text:
5 Trends You Think Are Ruining Movies (Are Older Than Film)
These days it's a pretty standard thing to hate Hollywood, and at times it does seem like about 30 years ago it chased the last original thought out of town with a shotgun. Now it's all sequels and reboots and gimmicks like cheap 3D.
A lot of people say they miss the good old days, when the entertainment industry was a bullshit-free zone, and we're here to tell you that that time never existed. Everything we think of as a bad modern trend in Hollywood can be traced back pretty much to the beginning of recorded history. Trends like...
#5. Crappy Sequels/Prequels
We Think It Started With:
The 1980s, particularly blockbuster action franchises (Rocky, Rambo, Jaws) and slasher movies (Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, etc).
Of the top 10 movies of the 1970s, not a single one was a sequel. You won't find one even in the top 15, in fact. But fast forward to the decade of the 2000s, and you find that seven of the top 10 were sequels (The Dark Knight, Shrek 2, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, Transformers 2, Star Wars Episode III, LotR: Return of the King and Spider-Man 2). And of the three others, two were adaptations of existing material (the first Spider-Man and The Passion of the Christ -- but more on that later). There was exactly one original film on the list: Avatar. And we're being so charitable with that word that we should be able to deduct this whole article from our taxes.
You just have to watch it with the sound off.
The point is, the sequel/remake machine seems to be a phenomenon of the last 30 years or so; after all, we never saw a Casablanca 2: The End of a Beautiful Friendship.
It Actually Started: In 460 B.C.E.
To find the beginning of this kind of creatively bankrupt money grab, you need to go way back, before the patch of land we know as Hollywood featured so much as an adobe hut.
One of the oldest existing works of Western literature, Homer's The Iliad, has a slew of sequels attached to it -- playwrights like Sophocles, Aeschylus and Euripides each cranked out stage performances about the days and years after story of The Iliad, following the heroes' exploits after the Trojan War. Hell, one of the sequels, The Oresteia, spawned its own franchise that itself got multiple sequels.
Via Wikimedia Commons
Don't worry, buddy -- we had the same reaction when we heard about Fast and Furious 5.
That's right: All the way back in biblical times, mankind had already invented goddamned spinoffs.
But if we want to talk about beating a series to death, let's look at the king of Western literature himself, William Shakespeare. The man was the Sylvester Stallone of playwrights, pounding out no fewer than seven plays chronicling the stories of the various King Henrys throughout history. The immortal bard eloquently labeled them: Henry IV Part 1, Henry IV Part 2, Henry V, Henry VI Part 1, Henry VI Part 2, Henry VI Part 3 and Henry VIII: The Henryocalypse. There would have likely been many more, and probably a gritty reboot, if the theater hadn't burned to the ground after a fire started during a performance of Henry VIII.
After that, all of his explosion scenes were done with CGI.
Even the haughty medium of opera isn't above the urge to pump out sequels. Richard Wagner's The Ring of Nibelung from the 1860s was a series of four epic operas, oddly described as "a trilogy, with a prelude," apparently because the word "quadrilogy" just isn't classy enough for opera. And yes, it was originally written as a single opera, then Wagner decided to go back to the well. And what's more, the characters weren't even his own -- they were borrowed from Norse mythology.
Are we saying that Wagner's work is no better than a Pirates of the Caribbean-style money grab? No. All we're saying is that if tie-in merchandising existed at the time, there would have been Ring of Nibelung action figures all over the goddamned place.
#4. Everything Is an Adaptation or a Remake
We Think It Started With: The comic book movie craze that kicked off in the 1990s, and the "everything must be an adaptation of an existing property" rule of the 2000s.
Take a look at the highest-grossing movies for each year going back to 2000. There are 15 movies to pick from here, because of approximate ties. Of the nonsequels, count how many aren't based on an existing book or character:
Here, you can borrow our calculator.
2000: Tie: How the Grinch Stole Christmas / Mission: Impossible II
2001: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
2002: Tie: Spider-Man / The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
2003: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2004: Shrek 2
2005: Tie: Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith / Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
2006: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
2007: Tie: Spider-Man 3 / Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
2008: The Dark Knight
2009: Avatar
2010: Toy Story 3
Answer? One.
Again, it's just Avatar and nothing else. On the list you have one film based on a children's book, one based on a TV show, two based on novels, two based on comic books and one adapted from a fucking amusement park ride. Though we probably shouldn't get mad at Disney for that, considering that TV is airing at least one show based on a Twitter feed.
It is exactly as interesting as you think it is.
As with the sequels, it's no secret as to why. With skyrocketing budgets and marketing costs, it's much, much safer to cash in on an existing brand or character you already know the audience likes. It's pure greed, and the process has gotten to the point that it seems like we will never again see an original movie like, say, Citizen Kane or Casablanca.
It Actually Started: Before recorded history.
Hold on -- those stories weren't original, either. Casablanca was based on an unstaged play, and Citizen Kane was based on the life of William Randolph Hearst. The Godfather was based on a novel, and Apocalypse Now was based on the novella Heart of Darkness. And if you think of Disney classics like Cinderella as old stories, you have no idea -- there are versions of that story that predate the freaking New Testament.
Though in earlier versions, the abuse she endured was actually considered a reward.
In other words, we're guessing the first writer who decided it would be easier to just borrow somebody else's story was probably, say, the second or third person to ever try to write something.
Not that this is all the work of hacks. Let's go back to Shakespeare for a moment. We mentioned how much he liked sequels, but that's nothing compared to the man's love of borrowing other people's plots and characters. The Greatest Writer Ever could boast only four completely original plays (Love's Labour's Lost, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Merry Wives of Windsor and The Tempest). All the rest of his 36 plays were based on existing material.
Via Wikimedia Commons
Even A Midsummer Night's Dream was based on real events.
The world remembers the Romeo and Juliet that Shakespeare gave us in 1595 but has long forgotten The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet -- which came out more than 30 years earlier -- possibly because of that stupid title. Hamlet was taken from a centuries-old legend, and some think the play we know and love was just purchased by Shakespeare's company and that Shakespeare just gave it a rewrite. And so on.
Just don't tell that to Kenneth Branagh.
Not that we're trying to pick on Shakespeare -- the point is that as long as humans can put ideas to paper and sell them for money, most of what they turn out will be rehashed, or copied, or a variation on a familiar theme. If anything, Hollywood is just figuring out what the masters knew centuries ago -- audiences like to be told the same story over and over again. We're kind of like children that way.
Not that we're pretending to be any better over here. We never get tired of hearing different ways that Batman punched The Joker.
#3. Rampant Piracy
We Think It Started With: Illegal downloading and DVD ripping.
Illegal downloading has been a thorn in Hollywood's side since the advent of peer-to-peer sharing, and as we all have undoubtedly seen in the pre-rolls for DVDs, downloading is the same as stealing somebody's car. Studios treat the issue as a modern phenomenon, claiming they are now losing millions because of this new technology that suddenly lets people consume entertainment without paying.
It's hard to compete with this.
But we should have known that man's desire to get something for nothing predates BitTorrent by a long shot.
It Actually Started: In the 1500s.
During Queen Elizabeth's reign, theater saw a huge boost in popularity, since the queen herself was a huge supporter of the arts.
Via Wikimedia Commons
And a huge supporter of pumping iron, judging from her massive biceps.
An established theater company's most valuable assets were the complete copies of its plays. Copyright laws didn't exist yet, so if another theater troupe got a copy of the whole play, there was nothing stopping them from performing it as their own. As you can imagine, this took a bite out of profits and prestige for the original company.
To protect their investments, theaters instituted what were essentially the first strict DRM measures. Theaters gave actors only copies of the scenes they were in; the only people with full scripts were the senior company members.
George Lucas adopted this policy and added further security by writing scripts so shitty that no one would ever want to steal them.
But as with any DRM system, pirates found a way around it. The demand for complete plays led to the publishing of pirated copies called "bad quartos," created when somebody would sneak into the play with quill and paper and frantically write down the lines as they were spoken. Or sometimes, they'd just pay off actors from the troupe to write down the lines from memory. Then the bootleg script was sold to the highest bidder.
But even back then, you took a chance buying bootlegged copies of anything. Just as movie downloads can never be as good as seeing it in a theater, bad quartos were never as good as the originals. The problems ranged from erroneous lines to entire scenes or characters disappearing. Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew has three surviving versions, all of which involve different characters in pivotal scenes and subplots that are left dangling. It'd be as if 400 years from now, the only surviving copy of The Lord of the Rings was one shot with a cellphone, with some dude's head in the way the whole time.


text:
|We're hiring!
The Truth About Genetics (TTAG) is looking for a few enthusiastic writers to join our team. If you're good, we'll pay you at least $20 per article you write! If you demonstrate a consistent schedule, you'll get a weekly sum.
Interested? Just submit an original sample of an article that either reviews a primary research article or explains a concept in biology or physics. Articles on TTAG can be either colloquial or formal, so the sample can be written in your own style. Either way, applicants must write authoritatively and clearly and demonstrate a passion for science.
Send your writing sample and introduce yourself to firstname.lastname@example.com. We'll get back to you shortly.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
FDA Investigates Skin Reactions With Zecuity »
"The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is looking into the risk for serious burns and potential permanent scarring with the use of the sumatriptan iontophoretic transdermal patch (Zecuity, NuPathe Inc) for migraine, the agency said in"...
Read the FDA Investigates Skin Reactions With Zecuity article »
(ibuprofen) Tablets, USP
Cardiovascular Risk
- NSAIDs may cause an increased risk of serious cardiovascular thrombotic events, myocardial infarction, and stroke, which can be fatal. This risk may increase with duration of use. Patients with cardiovascular disease or risk factors for cardiovascular disease may be at greater risk (see WARNINGS).
- MOTRIN (ibuprofen) tablets are contraindicated for treatment of peri-operative pain in the setting of coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery (see WARNINGS).
Gastrointestinal Risk
- NSAIDs cause an increased risk of serious gastrointestinal adverse events including bleeding, ulceration, and perforation of the stomach or intestines, which can be fatal. These events can occur at any time during use and without warning symptoms. Elderly patients are at greater risk for serious gastrointestinal events (see WARNINGS).
MOTRIN tablets contain the active ingredient ibuprofen, which is (±) - 2 - (p - isobutylphenyl) propionic acid. Ibuprofen is a white powder with a melting point of 74-77° C and is very slightly soluble in water (< 1 mg/mL) and readily soluble in organic solvents such as ethanol and acetone.
The structural formula is represented below:
MOTRIN (ibuprofen) tablets, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), is available in 400 mg, 600 mg, and 800 mg tablets for oral administration. Inactive ingredients: carnauba wax, colloidal silicon dioxide, croscarmellose sodium, hypromellose, lactose, magnesium stearate, microcrystalline cellulose, propylene glycol, titanium dioxide.
What are the possible side effects of ibuprofen?
Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
Stop taking ibuprofen and seek medical attention or call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:
- chest pain, weakness, shortness of breath, slurred speech, problems with vision or balance;
- black, bloody, or tarry stools, coughing up blood or vomit that looks like coffee grounds;
- swelling or rapid weight gain;
- urinating less than usual or not at all;
- nausea, upper...
Read All Potential Side Effects and See Pictures of Motrin »
What are the precautions when taking ibuprofen (Motrin)?
Before taking ibuprofen, tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are allergic to it; or to aspirin or other NSAIDs (such as naproxen, celecoxib); or if you have any other allergies. This product may contain inactive ingredients, which can cause allergic reactions or other problems. Talk to your pharmacist for more details.
Before taking this medication, tell your doctor or pharmacist your medical history, especially of: asthma (including a history of worsening breathing after taking aspirin or other NSAIDs), blood disorders (such as anemia, bleeding/clotting problems), growths in the nose (nasal polyps), heart disease (such as previous heart attack), high blood pressure, liver disease, stroke, throat/stomach/intestinal problems (such as bleeding, heartburn, ulcers).
Last reviewed on RxList: 9/18/2007
This monograph has been modified to include the generic and brand name in many instances.
Motrin FDA Prescribing Information
Additional Motrin Information
Motrin - User Reviews
Motrin User Reviews
Now you can gain knowledge and insight about a drug treatment with Patient Discussions.
Here is a collection of user reviews for the medication Motrin sorted by most helpful.
Report Problems to the Food and Drug Administration
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit the FDA MedWatch website or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
Living Better
Find the secrets to longer life.


text:
filter by Category
filter by Guest
filter by Year
Browse Shows
0 results
"Use your pleasure with me. A reprieve or even a pardon upon your conditions I utterly refuse."
~ Thomas Whitaker, Venerable, imprisoned English priest; steadfastly declining all inducements to abandon his Catholic faith and become Anglican, just before his execution.


text:
Five dollar shipping all day?
So I guess today could turn out to be a win-win if you plan on buying a lot during the woot off. $5.00 standard shipping on all purchases. If you buy a TV, Ruko, golf balls, dirt, or 20 other things all you pay if 5 bucks if they are all bought in the same calendar day. That's pretty darn good!
13 Answers answer
Wow! Didn't put two and two together on that till I read your question. If you purchased a lot of big-ticket items, like you suggested, you might even be able to capitalize on some resale money, since you'd essentially be cutting your overhead costs in half.
wouldn't the opposite be true?
If you purchase a lot of SMALL ticket items, then you only pay the $5 shipping and make better resale.
Good to know. THanks!
I was wondering about that. I guess if you buy something, you get charged the $5, and then when you buy a second item, there's no charge. Is that along the right idea?
If so, coupons could be really good. Free shipping and $5 off each additional item until you run out of codes.
Now I want a $5 footlong.
@thedogma: Reading helps! Just looked at the "learn more" under $5 shipping and that's basically how it works. Still don't know about the coupons. Anyone try multiple codes yet today?
@thedogma: I pinged our customer service folks about the coupons. I don't know yet either.
this isn't a question.
@pinchecat: How about "Did you know about $5 shipping all day?"
@inkycatz: No need. (I think) I did this same exact thing. I bought something from woot and sellout each using a coupon and combined shipping made it a fantastic deal.
@baronz: Good point! Time to start running up the credit card!!
i foresee a cancelling of combined shipping during woot-offs lol. with some of my woot off buying sprees, i can't see how they're making over margin with free shipping after my first 5.00


text:
I know they used a lot of mechanics back then, but were R2D2 and C3PO mechanical, a costume, or something else?
migrated from scifi.stackexchange.com Mar 20 '12 at 18:15
This question came from our site for science fiction and fantasy enthusiasts.
For c-3po, it was a costume, Anthony Daniels played c-3po:
For R2-D2, It was a costume and a remote controlled robot. CGI was also used in the prequel trilogy. So, they had Kenny Baker to play him :
And from Portrayal section of wookieepedia article on R2-D2 :


text:
Cam Lock 1-1/8" Depth - Sierra
This item is found in the following Product Families
Marine Works Cam Locks
Secure lockers, hatches, compartments and drawers. Plate/ring are stainless steel.
- Secure lockers, hatches, compartments and drawers.
- Stainless steel.
- 1-1/8" Depth
Are these keyed alike and will the key remove in the unlocked position?
They can only be ordered with the same key design if we make arrangements with the warehouse. Furthermore, yes, it can be removed when in an unlocked position.
This product ships in 1 business day.
Add to Cart and enter your Postal Code to determine the shipping charges and estimated delivery date.
Most products and orders leave our warehouse in 1 business day. However, select items may take more processing time. Alaska and Hawaii orders please add 1 additional warehouse processing day.
Standard Shipping Policies


text:
Given a sequence $Y_1, Y_2, \dots$ of i.i.d. matrices in $GL_n(\mathbb R)$, there is a theorem of Furstenberg and Kesten which says that if $\mathbb E(\log||Y_1||)$ is finite, there exists a constant $\gamma$ (the Lyapunov exponent) such that $$\lim_{n\rightarrow\infty}\frac{1}{n}\log||Y_n\dots Y_1|| = \gamma$$ There are also versions of central limit theorems for this scenario. I'm pretty sure this is also known in a more general case (e.g. suppose we have a sequence of matrices $Y_i$ of order 2, and I don't want to consider sequences of length $n$ in which $\dots Y_i Y_i\dots$ appears). I am wondering if anyone knows a good reference for theorems regarding Lyapunov exponents and central theorems in this case.
Random dynamical systems by Ludwig Arnold contains a thorough discussion of various multiplicative ergodic theorems (including the Furstenberg-Kesten result), but not the central limit theorems. As far as I remember, the case of stationary sequences of linear stochastic iterations is also included there.
Edit. Concerning central limit theorems for products of random matrices, a quick search yields this reference.
I had double checked, in the book "Products of Random Matrices With Applications to Schrodinger Operators" BOUGEROL Philippe, LACROIX Jean (chapter 5 of part 1) you will find Central Limit theorems even for markovian sequences.
The Furstenberg-Kesten result generalizes as much as you like after Kingman's subaditive theorem. For this stuff, I like this notes http://www.mat.puc-rio.br/~jairo/docs/trieste.pdf
I believe the paper
available for free at http://www.preprint.impa.br/Shadows/SERIE_A/2005/384.html contains positivity results for the Lyapunov exponent over hyperbolic dynamical systems. Also the paper by C. Bonatti, X. Gomez-Mont, and M. Viana cited as [7] in there should be of interest.
I am not sure if they treat central limit theorems in these works.


text: The annual National Day of Prayer will be observed in Jefferson County at noon on Thursday at First Westminster Presbyterian Church, 235 N. Fourth St., in Steubenville. Anita Jackson, director of community relations for the Franciscan University of Steubenville, recently discussed the annual observance with Diocese of Steubenville Bishop Jeffrey M. Monforton, who will offer the opening prayer. The Rev. Jason Elliott, pastor of First Westminster Presbyterian Church, is host pastor and the Rev. Philip Makari, senior pastor of Starkdale Presbyterian Church, Steubenville, will give the keynote address. Preparing for the event are, from left, Elliott; Monforton; Jackson; Richard Pizzoferrato, Serra Club of Steubenville president; and Makari. Designated by Congress in 1952 to be held on the first Thursday of May, people are asked to turn to God in prayer and meditation on that day. Jackson, who has coordinated the local celebration for its 21-year history, said participants at the National Day of Prayer will include the choir from Steubenville High School, which will perform beginning at 11:45 a.m. Other musicians include Denise Truax, Commissioner Thomas Graham, Frank DiPietro and Steubenville City Manager Cathy Davison. Area Boy Scouts of America Troop 401 will present the colors. -- Contributed


text:
I am going to buy a hosting service (re seller) where mostly people from Ethiopia will be using it. I am going to host my applications in this server and also partition and sell for other developers to host their apps. So I am not sure, if I have to host my application in the US, UK, AU or somewhere else. Does selecting a hosting service that is located in either one of the above places would affect the reliability of the service for the users from that specific country? (The data is not sensitive ) My main aim is, to make sure that the server is reliable all the time (99.9%) for the users from that country.
If our order CDN technology together with hosting, you won't have to pay attention to the geographical location of your servers.
A content delivery network (CDN) is a group of servers, located in different countries and connected to a single network. The system is configured in the following way: your site visitors are granted access to the site data copy from the server which is the nearest to them. With CDN your site pictures, text, files, audio and video streaming media will be loading quicker for the users from different places and the server load on the main server will be decreased.
CDN benefits
• Rapid site loading speed from any place of the world
• Server overload decrease on the main server
• a lot of servers( at least 40-50) all over the world keep your site contents
Nowadays,Fastnext company offer CDN for free.
All those countries have perfectly reliable hosting companies. Blue Host, HostMonster, 1and1 are some of the largest in the world and will do fine no matter where you live.
Though they all don't offer reseller accounts which let you setup your own plans.
If there are reliable providers on Africa, I would recommend you to register with them. It's good for SEO.
Or you can find other providers from Europe, Africa near with Europe, so I can recommend you can find provider in Europe. You can try hostforlife.eu and asphostdirectory.com. I find their site on Microsoft and I see that this provider has many good reviews. Good luck. :)
In this case, you should go for cloud hosting maybe Amazon Web Services Europe data center. 99.9% uptime and you could sell with more benefit. I'd have to say don't go with shared hosting.


text:
I could not help noticing your new entry for Leica Geosystem items.
an impressive set of kit to be partnering with.
a NN used with an optically centred tribrach should even give the possibility for time lapse progress work.
Though I do not think many normal photographers would have the spare cash for a full leica surveying kit.
whilst surveyors would have no trouble buying the NN kit.
I have been wondering what set you off on this more unusual tack.?


text:
Print this page
Artbeads Ratings and Reviews
See All Reviews
Shop Now At Artbeads
Choose a Category
Shop Alphabet Beads
Shop Artbeads.com Store
Shop Bags & Boxes
Shop Bali Beads
Shop Base Metal Components
Shop Beading Books
Shop Bracelets & Neckwear
Shop Charms
Shop Clearance Items
Shop Copper Clasps
Shop Copper Components
Shop Copper Pendants
Shop Crafts & Accessories
Shop Cubic Zirconia Beads
Shop Earrings
Shop Freshwater Pearls
Shop Gemstone Beads
Shop Gift Certificates/Cards
Shop Glass Beads
Shop Gold Beads
Shop Gold Components
Shop Hill Tribe Silver Beads
Shop Horn Beads
Shop Jewelry Kits
Shop Limited Edition
Shop Limited Edition Gemstones
Shop Limited Edition Glass Beads
Shop Natural Beads
Shop Natural Components
Shop Pendants
Shop Pewter Beads
Shop Pewter Components
Shop Porcelain Beads
Shop Resin Beads
Shop Seed Beads
Shop Shell Beads
Shop Shell Pendants
Shop Silk Beads
Shop Silver Components
Shop Sterling Silver Beads
Shop Stringing Materials
Shop Swarovski Components
Shop Swarovski Crystal Beads
Shop Swarovski Pendants
Shop Swarovski Rhinestones
Shop Tools & Supplies
Shop Vintage Beads
Shop Watch Faces
Shop Weekly Specials
Shop Wire & Chain
Shop Wood Beads
Shop Wooden Components
Reviews Home
(Unknown) Reviews
Product Reviews
Satin Hamilton Gold-Plated Flat Oval Cable Chain
For simple style that's full of classic beauty, use this satin hamilton gold-plated flat oval cable chain in your next design. Small, thin oval-shaped links connect together in rotating positions to add a hint of shape to these otherwise flat pieces. The matte gold plating is perfect for looks laced with rich jewel tones, and the delicate chain is versatile enough to be used in any type of jewelry design. Find
free jewelry ideas
by visiting our Learning Center, and be sure to browse for more
base metal chain
to add to your collection. This chain is sold by the foot.
Customer Reviews for
Satin Hamilton Gold-Plated Flat Oval Cable Chain
This product has not yet been reviewed.
Click here
to continue to the product details page.


text: When you add an event to the calendar, you can plot the event's location on a map. The map will appear on the event's public listing and be accessible by site visitors. You can choose from our global Places library, or, add your own location data to your Calendar Group's Places Library.


text:
Our 18 month old son goes through phases of waking up early (between 4:30 am and 6 am) and sleeping to a decent time e.g. 6:30-6:45. So his early waking doesn't seem to be due to hunger, and he is not particularly happy that he woke up... but somehow cannot settle himself to sleep. He shares a room with his older sister, and falls asleep by himself in the evening. Any drastic measures as "leave him to cry"... are not easy to implement for us, as this hauling would also wake her up :( and result in 2 grumpy kids. Has anyone used the toddler training clock in a similar case? I've read some opinions ranging from: "it's so bright that my kids are awake from it" to "great tool". Is an 18-month old too young to get the clock concept? Any tips on how to introduce it to him? Any other tips? THANKS!
I think 18 months is too young for a training clock. Having just looked through a bunch, most of them say for age 2+, and I think the average 18 month old would not understand the "rules".
Can you bring him in with you when he first wakes, if it's still early? If it's dark and you are lying quietly (asleep or pretending to be) he will get the idea it's still sleep time.
Other than that, I wouldn't do anything in particular - this kind of thing goes through phases and usually by the time you get annoyed with it enough to post a question about it, the behaviour changes anyway :-)
I'm pretty sure one of my sisters-in-law and her husband used something similar around 18 months on their oldest. I don't know the ins and outs of how they used it, and I think it took a few months for it to really "take", but I think he eventually got the point. I have read similar things about a lot of those lights--some of them can be extremely bright.
I'm not sure that you're going to get much use out of it before age 2. I think if you start using it now you'll probably still be using it when he turns 2, but it's worth a shot!


text:
Fact Sheets
Fact Sheets
Press Releases
Public Statements
Recent News
Arab World
Council of Ministers
Foreign Aid
Foreign Relations
Saudi US Relations
Prior Years
Saudi Arabia In Focus
no GCC initiative on Yemeni crisis signed Yemeni President Saleh signs GCC peace initiative in Riyadh
GCC initiative to resolve Yemeni crisis signed in Riyadh
November 23, 2011
Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh signed the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) initiative to resolve the Yemeni crisis at the palace of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz in Riyadh this evening. The executive mechanism of the agreement was also signed by representatives of the Yemeni government and the Joint Meeting Parties (JMP).
Afterwards, King Abdullah delivered a speech in which he reiterated Saudi Arabia's support for its neighbor. He characterized the signing of the initiative as an "achievement that God has led you to accomplish in order to resort to reason and abandon discord, and remain united." He declared, "Today is the beginning of a new page in your history that needs vigilance, realization of interest, and identification of goals. Freedom in all of its forms cannot survive without accountability. If they diverge, the result is chaos in a labyrinth whose extent is known only to God Almighty." The King warned, "Let not the past carry you into the depths of darkness, and remember the words of God: God forgives what is past."
Then, GCC Secretary General Dr. Abdullatif Al-Zayani delivered a speech in which he highlighted the efforts exerted by King Abdullah to serve the Arab world. "Your directives and those of the GCC leaders stem from your eagerness to stop the bloodshed between the Yemeni brothers and to reach a peaceful solution to preserve Yemen's unity, security and stability," he said. The Secretary General expressed thanks to the GCC Foreign Ministers, the Yemeni President, the Joint Meeting parties, the United States, the European Union, Russian, the United Nations and the GCC Ambassadors to Yemen for their efforts in supporting the initiative.
Finally, President Saleh delivered a speech in which he thanked the Kingdom for hosting the meeting and welcomed the observation and assistance of Yemen's partners in order to implement the agreement.
The signing ceremony was attended by Crown Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz; Prince Miteb bin Abdulaziz; Defense Minister Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz; Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal; Chief of General Intelligence Prince Muqrin bin Abdulaziz; GCC Ministers of Foreign Affairs; GCC Ambassadors and Ambassadors of Permanent Members of the U.N. Security Council; and many other senior officials.
« Return
print this page
send this page
Copyright © 2016 Information Office of the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Washington, DC |
Site Map


text:
New to Java? Don't code alone. Get involved. Meet new people. This event is only open to Java beginners. Noob-athon is a free event where attendees will break into groups and be given a test program. Teams will collaboratively write the class. Experienced users will be on hand to answer questions and help ease the transition from noob to rook. The main objective of this event is to learn with other enthusiastic newbies. Guest Speaker confirmed and will be announced shortly! Please spread the word! June 3, 2012 at 11AM San Jose Learning Center. Sign up at here
tresor paris is one of the newest popular fashionable jewelry. tresor paris jewellery gives you different feeling. tresor paris UK provides a various of newest and most beautiful tresor paris bracelets. tresor paris bracelet--You are worth having it!!!Buy tresor paris,please go to tresor paris bracelets uk sale online store.


text:
we're traveling to New York for a week in February for my birthday. It's my first trip to the US. :-)
We will be flying with Lufthansa but we can't decide to which airport should we land: JFK or Newark? The flight time and the price is the same. We will be staying in Manhattan and landing on a Saturday evening around 20 o'clock.


text:
Why does the Kallah wear a veil under the Chupah?
(and why is it generally transparent?)
Why does the Kallah wear a veil under the Chupah?
(and why is it generally transparent?)
Firstly, because it's traditional, going back to the Bible. Rebecca wore a veil for her marriage, as did presumably Rachel/Leah.
I think the transparency is just a matter of modern convenience, so she can better see where she's going. Assuming the groom put the veil on her, and her whereabouts are known from that point (bedeken) until the chupah ceremony, we can assume it's the same woman.
The groom's act of placing a veil upon his bride is a very old, strong custom (I think Rosh?). One reason is to avoid Rachel/Leah switcheroos (see above). I think I've also heard that according to one Rishon (Tosafot - Yuma 13B - D"H "לחדא אמר לה על מנת שאכנס כו'"), the bedeken actually serves as nisuin; and/or that it symbolizes his obligation to clothe her.
Many have to custom to specifically use a thick, opaque veil, so that one can not see the bride's face. (See Nitei Gavriel Nisuin I, Chapter 13, halacha 9).
This veil is placed prior to the Chuppah, and is then worn until after the Chuppah. (see footnote 14 and here). One of the reasons given is so that the bride not see the ring she is being betrothed with, lest she mistakenly under or overestimate its value, causing the "transaction" to be based on an erroneous assumption - from here. - See Remah Even HaEzer 31:2
The She'erit Yaakov and Shulchan Ha'Ezer (quoted in footnote 14 of the Nitei Gavriel) say that one should not see the face of the bride during the wedding ceremony.
An esoteric reason for covering the bride's face with an opaque veil is given here. There, it is explained that just as the holiness radiating off Moshe's face after he descended Har Sinai required him to cover his face with a veil, the holiness that is radiated off the brides face during the ceremony needs to be covered as well.
upon receiving a gift that one truly longed for, the gorgeous wrapping on the outside makes it even more desirable.
as we learn from hagada gd implaced all the precious gems upon hava before bringing her forth to adam.
My own conjecture here is that it is worn for modesty reasons based on Rashi to Shemos 26:9:


text:
I'm really not sure that I know what I'm talking about, or if I should just go and learn more math before questioning such things, but I'd like to have answers to the following questions that don't depend on intuitive notions of space, and to be reassured that math is floating on as few cognitive biases as possible:
Why should we care about real numbers? The simplest definition on Wikipedia still seems to rely on a bunch of seemingly arbitrary things like fields and how you can't divide by zero.
Is there any sense in which Euclidean geometry is one of the systems that we should care about?
What is the very minimum of arbitrary decisions and definitions needed to characterize the standard notions of angles, distances, and the Pythagorean theorem? It seems to me to have the Pythagorean theorem you would need at least a quantitative notion of distance, which would just have to be defined from nothing. I've read some stuff about $\sqrt{a^2 + b^2}$ being special because circles that way are more symmetrical, but that seems rather fishy, since how would you rotate circles without angles, and cosines, and the dot product, and it seems like it's just back to the beginning.


text:
I'm playing a Barbarian and would like to know if i should look for Vitality or Strength?
Diablo 3 seems to use a "totally random" System to drop Items. I'm only finding stuff like Strength and Intelligence.
How much Life and Damage do I need in Hell?
So Barbarians. Please tell me how do you play in hell with Intelligence?


text:
I'd like to invite you to view my panorama web site. To date, most of my panoramas are from the Canadian Rockies. The most recent additions are from Johnston Canyon in Banff National Park.
Comments and advice welcome.
Judy Arndt
Nodal Ninja 3/MkII and RD-8 Rotator
Nikon D5000, Samyang 8mm fisheye lens


text:
Dear Editor:
I, for one, want to say THANK YOU to Will Carpenter for voting against the bill that would allow grocery and convenience stores to sell adult beverages. I would be very happy if we were back 60 years from where we are now.
I'd like to change the subject here and commend Jared Olar from Gatehouse News Service on his commentary ("I think I'm seeing a pattern here") in the Saturday, March 30, 2013 edition of the El Dorado Times. Jared, you have "hit the nail on the head!!" Thank you for your commentary.
- Marsha Good, Towanda
Location, ST | website.com


text:
Can Tiger remember how to win a major?
GULLANE, Scotland — Tiger Woods was actually having a pretty good day, though the fans lining the seventh hole might have thought otherwise. They had the misfortune of having to listen as he unleashed a string of loud expletives directed at himself and a ball that bounced over the green into the rough.


text:
Protect your home, indoors and out, from flea and tick infestations! Bio Spot ACTIVE CARE Environmental flea and tick control treatments kill fleas and ticks PLUS ants and other listed insects to help keep your home environment free of pests. Use only as directed.
Carpet & Upholstery Powder - deep down removal of fleas and ticks in rugs and carpets; kills all stages of flea cycle for up to 12 months; treats up to 400 sq ft. Pleasant citrus scent. Active ingredients: Linalool, piperonyl butoxide, pyrethrins, and nylar.
Carpet Spray is reformulated with the safe and effective active ingredient Etofenprox and S-Methoprene to target all four-life stages of the flea. Breaks the flea life cycle and controls reinfestation for up to seven months. Use on carpet, rugs, upholstery, drapes, furniture, pet bedding and other places fleas may be hiding. Kills fleas, ticks, flea eggs, flea larvae, roaches, ants, crickets, and more. Aerosol spray treats up to 1,000 square feet. Active ingredients: (S)-methoprene, etofenprox, prallethrin, and N-octyl bicycloheptene dicarboximide.
Yard & Garden Spray protects your yard and outdoor areas with the active ingredient Permethrin. Easy-mix concentrate with hose-end sprayer attaches to your garden hose for effective treatment of lawns, trees, shrubs, roses and flowerbeds. Kills and repels fleas, ticks, mosquitoes, ants and crickets. Also kills Budworms, Citrus Black Flies, Cluster Flies, Earwigs, Gnats, Grasshoppers, House Flies, Japanese Beetles, Mosquitoes, Scales, Tent Caterpillars, and many others. For use around residential home areas. Treats 5,000 square feet for up to 4 weeks. Active ingredient: Permethrin
Shop all Flea and Tick Control Products.
Please click on "More Information" for ingredients and directions.


text:
Why would you say "je vais me faire l'avocat du diable" instead of "je vais faire l'avocat du diable"?
Sign up
- Anybody can ask a question
- Anybody can answer
- The best answers are voted up and rise to the top
"Se faire" can have two meanings.
The first one is used in a sentence where someone does something to the subject.
In this case, Paul is the subject of the sentence, but he is the one who is receiving the beating. In can be compared to an English Present Continuous passive sentence (how twisted!), the passive of "John is beating Paul".
But there is a particular meaning when the subject of the sentence is the one who does the action.
In this case, "se faire" means "to make oneself" or "to turn oneself into". Literally or figuratively. You can say "La chenille se fait papillon" ("the caterpillar turns itself into a butterfly").
Back to your example:
Both are correct and used.
As the writing is similar, we usually don't see the difference in French, especially when speaking. But "I make myself the devil's advocate" implies that you are trying to look like one, even if you are not, pretty much like "I make myself big" of "I make myself strong".
Don't confuse that with "Je vais me faire un café" ("I will make myself a coffee"), which is a third meaning that I shall not discuss here, for it has a completely different context.
Les deux peuvent se dire mais le rôle du locuteur est différent à chaque fois.
We can say both, but they each have a different meaning.
Also be careful, because this expression is very ambiguous... Usually "se faire quelqu'un" means "do someone" (to have a sexual relationship with someone).
Here, it is not the case I guess, it means "to make yourself as", "to act as"


text:
January 18, 2013
Facebook Feedback Friday: Your favourite summer outdoor activities
Every Thursday afternoon we'll be posing a question to our Facebook followers at I ♥ Cape Town. We want to know what you love about Cape Town, and we'll take some of the best responses and post them collectively on our blog.
Yesterday we asked you: "What is your favourite summer outdoor activity in Cape Town?"
Here's what some of you had to say ...
Our first response came from Tara SkyBird Willey: "Cape Town outdoor trance parties for sure!"
Traci Stemmett said: "Bonfire parties, mountain hiking, kayaking, watching the sun set, snoekie on the braai, I could go on & on & on ... it's all good!"
Tom Mokorosi suggested a busy but exciting list of activities: "K'bosch Concerts, New Year's Test Match at Newlands Cricket Ground, Sundowners at The Grand, braaied meat and dancing at Mzoli's, a scooter ride around Chapman's Peak drive, hangover Saturday brunch at Old Biscuit Mill. #lovesummerlovecapetown."
In fact, braaiing (barbecuing) came up more than eight times in the comments – it seems Capetonians love a good old tjop en dop (an Afrikaans expression, literally translating as "chop and booze")!
Sebastien Lallemand suggested: "Walk on Table Mountain, Lion's Head and the promenade, relaxing with friends on Clifton Beach. Drinks in Camps Bay. Shopping at the V&A. Man it's hard because our Mother City is the best place to be and there are so many things to do."
We agree!
Emma Raisun's favourite was: "Chilling on Long Beach watching the surfers then heading up to Olly at the Green Room for nachos and a skinner (gossip) with the Kom locals."
Ndapewa Hangula had the right idea with this comment: "Doing the wine route, 2 – picnic at the botanical gardens & 3rd – Sundownders at Camps Bay."
Local knowledge is always useful for those for want to venture out of the city centre. Roché Petersen's comment was: "Hiking. In the Northern Suburbs there are many wonderful nature reserves such as Tygerberg, Durbanville, Bracken and Koeberg. Little pockets of O2 in the big bustling Mother City!"
Jamba Ndjago had a perfect summer suggestion: "Table mtn, frozen yoghurt in Rondies, then Cubana Claremont ... day well spent."
Phinda Siyo said: "Platteklip Gorge, Table Mountain, Sea Point Waterfront, Camps Bay, Muizenberg, Gugulethu, Khayelitsha, Langa, Tableview, Parklands, Blaauwberg, Big Bay, Muizenberg, Claremont, Newlands, Cape Town Stadium, Artscape, Baxter, Du Noon ... My City Bus services and what more can you ask for? Cape Town rocks!"
Nico Wenzel had plenty to say: "Clubbing & eating @ Mzoli's, surfing @ Muizenberg, chillin @ Old Biscuit Mill on a Sat, enjoyoing beach life @ Llandudno, Clifton or Camps Bay, hiking Table Mountain or Lion's Head, few bottles of white wine @ V&A Waterfront, watching sun go down @ Blouberg, & more & more & more."
Bianca Voget said: "Beach days at Llundies and Clifton with a whole lot of trooper friends hula-hooping, playing drums and guitar, surfing at Long beach and Berg, going to Purple Turtle on Fridays for trance nights, morning sunrise after a good night, longboard cruising, sunset on Chappies or Blouberg."
And, as if overwhelmed by the sheer choice of great outdoor activities on offer in the Mother City, Nannette Ellis added: "Everything ... as long as it's in Cape Town."
Decide for yourself! Let Cape Town Tourism help you plan your next holiday here. Contact us on +27 (0)21 487 6800/+27 (0)86 132 2223 or email firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
Most mussar sefarim are very oriented towards men, with lessons on things such as how to treat your wife, the dangers of pursuing women, or the importance of learning. Also, many sefarim I've seen written for women are very generic and watered down hashkafa sefarim, lacking originality or deep insight. What is a good, intelligent, well-written mussar sefer with female perspective?
Sign up
- Anybody can ask a question
- Anybody can answer
- The best answers are voted up and rise to the top
My wife speaks extremely highly of Chochmat Nashim by R' Shalom Arush shlita, which is translated in to English by R' Lazer Brody shlita. It focuses on marriage and married life, but covers the full spectrum of a woman's role and responsibilities.
For English readers there is one from Rabbi Shimshon Pincus who wrote a Mussar Sefer for woman called Nefesh Chaya.
For Hebrew readers there is a Sefer Chukei HaNoshim written by the Ben Ish Chai which is a Mussar Sefer geared specifically to women.
For Yiddish readers there is a Sefer Mainekes Rivka which was written by Rivka Tiktiner in in the late 16th century. This is available by contacting email@example.com
Chovos Halevavos. There's a new digital translation in the making, available online at http://dafyomireview.com/article.php?docid=384
Outside of the Ashkenazi world, Chakham Yosef Chayyim (the Ben Ish Chai) wrote a beautiful personal growth manual for women, and one that is often studied by men as well. He wrote it in Judeo-Arabic, and called it Qânûn-un-Nisâ'. It has since been translated into Hebrew, as חוקי הנשים, and into English, as Laws For Women. The English translation has been done by Rabbi Moshe Schapiro.


text:
I have developed software in C++, Java, PHP, .NET and now I am interesting to learn to program material things. I would like to program a system that could interact with IR, LCD and to be able to resuse old printer motors to use it, etc.
My problem is, where to start? I have searched the web and have found an open source board called Arduino but how to get other electronic components together? What book or tutorial should I do to be able to create a small project?


text:
Baby, Be Mine has not yet been reviewed.
(Notify me via e-mail when this book is reviewed.)
Baby, Be Mine
by Emily McKay
January 1, 2003
ISBN #0373691122Paperback
Add to Shopping List
Order from Amazon
Other Books byEmily McKay
© 2000 - 2016 paranormalromance All Rights Reserved. All book covers and photos are copyright their respective owners. PNR cannot be held responsible for the content on other Web Sites.


text:
Fanotec is proud to release 9 new Arca style precision camera plates dedicated for panoramic photographers. These plates are a coherent part of the Ultimate Modular Series. They are designed to meet the following stringent requirements.
Strong Anti-twisting Supporting use for Heavy Cameras and Lenses
Cameras are normally mounted in portrait orientation on a panoramic tripod head (pano head). The weight of a big lens and camera can generate large twisting forces which is difficult to overcome by friction alone. Fanotec camera plates (except the universal ones) all have an anti-twisting pin or flange built in to support heavier lenses and cameras.
Precision and Reproducible Mounting of a Camera on a Pano Head
To get parallax free stitching, the entrance pupil of a lens must be positioned at the rotation axis/axes of a pano head. To avoid the need of recalibration each time after the plate is removed and reinstalled, there must be some mechanism to remember the position of the plate on the camera. These new plates utilize an anti-twisting pin/flange (or ruler scale as in case of the universal plates) to fulfill this purpose.
Compatible with Many Cameras
While the above features are also available in plates from other manufacturers, they are usually custom made for a specific camera requiring users to buy a new plate for a different camera. Fanotec plates (in general) are designed to work with many cameras by carefully analyzing a large range of cameras available in the market. They are contoured to match the shape of targeted cameras while maintaining their ergonomics. One of the biggest advantages of Fanotec camera specific plates is that they will also work for many other cameras of similar base design. (See camera plate item description in the store for list of mutually acceptable cameras).
Automatic Alignment in Quick Release Clamps
Most Arca style plates are designed to slide back and forth inside the adjoining quick release (QR) clamp. This means the user must position the tripod socket (camera base mount) by carefully nudging the camera until properly aligned. Fanotec plates however are designed to align automatically with the safety pin in the Fanotec Quick Release Clamps (QRC). Markings for the tripod socket position are also included to work with QRCs from other manufacturers.
Safety Mechanisms
Fanotec QR clamps have a safety pin to keep the camera plate from sliding out of the clamp should it not be properly tightened. This is extremely important when a camera is mounted in portrait orientation on a pano head. New Fanotec plates even have extra sockets for installing safety stop screws to work with clamps from other manufacturers.
Dual Hand Strap Lugs
The new Fanotec plates (in general) have dual hand strap lugs to allow users to attach a hand or neck strap.
Watch for more unique precision camera plates coming soon from Fanotec.


text:
Which sky map application for mobile devices have the best "feature satisfaction"-to-investment ratio?
I would like to have a comparison between "sky map" applications for mobile devices and it should be a factual comparison made by astronomy professionals, enthusiasts, and hobbyists. The result would be a user guideline on valuable applications.
I am always looking for great tools for amateur and professional astronomy to use for outdoor night observations.
(Tagging suggestion: this question can be part of a "How to make observation easier", subpart "mobile application".)


text:
Hall and OatesSat, March 9, 2013 - 8:00 PMHard Rock Live Hollywood FL in Hollywood, FL
We are sorry, the date for this event has already passed. This event took place on 3/9/2013. Click here to view upcoming events for Hall & Oates.
Still unsure? Check out our user reviews for:
Have a question? Need help? Call us at 800.477.5285


text:
Airport hotels
The Jakarta Airport Hotel (tel: (021) 559 0008; www.jakartaairporthotel.com) is a 3-star transit hotel at Terminal 2, and the 4-star Sheraton Bandara (tel: (021) 559 7777; www.starwoodhotels.com) is also situated close to the airport; a hotel reservations desk can be found in each terminal. A full range of internationally branded hotels is available in central Jakarta.
The Jakarta Airport Hotel is a 3-star transit hotel at Terminal 2.Lt. 3, Gate E Tangerang 15125 Indonesia Tel: (021) 559 0008 Web: www.jakartaairporthotel.com
Sheraton Bandara is located close to Soekarno-Hatta International Airport and provides a 24-hour free shuttle service to/from the airport. THe hotel is adjacent to an 18-hole golf course and has its own spa and fitness centre. Jurumundi Bandara Soekarno-Hatta Tangerang Indonesia Tel: (021) 559 7777. Web: www.starwoodhotels.com


text:
Monday, December 17, 2001
10 a.m.
Southwest Ranches Park
SW 178 Avenue & SW 54 Street
Knowing that minutes can mean life or death for a heart attack victim, Broward Sheriff's Office deputies in Southwest Ranches will now be equipped to save the life of a sudden cardiac arrest victim with the assistance of an automated external defibrillator (AED).
Broward Sheriff's Office District 8 Command Staff and Southwest Ranches Town Manager John Canada, along with other community leaders, will be present Monday morning when the AEDs are presented to the sergeant and 11 deputies who patrol Southwest Ranches.
AEDs are medical devices used to apply a strong electrical shock to the heart to restore a normal rhythm. Town Manager Canada recognized that having a defibrillator immediately available to deputies, who are sometimes first responders in critical incidents, would greatly increase one's chance for survival. The AEDs, which cost about $1,800 a piece, will be stored in each deputy's vehicle. These medical units are being paid for BSO through grant money.
Posted At: 12/14/2001 05:30 PM
- Click Here for Photo - Chief Greg Page & Maj. David Carry present defibrillator to Town Manager John Canada & Vice Mayor Johnnie Dollar.
- Click Here for Second Photo - Dep. Joe O'Gara is set to patrol SW Ranches with his new life-saving device.
Translate This Page:


text:
Foothill + De Anza in Your Country
Meet a representative from Foothill or De Anza in your home country. You can learn more about studying at Foothill by talking directly with one of our staff.
We look forward to seeing you soon!
Select the Region, Country or All Listings.
|We cannot locate any information for the selection you entered.
Please go back to the Selection Screen and make another choice.
If you continue to have problems searching our International Travel Schedule, please contact the webmaster.
International student featured in International Educator magazine article on 2+2 transfer success
Received Export Achievement Award from the U.S. Dept. of Commerce in 2012
Find out more about our Transfer Agreements(pdf).
Foothill is now an
iTEP Test Center.
Instead of TOEFL/IELTS,
Take iTEP for admission.


text:
Every day you are bombarded with commercials for things you have to buy to avoid ending up bitter and alone in a pile of your own, reeking filth. You trust these products, because they are state of the art and one of a kind, and because you are an idiot.
Or at least, that's what the advertisers think. It turns out a lot of these amazing, cutting edge products are really bullshit. Not just bullshit, but bullshit you could make on your own, for next to no cost. Such as...
#7. Audio Cables
How They're Marketed:
The world of audiophiles is a strange and frightening one. For them, the actual song is bullshit. What really matters is the sound quality. Do you want to listen to t.a.t.u all scratchy and low fidelity, whatever that means? Fuck no, you want to hear it with such clarity and richness the pseudo-lesbian antics are practically tickling your eardrums right alongside every awful note.
And you can't do that with your shitty Walkman. You need high tech audio equipment. Shit like Pear audio cables. They fucking rule, because they cost thousands of dollars.
Pear stays in business based on the "holy shit" principle. As in "holy shit, those speaker cables cost thousands of dollars" or "holy shit, I breathe through my mouth, and these cables cost thousands of dollars, therefore they must be the best and I should buy them."
Pear's Anjou cables apply "rigorous consideration of applicable scientific and engineering principles followed by real world testing." That means they're so highly advanced that when you use them to connect your 8-track player to your speakers, if it happens under a full moon, Aqua may actually appear and sing "Barbie Girl" live for you. No shit. It's happened before. Twice.
It's not like they're doing anything else.
What it Really Is:
Like any audio cables, the Anjou cables--and other insanely expensive cables like them--are kinda sorta just cables. Pretty much a few pennies worth of copper and plastic. Not only do the expensive cables not make thousands of dollars worth of difference, they don't make any difference. To prove it, skeptic James Randi offered $1 million to anyone who could hear the difference between cheap cables and the high-end ones in a big, public "you are full of shit" throwdown.
Seriously, just take the blind hearing test, cheap cables vs. Pear, and if you can pick out the difference, you're a millionaire. As it stands, Randi still has his million dollars and you can get some decent cables at Wal-Mart for a few bucks.
#6. Whitening Toothpaste
How it's Marketed:
Toothpaste ads are quick to inform us that every time you smile you're forcing the world to tolerate your corn-filled shitlog of a grimace and no one anywhere is enjoying it. Indeed, the fact is no matter how much you brush with your tube of Sponge Bob Bubblegum flavored toothpaste, your teeth are still manky, stained pillars jutting forth like the decrepit fingers of the damned. Brooke Shields wouldn't be half the woman she is today if she was walking around with the Crypt Keeper teeth she was born with
Brooke Shields, 1983.
Fortunately, toothpaste manufacturers offer redemption via just a few weeks of vigorous brushing with their cutting edged whitening toothpastes! What a miracle of modern fucking science!
What it Really Is:
Whitening toothpaste, by and large, is regular toothpaste with grit in it. It can be anything from aluminum oxide, which is the main ingredient in chalk used for billiards, to calcium carbonate, the basic ingredient of many antacids. Basically, if it's gritty, it'll scrub shit off your teeth. They could use sand in whitening toothpaste and get the same effect.
Or you could grind your teeth on a big bag of rocks.
Another popular ingredient is hydrogen peroxide; that stuff that mom put on all your scraped knees that fizzed up like nobody's business. Peroxide does have bleaching properties, but in toothpaste is at such a low level its effect is pretty negligible. So your dentists formulated and recommended whitening formula's actual working components could be mimicked at home if you drop your toothbrush on the floor and simply choose not to wipe all the crunchy shit off of it before brushing.
#5. OxiClean
How It's Marketed:
Like us, you probably do your monthly load of laundry then pull out your graying boxers, tears in your eyes, and lament those fart starts that just won't come clean no matter how much detergent you put in the wash. And while we're on the topic, how do we get the barbeque stains off the other side of the boxers? Can't anyone answer our prayers?
Fuck yes, late infomercial barker Billy Mays can!
Rest in Peace, you magnificent beard.
OxiClean is so amazing that pitchman Billy Mays cannot keep his voice at a reasonable volume at all. He is losing his shit and it's because stains are history.
Did you see how Julia saved her home from the filth trail left by those two dwarfs on PCP? Amazing. If it hadn't been for Billy Mays and his ultimate weapon against stains, Julia would probably be turning tricks right now.
"You'd never know that I just killed a hooker in this bed. Thanks OxiClean!"
What it Really Is:
In fact, OxiClean is actually sodium percarbonate, a standard cleaning chemical that's been around just short of forever. You can buy it in bulk at most chemical supply companies or pool supply stores where it's sold to help balance your pool's pH. You can get bucket loads cheap as hell there, but you have to ask yourself if you're willing to deprive the Mays estate of the income.
Do you want Billy to have died in vain?
#4. HeadOn
How It's Marketed:
After an evening of drinking Wild Turkey and smashing open coconuts with your forehead, chances are good that you're going to wake up with a splitting headache. Sure there's proven, over the counter drugs like Tylenol and Advil that you can get at the drugstore, but you know what else they sell at the drugstore? Tampons. Ergo, drugstores are for pussies.
You need some scientifically formulated awesome that's going to fix your mildly bruised frontal lobes and allow you to go about your day. You need HeadOn. We hear you apply it directly to your forehead.
If you haven't seen the commercials for this stuff, count yourself lucky. It's like a gypsy curse that grasps your brain with spindly, boney claws and won't fucking shut up.
"Apply directly to the forehead. Apply directly to the forehead."
Nowadays the commercials just repeat "HeadOn: Apply directly to the forehead" about 16 times. But back when it first hit the market they assured consumers that one rub of this giant chapstick of pain thinner was all it took to make your headache vanish.
In fact, they said it was "clinically proven." Hey, that sounds clinical, sign us up! And it provides fast, effective relief for headache pain. They even have a migraine strength version that probably contains opium or something. Best of all, the shit is available without a prescription, so thank God you don't need to offer your doctor a hummer to get your next HeadOn fix, you can just go to Walgreens and buy some.
What it Really Is:
But then the Better Business Bureau asked the makers of HeadOn to remove any "factual claims" from their commercials because there weren't a hell of a lot of "facts" to back up anything they were "claiming." HeadOn is really easy to duplicate even without the use of a fully stocked chemistry lab. If you'd like the same effect at home, you could rub a candle directly on your forehead.
HeadOn, as it turns out, is almost completely made from wax, with a small amount of extra crap--small as in parts per trillion--added in. That means it is, effectively, just wax.
Or, in other words, HeadOn is a shitty wax placebo. HeadOn is a shitty wax placebo. HeadOn is a shitty wax placebo!


text:
Amazon unveils Fire TV media player, gaming capabilities and launch line-up detailedWritten by: / / 5 Comments
Earlier this year rumours began to circulate that online giant Amazon was working on a dedicated gaming console for release in 2014. Now Amazon has effectively dispelled this rumour by announcing the Fire TV media player which can indeed function as a microconsole although its primary purpose is to act as an all-in-one entertainment hub for your TV.
The Amazon Fire TV costs just $99 and is now available in North America. Although certain games can be played using the device's bundled remote, users who want to take full advantage of the gaming aspect of the Fire TV can purchase the Fire Game Controller separately for $39.99 (which is a very competitive price as far as wireless Bluetooth gamepads go).
The Fire TV runs Amazon's version of Android and has a quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage. Over 100 games are already available for the device with thousands more "coming soon". Amazon claims that the average price of paid games on the Fire TV platform is just $1.85. Some of the notable titles already available for the device include the first season of Telltale Games' The Walking Dead episodic series and Asphalt 8. Telltale says that The Wolf Among Us and its upcoming Game of Thrones series are also headed to the Fire TV in the future.
The first videogame exclusive for the Fire TV is an action title called Sev Zero. The game costs $6.99 or is free with the purchase of the Amazon Fire Game Controller, and supports second-screen interaction via the Kindle Fire.
Here's the launch trailer for Sev Zero along with a video showcasing some of the titles in development at Amazon Game Studios whose team was recently bolstered by the arrival of Portal designer Kim Swift and Far Cry 2 designer Clint Hocking:
Do you think the Amazon Fire TV has the potential to alter the gaming landscape by bringing cheap mobile titles to the living room TV? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.


text:
Possible Duplicate:
Which computers are guaranteed to work?
I am in the market for a new high-end Ubuntu laptop, and I was wondering if anyone had any recommendations.
My requirements are:
that it be crazy-fast (a quad-core i7 processor will do nicely)
excellent battery life under real usage (over 7 hours)
high-resolution screen (at least 1440x900)
Basically, I want the MacBook Pro, but with Ubuntu instead of OS X. I know I could just buy the MacBook Pro and install Ubuntu on it, but my understanding is that recent MacBook hardware is not well-supported under Ubuntu. Plus, I'd prefer not to pay a premium on Apple hardware.
Is there anything out there that can run Ubuntu well, and still compete with Apple on performance, battery life, and screen resolution?
Edit: Just to follow up, I ended up buying a Lenovo W520, which works great, except that for a long time the nVidia Optimus graphics were impossible to get working. Now they work quite well, but are still an ordeal to set up.
Complicating things is a BIOS bug that Lenovo refuses to acknowledge or fix. In the future, I'm going to stay away from nVidia graphics on laptops at all costs, and probably prefer other brands to Lenovo.


text:
Resonant Pendulum
If we want to master creativity, we must first understand and obey its nature. And that's a tall order when most of our policies, laws, investments, business norms, and even our educational system actually works against it. My father was a scientist, and when I was a boy I asked him, "What's the... Read more


text:
PrimaLoft® Deluxe Reversible Mattress Topper
Overview & Details
- Hypoallergenic mattress pad / mattress topper.
- 230-thread count cotton reversible down free hypoallergenic mattress pad / mattress topper.
- Usable comfort on both sides; reversible mattress pad lasts twice as long.
- Down alternative mattress pad filled with patented PrimaLoft® polyester microfiber that mimics the qualities of down.
- An ideal mattress pad for people with allergies.
- White.
- Machine wash.
- Made in La Crosse, Wisconsin of fine imported materials.
- Mattress pad available in crib size, twin, twin XL, full, queen and king sizes.
Usable comfort on both sides makes this miraculous PrimaLoft® Deluxe Reversible mattress topper last twice as long. A great way to add a cozy layer to your bed, this down free mattress pad is packed with our hypoallergenic PrimaLoft® Deluxe polyester microfiber fill. The world's most luxurious down alternative, PrimaLoft® perfectly mimics the superior warmth and lofting qualities of true goose down without any of the allergy irritants—making it an ideal bedding choice for people who suffer from allergies.
This polyester microfiber filled mattress pad protects both you and your mattress. Mattress pads are a great way to preserve the life of your mattress and the easiest way to add an extra layer of comfort at the same time. Finished with a soft and smooth 230-thread count cotton cover, this cozy reversible mattress pad will help you rest easy seven nights a week. Mattress topper available in crib size, twin, twin XL, full, queen and king sizes.
Lifetime Guarantee
All products manufactured in our La Crosse, WI factory are covered by our Lifetime Guarantee, and may be returned at any time. We will gladly offer you an exchange, merchandise credit towards a new product, or gift card (excluding delivery fees).
Look for this symbol throughout the catalog and website, which indicates the product carries a Lifetime Guarantee.


text:
The El Dorado City Commission will be revisiting the issue of changes in zoning to allow for transitional housing.
The Commission had asked for a Transitional Housing Task Force be formed in July of last year to address the issue of establishing a transitional home in El Dorado. That group met once a month from August through December.
They are recommending amending the zoning to allow this as a special use in R-3, C-1 and O-I zoning districts.
According to state statutes any amendment to the zoning regulations requires a public hearing before and recommendation from the Planning Commission. The City Commission will consider directing the Planning Commission to conduct a public hearing.
In other business, the commission will:
• set a hearing dates to spread the costs for the paving of School Road and Third Avenue.
• consider a resolution for construction of additional t-hangars at the El Dorado Airport.
• hear the city manger's report.
They will meet at 7 p.m. in City Hall.
Location, ST | website.com


text:
Does anybody give a good textbook description of a quantum computer algorithm and how its different from an ordinary algorithm?
I'll avoid talking about Shor's algorithm and leave it for you to read on your own -- Shor's algorithm is the quantum algorithm, and is the reason quantum computing has become such a hot topic, and is not only a must read, but Scott Aaronson has provided a better introduction than I could ever manage, http://www.scottaaronson.com/blog/?p=208
Instead, I will guide you through Deutsch's algorithm, which solves a fantastically useless problem exponentially faster than any classical algorithm:
Imagine I have a function $f$ on a configuration of $n$ bits, $C=\{0,1\}^n$ that takes each configuration to a single bit. I promise you beforehand that this function is either:
So classically, in the worst case you must evaluate the function for $2^{n-1}+1$ configurations ($O(2^n)$) to verify which category $f$ falls into.
Now, a quantum computer isn't just a parallel processor, where you can give it a superposition of the configurations and get back $f$ evaluated on all of them. At the end of the day, you have to make a measurement which destroys our carefully crafted superposition -- so we have to be clever! The fundamental feature of a quantum algorithm is that we use unitary operations to transform our state and use interference between states so that when we measure the state at the end, it tells us something unambiguous.
So without further ado, the Deutsch algorithm for $n=2$ qubits (you can do this for many more qubits, of course, but you wanted a simple example). The "quantum version" of our function is a unitary operation (a "quantum gate") that takes me from $|a\rangle|b\rangle$ to $|a\rangle|b+f(a)\rangle$ (where the addition is modulo 2). Also at my disposal is a gate that takes any single bit and puts it in a particular superposition:
The first step in the algorithm is to prepare my two qubits as $|0\rangle|1\rangle$ and then apply this transformation, giving me the state $(|0\rangle+|1\rangle)(|0\rangle-|1\rangle)/2$. Now I evaluate the function by applying the gate I described earlier, taking my state to
If we stare at this carefully, and think about arithmetic mod 2, we see that if $f(0)=1$ the first term picks up a minus sign relative to its state before, and if $f(0)=0$ nothing happens. So we can rewrite the state as
or regrouping
Now we shed the second qubit (we don't need it anymore, and it's not entangled with the first bit), and apply the second transformation I listed once more (and regrouping, the algebra is simple but tedious) -- at last, our final state is
And lastly, we measure! It should be clear from the state above that we've solved the problem... If $f$ is constant, then $f(0)=f(1)$ and we will always measure $|0\rangle$, and if $f$ is balanced then $f(0) \neq f(1)$ and we always measure $|1\rangle$.
Some final comments: hopefully this gives you some taste for the structure of a quantum algorithm, even if it seems like kind of a useless thing -- I strongly recommend going and reading the article I linked to at the beginning of this answer.
Ok, since wsc gave you an explanation of Deutsch's algorithm, let me talk you through another, and more useful, algorithm: Grover's search algorithm. This is a search algorithm for an unsorted database, or for searching a black box for the input which results in a specific output (a very useful primitive in algorithms). For a set of $N$ entries, assuming there is only entry satisfying the search query, the algorithm takes only $O(\sqrt{N})$ queries, where as the best possible classical algorithm takes $O(N)$ queries of the database. Further, Grover's algorithm (with a small modification I won't go into here) is provably optimal. So, how does it work?
Let's assume there is a database of $2^n$ entries. First we prepare a superposition of $2^n$ classical states with positive phase: $\mid S \rangle = 2^{-\frac{n}{2}} \sum_{x=1}^{2^n} | x \rangle$. This is can be done simply by applying a single quantum gate (in this case a Hadamard gate) to each of $n$ qubits initially prepared in the zero state. I'll represent the states encountered by a diagram, where the length of each line represents it's amplitude in the superposition, and whether it is direction from the center line to indicate its phase (in this case it will always be either positive or negative). The state we obtain after this initialisation step is then depicted as below.
The algorithm itself consists of $r$ rounds which each consist of two steps:
Clearly the effect of this operation is to amplify the amplitude of the entry matching the search query, and this will continue until the mean lies below the zero line (after $r$ rounds). This occurs after $O(\sqrt{N})$ queries. To see this, we first note that the state of the system after each round $i$ can always be written in the form $|\psi_i\rangle = \cos \theta_i |s\rangle + \sin \theta_i |m\mid$, where $|s\rangle = (2^n - 1)^{-\frac{1}{2}} \sum_{x\neq m} | x \rangle$. Clearly $|s\rangle$ and $|m\rangle$ are orthogonal, so we can represent any state encountered as a unit vector in the 2D plane spanned by $|s\rangle$ and $|m\rangle$.
Let's consider the effect of a single round. First $U_m$ is applied and then $U_S$ is applied. Note that $U_S = 2 |S\rangle\langle S| - I = (\frac{2(2^n - 1)}{2^n}-1)|s\rangle\langle s | + \frac{2\sqrt{2^n - 1}}{2^n}|s\rangle\langle m | + \frac{2\sqrt{2^n - 1}}{2^n}|m\rangle\langle s | + (\frac{2}{2^n} - 1)|m\rangle\langle m |$. When we multiply this by $U_m$ to get the total operation applied in a round $U_S U_m = (\frac{2(2^n - 1)}{2^n}-1)|s\rangle\langle s | - \frac{2\sqrt{2^n - 1}}{2^n}|s\rangle\langle m | + \frac{2\sqrt{2^n - 1}}{2^n}|m\rangle\langle s | + (\frac{2(2^n - 1)}{2^n})|m\rangle\langle m |$. This is simply a rotation through a constant angle $\phi=\sin^{-1}(\frac{2\sqrt{2^n - 1}}{2^n}) \approx \frac{2}{\sqrt{2^n}}$ for large $n$. Since we initially start very close to the state $|s\rangle$, we thus require $r \approx \frac{2}{\sqrt{2^n}}$, meaning that we achieve the maximum amplitude for $|m\rangle$ in just ~$2\sqrt{N}$ queries of the database.
It is easy to see that this is impossible classically, since if you make $m$ queries to the database, there are still $N-m$ entries which have not been checked which may possibly match the search term, meaning that a linear number of entries need to be checked to insure even a constant probability of finding the correct entry.
Hope this is useful


text:
Closeted Badasses: 6 Famous Wusses That Would Own You
Every guy has done it: You're watching TV when some metrosexual nancy boy comes bandying across the screen to the delight of every female in the room. "What's that pussy got that I don't?" is usually the question we're left asking. Unfortunately, the answer is often "a whole lot." For example ...
#6. James Blunt
Who Is This Wuss?
James Blunt is the helium-voiced, Jagger-lipped balladeer who burst onto the scene in 2005 with your mom's favorite song, "You're Beautiful." Once his career took off, Blunt could be found every time you turned on your fucking radio or television, including on such rawk-ready shows as Oprah and Sesame Street, where he sang a reworked version of "You're Beautiful" called "Triangles." Jesus tapdancing Christ.
According to our friend Wikipedia, "You're Beautiful" received massive airplay in the U.K., which helped propel Blunt's debut album, Back To Bedlam, to No. 1 on the U.K. albums chart. This helped unseat Coldplay's X&Y from the pole position, a fact we only mention because those last few words manage to make James Blunt and Coldplay sound even gayer. In short, James Blunt is the kind of guy you'd probably like to punch clean in the face. If he walked into the room, the only thing stopping you would probably be a sense of pity, and possibly the fear of doing some sort of lasting damage to his delicate, child-like frame.
Why He Owns You:
Have you ever driven a tank? James Blunt has. Before launching a career in leprechaun troubadourism, James Blunt served as a captain in the British Army. Granted, it's the British Army, but you can bet your ass that the training required to make captain involves learning several techniques that would see to it that he could whoop your ass six ways to Sunday before you land a single womanly slap.
To make matters worse (for you), during the war in Kosovo Blunt was put in charge of leading 30,000 troops into the Kosovan capital. So not only could he fuck you up proper, he's the type of dude that people put in charge of ordering around tens of thousands of other men fully capable of doing the same. It should go without saying he leaves a trail of vanquished supermodels in his wake wherever he goes.
Who You Are In Comparison:
#5. Michael Flatley
Who Is This Wuss?
Michael Flatley is the fancy-footed Irish-American step dancer behind beloved prance fests like "River Dance," "Lord of the Dance," "Feet of Flames" and "The Celtic Tiger." This is where we'd normally insert a joke about how we made one of those names up. Not this time.
"The Celtic Tiger," his most recent show, explores the struggles Ireland faced as it grew as a nation hellbent on overcoming its oppressors. It explores these issues through the power of gay-as-all-hell tap dancing performed in unison. In 1998, Flatley made the Guinness Book of World Records when he achieved an astounding 35 taps per second, a record later broken by some dude named James Devine. Well, fine, try topping this James: In September, 2000, the Sorbonne in Paris awarded Flatley their prestigious ... um ... "Coq Flambee" award.
According to Wikipedia, this is vaguely described as being awarded for "his commitment to furthering Franco-Irish relations." And just when you think it can't get any gayer, Mike has to go and start playing the flute. Yep, Michael Flatley is an acclaimed flautist with three albums to his credit. What a pussy, right?
Why He Owns You:
Wrong. For you, Michael Flatley is an embarrassing ass beating waiting to happen. With all of the prancing about and flute-playing, you might expect him to have been raised by Hobbits. It's misconceptions like this that will have you lying unconscious in a mosaic of your own teeth and blood should you ever see him in public and decide to engage in a little sissy-boy taunting.
Michael Flatley actually grew up far from Middle Earth, on the South Side of Chicago. Tripping the life dancetastic while growing up in one of the most notoriously blue collar sections of America suggests an "I don't give a fuck" attitude. That attitude probably comes with the comfort of knowing that, if questioned, he always has those years of training as a boxer to fall back on. Shit, we should've mentioned that earlier. In between flute lessons and ascending to the very heights of "River Dance" dominance, Michael Flatley found the time to win a Golden Gloves boxing championship in 1975.
Not only is Michael Flatley The Lord of the Dance, he's also the Lord of the Ring. If dude can tap his feet 35 times in 60 seconds, it's a pretty safe bet he can drill you in your unsuspecting face at least half that many times in the same minute. Probably while impressing your girlfriend with his fancy-boy dance moves.
Who You Are In Comparison:
#4. Mark Harmon
Who Is This Wuss?
Mark Harmon is the pretty boy actor who first made his name as Dr. Bobby Caldwell for three seasons on the NBC drama St. Elsewhere. In the type of logical, well-crafted script writing that was a cornerstone of the show (see the "it was all in the autistic kid's head" finale), Harmon's character went from caring, compassionate surgeon in seasons one and two to obnoxious, womanizing, AIDS-inflicted sleaze ball in season three. This was 1985, a time when a lot of the world still considered AIDS "the gay disease." Luckily for a lot of the world and their misconceptions, Harmon looked like this at the time.
After leaving the show, Harmon briefly took a trip down Awesome Street to play Mr. Freddy Shoop in the '80s film classic Summer School. Soon after that, though, it was back to wussy bullshit you've never seen like something called Flamingo Road. Since 2003, Harmon has starred on the CBS drama NCIS in the lead role of Leroy Jethro Gibbs, a role clearly written for a 1930s delta blues musician, but for some reason given to the goofy dipshit from St. Elsewhere instead.
Why He Owns You:
In 1972, the UCLA Bruins football team, who had gone 2-8 the season before, faced top-ranked, two-time defending National Champion Nebraska in their season opener. All involved parties expected the Bruins to function as an appetizer for the defending champs. Forty-eight minutes later, Nebraska's 32-game winning streak had ended and the UCLA Bruins had pulled off one of the biggest upsets in college football history. It was led by a freshman quarterback starting his first game ever ... the fucking stud from St. Elsewhere.
Mark Harmon went on to play two more seasons as the starting quarterback at UCLA, a school he opted to attend only after turning down offers from college football powerhouses University of Michigan and University of Oklahoma, which probably worked out in the long run since Oklahoma's film industry has been lagging lately.
Also, you know the above picture of Harmon wearing a Cliff Clavin disguise? That role directly led to Harmon being voted People Magazine's "Sexiest Man Alive" in 1986.
This is proof that it's impossible to overestimate Tom Selleck's influence on what was considered cool in the '80s, and that before it was all said and done, Mark Harmon probably scorched a pretty wide canyon in the lush and ample landscape of Southern California pussy. Basically, if you know a woman who was between the ages of 16 and 80 and living within a 30-mile radius of L.A. between 1972 and 1986, it's a mathematical certainty she tried to fuck Mark Harmon at least once.
Who You Are In Comparison:


text:
I've asked this question here before, but never got an answer. In Firebug, in the Console, I get 'ReferenceError: jQuery is not defined'. I have no clue why. Can anyone help?
Here is the page I'm working on: http://goinspire.com/jwrp-hotel-registration/
I can provide other code files from my site if it will help - please let me know which ones you want.
Thank you in advance!
Edit: How do I figure out why jQuery is not included in the page early enough? thank you!


text:
School of Education
SOE Community
- Meet Our Faculty
- Meet Our Staff
- Meet Our Adjunct/Clinical Faculty
- Advisory Council
- Teacher Education Council
- Contact Us
SOE Gives Back
About SOE
- Purpose Statement
- Conceptual Framework
- Accreditation
- Title II Data
- Funding Your Education
- Dispositions
- Information Sessions
Join the Conversation
School of Education Teacher Education Council
The Teacher Education Council is the administrative structure established for the governance of teacher education. The Teacher Education Council is responsible for developing policies relating to the teacher education program in the areas of admission, retention, certification, advisement, placement and clinicals. The Teacher Education Council also has as its responsibility the oversight of the student appeals process regarding issues related to the teacher education programs.
The Teacher Education Council consists of appointed faculty and administrative staff from the School of Education and the College of Arts and Sciences, graduate and undergraduate candidates, and the deans of the School of Education and the College of Arts and Sciences. A staff member from the Office of Academic Advising and Educational Planning is a non-voting member of the council. The chair of the council is the director of teacher education.
Appealing A Decision Concerning Certification
An appeal process has been developed for students who are denied admission to the teacher education programs or student teaching, or whose pursuit of program completion is believed by the student to be compromised in some ways. The Teacher Education Council considers an initial appeal. The dean of the School of Education, whose decision is final, hears a final appeal, as needed.


text:
An investigation continues into the cause of a fire that gutted Lake Malone Inn early Sunday morning.
Firefighters arrived to find the vacant hotel and restaurant engulfed in flames. The well-known hotel is located in the community of Dunmor in Muhlenberg County.
Fire officials believe the fire started in the front of the building, but say it will take some time to determine the cause.
While fire investigators continue to sift through the ashes, residents of this small community say they're heartbroken after one of its landmarks went up in flames.
Residents like Jeff Morris, who lives across the street from the hotel watched hopelessly as a piece of their history turned to ashes.
"When it started, it went!"
Firefighters say the hotel was made of wood and thanks to the dry conditions; it only added fuel to the fire.
As you can imagine, the burning of this well-known hotel came as a shock to many in the community.
"It's a shame, it's a shame to the end of the county, it was a wonderful place at one time," Dunmor resident, Ronnie Higgins said.
The fire removed hope that some residents had of people occupying the hotel again.
Investigators are on the scene trying to determine the cause of the blaze and say their investigation is being slowed down thanks to the rain.
As for the hotel, it closed last September so nobody was in the building at the time of the fire.
Lake Malone Inn is owned by Don Everly. He's the oldest of the Everly brothers of Rock n' Roll Fame.
The inside of the hotel is said to have contained Everly brother's memorabilia.


text:
The Consent Counts project involves the BDSM communities in a nationwide education and activism program coordinated and led by the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom. This multifaceted campaign includes a comprehensive is analysis of current laws and court decisions, the development of legal arguments for changing the laws, participating in court cases, and ultimately, through lobbying, education and grass-roots activism, changing state laws and the way the public and the courts view BDSM. An important element of the project also includes an Educational Outreach Program (EOP) to educate our own communities of the current state of the law, of the effort NCSF is undertaking and to involve them in our strategic planning process and development of "best practices" by which we can protect ourselves and facilitate change.
Click here to go to the Consent Counts Program Page
The NCSF Incident Reporting & Response (IRR) program provides assistance to individuals and groups within the alternative sexual expression communities who become victimized because of SM, leather, fetish, or swing practices.
Request For Assistance Form
Emergency Number: (917) 848-6544
Copyright 2012-2015 - National Coalition for Sexual Freedom - NCSFreedom.org
Joomla! Web Development & Hosting by Polished Geek LLC - PolishedGeek.com


text:
I don't understand why it is not possible for some function, say for example $f(x,y)$, to not have some point where the partial derivatives combine to a gradient vector that points in a decreasing direction. Why must it always be negated to get a decreasing direction vector?
Intuitively, $f(x + \Delta x) \approx f(x) + \langle \nabla f(x), \Delta x \rangle$. (I'm using the convention that $\nabla f(x)$ is a column vector.) So if $\Delta x = \epsilon \nabla f(x)$ (here $\epsilon > 0$ is tiny), then \begin{align*} f(x + \Delta x) & \approx f(x) + \epsilon \langle \nabla f(x), \nabla f(x) \rangle \\ &= f(x) + \epsilon \| \nabla f(x) \|^2 \\ &\geq f(x). \end{align*}
So when we move a bit in the direction of $\nabla f(x)$, the value of $f$ increases.
I prefer to explain that is slightly different way:
Actually we define gradient to be always pointing to to the maximum increasing direction! take look at the following:
Consider a function $f(x,y)$, then it's full derivative is:
$df(x,y)=\frac{\partial f}{\partial x}dx+\frac{\partial f}{\partial y}dy=\left(\frac{\partial f}{\partial x},\frac{\partial f}{\partial y}\right)\left(dx,dy\right)=\left(\frac{\partial f}{\partial x},\frac{\partial f}{\partial y}\right)\vec{dr}=\left\Vert \left(\frac{\partial f}{\partial x},\frac{\partial f}{\partial y}\right)\right\Vert \left\Vert \vec{dr}\right\Vert \cos\alpha$
so if we consider for simplicity that $\left\Vert \vec{dr}\right\Vert =1$ finaly we get that:
$df(x,y)=\left\Vert \left(\frac{\partial f}{\partial x},\frac{\partial f}{\partial y}\right)\right\Vert \cos\alpha$
So because cosine function is always less or equal to one , we see that the first term is the maximum possible value for our function increase (because that correspond to $\alpha=0$ ) thus if we define this first term as the length of some vector and we name it gradient, then this vector will point out to the direction of maximum possible increase of our function $f(x,y)$.
It's not obvious:
Consider the function $$f(x,y):=\cases{0&$\bigl((x,y)=(0,0)\bigr)$,\cr x+y-{4|xy|^{4/3}\over x^2+y^2}&(else) .\cr}$$ Then $f$ is continuous at $(0,0)$ and $\nabla f(0,0)=(1,1)$, but $$f(t,t)-f(0,0)=2t-{4|t|^{8/3}\over 2t^2}=2|t|^{2/3}\bigl(|t|^{1/3}{\rm sgn(t)}-1\bigr)<0\qquad(0<|t|<1)\ .$$ This shows that $f$ is actually decreasing in the direction of the gradient.
Now the considered $f$ is not differentiable at $(0,0)$, and the gradient defined via partial derivatives exists only by coincidence. For any $f$ which is actually differentiable at $(0,0)$ one has $$f(x,y)-f(0,0)=\nabla f(0,0)\cdot (x,y)+o(r)\qquad(r:=\sqrt{x^2+y^2}\to0)\ .$$ Now, if $\nabla f(0,0)=(a,b)\ne(0,0)$ and you choose $(x,y):=(ta,tb)$ with $t>0$ then $$f(ta,tb)-f(0,0)=t(a^2+b^2)+o(t)=t (a^2+b^2)(1+o(1))\qquad(t\to0)\ ;$$ and therefore $f(ta,tb)-f(0,0)$ is $>0$ for sufficiently small $t>0$.
Here's another way to look at it: Define $g_v(t) = f(tv)$. Then $g'_v(0)$ represents the rate of increase of $f$ as we walk in the direction of $v$ from $0$. But we can use the chain rule to compute that $g'_v(0) = v \cdot \nabla f(0)$. Looking at the expression $v \cdot \nabla f(0)$, we see that among all unit vectors $v$, the maximum occurs when $v$ points in the same direction as $\nabla f(0)$. We also see that it's at the minimum when it points in the opposite direction. The key to all this is that $f$ be differentiable.
=> Doesn't matter how the function profile is, the gradient, by definition, points in the increasing direction.


text:
5 Scientific Explanations Behind Everyday Nuisances
#2. Salt That Clumps in the Shaker
Clumped-up salt is a common nuisance and a gateway to many an awkward situation, as anyone who has been walked in on while hammering the salt shaker with an ice pick can attest to. It's one of those things that just seem to happen no matter what -- you store the stuff in a closed container in the darkness of your spice rack, yet the next time you fancy a dash on your fries, you can count on having to spend some time spice-punching the rock-hard formation that has somehow grown out of the grains.
But it's not as if you can do anything about it. That's just how salt works, right?
You're a cold bastard, salt.
The Science:
The problem is that your salt acts as a magnet -- for water. Table salt, also known as sodium chloride, is strongly hygroscopic. This means it constantly attracts water molecules from the air and soaks them up. This, in turn, helps glue the salt crystals together, until they're too big to pass through the holes at the top of the container. Salt's constant attempt to Voltronize itself is by no means limited to rainy weather, either -- although high humidity does increase the clumping.
Can It Be Fixed?
You might have been to a restaurant or diner somewhere that showed you the answer. They were the ones whose salt shakers contained those little, uncomfortably maggotlike brownish bits. They are actually grains of uncooked rice.
Well, some of them are maggots.
Much like that guy at the bar who skulks around downing every unguarded drink he can find, the rice literally steals all the moisture the salt can muster and soaks it up in its starchy inner matrix. Now slightly soggy, the rice lies content in the knowledge that it has once again completely ruined salt's shit ... until it dries up to the exact same state it was before and starts all over again.
The only problem is that the rice grains need to be periodically replaced, lest they soak up too much to handle their task. Wait, what's that? Science already came up with a ridiculously convoluted, multichambered shaker that does precisely that? Never mind.
Patent #4387803
"Yes, this absolutely was the best use of our time."
#1. Splattering Tomato Sauce and Stubborn Ketchup Bottles
So you have invited your date over for dinner in your home. And if you are a guy, you are almost certainly making spaghetti.
The house is filled with the appetizing aroma of your cooking. Everything is neat and clean. You've even remembered to stow away your bedroom chains and the gimp mask. There's nothing that could possibly go wrong. That is, until you check on the tomato sauce, innocently bub-bub-bubbling on the stove. When the doorbell rings, you open the door for your date, covered in red stains, looking like you just used your microwave to explode a cat.
"I swear I'm not a shitty cook, I just murder animals!"
One wardrobe emergency moment later, you settle down to eat and grab a ketchup bottle, because you are eating fries with your spaghetti for the purposes of this narrative. And yes, you still buy the glass ketchup bottles and not those plastic squeeze bottles, because you're a man with class. You tilt it over, and absolutely nothing happens. You start spanking the bottle angrily, and after about 25 swats, the damn thing suddenly unclumps half of its contents on your plate, spray-bathing you in tomato all over again.
The good news: It's not your fault. The bad news: The freaking tomatoes are throwing themselves at you.
"And soon we'll be taking your women and despoiling your land."
The Science:
Tomatoes have a number of interesting properties, seemingly custom made to mess with the poor soul attempting to cook with them. In the case of spaghetti sauce splatters, the main culprits are cohesion and viscoelasticity.
Today's Cracked was brought to you by the letters "C" and "V," and by drugs like "all of them."
When the hot metal of the pot meets the sauce, gassy bubbles form and push upward -- it's the same as when you put any liquid on heat. But the molecules in tomato pulp are designed to mess with this phenomenon in the worst possible fashion: They stick together way harder than most other liquids (cohesion) and resist deformation (viscoelasticity). This means that the gas has to work like a bastard to push through, and a whole bunch of sauce hitches a ride to the surface from it.
When the bubble actually manages to make it to the surface, it's a freaking cruise missile compared to the BB guns of regular bubbles, exploding all over the stove top, making you feel like the incompetent cook in an infomercial they show before demonstrating the gadget meant to solve the problem.
"Act now, and we'll throw in a jar of cheap wine!"
As for ketchup, the trick physics is playing on you is thixotropy. This is when a substance is a gel when sitting still, but becomes a fluid when in motion. Often without warning. People tend to prefer ketchup pretty thick, after all. So the manufacturers add thickening agents such as corn starch into the mix, creating a thick glue that will remain a near solid until it is shaken in just the right way. Then the molecules rearrange themselves into a fluid and drown your french fries.
So it goes.
Can It Be Fixed?
As for the sauce, constant, quick stirring can provide an outlet for the gas bubbles, but seeing as tomato sauce is thick as hell and takes a fair amount of time to make, this means investing in some serious elbow grease. And while some swear that oiling the edge of the pot can totally prevent the splattering phenomenon, science would say otherwise -- the bubbles have to go somewhere.
Smooth ketchup distribution remains an equally demanding task -- even the squeeze bottles become a spurting, farting mess when they're less than half full. While there is no shortage of tips and how-tos on the subject, they tend to range from useless common sense stuff ("Do it carefully") to mad scientist levels of lunacy that involve bendy straws, manual dexterity and an uncanny immunity to the public scorn of fellow diners.
Or just keep a shitload of these in your pocket at all times.
Baer would like to thank K. Montagne and Corey Reidy for their help with this article. Her blog can be found here.
For more things we have the answers to, check out 6 Ways Your Body Loves to Screw You (Explained by Science) and 6 Things That Annoy You Every Day (Explained by Science).
If you're pressed for time and just looking for a quick fix, then check out 4 Features We'd Like to See on Popular Websites
And stop by LinkSTORM to discover why hump day is the best day.
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!


text:
I work for a medium sized company (about 200 people). We have a small but reasonably active BUG (Bicycle Users Group). I've seen corporate cycling gear before and have some friends who can get corporate gear cheap.
I'd like to propose to my company that they subsidise some corporate branded cycling gear, but I'm not sure how to pitch it. I've created a short survey on SurveyMonkey and know there is definitely some interest from my colleagues.
From my perspective, the pluses are:
- Employee satisfaction - getting a bit of a perk of the job
- Corporate marketing/promotion - getting the company visible, especially in group rides
What else should I emphasize in my pitch? Has anyone done this successfully and if so, how did you go about it?