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Police SWAT teams and hostage negotiators are gathered at a standoff and hostage scene in Dale County near Midland City, Ala (Credit: AP/Montgomery Advertiser)
MIDLAND CITY, Ala. (CBS News)-- A standoff that started when a man boarded a school bus full of children near his home in a rural Alabama neighborhood, killed the driver and took one 5-year-old boy hostage entered its third day Thursday.
The suspect and the child hostage have not been identified by police.
People who live along the rutted red clay road said the suspect is a retired truck driver with a reputation, CBS News correspondent Manuel Bojorquez reports. They said he allegedly beat a dog to death and threatened to shoot kids who trespass on his property. He was reportedly due in court this week on a weapons charge.
Neighbor Ronda Wilbur described the suspect to CBS News as "very anti-social, very anti-government" and that he "hates everybody."
"My granddaughter who just turned 7, when I have her visiting me this next weekend, I won't have to worry about 'mean man,'" Wilbur told CBS News. "One way or another he's not gonna be there. He will either be locked up, or he'll be dead."
Wilbur told The Associated Press that the suspect beat her 120-pound dog with a lead pipe for coming onto his side of the dirt road. The dog died a week later.
"He said his only regret was he didn't beat him to death all the way," Wilbur told the AP. "If a man can kill a dog, and beat it with a lead pipe and brag about it, it's nothing until it's going to be people."
The neighborhood near Midland City, population 2,300, remained under siege after the Tuesday shooting, with the suspect and child holed up in a bunker-type shelter on the man's property that was equipped with electricity, food and TV.
On Thursday, dozens of police cars and rental cars that had brought FBI agents to the site were parked about the state highway at the clay road's entrance. A large law enforcement truck also pulled up before dawn to a staging area for law enforcement agents that was lit by bright lights overnight.
At least one ambulance was parked nearby and numerous television news satellite trucks also lined up across the rural highway.
Homes on the road had been evacuated earlier after authorities found what they believed to be a bomb on the property. SWAT teams earlier had taken up positions around the gunman's property and police negotiators tried to win the kindergartener's safe release.
The situation remained unchanged for hours as negotiators continued talking to the suspect, Alabama State Trooper Charles Dysart told a news conference late Wednesday. Earlier in the day, Sheriff Wally Olson said that authorities had "no reason to believe that the child has been harmed."
Local TV station WDHN obtained a police dispatch recording of the moment officers first arrived at the site. On it, the officers are heard saying that they were trying to communicate with the suspect through a PVC pipe leading into the shelter.
Authorities gave no details of the standoff, and it was unclear if the suspect made any demands from the bunker, which resembled a tornado shelter.
State Rep. Steve Clouse, who met with authorities and visited the boy's family, said the bunker had food and electricity, and the youngster was watching TV.
At one point, authorities lowered medicine into the bunker for the boy after his captor agreed to it, Clouse said.
The standoff began after school Tuesday afternoon. Olson said the man shot the bus driver several times when he refused to hand over the child. The gunman then took the boy away.
"As far as we know there is no relation at all. He just wanted a child for a hostage situation," said Michael Senn, a pastor who helped comfort other traumatized children after the attack.
The bus driver, Charles Albert Poland Jr., 66, was hailed by locals as a hero who gave his life to protect the 21 students aboard the bus. Authorities say most of the students scrambled to the back of the bus when the gunman boarded and said he wanted two boys 6 to 8 years old.
But when the gunman went down the aisle, authorities said, Poland put his arm out to grab a pole near the front steps of the vehicle, trying to block the suspect. That's when authorities say the driver was shot four times before the gunman grabbed the child at random and fled.
Mike and Patricia Smith, who live across the street from the suspect and whose two children were on the bus, said their youngsters had a run-in with him about 10 months ago.
"My bulldogs got loose and went over there," Patricia Smith said. "The children went to get them. He threatened to shoot them if they came back."
"He's very paranoid," her husband said. "He goes around in his yard at night with a flashlight and shotgun."
The suspect had been scheduled to appear in court Wednesday to face a charge of menacing some neighbors as they drove by his house weeks ago. Claudia Davis said he yelled and fired shots at her, her son and her baby grandson over damage the suspect claimed their pickup truck did to a makeshift speed bump in the dirt road. No one was hurt.
"Before this happened, I would see him at several places and he would just stare a hole through me," Davis said. "On Monday I saw him at a laundromat and he seen me when I was getting in my truck, and he just stared and stared and stared at me."
© 2013 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.


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subset: commoncrawl


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Is it safe to install Ubuntu with an virtual diskdrive (With Daemon, Alcohol, or MagicISO)? Because I'm not sure, and won't take the risk.
You cannot install Ubuntu using these softwares or vitual drives, because those will only run after Windows is loaded (more correctly, run on Windows). But, you need to run Ubuntu without loading any OS.
When you try to boot from those drives, You can't becausu BIOS can't see those devices, simply because BIOS has no idea what softwares you installed in Windows.
NO you cant install Ubuntu on those software.
By the way, good news is you can use VirtualBox to install Ubuntu inside Windows.
You can refer to this tutorial for installing Ubuntu inside VirtualBox
Enjoy Ubuntu!


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2011 International Ceramic Symposium in Japan
The GVSU Ceramics program received an invitation to attend the 2011 The ISCAEE (International Society for Ceramic Art Education and Exchange) International Ceramic Art Symposium in Japan. The symposium is one of the largest international ceramic symposia and this year 32 universities from 15 countries were invited to participate in the symposium, including GVSU. Five students will be attending this international event for two weeks to take part in the symposium by exhibiting their work, giving a demonstration, and participating in many activities during the symposium.
PURPOSE: To introduce and share research findings - at an international level - on ceramic forms and ways of expression throughout the history of mankind, as well as on the development of ceramic techniques, from a historical point of view. In addition, we are looking forward to stimulating and internationalizing well-known ceramic production centers in Japan, through the presentation of their ceramic culture and industry.


text: Here is the brother I was talking about in the description for Robot that I submitted two days ago. This is Gart, and he is as you can tell a very arrogant, mean natured robot that likes to tease and overpower his brother. This lesson today will show you "how to draw Gart", step by step. Gart is what I would call the "manager" of Blinking Light factory because he actually runs the place for his father. From what I understand Gart is a guy that likes to boss people around just because he can. He also likes it when he feels superior to everyone including his own brother. Gart should be an easy draw since all he is made up of is circles. If you like Robot and Monster that airs on Nickelodeon, than you should enjoy this lesson. I will be back so stay tuned in. Peace out people, and GET BACK TO WORK!


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How To Set Pinion AngleWritten by on December 1, 2002 Ask 10 Guys About Optimal Pinion Angle And A Lively Debate Will Ensue
Pinion angle simply refers to the angle of the differentials pinion in relation to the driveshaft. But ask 10 guys about optimal pinion angle and a lively debate will ensue. To get a range of opinions, we spoke to several well-known and respected chassis builders about pinion angles. While their recommendations differ somewhat, they all agree on some basic principals. Well give you their take on the subject, and show you the various ways to measure and correct this very important aspect of chassis tuning.
Optimum Pinion Angle
Due to the dynamic nature of an automobile chassis, the various angles and symmetries are constantly changing, which adds to the complexity of obtaining driveline nirvana. Furthermore, we live in the real world where time takes its toll on our automobiles. Engines may not sit squarely in their motor mounts, motor mounts may not sit properly between the framerails, crossmembers may not sit straight, and who knows where the rearend is positioned (ours is usually in a chair behind a desk). Despite all these factors affecting the positioning of our drivetrains, they seem to work well enough in most cases, at least on the street in basically stock applications. We owe this functionality to the universal joint, which, by design, corrects for slight misalignments between the driving components (crankshaft and transmission) and the driven components (driveshaft and differential) of the drivetrain.
Pro Stock chassis builder Jerry Bickel assures us, there is no mystery to pinion angle. Setting the pinion angle is the final step in driveline alignment. The goal is to create a straight line from the back of the crankshaft through the transmission, driveshaft, and the pinion of the differentialunder load. Due to the tendency of the pinion to rise under load, some angle must be present at rest.
How well the rear suspension controls the position of the rearend is the most critical issue that determines how much pinion angle will be needed. Some types of rear suspensions offer more control than others and require different angles. According to Bickel, a ladder-bar suspension normally requires ½ degree of pinion angle, a four-link requires 1-2½ degrees, and a leaf-spring suspension requires up to 6 to 7 degrees. In all examples, were talking about negative pinion angle, i.e., the pinion is nose-down in relation to the driveshaft. Bickel says a straight driveline delivers the most power to the rear wheels. For more on race car chassis tuning, Bickel offers classes as well as detailed books on the topic.
Ray Currie of Currie Enterprises, which specializes in rearends and rear suspension systems for race, street, and off-road applications, agrees that pinion angle is a pretty simple (theres that word again) concept. He explains that a universal joint is designed to handle between 1 and 3 degrees of pinion angle. This is a safe operating range for the U-joint. If the U-joint is forced beyond its normal range, it can hyperextend and lead to catastrophic failure. Currie always strives for 2 degrees of pinion angle on a street car regardless of the type of rear suspension being used.
With a leaf springequipped car, the differential movement isnt nearly as controlled as that of a four-link suspension, so more angle may be needed to prevent the U-joint from hyperextending beyond zero degrees under load. Sometimes people increase the pinion angle to increase dragstrip bite, but Currie does not recommend this approach for a street car. Currie says ideal is ideal, and the correct pinion angle should be incorporated in the part-time as well as the full-time race car.
Suspension specialist Dick Miller bases pinion angle settings on horsepower. Miller likes to see 2 degrees of negative pinion angle (relative to the driveshaft) on applications in the 400hp range, 3½ to 4½ degrees in the 500hp to 650hp range, and up to 7 degrees with 700 horses or more. Miller also acknowledges that the greater the pinion angle, the more horsepower the driveline will consume, but its a compromise that must be made. Miller notes that these angles are merely guidelines, and each individual combination should be fine-tuned.
Setting Pinion Angle
We paid a visit to Curries shop in Anaheim, California, home of Mickey Mouse and the Magic Kingdom, to observe the method he uses to measure pinion angle. Currie takes the process one step further by factoring in the transmission output shafts angle in determining where the pinion angle should be set.
Sometimes corrections need to be made at the front of the vehicle to ensure that the engine and trans are sitting in the proper location. According to Currie, the average car crafter should strive for between 1 and 3 degrees between the tailshaft of the transmission and driveshaft, and 1 to 3 degrees between the driveshaft and pinion. Furthermore, the two angles should be nearly equal (between 1 and 3 degrees), but always opposite (see crude diagram).
Probably the two most common rear-suspension configurations to come out of Detroit on musclecars are the four-link and leaf-spring suspensions. On four-linkequipped automobiles, adjustable upper control arms are required to change the pinion angle (although in some cases, mild adjustments can be made by shimming the transmission mount). This is made possible by adjustable upper control arms from a number of aftermarket sources, including Dick Miller, Hotchkis, and Edelbrock. In the case of a leaf springequipped car, pinion angle is changed with angled wedges (shims) that are placed between the leaf spring and the shock-absorber mount (see photo). These wedges effectively rotate the differential forward or backwards depending on which way the wedge is facing.
Whether its for a 16-second daily driver or an 8-second door-slammer, the proper pinion angle is vital for delivering power safely and effectively to the rear wheels.
More Photos From This Article View Slideshow
There are several tools available for calculating these angles, including angle finders, protractors, and various specialized instruments. We scored this handy pinion-angle gauge from Powerhouse Tools. Equipped with a magnet to secure it to an endcap of the U-joint, the simple gauge features a level that allows you to measure where the pinion sits in relation to the driveshaft. Make sure the U-joint cap you're measuring from sits parallel to the ground.Factory four-link–type suspensions, such as the one on the Car Craft project Mustang, are adjusted via the upper control arms. One side needs to be adjusted at a time while the other is removed to allow the freedom of movement. Once the adjustment has been made, a come-along may be needed to move the differential back over to reconnect the upper control arm. Once that is accomplished, the other is reconnected and adjusted in the same manner.Ray Currie graciously walked us through the measuring process on his brother Charlie's '70 Chevelle. Measurements are made relative to level ground. He started by placing a magnetic level on the engine-block pan rail to see if the engine and transmission were pointing up, down, or straight. Next, he secured an electronic level onto the driveshaft and measured that angle. The two angles are combined to derive the final angle.A level attached to the face of the yoke showed a 1-degree positive angle (in other words, the pinion was nose up) between the driveshaft and the pinion of the differential. Again, the angle of the driveshaft is added to the angle of the pinion for total driveshaft-to-pinion angle.


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Southington's 2nd-half surge wins Class LL title
By Kyle Brennan Republican-American
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Strawberry Pizza
Jen Kuehner, Lakeland FL
Ingredients 1 package refrigerated sugar cookie dough 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature ½ cup sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 pint strawberries 1 container (tub) strawberry glaze
Cooking InstructionsSpread cookie dough into one large cookie on pizza pan. Bake according to directions. Mix cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. Spread cream cheese mixture on cookie. Slice strawberries and mix with gel. Spread on top of cream cheese mixture.


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What is the exact meaning of the phrase "יישר כחך", and what is the gramatically-correct way to pronounce it?
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The expression is taken from the Talumd (Shabbat 87a and several other locations). The sage Resh Lakish expands the word "אשר" to the now ubiquitous "ישר כחך" .
You can see from the following Talmudic excerpt (Shabbat 87a) that the original use was to validate Moshe Rabeinu's action. It would seem to me that current usage is quite the same. When one performs a Mitzvah those around him will confirm that the action was proper and worthy of validation and strengthening (the action or possibly the performer.)
What a great question! Shkoiyech!
Literally it means "He (i.e. Hashem) should straighten your energy." It means that Hashem should guide you in choosing actions that will allow your energy to flow on a straight path from its source on high down to you.
It is correctly pronounced "Yi/Ya/sher Ko/cha/cha". Its Yiddish pronunciation is "Ya/shi/koi/yach".
Good Moed:
As referenced above - Rashi - in the concluding Rashi of The Torah quotes maseches "Shabbos" (87a) where HaShem says to Moshe - "יישר כוחך ששברת". Grammatically, the phrase would be pronounced as "Yishar Kochacha" - may your strength be made straight. In the Hoshanos in the Artscroll Siddur, the word is written as "Yishar" - see page 738. Also, HaShem wouldn't be referring to Himself in the third-person by saying "may He straighten your strength" - referring to Himself. That's why it doesn't make sense to pronounce it "Yiyasher Kochacha.
Also see:


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|By PR Newswire
Article Rating:
|August 28, 2014 02:22 PM EDT
SEATTLE, Aug. 28, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Learning the art of goal setting at an early age can be absolutely life changing for a child. That's the driving force behind The 500,000 Children Project, a first-of-its-kind initiative to teach children across America about the importance of goal setting as a tool for success. This unique project brings together educators, students, and sponsors to help schools teach an important life skill by providing free resources that would otherwise have no room in tight school budgets.
Fresh off their start on the crowd-funding site Indiegogo, the organizers are delivering the first 5,000 free goal setting books to public elementary students across 31 states in late August.
The 500,000 Children Project began at the end of 2013 by inviting school districts in 23 states to request books for their elementary students. The organizers hoped to reach 500,000 children. The project caught fire by word of mouth among educators and through social media, and orders for their free goal-setting books soon climbed to 1.1 million. The response from educators has been overwhelming, as evidenced by the dozens of enthusiastic comments the directors have collected on their website, http://www.500000childrenproject.com.
- The books are designed to present the message in a way that entertains children as much as it educates,a in an effort to enhance the learning process. The books combine eye-catching illustration with rhyming verses that teach and inspire children to start setting goals in their lives.
- Each printing will contain bonus material designed to deepen the child's understanding of goals and how they can be used. The content will vary depending on the sponsor. This edition, sponsored by the Indiegogo contributors, features content provided by Wells Fargo about their Hands On Banking® curriculum, a free financial education program, not affiliated with any product, designed with financial education content for all ages. The lessons for kids are a fun and interactive way to help them achieve their financial goals by learning about everything from money and budgeting to savings and credit. Another highlight in this edition is an excerpt from Michael Jordan's book I Can't Accept Not Trying: Michael Jordan On The Pursuit of Excellence where he explains in detail how he used goals to achieve his success.
- "The sooner we empower children with a skill that all successful people use, the better they'll learn to set positive goals in a way that helps them celebrate their potential," commented Dawn Farmer, Co-Director of The 500,000 Children Project. "We see and hear about the life-changing effects this type of thinking can have on our youth, and we're inspired to help provide it."
- Stephen Covey, author of the bestseller, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, identifies goal setting as one of the critical skills and characteristics students need to succeed in the 21st century. The 500,000 Children Project couldn't agree more, and has set a goal of teaching all children about this crucial success strategy.
About the 500,000 Children Project:
- The 500,000 Children Project is a unique initiative to teach children about the life-changing skill of goal setting at the earliest age possible, while also benefiting schools with free resources and sponsors with an intimate connection to thousands of families. Goals Learning Institute, Inc., sponsor of The 500,000 Children Project, publishes two books to help educators teach this skill: Aim for the Stars: The Goals Book For Kids and Goals Are For Gals & Goals Are For Guys. The project offers these two books to public elementary schools across the nation for free, funded through sponsorship.
- Started in 2013 by inviting 23 states to participate, The Project currently has requests for 1.1 million of the goals books from the following 31 states: AL, AZ, CA, CO, CT, FL, GA, IL, KY, LA, MD, MA, MI, MN, MS, MT, NJ, NM, NY, NC, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, TX, UT, VT, VA, WA, WI.
- The balance of states will be invited to participate early next year.
- The Project is now actively seeking sponsors to fulfill the remaining orders.
- Contacts;
Dawn Farmer, Co-Director, 661-209-1868, [email protected]
Duane Burke, Co-Director, 425-985-3157, [email protected]
The 500,000 Children Project
18631 SE 42nd PL
Issaquah, WA 98027
Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140828/141135
SOURCE Goals Learning Institute, Inc.
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What film franchise would you LOVE to see get just one more movie?
@studerc's deal on the Jurassic Park Blu-ray Trilogy (http://deals.woot.com/deals/details/76c836ed-184b-44e2-bcc2-d879c396fa65/jurassic-park-ultimate-trilogy-blu-ray-region-free#2 <= great deal, btw, you should upvote it, along with all of the comments, especially MINE) got me thinking about how many film franchises there have been, even since I can remember (only since late 80's).
Many, like Jurassic Park, have been abandoned over 10 years ago. Many of these were abandoned for good reason, as any further sequels, following already crappy sequels would have been like beating a dead horse, grinding it to sausage, then beating the sausage. But, now that after so much time has passed, maybe it's time to see what fresh minds and new technology can do, right?
I would love to see another Jurassic Park movie, they just fascinate me. And as it turns out, there are plans to make one, and release it in 2014.
How about you? Ghostbusters? Back to the Future? Star Wars? (though unlikely)
54 Answers answer
RE: Star Wars - DEAR GOD PLEASE NO. The franchise has been destroyed enough. Let us keep what little we have left that Lucas hasn't messed with.
Can't think of anything specific right now that I think should have a new sequel... they tend to fail miserably when they do that (Indiana Jones, anyone?).
Back to the Future
And, let's retry Indiana Jones and we'll pretend that the last one never happened.
I almost forgot - while it wasn't a franchise since it was only a single movie, a second Ferris Bueller movie could rock.
@90mcg112: Hahaha, cool idea! A big flash forward featuring an older Matthew Broderick as Ferris might be interesting...
I want a new Mortal Kombat movie.
Dirty Harry.... geriatric style
rocky. I feel we need one more movie to really wrap up the plot. :P
I'd love to see another Matrix movie or two. Maybe a prequel to make real the Animatrix explanation of what caused the machine uprising. And also, a what happened after the "truce".
Dirty Harry
Back to the Future, no question.
Really? no one said Firefly/´Serenity yet? For shame! For Shame!
But I agree with most of the others too.
Bill and Ted... part 3. OR Bio-Dome
@okham: I thought about Serenity, but then I decided that I don't really want a SEQUEL to Serenity. I like what they did with River's part of the story, but the movie needs a reboot to not kill everyone off so they can continue the story proper.
@okham: Ideally it should come back as a TV series, not just another movie. But, I supposed I'd take another movie if they couldn't bring it back as a series.
Ghostbusters for sure.
More Christopher Nolan Batman films. He is such a great writer/director.
I'm not a fan of Superman, but seeing that he and Zach Snyder are doing "Man of Steel" I'm interested.
The almost-cult-classic The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension promised a sequel:
Buckaroo Banzai Against the World Crime League - It would only work if Jeff Goldblum and Peter Weller signed on again.
Red Dawn 2 - The Re-education Camps
@mrmucox: As much as the word "prequel" causes involuntary shuddering, I think one for the Matrix serious could have value.
@first2summit: Here's an idea - combine the Terminator and Matrix franchises with a sequel/prequel where the machines win the war, hence creating the world of the Matrix.
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
The 45 year old, no longer up-tight but irresponsible Cameron ditches work with a now up tight successful business man Ferris. The classic flip flop, basically hilarity ensues, adult situtations and cameos by the old cast in comical fashion
RIP John Hughes
@xochiluvr: Really? Why? Not only did Ben Kingsley nail it, how much additional story is there to tell? Moreover it's not like it had special effects that would be better presented with modern technology.
Some movies stand the test of time and I believe this to be one of them.
@studerc: You do realize that they made 3 BTTF films, right? The third one in the wild west was by far the worst.
@90mcg112: Genius!
I can see it kind of like a Planet of the Apes or Soyent Green revelation at the end. The original story line re: Skynet was that it sought to destroy the humans because we tried to deactivate it, or that's what we/the resistance believed. The Matrix storyline, IIRC, was that we went to war against the machines - we don't know how fired first, but it created a nuclear winter so no solar power. At the end of the movie, you can have Reese or someone from the resistance discovering that humans weren't just being killed but brought back to become batteries and breed future batteries.
Debbie Does Dallas
@lumpthar: Pretty sure the question asks what film franchise you would like to see one more movie...BTTF is a film franchise. I would have enjoyed seeing one more movie. I'm a missing something here? The third movie was terrible..that's why I would have enjoyed them trying to make up for it.
@sully51: And that's even if you haven't heard of this new mess:
The "28" Days, Weeks franchise... 'Months'? 'Years'? to come?
@studerc: Just yanking your chain.
I thought it would be more interesting to think of movies that are stand-alone that would be a good franchise. Movies that left you wanting more at the end.
Citizen Kane would not make a good franchise.
Batman is a franchise that has been nearly beaten to death.
Shawshank Redemption 2 where the US Marshalls and Federales join forces to track down the fugitive played by Tim Robbins in Baja California.
@lumpthar: Re: Batman - hang on cause there's another reboot coming to bring his character more in line with the Justice League movies.
How bout Inception 2?
Sorry, I never watched the first one. I did hear it was good, though.
Tom Cruise has really soured as an actor in my mind, so I have a hard time wanting to watch his recent films. I think it's a part of becoming a Grumpy Old M(a)n.
@lumpthar: Errm... Tom Cruise wasn't in Inception...?
Speaking of though, egads... Tom Cruise is rebooting Van Helsing?!?! And another Mission Impossible?! AND Top Gun 2?! Someone please just kill this man now before the world ends...
@sully51: See what I'm talking about? I just got it confused with Vanilla Sky. I'm feeling really old now.
@lumpthar: I agree - but Peter Weller is too busy teaching at Syracuse University.
@dmaz: I've always imagined a Ferris sequel where he's got a kid of his own - son or daughter - and they spend the whole movie in a cat and mouse where the kid is always seeming to be one step ahead of Ferris but then s/he's not but then it turns out s/he is. Ultimately Ferris kind of "passes the baton" to this new generation. Well, I'd watch it. (If anybody bothers to take the idea and run, help la brotha out. lol)
@xochiluvr: The sequel to Gandhi has already been done:
Maybe another 3rd Godfather that doesn't suck
Cinderella. This one set 5 years in the future when she realizes that Prince Charming isn't quite so charming and she probably shouldn't have married him just based on his looks and dancing.
A new adventure for Pee Wee Herman
@tarasadies: Umm, no
Just give him a supersoaker, and watch his speech at the RNC.
Loss of a legend.
Howsa bout:
Behind the Green Door
The first one was pretty interesting
Maybe: her sister's kid is reading her diary, when a business card with an address falls out.
Curious, she drives there one night, and knocks on the door ...
@lumpthar: I would probably vibrate myself right through the floor I'd be so excited, no overthruster needed.
We need another Die Hard movie...but a good one. How about Die Hard:Rest Home Edition?
@rondo1229: Your wish is granted: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1661245/keanu-reeves-bill-and-ted-3.jhtml
I'd love to see more National Treasure.
@joshobra: For the love of all that is good, just... no.
They need to make another Alien (not w/Predator) film, while Sigourney Weaver can still play Ripley.
And I've always wondered what kind of adult Rosemary's Baby would have grown into - maybe the storyline could be tied into the Wall Street movies' narrative.
@dmmutti: FFC should allow Sofia to direct a 4th godfather - she deserves a chance to make up for her acting in gf3!


text:
HP v125w 32 GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive P-FD32GHP125-EF for $21.95 + free shipping
HP v125w 32 GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive P FD32GHP125 EF (0004972-001)
Regular Price: $25.95
Final Price: $21.95
+ Free Shipping
Coupon Code: MLC330DN (allegedly limited to 100 users )
7 Comments add a comment
must... fight... impulse... to... buy... another...
@budrose: You better do it the one I posted was $25.99 and mine will not expire by tomorrow.
@budrose: I seems mighty unfair to down vote you....but this is a deal not to fight! (I will leave it...you will succumb).
bummer... out of stock
If anything it's through paypal, if it proves unreliable you can just get your money back easily enough.
Never mind. Last time I comment on anything. It's not a 32 GB. fml


text:
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text: I went shopping with my parents today and spotted the most beautiful flowers ever. For the first time, I've actually witnessed the presence of an orchid and gardenia at Home Depot. In this short and simple tutorial, I'll provide an easy break down that will show you 'how to draw a gardenia flower', step by step. Take your time, and remember to always reference from various sources of these flowers.


text:
Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones.
Whenever I debate someone about Bible literal-ism they usually mention Psalm 137:9 KJV. Based on the Protestant doctrine, how can I handle this?
Whenever I debate someone about Bible literal-ism they usually mention Psalm 137:9 KJV. Based on the Protestant doctrine, how can I handle this?
The meaning is pretty obvious in context.
Ps 137 is a lament for Jerusalem after the Babylonians have invaded and destroyed it. Verses 7-9 make it explicit:
This is sheer gloating on the part of the psalmist. Whoever overthrows Babylon is someone the author wants to buy a beer! (Put another way, that person is someone really popular with the author.) Whoever wrote this really hated the Babylonians, and would love to kill their children.
Is this "right?" Remember, this is a psalm - an ancient song of the Hebrews. I suspect many a future scholar will puzzle over, say, the misogynistic lyrics of Eminem or many like-minded rappers. Psalms express the feelings of the writer, NOT THEOLOGICAL RULES FOR YOUR BEHAVIOR. (Although, it is often argued that the feelings reflected in the Psalms should be that of a mature Christian.)
Note also, there is nothing that says "You should bash a baby against a rock." Doesn't fit with the text or the nature of God. It would be a misreading of the text, which actually proves the point there are "rules" for reading the text.
So, why is it in Scripture?
Who knows. 'Could be that God desired to illustrate that the Exiles had learned their lesson about spurning God's good gifts in Jerusalem, could just be that people agreed with the sentiment.
For a person who doesn't believe the Bible is a "real" book, this verse is actually a pretty good arguement. If the Bible were merely the work of "men with an agenda," there doesn't seem to be a good reason to let such a genuine feeling in here.
The Bible can be literal but still express itself in the language of feeling.
In the entire psalm, the author writes about a captivity. The physical captivity was in Babylon during Jeremiah. But reported spiritually, the captivity is of a sin. The physical act was done when Babylon was conquered, but this is not the message sent by God.
In Revelations we meet the Babylon a few times. Every time it is referred as the city of sin and it symbolises the world ruled by Satan. In our perspective this means that the author rejoices every time anyone repays the evil the people in the world do to us. You could make a parallel with Revelations 18 where it speaks about the fall of Babylon and it's destruction. (Rev 18:6 is similar to Ps 137:8)
Thank you for your interest in this question.
Because it has attracted low-quality or spam answers that had to be removed, posting an answer now requires 10 reputation on this site (the association bonus does not count).
Would you like to answer one of these unanswered questions instead?


text:
In an oddly karmic twist of fate, Ranseford Jones—known as "Ranse" to his friends and family—passed away just hours after a fundraising volleyball tournament was held in his name. Jones passed away on Nov. 8 after fighting for his life for seven months after suffering a brain aneurysm during a volleyball tournament.
Tragedy struck when the 34-year-old Jones was playing in the Panama City Young Guns AVP Qualifier Beach Volleyball Tournament in Florida last May. In the best shape of his life and giving steady competition to the other participants, tournament officials were alarmed when Jones sat down during his semi-final match. Paramedics were contacted and Jones was rushed to the hospital and eventually diagnosed with a brain aneurysm. Jones, who was currently living in St. Augustine Fla., was on and off life support, placed in a medically induced coma, suffered swelling of his brain, and battled with an array of complicated infections before his eventual passing. A funeral was held on Nov. 14 in Flagler County.
The first Ranse Classic was held Nov. 5-7, with a kick-off party at Bru's Room in Deerfield Beach, Fla., which was attended by volleyball players from all over the country and from various places around the world, including Misty May-Treanor and Nick Lucena. During the course of the two-day tournament, $30,000 was raised through entrance fees, ticket sales, sponsorships and other donations. In addition to playing volley, Jones surfed and kite-surfed, was an avid traveler and boater, and worked as a Paramedic/EMT/Firefighter.
Originally published in February 2011
Cela est extrêmement intrigante Sourire je l'adore et je parcourais suis toujours traquer données éducatives comme ça! replique montre Chopard
Your work is very good and I appreciate you and hopping for some more informative posts.new year 2016 happy new year 2016 bonne année 2016 Journée internationale des droits des femmes 2016
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I thought the 8.0.1 patch would fix the closing down and long shots bug by now. But no it hasn't. Long shots seems to have been toned down a little, closing down seems to sometimes work sometimes doesn't.
Before the 8.0.1 patch
I had poor shots to goals ration
After the patch
Still the same! Nothing has changed.
Basically this closing down and long shot bug is what is causing everyone to have 20 shots on goal but only resulting in 1 or 2 goals scored. Fair enough only 2% of the shots go in. But if the opposition win as a result of 3 - 4 shots where you had 20 thats unfair and unrealistic.
There is a game in there where Ipswich had 5 shots but NO/NOTHING/ZERO shots had hit the target AND THEY STILL SCORED!?!??! That game cost me 2 points.
Since the patch I lost in the champions league, FA cup final and my run of form in the league.
There are a load of people complaing about the number of shots per goals since the installing the patch. So its not just me
This thread documents some problems.
I believe the long shot and closing bug has not been toned down enough or at all. This is why players are shooting outside of box when told not to and missiing targets therefore resulting in 20 shots on goal.
And before you tell me to upload my games to the bugs forum I HAVE SINCE OCTOBER


text:
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Free shipping $25 orders Hint: Shop for other products on sale to reach the $25. Nice! Almonds are still on sale today. 2 lbs for $7.
I've read/heard that Stevia is the best artificial sweetener. Seems it's 'natural,' and doesn't leave you with a craving for more sweet food. Don't know that, haven't tried it yet. Since all Pyure Stevia products are 50% off, this seems like a good time to try it. Or stock up if you already use it.
Note: Online only. Plus you may have to use the Walgreens' Reward Card to purchase it. Easy to sign up.
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Other Stevia products 50% off, including the one used for baking. [Click here)(http://www.walgreens.com/search/results.jsp?Ntt=pyure stevia&N=359451)
3 Comments add a comment
Gah! Tried to fix the link for the other Stevia products on sale. Fail....ran out of time. Sorry.
I found 50 pk Stevia @ the dollar store no shipping :-p
Which dollar store?


text:
My title can be a bit confusing, so here's a bit of background.
The corollary to the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus says that $\int_a^bf(x)dx = F(b)-F(a)$, assuming that F'(x) = f (x), or that the area under the curve f (x) from x = a to x = b is equal to the difference of values of the antiderivative of f (x) at a and b.
The following is my attempt to prove it.
1: The area under the curve of f (x) from x = a to x = b is equal to the area of the rectangles under the curve as you take more and more rectangles. See this image:
Mathematically speaking, it's $\int_a^bf(x)dx = \lim_{h\to 0} \sum_{n=1}^{(b-a)/h}h\cdot f(a+hn)$
2: Let us replace our measly f (x) with its definition, in terms of the derivative of F (x), namely $f(x) = \lim_{j\to 0}\frac{F(x+j)-F(x)}{j}$. Thus, our first equation becomes
$\lim_{h\to 0} \sum_{n=1}^{(b-a)/h}h\cdot \lim_{j\to 0}\frac{F(a+hn+j)-F(a+hn)}{j}$
Now, my question is, since both h and j are going to zero via a limit, can I assume that they are effectively the same? Can I simply replace all instances of j with an h and rid myself of an unnecessary second limit? If I could, my proof would continue as follows:
3: Replacing all j's with h's yields:
$\lim_{h\to 0} \sum_{n=1}^{(b-a)/h}h\cdot \frac{F(a+h(n+1))-F(a+hn)}{h}$, and the *h*s can cancel out: $\lim_{h\to 0} \sum_{n=1}^{(b-a)/h}F(a+h(n+1))-F(a+hn)$.
4: Thankfully, this becomes a telescoping series, as seen here:
$F(a+h(1))-F(a+0h) + F(a+h(2))-F(a+1h) + F(a+h(3))-F(a+2h) + ... = -F(a-h) + F(b-h)$
$ + F(a+h(\frac{b-a}{h}))-F(a+h(\frac{b-a}{h}-1) = F(b) - F(b-h)$
which, together, yields -F (a - h) + F (b) as the sum.
Putting this back in, we get $ \lim_{h \to 0} -F(a - h) + F(b) = F(b) - F(a) = \int_a^bf(x)dx = F(b)-F(a) $
However, steps 3 and 4 require the ability for me to assume that h and j are the same thing. My teacher (who admittedly doesn't deal with this too often), whom I asked first, said that perhaps h and j are going to 0 at different rates. However, I do not think that the concept of a limit to 0 at a rate actually means anything.
So the question I bring to you is: Is the operation that I performed to go from step 2 to step 3 a valid operation? If so, why? If not, why not?
Thanks for your help!
-Gabriel Benamy


text:
50 Million Fables (ebook)
Photos from the Rock n Roll Gallery
by Steve Cook
Steve Cook grew up with vinyl.
The music of The Who, The Jam and The Clash - the late 70's was a great time for kids who loved rock guitars.
A guitarist in a number of bands during the 90's and a recognised photographer he now gets to capture some of his heroes in the images that he loved so much growing up, devouring the record covers.
In this age of instant downloads it's more important than ever to capture these heroes for other reasons that the record cover.
Here are some of Steve's heroes, and no doubt, some of yours.
Includes images of:
The Who
The Stereophonics
Peter Doherty
Billy Bragg
Nine Below Zero
The Supernovas
The Aggrolites
Category: Arts & Photography


text:
To my (basic) understanding a Markov process is a process wherein the future state of a system only depends on the current state, and not on the past states of the system.
I was wondering on what the standard approach is on systems that inherently hold information about their past in them.
One could image, in the discrete-time case, system carrying in it a representation of it's three previous states. There are two cases to distinguish here:
- The future state of the system is not a function of this memory and only of factors that don't have anything to do with it. This is perhaps a boring case (although there might be interesting examples I don't know of).
- The future state of the system is a function of this memory information, yet in a "Markovian" way. This is the case I am most interested in.
Are these things that would be considered as Markovian systems (perhaps on a different scale)? Are there examples of these kinds of systems?


text:
Dorfman Pacific
- Streamlines the sharing of images with internal teams, partners and resellers
- Speeds the distribution of images
- Secure web portal for centralized access to all digital images
- Provided small-footprint web-based accessibility
- Easy creation and storage of images in multiple file formats
- Reduced the time required to process special digital asset requests
- Encourages consistency and reuse of assets
- Eliminated the need to FTP, email or ship CDs of digital assets
Customers around the world know Dorfman Pacific as one of the largest full-line, in-stock headwear and handbag companies. The product images used in the company's hardcopy and online catalogs and marketing materials visually define how the public view them. With its product line expanding, managing its collection of digital images and product materials became time consuming and difficult. With images stored in multiple locations, Dorfman Pacific's marketing team had a hard time updating or creating new product catalogs. More importantly the process was error-prone.
Dorfman Pacific recognized that managing their product data and associated images was a complex task. For example, an item might be manufactured in different styles and colors, and each of those product variations can have an associated image. Photos taken using different camera angles or image resolutions may also need to be associated with the item. The large number of possible product and camera parameter permutations meant that any single catalog item may have very many associated images. And the images include Adobe® Photoshop® files typically 20-30 Mbytes each.
Dorfman Pacific resolved to implement an electronic solution that would centralize and automate the management of product information, including digital catalog images, and facilitate distribution of the information to their factories. The company also wanted to reduce the time required for the graphics department to find, retrieve and distribute requested product images to resellers and distributors.
Dorfman Pacific turned to Alfresco Gold Partner, Formtek, to build a new Image Management Application (IMA) based on Alfresco Enterprise. Dorfman Pacific was impressed with Formtek's successful track record of building secure and scalable mission-critical content management applications for use in demanding environments.
Formtek recommended Alfresco Enterprise ECM software because it provided rich functionality out of the box that would minimize development costs. Within months, Formtek was able to design, implement, test and roll out the new IMA application using Alfresco on a VM server with MS Server 2003. Most importantly, Alfresco offered Dorfman Pacific a lower total cost of ownership, not only for the initial implementation, but for their ongoing systems management.
To efficiently search content in the new IMA application, Formtek developed a content data model unique to Dorfman Pacific's requirements that tags and stores all the associated metadata for items and digital images. The new metadata structure accounts for each product's various style, manufacturing, and camera parameter. Users can now easily search the system using any of these metadata parameters and find images that match specific criteria.
Alfresco provides Dorfman Pacific staff the flexibility to access the IMA content in multiple ways. Users in the graphics department can leverage the IMA repository as a standard network drive and interact with the repository directly from their graphics applications, such as Adobe® InDesign®, without needing to start the browser-based client.
Formtek designed the IMA application to be available via any browser allowing both internal and external users access to the content. When there is a request for images from a partner, Dorfman Pacific can send a secure URL with an individual login and password. Partners can search the Alfresco repository using style number and other criteria to locate and download the images needed in the appropriate resolution and file formats. The portal can also be customized allowing Dorfman Pacific to market new products directly to the partner.
Formtek also sped up the input of large numbers of product images by creating a batch input program. The program validates the names of documents to be uploaded with data stored in Dorfman Pacific's STYLES database, reports any conflicts that are found, and allows the user to correct those conflicts. The images are then batch uploaded, into the IMA repository, and the filenames are parsed into metadata fields to provide added search functionality.
The Dorfman Pacific IMA solution has met the requirements of the project charter and succeeded in producing significant efficiencies. Prior to implementation of the IMA solution, fulfilling a single image request often took 30 minutes. With the implementation of IMA, up-to-date and accurate product information is being distributed to the factories, and customers can fulfill their own requests for images and other information, eliminating the effort required of Dorfman Pacific's graphics department.
Next Steps
The initial success of the application has led Dorfman Pacific to engage Formtek in discussions regarding upgrading and expanding the use of Alfresco and the IMA solution. One additional project being considered is to improve the custom product ordering process. This project would involve adding document types such as emails, purchase orders and specification sheets to the IMA repository, enabling automatic check-in of in-bound emails, and modeling the custom order workflow process within IMA.


text:
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text:
Closeout Jewelry Decent Quality Genuine Tanzanite and Diamond Ring in Sterling Silver for $13.99 + $4.99 shipping
Not one of those fake tanzanite rings you keep hearing about.
7 Comments add a comment
just the kind of glowing description I'm looking for when buying jewelry... "DECENT" quality.
@kamikazeken: It's all about setting expectations that are kinda ok.
2.1 mm of tanzanite is 0.0826772 of an inch!!!
Not even worth the shipping
Is this the jewelry deal site based out of Hawaii? If so, then "decent" is probably about right, or maybe even an overstatement.
I got some earrings a while back. The quality of the stones were not nearly what the picture or descriptions represented (flaws visible to the naked eye. Color not as deep as advertised.) They were "decent" for the price, but I would have appreciated that bit of honesty back then. Maybe the listing today is their effort to correct that oversight in the past.
Also beware. While you can easily unsubscribe for the dailydeals.com mailing list, my inbox got a flood of spam from questionable sources not long after buying from them that I have not had any luck getting rid of. Maybe it's coincidence, maybe not. The timing is suspect, however.
Does anyone really think they are getting jewelry of any value what so ever for $13.99?


text:
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text:
I have everybody set to ignore and any time I appear to be on topic is coincidental.
Also I find it amusing when people randomly fill my Facebook page with retarded shit. You can be considered to be the people you choose to associate with, and I think that means we're all schizophrenic or something.


text:
Let $C$ be a symmetric monoidal category. I am interested in objects $X \in C$ such that the symmetry
$S_{X,X} : X \otimes X \cong X \otimes X$
is equal to the identity. There are many examples of such objects, e.g. invertible sheaves. My first question is: How would you call such an object?
Now assume that $X$ has a dual $Y$, i.e. we have morphisms $e: Y \otimes X \to 1$ and $c : 1 \to X \otimes Y$ such that the triangular identities are satisfied.
Question. Assuming $S_{X,X}$ is the identity, can we conclude that $S_{Y,Y}$ is the identity? If not, does it suffice to assume that $e$ (and thus $c$) is an isomorphism?
Edit: I am still interested how objects with $S_{X,X}=\mathrm{id}$ are called in the literature or which terminology you would suggest.


text:
Over time my pitch has improved simply through singing more, but I still have some problems with being a bit off sometimes (or way off on very high or very low notes). It helps if I focus on a specific pitch and experiment a little till I hit it, but this doesn't seem to have a long-term effect and sometimes I just can't force my voice to hit the right note. What should I do to improve this? Unfortunately, going to an instructor isn't an option right now.
I have often found it helpful to use mental cues to aid pitch when I'm having trouble. I have heard many choral directors, as well as my own college voice professor, talk about 'landing on top of the pitch'.
This really has to do with a sort of 'musical momentum,' almost as if our pitch were an object governed by Newton's first law. When a melodic line is moving downward, especially when singing loudly, there is a tendency to allow the pitch to fall too far. When a melodic line is moving in a generally upward direction, there is a tendency to not climb quite high enough.
These rules apply very strongly to sensitive pitches in a key. While moving upward, the third and seventh of the major key have more of a tendency to become flat, for example.
In my experience, it has been most helpful to guard any pitch that moves with multiple notes in one direction. This is especially helpful if one has a basic knowledge of music theory so that one can identify the 'sensitive pitches' in each piece of music.
Okay, I've been working a while with many different fields of music... I certainly wouldn't say that vocals are my specialty; however, rather than doing what every other answer suggests (having you use a program that "trains" your intonation to become more in tune), I think it'd be a lot more effective and genuine if you were to just simply work on the concept of developing your abilities to detect and utilize consonance (the concept of a note being complementary to another sounding note). So, in the case of developing your ability to become more "accurate" with intonation, try to gain an appreciation for developing a skill of harmonic consonance more so than singing in unison with a note. By doing so, I thoroughly belive that your ear will be more adaptive and trained to handle singing IN UNISON when you need to.
In the case of a sustained C, for example, other notes you should try singing to develop a sense of harmonic consonance would be E, F, G, and A. Hope this helps. If not, try someone else's answer!^^
Best of luck!~ ;D
EDIT: To emphasize, this is important for developing a sense of how that OTHER note fits harmonically (and melodically) into a song/chord/section/anything.
SECOND EDIT: I seemed to have excitedly overlooked a very important aspect of what you were saying in your initial comment, that is, you can HEAR the dissonance (which is good), but focusing on achieving consonance over (the inverse) avoiding dissonance (by my personal philosophy) is key.
For example, some people play chess with a mindset of not getting into a certain situation or not losing (rather than playing with a mindset of winning or trying to force the other player into a certain situation). So, in this case, I feel that, rather than avoiding dissonance, you should try to gravitate your efforts in finding consonance... To find consonance, you don't HAVE TO sing in unison with the note in question.
And, then again, a lot of people are good at chess by simultaneously working on both approaches; I'm sure the same can be said about vocal intonation. I dunno, I guess I've over-emphasized what I'm trying to say, but really, I feel there are usually multiple solutions to solving a problem.
Search on youtube for singing exercises for your range. These exercises should just be a bunch of piano notes.
On these exercises practice your vowels a lot. The 'ah' sound and 'eh' sounds are always a bit harder than the 'ii' sound for example. So start one of these tracks and sing 'ah-ah-ah' both legato en staccato on these notes.
Make sure you are not putting too much strain on the very low and very high notes in your range. You should try to sing these with as less tension as possible, even if they sound pretty soft. Over time you will master these notes and then you can 'shape' them to the sound you want.
Also practice your 'note-stamina', how long you can hold a note for while on pitch. Use some sort of instrument or learn how to use a software like Ableton or Pro-Tools or Logic (even Garage Band or Fruity Loops) and enter long-notes in the MIDI sequencer.
Your diction can also push you off-pitch. When singing in high notes try to first sing the phrase without putting emphasis on the consonants. Then slowly, when you start to feel you're getting some control over the phrase, you can pronounce the consonants like they should be.
Lastly I would advice you to start paying great attention to your vibrato. After doing these exercises you should do them again only this time you're going to add vibrato. Basically if you are singing a note and you can apply a good vibrato (and with good I mean a nice controlled and on-beat vibrato) then you are using proper technique as well.
When using vibrato make sure you aren't using your jaw to produce the vibrato. And also make sure you are not using your diaphragm for this either (sometimes people think they use vibrato when in fact they are modulating the volume instead of the pitch by contracting and expanding the diaphragm really quickly).
Good question. I have a suggestion. As an exercise devise a program that randomly generates a pleasing tone in the range of your voice then you try to match it. The program listens and gives you a score on how close you got it. The next level the program requests you to sing a perfect 5th above (adjusting its range so you are not asked to go beyond your range). The subsequent levels ask for different intervals above or below the given pitch, again adjusting for your range and listening and grading your response. Over time you can look at your scores to see if a randomized pitch follow is useful tool to assist in your progress.
Alternately, if you do not have programming skills, you can ask a friend to play notes from a piano. Same thing but no computer needed.


text:
At current, most of my landscape shots are tourist-like and very generic. How can I take photographs which are more interesting without using the cliché technique of long exposure landscape photography?
closed as not a real question by Matt Grum, Itai, jrista♦ Jan 7 '13 at 17:59
It's difficult to tell what is being asked here. This question is ambiguous, vague, incomplete, overly broad, or rhetorical and cannot be reasonably answered in its current form. For help clarifying this question so that it can be reopened, visit the help center.If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.
You say your photos are too tourist-like. So, try avoiding taking pictures the way tourists usually do:
Instead, try using:
Landscape photographers only photograph for half an hour a day, 15 minutes in the dawn and 15 minutes in the dusk. If you want to get the same pictures as they do, you have to wait for the light.
However, you can still improve your images beyond tourist snaps if you want to photograph landscapes at other times:
For some of those you can also try the opposite, i.e. a really wide aperture, or climbing up to get a different angle.
Imre mentioned Framing and Composition, and I'd like to expand on it. The single biggest improvement I made to my landscape photography is when I'd read about including something from the foreground to give your composition a feeling of depth. So way the 'tourists' may take a picture of a mountain lake with the water and the mountains behind, try to include something nearer to the camera in the frame, maybe a fallen log on the near shore line, or an interesting rock formation or flowers in the corner of the frame. You need to remember that this object is not the key element of the shot, but more of something to guide the viewer's eyes into the shot.


text:
I have uninstalled Rhythmbox and installed Banshee. In Gnome-do there was this nice feature of browsing your music files with the Rhythmbox-plugin. So, on the Gnome-do plugin Wiki I could see that a Banshee-plugin exists.
On Launchpad, specifically on this site I downloaded a tar.gz, where I could also see a Banshee-plugin after unpacking. When I downloaded gnome-do-plugins via Software Centre there was no Banshee-plugin to activate in Gnome-do's preferences. So, is there any way I could install this plugin from that tar.gz or any other way to install it?


text:
i'm only 18 so i have still have a lot of time to get things accomplished.
the one thing i'd like to do one day is become a Nascar driver but what bums me out, is that Ryan Blaney is about a month younger than me and making big in Nascar, while i have never driven a car in my life lol. there's plenty of other talent younger than me on their way to the top 3 stages of Nascar. plus, it's also very, very expensive. anyone got $20,000? lol
i don't know, i want to accomplish something in sports, but at my age (athletes start working on their craft at very young ages) and size (5'3"), there's not a whole lot of avenues to turn to.


text:
The Pitkin Lady Tigers shut out the Negreet Lady Indians Saturday afternoon in their final game of the Rosepine Tournament.
The Tigers rallied quickly in the first inning. Madison McDonald led the lineup with a walk, followed by multiple base hits by Megan Woods, Amber Johnson and Kristen Roshong. With the score 1-0, Chloe Paul hit a shot to left field clearing the bases for the Tigers. The Lady Indians remained scoreless after the end of the first inning.
The score held at 4-0 until the fourth inning, when the Tigers struck again. Chloe Paul hit a solo home run followed by a three run homer by Amber Johnson. The fourth inning ended with the Lady Tigers leading 8-0.
The Lady Tigers made their final charge in the top of the fifth inning with patience at the plate. Chloe Paul and Megan Woods hit safely again, only to be driven home by Breean Perkins. The Lady Indians failed to respond to the Lady Tigers charge, ending the game in the bottom of the fifth with a score final score of 10-0.
Pitkin Lady Tiger Madison McDonald picked up the win for the Lady Tigers. McDonald went five innings allowing three hits, four walks and five strikeouts.
Location, ST | website.com


text:
Scott's teacher pay hike is good business
Florida Gov. Rick Scott's Wednesday proposal to give Florida's public school teachers a $2,500 raise has been panned by critics as a political ploy or even a bribe ahead of his 2014 re-election campaign. The Orlando Sentinel churtled, "We're surprised he didn't throw in a promise of dark chocolate, red wine and foot massages."
It's amusing when people feign surprise that politicians make political calculations. We have little doubt Scott's flagging popularity — his approval rating is a dismal 36 percent in recent polls — is cause for concern in the governor's mansion, but our sense of the still-fledgling politician is that popularity is not a guiding force in his decision-making. If it were, would he be pushing for the state-run Citizen's Property Insurance to raise rates and reduce the number of policy holders? Risking the wrath of more than 1.4 million policy holders strikes us as a more risky political move than currying favor with 168,000 teachers.
Beyond the political calculus, the pay raise proposal strikes us a fair first move in restoring balance to the state's education budget, which Scott and the Legislature cut by $1.3 billion in the governor's first year in office. Not only have teachers gone for years without pay raises, a Scott-backed plan to force all public employees, including teachers, to contribute 3 percent of their pay toward their pension plan will take thousands of dollar out of their paychecks. Granted, a one-time pay bump won't erase yearly drops in teachers' take-home pay, but it helps make up lost ground and sets a new baseline for salaries going forward.
Some have argued against an across-the-board pay raise when reform proponents, including Scott, have worked to implement merit-based pay programs. Again, we have long said teacher pay — and employment — should be linked in part to the success of students. As those criteria are developed and tweaked to ensure accuracy and fairness, it is appropriate to make a tangible show of good faith. There will be some losers under the new merit-pay regime, as there should be. We shouldn't be grading teachers on a curve and accepting a perpetual bottom 10 percent of underperforming teachers.
For the first time since the Great Recession began, Florida won't be heading into the annual legislative session forced to slash services, infrastructure and staff. The rebounding economy has produced a projected surplus in the state budget and funneling $480 million into the pocketbooks and wallets of teachers will produce a sizable stimulus in the coming year. Self-imposed educational austerity in Tallahassee deepened and prolonged the recession, as thousands of teachers and support personnel were let go. We don't expect Scott or legislators to admit they cut too deep, but it's no coincidence the $1 billion added to the state education budget last year and this $480 million pay raise proposal nearly equal that $1.5 billion meat-cleaver Tallahassee took to school budgets in 2011.
Finally, the pay raise shows once again that Scott is increasingly hard to pin down. He is unafraid to change his mind or risk angering the very base of supporters who helped put him in office.
He sold Florida voters on his business acumen to win office. He knows an executive who can't adjust to market realities will soon find himself out of a job.


text: Hey all! I've been giving tons of chibi technique tutorials so everyone here at dragoart can learn how to start developing their very own chibis! I have another tutorial for you today with some more tricks of the trade to hopefully bring you closer to becoming a great chibi artist!


text:
I'm interested in the HERO system. What does it do that other systems don't? What are its unique features?
I'm not so interested in a breakdown of the system itself (for example, all the stats), but in how it compares to other systems.
I'm interested in the HERO system. What does it do that other systems don't? What are its unique features?
I'm not so interested in a breakdown of the system itself (for example, all the stats), but in how it compares to other systems.
closed as too broad by Oblivious Sage, Miniman, GMJoe, doppelgreener, okeefe Sep 9 '15 at 4:37
There are either too many possible answers, or good answers would be too long for this format. Please add details to narrow the answer set or to isolate an issue that can be answered in a few paragraphs.If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.
Succinctly, the things that make HERO distinct:
The Hero System is a generic point based systems that allows you to play nearly any genre with the same set of rules. It is coupled with a power system that allows a gamers to construct nearly anything in game terms from weapons, vehicles, to superpowers.
It requires some interest and skill in simple math. There is software that helps with character and power creation. The basic setup is that you calculate a base cost, increase by a percentage for advantages, and decrease by a percentage for limitations.
The Hero System's primary genre is superheroes, in the form of Champions (the original name of the game).
The use of the power system dependent on the genre. In Champions it is used for super power, in Fantasy Hero it is used for spells, in Space Hero it is use for technology, vehicles, and psionics. In low powered genres characters are more defined by the skills and advantages they buy rather than the powers.
The only other game of comparable scope is the GURPS system. Hero is better at super heroics and other high power genres, while GURPS is better at the low power end of the scale. But both have been developed to the point where it is a matter of preference which one a gamer likes.
The Good:
The Bad:
The Hero System is unique less for its individual mechanical choices (d6 only, 8 primary and 10 figured/secondary stats, scads of powers, speed chart) than for the culture of gamers it has created, and the mode of separating color from mechanics. This is both a boon to players who learn the jargon, and a barrier to mastering the game.
Take the following two powers:
This tells us it's a "2-die Ranged Killing Attack, which requires gestures to use, and can be used 6 times per session". The Electro Bolt, however uses Energy Defense (the E) while thezip gun is physical. (The Gesture is pulling back the "hammer.")
The game charges you for the primary effect; you define the "special effects" including what the basic power source is and what it looks like in use.
The most noted innovation
While it's no longer innovative, Champions, the first Hero System game, may have been the first pure-point-build system released, and certainly was the first to be commercially successful with it.
Bases and Vehicles as Characters
The second most notable innovation is that of buying bases and vehicles the exact same way as characters. Both of these are later additions to the core rules, but use the same concepts, modifers, limiters, powers, and such, so tie in perfectly. they add some special rules for internal space, and don't have all the same attributes as characters, but generally, they work close enough that even novices can move from character generation to vehicle generation.
Also, several various "secondary character" elements all share the same rate for purchase: 1 of your points gets 5 for them, and 5 points of yours can buy 2 of them. You want 4 goons with 30 points, it costs you 14 points (30/5=6)+(5+5). It's the same for vehicles, bases, robots, and computers.
Several standard options are given in the core rules for play style.
In Superheroic games, all gear items one uses more than one session have to be paid for with character points, wealth is discouraged, and characters are encouraged to be pretty widely and wildly divergent. The attribute limits are usually turned off for this mode.
In Heroic games, characters are encouraged to be more stat and skill focused. Gear can be bought with cash rather than character points and kept. Point totals are lower, and powers generally have to match one of a few allowed sets of special effects.
There are several specialized flavors in between, and even "normals" games have been run with no issues.
The Culture of Hero
The Hero System's been under one editor's thumb for at least 20 years now. It's had a strong net presence since before the internet, having had numerous WWIVnet-distributed fan-made software aids by 1992...
The Hero System "culture" throws about a couple dozen acronymic abbreviations pretty regularly, and due to small space on the sheets, using them is extremely useful. They are used consistently, and their use hasn't changed since 1982...
This stable and yet flexible backbone, plus a happiness to allow fans to discuss and play on the nets since the late 80's, has resulted in huge piles of fan contributions, especially setting books for which Steve Long knows there is no chance of a license. There are excellent, professional quality even, adaptations for a wide variety of settings, including Star Trek. If it has a strong fan base, odds are some hero player has posted some adaptations to run it.
Plus, the Hero Forums have always been filled with people willing to help you get your adaptation right... note, help, not do for you.
The Hero System culture also includes disads being based upon the GM's interpretation of just how much of a limit they will be, and that, if they don't cause problems, they aren't disads, and thus are worth nothing. (The same is true for advantages, in a lesser sense... if you're the stranded son of the Galactic Empire's biggest megacorporation's majority shareholder, but have no access to that wealth on earth, it's just back story. If, however, you're able to use that to get the "nifty item of the week" via Acme Interstellar Goods, it's a gadget pool.)
The Drawbacks
Jargon: The Hero System is full of it. Even in the rulebook.
blank slate: since it allows doing almost anything, it's often hard to narrow down the choices.
heavy rules scare newbies and make it less portable. Really, it's only about 100 pages of RPG rules, and 300 of powers... with lots of advice, and lots of special case rules that are little more than common sense written down to prevent rules lawyers
Rules Precision: The rules are very precise. This, more than anything, has bloated the books. It also scares people when the rulebook is written like a law text...
History: it's got a long history of being in the middle of the second tier... which means a lot of people who won't like it have tried it, found they didn't, and many of them say, "HERO SUX"... there is a built up negativity to it. Further, prior to 4th edition, every genre book was a standalone game, with slight rules variations; since 4th ed, it's been Core and Settings. I've seen people who say "Justice, Inc was Awesome!" also say "Champions Sucks" not realizing they are actually the same rules engine.
Two elements that set HERO apart are its detailed point-build system and its speed chart.
HERO allows you to create characters, powers, and items in a fully detailed, customized way from core principles and to your exact specifications — even more than other point systems like GURPS and other custom systems like Wild Talents. If the ability to build exactly the thing you want is very important to you, HERO is good for that.
The speed chart breaks each turn down into 12 phases. Based on your character's SPD stat, you'll get a number of actions each turn based on those phases; someone with SPD 3 acts on 4, 8, and 12. This allows for timing-based strategies and keeps combat going in a regular way without "rolling for initiative."
It's huge. The core rules for Hero System 6th Edition come in two volumes, the 466-page Character Creation and the 280-page Combat and Adventuring. It's complicated and mathful, and is a game you really have to commit to.
It lets you customize your character down to the last iota. Not only is it point buy but it's effect-based. You just buy the effect you want the power to have, and then you get to determine the special effects. For example, you don't buy "web shooters" or "lightning bolt," you determine what specific things you want these to do. Your web shooters might entangle and extend your reach; your lightning bolt might be direct damage of X amount with range Y. That the power is a web or lightning is a special effect you just decide on, the only thing you buy is the actual game effect. Therefore there is no "lightning bolt" power and one character's lightning bolt might be fundamentally different from another's (I bought "extra damage to robotic stuff on mine!).
It's multi-genre. They have books out for fantasy, heroes, street level heroes (Dark Champions), ninjas, post-apocalyptic, scifi, and pulp.
The Hero System also has customizable disadvantages.
If you want your Wicked Witch character to take damage when water is splashed on her, you can. If many people know this, the disadvantage is worth more points.
If your character has an irritating 10-year-old sister who gets kidnapped every random Tuesday, you have a Dependent Non-Player Character, that is incompetent, and is active on a roll or 8-. I think that's worth 20 character points. If your character lets her get killed, you and the GM work to turn that into 20 points of psychological disadvantages.
If the character is monitored by government agencies or hunted by enemies, that is worth points depending on power and frequency. One edition of Champions described a campaign where all the characters' Enemies made their appearance rolls for the weekly game. The GM crated a scenario where all the characters were summoned to a Congressional hearing, and halfway through the hearing, all the Enemies attacked.
The GM does have the responsibility to ensure all the disadvantages are actual disadvantages; he should probably restrict the total disadvantage point value.
If you consider most TRPGs to be like computer programs, the Hero System is like a programming language. It is a (mostly) consistent toolset for creating a complete game. The genre supplements are decent 'out-of-the-box' games, but the real power of the Hero System is that it provides structure and order for the GM to use to make their game precisely what they want it to be.
Making full use of the system can be a bit of work, depending on how deep the GM wishes to go and what his/her wishes are for the campaign, but the rewards can be very satisfying.
Economically, it's two books that allows for making a game in any genre. All the other published materials are, in essence, examples of how to use the system to do things.


text:
El Camino owners thrill region's race fans
Owners of 33 classic El Caminos from throughout New England gathered at the Lee USA Speedway, Lee, N.H., for the track's 5th annual El Camino night on June 14. Parade laps and a burn-out contest on the NASCAR speedway were part of a weekend of activities sponsored by local members of the National El Camino Owners Association (NECOA).
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