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Finance: Letting Your Computer Do the Work
That day has arrived once again. Now that you know how to balance your checkbook by hand, you've earned the right to let your computer do it for you. (If you've skipped the previous section, let me again encourage you to at least familiarize yourself with the process. It really does help when problems crop up with electronic balancing.)
You'll need list
- The software you've chosen and its instructions
- Account numbers, recent statements, and balances for each of the accounts you want to track in the software
- Your income and expense tracking document
If you want to computerize your finances, you have a lot of software choices so many that you might find it difficult to determine the best one for you. The choice is further complicated by the ongoing revisions and improvements software manufacturers make to their products, meaning that whatever you buy today will probably be reincarnated by next year.
Because so many software options are available, it's beyond the scope of this book to explore each of them in detail. Instead, let's consider the basic components that make up most of these products and then determine which of those components you need so you can make a more educated buying decision.
Assisted Reconciliation
This is one of the best features of any financial management software. The program walks you through the reconciliation of your accounts, prompting you to fill in certain information (the closing balance from your statement, any interest or fees, and so on); then it allows you to check off cleared transactions and performs all of the calculations for you. The reconciliation process is much quicker and more accurate this way, and this feature alone makes the software worth the price for many people.
Categorized Transactions
Along with assisted reconciliation, the ability to label your transactions with categories such as Utilities, Entertainment, and Medical Expenses makes financial software invaluable for budgeting and tracking your income and spending. With most programs, you can sort your expenditures by category and see at a glance how much of your income is going to any of your categories. You can also use subcategories for example, putting Water, Gas, and Electric all under Utilities so you can then see totals for each of the utilities as well as a total for the group.
You can even split a single transaction across multiple categories. For example, if you spend $22 at the gas station but only $20 was for gas, you can record the purchase as a single transaction and categorize $20 of it as Gas and the other $2 as Snacks or Lottery Tickets, all in one step. You can even separate the sales tax on a purchase if you want to track it separately. Categorizing saves innumerable hours of on-paper analysis and allows you to see the big picture of your bills and spending habits.
Other Functions
Most finance-management software offers a range of other options and features, including
- Reports and budgeting Most programs offer the ability to create a budget and generate reports to see your data in a variety of ways. It might take some effort to figure out how to create a report that tells you exactly what you want to know in the exact way you want to see it, but in many cases it's easier and more accurate than doing it manually.
- Recurring transactions Most programs allow you to set up recurring transactions, so you don't have to enter each instance of a payment that is taken out automatically each month. You can also set reminders for yourself to pay items on a certain date or frequency.
- Online services Some programs can be used in conjunction with online services offered by your bank, such as online bill-paying, automatic bill-paying, and downloading of account statements directly into your financial software. The most advanced software products can make managing your accounts almost completely automated (not necessarily desirable if your goal is to be more familiar with the details of your finances).
- Investment functions The advanced versions of software such as Quicken and Microsoft Money offer the ability to track your investments, improve your investing skills and knowledge, and generate tax reports.
- Business-related functions Certain products, such as Quicken Premier Home & Business, any of the QuickBooks products, and Microsoft Money Small Business, are geared toward small business owners. These products can also be used to manage your personal finances, but if you are not a business owner, they're probably more than you need.
More on: Family Finances
Reproduced from Organize Your Personal Finances in No Time, by Debbie Stanley, by permission of Pearson Education. Copyright © 2005 by Que Publishing. Please visit Amazon to order your own copy.


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An edometrial biopsy is a procedure in which a tissue sample is obtained from the endometrium (the inside lining of the uterus) and is then observed under a microscope. The tissue is thoroughly examined for any cell abnormalities or cancer. The test also helps determine the cause of abnormal menstrual periods, and can be used to screen for endometrial cancer. The test is sometimes used as part of the diagnostic work-up of women who have been unable to become pregnant.
© 2016
Mercy Medical Center North Iowa | 1000 4th Street SW Mason City, IA 50401 | 641-428-7000

subset: commoncrawl


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Languages and Cultures
West Chester University
Dr. Mahmoud Amer
Acting Chair 2016-2017
224 Mitchell Hall
West Chester, PA 19383
Phone: 610-436-2700
Fax: 610-436-3048
Michel H. Sage
Associate Professor of Languages
Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley
B.A., M.A., San Diego University
Research interests:
Specialization in French Literature and Culture with an emphasis on sociopolitics from Pre-Revolutionary France to the present. Interest in contemporary France include regional independence and separatist movements and more recently in religion and secularism in French society (Islam, the Maghreb and recently the "Arab Spring" uprisings). On-going research is in International Foreign Affairs, in particular French and US relations as portrayed by popular culture and the media. Additional interests: European theater (dramatic theories, mise en scène and stagecraft) and the visual arts (Baroque and Classical period in particular), theories on image, perspective and visual perception.
Recent Publications/Activities:
"Internships and Service Learning: Domestic and Abroad." November 2010 – Boston - Annual Convention of The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) Boston, MA.
"Islam, National Identity and the Future of Francophonia in the Maghreb" July 2010 – Philadelphia. Presented at the Annual Convention of the American Association of Teachers of French.
Classes regularly taught:
French language at all levels. Contemporary French culture and politics, regional identity, French for Business and International Commerce, Advanced Phonetics and the development of distance education. Recent seminars taught: "The Cultures and Literatures of Provence and Corsica" Spring 2011, "The Theater of the Absurd/20th-Century French Theater" Spring 2010,"Symbolism to Post colonialism: Poetry in the 19th & 20th C."Spring'09,"Quebecois Literature, Culture and Cinema". Spring 2008, etc.


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6 Stupid Gun Myths Everyone Believes (Thanks to Movies)
#3. Shotguns Are Room-Clearing Murder Factories
Name a weapon more badass than the shotgun. Wait, what's that? Until our patent for the chainsaw made of piranhas gets approval, you can't? That's because doing so is goddamn impossible (for now). And if you disagree, then Mad Max.
The shotgun earned its badass reputation through being huge, possessing a gigantic barrel and shooting out a spray of hot, deadly lead that requires no accuracy on the part of the shooter. Take this scene, courtesy of John Woo:
The only reason you'd need another gun would be to tape it to your shotgun.
The shotgun works by propelling a handful of lead shot into bad guys so wide that it can hit more than one of them at a time. It's the ideal weapon for killing a bunch of zombies at once or hitting random criminal thugs without aiming. And while all your friends are bragging about their accuracy by shooting tin cans off of logs, you can be all "Fuck your cans, I just blew up the log and all of the surrounding trees." Shotguns are so cool.
But take a look at this image from TheBoxOfTruth.com:
That's the actual spread of a 12-gauge shotgun loaded with .00 buckshot (the type of round you'd use to stop a person or a deer) at a standard combat range. You'll notice it's much wider than the single hole of a handgun bullet. You'll also notice that it's much too small to hit more than one of anything, and since shotgun pellets are small relative to most bullets, you need to ensure a tight grouping to be anywhere near dangerous. Those of you knowledgeable enough to advise us to "adjust the choke" should know that doing that has no noticeable effect on spread at combat ranges.
So no matter what you do, that double-barreled shotgun is only hitting one dude at a time. Or, like, three bees, maybe.
We should probably invest in some counseling for our art department.
#2. Deadly on the Gun Range = Deadly in Real Life
Think back to any movie where an unlikely candidate for Chief Badass had to prove his or her worth on the field by shooting up paper on the gun range. When cops need to show off, a range scene is the simplest way to establish their prowess before the thrilling climax. This holds true whether you're proving the worth of a robot, as in RoboCop ...
... or a pretty lady with incredibly expensive taste in scarves, as in Castle.
Or look at the scenes in Lethal Weapon and Clear and Present Danger, where Danny Glover and Willem Dafoe, respectively, prove themselves with an impressive show during a session of target practice. And, once again, it would seem to make sense. Anyone who can hit a quarter-sized paper circle at 60 feet could surely hit your own heart at 10 feet, right?
99 percent of all gunfights take place in narrow, well-lit hallways.
Well, only if you assume people are emotionless robots who know no fear or doubt. In the real world, people aren't as cool and accurate when shooting something that isn't an unmoving piece of paper. To be specific, after studying more than 200 violent encounters, no connection whatsoever has been found between prowess on the range and effectiveness in combat. None. Hollywood taught you that the pistol-armed guy hitting the bull's-eye at 90 feet at the gun range is a champion badass, but science says that's bullshit (and the military doesn't even recommend practicing long-range pistol shooting in its combat training manuals).
But then how can you establish a badass in a movie? Well, according to that source we linked, and almost all gun trainers, "The element reported as the single most important factor in the officer's survival during an armed confrontation was cover." Hiding. Or, not just hiding, but actually having the proper training to recognize what exactly would provide the best form of cover. If you've got two guys at a gun range, the one who can recognize what to hide behind is going to be almost 60 percent more effective in an actual gunfight than the guy who gets a bull's-eye 10 times out of 10. Under movie law, being able to shoot a paper target from 50 yards away is important, and taking cover is treated so casually that most characters protect themselves by diving behind a couch or a table or any other damn thing that clearly won't stop bullets.
"Surely these glass windows will protect me!"
It's like Hollywood is specifically training you to die in a gunfight.
#1. Bullets Turn People into Pulp
To every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. When we apply this basic law of physics to guns, we end up with the idea that really big guns should blow people away. Something like a Desert Eagle would surely knock its victim back, while a shotgun is powerful enough to send bad guys flying through plate glass windows. Based on the three or four paragraphs of physics lessons we weren't asleep for in high school, getting shot with a bigger bullet should rocket your body back farther. The infamous Barrett .50 caliber rifle in Smoking Aces illustrates:
This is perhaps Hollywood's earliest gun trope. And it also violates the laws of physics so badly that we suspect the last few decades of baffling movie gun physics are the result of severe PTSD. It's true that, when suddenly stopped, a moving object hands a good deal of its kinetic energy over to whatever blocked it. But think back to your Newton, and watch this cute girl fire a handgun:
If you look closely, you can see that equal, opposite reaction. The slide moves back, and the gun bucks slightly in her hand. You might notice that her body hardly moves at all, even though the total force of that recoil must be equal to the force of that firing bullet. And in case you don't consider the website that specializes in dick jokes a trustworthy source on ballistics, here's the goddamn FBI Academy's firearms training unit:
"The impact of the bullet upon the body is no more than the recoil of the weapon. The ratio of bullet mass to target mass is too extreme."
"No gas ... but a few rounds could get me to work."
See, the need for movie directors to kill off huge masses of extras very rapidly has given people the mistaken impression that any bullet is basically the equivalent of water in a video game: If it touches you, even a little, you die dramatically. And if the film's protagonist should manage to shrug off a couple of bullets without really slowing down? We just suspend our disbelief a little and take it as a mark of how badass John McClane is.
But in a real gunfight, anyone can be John McClane. Or the dude who dies immediately. It's kind of a crapshoot. We've already noted that gunshots are only fatal around 5 percent of the time. But you probably assumed the other 95 percent of gunshot victims were still out of the fight as soon as they felt an impact. That assumption isn't borne out in the facts of real gunfights, like this shootout in Miami, where eight FBI agents emptied their side arms (and a shotgun) into a pair of unarmored bank robbers for four minutes.
"Yep, this is it. I definitely have carpal tunnel syndrome."
"Even in the end, it took multiple shots from a shotgun and six additional rounds from a handgun to end the fight ... some of the shotgun pellets hit the assailants in the head, but did not stop them immediately. The toxicology report showed no drugs or alcohol in either [assailant's] system. Handguns (guns in general) are not the powerful one-shot stop instruments of immediate death portrayed by television, movies and the media."
Assailants have been documented fighting on after being hit more than 100 times. At least one bank robber has received upwards of 60 bullet wounds from authorities and lived to tell about it. We mentioned that Roy P. Benavidez fought on for six hours despite receiving 37 serious bullet, shrapnel and bayonet wounds. But we didn't mention that he also completed an 80-yard run after taking a rifle bullet to the knee. In the real world, the power of a bullet doesn't have shit on the power of adrenaline and sheer cussedness.
Although the smart money is always on Killephants.
Robert Evans oversees the article captions here at Cracked, and in his spare time writes about illegal immigrants, drilling for oil and drug dealers for his blog. If you'd like to hire or contact him, he can be reached here.
For more ideas Tinsel Town is woefully wrong on, check out Hollywood's 6 Favorite Offensive Stereotypes and 8 Scenes That Prove Hollywood Doesn't Get Technology.
And stop by LinkSTORM to learn how to twirl a gun as fast as you can.
And don't forget to follow us on Facebook and Twitter to get sexy, sexy jokes sent straight to your news feed.
Do you have an idea in mind that would make a great article? Then sign up for our writers workshop! Do you possess expert skills in image creation and manipulation? Mediocre? Even rudimentary? Are you frightened by MS Paint and simply have a funny idea? You can create an infographic and you could be on the front page of Cracked.com tomorrow!
We have some bad news: America's underdog history is badly exaggerated, Columbus didn't discover America and your favorite book sellers are now taking pre-orders for a text book written and illustrated entirely by the Cracked team! Hitting shelves in October, Cracked's De-Textbook is a fully-illustrated, systematic deconstruction of all of the bullshit you learned in school.
It's loaded with facts about history, your body, and the world around you that your teachers didn't want you to know. And as a bonus? We'll also explain why everything you know about explosions is wrong.


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- Binding: Hardcover & eBook
- Era: Iraq War
- Number of Pages: 256
- Subject: Autobiography
- Date Available: September 2010
Clear The Decks Price*
Your tax-deductible gift to the Naval Institute Press underwrites worthy books that might not otherwise be published.
Praise for In The Gray Area
"The number of military advisors is growing in every service, and—as with past conflicts—their stories are seldom told or understood by the general public or even history buffs. This work will appeal to anyone trying to understand the US military's attempts to build competent forces in countries like Iraq and Afghanistan. Anyone who has served as a military advisor or even worked with foreign forces will also appreciate Folsom's work and chuckle at his team's experiences and frustrations."— Air & Space Power Journal
Lt. Col. Seth Folsom, USMC is the recipient of the 2011 General Wallace M. Greene Jr. Award presented on behalf of the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation. Online at: http://www.marineheritage.org/Awards.asp
In the Gray Area builds on Seth Folsom's earlier award-winning memoir, The Highway War, which described his 2003 command of one of the first Marine light armored reconnaissance battalion companies to march on Baghdad. In February 2008 Major Folsom was deployed again to Iraq as the leader of a U.S. Marine advisor team embedded with an Iraqi army infantry battalion. The realities of the Marines' mission is frankly addressed by Folsom in this new work as he reflects on challenges they and their Iraqi counterparts faced in their struggle to gain control of al-Anbar province. He explores the bonds he formed with his men, the "Outlanders," and the tenuous relationships forged between the American and Iraqi soldiers whose cultures were so vastly different. The author creates a compelling picture of the obstacles faced by both as they lived, ate, and fought side-by-side.
The Highway War was lauded for its insights of how a young combat leader privately copes with his own vulnerabilities while publicly presenting a tough persona. In his new book, Folsom shows a mature commander thoughtfully evaluating the situation at a time when the Iraqi army is on the cusp of independence from its American partners. He further reflects on the difficulties posed by a possibly premature American departure from
This book is published in cooperation with the Association of the U.S. Army.
Lt.Col. Seth W. B. Folsom, USMC, has a Bachelor's degree in international relations from the University of Virginia and a Master's degree in South Asian national security affairs from the Naval Postgraduate School. He currently serves as the International Affairs Officer Program Coordinator, Strategy and Plans Division, at Headquarters Marine Corps. In 2003 Folsom and Company "D" deployed with 1st LAR Battalion in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. In February 2008 he deployed to
Praise for In the Gray Area
"The number of military advisors is growing in every service, and—as with past conflicts—their stories are seldom told or understood by the general public or even history buffs. This work will appeal to anyone trying to understand the US military's attempts to build competent forces in countries like Iraq and Afghanistan. Anyone who has served as a military advisor or even worked with foreign forces will also appreciate Folsom's work and chuckle at his team's experiences and frustrations."
— Air & Space Power Journal
Perhaps the greatest praise for In the Gray Area comes from my recommendation that any Air Force or other military member preparing to deploy as a military advisor should read it. Although no two cultures or experiences will ever be the same, Folsom's stories will help prepare someone for the myriad difficulties an advisor will encounter
"In The Gray Area is an excellent hands-on account, brutal in its descriptions and honest in its observations. Not written as a scholarly text or as a gung-ho guts and glory popular war story, it is the reality of the day in and day out work carried out by Americans alongside their Iraqi counterparts.… Many lessons can be gleaned from this short tale, not only about the obvious cultural conflicts that exist in war time, but also in terms of the role of advisors in foreign conflicts and the challenges, military and political, that America has had and will continue to have in the Middle East."
— Digest of Middle East Studies
"In the Gray Area highlights the kaleidoscope of cultural, institutional and personal challenges a line officer aced accomplishing advisory duties while embedded with the Iraqi Army. Folsom's description of these and his musings about problem solving in an alien environment—and coping with a recalcitrant counterpart—are instructive for personnel working with foreign forces in training, on exercises or on secondment for any reason. More generally, the book is useful in raising cultural sensitivity, a critical ingredient for success for military personnel in foreign environments."
— Australian Defence Force Journal
"As someone who has spent many years working intimately with foreign militaries, I could identify with much of this book and thoroughly enjoyed it. It stands well beside the young Bing West's 1972 classic account of Marine advisers in Vietnam titled The Village. Our mentors in Uruzgan province will strongly identify."
— Australian Army Journal
I previously read Lt Col Folsom's first book, The Highway War, and found In the Gray Area to be equally engaging. Folsom presents a first-hand ground level perspective of Military Transition Team deployment preparations and real-world operations. He successfully captures the endless cycle of optimism, frustration, acceptance, USMC motivation, and renewed optimism… The chapters are short; each is sort of a self-contained vignette, making the book easy to read. Just one minor criticism relating to context. Because the book was written at the ground level, it was difficult to grasp the bigger picture- what was occurring simultaneously at regional, national and international levels. But this is more an indictment of my own ignorance than Folsom's writing.


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What would be your recommendation for replacement of an MD5 hash approach to password storage within an MS-SQL database be?
I think: SHA256, SHA512 are more safe at this moment.
See Wikipedia for more information.
Way back in 1978, Robert Morris and Ken Thompson published the Unix "crypt" password scheme with two innovations that are crucial for password hashing: salts and iteration counts. Without a salt, hashes are very vulnerable to hash tables and rainbow tables. Even with a salt, iterations are also needed to prevent very quick brute-forcing of most any password with 8 or fewer characters, to say nothing of simple variations of dictionary words. How long does it take to actually generate rainbow tables?
So please use a real hash designed for passwords - i.e. one that is slow and salted. Some good candidates are:
You can tune them to not take up too much server time, but people don't authenticate very often, so don't be stingy.
See also: Password hashing - IT Security
The most important piece of advice is to migrate to an algorithm designed for password hashing: bcrypt, PBKDF2, or scrypt. These algorithms are designed to meet the needs of hashing passwords; for instance, to deter dictionary attacks, they use iteration to ensure that hashing is slow, and to deter amortization attacks, they include a salt in the hash.
There is no need to migrate from MD5 to SHA. You may have heard that MD5 is broken. This is true, but not in a way that endangers MD5 for password hashing. The attacks on MD5 are on its collision resistance. However, MD5's one-wayness is still going strong. For password hashing, all that you need is one-wayness. Therefore, there is no need to migrate from MD5 to another hash like SHA256 or SHA512 (except possibly for "appearances" sake).
So, the most important thing you can do is switch to bcrypt/PBKDF2/scrypt to make dictionary search harder.
See also the following posts with excellent advice about how to hash passwords:
SHA-2 with salt works nicely. However you'll have to think about how to migrate the passwords.


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STEUBENVILLE - William Houst made a habit of creating havoc in opposing backfields during his playing days at Big Red. His habit didn't change much during his first year as a defensive end for Gavilan College, based in Gilroy, Calif.
Houst, a 2012 Big Red graduate, led the Rams in tackles with 80 (70 individual, 10 assists), all of California Junior College grid squads in tackles for losses (31) and the entire nation in quarterback sacks (9.5). Just for good measure, he forced three fumbles and broke up a couple of passes.
He recently was voted the Rams' MVP by his teammates and received all-region honors in the Northern California Football Association. He also earned All-Coast Conference first team recognition.
"And he has not reached his full potential yet," Gavilan coach Spencer Gilford recently said.
Gilford, who guided the Rams to a 3-7 mark in his second season, claims he knew the 6-foot-2, 240-pound Houst had potential "the first time" he watched him on film.
"He's a tremendous athlete with some special abilities," the coach pointed out.
Houst, who is back in town for the holidays, noted he was pleased with his first season at the collegiate level.
"I started off a little slow but I finished strong," he said. "The biggest difference between high school and college are the schemes and the size of the offensive linemen.
"They are so much bigger than high school. I relied on my quickness, speed and the motivation I had going into each game."
During his senior season at Big Red, Houst had 55 solo tackles, 2.5 tackles for a loss and 3.5 sacks. He helped lead Reno Saccoccia's 2011 club to a perfect 10-0 regular season. Big Red's run ended in the regional semifinals via a heart-breaking 24-22 loss to eventual Ohio Division III champion Youngstown Cardinal Mooney.
Houst, who admits the weather in California is "nice," plans to stay another year at Gavilan then look "to go to a Division I school" to continue his football career.
"My coach told me the scouts will start coming around during spring practice," he added. "I plan to continue working hard."
As far as his sophomore season goes, Houst, who earned a 2.5 GPA in the classroom, will be trying "to make all state and help my team improve on this year's record."
Houst, who wears number 52 for the Rams, pointed out playing for Big Red gave him "the toughness" he needed to play in college. It also gave him an edge in the playing physical department.
He is one of 10 out-of-state players on the Gavilan roster. Living in California has helped Houst "grow as a person and mature."
"I learned quickly what I had to do to live on my own and stand on my own two feet that far from home," he added.
Mike Haney, who coaches football and basketball at Big Red, played a key role in getting Houst a shot at Gavilan.
"He's basically the latest in a long line of Steubenville area players who have gone to school there," Haney, himself a Gavilan product, said. "I made a call to the coach, told him about William and everything seemed to work out."
Dwight Sims, a standout defensive end for Big Red during the late 1960s, may have been the first area athlete to perform for the Rams. Others who have attended Gavilan include Gregg Bahen, Dave Moitis and Mike Mavromatis.
"They liked him a lot," Haney continued. "They liked how he played hard, how he went hard at practice and went hard during a game.
"Everyone back here supported him and helped him out. It's a great fit and I hope he continues to perform academically."


text:
- aerospace [3]
- construction [9]
- consumer products [4]
- customer service [1]
- energy systems [10]
- finance [2]
- healthcare [29]
- industrial products [7]
- IT & telecom [1]
- logistics [21]
- military, defense, safety [5]
- science and education [25]
- social research [15]
- technology [23]
- asset management [3]
- business processes [14]
- communication networks [2]
- epidemiology [8]
- freight traffic modeling [8]
- labour market [2]
- management [21]
- manufacturing processes [12]
- market modeling [7]
- marketing [8]
- personnel [3]
- strategic management [11]
- supply chain management [9]
- agent based modeling [73]
- discrete event modeling [45]
- multimethod modeling [24]
- system dynamics modeling [39]
Major City Evacuation Planning Using Simulation Modeling A, Kirby, J.E. Dietz, E. Matson, J. Pekny, C. Wojtalewicz and J. Pekny
Disaster, whether manmade or natural, can have a catastrophic impact on a populated area. Sometimes, the disaster is so devastating that it requires a large-scale evacuation. As a result, evacuation plans have become a necessity. One such evacuation plan is the regional hub reception center (RHRC), which will help evacuate the careless population when an evacuation is needed. Using AnyLogic as a simulation modeling software, an RHRC model was developed to test the efficiency of the proposed plan.» 続きを読む
Agent-based population model used to identify and evaluate dog population management strategies L. Kisiel, A. Jones-Bitton, A.L. Greer; Department of Population Medicine, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON Canada; CEFUTREMA
Developing countries are faced with finding novel and humane ways to permanently reduce and control their dog population. Agent-based models developed to describe dog populations represent a unique, platform for using computer based simulation to identify control strategies with the greatest potential for success, aid in the design of more effective control measures, and provide a means to evaluate the success of different interventions.» 続きを読む
A Hybrid Simulation Framework for Integrated Management of Infrastructure Networks Mostafa Batouli, Ali Mostafavi, Florida International University. Winter Simulation Conference, 2014.
The objective of this paper is to propose and test a framework for integrated assessment of infrastructure systems at the interface between the dynamic behaviors of assets, agencies, and users. For the purpose of this study a hybrid agent-based/mathematical simulation model is created and tested using a numerical example related to a roadway network.» 続きを読む
Towards a Semiconductor Supply Chain Simulation Library (SCSC-SIMLIB) Jingjing Yuan, Thomas Ponsignon, Infineon Technologies AG. Winter Simulation Conference, 2014.
Simulation is a widely used technique for analyzing and managing supply chains. Simulation software packages offer standard libraries for selected functions and application areas. However, no commercial or freeware simulation tool proposes building blocks specific to semiconductor manufacturing.» 続きを読む
Discrete Choice, Agent Based and System Dynamics Simulation of Health Profession Career Paths T. Flynn, Y. Tian, K. Masnick, G. McDonnell, E. Huynh, A. Mair, N. Osgood. Winter Simulation Conference, 2014.
Modelling real workforce choices accurately via Agent Based Models and System Dynamics requires input data on the actual preferences of individual agents. Often lack of data means that analysts can have an understanding of how agents move through the system, but not why, and when.» 続きを読む
Return to Work Behavior of People with Disabilities: A Multi-Method Approach Mariusz Balaban, MYMIC LLC. Winter Simulation Conference, 2014.
This paper discusses the development of a simulation model to mimic a return to work phenomenon of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) enrollees in the United States. Agent Based and Bayesian Network methods are used within a multi-method simulation model to capture system conditions and enrollee behavior.» 続きを読む
Agent-based modelling to visualise trustworthiness: a socio-technical framework Shuyuan Mary Ho, Ram Reddy Katukoori; Int. J. Mobile Network Design and Innovation, Vol. 5, No. 1, 2013
This paper describes a socio-technical study based on physical world scenarios of deceptive behaviour occurring in a virtual collaborative environment. An agent-based modelling (ABM) approach was adopted to visualise trustworthiness that can signal deceptive behaviour in virtual communications among social actors. The modelling strategies were guided by attribution theories toward an agent's perceived trustworthiness.» 続きを読む
Modeling the Cycles of Gang and Criminal Behavior: Understanding the Social and Economic Influences Bruce Skarin, Jeanine Skorinko, Khalid Saeed, Oleg Pavlov, 27th International Conference of the System Dynamics Society, 2009
One of the challenges in developing policy for dealing with asocial behavior, such as burglary, vehicle theft, or violent crimes is the seemingly unpredictable rise and fall of activity. In retrospect these cycles in crime are often attributed to changes in factors such the size of a police force, level unemployment, or high school drop-out rate. What causes changes in these factors can some times be external to a local community, such as economic shifts affecting tax revenue, however many are internally linked. For example when crime is high, there is a call for more police and when crime is low, there is a justification for reducing the size of the force. Therefore, understanding how these factors are linked together as a whole may allow for better policies that reduce asocial behavior further and create more stability in the long term.» 続きを読む
Simulazione discreta con il software AnyLogic. Caratteristiche generali e applicazione ad unostudio oculistico Mattia Munaro, the University of Padua, Faculty of Engineering, 2009-2010
AnyLogic è un ambiente di modellazione virtuale di sistemi discreti, continui ed ibridi. Con questo strumento è possibile creare prototipi di sistemi durante le fasi di studio, progettazione o sviluppo, attraverso cui esplorare aspetti e dettagli della progettazione o della implementazione dei relativi sistemi in modo semplice e privo di rischi» 続きを読む
An integrated pedestrian behavior model based on extended decision field theory and social force model Hui Xi, Young-Jun Son (The University of Arizona); Seungho Lee (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.). Proceedings of the 2010 Winter Simulation Conference.
The integrated pedestrian simulation model proposed in this paper allows us to develop a more realistic simulation of pedestrian behaviors at a shopping mall. In particular, consideration of vision of each individual allows us to mimic physical and psychological interactions among the people and the environment more realistically. Similarly, consideration of extended Decision Field Theory allowed us to represent human decision deliberation process. In addition, consideration of a rich set of attributes for the environment as well as people has allowed us to mimic a real shopping mall environment closely. The constructed simulation using AnyLogic software was utilized to conduct several experiments on performance of the mall and scalability of the proposed model.» 続きを読む


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Guantanamo Judge Grapples With Disruptive Terror Suspects
FORT MEADE, Md.—The Sept. 11, 2001, conspiracy case began at Guantanamo Bay on Saturday as a battle of wills between a military judge and the five defendants, thwarting government efforts to quickly get the prosecution under way.
On Trial at Guantanamo
Read more about the five men in the case.
Hearings will be resumed next month under an order by Col. James Pohl, the presiding military judge in the proceedings being held at the U.S. Naval station at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Closed-circuit feeds were provided to several military installations on the mainland, including this Army installation near Washington.
The arraignment dragged into the night as lawyers for some of the terror suspects demanded a full reading of the lengthy and detailed list of charges against the suspects, a formality that typically is waived.
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four co-defendants face potential death sentences if convicted of the plot that saw four airliners hijacked and crashed into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a Pennsylvania field.
But Saturday's arraignment was another demonstration of the complexity of prosecuting the men allegedly involved in the planning of the Sept. 11 airline attacks and underscored predictions that a final resolution is years away, especially because many features of the long-troubled military commissions experiment remain untested before the federal courts. Among them are such fundamental questions of which constitutional rights, if any, the defendants hold.
But one defendant, Ramzi Binalshibh, said at the hearing that the government might not wait that long. It was possible, he said, that his Guantanamo jailers "are going to kill us" and call it a suicide, he said, before Col. Pohl, silenced him for disrupting the proceedings.
Previous Coverage
- 9/11 Defendants Get Day in Court June 6, 2008
- 9/11 Suspects Declare Themselves 'Terrorists to the Bone' March 10, 2009
- 9/11 Suspects Face Gitmo Hearing May 4, 2012
The Pentagon approved charges against the five men a month ago. The rare Saturday hearing was scheduled to ensure the defendants were arraigned within the required 30 days.
A typical arraignment is a routine proceeding where charges are read and pleas are entered into the record. But from the start, it was clear Saturday that the defendants and their government-paid defense lawyers, who include military attorneys, civilian employees of the Defense Department and private practitioners hired for their expertise in capital cases, intended to put the military commission experiment itself on trial.
The defendants ignored most of the proceedings while their lawyers repeatedly challenged as unfair the military commission set up to try them.
One defendant, Walid bin Attash, was brought into the courtroom shackled to a chair after refusing to enter voluntarily, Col. Pohl said. His lawyer, Capt. Michael Schwartz, said his recalcitrance was a reaction to long-standing mistreatment, at one point uttering a word that prompted official censors to briefly cut the audio feed to the press gallery.
The word apparently was "torture," excised because officials consider references to detainee treatment while in Central Intelligence Agency custody to be classified. Col. Pohl said he might at a future point entertain argument over treatment issues, but cautioned Capt. Schwartz not to cross over the line, limiting what he could say in open court.
When the Troops Were Very Young
The newest troops in Afghanistan are barely old enough to recall the event that sparked the long war, writes Michael M. Phillips..
"It looks like the line right now is embarrassment to the government," Capt. Schwartz said. All five defendants were held in CIA "black sites," or secret overseas prisons, where U.S. authorities inflicted brutal treatment including, in some instances, waterboarding.
The session began with Mr. Mohammed and the other defendants ignoring the military judge and refusing to listen to simultaneous Arabic translation through headphones. Col. Pohl responded by ordering that the translation be amplified through courtroom speakers, ensuring that the defendants could hear but gumming up proceedings as each remark in English was followed by the interpreter, sometimes speaking over the lawyers.
"The subsequent translation is making me crazy," Cheryl Bormann, a lawyer for Mr. bin Attash, told Col. Pohl from the lectern.
Ms. Bormann was dressed in an abaya, a loosefitting garment worn by observant Muslim women, leaving only her face exposed, and suggested that women on the prosecution team follow her example. They should dress modestly "so that our clients are not forced to not look at the prosecution for fear of committing a sin under their faith," Ms. Bormann said.
Mr. Mohammed's civilian lawyer, David Nevin, said he believed Mr. Mohammed wasn't responding because he believes the tribunal is unfair.
During the failed first effort to prosecute them at the U.S. base in Cuba, Mr. Mohammed has mocked the tribunal and said he and his co-defendants would plead guilty and welcome execution. But there were signs that at least some of the defense teams were preparing for a lengthy fight, planning challenges of the military tribunals and the secrecy that shrouds the case.
At one point in the morning session, Mr. Binalshibh rose to pray, dropping to his knees on a prayer rug, as proceedings continued. Guards lining the room took no steps to interrupt. At another point, an attorney for Mr. Binalshibh, James Harrington, informed Col. Pohl that "My client would prefer to have his name pronounced Bin-al-shib-ah."
The military judge complied, carefully enunciating the defendant's preferred pronunciation.
The arraignment seemed headed to a close at 6:30 p.m. Saturday after Mr. Mohammed waived reading of the formal charges. But his co-defendants upstaged him, invoking their right to have the entire 87-page charging document read aloud.
Related Reading
After 7 p.m., Col. Pohl reluctantly agreed to a reading of the full charges. He ordered a recess for evening prayers, scheduling the reading of charges to begin 30 minutes later.
One hour into the reading, Col. Pohl complained that Capt. Schwartz and his client, Mr. bin Attash, weren't paying sufficient attention. "If you want them read, show the courtesy of listening," Col. Pohl said, adding that in 12 years as a military judge, this was the first case where a defense counsel had asked that the full charges be read in court.
It was unclear at first whether the reading would include the names contained in charging documents of the nearly 3,000 people killed in the attacks. But prosecutors ultimately didn't read them, mentioning only that they were listed in the documents.
It took six prosecutors 2½ hours to recite the charges, reading in English and then pausing as they were translated into Arabic. Moments after the reading concluded after 10:25 p.m., Col. Pohl pronounced the proceedings adjourned until June 12, and quickly left the courtroom.
Write to Jess Bravin at firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
Schedule Keyword FAQs
Click on a question to see the answer. You can also use the search box on the right.
- What are the dropdown menus at the top of the training schedule for and how do I use them?
- How do I sign up for a workshop?
- Why does it say 'closed' in the action column on the e-Learning Center training schedule?
- How will I know if I am moved from the waiting list to being enrolled in a workshop?
- What does Seats mean in the e-Learning Center training schedule?
- How do I request that a workshop be scheduled?
- Many workshops are scheduled for days and times I cannot attend. What should I do?
- In what order should I attend the Bb Learn workshops?
- I cannot attend a workshop I signed up for. What should I do?
- I need to drop a workshop, but enrollment is closed. What should I do?
11 faqs shown


text:
I've just been through Blighttown and defeated Quelaag(sp?) and was just wondering where I should be going next as I have a variety of areas open to me now? Cinematics would suggest that I should go through the gate I just opened near the
Undead Parish but then I also found the key for
New Londo Ruins? There is the area up the ladder after defeating
Hydra as well as the
Catacombs, the area after defeating Quelaag(Demon Ruins?) and the
Great Hollow although this was accessed through the secret tunnel.
Does it even matter? I am soul level 40 (thereabouts), should I be steering clear of places still or shall I just go hack things up?


text:
Basically, my title says it all, is there instruction on how to optimize your profile on careers.stackoverflow.com so that you come up in more employer searches? (I mean aside from the obvious — like "fill out your profile").
What is meta?
- Any Stack Exchange user can ask a question
- The community provides support, votes on ideas, and reports bugs
- Your voice helps shape the way Stack Exchange operates
Well to me SO Careers profile seems to be most SEO-friendly of all other online profiles I've been using so far (there was half dozen at least). Without knowing actual mechanics of how it works I wouldn't bet on that but anyway "it walks like a duck and it quacks like a duck" to me.
Note by the way main page of your Careers profile says "Employer View - searchable".
Good thing about SO careers is that it allows to inject SEO stuff in a way that looks justified to reader - in case if one is active in answering questions or writing blog (like I noticed you do) or at least in reading books and web articles. It's not a rocket science really...
Few minor points about above.
PS. My own profile is not quite optimized I'm afraid: instead of focusing on few key areas, its content is rather spread over wide range of different topics. Guess when (if:) I decide that profile may benefit of SEO boost, I'll have to cut about half of it.
It seems that the "likes" are a large factor in search results — changing whether I liked a given technology changed whether or not I even placed in the search results for that tech (at all).


text:
I've mounted a Windows 7 directory on my FreeBSD box via smbfs:
//ROOT@BARYONYX/GVKV on /usr/home/gvkv/win (smbfs)
but for some reason when I try to copy a directory:
cp .vim /win
I get the following error:
cp: .vim is a directory (not copied).
I can copy files just fine. Is there something special about directories and smb shares?


text:
Is there any ready made class/formula somewhere I can use it for control my viewpoint by accelerometer's/compass's XYZ?
I want to achieve the same view control like acrossair uses.
I have the parts (OpenGL space, filtered accel-, compass values, and a cubic panoramic view mapped to a cube around my origin).
Can somebody suggest me where to start at least?


text:
drastically EDITed:
What approach would you recommend for post ranking in wordpress CMS? should it work with custom fields? something else?
i couldn't find a plugin to do it, so i'm going to to write one by myself.
i know how to use a database, and i'm a php programmer. but i'd prefer to rely as much as possible on WP existing components or features.


text: Last I checked, swish-e-2.5.2-2004-10-21.tar.Z (which I slightly modified in a few unrelated areas), the incremental features were simply not ready for prime time. I would be interested in your experience with it, too, since this feature is pretty critical to us. Right now, I'm merging indices, which is just miserable. It takes a very long time to do a merge. Plus, we can't remove old entries so I need to do some pretty hackish things to avoid false hits. I've been meaning to look at it more closely and help with some of the debugging, but I've been meaning to do a lot of things lately. :-/ -Robert -----Original Message----- From: email@example.com [mailto:firstname.lastname@example.com]On Behalf Of Peter Karman Sent: Thursday, December 02, 2004 2:24 PM To: Multiple recipients of list Subject: [SWISH-E] Re: Incremental Indexing http://swish-e.org/Discussion/archive/2004-11/8614.html Dave Seff wrote on 12/02/2004 04:07 PM: > One thing that was brought to my attention that promped me to ask: Does > swish-e have the capability to index incrementally? If I have an index > of 1 million documents and I want to add five docs, I shure would hate > to have to index the entire collection from scratch. > > -- Peter Karman . http://www.cray.com/craydoc/ . karman(at)not-real.cray.com "I love deadlines. I love the whooshing sound they make as they go by." - Douglas AdamsReceived on Thu Dec 2 14:45:31 2004


text:
I'm getting my NEX's NPP set pretty well. I've almost got the buzz saw changed into a complete circle. But I noticed something about my camera and maybe about all NEX's.
If you use the grid lines on the LCD to center the camera on the South pole, you'll be way off. I had the center of the NN3 knob right in the center of the grid and the buzz saw test showed that I was nearly a cm off. After multiple test panos, I eventually moved the vertical arm from 5.2cm to 4.5 cm. Hard to believe the grid lines are that far off.
It might be that the camera bottom is not perfectly parallel with the optical axis. I don't know. Maybe there's something else happening that I haven't figured out yet.


text:
Meet and Communicate with Fun Singles Near You on BBW Personals Plus
Register now to search thousands of members and post your FREE profile!
Im a very happy person! I love to have fun go out meet new people, I am a giggle box I laugh at everything. And if you make me laugh we...
jaimelynn3 is a 23yr-old single woman in Saint Clair, MissouriView Profile


text:
Is it necessary to downvote newbies?
I don't ask this because I am newbie but I think we should appreciate new comers for their asking. We should not degrade them by making downvotes and so by improving out critic badge.
I know that new user must have to Foogle out first and then to ask over Stack Overflow, but if he/she doesn't found a specific answer though they have searched, then why to down vote them? I think all are learners over here!
Any thoughts?


text:
There are no items in your cart at this time.
It's coming July 29th for 4 hours only... MBT surprise!
Select your desired product options and we will notify you when it is back in stock.
Ladylike shades of grey and everlasting comfort are two things that will never go out of style. Check out Weil by Orthaheel Women's Chelsea for a flat that delivers trouble-free usage as you zoom about your busy day.
The shoe includes:
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"I have Morton's neuroma on my left foot and plantar faciitis on my right. The Vionic shoes seem to be helping."
©2016 Footwear Etc. All Rights Reserved. For any questions or assistance call 1-800-720-0572.


text:
I was told that you can rotate a vector about a given axis in Cartesian space by combining rotations about the other two axes. I found a quick method for 90 degree rotations but I'm unsure how to generalise it for arbitrary angles?
The method for 90 degree rotations: e.g. you want to rotate a vector by 90 deg about the y-axis, then you rotate 90 deg about z-axis, 90 deg about the x-axis and then -90 deg about the z-axis.


text:
A 5K Run/Walk for Sexual Assault Awareness Month, along with an Earth Day fair featuring local resources, fresh hot chowder from Newport's Chowder Bowl, and a silent auction. All proceeds benefit Lincoln County domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence and stalking services.
© 2016 National Sexual Violence Resource Center – Founded by the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape
This site is supported by Grant/ Cooperative Agreement No. 1UF2CE002359-03 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.


text:
Following lead selection, an antibody drug candidate will navigate a complex path of steps leading to its readiness for an IND approval, first in man clinical studies and then ultimately its maturity into a drug product appropriate for phase 3 trials and commercial use. New disease indications, multispecific targeting and conjugates bring new challenges to preclinical studies, and the industry continues to push for new screening and design approaches that will accelerate and reduce the cost of antibody drug development. Turning Antibodies into Drug Products examines exciting new findings in biotherapeutic screening, assay development and product optimization that support high-quality regulatory filings and the evolution of antibodies into competitive biotherapeutics.
Day 1 | Day 2 | Download Engineering Brochure | Speaker Biographies
1:00-1:45 pm Conference Registration
Antibody Developability
2:00 Chairperson's Opening Remarks
Mark Flory, Ph.D., Principal Scientist, Target Discovery and Validation, Igenica
Keynote Presentation
2:05 Developability Assessment of Therapeutic Antibodies – A Concept for Early Lead Selection
Thorsten Lorenz, Ph.D., Principal Scientist, Integrated Biologics Profiling, Novartis Pharma AG
Early lead selection of biotherapeutics during preclinical development requires careful characterization of a variety of molecule properties to lower the risk for encountering unexpected obstacles during technical development. This presentation will outline the workflow for candidate assessment and support of early lead selection by featuring highlights for various physicochemical profiling as well as pre-formulation assays applied in Integrated Biologics Profiling.
2:45 Microscale Assays for Screening Drug-Like Properties
Allan Capili, Ph.D., Scientist, Protein Biochemistry, Biogen Idec
3:15 An Antibody Engineering Platform for High-Throughput Candidate Screening, Engineering & Optimization
Lorenzo Benatuil, Ph.D., Senior Scientist, Biologics, Abbvie Bioresearch Center
High-throughput selection and screening of large antibody libraries need a robust data management and analysis platform able to track sequence evolution and aggregate assay data for hit and lead selection. We will present use cases to highlight the impact of incorporating appropriate bioinformatics tools and information management system on antibody generation by AbbVie's in vitro display technologies.
3:45 Selected Oral Poster Presentation: Targeted Delivery into Sensory Neurons of a SNARE Protease Using a Single Chain Antibody (scFv) Against the Extracellular Domain of P2X3 Inhibits the Release of a Pain Mediator
Hui Ma, Ph.D., Post-Doctoral Researcher, Biomedical Diagnostics Institute, Dublin City University, Ireland
4:00 Refreshment Break in the Exhibit Hall with Poster Viewing
4:45 New Algorithm for Screening Aggregation-Prone Regions in Antibodies and Other Proteins
Marco Blanco, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Researcher, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware
A new algorithm is developed to accurately characterize the thermodynamics of protein aggregation by identifying specific residue-residue interactions. Aggregation-prone regions are captured by considering the individual contribution of each amino acid to the free-energy of self-association of hexapeptides based on hydrophobic, electrostatic, and steric interactions. The algorithm also provides "rules" in designing proteins for controlling aggregation, which are specific for solution conditions.
5:15 MAb-mAb Interactions Controlled by Buffer Species and Arginine Salts
Christopher van der Walle, Ph.D., Principal Scientist, Development, MedImmune
Understanding protein-protein interactions in the context of reversible-self association (RSA) and aggregation is important to the development of robust monoclonal antibody (mAb) solution formulations. Light scattering techniques were used to investigate the effect of buffer species and arginine salt form on mAb RSA and aggregation propensity. The choice of buffer species profoundly effected mAb-mAb repulsive versus attractive interactions and arginine:glutamic acid had distinct stabilizing qualities over arginine hydrochloride.
5:45 Close of Day
Day 1 | Day 2 | Download Engineering Brochure | Speaker Biographies
View Conference At-A-Glance
Download 2016 Brochure
View All Sponsors
View Media Partners
View 2016 Participant list


text:
The 6 Most Badass Stunts Ever Pulled in the Name of Science
Scientists have a PR problem. If TV is to be believed, doctorates are awarded in the form of fishbowl glasses and a tendency to stutter. Sometimes movies try to help out by portraying action scientists, like in The Core, but usually do more harm than good since it's generally restricted to truly terrible movies, like in The Core.
Here we look at seven self-endangering scientists who only wear lab coats because you can't get explosive-bear-proof tuxedos outside of MI6. Each one of these researchers has been voted "Most likely to inject themselves with the Omega Serum while shouting, 'Dammit, there's no time for testing!'"
#6. John Paul Stapp, Scientist and Human Bullet
While other so-called heroes run around saving useless things like kittens and "civilians," John Paul Stapp looked at jet fighter pilots and thought, "Those poor guys need my help." Yes, the manliest profession in the world since "Grizzly Bear Rodeo" was outlawed, and World War II veteran Dr. Stapp was the man who saved them.
He served as a flight surgeon in WWII, and after the war performed critical research on the effects of sudden deceleration on the human body. His human body. He used a rocket armed with four rocket engines and a total thrust of 6,000 pounds. The wider scientific community believed the human body could not survive more than 18 Gs of deceleration--Stapp hit 35. Because he goddamn could.
Above: Science
He became the fastest man in the world, moving faster than a bullet--632 miles per hour.
In 1954 he decelerated from 120 miles per hour to 0 in 1.4 seconds, and gained two huge black eyes from the force of his own slammed-forward eyeballs punching him on the inside of the face. The impact blinded him for two days, during which we must imagine his response was to walk around and simply dare the world to put things in his way. Oh, and he also broke his back, arm, wrist, lost six fillings and the icing on the cake? He got a hernia.
His response? He built a bigger rocket.
More Rockets = More Science
He lived to 89 and his research has saved lives around the world ever since. Oh, and in case Dr. Stapp hasn't made a mockery of your life's work and achievements just yet: The whole time he he was slinging his own body around like a fleshy cannon shell, he was also running an after-hours clinic for the families of servicemen at the base where he worked, making house calls and providing free medical care. Every night.
Yeah, you sit up straighter now when you're reading about a real man, you loser.
#5. Drs. Warren and Barry Marshall Drink Stomach-Eating Germs
Drs. Warren and Marshall isolated the bacteria responsible for stomach ulcers, but the wider scientific community maintained that stress, lifestyle and general whining were the real cause. Dr. Marshall countered with the little known "frat party" method of science, declaring, "I'll fucking show you" and drinking the vial of filthy bacteria they'd culled from the stomachs of ulcer suffers.
He was positive he was right before he drank it, and when he immediately developed gastritis with achlorhydria, nausea, vomiting and halitosis he was damn sure. We're talking absolutely, positively, "coming down from a mountain and founding a religion" sure.
"Why, yes, I do regret drinking stomach poison."
In true movie-style, this was a daring experiment that broke all the rules--right down to the first rule of biology labs: "Don't drink things in the vials here." Suitably impressed, the Nobel Prize committee awarded him and Dr. Marshall the prize, and presumably some breath mints.
So what could be more disgusting than that?
#4. Albert Hoffman Invents LSD, and Soaks His Brain In It
Dr. Albert Hoffman developed Lysergic Acid Diethylamide-25 in 1938. Five years later he accidentally absorbed a tiny dose through his skin and had to stop working, experiencing intoxication, dizziness and two hours of mind-bending hallucinations. Clearly a man who knows how to party, his first response was "I gots to get me some more of that shit."
He didn't mess around. Three days later he took 250 micrograms, now known to be over 10 times the threshold dose for humans. He later claimed that this was a miscalculation, but we're fairly sure when he said that he winked and added, "Right, guys?" He spent the rest of the day in a state scientifically categorized as "high off his tits." He was unable to speak clearly, he saw sounds, was afraid of witches, threatened by his furniture and watched the best fireworks display the world has ever seen go off inside his eyeballs.
"Science rules!" (painting by Scott Donohue, see more from him here)
The next day he decided, "The world must share this feeling," and spent the rest of his life campaigning for LSD applications, despite some idiot hippies getting it banned and ruining it for everyone.
Dr. Hoffman's heaping helping of acid has had effects on science development since: Professor Crick, one of the men who figured out a little thing called DNA, admitted that he used LSD to boost his powers of thought which should be obvious. While we're sure that decoding DNA took all kinds of "science" and "experiments," when your final result is "All life is like spelled out in an alphabet of chemicals, man, two helices spiraling around each other and it's the same way for all the animals and plants and everything," then we don't care how correct that might be. There's only one thing to be said: totally high.


text:
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Dakota Stones Mexican Red Snowflake 30mm Square Bead Strand
Stand out with daring color in your designs using the Dakota Stones Mexican red snowflake 30mm square beads. Available by the strand, these beads consist of warm contrasting colors, including dark reds, black, oranges and browns. Mined in Mexico, this stone looks like orbicular jasper, also known as ocean jasper and fish eye jasper. As with most jaspers, Mexican red snowflake jasper is believed to offer powerful protection against negativity and ease emotional stress. These large beads are square in shape, giving them a modern feel. Use them as pendants by stringing them onto head pins.
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text:
Blood is routinely drawn from newborn infants for testing. Blood is obtained by "heel stick" and collected on a special blotter paper. Routine testing usually includes phenylketonuria, thyroid function, hemoglobin S (sickle cell disease), and may test for other disorders. Newborn screening programs vary from state to state. Testing can be tailored to the local population, determining what routine testing should be done.
© 2016
Mercy Medical Center North Iowa | 1000 4th Street SW Mason City, IA 50401 | 641-428-7000


text:
I want snow fall on my desktop really badly.
Tried Xsnow (with Mate/Marco, Mate/Compiz and KDE/Kwin) but doesn't work.
Snow plugin for Compiz doesn't work anymore either.
Snow feature of KDE was removed.
Is there any other way to get the snow?
I thought that a lua script (started by Conky) would be a good tool for this job. There's loads of conky examples on the internet (e.g. here and here), which could be used to make it snow on your desktop only when it's snowing outside, for example.
I saw on a forum that some guy had posted some video tutorials on how to write a lua script for fireworks as well as snow, but unfortunately he's taken them down from YouTube...
There is however some leftover code that could be used as a template, but unfortunately doesn't work in isolation.
If I had the time and inclination to learn lua and fix this myself, here's what I'd do:
This is the basics of the
For all your holiday decorations try this:


text:
Official State of Alaska Vacation and Travel Information
There's never been a better time to visit Alaska.
Open All [+]Close All [-]
Take advantage of our special $199 room rate Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday nights this summer. We are minutes from Exit Glacier, downtown Seward and many Seward activities. Our cozy standard rooms have exterior entrances, two queen beds, and flat-screen televisions. Dining is available on-site at Resurrection Roadhouse. Now is the perfect time to get to Seward to relax, explore, or escape the Southern heatwave! Book Direct to receive your summer savings.
Save $50 per night in Seward at the Harbor 360 Hotel on peak season nights when you also book a Kenai Fjords cruise with Alaska Tour & Travel.
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Enjoy inviting indoor and outdoor spaces at the Courtyard Anchorage Airport that let you connect or unplug, and newly redecorated guest rooms where you can kick off your shoes and plan the next great adventure.
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Each of the 154 guest rooms gives you a perfect place to work, relax and recharge. Featuring one king or two double beds with fresh plush bedding, mini-fridge, microwave, desk with ergonomic chair and high-speed internet.
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Surround yourself with the right blend of attentive services and casually cool spaces, so you can rest up and get back out there.
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For Yukon and Alaska hotels, look no further than the Westmark collection. Westmark offers an assortment of full service Alaska and Yukon hotels that are perfect places to kick your feet up during a business trip or vacation up north. The region's famous rugged beauty is the reason so many feel compelled to visit, but you won't need to rough it in any of our hotels. With premium conference and meeting facilities, unparalleled customer service and attention to detail, the Westmark experience is one that satisfies even the most selective travelers.
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Beautiful lakefront lodging at the base of the Chugach Mountain range.
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Each of the newly redesigned 159 guest room suites includes one king or two double airy beds with fluffy pillows, mini-fridge, microwave, pull-out sofa bed and a flexible workspace with ergonomic chair.
The hotel offers complimentary hot breakfast buffet, airport shuttle and Wi-Fi, and use of the business center and boarding pass station in the newly redesigned lobby, as well as the pool, hot tub and exercise room. A 24/7 snack market is also on-site, and dinner is served from 5-9pm.
The Alaska Airlines Center, universities and hospitals are within walking distance. The Varsity Sports Grill is conveniently located across the street and offers great food, beer, wine and service. Around the lake, you might even catch a glimpse of wildlife during your stay.
Only in Alaska will you find a hotel that provides easy access to the beauty of nature and the buzz of the city so effortlessly.
Stay, shop and eat in Midtown.
SpringHill Suites Anchorage Midtown is a hotel with the style you want and the spacious floor plans with dedicated workspaces you need, all at a price you'll love.
Each of the 101 guest room suites includes one king or two double airy beds with fluffy pillows, a kitchenette with mini-fridge, wet bar and microwave, pull-out sofa bed and a flexible workspace with ergonomic chair. Separate areas for sleeping, eating and working.
The hotel offers complimentary hot breakfast buffet, airport shuttle and Wi-Fi, and use of the business center, boarding pass station, pool, hot tub and exercise room. A 24/7 snack market is also on-site.
Discover shops, chain stores and restaurants, a movie theater and other entertainment within walking distance. The Natural Pantry is conveniently located across the street and offers ready-made natural and gourmet food items, baked goods, groceries and sundries.
August Special - Get 50% off your second night stay at Kenai Fjords Wilderness Lodge. This special discounted package starts in Seward, includes chef-prepared meals, a Kenai Fjords Tours cruise, and plenty of time to relax and explore on Fox Island. Kayaking tours are available on the island at an additional cost. This is a great opportunity to experience Fox Island at a discounted rate. Book now for your stay August 1-24th.
Alaska Tour & Travel has hotel and lodging specials throughout the summer in Fairbanks, Denali, Anchorage, and Seward.
Visit www.alaskatravel.com/deals and view all our current specials or give our Alaska Travel Experts a call at 800-208-0200 and ask us how you can save on a custom travel package to Alaska.
What could be better than a spectacular wildlife and glacier cruise to Kenai Fjords National Park?
How about a FREE hot, freshly prepared salmon and prime rib buffet meal served on board while you sail past wildlife, whales, glaciers and beautiful scenery. It's truly a feast for any appetite.
This $19 savings is available for a limited time when you book your Kenai Fjords cruise through Alaska Tour & Travel, so contact us today.
Denali ATV Adventures is the premiere ATV tour company in the Denali National Park area in Alaska. We offer 4 guided tour options from mid May - mid September. Come get out and ride with us in Alaska's scenic wilderness!
● Brand New Single and 2-6 rider Side by Side ATVs available; Even try out the new Polaris Ace!
● Small tour sizes = Maximized adventures.
● Tour times throughout the day.
● Wildlife sightings possible on all tours.
● Fun adventures for all ages and skill levels.
● Customized private tours available.
● Car seats available and non-drivers welcome.
● Combo ATV tours with Jeep Tours, Ziplining, Rafting, Flight seeing, and Husky Homestead - over 15% savings!
Special savings! 10% off any Denali Wilderness Adventure or Midnight Sun Adventure reservation. Direct bookings only. Advanced reservations required. Use discount code TAK10p
Visit our website for more information, pictures, videos, and to make a reservation! Contact us now at (907) 683-4288 or firstname.lastname@example.com
Fantasy Cruises: Glaciers, Bears, Whales and "off the beaten track" scenery on a 32 passenger Small Ship!
Super Quiet evenings in spectacular bays while running on Batteries. The only ship of it's type! Enjoy gourmet cruisine, fine pastries and all inclusive format. Included tours and excursions, meals and hosted top shelf beverages! No Cruising at night.
Cruise only during daylight hours so you'll see it all. Kayaking in pristine bays, campfires on the beach, smoores and much more! Various 9-day itineraries: depart Juneau, Petersburg or Sitka. Visit tiny Tenekee Springs and places the big ships never see!
visit our website and scroll down to watch our videos. Save thousands and cruise this year. 800-234-3861
www.smallalaskaship.com email@example.com Cruise with an owner!
Step outside of your comfort zone and enjoy the newest adventure activity in Denali. Opening in May 2016, we are the ONLY zipline tour in the Denali National Park area in Alaska!
● 8 thrilling ziplines - over half a mile of zips
● A side by side dual racer finale zipline
● The Ascending Bridge Tower - 4 suspension bridges that weave up to the first zip platform
● 2 additional suspension bridges - one that's over 100 feet long
● Spectacular views of the northern part of the Alaska Range and surrounding area
● 3 hours of adventure
Special savings! $20 off per guest. Direct bookings only. Advanced reservations required. Cannot be applied to current specials or combined with other discounts. Use discount code TAK20djune
Visit our website for more information, pictures, videos, and to make a reservation! Contact us now at (907) 683-2947 or email@example.com
Kayaking. Skiff Excursions. Stand up paddle boarding. Hiking. Glacier viewing. Whale watching... Alaska aboard a small ship or boutique yacht.
Click to learn more and to request your FREE brochure!
Think outside the boat with hiking and kayaking right from the ship! Aboard a small ship you can view glaciers, bears, whales and eagles up close.
AdventureSmith Explorations has Alaska's largest selection of small ship adventure cruises, with expert unbiased advice to help you choose the best ship and trip for your travel style and budget, at the best price. More than 20 small ships and yachts operate dozens of itineraries throughout Alaska's wild lands; benefit from our firsthand experience aboard all the ships.
7-day cruises start at $2250 per person. Early booking discounts and special offers available, with our website updated weekly. Guaranteed best price on small ship cruises. Always on offer: combine your small ship cruise with a guided or custom Alaska land package and save $100 per person!
Call our Alaska experts today at 1-866-270-2875 or visit our website.
Denali Jeep Excursions offer 4+ hour guided Jeep tours on the scenic Denali Highway from mid May - mid September. Come out and explore the most scenic highway in Alaska!
● Drive 4-door 4x4 Jeep Wranglers, comfortable for 4 adults.
● Views of Denali, Alaska Range, and glaciers.
● Binoculars & Spotting Scopes are provided.
● Moose, Bear, Caribou and other wildlife sighting opportunities.
● Over 100 miles of Adventure.
● Narrated via 2-way radios in each Jeep.
● Drinks and snacks included.
● Automatic and easy to drive Jeeps.
● Combo this Jeep Excursion with an ATV tour for around 15% savings on each tour!
Special savings! 10% off a Denali Highway Jeep Excursion reservation. Direct bookings only. Advanced reservations required. Use discount code TAK10p
We are located in the Denali National Park area. Visit our website for more information, pictures, and to make a reservation! Contact us now at (907) 683-5337 or firstname.lastname@example.com
Everything But Kenai Sink
Fantasy Cruises is offering great specials on our remaining 2016 cruises. Cruise with us and enjoy included tours, kayaking, meals and top shelf beverages on our 9 day cruises. Juneau and Sitka departures available.
The only ship of it's type to run on Batteries at night for super quiet wilderness evenings - no nightime cruising! Bears, whales and small towns like Tenekee Springs. Go where the big ships don't!
Awesome food and a Pasty Chef on board. Small boats are BIG on service. Visit Spectacular Fords Terror! One of Alaska's finest Jewels that very, very few people ever get to see. While spend a night in there after watching Dawes Glacier enjoying hot chocolate and Schnapps to warm your spirit.
Call us today to book. We only have a few cabins left this season! Capt. Jeff and Catherine Behrens, owners!
Guys and Gals* Welcome gift for each guest * 7 nights lodging withbreakfast each morning and lunches for each day of activities* 1 full-day(8-9 hour) Salmon charter on the Kenai or Kasilof river for 1 guest* 1full-day (8-9 hour) Trophy Trout/Salmon/wildlife watching tour on the middleKenai river for 2 guests* 1 full-day (8-11 hour) Halibut/Salmon orHalibut/Rockfish Combo (we may add $80 for ULTIMATE multi-species) out of Homerfor 1 guest * 1 full day guided canoe trip, horseback riding trip, or dogsled tour for 2 guests* 1 full-day (6 hour) guided Kenai Fjord whalewatching and glacier tour out of Seward for 2 guests* 1 full-day (7 hour)fly-out for fishing and/or bearviewing for 2 guests* 1 full day (6 hour) atthe Spa for 1 guest - Aromatherapy Steam Bath, Mud Wrap, Massage, Lunch, JadeFacial/Make-Up, Tips/Toes* 1 full day self guided shopping and touring for 1guest* an experienced guide for all charters* all tackle, bait and gearfor charters* fishing licenses* on-site: all filleting, commercialvacuum packing and freezing of your catch from charters* 3 fish shippingboxes total* complimentary use of rain gear and hip boots for charters asnecessaryPrice: May, Sept-Oct = $2887, June & August = $3087, July =$3497 per guest (double occupancy)
NEW! Tour W2A:
This 3 day/2 night package is the ideal way to get in a short visit to Denali National Park. And at only $249* per person, the itinerary presents a great value and is the perfect addition to your Alaska vacation.
Included in the tour:- Two nights hotel accommodation near the Denali National Park entrance- Travel on the Alaska Railroad route aboard luxury rail car- Ample time to explore Denali National Park- Transfers between rail depot and Denali-area hotel
Get great savings on Rail Tour 02E through September 19, 2016! This roundtrip Anchorage tour includes two nights at the Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge starting at $189pp*. With one full day of leisure time between two travel days, this tour offers guests the chance to view the Alaska wilderness by rail as well as explore and take part in activities around the Mt. McKinley Princess area.
Conveniently depart from Seattle on a 9-day Alaskan adventure that includes more than $1340 in savings and extras! This exclusive package for $889pp includes a complimentary stay at a top-rated Seattle hotel and transfers between the airport, hotel and ship before embarking on a 7-night Sawyer Glacier Cruise aboard the Norwegian Jewel.
Plus, book now and choose one of the following extras:-Ultimate Beverage Package-Specialty Dining Package-Shore Excursion Credit-250-Min. Internet Pkg.-Kids Sail FREE as 3rd/4th guests in a stateroom. Select sailings only.Bonus: Book an oceanview, balcony or suite and choose TWO offers of the above offers.
Depart weekly May-September 2017.
Note: Extras are applicable to guests 1 & 2 per stateroom. $50 Shore Excursion Credit is $50 per port, limit of 4 ports.
The logistics of traveling to and around Alaska can be daunting. Browse a variety of vacation packages, put together for you by Alaska experts, at Anchorage.net
Gray Line Alaska travelers will save $200 per person/$400 per couple* (valid for the first two full fare passengers only) on select Alaska tours of six days or longer in 2016.
From Alaska sightseeing excursions and multi-day vacation packages to adventure trips and pre/post cruise connections – we offer complete destination experiences throughout Alaska and the Yukon.
AdventureSmith Explorations has Alaska's largest selection of small ship adventure cruises, with expert unbiased advice to help you choose the best ship and trip for your travel style and budget, at the best price.
Think outside the boat with hiking and kayaking right from the ship. View glaciers, bears, whales and eagles up close. More than 20 small ships and yachts operate dozens of itineraries throughout Alaska's wild lands; benefit from our firsthand experience aboard all the ships.
The first 500 guests who purchase any 2017 Alaska Tour from YMT Vacations can get Guaranteed Low Cost air! There are 100 cities where the Guaranteed Low Cost Airfare is just $500 per person, and another 50 where it is just $750! These savings are on top of our Instant Rebates, which range from $200 to $500 per person depending on cabin category selected, and our Free Ultimate Beverage Package option on all Ocean View and Balcony cabins.
YMT Vacations is celebrating 50 years of fulfilling travelers' vacation dreams in 2017 and we have the best deals we have ever offered available now!
If you have five or more cabins interested in traveling together on a family reunion, a shipboard wedding or a corporate seminar, you don't need to look any further than AlaskaCruises.com. We have access to all the latest Group Rates and Promotions that may be available to your group or organization.
AlaskaCruises.com handles all aspects of your group's administrative needs from cabin assignments, dining arrangements, group accounting and group invoicing and our Group Experts keep Group Leaders informed. AlaskaCruises.com will develop a custom website with unique URL where group members can find the day-by-day itinerary, ship information, cabin details, accommodations and rates. In addition to the benefit of enjoying the cruise with friends and/or family, a group cruise is often priced lower than regular rates and most cruise lines offer special group amenities such as onboard spending credit, welcome parties, etc.
Simply fill out our Request a Group Quote Form or call 1-800-630-4463 and one of our Group Account Executives can work with you to book the perfect vacation and maximize the value of these amenities.
This nine-night land and sea package from Holland America gives you more hours of daylight to take in Alaska's colossal glaciers and national parks -- all for $550 per person off regular prices.
For $999 per person, this nine-night package includes:
Ten-night packages with the same extras have also been discounted to these per-person prices:
Bonus: Balcony cabins are also discounted and include the same extras, plus a $100 shore excursion credit per cabin.
Note: Taxes are an additional $219-$263 per person, depending on departure date.
Book your small ship cruise package today! Join fewer than 90 like-minded adventurers on an INCLUSIVE and uncommon cruise. What are you waiting for?
Click to learn more and request your FREE brochure.
River, Sea and Air* Welcome gift for each guest * 6 nights lodging with breakfast each morning and lunches for each day of activities* 1 full-day (8-9 hour) Salmon charter on the Kasilof river* 1 full-day (8-9hour) Trophy Rainbow Trout/Salmon Combo/wildlife watching tour on middle Kenai River* 1 full-day (8-11 hour) Halibut fishing out of Homer* 1 full-day(8-11 hour) Halibut/Salmon or Halibut/Rockfish Combo (we may add $80 for ULTIMATE multi-species) out of Homer* 1 full-day (7 hour) fly-out for fishing and/or bear viewing* an experienced guide for all charters* all tackle, bait and gear for charters* fishing licenses* on-site: all filleting, commercial vacuum packing and freezing of your catch from charters* 2 fish shipping boxes per person* complimentary use of rain gear and hip boots for charters as necessaryPrice: May, Sept-Oct = $2797; June & August = $2987; July = $3257 per person (double occupancy)
Seamlessly experience all of Alaska's must-see sights within one unforgettable journey. For $3649 per person experience all that Alaska has to offer on this 10 day fully escorted land tour including:-9-Nt Glacier Route & Inside Passage Cruise-2 Nights in Valdez-2 Nights in Denali National Park-2 Nights in Fairbanks-3 Nights in Anchorage-Deluxe Scenic Domed Rail Car Journey-Variety of Deluxe Sightseeing Tours, Transfers & Ten Meals
Bonus: Book this once-in-a-lifetime trip today and receive $500 in early booking discounts and $200 in onboard credit per cabin!
For a limited time we are offering FREE (after mail-in rebate) transportation on our Park Connection Motorcoach from Anchorage to Denali Park when you also purchase two nights at the Kantishna Roadhouse or Denali Backcountry Lodge.
Of course, we can also help you with your Denali Park tours and a return trip on the Alaska Railroad. You can also reverse this itinerary, or take advantage of even more savings available to Seward and Kenai Fjords National Park.
Ride the Wilderness Express dome rail cars this summer between Anchorage, Talkeetna, Denali Park and Fairbanks and enjoy great savings on every run on every day. Save up to $129 per person over other dome rail options! AlaskaTrain.com is brought to you by the folks at Alaska Tour & Travel. One of the leading travel companies in Alaska for over 20 years. We offer summer service to all the major "railbelt" destinations including Anchorage, Denali Park, Talkeetna, Seward, Whittier, and Fairbanks. We are the only website to offer real time online booking for all classes of service from the Alaska Railroad's Adventure Class and GoldStar Domes, to private dome rail cars like the Wilderness Express and McKinley Explorer, and even the Park Connection Motorcoach service. Visit www.alaskatrain.com or give our Alaska Travel Experts a call at 800-2266-8625 for help on planning your next great Alaska rail trip.
Explore Alaska's Inside Passage from aboard an expedition vessel or boutique yacht with fewer than 90 other guests!
Request your FREE brochure to learn more!
Request your free official State of Alaska vacation planner.
View our photos of Alaska ranging from wildlife to relaxing life.
Guest Lodge Special Summer Rate


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ANDERSON, S.C. – Crossing two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning was just enough to propel Anderson University baseball to a narrow 3-2 win over South Atlantic Conference foe Carson-Newman Friday evening at Anderson Memorial Stadium.
With the win, the Trojans even up their SAC record at 2-2 and hand the Eagles their first setback in the league after sweeping Brevard last weekend. Overall, C-N falls to 7-2 for the season.
After center fielder Josh Hickman led off the key seventh inning with a double down the left field line, sophomore Garrett Bernardo moved the senior over to third on a sacrifice bunt. With the game-tying run on third base, leadoff batter Kyle Bailey drove Hickman home on a single into right center, evening the game at 2-2.
With two outs in the inning and Bailey advancing to third after a ground out and a passed ball, sophomore Steven Cooper dropped a ball in front of Carson-Newman's centerfielder Eric Kirkpartrick for the eventual game-winning run.
"This was a good win," Anderson head coach Joe Miller said. "We got some great pitching today and the balls we put into play, dropped. We're looking to build off this heading into tomorrow's doubleheader."
Prior to the two-run outburst, Carson-Newman shortstop Bryan Everhart blasted his first home run of the season over the centerfield fence to give the Eagles a 2-1 advantage. The home run was starter Spencer Earle's lone earned run of the game. For the game, Earle tossed 6.1 innings, giving up five hits but striking out six Eagle hitters.
Despite the effort, Earle failed to earn a decision as sophomore hurler David Thompson picks up his first win of the season, coming on in relief in the seventh inning. Sophomore closer Landon Beck closed out the game, striking out three of the five batters he faced. For the season, Beck has thrown four innings and has struck out nine.
Cooper and Hickman led the Trojan offense with two hits apiece, while senior right fielder Paul Como sprayed a double down the right field line. On the opposite side, Carson-Newman failed to post a player with multi-hits, as Everhart scored both of the Eagles' runs.
Anderson returns to Memorial Stadium on Sunday for a doubleheader against Carson-Newman. Two seven-inning games will be played with the first beginning at 1 p.m.


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- 22 Resorts
- Consistent Snow
- Diverse destinations
- Resorts open before those of many other states
- Home to Vail, Beaver Creek, Copper Mountain
Related Regions: Haute Savoie, Les Portes du Soleil (FR), France, Europe, Chablais, Northern Alps
Choose ski resorts close to the airport for more time on the slopes. Full Article
26th February 2015
Morzine is tempting spring skiers to the slopes with its range of end-of-season ski deals. Full Article
7th February 2013
Straddling France and Switzerland, Portes du Soleil is one of the biggest ski areas in the world. Full Article
13th April 2012
Springtime in the Alps means sunshine, empty slopes and longer lift opening times. Full Article
30th March 2012
Retro one-piece and two-piece ski suits are available to rent. Full Article
23rd February 2012
Morzine is in the heart of one of the world's biggest skiing areas - Les Portes du Soleil. Full Article
31st December 2011
Cash-strapped Brits are heading for the mountains by car. Full Article
10th November 2011
From December, winter visitors in Avoriaz can swap their skis for skates. Full Article
27th October 2011
Pro Photographer Jeff Cricco heads to Champery with athletes Wiley Miller and Tanner Rainville. Full Article
23rd August 2011
Most of a ski resort's carbon footprint is created by a visitor's mode of transport. Full Article
3rd March 2011
When choosing a snow-sure resort, don't rely on long-range forecasts, instead think about altitude, snow-making facilities, and historic averages. Full Article
26th November 2010
The official Famille Plus label guarantees special family-oriented services and activities for parents and children at 40 ski resorts in France. Full Article
20th September 2010
There is still time to take advantage of plenty of freebies, discounts, and package stays in the Savoie Mont Blanc resorts. Full Article
22nd March 2010
Crystal Ski is offering a host of early bookings for winter 2010-11 including two-for-one on lift passes and free childcare. Full Article
15th March 2010
French resorts aren't just for skiers and snowboarders anymore, many are offering a variety of fun and original ways to enjoy the pistes. Full Article
8th February 2010
Skiers will enjoy perfect powder conditions for Christmas week following fresh snowfalls in Europe today. Full Article
19th December 2009
Get your adrenaline fix at Morzine this winter: paraglide off a mountaintop, heli-ski at 2466m, or go night sledging. Full Article
14th December 2009
With a new fine grocery, wine bar, and restaurant, Morzine adds three members to its already large choice of gourmet establishments. Full Article
9th November 2009
With 650 km (407 miles) of ski-runs and 14 ski resorts, the Franco-Swiss Portes du Soleil is considered one of the biggest ski areas in the world; it is certainly one of the most varied. Full Article
28th September 2006
Get snow reports, weather, forecasts, news and ski conditions for your favorite ski resorts.


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Get Help from Bob Vila
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Patio design is like many other things in life: You get back what you put into it. Given the dizzying array of style options, selecting the right material for your patio may seem daunting. Manage the process step by step. First, assess your needs and determine a budget. Then gather backyard patio ideas from around your neighborhood and by surfing the Web. What size patio do you want? A small patio is fine for intimate gatherings, but you'll need a more expansive area if you like to entertain groups. Next, consider which types of patios fit the criteria you've identified as being most important. Don't forget to take into account your house style. A sinuous poured concrete patio looks great against a modern exterior, while a traditional home begs for a stately brick or flagstone surface. If you'll be handling the installation yourself, opt for a DIY-friendly materials; pavers or gravel are less demanding than natural stone. And as you calculate cost, consider the longevity of the patio material as well as its maintenance requirements. Something that seems attractively cheap may entail additional upkeep or earlier replacement for wear and tear—which is no bargain.
Patios can make your outdoor space more enjoyable, increase your home's value, and not so insignificantly, save you money on landscape maintenance costs. What type of patio is right for you? Any number of colors and patterns may be installed in a variety of materials. Pros and cons for a few of the most popular are discussed here.
The color and characteristics of flagstone result from the natural process by which it forms, a slow and gradual accumulation of layers of sand, clay, mineral and organic sediments. The most common colors available are red, blue, and buff, with regional varieties like Arizona sandstone and Pennsylvania bluestone among the most popular.
Flagstone patios are unmistakable—and hard to resist, if you favor the material's earthy, timeless appearance. Irregularly shaped and sized, quarried flagstones are heavy and rather difficult to work with, especially for the inexperienced do-it-yourselfer. Since flagstone is subject to erosion and splitting, a successful flagstone patio design prioritizes adequate drainage.
Note: Different types of flagstone entail different maintenance requirements. Sandstone has a cooler temperature in summer, but it's porous and prone to water damage. Bluestone is more durable but requires a sealer to maintain its coloring.
A time-tested, enduringly popular patio building material is clay brick, which offers a distinguished aesthetic that complements both traditional and contemporary architecture.
Over time, bricks usually retain their rich, warm color, and due to their handy weight and size, installing them in a patio is DIY-friendly work. Mortar is not strictly necessary; bricks can be laid easily on a dry bed of sand.
Homeowners love brick's versatility—myriad patterns are possible, from rectangular to round. Reclaimed brick, though typically more expensive, has grown in popularity owing to its "green" status and unique look.
Note: Though it may crack with wintertime freeze-thaw cycles, brick is otherwise durable, and individual damaged bricks are easily replaced.
Pavers come in forms as varied as natural stone, concrete, clay and even recycled plastics. For patio installations, experts recommend either stone or concrete pavers, which, due to their higher density, may be expected to last longer and undergo less color fading than other paver types.
Concrete pavers in particular are a mainstay of patio building, beloved for their easy installation and the range of sizes, shapes, and colors in which they can be found. Inevitably, this manmade product lends itself to a less "natural" look, although some concrete pavers are manufactured to look like natural stone or clay brick.
Note: With the exception of interlocking designs, all pavers will spread over time. To maintain the shape of your patio, be sure to ring your paver installation with a border of pressure-treated lumber.
Concrete patios are typically one of the least expensive to build. Assuming proper installation and maintenance, they are one of the most durable, too, though like brick, concrete is subject to cracking with freeze-thaw cycles.
Since poured concrete follows any form, unlimited patio design options are possible. If your dream patio is one covered with glazed decorative tiles, a concrete slab is the way to go, as it will provide a solid, even base on which to add tiles in future.
Note: Control storm water runoff by devising the shape, depth, and slope of your poured concrete patio in such a way that adequate drainage is achieved.
If you are looking for a patio material that may be installed quickly and easily, look no further than gravel. Usually two types are available, river rock or crushed stone (in sizes ranging from a quarter-inch to one inch in diameter). When installed over a fabric landscape liner, gravel effectively deters weed growth, and compared to other materials, it offers excellent drainage.
At best, a gravel patio recalls English cottage-style gardens and Tuscan courtyards. At worst, a gravel patio is high-maintenance, plagued by stones that are difficult to keep level and in place. Some folks also complain that gravel is uncomfortable to walk on with bare feet, and other materials provide superior support for outdoor furniture.
Note: Round, pebble-like gravel stones are more likely to shift than angular, crushed gravel stones; in a high-traffic area like the patio, it may be wise to insist on the latter.


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Obama to ask for $50 billion in Sandy aid
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