text:
SAP has struck a deal with open-source database vendor MySQL AB under which MySQL will license and distribute SAP's open-source database. The alliance also calls for the two companies to jointly develop what MySQL CEO Marten Mickos calls "the next-generation of MySQL open-source database."
In contrast to the rapid growth of the Linux open-source operating system, open-source databases remain a small part of the overall database market. As with Linux, companies can freely obtain open-source database licenses (known as a general public license, or GPL) for their own use or purchase licenses from vendors such as MySQL if they intend to resell the software as part of a commercial application.
Under the SAP-MySQL deal unveiled Monday, MySQL has acquired commercial rights to SAP DB, an open-source database (formerly called Adabas D) that SAP acquired from Software AG in 1999. MySQL will market the software, which is geared toward large-scale enterprise deployments, in addition to its two current open-source database products: MySQL Classic, for Web sites and embedded applications, and MySQL Pro, which adds transaction support.
MySQL and SAP are currently working to link the SAP database with MySQL's product line, an effort that should be completed during the third quarter, Mickos says. That will provide a way for the databases to exchange data with each other and allow IT managers to use a common set of tools to manage them.
Development teams from the two vendors are also developing the next generation of MySQL database incorporating technology from SAP DB. No timetable for that work was disclosed, but it's expected to continue for several years.


text:
Private Eye: Are there any tattoos you're glad you didn't get?
We asked Mary J. Blige, Victoria Beckham, Carrie Underwood, and more.
Some stars report a near miss with indelible ink: Duran Duran's Simon Le Bon says he almost got Wile E. Coyote. And Natasha Bedingfield said, "I thought about getting a tattoo, but I couldn't think of anything important enough to do."
For others, tattoos are the ultimate fashion faux pas. "I don't find them hot," said Diane Kruger. "I'm not a tattoo girl," said Amanda Peet.
Perhaps the best way to decide is by pure instinct: "I've never done it, thank God," said Becki Newton. "I'm afraid of needles."

subset: commoncrawl


text:
I'm currently using the
LocateFeaturesAlongRoutes tool wrapper for C#/.NET for a custom tool I'm developing for ArcMap 9.3.1. I've been able to run this tool in ArcMap outside of code in a tool with the same files as parameters.
Unfortunately when I put it in code I keep getting null for the
IGeoProcessorResult. Is there any reason why I would get a null object for the result instead of just saying it failed? Also, is there anything wrong with the below code?
The relevant block of code is below.
LocateFeaturesAlongRoutes lfar = new LocateFeaturesAlongRoutes();
lfar.in_features = @"C:\GIS_Temp\CONGPROP.mdb\CONGPROP2";
lfar.in_routes = @"C:\GIS_Temp\Routes.mdb\routes";
lfar.route_id_field = "ROUTE_ID";
lfar.out_table = "eventTable.dbf";
lfar.out_event_properties = "ROUTE_ID LINE FMEAS TMEAS";
lfar.in_fields = "NO_FIELDS";
Geoprocessor geoprocessor = new Geoprocessor();
geoprocessor.TemporaryMapLayers = false;
geoprocessor.OverwriteOutput = true;
geoprocessor.AddOutputsToMap = true;
IGeoProcessorResult result = (IGeoProcessorResult) geoprocessor.Execute(lfar, null);
Any suggestions?


text:
Andrea Amici vindicated by an impressive win on Sunday
Andrea Amici pushed aside yesterday's disappointment when he lost a win to a puncture by racing from the back of the grid to victory in today's second Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo race. Amici led home yesterday's winner, Cédric Leimer and third placed Leonardo Geraci. Aside from the drama that red flagged the race, Adrian Newey was denied the opportunity to repeat his strong 8th placed finish on Saturday when a spin on the formation lap for race two saw him hit a concrete barrier, damaging his car beyond repair.
Cedric Leimer maintained his lead at the head of the field for the first three laps of race two, despite being challenged by Bonaldi's Adrian Zaugg who was pressing to overhaul yesterday's race winner. However, their skirmish was delayed when the #7 Aviatrax by Santéloc car driven by Alessandro Bortesi crashed, damaging the Armco barriering, which in turn called out the Safety Car, but the compromised barriering required the race to be stopped two laps later to allow repairs to be affected. Meanwhile, Alessandro emerged unscathed from his ordeal.
While the front three cars of Leimer, Zaugg and Svendsen-Cook had been absorbed in a fight for the lead, Andrea Amici who had started the race in 16th following his late puncture in race one, had scythed his way through the field, claiming 12 places in four laps and was busy closing down the leaders. His remarkable form was matched in part by another Imperiale driver, Andrea Palma, who had climbed from 20th to eleventh.
After a lengthy interlude on the grid, the re-start saw no diminishment in Amici's ambition, as he overhauled Rupert Svendsen-Cook for third and as the pit window opened, the Italian elected to stop early, followed by Leonardo Geraci. The race lead was still in the hands of Leimer, who defended valiantly against the continuous challenges mounted by Adrian Zaugg. Eventually in the Village into Aintree complex, Zaugg's pressure paid off and he assumed the race lead, and Leimer elected to head to the pitlane.
While Zaugg handed the #3 Bonaldi car over to team-mate Federico de Nora in the lead, Amici's early stop and hard out laps enabled him to snatch the race lead. The pitlane was the scene for more drama as the front-running Automobili Lamborghini Racing Team Germany car was delayed during the driver change and Fabian Hamprecht dropped from a top three position down to 14th. A radio problem for Aristotellis Varvaroussis meant that he missed team instructions to pit and incurred a 30s time penalty, also dropping him and co-driver El Pato from 4th to 14th.
After the pitstops had shaken out, Amici held an unassailable lead to the flag, pursued by Leimer, but after suffering a puncture in race one, Leonardo Geraci also set the form book straight by advancing to third from 14th on the grid.
Checco Malavasi and Flavio Pierleoni finished the race in fifth and deservedly claimed the top step of the amateur podium ahead of the ever-present Laurent Jenny and Andrea Solimè.
Race Quotes
P1 Andrea Amici #54, Autocarrozzeria Imperiale
"That was a great race today, I had to push really hard in the beginning and it was not easy, but it makes up for the difficulties we had yesterday."
P2 Cédric Leimer #63, Autovitesse Garage R. Affolter
"I feel fantastic! I know that Andrea Amici has been faster than me all weekend, but the important thing for me is to claim points and finish all the races by bringing the car home in one piece. We'll spend a bit of time on the car before the next race and see what we can find to compete with Amici. Looking ahead, I am not so good in the heat so Paul Ricard will be challenging. But the aim will be as always to bring the car home and claim as many points as possible."
P3 Leonardo Geraci #69, Touring Auto 2000 SRL
"It was a good race after the puncture yesterday. The start ended up being pretty difficult just due to traffic, but the team had a good strategy plan and I drove precisely to this - we stopped immediately when the pit window opened. When I re-started, I was able to increase my pace which enabled us to finish third and second was not so far away, so I am very, very happy."
P5 Checco Malavasi/Flavio Pierleoni #89, Composit Motorsport (Amateur winners)
"My team-mate Flavio did all the hard work after the pit stop. My stint was okay, but I started in 10th, but we worked hard after the re-start and we were able to claim our first amateur trophy, so I must say a big thank you to my team - Composit Motorsport - for their great work this weekend."


text:
The Rev. Charles Lutwidge Dodgson was a teacher of mathematics at Oxford and a deacon of the Anglican Church. Some colleagues knew him as a somewhat reclusive stammerer, but he was generally seen as a devout scholar; one dean said he was "pure in heart." To readers all over the world, he became renowned as Lewis Carroll, the author of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
From This Story
Alice was popular almost from the moment it was published, in 1865, and it has remained in print ever since, influencing such disparate artists as Walt Disney and Salvador Dali. Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, just released in movie theaters nationwide, is only the latest of at least 20 films and TV shows to be made from the book. But if Alice has endured unscathed, its author has taken a pummeling.
Since the 1930s, biographers and scholars have questioned the nature of Dodgson's relationship with the 10-year-old girl to whom he first told the story, and since the 1960s his work has been associated with the psychedelic wing of the countercultural movement. When some of Dodgson's photographs—he was an accomplished portraitist—were exhibited in 1999, a New York Times reviewer quoted Vladimir Nabokov (who had translated Alice into Russian) as saying there was "a pathetic affinity" between the photographer and the pedophilic narrator of Nabokov's novel Lolita. Tim Burton recently described Dodgson's stories as "drugs for children" and Wonderland as a place where "everything is slightly off, even the good people."
The decades of interpretation and reinterpretation have created a widening chasm between how modern readers perceive the author and how they receive his work. "Lewis Carroll is treated like a man you wouldn't want your kids to meet," says Will Brooker, author of Alice's Adventures: Lewis Carroll in Popular Culture, "yet his stories are still presented as classics of pure, innocent literature." As Burton's movie beckons us down the rabbit hole once again, it might be wise to ask: How did we arrive at this curious state of affairs?
Charles Dodgson was born in 1832 in Daresbury, a village in northwest England, the third child (and first son) of Charles Dodgson, an Anglican clergyman, and his wife, Frances. As the household grew to include 11 children, Charles did not lack for company. "He told his brothers and sisters stories, made up games and wrote magazines with them," says Edward Wakeling, who spent 12 years annotating Dodgson's diaries. Later in life, "he really enjoyed entertaining children, and they loved him in return."
After enrolling at Oxford in 1850, at age 18, Dodgson became a "senior student"—the equivalent of a fellow—at the university's College of Christ Church. According to college rules, senior students had to be ordained as priests and take a vow of celibacy; Dodgson evaded the ordination rule and lived at the college unmarried, until his death in 1898, less than two weeks before his 66th birthday.
Like many Victorian bachelors, he became a sort of uncle to his friends' children, making up stories and games and taking them on short trips; the role ensured him a warm welcome in many homes. In 1855, dean Henry Liddell arrived at Christ Church with his wife, Lorina; their son, Harry, and daughters Lorina (or "Ina"), Alice and Edith. (The Liddells would have five more children.) Before long, Dodgson struck up a friendship with Harry, then 9.
"He taught Harry rowing and arithmetic, spent time with him and took him on outings," says Wakeling. As Harry's sisters grew older, he says, "Dodgson also took them under his wing, with their parents' blessing."
Dodgson particularly liked to pack a picnic lunch and take the Liddell children boating on the Thames, with adult friends or family to share in the rowing. On a July afternoon in 1862, he took the three Liddell sisters on a stretch of the river between Oxford and Godstow and told them the story that would become Alice. Alice Liddell, then 10, was delighted that the main character bore her name and asked Dodgson to write down the story.
At this time, Dodgson was taking photographs. Although the camera was still a relatively new technology, he had been an early enthusiast, starting in 1856, and he found no shortage of friends who wanted him to make likenesses of them or their children. Alfred, Lord Tennyson, England's poet laureate, befriended the then-obscure don and let Dodgson photograph him after becoming impressed by one of his child portraits. "You, I suppose, dream photographs," he said.


text:
6 Fitness Tips Everyone's Heard (That Don't Work at All)
#3. P90X/Muscle Confusion is a Revolutionary Way to Get in Shape
One of the hottest and trendiest fitness fads now is P90X, a 90-day program with a hook that its varied exercises will "confuse your muscles" and stop them from becoming complacent and allowing your fitness level to plateau.
This represents your muscle on one of those "other plans."
Does it work? Of course it works. If you're working out strenuously for 60 to 90 minutes every day for 90 days straight while sticking to a strict diet, of course you are going to get more fit. How could you not?
But the same can be said for countless other fitness plans. The "muscle confusion" bit that supposedly makes P90X unique is just a marketing phrase -- one that's absolutely necessary to the whole business model as it explains why, in this world of hundreds of fitness programs, you need their exact program and not someone else's. It's like Chevron reminding you that they have "Techron" in their gasoline, except I think Techron actually does something.
I believe it makes your cars come alive.
But no, muscles are not people, and they don't get bored. If you're squatting 40 pounds (yes that's me, I'm a weakling) for three sets of 15 reps every single time, then sure, they'll become accustomed to that exact exercise and you'll stop seeing gains after a while. But all you have to do to fix that is lift more weight or change the number of reps or sets, as seen in every single workout program ever. To your muscles, that's new and exciting enough. You don't have to do an entirely different new kind of squat to entertain/shock your jaded muscles. They're muscles, not the Internet.
You don't need to show your muscles 2girls1cup.
And make no mistake: If you have the time, energy and motivation for P90X, you can get ripped on any plan. You're talking about workouts that are 60 to 90 minutes, every day, not counting the time you'd put into setting up, getting dressed, putting things away, as well as accounting for some rest time afterward where you won't be too productive, considering how strenuous the workouts are. If you want to stick to the meal plan, you'd have to put time into preparing the food, which could cost up to $400 of groceries a week, according to some who've tried it.
You might also want to account for time making spreadsheets.
In other words, the magic of P90X isn't "muscle confusion" or any other revolutionary discovery in how your body works. It's that it's specifically for people who are willing to put huge chunks of their life and cash aside to devote to nothing but getting fit. If you are one of those people, you've pretty much already got it made.
#2. Want a Snack? Eat Carrots or Celery Instead of a Candy Bar!
Snack cravings are any diet's natural enemy, and every good weight-loss plan has to have a method for dealing with them.
For instance, health-tip sites everywhere suggest that you fulfill this craving with a "healthy snack" instead, like fruit or nuts, or celery and carrot sticks.
If you like eating those things, then good for you, you weirdo! I don't, probably because I'm a spoiled, lazy American who grew up on processed foods. But we can't undo the past, and it is how it is. Fruit and celery are like medicine to me. Eating them feels like work, like something unpleasant you do because it's good for you. It doesn't feel like I'm satisfying a craving, it actually feels like I'm doing a chore and I want a treat even more badly afterward, for having endured the fruit.
The end result is, I probably eat even more chips than I would have.
This is if I had to eat a broccoli rabe salad.
And that's my problem; it misunderstands what snacks do for you. This advice depends on the assumption that everyone would psychologically accept the celery as a treat when they crave treats. The dirty truth is that sometimes when people want chips, they want goddamn chips. I don't want no carrot sticks or lightly salted fat-free popcorn.
And if that's you, the best way I've found to deal with it is to eat some chips -- carefully controlled amount of chips. I usually go with a small bag of Pop Chips, which is 100 calories. It's not healthy or nutritional in any way, but at least this way I can limit the damage and get on with my day instead of becoming frustrated with a shitty apple and diving into a big bag of greasy kettle chips afterward.
Relax! They're eating chips made out of ... paper. Really.
And if you actually enjoy healthy snacks, well, how did you even get fat in the first place? Why are you even reading this? I hate you.
#1. Shed Pounds By Drinking Lots of Water!
If you make the rounds of health websites or actually read your mom's email forwards before deleting them, you'll probably have been told that you need to be drinking at least eight cups of water a day, even if you are not thirsty and have a hard time getting it down.
Just chug that shit.
As common sense might tell you, though, no, you do not need to force feed yourself water when you're not thirsty in order to be healthy. As Scientific American reports the whole idea seems to stem from a misunderstanding of a 1945 study which recommended that amount of water for the average person. What researchers in that study understood, and people parroting their conclusions don't, is that unless your diet consists wholly of dehydrated biscuits, food also contains water.
Or unless you are an astronaut.
Steak, pasta, fruit (bleh), bread, haggis, live bats, you name it -- most of what you eat has water in it. They were recommending eight cups total, not eight cups of pure water in addition to your fairly waterlogged food.
The other claim is that drinking water (especially cold water) helps you lose weight, saying that "cold water is absorbed more quickly into the system," or that it burns calories somehow. This is bullshit. Drinking eight cups (64 ounces) of ice cold water would burn 70 calories total. Congratulations, you can now eat half a banana more.
Mmm, totally worth drinking a half-gallon of ice water for.
People also claim that water can fill you up so you won't be as hungry. Actually, thirst and hunger are separate systems, and studies have shown that drinking water before or during a meal doesn't affect appetite at all. You know what can fill you up though? Water-filled foods. So have some pasta salad or grapes instead of forcing water down your throat. But, you know, it's your choice whether you want to feel full or just go to the bathroom 10 times a day.
Seriously, it is your choice. Because like I've said, there is no one-size-fits-all fitness panacea. And if you're a frequent peeing fetishist who finds a bathroom trip a welcome reward for eating a lunchtime salad, then more power to you, you sicko.
For more from Christina, check out 5 Reasons Riding a Bike Is The Most Humiliating Exercise and 5 Weight Loss Tips for Cynical Bastards.


text:
Mr. Olive spent 30 years in law enforcement, including 22 with NCIS. Since retiring in 1999, he has run his own consulting and confidential investigations company. A former Marine, he was awarded the Bronze Star with combat "V" for valor while serving in Vietnam.
- Binding: Paperback & eBook
- Era: 20th Century
- Number of Pages: 320
- Subject: Biography/Espionag
- Date Available: September 2009


text:
The Family Enrichment Center in Bowling Green is a non-profit organization that aims to empower families and prevent child abuse in the Barren River region.
Today they kicked off their annual Buckets of Hope competition. Students from Warren County and Bowling Green public schools can now donate their change to help other children.
"It's kids being proactive and raising money for other kids. They want to be proactive and make a difference in the community. Last year Potter Gray raised over 2800 dollars for their school," said Family Enrichment Center Exec. Director Nickie Jones.
Jones says Lost River Elementary School came in a very close second place last year.
The winning classroom gets a free Wendy's meal, and the top fundraising school wins an ice cream party from Bruster's.


text:
(CBS/AP) The U.S. government has brought criminal charges against Edward Snowden, the former NSA contract employee who exposed two of the government's top-secret surveillance programs -- one that collected the phone records of millions of Americans, the other monitored internet traffic -- CBS News has learned Friday.
CBS News obtained a copy of the criminal complaint, unsealed Friday.
Snowden, who is believed to still be in Hong Kong somewhere, is being charged with espionage and the theft of government property relating to files he apparently took from the NSA, reported CBS News correspondent Bob Orr.
A one-page criminal complaint unsealed in federal court in Alexandria, Va., says Snowden engaged in unauthorized communication of national defense information and willful communication of classified communications intelligence information. Both are charges under the Espionage Act. Snowden also is charged with theft of government property. All three crimes carry a maximum 10-year prison penalty.
The complaint is dated June 14, five days after Snowden's name first surfaced as the leaker of information about the two programs.
Congressional reaction was swift.
"I've always thought this was a treasonous act. Apparently so does the U.S. Department of Justice," said Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla. a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, who has been outspoken on the Snowden case. "I hope Hong Kong's government will take him into custody and extradite him to the U.S."
Disclosure of the criminal complaint came as President Barack Obama held his first meeting with a privacy and civil liberties board as his intelligence chief sought ways to help Americans understand more about sweeping government surveillance efforts exposed by Snowden.
The five members of the obscure Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board huddled with Obama for an hour in the White House Situation Room, questioning the president on two NSA programs that have stoked controversy.
A contractor at the time with Booz Allen Hamilton, Snowden identified himself as the source of the leaked documents. He gave them to the newspapers the Guardian and the Washington Post. The leaks detailed programs that the NSA swept up vast amount of Internet and telephone data.
U.S. officials have asked Hong Kong authorities to detain Snowden, but it is uncertain of his current status and whether or not he has been taken into custody.
Meanwhile, an Icelandic business executive said Friday that a private plane is on standby to transport Snowden from Hong Kong to Iceland.
Olafur Vignir Sigurvinsson said he has not spoken directly with Snowden but has been in touch with a third party representing him.
The businessman, who has connections to the WikiLeaks secret-spilling organization, said he has access to planes in Hong Kong and mainland China that Snowden could use.
But Iceland's government says it has not received an asylum request from Snowden, who has revealed his role in providing secret NSA documents about widespread surveillance programs.
Iceland Interior Ministry spokesman Johannes Tomasson said Snowden hasn't approached the ministry and could initiate an asylum request if he was already in Iceland.
When asked about the reports of Sigurvinsson chartering a private plane to fly Snowden to Iceland, Tomasson said: "We don't object to that. But we don't have any knowledge other than what has been in the news. We can't comment any further on that."
Sigurvinsson said that Snowden's potential private flight is being funded by private donations.
"There are a number of people that are interested in freedom of speech and recognize the importance of knowing who is spying on us," he said. "We are people that care about privacy."
Money is being raised on Snowden's behalf by the Progressive Change Campaign Committee based in the United States, but it was not expected to be tapped to help with the cost of a possible flight to Iceland.


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text:
Randsplaining, defined
Last summer I came across a brilliant new term whose origins I've been searching for as part of my recent obsession with/analysis of libertarian conservatives. The term is "randsplaining," which is defined in the following way (and which can be accessed via twitter, here: https://twitter.com/MotherJones/status/241318627326980096):
randsplaining. verb. the act of a rich person confidently telling the poor what's wrong with them.
Perhaps even more than Sirico, Paul Ryan's public statements are suffused with examples of randsplaining. I'm not in the habit of giving advice to my political combatants, but here's a point to consider: the strategy hasn't worked very well thus far. Most of us that aren't part of the one percent don't like to have our alleged defects -- in particular, the fact that we're not rich -- trotted out and criticized. Being poor is difficult enough. Being castigated -- by the wealthy no less -- for being poor is unconscionable. There's something disturbingly Calvinistic about the process as well.
About the Author
Robert Geroux is a political theorist.
13 comments
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- Editor Featured
I presume it comes from "mansplaining," yes? But other than that I can't help trace the emergence of its usage!
[insert the your opponent's name here]-splaining is a unfortunate, fence-building neologism that does little beyond contributing to our already out of control polarization. It is a cheap rhetorical gag that works well in firing up the blogsphere and Twitter base--but it is also a sure sign that the person using it has no intention of seriously engaging the person at whom it is directed.
Perhaps we could benefit from the wise words of America's Matt Malone:
"Ideologies, which are alternative metanarratives, invariably involve an "other," a conceptual scapegoat, some oppressor who must be overthrown by the oppressed. Only the Gospel's radical call to peace and reconciliation justifies a radical politics....But if truth is ultimately a person, who is love, then no statement, however factually accurate, can ultimately be called truthful if it is not spoken in charity. This is precisely what it means to say, "If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal"(1 Cor 13:1)." http://www.americamagazine.org/issue/pursuing-truth-love
"[blank]-splaining" resounds and clangs with exactly the kind of ideological polarization that Christians are called to avoid.
Perhaps we should recognize that Ryan says Rand was the reason he got into politics. And that she found Christian charity repulsive. The statement you signed criticizing him for that is quite good on that point.
I love that statement and have publicly defended it. My points above still stand. "On All of Our Shoulders" lauds Ryan at several points, takes his arguments seriously, and attempts to respond in the spirit of Christian charity. In other words, it is on a fundmenally different trajectory from those who use words like "Randsplaining" to demonize and dismiss.
Rand was an ardent advocate of abortion. If "Randsplaining" is a "brilliant new term" to with which to legitimatley skewer people like Paul Ryan on economic grounds, can we also say that it may equally be applied to those who support abortion rights?
Demonize? I don't understand. Are you the same Charlie Camosy who repeatedly called Obama "the most pro-abortion-rights president ever"? [Edit: Our new site makes it more difficult to seach the blog, and I don't have time to run down the original version of this quote, so I have edited it to reflect something that I did find, after some searching through the archives.]
Grant, I don't ever recall saying that...in part because I currently don't think of Obama as pro-abortion...so it is hard for me to imagine that I once did. At any rate, if I did say it (5-6 years ago?), I was wrong to have done so. And for reasons similar to someone saying today that Ryan is a "Randsplainer." It does not take the person under the critique seriously, and instead contributes to polarization and misunderstanding....and, for that matter, to disunity in the Body of Christ.
If we ever want Ryan and those with his views to listen to our critique, this kind of cheap point scoring rhetoric doesn't work. It is a noisy gong.
Paul Ryan is not a child. Not even close. He is a grown man who willingly placed himself in a position of significant power in what is arguably the most powerful legislative body in the history of the known galaxy. He has options few of us mere mortals have. He also has responsiblities few of us mere mortals have. One of those is behave constructively when called to task for speaking publicly claiming the moral high ground with blatently obvious contradiction and then publicly dening he did so. His love affair with the utterly bleak and hedonistic nonsense charitably called a philosophy associated with the endlessly depressed Ayn Rand is such a case.
That any grown person could seriously require tolerating such duplicitous nonsense is beyond understanding. Catholicism is based on the life and teachings of Christ. What aspect of that bit of insight suggest adoration of survival of the fittest, a world view Ryan is more than happy to defend.
And no, it is neither wise nor charitable to blandly accept arrogance from a grown man. If Ryan's compulsion to be perceived as the smartest fellow in the room requires Objectivism than let him at it. His stunningly boneheaded attempt to connect that notion to Christ just won't do.
Mr Gallicho,
I think it is a factual statement to say that Obama is "the most pro-abortion rights president ever". It is not calumny to state this. Does it soften the sting to say that he is the most "pro-choice" president ever or that he is the most "pro-reproductive rights" president ever? I'm sure President Obama finds abortion tragic, but that doesn't mean that he is not fully supportive of abortion rights. He promised Planned Parenthood in 2007 that he would sign the Freedom of Choice Act. Thankfully he didn't champion the passage of this bill. Yet, his recent speech to Planned Parenthood was disheartening.
I like how the artist left all the Andre the Giant bits on that sticker.
"I'm not in the habit of giving advice to my political combatants, but here's a point to consider: the strategy hasn't worked very well thus far."
In the same spirit might I suggest that "randsplaining" is not likely to catch on, even among the Left. However brilliant it may have seemed last summer when you first encountered the dazzling new concept, it cannot compete with the effectiveness of the more tried and true, simple and direct straw man caricatures.
Whatever you call it, when Paul Ryan labels large groups of Americans "takers" and suggests the poor forego government aid to "build character" instead, I don't detect much interest in either avoiding "polarization" or engaging in cordial give-and-take with those who disagree. In fact, considering the kinds of things he has said and written, I'd say calling it mere "Randsplaining" is charitable indeed.
" --- It does not take the person under the critique seriously, and instead contributes to polarization and misunderstanding....and, for that matter, to disunity in the Body of Christ.
If we ever want Ryan and those with his views to listen to our critique, this kind of cheap point scoring rhetoric doesn't work. It is a noisy gong."
Substitute someone arguing in favor of abortion or marriage equality, and then carry on with this spirit of equanimity.


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Understanding Clinical Trials (DVD)
Reviewed By: Carolyn Vachani, MSN, RN, AOCN
The Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania
Last Modified: March 2, 2008
This 17 minute DVD is an introduction to participating in clinical trials and is available free from the NCI. The DVD is intended to be used as a discussion tool for group or one on one education. The accompanying discussion guide has suggested questions and topics for discussion. It could also be used by individual patients looking to learn more about trials.
The DVD is broken down into 3 sections. What is a clinical trial includes information on the phases of trials and who is involved in conducting them. Protecting your rights addresses safety monitoring, Institutional Review Board approval and the rights of the patient. Making your decision addresses things to consider when considering a trial, such as distance to the site, number of visits, any costs, etc. It provides a nice review of participating in trials without a bias toward participating or not participating.
Numerous patients are seen in the video, describing why they did or did not participate in a trial, considerations for them and how they felt about their decision. These patients also address common myths, such as feeling like a guinea pig, placebo and cost to participate. This DVD would be a nice addition to any resource library or patient education program.


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Black glitter mini top hat with black netted veil.
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Last year, Anaheim nearly convinced the Kings to move to the Honda Center.
However, this time, Jeremiah Jackson, a member of the city's Think Big task force to develop a new arena, said the city isn't concerned.
"We are not worried about Seattle or Anaheim or whatever the other cities are that would love to have a team," Jackson said.
Unlike last year, Jackson said Sacramento has a definitive arena location, design and nearly formalized financing plan.
Sacramento Bee columnist Marcos Breton points out, Seattle does not appear to have a definitive plan.
"They don't have the land. They don't have the ownership group. It's all at the talking stage," Breton said.
Said Jackson: "It's night and day," in comparing the city's confidence this year versus last.
A spokesman for the Kings said the team is moving forward with plans to stay put another season.
Chris Clark said the team will soon begin selling season tickets and reaching out to corporate sponsors for the next season.
"Every indication we have had is that the NBA is absolutely committed to the Sacramento market," Jackson said.
However, Breton said Seattle's interest does add pressure on Sacramento to finish the deal.
Last week, the city revealed the 13 companies interested in leasing the city's parking operations for 50 years to help finance a new area.
Next week, city staff will present a shorter list of the most qualified applicants to the city council.


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Saudi Arabia has strongly condemned the bombing of a bus in the Lebanese city of Tripoli today.
In a statement, the Kingdom denounced the "heinous terrorist crime" that threatens the security and stability of Lebanon at a time when its people are seeking reconciliation.
Saudi Arabia also reiterated its support for Lebanon and urged the Lebanese people to strengthen the security of the state through dialogue.


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French President Speaks of Exit from Mali
TIMBUKTU, Mali—French President François Hollande, in a visit Saturday to this ancient caravan city, said his military is seeking to wind down a three-week campaign even as soldiers continue to hunt for al Qaeda-backed rebels who had occupied the northern half of the West African country.
"Together we're going to hunt these terrorists down to their final refuge," President Hollande told a jubilant crowd in Timbuktu. "It would be a mistake to think that we, with the Malian army, in returning security to the cities of Gao and Timbuktu, can stop here."
French troops are pursuing Islamist rebels into the mountains along Mali's border with Algeria, the French president said. Militants from al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, the Saharan offshoot of the terror group, are thought to have fled into the rocky redoubts after tanks and airstrikes drove rebels out of Timbuktu, and its larger sister city, Gao, last week.
The French intervention began Jan. 11, after a southern rebel advance captured towns not far from Mali's capital. Several thousand troops from other African countries are set to arrive in Mali to help with the next phase of the military campaign—maintaining control of towns freed from al Qaeda rebels. But logistical delays have complicated that transition.
"The changeover is soon enough," said Mr. Hollande. "Now, it's the Malians who have the responsibility to assure the transition and above all the stability of their country."
The Malian army is still regrouping following a March coup d'état that left the government and security forces in disarray, and cleared the way for militants in April to take control of the northern half of the country.
The French intervention has breathed a new life into this roughly millennium-old city, where residents watched rebel gunmen bulldoze many of its cherished, centuries-old monuments, on the grounds that they were un-Islamic. In Timbuktu, several thousand well-wishers swarmed Mr. Hollande during his two-hour visit.
One sign read: "Salutations to you, the first citizen of France, François Hollande. You incarnate for us the angel who put a stop to the calamity."
The remnants of Islamic rule still stand near the Islamic Police headquarters in Timbuktu, where fundamentalist police enforced seventh-century punishments: whippings for cigarette smoking, amputations for theft, and executions for adultery.
"The city of Timbuktu is founded upon Islam and will be judged only through Islamic law (Shariah)" reads a billboard there.
Spray-painters have blotted those billboards out in the six days since French tanks arrived, and Mr. Hollande's visit capped a week of celebration. Drumming, banned under al Qaeda rule, welled up from the crowd.
"I want the French to stay here for even twenty to fifty years," said Abou Bakary Maiga, one of the crowd. "That would please us, because we are afraid."
The French military presence appears to offer some protection to Mali's Arab and Tuareg citizens, who have been accused by the Malian army and fellow citizens of helping fund AQIM.
When putting down rebellions after 1960, when Mali became independent, Malian troops carried out mass killings of citizens of Tuareg and Arab descent. When French troops moved into Kidal, a distant and largely Tuareg town this week, they took the town without Malian troops. In Timbuktu, a once-sizable Arab minority had almost entirely fled in the days before Malian and French troops chased the rebels away, and virtually no Arab residents joined the thousands of black Malians who welcomed President Hollande.
"We don't know where they are, but we're going to go house to house to find them," screamed Mariam Cissé, in a dress sewn from a French flag, of Malians of Arab descent.
Later, cheering "vive la France," she wrapped her arms around French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, who accompanied Mr. Hollande.
Write to Drew Hinshaw at email@example.com


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The JD Edwards EnterpriseOne PreSales University
By Julien Haye-Oracle on Nov 08, 2012
Istanbul NOV 5-9
Wednesday, NOV 7 - It is raining outside and I am sitting in my hotel room (#106) in Istanbul and create my first blog entry. Today this blog was enabled and I am excited to have the ability to share my (first) thoughts with the EMEA JDE Partner Community.
I am here in Istanbul because we are currently running the JD Edwards PreSales University Event series. This PreSales University is an established event series which we deliver the fifth time now and the first time in the ECEMEA region. Delegates value the openness and competence from the Product Strategy and Product Development Team from Denver and India. Together with the regional Oracle PreSales team we had very valuable discussions around product features and functions and about the business value of the new delivered applications and tools.
Additionally the event provides endless opportunities to exchange ideas with other JD Edwards Partner and the Oracle PreSales Team. With its focus on sharing and learning, best practice, user experience and transforming technologies, delegates will leave this event with an abundance of new ideas and best practices to try for your coming projects and existing customer implementations. A day out of the office gives delegates a chance to gain a new perspective on their business processes. Everybody sees better ways of working just by being immersed in an environment where the focus is on using products more effectively.
Apps Track: Highly concentrated participants in Istanbul listening to Jeff Erickson presenting the news about OneView Reporting. Jeff: We believe "The things you said".
The event is organized into two tracks, one for Apps and one for Tech. Everybody was able to learn new features and functions and how to position this products. The focus was on the new Apps release 9.1 and Tools Release 9.1.2 and their Value Propositions. For all topics hands-on exercises has been given to the participants. Even very experienced senior consultants did learn a lot from this event. In total we have 55 people registered and we still have some more content to deliver.
By the way: Istanbul is a nice place to be. I already booked my next trip to this beautiful city. In two weeks we deliver the JD Edwards EECIS Executive Forum again in Istanbul. Once again a tough Agenda. I will let you know if I had the ability to have a walk outside and see a bit more of this beautiful city. At least I expect to have a different room number.
Many greetings
Hartmut Wiese
Oracle Alliances & Channels EMEA


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How often should I fertilize my lawn? Should I follow a certain schedule? I have heard of people fertilizing on around holidays [US: Easter (sometime in April), Memorial day (last week of May), fourth of July, Labor day (first week of September)].
My decades ago hort 101 class said fertilizer is not really necessary if you use a mulching mower. If you bag the clippings or if you want thicker greener lawn you can apply fertilizer up to 3 times per year. The applications should be timed to catch the grass growing but not the weeds.
Here in central Iowa with bluegrass/ryegrass/fescue lawns the grasses go brown/dormant during the hot part of the summer (July, August) and grow most vigorously in the cooler spring and fall. The weeds go nuts in the spring (April, May, June) - we do not want to encourage that! So the fertilization schedule works out to once in the first 1-2 weeks in September, again 2-3 weeks after that and (very optionally!) once in the early spring just after the ground thaws (first 1-2 weeks in April).
Below are a few quotes from this answer I posted here on SE. Hopefully you find them of some benefit:
You may also find the actual answer I pointed to above of some help:
What's an organic way to discourage crabgrass from a large "lawn"?
In upstate NY here - I usually fertilize mine once in Spring (late in May) once in the summer (around mid-July) and once in the Fall (around mid-Sept) and it seems to do the trick just fine.


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UPGRADE: Please report anything out of the ordinary post-upgrade in this thread: http://www.orthodoxchristianity.net/forum/index.php/topic,66430.new.html
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Christ's headship over the Church is not enough; plan hiring an assassin.
the best way of conveying God's love to people is through your own presence and deeds.
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Meeting Notes 2013 04 30
You should read the meeting instructions forthwith!
Don't forget to post the meeting notes to the wiki and e-mail the discussion list with a short summary.
These are the notes from the The 263rd Meeting of Noisebridge. Note-taker: FIXME YOUR NAME HERE; Moderator: FIXME THEIR NAME HERE.
- One or two bullet points of high-level meeting summary.
Short announcements and events
- Bullet point list of announcements and events
Membership Binder
- The name of the applicant, the week of their application, and their sponsors.
Financial Report
- Funds in bank:
- Noisetor (See the bulletpoints at the bottom of http://noisetor.net/finances/#summary):
Consensus items
Proposals from last week
(Add any items which pass or are blocked to the Consensus Items History page.)
Proposals for next week
(Add any new items for consensus to the Current Consensus Items page.)
Reverend Mik proposes that Noisebridge send Form CT-NRP-1 to the California Attorney General with a $20 check so that we as an organization are in compliance with California law, and require the treasurer to compile and submit the annual report to Attorney General's office as specified in the applicable case law. (original email with details here https://www.noisebridge.net/pipermail/noisebridge-discuss/2013-April/036577.html )
Discussion Notes
- List of names and short summary. For bonus points, link wiki user pages.
Now that the meeting is over, don't forget to post the meeting notes to the wiki and e-mail the discussion list with a short summary.


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Suppose we have a ladder (with a unit length) and we want to position it to reach the highest point possible on a vertical wall. The terrain is sloped and can be described with a variable k. What is the optimal distance from the wall the ladder should be placed at, so the point reached is the highest?
See the picture, we are looking for x.
I've concluded, "experimentally", that the ladder should be placed vertical to the terrain, but I've been unable to prove it. I didn't how to set a Lagrange correctly. (and yes, this was an exam question, I don't plan on scaling any walls!)


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Natural pumice stone block provides an ideal gnaw
surface. Lasts longer than wood chews and won't
splinter, keeping small pets' teeth in top condition. 2" x 2" x 2". For: Chinchillas, rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, or gerbils.
Dental and Oral Care
Drs. Foster & Smith Educational Staff
Many dental and oral diseases in mice and rats can be prevented if certain precautions are taken. Since there are limited treatments for rodent dental disorders, prevention is the best course of action.
The incisors of rodents continue to grow throughout their lifetime and if they are not worn down through regular gnawing or grinding, the teeth may overgrow and result in more serious problems. Coarse vegetable matter or tough fibrous roughage that requires extended chewing or grinding will naturally wear down and keep teeth at an appropriate length. These food items should be provided regularly in addition to a nutritionally complete diet.
Chew toys, or hard textured dental treats can also help promote natural wear of teeth while providing stimulating activity as well as variety. The teeth of your pet should be examined routinely for abnormalities. Contact your veterinarian if you notice abnormal growth, or if your pet drools, has difficulty chewing, is eating less, or shows pain when touched around the mouth or head. If detected early enough, the veterinarian can trim overgrown teeth and more serious problems can be avoided.
Providing a nutritionally balanced diet that includes coarse vegetable matter or tough fibrous roughage is one of the easiest ways to promote natural wear of teeth and good dental and oral health.
Start here:
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Let $X = \{G_1,G_2,...,G_n\},$ where $G_i$ are groups under some operation $*$. Is $X$ a group under $\oplus$?
What's going to be the identity element for your group, the group $E$ such that $E\oplus G=G$ for all $G$? I guess it has to be the one-element group.
But then where will you find inverses? Given a group $G\ne E$, how can there be a group $H$ such that $G\oplus H=E$?
It appears there will only be some very special cases where $X$ is a group under $\oplus$.
You must understand incorrectly.
$$G_{1}\oplus...\oplus G_{n}$$ is indeed a group and is called the direct sum of $G_{1},...G_{n}$ but $\oplus$ is not the operation of the group.
Denote $*_{i}$ as the operation of group $G_{i}$ and let $$(g_{1},...g_{n}),(g_{1}',...g_{n}')\in G_{1}\oplus...\oplus G_{n}$$ (that is $g_{i},g_{i}'\in G_{i})$.
The operation of $G$ that will denoted by $*$ is defined by $$(g_{1},...g_{n})*(g_{1}',...g_{n}'):=(g_{1}*_{1}g_{1}',...,g_{n}*_{n}g_{n}')$$
If you think $\oplus$ is the operation it means that $\forall i,j:\, G_{i}\oplus G_{j}:=G_{k}$ for some $1\leq k\leq n$ and I doubt that is what you meant.
To add a bit to what others have already said: No, in general what you have is not a group. The "first thing" that you would need for this to be a group is that $G_i\oplus G_j \in X$ for all $i,j$. So you cannot just take an arbitrary set of groups.
One simple example of when it would work is when $X = \{E \}$, where $E = \{1\}$. Here $E\oplus E \simeq E$.
As you think about this, remember that if the $G_i$s are finite then the order of $G_i\oplus G_j$ is the product of the orders of the two groups.


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Voice of experience According to the Connecticut Mirror, former state Sen. Ernest Newton, D-Bridgeport, recently testified to the Connecticut Sentencing Commission in favor of a proposal "that attempts to remove the housing and employment barriers that those released from prison face." Mr. Newton spoke from personal experience. In 2005, he was convicted of three corruption charges and later served four years in federal prison. He now says, "Being an ex-felon is almost discriminatory. Everywhere you go, the door is closed on you." Mr. Newton probably has it even tougher than most ex-cons. In '05, he infamously said he was targeted for prosecution simply because he is African-American. As such, the former senator's efforts to get on with his life are probably impeded not only by his malfeasance but by his excuse-making.
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Oakville: Thousands raised during tree lighting to support VNA
On behalf of the board of directors and staff at VNA Health at Home, I thank all who supported and participated in the annual Memorial Tree Lighting Ceremony on Dec. 4 at the Oakville Green. Our tree is lit each holiday season to honor and remember the many people who have touched our lives.
More than $9,600 was raised to support the work of VNA Health at Home. This fundraiser allows us to expand and enhance programs available to home health patients, and provide preventative community health outreach initiatives at no charge to the public.
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- Hard fight at Fredericksburg
- Connecticut: 'Thanksgiving for All' arrived at the right moment
- Beacon Falls: Town lucky to have devoted volunteers
- Torrington: New fire chief grateful for backing of officials, public
- Woodbury: Preparedness is a high priority with town officials
- Kent: Town residents' generosity noted
- Naugatuck: Fundraiser aimed to help renovate flooded church hall
- Oakville: Thousands raised during tree lighting to support VNA
- Watertown: Legion presentation was well attended
- Prospect: Proud mom grateful to clubs for tribute


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Personal Racing Safety EquipmentWritten by on January 14, 2014 The Safety System
In order to maximize your protection, you must consider how your personal safety equipment work together
Often racers will take the "tech inspection" method for determining their personal protective equipment. You know the drill, value judgments often leave tracks and sanctioning bodies open for criticism, so to avoid that they try to provide their safety and tech inspectors with simple go/no go decisions. So the inspectors have a checklist and as long as you hit all the marks you are good to go.
For your personal protective equipment, it often goes something along the lines of: Helmet? Check. Firesuit? Check. Belts? Check. And on down the line.
But while just owning all the right pieces of equipment is often good enough for the tech department, the question becomes, is that good enough for you? After all, if you get injured on the track, you are the one that's going to have to live with the pain and hospital bills. And if you can possibly avoid a several-thousand dollar emergency room bill or time out of work by spending a little more on your safety equipment, isn't that a good investment? Yeah, we thought so too.
So you should expand that safety checklist to include real value judgments. Fine, you own a helmet, but is it showing a spider web of fine stress cracks from the time you threw it on the ground in frustration after a bad heat? Or, you have a five-point harness but do you ever spend the time to check for fraying webbing around the adjusters and mounts? How about the gloves you have to show the inspector but never bother to put on and leave in the trailer whenever you take the track? You get the idea.
Another concept to consider beyond the quality of your individual pieces of personal protective equipment is how well it all works together as a system. "No matter how good it is, no piece of safety equipment will be able to protect you from everything," explains Trevor Ashline, the Vice President of Engineering and Product Development at Simpson Performance Products. And he should know, Ashline has been a major innovator in the field of racer safety for years. He invented the "Hutchens Device" one of the first head restraint systems available after the tragic death of Dale Earnhardt Sr. and has continually found better -- and more comfortable -- ways to protect racers ever since.
"If it is designed well and installed correctly, all of your safety equipment works together to provide you the best possible protection," Ashline adds. "A good racing seat keeps your body contained, but it requires your belts to hold you in the seat. A head-and-neck restraint will do its job, but it requires a helmet to keep your head positioned properly. You have to think about the system comprehensively and how it all works together."
Circle Track has been working with racer Jason Gulledge as he builds a new Super Street Monte Carlo for racing on dirt. We'll be documenting the car build in future issues, but for now Gulledge's first order of business was replacing his out-of-date racing helmet and a head-and-neck restraint system. We contacted Ashline and he happily shared his knowledge and experience gained from decades of research and development into keeping racers safe when the unexpected happens.
How to Install Head Restraint Helmet Anchors
If you purchase a Simpson helmet, you can have any of the three anchors installed from the factory. But you may already own a helmet and want to add a head-and-neck restraint system. Or you may prefer another brand. In that case, Simpson's Holli McAllister showed up the right way to install head restraint anchors properly.
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1. The options available to racers today can be daunting. Gulledge met Ashline in the Team Simpson store in Mooresville, NC, and even with just a single brand the options can be overwhelming. If you aren't able to get to a showroom to try out various helmets and other protective gear and must order over the phone or internet, make sure the company you are working with has a customer-friendly exchange policy because nobody can guarantee you are going to get the perfect helmet on the first try.2. Simpson's Holli McAllister measures Gulledge's head to find the correct helmet size. This is something you can have someone help you with. Just use a flexible tape measure and measure around the head in a level, straight line just above brow level.3. Simpson's most popular head-and-neck restraint systems utilize a chest strap. To properly size for that McAllister also measures Gulledge's chest just below the pectoral muscles. Don't try to puff up your chest or make muscles. McAllister says it is better to make the measurement while wearing your driving suit, but if you don't have it handy they can account for it. Just make sure to let them know whether you were wearing your suit when you made the measurement.5. Fresh air intakes are quickly becoming more popular at all levels. Quality helmet manufacturers like Simpson can place the fittings just about anywhere you want on the helmet. Ashline recommends the top (left) rather than the sides (right) because a side mount can limit how much padding can be added to the seat's head surround.6. Ashline says that carbon-fiber helmets—like this "Smoke" helmet by Simpson—can be useful because the carbon fiber can significantly cut the helmet's overall weight and provide extra protection from debris impacts to the head. But Ashline says many helmet manufacturers are providing the look without the real benefit. If the carbon fiber is only another layer on top of a traditional shell, all you are paying for is the cool look.7. This is Simpson's Carbon Fiber Air Enforcer Vudo. Notice the deep chin flap on the front of the helmet. Many Sprint Car racers who sit upright and more exposed in the car find that they like a chin flap like this as an extra bit of protection from trash kicked up off the track.8. McAllister pointed out small differences in helmets that can have a big effect on your comfort in the cockpit. Notice how the Carbon Fiber Devil Ray helmet on the right has a larger scallop on the bottom edge. McAllister says females or children with shorter necks often find a helmet like this more comfortable because it helps keep the helmet from rubbing on the driver's shoulders.9. Not all faces are made the same. A new helmet should fit about as tight as you can stand it because as the helmet breaks in the padding will compact making for a looser fit. Sometimes you will find the head area of a helmet is perfect but the padding around the cheeks is too tight or loose. Some helmets, like Simpson's Voyager shown here, have removable cheek pads that can be replaced with different sized pieces for a perfect fit.
11. One of the advantages of the Hybrid Pro Slide is that it provides better side impact protection than other head-and-neck restraint systems while also providing optimum protect from a full frontal hit. But Ashline warns, even this improved restraint shouldn't be considered a cure-all. If your race seat doesn't offer full head containment you should also consider sprint nets to help limit lateral head movement.12. Like helmets and seat belts, head-and-neck restraints don't last forever. But instead of throwing it away and buying a new one, The Hybrid line can be inspect and rebuilt if necessary. Ashline says that it usually involves only replacing the polyester wrapped Kevlar straps and the rubber pads where the shoulder belts lay over the carbon-fiber restraint. The real cost of the unit is in the carbon-fiber portion of the restraint, but the good news is that it will fit practically anyone from age 14 on up. So it will last you for years and you can have the chest strap resized as you grow.13. The Hybrid Pro series should fit in practically any full containment racing seat without modification. Still, you should check with your own seat not only to make sure everything is comfortable while sitting in the seat but also that you can get into and out of the car with both the restraint and helmet on.14. Simpson offers three different approved ways of connecting your helmet to the head-and-neck restraint, but the most popular is the M6 Anchor. It uses tethers that make it easy for the driver to use without having to reach around behind his helmet. See the included sidebar for instructions for installing your own anchors to any brand of helmet.15. With the tether system, you absolutely want to make sure the tether doesn't get caught on something and the restraint somehow becomes released without you knowing it. To prevent that, and to make it always easy to find the tethers quickly and easily, a Velcro patch is included to attach the ends of the tethers to the front of your helmet.16. The Hybrid Pro's slider system allows more head movement than other restraint systems, but movement should still be limited to just enough to see when you've cleared another car to the inside. This is about the maximum movement Ashline recommends.17. Make sure to test head movement in your own racing seat in your own car. The restraint straps are adjustable, but you will need someone to help you with the adjustments.18. Once everything is set, practice attaching the restraint system to the helmet while you are in your seat until you can do it without fumbling. You should also practice getting out of your car with both your helmet and restraint still on in case you have to get out quick in an emergency. Also, note the 2-inch wide shoulder straps. They aren't mandatory, but 2-inch straps often are less prone to "wadding up" and just generally fit drivers under 200 pounds better.19. Simpson's Platinum Plus restraints are the very same ones used by the NASCAR Cup drivers and made in Simpson's shops in Mooresville. They also feature some very unique design features. For example, Ashline says it is safer and more comfortable for the driver is the shoulder adjuster is kept low, so Simpson keeps the lower straps for the shoulder belts shorter than most. This makes it impossible for the driver to wear the adjuster too high on his or her chest.
20. One of the greatest wear points for any belt system is around metal buckles and anchors. To eliminate the chance of fraying all Platinum Plus belts have an inner piece of webbing sewn in to insulate the load bearing belts from rubbing against the metal.21. Here's another very cool—and innovative—feature of the Platinum Plus belts. Instead of a traditional L-shaped bracket to mount the shoulder belts to the latch, the Platinum Plus uses a cast O-ring style link. This centers the belt over the force of impact and eliminates the chance of the belt moving like it could if an L-bracket bends.1. The first step is to find the centerline of the back of the helmet. The most precise way to do that is to use the hinges for the face shield on either side of the helmet as your zero points. Measure from each hinge to somewhere near the center of the helmet on the back around 1.5 inches up from the bottom and mark your spot on painters tape applied to the helmet.2. Repeat the process on the other side of the helmet using the same distance. If your first measurement was 7 inches, make sure your second is exactly 7 inches too.3. Now that you have two marks on the back of the helmet, split the difference and find the center. Mark the center 1.5 inches from the bottom of the helmet.4. Using that center mark, measure 5.5 to 6 inches to either side of the helmet to mark you anchor holes. For smaller helmets the 5.5 inch measurement will work, but you may need to use 6 inches if you use a larger helmet. Just make sure your point is slightly behind where your ear would be.5. Again, make sure you make your mark for drilling the hole 1.5 inches from the bottom edge of the helmet.6. McAllister says drilling the hole is the easy part. The anchor you use will include instructions with the correct size drill bit to use.
8. The M6 Anchor uses a sliding pin to lock the head-and-neck restraint in place. It should be on an angle, but McAllister says the best tip to get the angle close on the first try is to set the anchor with the Simpson logo so that it is level.


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Both locations of First Bank in Carmi will offer the annual Good Friday Bake Sale Friday, March 29. Proceeds from the event will benefit the White County Relay for Life.
An assortment of items will be available, from cakes, cookies, pies, brownies and more. The sale is also a perfect opportunity to get items for Easter weekend gatherings while supporting a great cause.
First Bank locations in Carmi can be found at the corner of Main and Walnut Streets in downtown or at the west location on Outer West Main Street next to McDonalds.
For more information, contact First Bank at 382-4118.
Location, ST | website.com


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Harley Quinn's Greatest Moments from "Batman: The Animated Series"
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Writer Vince Hernandez spoke with CBR about his Aspen 10-For-10 series "Charismagic" vol. 2, dabbling in the book's powerful magical elements, the talking cat Sparkles and comics censorship.
Writer J.T. Krul spoke with CBR about his newest creator-owned works at Aspen Comics, the prose novel "The Lost Spark" and new comic book series "Jirni," part of the company's "10 For 10" initiative.
An extended trailer for "Iron Man 3" debuted during Super Bowl XLVII, featuring The Mandarin's savage attack on an airplane mid-flight and a shot of Don Cheadle as James Rhodes in a unique set of armor.
John Layman unexpectedly announced late Friday evening that the Showtime adaptation of his creator owned series with Image Comics, "Chew," has been cancelled.
Marvel Comics has released images of variant covers by artist Adi Granov for "Age of Ultron" #4 & #5. The maxiseries, which debuts March 6, is written by Brian Michael Bendis with art by Bryan Hitch.
Drake Bell, the voice of Spider-Man on Disney XD's "Ultimate Spider-Man," and Supervising Producer Cort Lane discuss Spidey's Season 2 exploits, celebrity voices from the Marvel films, the Sinister Six and more!
Mateus Santolouco & Erik Burnham expound on IDW's upcoming "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Secret History of the Foot Clan," how it plays to themes of reincarnation, its ties to feudal Japan and more with exclusive art.
Scott Lobdell discusses his DC Comics titles, promising a new road for Superman, major changes for "Teen Titans" and the "most severe beat down of the Joker" ever in "Red Hood and the Outlaws."
CBR spoke with voice actor Matthew Mercer at Capcom's "Resident Evil 6" launch party about playing the game's protagonist, updated gameplay and recording bizarre death sequences.
Actor Michael Gray looks back on his time as Billy Batson in Filmation's '70s live-action "Shazam!," the adventures experienced during his time as a teen idol and loving the role despite his ultimate typecasting.
Head writer and story editor Stan Berkowitz spoke candidly with CBR about his time on "The Adventures of Superboy," which episodes he recalls fondly, the troubles shooting in Orland and his overall disappointment with his run.
Courtesy of the "Batgirl Spoiled" webseries crew, CBR TV has an exclusive trailer of the new series starring geek culture actress Marisha Ray as the third Batgirl, Stephanie Brown.
Writer Paul Allor spoke with CBR News about introducing old-school character Fugitoid to the new continuity of IDW's "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Micro-Series" hitting stores September 5.
Archaia hosted a panel on "world building" at CCI packed with creators including David Petersen, Royden Lepp, and Jeremy Bastian, who discussed crafting a story beyond plot and a strong protagonist.
Horror comics historian Craig Yoe and horror comics enthusiast Steve "Karswell" Banes recounted the horror comics of the 1950s, digging into their gory origins, dark downfall and the artists who worked on them.
Artist Dave McKean detailed his relationship with scientist and Atheism proponent Richard Dawkins and his experience documenting Michael Sheen's passion play, "The Gospel of Us."
Oni Press EiC James Lucas Jones and the publisher's top creators went into detail about their work at Comic-Con, and Oni announced new projects set for release in 2013.
Ben Edlund, creator of "The Tick" and current "Supernatural" writer, spent a wacky 60 minutes getting into his 20-year TV career with cohorts Shadoe Stevens, Doc Hammer & Jackson Publick.
Writer Bill Willingham and a host of "Fables" creators officially announced a "Fables" convention, teased the franchise's future, and reminisced about favorite moments from the last decade.
Valiant made its presence known at the annual ValiantFans.com panel, giving longtime supporters insight into the company's plans. Post-panel, CBR learned exclusively of the upcoming Gold Logo program and more.
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Great Values on every
new and used pre-owned Honda vehicle. Most
of our used Honda cars, vans and trucks are covered under Honda's
fantastic 7 year or 100,000 mile Certified warranty. Take a look
at select Honda Certified pre-owned Accord, Civic,
Fit, Odyssey, CR-V, Element, Pilot, S-2000 and
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If you cannot find your ideal vehicle in our current pre-owned inventory, check out our handy CarFinder tool. After specifying a search period (1 to 8 weeks) and providing vehicle details, we'll begin the search process for you and send you a notification when a matching vehicle arrives in our inventory.
Why should you choose a Honda Certified Used Car?
Every Honda is a product of innovative engineering and quality manufacturing. And only well-maintained Honda models that are less than six years old or have a maximum of 80,000 miles are eligible for certification. The certification process includes:
All advertised prices for new vehicles include destination charge but exclude state and local taxes, tags, registration and title fees, processing fee and the cost of optional equipment selected by the purchaser, if any.


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Perez Hilton: A blogging father
Once the most hated gossip blogger in Hollywood, he's toned down the nastiness and seeks 'good energy' for his baby boy. The new approach hasn't hurt his popularity. Read the story: The rumors about Perez Hilton are true
This photo gallery is featured in these articles:


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I'd like to put all my eggs in one basket. Which have people have found most successful, and why?
I am a Google power user since 2001, but I have become disgruntled with the company due to its service cancellation policies. Many applications I have poured data into have been discontinued. Given the recent cancellation of Google Reader, there is a high risk that Google won't keep Keep (pardon the pun). So evidently I recommend Evernote:
Google keep is only Android and web, as far as I know. Evernote has native applications for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and a very nice web application. I use multiple devices with different operating systems, I appreciate my productivity applications being available on all of them.
Evernote has a web clipper and a browser addon (Clearly) that do a very nice job of making the task of saving information from web sites very easy. As far as I know, Google Keep does not.
There is an active community of developers creating products (both free and paid) using Evernote and it's APIs. Evernote markets several applications built on the base Evernote datastore. This speaks to there being a wider community of stakeholders in the ongoing viability of Evernote than there is for Google Keep.
Evernote the company makes its income by licensing Evernote and add-ons to it. Google makes its income by selling ads. Evernote is at the core of someone's livelihood, Google keep is not. The maker of each product has very different incentives to keep it current and available.
I use Google's products for a lot of things, but in this case I see Evernote as the clear better choice.
Update 2013-05-31: Evernote now has reminders! They're not implemented on all platforms yet, but will be soon.
The thing I like about Evernote is that this is all they do (for now). Unlikely they would/could discontinue their core product....whereas Google, this is a nice little product that they could easily live without. Plus, Evernote has a lot more functionality right now - things pretty much work as expected, very few bugs.
Go with Evernote for sure.


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The city of Semarang, capital of the province of Central Java, sits precisely in the center of the northern seaboard of the fertile and densely populated island of Java.
In the 15th century the Chinese emperor's emissary Zheng He , otherwise known here as Admiral Cheng Ho, set foot here on Java , its auspicious occasion commemorated in the temple of Gedung Batu. From the 17th century onwards, Semarang became a busy entrepot for spices and from the 20th century on a busy harbor for trade and passengers when travel was made predominantly by sea. This strategic position of Semarang has made the city a melting pot of Chinese, Indian Arab, and European cultures. Today the city of Semarang is home to around 1.5 million residents.
Java's northern seaboard, known as pesisir, has always been a busy route. The Grand Postal highway – or de Grote Postweg - built by Dutch Governor General Daendels in the 19th century, until today continues to be a very important road connecting the west with the eastern part of Java. Trains between Jakarta and Surabaya also make Semarang their major central stop.
West of Semarang are the batik centers of Pekalongan and Cirebon (now in West Java) while to its east are the towns of Demak, Kudus, Jepara and Rembang, cradle in the growth and spread of Islam on Java. While to its south, in its hinterland, lie the temple regions of Borobudur, Prambanan and the Dieng Plateau, as well as the royal cities of Yogyakarta and Solo. This scencry south of Semarang is beautifully green and fertile, highlighted by many volcanoes and lush paddy fields. Many international cruise liners today make Semarang their port of call to allow passengers to visit these important ancient world heritage sites.
While to the north of Semarang are the still pristine islands of Karimun Jawa, a haven for divers.
The name "Semarang", is believed derived from its founder , Raden Made Pandan Arang, who built the city at a delta called Pergota or Pragota, that was dotted with tamarind trees, locally known as "Asam Arang". The city of Semarang was declared a region on May 2nd, 1547 with Kyai Ageng Pandan Arang II, the son of Raden Made Pandan, as its regent. Politically as well as culturally, the anniversary of Semarang eventually falls on this date.
Wander around the Chinese quarters and the Dutch commercial district, and you will see the influences of different cultures everywhere. In the older part of the city near the harbor named Kota Lama, or the Oudstadt, stroll around and explore the historic old buildings in what was once the European commercial district. The most renowned landmark to see here is the Koepelkerk, a Phanteon style church, locally known as Geraja Bleduk, a copper domed Dutch church dating from 1753.
Don't forget to visit Gedung Batu where stands the old Chinese temple and the recently erected statue of Admiral Cheng Ho.
Please refer to the list of hotels shown at Find A Hotel on the right side of the page.
In Semarang, taxi is everywhere. Small buses are visible going by the city streets. They go to different parts of the city. You might want to ask the locals before taking one of those city buses.
Becak or rickshaw (trishaw) is a pleasant choice to feel the breeze in Semarang while you enjoy the city scenes. When visiting Kota Lama, take one of those becaks, and enjoy the relaxing ride.
Semarang is accessible by air and land. Its strategic location does not make it so difficult to get there. Many domestic airlines fly to Semarang from Jakarta and Surabaya.
From Jakarta, Bandung, Surabaya, and Malang, trains are available as well as buses and rented cars. Going to Yogyakarta and Solo, buses are available.
The train station in Semarang is called Stasiun Tawang. It is located right at the northern side of the Kota Lama. Bus station is in Terboyo, which serve inter-city buses.
Cruises depart or visit Semarang from the port of Tanjung Emas. Taking a cruise is a great way to take in the attractions of Central Java at a relaxed pace. International cruise liners also stop in Semarang, using it as a base to visit various attractions in the region including Borobudur and Prambanan.


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5 Real Places Plucked Straight Out of Fairy Tales
We recently brought you some examples of famous fictional locations that, much to everyone's surprise, you can actually visit for real.
So let's up the stakes a bit. The following are outright fantasy locations -- from fairy tales, comic books, movies and other fictional stories -- that are just plane tickets away. Like ...
#5. Superman's Fortress of Solitude (The Cave of the Crystals)
The Fantasy Location:
Superman's home away from home, constructed from the massive crystals that also made up his home planet of Krypton:
It's the only place on Earth isolated enough to hide the sound of his Superfarts.
The Real Thing:
That would be the Cueva de los Cristales in the Naica Mine of Chihuahua, Mexico. And we dare say that it's actually more impressive than the comic book and movie locale.
It's true that there are lots of crystal caves in the world -- Steven Seagal started naming albums after them, after all. However, amid the countless ones that amount to little more than the Glitter Club Meeting Caves, there are a few that can grab you by the brain and gouge your eyes with furious wonder.
Cueva de los Cristales is every single one of them. On steroids. The sheer size of this thing is just stupid.
Reflections from Thailand
What strikes you first is the scale of these things. Then it strikes you again.
The quiet home to some of the largest selenite crystals in the world, Cuevo de los Cristales follows its "land of the flamboyant decorator giants" ethos all the way through -- not only does it make you seem like you are an inch tall, it also can kill you with the snap of its proverbial fingers.
The cave's breath is hot and moist: It is so close to an enormous underground magma chamber that air temperatures reach up to 136 degrees Fahrenheit. This, combined with constant humidity that hovers near 100 percent, renders much of the magnificent site unexplorable. As such, unless you are more resistant to the elements than the cockroach-sized vermin you are reduced to in this place, you should approach the site with caution.
On the plus side, though, the place does make for one hell of a spectacular tomb.
Fun Guerilla
It's No. 4 on Death magazine's "Top Places to Decompose."
Storm Chaser
"Alright, just move a little to the left. Now straighten up a little. Now die horribly in pain. OK, that's a wrap!"
#4. Alice's Looking-Glass Land (The Garden of Cosmic Speculation)
The Fantasy Location:
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass are two of the most beloved children's stories of all time, and by far the most perfect way anyone has ever managed to disguise math in screaming insanity. The world is full of twisting scenery following nonsense logic.
For more nonsense logic, huff some paint and watch a Ralph Bakshi movie.
Many rides and even whole amusement parks have tried to capture the peculiar feeling of Alice's adventures, but their otherworldly atmosphere is extremely hard to nail down, since the point is that it defies reality. It turns out it just takes some work, since Scotland has managed to recreate the Looking-Glass Land. The planning stage of their version must have involved a hell of a lot of acid.
The Real Thing:
Seconds after this picture was taken, that man was sucked into a wormhole.
The Garden of Cosmic Speculation, by landscape architect Charles Jencks, offers a brief glimpse of what the world would look like if Mother Nature suddenly just stopped giving a shit. It's not just a lot of random acid trip landscaping; drawing inspiration from science and mathematics, every little feature in the area has been designed to incorporate mathematical shapes derived from, among other things, fractals and the physics of black holes.
Lost at E Minor
Believe us, you don't want to see the fish.
Echo Soundings
The source of endless misery for the world's unluckiest mailman.
The result does a fairly good job of capturing the essence of Carroll's worrisome landscapes while simultaneously managing to be one of the few places in the world that requires a higher education just to be properly confused by it.
And rest assured, you will be confused. Behold:
University of Wisconsin Whitewater
Snail mound.
University of Wisconsin Whitewater
The giant four-nostril nose.
University of Wisconsin Whitewater
The ... DNA ladder?
Paul D Macrae
Us, minutes after entering the garden.
In all honesty, though, the garden does look like a pretty good place for a tea party.
#3. A Real Ice Palace (The St. Paul Winter Carnival)
The Fantasy Location:
Ice palaces litter the popular media, from various video games to that one James Bond movie with the invisible car to the residence of the White Witch of Narnia.
The AC is surprisingly shitty.
In reality, however, such structures are more or less impossible to build. The logistics of the process would be insane, and unless you live in a South Pole level climate you'd soon wake up to find that the leak in your roof is the roof.
The Real Thing:
St. Paul Almanac
If this were held in the Southwest, that entire thing would be made of crystal meth.
Wikipedia Commons
Try not to focus on the yellow spots.
Or, you could go to St. Paul, Minnesota, a city that builds a new ice palace every damned year.
While Minnesota serves an important role as the chamber pot that prevents Canada from spilling all over the U.S., you might think the state traditionally features fairly little to be impressed by. You'd be wrong. Every now and then, the proud people of St. Paul roll up their sleeves and produce the Saint Paul Winter Carnival, complete with a palace made of huge blocks of ice. Here are some awesome 360-degree panoramas of the project by photographer Ed Fink:
The festival was started as a way of getting back at a reporter who described the city as "another Siberia, unfit for human habitation" in 1885. Therefore, it has its roots firmly set in the healthy, time-honored American tradition of right back at you, you bastard.
Wikipedia Commons
"This isn't a frozen hellscape. See? We have ice castles!"
Over the years, the town has built an elaborate mythology around the festival, complete with enough heroes, villains and magical happenstances to make most fantasy novels -- and some religions -- pale in comparison. The whole thing revolves around two elemental regents and their houses called the Royal Family (of ice) and the Vulcan Krewe (of fire). According to legend, the festival exists to appease them and thus enable the transition to summer.
Goodnight Gram
There were also some ice peasants, because of course.
And where there are kings, there must be castles. That is why, each and every year, the townspeople painstakingly construct an elaborate palace for their royalty to cavort in. The beautifully lit buildings are expertly put together from ice blocks from nearby lakes. When the palace is finished, it plays the central stage to the numerous ice-themed happenings throughout the festival. Oh, and they vary the design most every year, because it would just be too easy otherwise.
This thing is held together by the frozen corpses of ice serfs.
The festival has continued without interruption since 1946 and continues to house some of the most spectacular works of ice art and architecture the Canadian jet stream has to offer. And after it is over, the palace is dismantled, as if it had never been there. Until it's time to do it all over again.
Minnesota Historical Society
We're not sure if the guy in the middle is thrown in the air by the crowd or catapulted from the tower by the Winter King.