the ability to seamlessly upgrade to bigger models within the range. In addition, the latest release of ETERNUS SF software introduces new system management functionality for customers with current Fujitsu ETERNUS DX S2 systems.
Rachel Dines and Stephanie Balaouras, Research Analysts at Forrester Research, in the Forrester report, Build The Always-On, Always-Available Extended Enterprise (8/12)
"In today's world of 24x7x365 global operations and competition, downtime results not only in immediate lost revenue and productivity, but also in lasting damage to corporate reputation that erodes customer confidence in your brand. Enterprises today must be always on and always available to an extended network of customers, employees, and partners."
Hiroaki Kondo, Corporate Vice President and Head of Storage Systems Business Unit, Fujitsu Limited
"With the new ETERNUS family, Fujitsu demonstrates a customer-centric philosophy with new business-centric storage, with fresh thinking that not only delivers enormous improvements in system utilization but also the industry's most flexible systems that adapt to users' business priorities."
The full line-up of ETERNUS DX S3 systems and ETERNUS SF16 management software are generally available from December 16, 2013.
Fujitsu i Sverige är en ledande leverantör av tjänster, lösningar och produkter inom IT och kommunikation. Fujitsu erbjuder outsourcing, konsulttjänster samt en heltäckande portfölj av IT-lösningar, såväl i Sverige och Norden som globalt. Svenska Fujitsu har närmare 1 000 anställda och kontor över hela landet. Kunder finns inom såväl den privata som offentliga sektorn; bland annat inom bank och finans, detaljhandel, industri, telekom samt centrala myndigheter. Fujitsu Sverige är en del av Fujitsu-gruppen, ett av världens största IT-företag med cirka 162 000 anställda globalt i över 100 länder och med huvudkontor i Tokyo, Japan. Fujitsu Limited (TSE:6702) rapporterade en konsoliderad intäkt på 4,8 biljoner yen (46 miljarder USD) för räkenskapsåret som avslutades den 31 mars 2014. För mer information vänligen besök: http://se.fujitsu.com
Susanne Carlsson
Telefon: +46 (0)73 978 82 78
E-post: email@example.com
Titel:Senior Marketing Manager
Cecilia Larsson
Telefon: 0707-29 59 47
E-post: firstname.lastname@example.com
Date: 05 November, 2013
City: Stockholm
Dela med andra


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Chelsea FC Stadium Tours
The fully-guided tour will take you behind-the-scenes of one of the world's greatest football teams, giving you access to areas normally reserved for players and officials.
The tour lasts approximately one hour and includes:
- the Chelsea FC Dressing Room
- the Visitor Dressing Room
- pitch side and Dugouts
- the Press Room
- walk through the Player's Tunnel
- entry to the Chelsea FC museum is included with your visit.
Birthday parties are also available.
This content has been supplied by Chelsea FC Stadium Tours
Prices and opening times
|Child Ticket
|From £13.13 per ticket
|Concession Ticket
|From £14.00 per ticket
|Adult Ticket
|From £21.00 per ticket
* Concessions means : Registered disabled, student with valid ID or senior citizen
** All bookings made over the phone are subject to a £2.50 booking fee.
Free entry for under 5s.
This content has been supplied by Chelsea FC Stadium Tours
Opening Times
Monday to Sunday tour times: every 30 mins from 10am to 3pm. No tours on home game days. See the Tours website for upcoming matches. Pre-booking is recommended. Museum opening times: 9:30am-5pm Monday - Sunday (last entry is at 4pm).
Images and Videos
Venue Details & Map
Chelsea FC Stadium Tours
- Address
Stamford Bridge Football Ground, Fulham RoadLondonSW6 1HS
- Telephone:
- 0871 984 1955
- firstname.lastname@example.com
- Website
- http://www.chelseafc.com/tours
- Public transport:
- Fulham Broadway (District Line)
Facilities & Accessibility
- Access Inside Building Facilities
- Accessible lift
- Effective lighting throughout for visually impaired users
- Lift buttons with raised numbers or letters
- Lift with spoken announcements on arrival at each floor
- Ramps with handrail within building
- Ramps within building
- Some routes suitable for limited mobility users
- Some routes suitable for wheelchair users
- Steps with handrail within building
- Steps within building
- Access into the Building
- Automatic doors
- Flat routes from parking area to entrance
- Full, non-assisted wheelchair access
- Ramps with handrails to entrance
- Steps with handrails to entrance
- Accessible Bathroom Facilities
- Some toilets with handrails
- Accessible Communication Facilities
- Audible alarm system
- Clear signage (colour contrast, large letters or pictograms)
- Films or information touch screens have visual/audible subtitles
- Hearing loop system
- Information available in audio format
- Information available in braille
- Accessible Parking Facilities
- Blue badge parking available
- Public car park available within two hundred metres of main entrance
- Accessible Venue Facilities
- Assistance dogs welcome
- Emergency evacuation procedures for guests with disabilities
- Level access, ramp or lift to the shop
- Staff available to assist
- Staff disability awareness trained
- Additional Accessible Facilities
- Level access, ramp or lift from entrance to reception
- Level access, ramp or lift to information point
- Booking Facilities
- Coach parties accepted
- Group bookings accepted
- Payment Facilities
- Group rates available

subset: commoncrawl


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Furnishing and decorating a room for a young child is a lot different than how you'd go about doing the same for an adult-only space. Not only do you have to take taste preferences into account, but you have to really think about the functionality, practicality and safety of every aspect. It's enough to give parents a headache, but luckily it's easy to choose blinds and shades that are appropriate.
First and foremost, it should be noted that kids are curious creatures. They're always busy getting themselves into mischief by exploring and evaluating every little thing they can get their hands on. That's why it's important to make sure that nothing dangerous is within reach. Window shades are no exception. Instead of opting for types that have long strings or pulls, go with cordless shades.
You'll also need to make sure that the shades are thick enough to block out the light during daytime naps. Your little one may have trouble falling asleep if the room's not dark enough, and sunrays through thin, wide slats may present a problem.


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While it is extremely difficult to measure the extent to which religion impacts Americans, one polling organization has attempted to do so using four criteria. The poll was designed to acquire a sense of how the 50 states compare with each other on the matter of which has the most religious population. The four criteria used were the importance of religion in people's lives, frequency of attendance at worship services, frequency of prayer, and absolute certainty of belief in God ("How Religious...?," 2009). As one might expect, more Americans in the "Bible Belt" states indicate that religion is very important in their lives. Mississippi has the highest percentage of its population so indicating (82%), followed by Alabama and Arkansas at 74%, Louisiana at 73%, Tennessee at 72%, South Carolina at 70%, Oklahoma and North Carolina at 69%, Georgia at 68%, Kentucky and Texas at 67%. The states with the lowest percentage of its citizens indicating that religion is important in their lives are New Hampshire and Vermont with 36%. Sadly, the national average is 56%. Think of it. Only 56% of Americans say that religion is important to their everyday living. Specifically, only 39% of Americans say they attend worship at least once a week, only 58% say they pray at least once a day, and only 71% say they believe in God with absolute certainty.
So what? What does it matter if the Christian religion has less and less impact on Americans? Quite simply, the nation will unravel and culminate its illustrious existence in disaster. So said the Founders of the Republic (cf. Miller, 2008), and so says the Bible (e.g., 2 Chronicles 7:14-22).
"How Religious Is Your State?" (2009), The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, December 21, [On-line], URL: http://pewforum.org/docs/?DocID=504.
Miller, Dave (2008), The Silencing of God: The Dismantling of America's Religious Heritage (Montgomery, AL: Apologetics Press).


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We write to request that you investigate a growing danger that well may become the equivalent of a Citizens United-like threat to critical corporate accountability efforts. Dozens of human rights and environmental organizations including The Sierra Club, Greenpeace, Amazon Watch, Friends of the Earth, Avaaz.org, and 350.org recently released a letter entitled "Chevron's Retaliatory Attacks on Human Rights and Corporate Accountability Advocates is a Threat to Open Society and Due Process of Law."
Since Citizens United, Americans have seen the corporate lobby make unprecedented and increasingly bold arguments against legal responsibility and accountability using the First Amendment's protection of free speech. At the same time, companies like Chevron have ramped up harassment of human rights and environmental activists who exercise their free speech rights to call attention to corporate abuse and advocate on behalf of victims. Chevron's efforts have been aided by our highest court system which is privileging corporations and their rights over those of actual human beings.
Without action from Congress, unchecked corporate power will continue to put at risk the very communities and activists who dare to stand up for their fundamental rights. This is unacceptable. Congress must act immediately to protect ordinary people who suffer from, and advocates who speak out, against corporate crimes.
Chevron has grossly misused the RICO statute, attacking free speech, vilifying those critical of its actions, forcing independent journalists to turn over source materials, and actively abusing the justice system both in Ecuador and the United States in an unprecedented campaign to evade responsibility for an environmental disaster stemming from massive toxic dumping it admits to having engaged in for decades in Ecuador. It has even gone so far as to sue the very Ecuadorian community members affected by its pollution as extortionists after they won a 20-year legal battle in a decision that has been upheld by Ecuador's highest court. Chevron's actions have also threatened the bedrock principle of international comity by bringing another nations entire judicial system under scrutiny in U.S. courts and attempting to prevent international enforcement of the Ecuadorian court's verdict, despite having no jurisdiction to do so.
We urge you to use your offices to investigate these issues immediately and protect the rights of those working to hold corporations accountable.
This petition closed over 6 years ago
These senators have the power to investigate and help stop Chevron's abuse of the U.S legal system to attack the very people it poisoned.


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Cliff Lee is joining his fourth team in 12 months and the Rangers are hoping he can lead them to the playoffs for the first time in 11 years. The Rangers pried Lee away from the Mariners and multiple suitors today in a blockbuster deal that makes the 50-35 Rangers clear favorites to win the AL West.
They obtained Lee, Mark Lowe (who is out for the season with back surgery) and cash considerations from the Mariners for Justin Smoak, Blake Beavan, Matthew Lawson and Josh Lueke.
White Sox games remaining against the Rangers: 0
Twins games remaining against the Rangers: 7


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Federal Judge None Too Impressed With Government's Defense Of Its 'No Fly' List
from the we-have-several-reasons;-here-are-none-of-them dept
The top secret "No-Fly" list has been problematic since day one. The DHS and FBI apparently believe over 20,000 people are too dangerous to allow to board a plane but not dangerous enough to arrest.
This is the process the government follows to place would-be travelers on the no-fly list.
1. The government places a person on the no-fly list.That's all there is to it. The list is too "sensitive" to publish and exposing its methodology would apparently result in airliners raining down around us.
If you're a lucky recipient of the "no-fly" designation, here's how you're informed of your new status.
1. Purchase a ticket and attempt to travel.This process can sometimes be applied with more flexibility.
2. Be rebuffed by TSA personnel.
1. Purchase a roundtrip ticket and fly to a foreign destination.You won't know you're on The List until the list is triggered, which could happen when you're a few thousand miles from home. And if you think you're boarding the next boat back to the US, think again. The list is also "no-sail," meaning passenger ships are out of the question.
2. Attempt to return home.
3. Be rebuffed by local customs/security officials.
Now, if you're on the list and wish to be removed or, at the very least, informed of why you've been banned from commercial airline travel, there's no reason to panic. The DHS has a resolution process that relies very heavily on "process" and skips the "resolution" completely.
Their only recourse is to file a request with the Department of Homeland Security's "Traveler Redress Inquiry Program," after which DHS responds with a letter that does not explain why they were denied boarding. The letter does not confirm or deny whether their names remain on the No Fly List, and does not indicate whether they can fly. The only way for a person to find out if his or her name was removed from the No Fly List is to buy a plane ticket, go to the airport, see if he or she can get on the flight – taking the risk of being denied boarding and marked as a suspected terrorist, and losing the cost of the airline ticket.One wonders what a letter that answers no questions and explains nothing is supposed to "redress."
Dear Sir/Madam No Fly,This decade-long lack of specifics or actual redress has led to the ACLU suing the federal government on the behalf of thirteen no-fly list members.
Thank you for expressing an interest in our Traveler Redress Inquiry Program. The Department of Homeland Security works in conjunction with all domestic airports, as well as those in 22 other nations worldwide, in order to provide you with a safe traveling experience. We hope that you will continue to make use of our products and services.
Thank you again for your support.
If you have additional comments or questions, please dial (202) 282-8495.
The Department of Homeland Security
Thirteen people on the no-fly list have sued the U.S. government, arguing that their placement deprives them of due process and smears their reputation by branding them as terrorists. Several of the men who filed suit have been surrounded at airport security areas, detained and interrogated.Government attorney Scott Risner addressed these complaints by arguing that air travel is not a "right" but a "convenience."
The suit seeks to either remove the plaintiffs from the no-fly list or tell them why they are on it.
Risner said placement on the list doesn't stop people from traveling, and stopping people from using one mode of travel doesn't deprive them of their liberty. That's a key question in determining whether the government must ensure due process and one that's at the heart of the constitutionality of being placed on the list.
"We're not suggesting that there's not a convenience in air travel," Risner said. "(But) there's no right to travel without impediments. That's what's happening here.Risner went so far as to point out that those stranded by sudden inclusion on the no fly list had made it back to the US via alternate forms of travel, thus "proving" a lack of air travel isn't preventing traveling.
Unfortunately for Risner, Judge Anna J. Brown wasn't buying it.
"To call it 'convenience' is marginalizing their argument," Brown said. [She] said alternatives to flying are significantly more expensive. "It's hugely time-consuming, and who knows what impediments there are between the Port of Portland and other countries."She also pointed out that sea and land travel options aren't suitable replacements for flying, especially when time is of the essence and that the government's argument "fails to take into account the realities of modern life."
The DHS and FBI would obviously like everything to proceed the way it has for years, which means convincing the judge that flying isn't a fundamental right. This removes the question of constitutionality, as least as far as flight restrictions go.
The ACLU has gone further, though, declaring the entire system to be screwed up.
"We're asking the court to finally put a check on the government's use of a blacklist that denies Americans the ability to fly without giving them the explanation or fair hearing that the Constitution requires. It's a question of basic fairness," said ACLU Staff Attorney Nusrat Choudhury, one of the ACLU attorneys who will argue the case Friday in Portland. "It does not make our country safer to ban people from flying without giving them an after-the-fact redress process that allows them to correct the errors that led to their mistaken inclusion on the list."It also points out that issuance of notice and due process are required for much less far-reaching actions.
The ACLU argues that this system violates the Fifth Amendment's command that the government cannot deprive a person of liberty "without due process of law." Courts have ruled that the Constitution requires some kind of notice and hearing for far less severe actions, such as losing state assistance for utility bills or being suspended from school for 10 days.Judge Brown hasn't said when she'll issue a ruling, but so far she seems less than impressed with the government's arguments. In the meantime, 20,000 people, including the 13 US citizens represented here (four of which are military veterans), are still stuck in War on Terror limbo -- unofficially "detained" in the US by secretive travel restrictions.
Filed Under: dhs, due process, homeland security, legality, no fly list, tsa


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Street View can be used to see the world in Google Maps, but - up until now - users were forced to stay on land. That all changes today, as Google has added the very first under water panoramas to Google Maps - and they started with The Great Barrier Reef.
In a post on the Lat-Long blog, Google highlights some of the more notable things to check out, including a close-up of a sea turtle with a school of fish, a majestic manta ray, and - probably the most beautiful of all - The Reef at sunset.
There's a lot more to explore along The Reef, so pick a spot and enjoy the view.


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Code of Ethics and Conflict of Interest Policy
Code of Ethics and Conflict of Interest Policy [PDF version]
About the document
The code of ethics and conflicts of interest policy ("Code") of the American Cancer Society, Inc. establishes the ethical standards for associates of the Society.
How to download the file
To view PDF files from this Web site, you need version 7 or greater of the free Adobe® Acrobat® Viewer installed on your computer. If you don't have it, you can download it for free from Adobe's website.


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Please excuse the title to this post being cliched, but then, significant portions of these films are cliched, and there's hardly a shortage of those who love to scream. Each shall also be assigned a qualitative 'I Scream' rating.
Kambakkht Ishq (2009) still has me confused, about a month after I first saw it. As its end credits rolled, it was almost as if it were mocking me for being a blank slate of a fan, demanding I assess the purposefulness of all cinema and revise my welcome note here (which I did!).
Before I elaborate, get this: If Kambakkht Ishq is even slightly more watchable than it's been made to be, it is solely because of the presence of Akshar Kumar and Kareena Kapoor (aptly called 'Bebo' in the film). When they filmed in Los Angeles, I witnessed first-hand Bebo and the film crew performing close to 20 takes on a minute-long sequence (which didn't make it to the final cut, it turns out). So there is no issue with lack of effort or commitment on behalf of the cast and crew to the cause here.
The issue is, there is hardly a substantive cause to begin.
Screwball comedy doesn't have to make much sense. Many Bollywood films across genres can be great without being very logical. (Surely, that's part of the appeal! Why those who demand logic all the time stick around to Bollywood -- or Hollywood -- is beyond me.) But it's truly disconcerting when everyone and everything (even all the screaming!) are wasted on nothingness. From the cast to the music, settings, and potential for genuinely funny comedy. Not one of these stands out. Here's a small sample of what bothers me about it:
A lot of it was filmed in L.A., but it turns out they could have filmed most of it in Bombay and used the Universal Studios logo for effect. The only other uses of L.A. were in the opening credits and right before the closing credits.
Stereotypes abound -- racial, sexual, geographic, among others. Of course, as an Angelino, I feel violated! (Fellow Angelino at Apni East India Company shares the pain).
No matter how beautiful a lady, that attitude displayed by Bebo and Co. would win no admirers from the opposite sex. Nor would Akshay Kumar's. So...
...I don't see how it could possibly be funny that they call each other dog and witch (quoting the subtitles here, switch the 'w' out for actual); and
Don't see how it could not be disgusting that they fall in 'love', and that too after Denise Richards has declared her unconditional love for Akshay because he can give her 'golden babies'. :D In retrospect, Denise might be on to something here, don't think it's a joke. Talk about a value proposition! Surely, this one can be a niche!
Did I mention everyone screams?
Yes, everyone.
Not a shot of Akshay from Blue.
The laughter-inducing moments in this comedy are so scarce, this scene is an outlier! Of course, it involves a scream too. Of course, it's offensive in its own right.
It's a shame all the time, financial and human resources went into making *this* product. The bigger shame is this film earned its fair share of revenue. And the biggest shame is this film is supposed to represent Hindi cinema gone global. You know, how this is supposed to represent something (this is for real, by the way). A sign of advancement? You tell me.
A half star merely for Bebo in L.A., shots of my workplace and local beach with the opening credits. Nothing more here. Akshay and Kareena: Please wake up! You've wasted your incredible talents for too long. Okay, that was aimed at Akshay. At least Kareena in the upcoming 3 Idiots is something to look forward to.
Movie rating: 0.5/5.0 ('Poor' is a kind word)
The term 'golden babies' has clearly tainted me.
I Scream rating: Off the hook! (Not justified, unless it's an accidentally implanted alarm clock...okay, second funny bit in the film.)
Music rating: 2/5 (Does it even matter?)
My classification: R (For language, theme, sexual situations)
Official website: KambakkhtIshq.erosentertainment.com
In Dil Bole Hadippa (2009), Yash Raj Films (YRF) celebrates Punjab, womanhood, sport, Dilwaale Dulhania Le Jaayenge (1994), Dhoom (2004), and everything in between. What's new, you ask? Well, not much, except Veera (Rani Mukerjee) cross-dressing (as Veer) to make it to an annual Aman Cup (Peace Cup) cricket match (or game). The match is played by two small-town teams, one each from India and Pakistan. The Pakistani team have won eight years in a row, and the Indian team's manager Anupam Kher begs his son (Shahid Kapoor) -- a team lead in English county cricket -- to turn around his local team. Which is all fine and dandy, at least Kher receives him with a band playing 'Papa Kehte Hain' from QSQT (1988), and there's a lot of color involved all the time...
...except that English county cricket's most valuable player cannot tell the most valuable player on a team he's assembled is a woman dressed as a man, even after listening to the woman's very distinctive voice before in her true persona, and (this gets me) even after chest bumping the woman! Now, it's evident Rani's lost some weight, including in places where she didn't need to (she's looking great, as she always has), but she is a woman after all!
You all know by now I have little issue in suspending disbelief. It's just that this one takes it too far. In many ways, it's almost similar to Anushka Sharma not recognizing her husband's voice, skin tone, facial traits, height, and what not, in Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (2008)! Hey, that worked at the box office, so why not some more? But they've defied the odds here. How can TEN men not notice what's below the neckline? If not on the field, why not in the locker room?
To make matters less complicated, Veera's even caught showering in the men's locker room when our wise captain goes searching for Veer. But does he demonstrate any skepticism? Of course not! And what does she do when she is caught? Why, that's easy. She SCREAMS! (If you've seen the film and disliked it, check out the picture source, this post at Off the Record...on the Net; thanks @SujoySingha for the link.)
Having said that, Dil Bole Hadippa delivers what it promised all along. It has some good actors and decent performances. Rani in particular is a joy to watch, especially as Veer. It's a shame the film wastes her fine work. It's a YRF film after all, and its formulaic, and especially self-celebratory approach is the biggest problem here (as it often is in YRF films for a while, now).
Watch it only if you're a Rani/Shahid fan, or if you enjoyed Rab Ne. To be fair, Rani had me smiling with her goofiness, although I wish they'd all found a better reason for her convincing act, and that she hadn't taken to the bikini to try to stay relevant in what has become a sad point in her career. She's more than sexy enough in salwar kameez (I'd argue, much more so). At best, an average 'timepass' movie. It's exponentially better than Kambakkht Ishq. Sadly, that's not saying much.
Movie rating: 2.5/5.0 (Average)
I Scream rating: Loud! (Screams without outcomes are just noise.)
Music rating: 2/5 (Below average)
My classification: PG (This is its value sell)
Official website: This YRF link
Can't help but make a discussion on Blue (2009) more personal. I've spent all but one in 27 years of existence right by the Indian, Atlantic, and Pacific Oceans. Life without a beach within five minutes is unimaginable. My favorite sports teams are the 'Dolphins' and the 'Blues', and my favorite Beverly Hills hangout is named 'Aqua'. (And there's more related to speed and cars that I cannot mention without my credibility being seriously compromised; not proud of it.) In other words, there is a chance I might be only slightly biased in favor of a film with this theme. :)
If you like bike chases and underwater sequences that were previewed in trailers, you will thoroughly enjoy bits of Blue. The action, as promised, sets a new benchmark for Hindi film. The music and camerawork are flawless. (Although the integration of the music isn't.) The wardrobe fits perfectly with the look and feel.
The performances are about fine, too -- each of Sanjay Dutt, Akshay Kumar, Zayed Khan, and Lara Dutta, does quite well with what he/she has to work with. Katrina Kaif as a biker babe is alright. There's even a scene in which Akshay reminds Sanjay of his being 'out of shape', which the critics have conveniently ignored in their criticism of Sanjay's fitness levels. (Which means they were either: 1) not paying attention; or 2) not giving the screenplay credit. Which is worse?)
The big disappointment here lies in the plot and screenplay. Given the elements this film got right -- traditionally the more difficult ones for Hindi films to succeed at -- this is a downer alright. Especially considering the surprisingly slow pace and few number of screams involved in the action film! And especially considering they could've most certainly found a way to use Akshay's and Sanjay's comic timing to add some multilayered entertainment.
Three stars for Blue. The style quotient is remarkable, but there's no doubt this could have been packaged into a much, much finer action film. Thought the same of Dhoom and Dhoom:2, which means, if you liked either of those for the action, this will be better by a lot.
Movie rating: 3/5 (Above average)
Like that they've left the door open for a sequel starring Sanjay and Akshay (at least). Bring them to L.A.!
I Scream rating: About right! (But is that a bad thing for action films?)
Music rating: 4/5 (Excellent!)
My classification: PG-13 (Think desi Fast and Furious)
Official website: BlueTheFilm.com
Barah Aana (2009) is by far the best film of this lot, with by far the best performances. Naseeruddin Shah, Vijay Raaz, and Arjun Mathur play a driver (or chauffeur), watchman (or gatekeeper) and waiter, respectively. They're roommates in Mumbai, and their only hope to life devoid of extreme financial hardship and suffering involves crime. How they go about it determines their fate, and ours too.
This film has plenty of screaming, and all of it is very well-controlled and justified. The story has its share of cliches, the most bothersome being the continued demonization of the haves and their treatment of the have nots. There's also the predictable love triangle involving Mathur, a local woman who has the hots for him, and an Italian gori whom Mathur finds fascinating.
The issue with Barah Aana is that despite a run-time of less than an hour and forty-five minutes, and despite having no conventional songs, it is slower than it needs to be. This holds true especially in the second half. Somewhere, the screenplay gets disengaging. And it's never a good sign when a film this short appears lengthy, enough to make the viewer either fast-forward through portions, or get up and grab a magazine to try to multi-task the rest of the way. Had me. Lost me.
Had me again. It makes up with the climax, which incorporates a message offering a neat little bit of philosophical punditry to hold on to well after the film ends. Had it been more gripping, it could've been special. But it certainly had me smiling at that point. Three and a half stars for Baarah Ana. A story well-told is one worth appreciating. Watch this for the dazzling performances and a heartwarming story.
I Scream rating: Perfectly used! (Justified! How all screaming should be!)
My classification: PG-13 (for language, theme)
Official website: BarahAana.com


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NOISE-ROBUST SPECTRO-TEMPORAL ACOUSTIC SIGNATURE RECOGNITION USING NONLINEAR HEBBIAN LEARNING by Bing Lu A Dissertation Presented to the FACULTY OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING) August 2009 Copyright 2009 Bing Lu
Object Description
|Noise-robust spectro-temporal acoustic signature recognition using nonlinear Hebbian learning
|Lu, Bing
|Author email
|email@example.com; firstname.lastname@example.com
|Doctor of Philosophy
|Document type
|Degree program
|Biomedical Engineering
|Viterbi School of Engineering
|Date defended/completed
|Date submitted
|Restricted until
|Date published
|Advisor (committee chair)
|Berger, Theodore W.
|Advisor (committee member)
Dibazar, Alireza
D'Argenio, David Z.
Baudry, Michel
|How to recognize the acoustic signal of interest in open environments where many other acoustic noises exist? The efficient auditory signal processing and intelligent neural learning contribute to this remarkable ability. We propose a nonlinear Hebbian learning (NHL), with several certain novelties, to newly implement noise-robust acoustic signal recognition. The proposed learning rule processes both time and frequency features of input. The spectral analysis is realized by using auditory gammatone filterbanks. To address temporal dynamics, the network input incorporates not only the current gammatone-filtered feature vector, but also multiple past feature vectors. We refer to this established high-dimensional input as spectro-temporal representation (STR). Given STR inputs, the exact acoustic signatures of signals of interest and the composing property among signatures are generally unknown. The nonlinear Hebbian learning rule is then employed to extract representative independent signatures, and to learn the weight vectors which transform data into signature space. During learning, NHL also reduces feature dimensionality. Comparing with linear Hebbian learning (LHL) which explores the second-order moment of data, the applied NHL involves higher-order statistics of data. Therefore, NHL can capture representative components that are more statistically independent than LHL can. Besides, the nonlinear activation function of NHL can be chosen to refer to the implicit distribution of many acoustic sounds, and thus making the learning optimized in an aspect of mutual information. The advantages of the proposed NHL over other ICA algorithms (which are often used for blind source separation) are also discussed, in terms of the criterion and optimization function.; Simulation results show that the whole proposed system can more accurately recognize signals of interest than its counterparts in severely noisy circumstances. The proposed system has been used in real-world noise-independent projects. One project is detecting moving vehicles. Noise-corrupted vehicle sound is recognized while background sounds are rejected. At low SNR= 0 dB, when vehicle data is contaminated by AWGN, human voice, and bird chirp, the proposed system dramatically decreases the error rate over normally used acoustic feature extraction method MFCC by 16%, 25%, and 68%, respectively; and, by 15.3%, 20%, and 2%, over LHL (another normally used acoustic feature extraction method). Another applicable project is vehicle type identification. The proposed system achieves better performance than LHL, e.g., 40% improvement when gasoline heavy wheeled car is contaminated with AWGN at SNR= 5 dB
|acoustic signal recognition; biological inspiration; noise robustness; nonlinear Hebbian learning
|Part of collection
|University of Southern California dissertations and theses
|Publisher (of the original version)
|University of Southern California
|Place of publication (of the original version)
|Los Angeles, California
|Publisher (of the digital version)
|University of Southern California. Libraries
|Electronically uploaded by the author
|Legacy record ID
|Contributing entity
|University of Southern California
|Lu, Bing
|Repository name
|Libraries, University of Southern California
|Repository address
|Los Angeles, California
|Repository email
|Archival file
|Page 1
|Contributing entity
|University of Southern California
|Repository email
|Full text
|NOISE-ROBUST SPECTRO-TEMPORAL ACOUSTIC SIGNATURE RECOGNITION USING NONLINEAR HEBBIAN LEARNING by Bing Lu A Dissertation Presented to the FACULTY OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING) August 2009 Copyright 2009 Bing Lu


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The Eclipse Xtext framework [1] provides a straightforward way to craft external domain specific languages. Simply define the syntax of your language and you'll end up with an Eclipse-based language-aware IDE. In this tutorial, I will illustrate how to perform the first steps towards designing your own language. You'll become familiar with the syntax of the Xtext grammar definition language and learn how to define validation rules for your concepts. For this tutorial, we will use a well known abstraction that has been addressed by different frameworks in one or the other way: the entity model. The entity model is handled differently by various frameworks to overcome the mismatch between relational databases and object-oriented software systems. Ruby On Rails [2] derives a lot of information from the database structure, Groovy's Grails [3] framework uses an internal DSL to describe the structure of the entities, and Spring Roo [4] has a strong emphasize on scaffolding.
Because it is such a common use case, Xtext 2.0 already ships with an example that demonstrates how such a domain model language looks. In this tutorial series, I want to develop that language from scratch , explaining the grammar and APIs step by step.
The first iteration of the language is pretty simple and contains a few intuitive concepts. It allows you to define packages that contain entities and data types. In turn, an entity defines properties. A property refers to a type and may be multi- or single-valued. An example file looks like this:
import com.drDobbs.common.String package com.drDobbs { entity Author { name : String many articles: Article } entity Article { author: Author title: String } } package com.drDobbs.common { datatype String }
Getting Started
To follow this tutorial, you must ensure that Xtext is properly installed in your Eclipse IDE. Once this is done, launch the wizard that guides you through the necessary steps to create a new Xtext project:
File -> New -> Project... -> Xtext -> Xtext project
Then choose the following settings (as shown in Figure 1) on the next wizard page before you hit Finish:
- Main project name: org.example.domainmodel
- Language name: org.example.domainmodel.Domainmodel
- DSL-File extension: dmodel
The "Hello World" grammar in the Domainmodel.xtext file illustrates a trivially simple language that allows you to write a number of "Hello World!" sentences.
grammar org.example.domainmodel.Domainmodel with org.eclipse.xtext.common.Terminals generate domainmodel "http://www.example.org/domainmodel/Domainmodel" Model: greetings+=Greeting*; Greeting: 'Hello' name=ID '!';
In addition to the preamble, the grammar file contains two parser rules that specify the structure of a valid sentence of the language. It's important to realize that an Xtext grammar is not only a description of the syntax of a DSL, it's also a concise notation that describes the mapping to a type-safe object model. The types and the expected structure of these objects is called "abstract syntax." It is either derived from the grammar definition itself, or defined externally and imported into the grammar definition. These imports allow for language modularization. During this tutorial lesson, we will stick with the defaults and the generated domainmodel, which is declared in the preamble:
generate domainmodel "http://www.example.org/domainmodel/Domainmodel"


text: boone Posted January 24, 2004 I always give credit, to my source but this article has little information (cut away) about the newspaper it came from. I will assume the Lexington Herald? The photographer was Joseph Rey Au Old Taylor Distillery comming alive with renovation plans. VERSAILLES--In a remote Woodford County valley, adjacent to a spring, whiskey is in the air. The Old Tayor Distillery property is being renovated into an arts and crafts mall, a spring water operation and a bourbon distillery. When you think of an old distillery you just don't quite think of a place like this, said Cecil Withrow, a partner in Stone Castle Properties inc. which is remodeling the 1.5 million square feet of building speace on McCrakern Pike in Versailles. The site got its name from the stone castle that sits at the front of the property. Built in 1887 of Tyrone limestone, the structure was used by National Distilleries for actual distillery operations from the early 1930's until 1972. Withrow worked for National Distilleries for 10 years. In 1986, the company was bought by Jim Beam Distilleries which stored and aged bourbon whiskey there until 1994, when the space was no longer needed. The property was put up for sale, and Withrow became interested. I just hated to see what was happening to it, he said. It was just excess baggage to them. So Withrow and business partner Robert Simms bought the property for $400,000. Withrow said the site is ideal for aging bourbon. Those houses age whiskey really well because of good air circulation and help the bourbon breathe, he said, pointing to two warehouses. Stone Castle Properties is planning an arts and crafts mall that will open Feb. 1 in the former bottling house. Also, spring water will be sold from the adjacent Bird's Eye Limestone Spring. And whiskey distilling will resume in the castle in the next two years. The whiskey will be aged in white oak barrels for four years, and it will be bottled one barrel at at time and hand-labeled with proof numbers. Under no circumstances, Withrow said, will barrels of bourbon be mixed. Stone Castle is trying to cash in on part of the super-premium bourbon market--brands costing $20 or more for a 750-milliliter bottle. Although sales of distilled spirits in general have declined about 20 percent in the last decade, sales of these higher priced brands have increased, according to the Distilled Sprits Council of the United States. Stone Castle plans to produce 5,000 cases a year, Withrow said, we'll be happy. Real Happy. Stone Castle is not the first company to renovate a dormant distillery in Woodford Conty. Louisville based Brown-Forman Corp. is putting the finishing touches on its two year, $6.5 million renovation of the Labrot & Graham Distllery, which has been idle almost 35 years. It is scheduled for completion this summer. Old Taylor is one of the many distilleries that my family of Beams worked at. I wonder what happened?... Bettye Jo Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


text:
Can I create a quiz that won't show the answers? And is this the best way to create a quiz?
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Can I create a quiz that won't show the answers? And is this the best way to create a quiz?
Of course you can, and is what the best way? You haven't given us anything to compare and we have no idea what you're thinking.
You can do anything you want you just have to know how to program it.
Take a look at:
Data types (int, char, boolean, String, etc...)
Scanner class (Accepting user input)
Arrays (Storing data in an organized manner)
Methods (Reducing repetition of code)
Depending on complexity of program:
java.io (Saving/Opening files)
Objects (Creating your own class that contains data which is stored/manipulated within the class)
Swing (GUI related for drawing out the quiz instead of keeping it console related)
Action Listeners (If you create buttons the program has to know what do with them if some action is done)
I might have missed something. If you have any questions pertaining to something you get stuck on post your question about it.
purple_ninja (September 6th, 2013)
ahem, to clear up the fog, I have two instructors who are telling me that I can use XHTML to create a form for the quiz, which would be a multiple-choice type, and I'm assuming that the quiz also needs to restart if the user doesn't pass the required score. I would like a best site that I can visit to help me with this.
Oh yea, can't forget, the answers will not show up in the source code will it?
Thanks, Purple_Ninja
The fog hasn't completely lifted. You're asking for help on this XHTML project in a Java Programming Forum called "What's Wrong With My Code?", because . . .
lol. my baaaad. I meant to say that I have two instructors, one telling me that I can use xhtml, and the other saying I can use java. perhaps I can be directed to a good site.
I'm not an XHTML expert, but I can imagine how what you've described can be done easily in Java. I'm curious about the "security" requirements of the answers, though. There are several things that could be done to encrypt the answers, but If the users or quit takers have the source code, all necessary data files, the knowledge, the inclination, and the time to reverse engineer what has been done to hide the answers (how long will they have?) they could probably decipher the answers. I think that'll be true of any technology to which the users have access to the source code in which the answers will be included, encrypted or otherwise.
As for suggesting a good site, I'm not sure what you mean. If you have no Java experience, start with the most basic Java Tutorials and then scale up from there depending on your experience. Or if you mean provide you with a link to a site that has source code for what you've described, you can search for and find that as easily as anyone else.
In whichever direction you choose, good luck!


text:
Fly to Larnaka with KLM
Thanks to our global partner network, as KLM Royal Dutch Airlines we offer flights to Larnaka, serving Larnaka International Airport (LCA). We pride ourselves on our top-notch social service. So if you have any questions or concerns about your upcoming flight, make sure to contact us 24/7 via Facebook, Messenger, Twitter or WhatsApp and we'll be happy to help!
Top Larnaka attractions
- Saint Lazarus Church: a beautiful late-9th century Greek Orthodox Church, famous for being the reported burial place of Lazarus.
- Finikoudes Beach: one of the most famous beaches in Cyprus, offering visitors sandy, wind-swept beaches and pristine waters.
- Zenobia Wreck: the remains of a large ferry which sank of the coast of Cyprus in 1980, now listed as one of the top 10 scuba diving sites in the world.
- Larnaka Salt Lake: a system of connected salt lakes set against a beautiful mountain backdrop.
- Emira Pottery: an interactive pottery gift shop selling unique Cypriot ceramics for various uses as well as for decorative purposes, and offering pottery-making workshops to everyday visitors.
What's the best way to get around Larnaka?
Larnaka is a small destination so you'll be best off exploring on foot. It won't take long to walk from place to place and it will save you money. You can also take a look at some of the local buses that run. They may be a convenient way to cut your journey time down. Your other option is to use taxis. Taxis should run on meters but you may find that a lot of taxis refuse to use them. If this is the case, agree a price before you get in the car.
What's the weather in Larnaka?
Larnaka is hot and dry during summer, so a perfect destination to top up your tan. You can expect averages of 27°C (80°F) in the hotter months. In winter, the temperature drops to a very mild 12°C (53°F) in January. The winter days are dark, and there can be a fair amount of rain so you will definitely need an umbrella if you are visiting between December and February.
Weather in Larnaka
Powered by: OpenWeatherMap.org
29 °CMonday10/08/2020
30 °CTuesday11/08/2020
31 °CWednesday12/08/2020
33 °CThursday13/08/2020
35 °CFriday14/08/2020
34 °CSaturday15/08/2020
32 °CSunday16/08/2020
*All amounts are in MYR. Taxes and carrier surcharges included. No booking fee applicable (credit card surcharge may apply).


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Evan was raised on a farm in rural Nebraska and has been recognized as one of Inc. Magazine's Entrepreneurs of the Decade, one of the 100 most influential people in the world, according to TIME, and named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum. He lives in San Francisco with his wife and two sons.
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text:
Just the other day, we reported that The Grey director Joe Carnahan was set to helm a remake of the 1974 actioner Death Wish. The revenge pic kicked off a wave of actions films and catapulted Charles Bronson to stardom. Very little was known about Carnahan's version at the time we heard about his involvement, but the director recently took to Twitter to talk about his vision for the pic. He says it's set in present day Los Angeles, and his goal is to capture an unseen version of L.A. a la Michael Mann's gritty 2004 thriller Collateral. Hit the jump to hear more from Carnahan.
For those unfamiliar with the material, the original Death Wish centers on a liberal architect who sets out for vengeance after his wife and daughter are attacked. Carnahan shot out a series of tweets about what he has in store for the remake:
"Guys. I'm doing Death Wish. But this version is a re-imagining of the book and set in present day Los Angeles. The L.A. of Collateral… It's on buses, cabs, metro trains. I want to show an unseen version of L.A. L.A. on foot. Prowling. Hunting. The vast emptiness of downtown… [Drive director Nicolas Winding Refn] did a phenomenal job shooting L.A. It took on a different dimension. That's the key."
This sounds like an absolutely excellent way to approach an update of Death Wish. Carnahan has proven that he can do down and dirty with Narc and most recently The Grey, and these brief comments solidify my feeling that he's the perfect man for the job. He went on to say that he's actually writing a role in the film specifically for Frank Grillo, who starred in The Grey (no word on what role). Furthermore, for those afraid that the advent of Death Wish means the death of Carnahan's Pablo Escobar passion project Killing Pablo, the director had these reassuring words to say:
"[Killing] Pablo is basically greenlit guys. That one isn't going anywhere. Promise… KP is happening. I'm not letting that one slip away."
Carnahan recently told Steve that, should The Grey do well at the box office (which is absolutely has), he'd love to next make Killing Pablo. While I'm not exactly sure whether Death Wish or Killing Pablo will come first, it's encouraging to hear that he still has Pablo very much on the brain. Hopefully we hear more on both projects soon.


text:
The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
"Remembering things about a person is an expression of compassion and concern. Forgetfulness shows a lack of compassion, a lack of responsibility." These words by Daisaku Ikeda started my day as I settled in with my tea to watch the live telecast of the 54th Grammy Awards. I was looking forward to the show for the Beach Boys reunion and the Paul McCartney performance. However, the run up to the show saw the death of Whitney Houston and the awards ceremony was a proof of how the show can go on without compromising on compassion and concern. With presenters and and performers alike making it a point to honor those who are not among us today at a show that is precisely planned and televised live, it is a living testimony to what the arts and technology can do together.
The weekend had me reflecting on how the new technology and social media can actually create a brave new world. The internet with all its shortcomings continues to be one of the few spaces where the new generation can go to find the memories of their predecessors. One of the more painful drives in Hyderabad is the one on Tank Bund where one is faced with the defaced pedestals and missing statues of Telugu luminaries whose presence angered some people. Counting the defaced pedestal that are still standing made me realize yesterday that I was not aware of the life and times of many of these people. Thanks to the internet, I was able to look up who they were and what they did. What the internet failed to give me was any rationale behind this act of vandalism, though it did show me that I was not alone in my grief and that the largest expression of opinion about this was that of sorrow and disgust. This digitization and virtualization of our collective past is rapidly becoming the norm, with museums, galleries, libraries and book stores giving way to virtual storehouses of memories and information. I realize this as I see the second hand books and magazines Sunday market at Abids shrink a little more every time I visit.
This comes with its plus and minus. The new generation of internet users, though often accused of being fickle and short of attention, is capable of processing far more information at a much faster pace than any earlier generation. They are quick to receive and honor new ideas and 1expressions, and equally quick to reject them. The evolution of the social media space to where it allows convergence of all media across a wide range of platforms and devices has only added to this movement.
People can come together using the new medium to not only share their creative expression but also to express their opinions about their own welfare. In many ways, people are today able to impact public policy by using the power of the internet to mobilize, crystallize and publish the will of the people. Censorship and restriction on the freedom of expression or access to information by governments and corporations have proved futile. The Arab Spring and the recent global uprisings against failed capitalistic institutions and principles are evidence of this power. Many people are quick to point out that these "people's movements" are naive, misguided, and either fizzle out or get hijacked on to somebody else's agenda. It is perhaps prudent to keep in mind that these are the early days of this movement. There are few precedents and the failures of these movements are but lessons that will strengthen the future of the free internet.
Today's television event of the year, at least for music lovers, is streaming live not only on the official websites, but on Youtube itself, long perceived as a threat to traditional television and the commercial audiovisual industry. The internet today is emerging as the future of all media. The Grammy's three hour delayed telecast to the West Coast continues this year in spite of having lost all its relevance in the age of the internet. To adapt the words of the legendary Gill Scott-Heron who too was remembered at the awards show, the revolution is not being televised, it is live.
Enough of this socio-economic stuff. Let me get back to the music.
Since this post was written in the backdrop of the Grammy telecast (or is it the other way around?), I need to share my big takeaways from the ceremony. The Maroon Five and Foster the People tribute to The Beach Boys was the perfect introduction to the iconic band performing together for the first time in god knows how many years, even if for just one song. And that was followed by Sir Paul, Eagle Joe Walsh and Diana Krall singing My Valentine from his new album Kisses on the Bottom. Glen Campbell! was as much fun as the superb all-star tribute that brought him on. Tweets paused for a while as Jennifer Hudson sang Whitney's all time classic I will Always Love You with the intensity that had people tweeting that she was channeling Whitney's spirit. I had always wanted to know about the music that Nicki Minaj made, and her strange act at the award ceremony gave me some idea. Though it was roundly dismissed by viewers the world over, the pyrotechnics, the speaking in tongues, the levitation, and the rather meaningless religious symbolism made me realize that we live in a world that holds the cultural vacuum of sensationalism (Lady Gaga and Nicki Minaj) and genuine artistic expression (Adele and even Taylor Swift) in one impartial embrace.
For me personally, the highlight of the show was the McCartney recreation of the closing tracks from perhaps the best Beatles album Abbey Road. The guitar climax with Dave Grohl, Joe Walsh, and Bruce Springsteen joining in to trade licks was a treat. At a time when new music is challenged to match the greatness of the past, this year's performances showcased the best of the new generation standing very ably shoulder to shoulder with the giants of yesteryears. A heartening sight indeed.
If you have not already seen these two posts of mine, you may want to check out
1. Band on The Run - Paul McCartney and the Wings - 25 years later
2. My tribute to a legend. Whitney Houston
28 comments:
Each passing year, the only redeeming feature of the Grammy night comes from the oldtimers. I am proud to belong to their times. What on earth was the Nicki Minaj act all about? I totally agree with you about the vacuum of new music. I don't see much in the Adeles and Taylor Swifts either. Nothing inspiring anywhere.ReplyDelete
This is so true. Singers have lost the talent to be awarded, though.ReplyDelete
Nice to see a fellow Paul McCartney fan. Do you know what was trending on twitter yest? 'Who is Pail McCartney'! That speak volumes, doesn't it?ReplyDelete
@David - Thanks for keeping up with SJD. Was pleasantly surprised. Well, this Grammy night introduced me to who Nicki Minaj was. I am not sure how to feel about it. My aversion to this artist and others like Lady Gaga can perhaps be attributed to ignorance, but man, is that bliss or what?ReplyDelete
@Prerna - Hope is eternal. I strongly believe that great good is always preceded by great darkness. Maybe that is what we are seeing now in popular music. The classical art forms are dying for lack of patronage, folk forms are selling out to remixes and "beats," and popular music is developing two separate strains, one of aggression and revolt, and the other of glamor and objectification. With such darkness, can the light be far behind?
@Serendipity - I totally agree with you. On the other hand, listeners too no longer have the time to put out for serious music. I cannot recall the last time when I felt excited by an entire album, as opposed to a hit single. I remember the hey days of Kishore Kumar when each of his compilations would result in a one-stretch listen, or even the albums by Steely Dan or Sting (to leave out the more obvious concept album bands and artists).ReplyDelete
@Zach - Thanks for leaving your comment behind. I am a total and irredeemable Beatles fundamentalist and completionist. I am not ashamed to admit that I have (I guess) every album that McCartney recorded in all his avatars, much of which is really mediocre in terms of content (not craftsmanship as a musician/songwriter) compared to his Beatles years.ReplyDelete
Tweets and trends during the show ranged from the who is Paul McCartney that Zach mentioned, who is Adele, who is Glen Campbell, to what the hell was the Nicky Minaj act about, a true tribute to the cluelessness of our times.ReplyDelete
watched the grammys yday and i was touched at how well it was organized and presented (unlike say,the oscars which is too much of a bore these recent years). in short, a classy fare. i get it that the post isnt just about the grammys, but may i please just rave about the awards pretty please? =)ReplyDelete
i was charmed with taylor swift's improvised performance of her single "mean". inspiring even. and was over the moon with joy when adele was awarded and lauded. hey, she is what music ought to be about. in her own words, "i love lady gaga's and katy perry's boobs.love it.but that's not what my music is about.my music is for the ears,not eyes".
guess i've made my point!
cheers =)
and like you, i cant understand or appreciate whatever the hell lady gaga and nicki minaj have to show.ReplyDelete
I have no idea on Grammy and foreign musics, will hear and stop...ReplyDelete
You have brought up some great points i must say...
Music today has been losing it purpose, nude dances and half nude dances seriously spoils music and Indian film industry is slowly appreciating it
sad :(
Another wonderful musician lost forever.. Nice tribute to good music from youReplyDelete
Very interesting post..and agree largely to what you wrote..though at times I also think the internet has given rise to instant encyclopedias..out to make an impression, without the capacity to have a sustained interest in that knowledge base.ReplyDelete
Hey Subho, I have a surprise for you. Please visit this link, I'm sure you'll like it. :)ReplyDelete
WH's death is a big loss to the music industry ..ReplyDelete
Legends like Whitney never die but live forever !!!
You've been tagged! :DReplyDelete
It was a nice mix of music,internet and our animal instinct in form of vandalisms.ReplyDelete
Enjoyed reading the mix.
- Anonymous1:17 AM
your post was very informative. especially the knowledge about grammys. I liked your style of writingReplyDelete
@Raphael - I must admit, both Taylor Swift and Adele have been amazing so far. Taylor has managed to walk the pop line without sounding like anybody else, and Adele has created a space for herself with her own unique style.ReplyDelete
@Deepak - Like Raphael pointed out, this post was not just about the music but about the way we are seeing an erosion of values in every area of our lives. The magic of SD Burman or Ilyaraja, or a Geeta Dutt or Kishore Kumar can hardly be matched by several of the new artists put together.
@Anju - You make me blush. Your writing is very clever and powerful. Following your blog. Thanks for visiting and commenting, hope you will keep coming back for more.
@Farila - The road (the demands on superstar singers by their fans) has claimed way too many great musicians. Creative talent seems to have a self destructive tendency that is just waiting to be triggered. Jackson, Winehouse, and Whitney now. Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Hendrix, and King Elvis earlier. It is truly a great loss.ReplyDelete
@Maitreyee - Welcome to SJD. I had the good fortune of associating with a group of professional content writers, a content mill so to speak, and their resumes make them out to be real encyclopedias, thansk to their web search tools. Yet a conversation with them is limited to gossip, bollywood, and gadgetry. Tragic waste of intellect in some ways.
@Rahul - Did you get to watch the funeral for Whitney? It was a telling tribute to what she achieved with her life.
@Akshay and Pranita - Thanks a tonne, guys! It is an honor, not just to be recognized by you, but to have you as friends and readers.ReplyDelete
Sir. It is great to see that Your blog has become very popular. Now you are writing a lot of serious articles. They are nice also. Hope you will not forget us. You can tell your experiences again. Means people will learn to live. I watched half of the Grammy live but not with gap like you.ReplyDelete
@Neeraj and Vasanth - Welcome to SJD and thanks for your encouraging comments. Please do keep visiting.ReplyDelete
Congrats, you got an award! http://deathknightwrites.blogspot.com/2012/02/awards-and-stuff.htmlReplyDelete
I like your point of view. Points well made. I truly enjoyed the Grammy Awards program this year.ReplyDelete
I just stopped by from BPOTW and I'm glad I did.
You're a versatile blogger. Don't believe me? See this- http://abhyudayadoses.blogspot.in/2012/02/looks-like-i-am-versatile-blogger.htmlReplyDelete
Dialog is the path to peace, and this blog is all about dialog, peace and love. Go ahead and join in.


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One of the first areas to leverage this new technology is precision agriculture, and researchers at RIT have been developing systems to address issues like drought management and disease detection.
Here's how it works. A farmer launches a small drone by simply throwing it into the air. The aircraft circles a couple of times to orient itself, then it goes back and forth until it has taken high-resolution pictures of each individual plant in his entire field. When it lands, the information is downloaded to a computer that can begin analyzing the images, asking questions about what the images show.
Questions like: Is that plant healthy? Is there a gap in my irrigation system? Is there a broken pipe someplace or an infestation of something that's moving across the field?
A test program launched in Genesee County last year, testing sensors that can estimate crop yields, spot potential pests or diseases, and help farmers to apply fertilizer more precisely. Another project by an RIT student examined vineyards in the Finger Lakes, using spectral imaging to assess water levels in plants.
Messinger says that the process usually starts with researchers going to customers and saying "this is what we can do, tell us if it's useful." If you could look at each plant in a thousand-acre field every day, what could you learn from that?
Sometimes it is about building these complex applications, but other times it's about developing solutions for simpler problems. Garma has been working on a system that takes off and follows him as he walks around. It flies in circles around him taking pictures. It's essentially a selfie drone, and it's not hard to imagine all sorts of practical applications for this technology.
Carl Salvaggio, an RIT professor who oversees the undergraduate program at the Center for Imaging Science, is working on building functionality into unmanned systems that makes them easier for nonexperts to use. You're not always going to have Ph.D.-level engineers like him to operate these systems, after all.
Salvaggio developed an inexpensive imaging system that can transmit live images of an area about an acre in size. It's designed for law enforcement or first responders who want to get an overhead view of what's going on in real time.
"A user can simply point at a spot on Google Maps," Salvaggio said. "The system will figure out where it is, turn and keep the camera trained toward that point on the ground the user selected."
In addition to the technology push, there's also an application pull: folks who come to RIT with a specific problem they need help solving. And perhaps the biggest problem is the one faced by the Federal Aviation Administration, which is charged with developing a plan for getting drones integrated into the national airspace.
They're concerned about these inexpensive fliers getting in the way of commercial aircraft, of course, and there are all sorts of technical and logistical issues that need to be addressed.
As one of the lead test centers for NUAIR, researchers at RIT are working on solutions for these challenges.
"With manned aircraft, we're pretty good at navigating from point to point," said Agamemnon Crassidis, a professor in RIT's Kate Gleason College of Engineering and the academic director for NUAIR.
Commercial aircraft use sophisticated navigation systems with an array of high-tech sensors.
"Those systems are large and they're expensive. You're not going to put an $80,000 inertial navigation system on a small unmanned aircraft," Crassidis said. "We're trying to develop sensors that are just as accurate but much cheaper, weigh less, use less power, and obviously are a lot smaller."
Collision avoidance is a major concern because drones are flying at lower altitudes than traditional manned aircraft. Crassidis says it's pretty easy to avoid buildings or hillsides, but that smaller obstacles — electrical wires or tree branches — present a more complex challenge. Part of the solution is developing better "detect and avoid" algorithms, but the real advances will be driven by those new sensors.
"The variety of potential applications for these unmanned systems is amazing, but we have to be able to do the testing to figure out how we can do those things safely," Crassidis said. "In terms of the technology, we're pretty close."


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The weather keeps getting hotter. If you thought it was hot outside Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, brace for higher temperatures through Friday.
Wednesday was the hottest day of the year with a high of 97 degrees and a heat index of 102. Storm Team 4 Chief Meteorologist is predicting another high of 97 -- with a heat index of 106 -- Thursday and 98 and 108 Friday.
There's potential for heavy downpours and strong-to-severe storms to develop Thursday afternoon.
A code orange air quality alert was also issued for the region Wednesday.
The Air Quality Index (AQI) measures the amount of pollutants in the air from 0 to 500, designating one of six colors to the results. The higher the number, the more polluted the air is, AIRNow.gov said.
In this case, code orange means the air may be unhealthy to sensitive groups. Those with respiratory/heart ailments, older adults and children should avoid prolonged or strenuous outdoor activity.
With a heat index near 105 degrees, Monday was just the start of the heatwave. The District activated its Heat Emergency Plan before noon Wednesday, reminding people that public facilities such as libraries, recreation centers, pools, museums and other government buildings are available for cooling during business hours. The Heat Emergency Plan also was activated Tuesday afternoon.
The city has cooling centers at One Judiciary Square, the Reeves Center at 14th and U streets NW, the King office building in Southeast and the Virginia Williams Family Resource Center in Northeast, the Associated Press reported. Those who need a ride to a cooling center can call the hyperthermia hotline at 1-800-535-7252.
Severe weather is possible Saturday, which will still be hot, with highs in mid-90s and a heat index of 104 possible. A cold front will move in and offer some relief from the heat.
But this week's heat wave likely won't break any records, Storm Team4 meteorologist Tom Kierein said. Record highs for each day this week are 100 degrees or higher. One of those records was set on July 18, 2012, when the area hit 101 degrees. The last extended heat wave was last summer between June 28 to July 8. D.C. had 12 days in a row of temperatures over 95 degrees.
Metro announced Tuesday that riders will be permitted to carry and drink water on the system through the end of the day Friday. However, Metro's prohibition on food, and beverages other than water, remains in effect.
D.C. has issued a hyperthermia alert in response to the heatwave. Here are some tips on how you can stay cool and prevent heat-related illnesses or deaths:
- If you have to be outside for a lengthy periods of time, don't over exert yourself.
- Take frequent breaks.
- Drink plenty of water.
- Wear loose-fitting, lightweight, lightly colored clothing.
- Do not leave children or pets inside vehicles.
- Check on friends and neighbors and have someone do the same for you.
The D.C. Department of Motor Vehicles has changed its inspection station hours for Wednesday and Thursday due to the excessive heat. The inspection station, located at 1001 Half St. SW, will be open 5 a.m. to 1 p.m. on those days. Customers with scheduled appointments for later than 12:45 p.m. should reschedule online.
Officials in Charles County, Md., will operate cooling centers through Friday, July 19. The cooling centers are as follows:
- Capital Clubhouse, 9 a.m.-9 p.m., 3033 Waldorf Market Place in Waldorf
- Richard R. Clark Senior Center, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., 1210 Charles St. in La Plata
- Nanjemoy Community Center, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., 4375 Port Tobacco Road in Nanjemoy
- Charles County Public Libraries, 9 a.m.-8 p.m Monday through Thursday and 1-5 p.m. Friday, all branches
The counties indoor and outdoor pools will also be open.
Prince George's County has also opened a number of cooling centers to help residents beat the heat. Each center will operate from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Heat is responsible for the most weather-related deaths, beating out tornadoes, hurricanes and lightning.
Get the latest weather from NBCWashington.com:
- Severe Weather Alerts: click here
- Interactive Radar: click here
- Complete Weather Coverage: click here
Download our NEW free weather apps for iPad and iPhone. You can also follow us on Twitter and Facebook, and sign up for our e-mail newsletters.


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MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Josh Willingham returned to Target Field and hit a bases-clearing double in Kansas City's five-run fourth inning, and the surging Royals hung on to beat the Minnesota Twins 6-5 on Friday night.
Danny Dufy (8-10) allowed three runs in 5 1-3 innings to win his third straight start. Kansas City has won 11 of 12 and sits atop the AL Central.
Oswaldo Arcia hit an RBI double in the ninth and pinch-hitter Chris Parmelee drove him in with a groundout to cut the Royals' lead to 6-5. But Greg Holland struck out Danny Santana for his 37th save in 39 chances.
After Minnesota took a 2-0 lead in the third, the first six Royals hitters reached base to start the fourth off Ricky Nolasco (5-8). Willingham, traded by the Twins to the Royals four days ago, drilled a bases-loaded double down the left-field line to make it 3-2.Comments
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Crazy us got up at 5am to drive to the beach to photograph a sunrise. It was very overcast but there was a break in clouds just before sunrise with beautiful colour. So wonderful to see the surf crashing on the rocks. Raining for rest of today so feel happy that we made the effort. Only problem is that light was really low so shots are high ISO and low depth of field.
Hope your sunrises were as good :-)


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I am trying to scan a parameter space of varying numbers of parameters subject to some constraints (I am interested in any number of constraints just out of curiosity, but in reality no more than 2 constraints in the actual). So it would look something like :
Where the ci are constraints and the list_i's take the form
{x_i,x_i_initial, x_i_final, x_i_increment}
that will be fed to a Do loop.
The problem is that I want to change the actual value of the x_i so that the c_j's (which are a function of x_i) know that x_i has changed value.
For example I might have a constraint like
I want to scan over values of y and z, solve for the corresponding values of x, then store all the possible solutions in a list. By putting the variables I want to scan over in an array it seems easier since then I can have Mathematica see the size of the array, and run the proper number of loops.
Obviously if I just put the variables in a function like
TestScan[c1,...,cm,x_i,x_i_initial, x_i_final, x_i_increment,....]
and then I would call it like
TestScan[c[x1,x2],x1,x1initial, x1final, x1increment,x2,x2initial, x2final, x2increment]
it works since know Mathematica knows that the argument of c is that same thing as the x1 that appears elsewhere, but I would have to change the code every time I change the number of variables in the constraints. My naive straightforward generalization of the just above does't work when I try to pass all
{x_i,x_i_initial, x_i_final, x_i_increment}
in a list. In this case mathematica might replace the 1 element in the list with something else, but I need to be able to change the value of x_i itself.


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AI War 2 is out now! Get it on Steam today!
I really don't think that it's mathematically possible to get the same result from parallel operations as you would in non-parallel operations, honestly. That's because each operation depends on the one before it to some extent, and so if you change the order you change the result. It's quite an insurmountable problem, I think. Last I heard IBM is offering $1 million to the programmer or team who solves the problem, but nobody has won it or even come close from what I know in the last 5 years or whatever it was they've been running this.
This has been beaten to death in some older threads on this forum, somewhere in the AI War forum. At any rate: no, there are no plans to ever make AI War more than single-threaded for the main thread, as that's basically technically impossible because of the required network model....
Disregarding your intentions for your games, past and current, at what point would you say a game would need to be multi-threaded? Number of units? Level of detail (physics, stats calculation, AI)? etc.... Based on current mainstream hardware.I am currently in the throws of conceptualizing a unique turn based game that has the potential to grow geometrically to extreme numbers of operations, using a uniquely iterative form of game play... As a result of this, I know I will have to build into the foundation of it a way to break it up into multiple threads, once it has reached a critical mass, and continue to do so as required until the hardware becomes strained. My fear is that I may end up over engineering it as a result...
I mention the above because even in a turn-based game, I think you will run into the same challenges. If your units take on action, then they cannot take another. If X resources are spent on Y activity, then there are fewer resources for Z activity. That creates interdependence that is hard to break apart into multiple threads, because then you have both X and Z trying to spend the same resources, or both of them trying to move the same unit. Of course if you have multiple distinct AI players all acting at once, and they share no resources, then that's less of an issue. Unless their units block one another on the map, for instance, in which case you get things like a unit moving to a tile and then another unit not being able to despite the fact that the second unit actually would have been the best choice all around for that tile.Multithreading can be done, but it has to be the starting premise of any strategy game simulation if it's going to work gracefully, in my opinion. And that's very hard to design, as most traditional strategy game simulations aren't well suited to it.
Of course, after actually implementing it, I found that even old computers by the standards of two years ago pretty much laughed at 10,000 units in my engine. And I was only starting to stutter at 40k to 50k units, and really lagging horribly at 60k. Then fast forward another two years, and it can easily run 60k on the same machines, and a few people had it up to 300k to 400k on overclocked monster machines.All that isn't just cleverness on my part, it's a matter of structuring the game code around the sort of result I wanted. I wanted lots of units and great AI and large multiplayer. So that's what I got. That means that certain things, like 3D graphics or various other things -- multithreading, for one -- become out of the question as a consequence.
I never used XNA, I used SlimDX.
Well, the thing to understand is that with anything big and complex and new you're going to be doing most of the work yourself. ... But if you're wanting to do something more involved, that involves so many tricks of memory management and project organization that you wind up writing an entire engine that basically uses the render framework of... something. ...I really adore Unity, and my engine that previously sat on SlimDX (which was just a very thin DX wrapper) now resides on the thinnest slice of the Unity engine that I can make it run on. That's given me the power to do a lot of things I could not do before, plus the cross-platform bit, plus I can still code in C# which is my preference. But it's not free to use in that way, for sure. Something like Love would be.


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Archives by date
You are browsing the site archives by date.
Security Crackdown
Thomas Wrocklage of northern New Jersey brought his whole family to Firefly this weekend, including his four-year-old daughter, Georgia. Security confiscated Georgia's hula hoop Saturday morning and almost took the Wrocklages' shaded lawn chairs, he said. Wrocklage said he spent 45 minutes arguing with guards that the chairs were needed due to his wife's high
Despite old material, MGMT proves to be a crowd favorite
MGMT's Saturday night performance caused a logistical nightmare near the Lawn Stage and in surrounding areas. The crowd started filing in about an hour before their set started and the deluge of people continued well into their performance. Some groups tried to maintain some semblance of a buddy system to stay together by holding hands,
Firefly Style
There is something missing from this year's Firefly Music Festival. It's not the bands or the congestion (there's double of both). Or the corporate freebies (free Firefly tote from Toyota, anyone?) Or the throngs of chill people picking up other people's trash. No, what's missing is the clothing. While fans dressed somewhat conservatively last year—at
Breaking news: Tentative dates for 2014 Firefly Music Festival announced
Rumors swirling about a 10-year agreement between Dover Motorsports and Chicago-based Firefly organizers Red Frog Events was confirmed tonight by Mike Tatoian, chief operating officer of Dover International Speedway. But he added that the agreement, signed in April, has an out for Red Frog after each year. The agreement was made so there was a
Alabama Shakes rattle 'n roll crowd at Firefly Music Festival
On a sun-soaked Saturday at Firefly Music Festival, Alabama Shakes, the three-time Grammy-nominated rock group from the "other Athens" (Alabama, not Georgia) took the main stage to a throng of thousands. How many thousands, exactly? Well, more than 12,000 festivalgoers had scheduled the Shakes on their Firefly app (viewable to all fans with the app).
They're watching you
Great music is most omnipresent here at Firely, but a close second (not counting the dubious plumes of smoke) are the various animals, flags and cardboard faces hovering over the crowds all weekend. Maryland Terp fans and red-blooded Americans wave their flags. Pumpa watches over the kingdom that gathered for Kendrick Lamar's set. Mourners carry
Review: Kendrick Lamar
One of hip hop's more promising young, new stars, Kendrick Lamar held court over a bog crowd that gathered Saturday for his much-anticipated Delaware debut. Lamar has gone from making mixtapes in Compton, Calif. in 2010 to releasing full-length albums, including last year's "Good Kid, M.A.A.D City." It was co-produced by collaborator/mentor Dr. Dre and
Dogfish Head estimating 88,000 pints sold at Firefly Music Festival; Vineyard pairing cheese plates with wine
Despite competition from a macrobrewery out of Holland, Delaware's staple microbrewery, Dogfish Head, is still going strong as the craft brew of choice at this year's Firefly Music Festival in Dover. In fact, they're selling the bejeezus out of their beers, which include the 60 Minute IPA, Festina Peche (a slightly tart ale made with
VIDEO: Firefly Day 2 update with Ryan Cormier
Parking lot nightmares Friday night are behind us as we prepare for an exciting evening with the Alabama Shakes and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.
VIDEO: Local artists increase in demand for custom TOMS at Firefly Music Festival
The demand for custom designed TOMS was so great at last year's Firefly Music Festival that the number of local artists increased from five to 30.


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I've been asked to reflect upon the experience of separation, how I handled it and if – upon reflection – I would have done things differently. The whole concept here is along a theme of 'putting the children first'.
The questions are:
1. What did you do well?
2. What didn't you do quite so well?
3. If you were to give one piece of advice to a parent going through separation what would it be?
4. How have the decisions you made then affected the life you are living today?
I've pondered this for a while. It isn't an easy thing to look back on, and I wanted to be sure that my answers were honest and that I would only go ahead with the post if I felt it could be useful to someone else.
Here's the thing, when I found myself in this position (out of the blue), I would have been desperate to read this kind of thing, there was literally nothing around at that point to tell me what to do, how to feel, what to think. And although, obviously no one can do any of those things for you, sometimes when you can feel the floor falling away from under you, you just need something, some shred of evidence that someone else has been through this and that they got through it ok.
So, my answers are:
1. What did you do well? Not much I don't think. I wasn't in control of my thoughts and so I floundered for a long while, taking advice from people who were ill-equipped to help. I did my level best to put the children first, in terms of caring for them, loving them, trying to retain some normality (some context: the house was being repossessed, my partner of 10 years had run off with someone he'd known for 2 weeks, I uncovered huge amounts of debt, my parter decided he needed to put his new relationship first, i.e. before the children). So retaining normality was hard, I was an emotional wreck with very little (almost zero) support but I tried to keep up with bedtime stories, walks, collecting leaves, play dates (while I sobbed in a supportive friend's kitchen), and, I tried to facilitate my ex seeing the children. He would make plans, then cancel at the last minute, but I would still allow for new plans the following week and explain to my confused babies as best I could.
Actually, a better answer to question 1 would be:
It isn't about you. It isn't about your bruised emotions, your confusion, your pride or your finances, it is about the children. The innocents who need to be protected from as much of the impact as possible.
2. What didn't you do quite so well? This little question is deceptively hard. I think I've touched upon a few things above so I am going to say that I should have sought better legal advice. I had a trainee solicitor who essentially told me I was screwed. She was no help to me emotionally or practically and as such I lost my home, my children lost their home and many possessions and I ended up responsible for a huge amount of debt. I don't think I've heard of many other people who were dealt such a poor hand in this situation.
3. If you were to give one piece of advice to a parent going through separation what would it be? Time is a healer. Have faith that your personal wounds will heal and that the best thing you can do is invest time (not money/gifts etc) but time with your children. Make them feel loved and secured. If your ex is willing to have regular contact with the children, let them! Do not get caught up with petty arguments, point scoring and playing the blame game, let them feel loved by the two people who should love them.
4. How have the decisions you made then affected the life you are living today? I have a great life now but that is no reflection upon things at that time. If I go back say 6 months after he left, it is a very different picture. Then I was homeless, in debt, with very little support, even from the 'system'. I was offered a, frankly, terrifying B&B (one room for all 3 of us, sharing a bathroom with strangers, you cannot be in the B&B during the day), which was in a completely different town to our old home, the children's school and friends. At this point I literally couldn't afford tea bags and toilet roll.
Now, the children don't hear from him, he hasn't seen them for at least 6 years (and the last time was for an hour even though he was meant to have been having them overnight). I still find that I beat myself up about the fact they don't have a relationship with him – which is the main reason it has taken me so long to respond to the request to answer these darn questions!). I have to remind myself that it isn't my fault he doesn't see them, I have to remind myself that no matter how reasonably one person acts, no matter how easy they make it for another person to do the right thing, it doesn't mean that they will. I am not responsible for his lack of responsibility.
One final piece of advice. When I was going through a particularly testing time, I decided that I needed some independent advice. Initially I went online thinking I was looking for a mums support group, or Homestart or Gingerbread, but I soon came to the conclusion that I needed to hear from a MAN. Someone who would be guaranteed not to be biased to my viewpoint, and that (along with being the reason why I am answering these questions) is how I ended up contacting OnlyDads and subsequently received some reasoned, grounded and sensible support from a man called Bob.


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Lamar Odom has something in common with new wife Khloe Kardashian – a love of fashion.
The Lakers star stepped out at celebrity style hotspot Kitson LA on Wednesday night to debut his fashion line, a subject close to the heart of his bride.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Khloe Kardashian
"I love it," Khloe told Access Hollywood on Wednesday. "I love anyone that's creative and that takes the risk on designing anything on their own. I mean I'm into fashion, I own clothing stores so I love that he takes part in fashion too, it's something that we have in common."
But what does she think of Lamar's work?
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Love Connection: Celebs & Athletes
"I actually have some girl T-shirts, that I wear all the time," she said of the new line. "I love it, I think it's amazing."
As for Lamar, he was excited to see his ideas come to fruition.
"[I] came up with mostly ideas, [I] have some graphic designers that I work with — my close friend Jonathan Garcia, and he understood my vision right from the door and that's why we are here tonight," Lamar said.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Keepin' Up With Kim Kardashian
While he wanted to see the Kardashian clan decked out in his new line at the Lakers' home opener on Tuesday night, his first priority will be the ring ceremony celebrating the team's NBA championship last season.
"It's not all about them wearing the clothing line, it's about the ring ceremony, which is so important to me," Lamar said.
And the power forward added he won't be nervous to have his new family in the stands.
"No, I'm used to them," he said. "I can't complain, my wife is beautiful and she's a great person."
Khloe's sister Kim Kardashian was also supporting her family at the event, where she clarified her comments on marriage and children to Life & Style earlier this week – and told Access she's not planning on anything just yet.
"I was saying, when I was a little girl, you always think at 30 I'm going to be married with at least one or two kids, so I'm at a really happy place where I'm at right now, I'm not planning for anything yet," she said. "I think everyone's out thinking, 'Oh my God, she's pregnant or she's planning,' I'm not planning for anything. [But] one day that will definitely happen."
Related Content from AccessHollywood.com:
PLAY IT NOW: Kim Kardashian: Khloe & Lamar Are A 'Married, Happy Couple'
PLAY IT NOW: Lamar Odom & Khloe Kardashian: It's A 'Honeymoon Everyday'
MORE ACCESS ON THESE TOPICS: Khloe Kardashian - Lamar Odom - Style - Couples - Athletes


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Learning Chinese -- PABLO, my personal Chinese dictionary
|Introducing Pablo
A treat for Chinese learning beginners: a compact, nifty, featured-packed and free Chinese-English dictionary for Windows.
Pablo is probably the best Chinese-English dictionary alternative for beginners.
- English, Chinese and pinyin
- Search a character from its radical
- (exclusive!) Find a character from its various elements
- Simplified and traditional characters
- Quick navigation (no java, no long downloads!)
- Handwritten character recognition
- The best collection of character animations (4,500 characters!)
- Navigate through search results with one click
For tips and support, visit the online forum at: http://pablopingrid.freeforums.net
|Get the installer from the Download box in the left part of the page.
This is a self-extracting file that installs or updates Pablo automatically.
How to get the Chinese voice to work.
You need to install the voice engine with the Microsoft Chinese voice. For step-by-step instructions, look here.
|Finally, if you haven't yet, be sure to check out Pingrid, a fun and effective game to train your Chinese vocabulary.