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I want to write a program which can control my cursor movements depending on the the way I move my finger on the touchpad. I want my program to get the location where the user touched the touchpad, then I want to control mouse movement using my own program. I want do this in Java. Can I do this in Java? I would like to run it on Windows OS. Does my laptops touchpad device driver provide some API by which I can get the info about when and where the user touched the touchpad?
We started with Q&A. Technical documentation is next, and we need your help.
Whether you're a beginner or an experienced developer, you can contribute.
Think about this situation.
Person wants to exit your program. They touch the trackpad. Your program moves the cursor somewhere they didn't expect. They're upset and confused.
They continue to touch the trackpad, your program continues to do something they didn't expect. They find they're unable to control the cursor. Now what?
Generally, having your program move the cursor is a recipe for disaster.
Look at http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.4.2/docs/api/java/awt/Cursor.html
There do not appear to be any methods to change the cursor's position. It tracks the mouse.
However, look at http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.5.0/docs/api/java/awt/Robot.html
This has the ability to synthesize mouse events. Feel free to play with it.


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An exam question asked what stage of meiosis corresponds with "first meiotic arrest of oogenesis". I can't work out the answer from the wiki page - can anyone explain which step this refers to?
When females are in their mother's womb all their Oogonium (plural Oogonia) are being made, they they undergo mitotic divisions to become a primary oocyte. Then, the primary oocytes start to undergo meiosis I - but meiosis I is arrested. This is the first meiotic arrest. Meiosis I continues when a female hits puberty, every month one or more primary oocytes undergo meiosis I and create secondary oocytes. These secondary oocytes will then start the second meiotic division, but this second meiotic division is arrested as well. It is arrested for about 24 hours, waiting for a sperm to fertilise it in the Fallopian tubes. The only time an egg (or in medical terms - secondary oocyte) will complete meiosis II is if a sperm penetrates the egg, and then it is called an ovum, which develops into a zygote and a then foetus.
Therefore, the answer to your question will be - the first meiotic arrest in oogenesis will occur from the time the primary oocytes are created in the womb, until a female reaches puberty. starting puberty until menopause every month one or more primary oocytes will mature and complete the first meiotic division.
Meiosis consists of two divisions. Both are somehow similar to "ordinary" type of cell division - mitosis, but there is no DNA replication between them. As mitosis, each of two meiosis divisions might be divided into 5 stages:
The first division is crucial for reducing number of chromosomes. The prophase is subdivided to following stages:
In animals the function of meiosis is producing gametes. In case of oogenesis (in human) this process starts during prenatal development. Between 12-th and 25-th week of female fetus development cells called oogonia become primary oocytes and enter meiosis, but become arrested in stage of dictyotene, which is prolonged diplotene of prophase of first division. Then they wait 12 up to 50 years (too long waiting increase risk of chromosomal disjunction disorders such as Down syndrome in children of old mothers), covered by a layer of cells - primordial follicle. At the beginning of each menstruation cycle one or a few of the follicles become growing (the follicle cells divide, but oocyte is still waiting). At the stage of Graafian follicle the follicle is about 75 times bigger and there is a cavity full of liquid between oocyte and surrounding cells. The hormone signal - LH from pituitary gland - brakes the meiosis block, the primary oocyte divide into secondary oocyte and small first polar body (which quickly degenerates). At this time the follicle breaks - its ovulation. The oocyte starts second division, but stops at the metaphase. This second arrest ends when sperm cell penetrates into oocyte. The second, small polar cell is released and haploid nuclei of ovum and spermatozoon fuse together.

subset: commoncrawl


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given the following limit:
$$ \lim _ {x \to 0 } \left (\frac{\tan x } {x} \right ) ^{1/x^2}\;, $$
is there any simple way to calculate it ?
I have tried writing it as $e^ {\ln (\dots)} $ , but it doesn't give me anything [ and I did l'Hospital on the limit I received... ]
can someone help me with this?
thanks a lot !


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Is there a way to pass data to my app upon install from a link to the appstore. Perhaps through a query string or something of that nature.
I am looking for some way to allow the user to purchase a license and pass that license to the app install as easily as possible.
Any information and limitation information as well would be very much appreciated.


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Glen William Stubbendick, 88, of Syracuse died April 4, 2013, at Community Memorial Hospital in Syracuse, surrounded by family. He was born on Jan. 6, 1925 in rural Avoca to Henry and Clara (Hauschild) Stubbendick. He married Margaret Berner on June 5, 1946 at First Lutheran Church.
Glen was a lifelong member of First Lutheran Church and loved his Church. He was known for being a loving and gentle husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather, and friend.
He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Margaret; children Suzy Palmer (Bill), Barbara Lamb (Ken), Mary Parker (Brad), David Stubbendick (Robyn), and Ann McCarthy (Dave); daughter-in-law Moreen Stubbendick; grandchildren Stacey Carnazzo (Andrew), Brian Palmer, Ryan Stubbendick (Jacki), Mitchell Stubbendick (Kelsey), Matthew Glen Lamb (Lisa), Kelly Stephenson (Craig), Kyle Parker (Emily), Travis Parker, Joshua Glen Stubbendick (Amanda), Hillary Stubbendick, John Stubbendick, Megan McCarthy and Alec McCarthy; 16 great grandchildren; brother Ralph (Jane); brothers-in-law Roy Berner (Imo) and Ellis Liesemeyer; and sister-in-law Pauline Hauschild (Allen).
He was preceded by son Gene, brothers Dale and Earl and sisters Sophie Ruge and Janet Liesemeyer.
Funeral services were held Monday, April 8, at 10:30 a.m. at First Lutheran Church with Rev. William Dressen officiating.
The family suggests memorials to the South Sudan Water Project or First Lutheran Church.
Arrangements were by Fusselman Allen Harvey Funeral Home, Syracuse.
Condolences can be expressed at www.fusselmanallenharvey.com.
Location, ST | website.com


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I know that $\text{Force} \times \text{Distance = Work}$.
But, what would be the physical meaning of $\text Force \times \text Area?$
Is such a quantity used in physics?
I know that $\text{Force} \times \text{Distance = Work}$.
Is such a quantity used in physics?
No, not really. The reason why force x distance is a useful quantity is because work is typically defined on a moving particle: force x distance is really a special case of $W = \int F \,dx$. In other words, the particle has to have moved for there to be work.
Because movement is only one dimensional (distance) and not 2D (area), there is no clear interpretation of what force*area is. It is obvious what I mean when I say "a particle has moved 3 cm," but it is nonsensical to say that "a particle has moved 4 square miles."
Well lets start with something similar that would be meaningful to the general physics population: Pressure = Force / area. As you may know this is a common measurement. It is easily calculated, and is a concept that many in the physics world will understand and recognize. The concept of Work is out of date. If you move something in the vertical direction and then let it go in a gravitational field, it will fall until it hits a surface that doesn't allow it to fall any farther, such as the ground or surface of the earth. Then when the "Work" is calculated, the answer becomes zero, because the distance that the object have moved is a net of zero. The "work" function assumes a net result of a change of distance for the object. Energy expenditure is different in my opinion, as it took energy to move the object to a height, K.E., then object had P.E. while at the height, then when released, the P.E. was turned into K.E., via gravity, and then the K.E. was converted into an Impulse when it hit the ground. Work = 0. Energy = depending on when and where the object was at the time.
Now lets look at your question: Force * Area =?
Force = mass * acceleration ; acceleration = distance /(time * time) area = distance * distance. Putting the three concepts together gets you : (mass * distance * distance * distance) / (time * time).
Now we can combine the units into useful concepts that a common physics person might understand. Mass is the concept of a unit-vector with 'punch'. Mass is a tangible abstract concept. Mass is what gives, matter and energy, reality. Mass is a fundamental property of matter, energy, momentum, inertia, and gravity. Mass is not "inertia". Mass has been given a scalar physical unit of measure, in SI units, which is the amount of matter in a Platinum / Iridium cylinder with the label of "kilogram", and is the 'K' in MKS. Mass is a concept that has misleading terminology. For the purpose of weights and measures this was needed to standardize measurement so that trade could be conducted without major confrontations as were going on before it was standardized. Once accepted, the world around, it became the standard and a kilogram in Europe was the same in Australia, South America, and in the USA.
The concept of "mass", as I use it here, is not a scalar quantity, nor a static-past quantity, instead it is considered as the Causative Vector, as it causes the future to be the present, and holds onto the past. Mass is an 'at Cause' unit-vector that forms physical, structure producing, relationships between the various primary concepts of dimension by extension and time. Mass is that property that gives solidness to matter. Mass is what gives, and takes, the effort behind the action of change. Mass is the 'Woof' Thread of reality. Mass is what causes stuff to be.
Then we have (distance*distance*distance) which can easily be seen as the concept of space or the units of the concept of volume. Given that we also have 1/(time*time) one can use various math transformational properties:
(distance/time) * (distance*time) = velocity^2 and if you remember the speed of light 'c' is a velocity, then you can say 'c^2'. So now we have mc^2 * distance or Energy * distance. This formula of units may have a concept attached to it already with some kind of name for that concept, but I think that it could be a "Practical Work Function" as energy expended in any direction, even in two directions opposite each other, resulting in a net displacement of zero, still has a positive non-zero value.


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Dr. Schaefer is a Professor of Genetics and Pediatrics at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. He is the Founding Director of the Division of Medical Genetics and the Chief of the Section of Genetics and Metabolism in the Department of Pediatrics at UAMS. He is also the Medical Director of the Genetic Counseling Training program at UAMS. He is the inaugural holder of the Committee for the Future Endowed Chair in Medical Genetics.
He has achieved board certification in Pediatrics, Human Genetics, and Pediatric Endocrinology. He is a founding fellow of the American College of Medical Genetics, and a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. He is a member of the American Pediatric Society.
He has authored over 250 scientific articles, book chapters, and invited reviews. He is on the editorial board of the Journal of Child Neurology, and sits on the National Advisory Board for the Sotos Syndrome Support Association.
His clinical and research interests focus on the genetics of neurodevelopmental, neurosensory and neurobehavioral disorders; medical transition for Children with Special Health Care needs; Tele-genetics services; and Newborn Screening follow up and infrastructure.
An academic faculty member of UAMS, practicing at ACH.
Call Us: 501-364-1100 or TDD 501-364-1184


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Few experiences can match the beauty and tranquility of floating above the treetops and riding the peaceful Tennessee breeze. A hot air balloon ride is one of the most fascinating adventures you will ever embark upon. At first, the burners roar as you rise into the sky but soon you are overcome by the silence of floating as you drift with the winds and look down upon the breathtaking Tennessee landscape. Tennessee Balloon Rides cannot be matched in beauty or magic by any other experience in the Volunteer State!
Tennessee Hot Air Balloon Rides are something special in comparison to other forms of flight. You don't feel the wind... You are a part of it! You may not even realize that you are moving. Hot air balloons drift gracefully above Tennessee at heights of up to 10,000 feet. However, most hot air balloon flights are 500 to 3,000 feet above ground where peace and tranquility reign in the gentle low-altitude breeze. As the balloon rises, your bird's-eye view of Tennessee's beautiful landscape, and all who inhabit it, is put into a perspective that you won't soon forget.
For your convenience, Tennessee Balloon Rides provides it's services throughout the great state of Tennessee. Whether you live or are vacationing in Tennessee, we have certified hot air balloon pilots near you! We can provide you with a panoramic view of many of Tennessee's favorite vistas.
Tennessee Balloon Rides has professional and knowledgeable customer service representatives available to answer any of your questions and help you make your reservation seven days a week! We pride ourselves on our customer service and are looking forward to serving you!
Contact Tennessee Balloon Rides at 1-800-611-1298 today and prepare to embark on a uniquely Tennessee adventure!
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Not sure if this has always been the case, but I notice that only when I log in, does the computer establish a network connection (e.g. on eth0).
Is this the standard behaviour? What if I wanted the computer to connect to the network without me logging in so I can log in remotely?


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Saturday, February 22, 2014
Saturday, February 22, 2014
Upcoming Conference Notice
We apologize for the inconvenience. An new date will be announced soon.
This symposium is designed to provide an overview of effective screening, diagnostic and treatment tool available to the general practitioner caring for the obese pediatric patient.
At the completion of this activity, learners will be able to:
|Obesity Conference Faculty
|Cynthia Anderson, MD
Assistant Professor of General Obstetrics
UW Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
|David Allen, MD
Professor of Pediatrics
UW Department of Pediatrics
|Ellen Connor, MD
Associate Professor of Pediatric Endocrinology
UW Department of Pediatrics
|Kari Hegeman, MD
General Pediatrician
Dean Clinic
|Tracy Flood, MD, PhD
UW Department of Population Health Sciences
|Amy Peterson, MD
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
UW Department of Pediatrics
1345 Health Sciences Learning Center
750 Highland Ave, Madison, WI
$20; fee includes materials, break, and lunch
Parking and Driving Directions
Free parking is available in Lots 60 and 76 on the UW campus. Both are a short walk from the HSLC. View Parking Map
Accreditation Statement
St. Mary's Hospital is accredited by the Wisconsin Medical Society to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
AMA/PRA Credit Designation Statement
St. Mary's Hospital designates this live activity for a maximum of 6.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Policy on Faculty and Sponsor Disclosure
It is the policy of St. Mary's Hospital that the faculty, authors, planners, and others who may influence content of this CME activity disclose all relevant financial relationships with commercial interests in order to allow CME staff to identify and resolve any potential conflicts of interest. Faculty must also disclose any planned discussion of unlabeled/unapproved uses of drugs or devices during their presentation(s).
For Further Information
For conference information, please contact:
The University of Wisconsin provides equal opportunities in employment and programming, including Title IX requirements.
The University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health fully complies with the legal requirements of the ADA and the rules and regulations thereof. Any participant in this educational activity who may need accommodations should notify Barbara Anderson at (608) 263-8542.


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Jaren Wilkey, BYU
A sock-like device for newborns that monitors infants' breathing as they sleep and notifies parents will soon be on shelves everywhere if BYU student inventors have their way.
A team of six students won first place at Brigham Young University's third annual campus-wide Student Innovator of the Year competition. The student team also won the crowd favorite award and a total of $6,000 in prize money for their invention of the Owlet Baby Monitor.
The Owlet fits on an infant's foot like a sock and uses pulse oximetry — a non-invasive method of measuring the saturation of hemoglobin in the blood — to monitor the heart rate and blood-oxygen levels of babies as they sleep. It alerts parents of any change in heart rate or breathing via notification on a smart phone.
"What the students need to show is some engineering content to their idea. There needs to be a technical aspect to it," said Justin Zsiros, the competition's faculty adviser at BYU. "There also needs to be some business research done to make sure there's a market for their product. With the Owlet there's a huge market — it applies to any family with a young infant, so the potential for people to use it is huge."
Student Tanor Hodges, who currently works at the University of Utah Hospital, where he uses pulse oximeters, initially came up with the idea for the Owlet. He discussed it with Kurt Workman, a fellow student and engineering member of the team. Workman helped narrow down the idea to take-home pulse oximeters, specifically for small subjects — like infants.
"We decided to create something that could help give parents peace of mind while their baby sleeps," Hodges said. "If one mother was to come up to me and say, 'Hey, your product made a difference in my life and my child's life,' that would make all the work worth it, what we're doing."
One of the team's biggest goals when it came to the product's development was making the oximeter wireless for simpler use, Hodges said. Infants are often sent home before lungs, among other important things, are fully developed, and it takes the technology of pulse oximetry to monitor them once they're outside the hospital. However, pulse oximeters sent home in today's world are large, bulky pieces of equipment and are not easy to utilize at home, according to Hodges.
The alert technology will also have an aspect in which the Owlet can record heart rate and blood oxygen readings for a month so that parents and doctors can see what is going on with a baby and then help in the way it is most needed, Hodges said.
"We've talked with a lot of parents. We've talked with a lot of people with experience with babies who stop breathing in the night," he said, " ... We've gotten a lot of feedback from parents that say they will use it; it's just a little added security with their baby."
Another priority with the Owlet has been to make it as affordable as possible to any parents who want or need to use it, Hodges said. One area the Owlet creators aren't worried about? The technology behind the device. According to Zsiros, oximetry technology has already been proven and is being used in hospitals.
According to Workman, the group's progress up to now has been made possible by the Crocker Innovation Fellowship at BYU, which is sponsored by Gary and Ann Crocker. The team received a $2,500 fellowship as they participate in a year-long program to be mentored and get advice on innovation and entrepreneurship, and their sponsorship facilitation with the product has helped moved it along, Workman says.
"It's not just another toy that is nice to have — it's something I could easily see becoming easy to use. ... It has the potential to save infants' lives," Zsiros said. "This combination puts them in a position to be really successful. I am hoping with a little bit of resources and support from us they can go on and be really successful."
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I have customized some of the shortcuts in System ▸ Preferences ▸ Keyboard Shortcuts.
How can I restore individual shortcuts to their default settings? I do not want to reset all of the shortcuts, just a few of my choice.
I have customized some of the shortcuts in System ▸ Preferences ▸ Keyboard Shortcuts.
How can I restore individual shortcuts to their default settings? I do not want to reset all of the shortcuts, just a few of my choice.
It looks like the way keyboard shortcuts are implemented has slightly changed for Ubuntu 13.04
The shortcut settings are saved in the following locations (may be different for 12.10):
You can find these in the
Otherwise, you could also try resetting any one of the locations by using the following command in the terminal:
They key bindings stored in the gconf database, but they aren't all in the same place unfortunately.
However, you can get a list of all the key bindings gconf keys by looking in the files located in
For example,
Once you know the key name you can restore it to its default value.
For example, let's say you want to restore the shortcut to launch the calculator,
Simply run:
Building DoR's answer, this simple script, typed at the command line, will reset all shortcuts:
You can't. But you can see what are default values if you press help and click Section 1.2 ― Keyboard Skills and then on the right you have a list of key grous:
Here is something I discovered by accident:
Open gconf-editor (press Alt+F2 and type in gconf-editor).
Find the setting you want to reset. I found several places they are located:
There may be others.
Right click on the setting, and click 'Unset Key'. This will restore it to the default setting.
In Ubuntu 13.04 it's looking like a lot of the shortcuts can be found at
gsettings reset-recursively org.gnome.desktop.wm.keybindings
This worked for me without restarting Ubuntu or Gnome Desktop. I had tried using "Shutter" for screen capture, and it changed some hotkey bindings for PrintScreen and Alt+PrintScreen. After uninstalling Shutter I needed to restore the hotkey settings that it had changed. I was able to change my hotkey bindings for those keys by running gconf-editor (from a terminal window) and then changing settings in both of these places:
I'm running Ubuntu 10.04 LTS, Gnome Desktop 2.30.2


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Product Reviews
Holiday Felt Tree Skirt
Wool felt tree skirt. Made from super soft 100% wool. 52" diameter. Adds a festive finish to your Christmas tree while helping to catch loose pine needles for easy cleanup. Tree skirt is embellished with snowflake appliqués for fun and colorful look. Dry clean. Imported. Exclusively ours. Give a final festive touch to your Christmas tree with this fun and functional felt tree skirt. Embellished with a flurry of colorful snowflakes on a vibrant red ground, our felt tree skirt creates a bright and cheery background for any Christmas tree. The traditional red design is updated with a white border for a festive look, and accented with a mix of hues on each snowflake for an extra dose of fun. 100% felt wool gives the tree skirt its super soft touch, providing the perfect spot to gather round the tree to exchange gifts on Christmas morning. And it creates a great backdrop for both Tannenbaums, as well as your piles of wrapped presents. The colorful snowflakes are appliquéd onto the tree skirt, giving it added texture and a whimsical look. Felt tree skirts are more than just pretty accents for your holiday tree. They also help to catch loose pine needles, making cleanup a breeze when it's time to take the tree down. With a diameter of more than 4 feet, our felt tree skirt is perfect for Christmas trees of all sizes. Available exclusively at The Company Store.
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text: More from SI Jason Spezza's no-trade list has 12 teams Jason Spezza's no-trade list has 12 teams Arena Wars Stanley Cup Final edition: L.A.'s Staples... Arena Wars Stanley Cup Final edition: L.A.'s Staples... Edmonton to break ground on new oil drop-styled arena i... Edmonton to break ground on new oil drop-styled arena i... Edmonton to break ground on new oil drop-styled arena i... Edmonton to break ground on new oil drop-styled arena i... Taking the NHL Outside: The making of stadium hockey Taking the NHL Outside: The making of stadium hockey Close Tweet0 Share0 Comment0 Share0 Share0 Stumble It0 Print0 More Home Ice Sochi 2014: Team USA Olympic roster forecast by amuir29 Email Posted: Thu Feb. 7, 2013 Ryan Miller, the 2010 Olympic tournament MVP, will return, but will he be the No. 1? (Luis Acosta/AFP/Getty Images)By Allan MuirThe opening of the Sochi Games is just a year away, and while there's still no formal agreement that NHL players will skate in the men's hockey tournament, all signs point in that direction and league officials are to meet with the IIHF on Feb. 14 and 15 to discuss the matter.SARAH KWAK: Ovechkin, Russia thirsting for redemptionComing off a surprising silver medal performance in 2010, Team USA will ice a competitive squad that is stacked in net, young and mobile on the blueline and aggressive, if not particularly deep, up front.Here's how we see Team USA lining up in Russia.Goaltenders• Jonathan Quick (Kings): He's off to a sluggish start this season, but at this point, the Conn Smythe winner is the presumptive No. 1 because of his proven big-game ability.• Ryan Miller (Sabres): He hasn't been the same player since the end of that 2009-10 season, but he doesn't have anything to prove. The 2010 Olympic MVP is a lock to make this team.• Cory Schneider (Canucks): The Senators' Craig Anderson is lights out right now, but he'll be 32 when the Games roll around. Schneider will be 27 and he has a future with the USA Hockey program, so he'll get the call.Defensemen• Ryan Suter (Wild): He'll be Mr. Everything on the American blueline.• Jack Johnson (Blue Jackets): This two-way blueliner eats heavy minutes and is a tremendous presence. Look for him to wear the C.• Ryan McDonagh (Rangers): He's young, but used to playing heavy minutes against top forwards. He's also great at taking away the lane and blocking shots.• Keith Yandle (Coyotes): Strong transitional play and special teams expertise make him a safe bet for top-four minutes.• Kevin Shattenkirk (Blues): He continues to develop into a reliable two-way player. Strong in transition, he doesn't make many mistakes.• Justin Faulk (Hurricanes): This youngster has shown a dramatic development curve. He can play in all situations, and his speed and hockey sense make him an ideal third-pairing guy.• Zach Bogosian (Jets): When he's healthy, he's a beast. He can be the crease-clearing physical presence the Americans desperately need on the back end.Forwards• Zach Parise (Wild): Team USA's top all-around forward, he'll be asked to lead the offense.• Patrick Kane (Blackhawks): The dynamic, creative winger has rediscovered his game this season. He's a lock for the first line.• Bobby Ryan (Ducks): Big body, soft hands. He could play on either of the top two lines.• Joe Pavelski (Sharks): He performed brilliantly in Vancouver and should assume a larger role in Sochi. Look for him to take all the big draws.• Max Pacioretty (Canadiens): This dogged puck pursuer and volume shooter could earn a top-six role.• Ryan Kesler (Canucks): He would be best used on the second unit, but a lack of elite centers could force him into a first-line role.• Dustin Brown (Kings): He brings a physical presence and a knack for scoring big goals.• Ryan Callahan (Rangers): He boasts leadership, smarts and a willingness to pay any price to win a game.• David Backes (Blues): The big, physical pivot will center the shutdown line.• T.J. Oshie (Blues): The buzzsaw winger will provide energy in a depth role.• Jason Pominville (Sabres): Emerging as a reliable, two-way forward for the Sabres, he has the versatility to slide up or down the roster.• Phil Kessel (Maple Leafs): America's best natural finisher is off to a rough start with Toronto, but he'll fill a top-six/power play role in Sochi. • Alex Galchenyuk (Canadiens): It's all projection at this point, but his speed, skill and creativity are made for the big ice. He could be a dynamic fill-in as the 13th forward, much like Jonathan Toews was for Canada in 2010. More Home Ice


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Are there any scripts available to import the data dump into databases other then SQL Server? I don't have an SQL Server license, and the data dump will probably out grow the SQL Server Express 4 gig limit if it hasn't already.
What is meta?
- Any Stack Exchange user can ask a question
- The community provides support, votes on ideas, and reports bugs
- Your voice helps shape the way Stack Exchange operates
I've created a script that uses Groovy and Hibernate to at least in theory, import the data dump into any database Hibernate supports.
I have gotten it to work with MySQL and PostgreSQL but it doesn't work on HSQLDB, those are the only three I've tested it on. The code isn't optimized and takes about an hour to import all five files, but I plan on improving it when I get a chance. The Git repository can be found on Github, I hope it's useful to others.
Here is a windows application that will import to MySQL, MS SQL Server and SQLite:
There's been an SQLite version of the data dump for past versions... I'll dig up a couple of URLs.
Here's the June dump - I don't believe July and August are available, unfortunately.
I have some code to convert it into Protocol Buffer files, but that's probably a bit of a niche market :)
There's also the Data Dump Sandbox if you're happy to use a web interface :)


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User Reviews & Ratings - Syeda oral
Read user comments about the side effects, benefits, and effectiveness of Syeda oral.
Overall User Ratings32 Total User Reviews
User Reviews
Learn about
User Reviews
Reviewer: Shena, 25-34 Female on Treatment for less than 1 month (Patient)
Ease of Use
I was petrified after reading the horror stories on here. But I'm the weeks in and it has been fantastic. MUCH lighter period. I've always had heavy unbearable periods and now I can use a light tampon for the whole day. No mood swings no weight gain but it hasn't helped my acne. Only downside. I was previously on minastrin & was having panic attacks mood swings & horrible acne. ... Show Full Comment
Reviewer: LuvSyeda, 13-18 Female on Treatment for 1 to 6 months (Patient)
Ease of Use
Well i'm not pregnant and that's what birthcontrol is meant to do. So this works great! My boyfriend and I have been sexually active without protection. All previous reviews are pretty much just whiney people in my opinion. If youre trying to protect yourself from having a baby and it's working, don't complain. It is doing it's job effectively.
Reviewer: Nisha88, 19-24 Female on Treatment for 1 to 6 months (Patient)
Ease of Use
I'm going to college in 3 weeks and I have a boyfriend, so we're somewhat sexually active. So I decided to ask my Gynecologist to go birth control & she gave me syeda. I HATE IT SO MUCH! Me and my boyfriend are careful but using the pill we decided not use a condom - 2 weeks later my period doesn't come - I start freaking out and a week later it comes & the cramps are unbearabl ... Show Full Comment
found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes | No
Reviewer: stressedthefout, 19-24 Female on Treatment for 1 to 6 months (Patient)
Ease of Use
I've only been on this for 2 months. My first period on it was extremely light to nonexistent, more like spotting. The second period has yet to show up and I've had two negative pregnancy tests taken a week and a half apart. FREAKING OUT. Anyone else not having a period on this stuff?
Reviewer: curlygirl, 35-44 Female on Treatment for 1 to 6 months (Patient)
Ease of Use
Hate this. Almost continuous bleeding for 5 months straight, every PMS symptom imaginable. Stopped taking because of the problems.
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Crystal Wilson
Tok Center Coordinator
The University of Alaska Fairbanks, Interior-Aleutians Campus, Tok Center covers a region connected by a road system and is located in Tok, Alaska. The area covers approximately 30,000 square miles and has a population of about 2,300 people. Communities served by the Tok Center include, but are not limited to: Alcan Border, Boundary, Chicken, Dot Lake, Eagle, Northway, Tanacross, Tetlin, and Tok. Students in Chistochina, Beaver Creek, Delta Junction, Gakona, Healy Lake and Mentasta are also served even though they are out of the Interior-Aleutians Campus Region.
Crystal Wilson is the UAF Interior-Aleutians Campus, Tok Center Coordinator and her office is located on West 1st Avenue in Tok, Alaska. Although born in Arlington, Virginia, she was raised in the Native village of Northway, Alaska which is located approximately 50 miles west of the Canadian Border. She has worked for the University for 20+ years and brings a wealth of knowledge to the position.
At the Center, she handles all of the administrative duties of the Center including day-to-day management, including maintenance, repair, renovations, and scheduling of its use for University and community classes and programs. She provides student, staff, & faculty support services, and coordinates the academic program for the Tok Center. Crystal assists students with advising, admissions, registration, Accuplacer and Asset placement exams, transfer credits, petitions, credit for prior learning, and financial aid. In addition, she sets up local courses in Tok and the surrounding communities as needed or requested.
Crystal's hobbies include hunting, fishing, and gathering of her traditional native foods. She also enjoys crocheting and gardening.


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Missouri's Michael Sam Says He Is Gay
Could Become First Publicly Gay NFL Player
University of Missouri defensive lineman Michael Sam, the Southeastern Conference's reigning defensive player of the year, revealed he is gay to multiple media outlets Sunday and could be the first openly homosexual NFL player if he is drafted in May.
Sam is expected to be an early-round pick in the draft, and he said in an interview with ESPN on Sunday that he isn't worried about the reaction from future teammates. A 6-foot-2, 255-pound lineman from Texas, the 24-year-old Sam told his college teammates about his sexuality in August, before his final college season at Missouri.
"I can help teams win games," he said. "That's all that should matter."
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has said in recent months that an openly gay player would be accepted in the locker rooms of pro football teams. In a news release Sunday, the NFL said it welcomed Sam's announcement. "We admire Michael Sam's honesty and courage," a league spokesman said. "Michael is a football player. Any player with ability and determination can succeed in the NFL."
"It's clear that America is ready for an openly gay football star," said Sarah Kate Ellis, president of the advocacy organization Glaad.
As a senior this past season, Sam registered 11 1/2 sacks, the most in the SEC, which is widely considered the best conference in college football. It was a notable statistical uptick for Sam, who recorded 4 1/2 sacks as a junior, and helped Missouri to finish 12-2 before it lost to Auburn in the SEC's championship game. During a preseason team meeting in August, Missouri's players were asked to share something that their teammates didn't know about them, and Sam told teammates he was gay. He credits his coming out and the subsequent encouragement of Missouri's players and coaches for his All-American season, his publicist Howard Bragman said Sunday.
"We left it that whenever he felt the time was right, however he wanted to make the announcement, that we had his back and we'd be right there with him," Missouri coach Gary Pinkel said in a news release. "We're proud of him and how he represents Mizzou."
Sam is poised to join a small list of openly gay professional athletes. NBA veteran Jason Collins, 35, came out in April 2013 but hasn't played in an NBA game since. Robbie Rogers, who played for the U.S. men's national soccer team, revealed that he was gay in February 2013 and now plays for the Major League Soccer team Los Angeles Galaxy.
"I'm happy with who I am," Sam said in the ESPN interview. "I know how to play the game. I'm a football player and that's all that matters."
Sam, who graduated from Missouri in December, is currently training for the NFL draft at an undisclosed location, Bragman said. Because of his weight, which is light for an NFL defensive end, he isn't expected to play that position in the pros. He almost certainly will become an outside linebacker who specializes in pass-rushing situations and is likely to be selected on the higher end in the middle rounds of May's draft.
"He's not looking to be a celebrity," Bragman said. "He's looking to be a football player."
Write to Kevin Clark at email@example.com and Ben Cohen at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Corrections & Amplifications
An earlier version of this article said the NFL draft will be in April. It will be in May this year.


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Up until I started playing CM/FM, I used to play games likes Sensible World of Soccer, Player Manager 2 and Ultimate Soccer Manager. When it came to getting new players in, it was usually a case of buying players I'd seen do well on Match of the Day, Eurogoals or Football Italia. I was always watching matches to see if there was someone I could sign, and I'd get a notepad and make a note of them, then look them up in the game.
In previous years, I've taken an LLM-style route of only using scouts to find players, and not using any knowledge outside of my save to influence things. Been doing that for a few years now, but now I'm getting bored with it, it's realistic but it's hard work and usually I get overtaken by. After seeing brief glimpses of Adam Johnson today on Sky Sports, I'm about to break my 7-year tradition and go back to my "as seen on TV & notepad" method (although I still give them the once-over with a scout). It's actually more fun, and less of a slog finding talent, and has also reignited my interest in watching matches I wouldn't normally watch - just like the old days.
So, how do you find players? Do you stick to scouts only, do you use the search list to filter down players, or do you see someone on TV, scribble their name on the back of a fag packet and buy them immediately?


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We currently have multiple remote servers backing up about 50GB of total data to Mozy Pro. unfortunately, we have had issues with Mozy not connecting or having a daily email alert generated. Are there any truly reliable online backup services out there? What might be great for personal use might not cut it here.
Edit: Reliable meaning that the automated backup will run without fail on a nightly basis, and the automated reporting will function without fail. These are 2 things our existing service is not quite accomplishing.


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First thanks for any help that you can provide. I am somewhat new to PHP and this is the first "Web Service" I have had to create.
THE GOAL: I need to pull XML data from another server. This company's API is setup so that you must give an IP and so you can only pull data from server to server instead of client to server. The data is pulled from the API using HTTP requests...very similar to YQL. (in essence the structured query is located in the URL). This API also requires that my server only ping's their server every 10-15 mins, in order to cut down on server requests.
The logical thought in my head was to setup: a cron job to run a PHP script every 10 mins. The PHP scripts would then do the following: 1. Make the HTTP request 2. Open an existing file or create one (on my server) 3. Take the returned XML data from the API and write to the newly opened file. 4. Convert that XML to JSON. 5. Save the JSON 6. Cache the JSON file 7. STOP
My thought was to use curl and fopen for the first 3 steps. I found a basic script that will do this on PHP.net (as shown below). After that I am pretty much lost on how to proceed.
$ch = curl_init("http://www.example.com/");
$fp = fopen("example_homepage.txt", "w");
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_FILE, $fp);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_HEADER, 0);
I would REALLY appreciate any help on this. Also, if you have the time to please comment and explain what you are doing in any code examples and why....that would HELP out a lot. I truly want to learn not just grab a snippet and run. So, your comments are vital for me.


text: Common Shoulder Injuries From Overuse or Improper Lifting By Travis M Hendry MD February 15, 2013 Overuse injuries to the shoulder often include bursitis, tendonitis, and strains/sprains. In order to help prevent this type of injury, it is important to understand how they are different. There are also a few tips and tricks you can follow during your workout to help prevent shoulder overuse injuries. Read More


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Choices:Black, Dark Brown, Grey, Pearl or White
Necklace & Bracelet Clasp Types
Lobster Claw Clasp: As a traditional clasp style found in bracelets and necklaces, the lobster claw is generally reserved for heavier styles that may need added strength. The closure's shape is more oblong, similar to a teardrop shape, and is controlled by a tip that opens and closes the spring in the clasp. This type is also considered a more expensive finding that can add to the overall value of the jewelry piece.
Magnetic Clasp: The popularity of the magnetic clasp has greatly increased in recent years. It is a quick and easy way to secure jewelry while not having to fuss with a tiny clasp, which can be difficult if you have long fingernails, arthritic hands or other mobility challenges. A magnetic clasp relies on a strong internal magnet that works to pull both ends of the clasp together. In most cases, a magnetic clasp is used for light to medium weight jewelry pieces that do not put excessive stress on the magnet.
Slide Insert Clasp: This type of clasp is exactly as it sounds. With a box-like shape that is hollow on the inside, the wearer will slide the nearly-flat tab into the box until it clicks, indicating a secure closure. On some jewelry, a slide insert clasp will be accompanied by a side safety catch, which adds strength and security to the clasp. Although this type of clasp is found on both bracelets and necklaces, it is particularly popular on bracelet styles. These types of clasps are often reserved for more expensive jewelry.
Spring Ring Clasp: One of the most common closure types, the spring ring clasp is typically used for light to medium weight bracelets or necklaces. It is round in its design and features a small tip which controls the opening and closing of the spring. The circle then closes around another smaller loop or link at the other end of the strand.
Toggle Clasp: A toggle clasp is a narrow piece of metal, usually designed in the shape of a bar, which is then pushed through a circular ring to act as a fastener. Unlike the lobster claw or spring ring clasps, a toggle clasp is not controlled by a spring. The pretty design is less secure than other closure types, but is usually meant to be a big part of the design and is meant to "show". The clasp is an attractive way to secure a chunkier link bracelet or necklace.
The nearly-indestructible and masculine nature of stainless steel is appealing for many jewelry styles. It has a similar appearance to platinum and polishes to a glistening sheen. Any scratches that may occur from day to day wear can be easily buffed away without endangering the piece. Unlike traditional gold, silver or platinum jewelry, stainless steel jewelry is not poured into molds, but is usually hand-cut from a solid piece of steel, leaving no seams or weak spots. With stainless steel, your jewelry will last a lifetime.
Stainless steel was first recognized in France in 1821 by metallurgist Pierre Berthier. He realized the iron-chromium alloys maintained resistance from acids and recommended their use in cutlery. After several corrosion-resistance related discoveries and patents in Europe and the United States, Harry Brearley in England discovered a modern blend of stainless steel alloy. When it was announced by The New York Times in January of 1915, he was officially credited with the invention of this impressive modern metal.


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- Honors and Scholars Programs
Pre-Law Scholars Program
Composite ACT score of at least 28 or a combined SAT score of at least 1250 (math + critical reading) and an outstanding high school academic record (with emphasis placed on the student having earned "A's" in history, social studies, civics, and English). Historically, successful applicants have a 3.6 cumulative GPA to be considered for Pre-Law Scholars.
The Pre-Law Scholars Program is an exclusive opportunity for freshman applicants who are considering law school in the future. Students who are accepted into this highly-selective program are placed on a guaranteed admittance track to Saint Louis University School of Law.
Pre-Law Scholars have the unique benefit of being guaranteed admission to the School of Law during the spring semester of their junior year - nearly a year before traditional pre-law students in their class will begin hearing admission decisions from law schools.
They also have the privilege of taking Foundations of Law - a course that permits Pre-Law Scholars to take a course in SLU's law school, be taught by law school faculty, and tackle an introductory law school curriculum during their junior year. This course is one of the only ways for undergraduate students to experience a law school classroom prior to attending law school.
Pre-Law Scholars must still sit for the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) at the appropriate time, but their test score does not impact their admission to law school through the program.
Students who meet the minimum requirements for consideration and who have submitted their application for freshman admission must apply separately for the Pre-Law Scholars Program via the online application. Completed Applications for Freshman Admission and for the Pre-Law Scholars Program should be submitted now to be considered for the fall term.
Priority application deadline is Feb. 1.
During their freshman year, Pre-Law Scholars must attend a special orientation, attend and write summaries about at least two programs designated for Pre-Law students, take required coursework as needed and present a cumulative GPA of at least 3.5. Sophomore through senior Year, Pre-Law Scholars must attend at least two programs designated for Pre-Law students each year, take required coursework as needed (including Foundations of Law during junior year), present a cumulative GPA of at least 3.6 at the end of each year, formally apply to Saint Louis University School of Law and take the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT).
PRE-LAW SCHOLARS PROGRAM: Website
PRE-LAW SCHOLARS E-MAIL: firstname.lastname@example.com


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The Road to Skype for Xbox One
Skype and Xbox came together to create a marriage of two divisions to bring communications to the living room. In July 2012, less than a year after Skype was acquired by Microsoft, the Skype team embarked on developing Skype for Xbox One. There were three core things we knew we needed to get right: performance, … Read more


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I have VPS hosting with debian operating system.
I would like to backup whole system time by time.
Here is a lot of questions how to backup OS on local machine, but it's not what I need. I have just ssh and superuser account.
If you need to backup just the system configuration (which at the end of the day usually is about third of the content of a system), all you should need is a list of packages installed + their configuration. The list of installed packages you can get with your packaging utility, the system-wide configuration lives in
The other two thirds would be:
Regarding the system-wide back-up, apart from options mentioned in the other answers, if your installation (be it a virtualised guest or the VPS host) lives on a separate filesystem, you can either use the filesystem's native backup/snapshot capability (e.g. XFS has this feature) or mount it read-only and dump its containing device (which might be dangerous though). Plain ssh would be more enough to do this.
As with any other low-level system operation, running any the operation in terminal multiplexer, which protects the backup process from possible connection drops, and having a spare ssh connection (preferably served by a different process) is recommendable.
I'm using
Of course you have to configure the
I personally use Dirvish.org It is a disk based file backup that uses
It is easy to configure, does incremental backups to disk, uses encryption to communicate accross the network, expiring old images is simple, only copies changed files, ...


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Who Beat Miami? The Butler Did It
The deeper Chicago plays into the NBA playoffs despite the absence of three sick-or-injured starters, the smarter it looks for taking Jimmy Butler with the 30th pick in the 2011 draft. A junior-college transfer to Marquette, Butler was deemed ahead of that draft a "potential second-round" pick and "not a great athlete."
Yet the 1-0 series lead Chicago takes Wednesday night into Game 2 of its second-round playoff series against Miami is largely attributable to Butler. In the Bulls' victory Monday in Miami, Butler scored 21 points, grabbed 14 rebounds and limited LeBron James (above right) to 24 points, including only two in the first half.
Butler has played 148 minutes 29 seconds consecutively in the playoffs. In the last decade of NBA playoffs, that is second only to Tayshawn Prince's 155:02 in 2006, according to Stats LLC.
Chicago didn't have a perfect 2011 draft. The Bulls held two first-round picks—23rd and 30th. It used the higher one to select Nikola Mirotić, a player for Real Madrid in Spain, who has never played a moment for Chicago.
—Kevin Helliker


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Goldstein pg 151 says "it is clear that an inversion of a right-handed system into a left-handed one cannot be accomplished by any rigid change in the coordinate axis..." I am trying to understand what he means by a rigid change... is he saying that an inversion is a discontinuous jump that is impossible for an object to achieve? why can't it?
I can see clearly that the inversion (improper rotation) will be associated with a sort of jump(discontinuity) upon the mirror reflection... but I'm a little confused on the definition of a "rigid change". maybe the problem isn't the discontinuity of a mirror reflection but has to do with the change of handedness upon reflection??
goldstein also writes: " An inversion never corresponds to a physical displacement of a rigid body."
i'm a little confused as to what is the problem with inverting the z-axis??? how does that change the physics?
also, please do not talk about the quantum tunnelling aspect, I am having a problem understanding this classically and I don't want to get into all that ...
( let's say you take the vector r = (1,0,1) in a right handed cartesian coordinate system, then you rotate it 180 degrees you get the vector r' = (-1,0,1) in the new coordinate system, now if you "invert" the z-axis what is the problem with that in terms of "rigid change". why is that not a rigid change????)
as a further note in the example I am working with I think it's important to keep the transformations passive ( rotate the coordinate system 180 degrees counterclockwise and then do the inversion).


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Courtesy of San Juan Symphony
Courtesy of San Juan Symphony
The San Juan Symphony is set to embark on one of its most ambitious seasons in recent memory, so it�s only fitting that the artwork selected to promote �Lollapalooza� is as bold as the music.
�We had seen Brian�s work in the �Open Art Surgery� graffiti exhibit at the Durango Arts Center in April and thought it would be a good fit with the outrageous programming,� said Kathy Myrick, executive director of San Juan Symphony.
Brian Simmonds is one of the stars of the groundbreaking exhibit. Call it street art, call it graffiti, call it what you will, but �Open Art Surgery� set attendance records during its run at the DAC and now Simmonds has the opportunity to deliver his art to even more new sets of eyes. For the 2010 Fort Lewis College graduate, it�s a rare and unique opportunity to put his artwork in front of a completely new and different audience.
Musical Director Arthur Post�s program for the 2012-13 season is infused with modern pieces and interpretations of classical works, and the choice of Simmonds as the featured artist is another way for the Symphony to reach a new audience. With everything from �70s funk to a fugue on �Hey Jude,� not only ain�t this your grandma�s Symphony � it�s a whole new spin on classical music.
The season begins Sept. 29 with �Rock and Roll in Vienna,� and then �Dread, Redemption, Nirvana� (Nov. 10 � a particularly interesting program that includes Mozart�s Requiem as well as �Three or Four Days After the Death of Kurt Cobain� by Tim Brady), �Back to the Future� (Feb. 17), and �Bach and Beatlemania� (April 20).
Shaun Stanley/Durango Herald
Courtesy of Kathy Myrick, San Juan Symphony


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Facing one of the top teams in the state, the Lansing volleyball team started its season with a daunting challenge Saturday.
Competing in the Metro Sports Slam Tournament, the Lady Lions took on Olathe East, who is ranked No. 4 in Kansas by the Kansas Volleyball Association. After a competitive first game where Lansing lost 25-21, the team struggled in the second contest, losing 25-7 and the match.
"I was pleased with our efforts in the first game," Lansing coach Julie Slater said. 'We dug a big hole for ourselves, first game jitters and all that. I think we were down 9-2 and we came back and I thought we played hard and certainly respectable.
"Then the wheels fell off. We got in a huge passing funk and never could get anything going offensively in the second game."
Ashley Linaweaver led the to team in digs with 10 while Jenna Hoyt collected six and Bri Lozenski had a team-high six assists. Meghan Tauke recorded three blocks while Charlotte Moe and Kelsie Pitsenbarger had two a piece.
The Lady Lions will host its first home match of the season tonight with a 6 p.m. match against Piper.
Comments are currently unavailable on this article
Location, ST | website.com


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Trego (Tobacco) Collection by Landmark Lighting
The Trego Tobacco Collection by Landmark is reminiscent of earth tones and an agrarian heritage. With a look similar to stained glass, this set is very earthy and approachable. These lamps cast a soft, enjoyable light. The patterns of "stones" in the shades allow these lamps to really draw the eye.


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What are the good softboxes for a small flash like a Canon Speedlite 430EX, for example?
Lastolite make an ezybox which is pretty "good" but it really depends on how you term "good". Do you want:
Have you also considered just using a shoot-through unbrella?
At Strobist there is a review of LumiQuest Softbox III. You can also use a hotshoe adapter for regular softboxes (such as the one sold by Lastolite).
(Dislaimer: Haven't personally tried any of those, was always afraid softboxes are too complicated to set up.)
I love my EzyBox 60x60cm for use with speedlights.
LumiQuest Softbox makes the best on flash softbox. I use this for all indoor/outdoor (dawn/dusk )shots and on the go shots. (Wedding, Baby, and Engagment) It attaches with Velcro on the end of the flash. Full tilt and rotate are not impacted.
I've experimented with a lot of these devices and agree that the EzyBox is probably the best, but honestly I find that a flash bounced off the ceiling or wall with the little white card thing pulled up (or a business card taped on) is really the best bet for most scenarios. Check out my blog for a book review of On-Camera Flash to see some amazing stuff, and I've done many of those types of shots with less sophisticated flash attachments than Neil uses.
I also have interviewed some of the top photographers in the world on my blog and I find that many don't even bother with mods beyond the card trick I mention above. It's only the prosumers that obsess over flash modifiers


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Multisport star, program builder, coach
Red Zone Hall of Fame: Sacred Heart
BY ROGER CLEAVELAND Republican-American
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Become an electronic subscriber to the Republican-American for only $8 a month. CLICK HERE.


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What should I look for in a vacuum?
I'm new to shopping for a vacuum and am not sure what to look for.
Mainly, should I look for a bagless or a bag vacuum? I've done some basic searching and know the bagless use filters, but the bag vacuums need bag replacements.
What kind (and models potentially) would you recommend?
I'm not sure what my price range would be, but as a quick number, maybe $55-150.
12 Answers answer
My first instinct was to say "Something that sucks." Now that I've said it we can proceed.
I prefer bagless, but it's been years since I used a vacuum cleaner that used bags. Bag-vacuums have definitely come quite a ways though...here's a decent, brief breakdown of Bag Vs. Bagless.
Bagless vacuums will survive anything and will be used by you until their internal 'engine' fails.
Go bagless. The filters that can't be washed with water (the stupid cardboard ones) can be left in for the life of the vacuum (they just WANT you to buy more, you dont have to) without fault. The gray foam ones can and should be washed after every good vacuuming (less if you vacuum frequently, but generally, just wash them when they get lots of caked on dirt).
I always look for spare change and sometimes screws that get caught in the beater bar.
Sorry, just couldn't resist.
Bagless doesn't mean Better. Vacuum cleaners were originally bagless. The bag was added as an improvement, and later taken back off to promote the bagless vacuum. I know many people find it very inconvenient to change bags, but the machines do clean better, and last longer.
Bissell Power Force 71Y7 is a steal at $39.00
look for the word Dyson down the side of it. then buy it and don't look at the price
Thanks everyone.
I think I'm going to go bagless. I will keep my eye out for vacuums.
Vacuums seem to be full of "gotchas." I'm kind of regretting not paying the extra for a Dyson, assuming they live up to the hype.
Bought a Eureka BOSS 4D pet vacuum a few years ago. It has worked pretty well. The dusting wand is worthless, but that's not what I bought it for. The hose is a little too short for my liking, but I think it just needed to stretch a bit over time. Not a perfect vacuum, but it gets the job done. I was surprised to see that it has mixed reviews. It is heavy, but that didn't bother me.
Definitely worth going to a store where you can at least closely examine, if not touch, the vacuum you are thinking about. May help to spot any obvious defects or oversights by the manufacturer.
@drchops: I said something along those lines, and my comment was deleted.
Check today's woot:
A great personality...
You should look for jewelry and loose change. Also, portals to Narnia.


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I had minecraft on my computer before but was playing through a file in evernote (if that makes sense. I saved the application from my iPod into evernote then opened it on my computer. I'm not sure how, but it worked :P) now I'm trying to download the application from minecraft.net but it won't download correctly. The file is supposed to be 270 kb but in downloads it says its only 149 kb. When I try to open the application, a pop up comes up and says "minecraft is damaged and can't be opened. You should move it to the trash" Everything is current on my computer. Any ideas on what to do?
closed as too localized by authenticgeek, kotekzot, Michel, a cat, Mufasa Dec 21 '12 at 21:23
This question is unlikely to help any future visitors; it is only relevant to a small geographic area, a specific moment in time, or an extraordinarily narrow situation that is not generally applicable to the worldwide audience of the internet. For help making this question more broadly applicable, visit the help center.If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.
That is Gatekeeper (built into Mountain Lion). Since Minecraft isn't on the App Store, OS X won't let you run it. See this article for details on how to get around it. You can also go to the
You could try to download the Linux version and then run it just run it (use command-line arguments if you want). Minecraft.jar can be put anywhere.
Your current issue is probably a downloading problem. Try turning off your firewall.


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I've just installed xtables-*, compiled the geoip database, but when I try to use an iptables command it always gives back the following error:
iptables -I INPUT -p tcp --dport 80 -m geoip --src-cc 'DE' -j DROP
Could not open /usr/share/xt_geoip/LE/DE.iv0: No such file or directory
iptables v1.4.8: Could not read geoip database`
The problem is, that the support scripts create the geoip database, but they all end as
iv4 and
iv6, not
iv0. When I rename the
DE.iv4 file to
DE.iv0, the error becomes:
iptables: No chain/target/match by that name.
How can I breathe life into the system?


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I would like to understand on a fundamental level the way in which A* pathfinding works. Any code or psuedo-code implementations as well as visualizations would be helpful.
There are tons of code-examples and explanations of A* to be found online. This question has also received lots of great answers with a lot of useful links. In my answer I'll try to provide an illustrated example of the algorithm, which might be easier to understand than code or descriptions.
Dijkstra's algorithm
To understand A*, I suggest you first have a look at Dijkstra's algorithm. Let me guide you through the steps Dijkstra's algorithm will perform for a search.
Our start-node is
This is our starting point. We have a list nodes to examine, this list currently is:
We take the node with the lowest cost from our list of nodes (since our list only contains
and keep track of the previous node (shown as small pink letter below the node).
Again, we take the node with the lowest cost from our list (
The next node to examine is now
So as we did before, we examine the node with the lowest cost from our list, which is now
Next we examine
A* algorithm
So you might wonder why I explained Dijkstrato you instead of the A* algorithm? Well, the only difference is in how you weigh (or sort) your candidates. With Dijkstrait's:
With A* it's:
Amit's page about heuristics has a good overview over common heuristics.
A* path finding is a best-first type search that uses an additional heuristic.
The first thing you need to do is divide up your search area. For this explanation the map is a square grid of tiles, because most 2D games use a grid of tiles and because that's simple to visualize. Note however that the search area can be broken up in any way you want: a hex grid perhaps, or even arbitrary shapes like Risk. The various map positions are referred to as "nodes" and this algorithm will work any time you have a bunch of nodes to traverse and have defined connections between the nodes.
Anyway, starting at a given starting tile:
For diagrams illustrating these steps, refer to this good beginner's tutorial.
There are some improvements that can be made, mainly in improving the heuristic:
Amit's A* Pages were a good introduction for me. You can find a lot of good visualizations searching for AStar Algorithm on youtube.
It's far from the best, but this an implementation I did of A* in C++ a few years ago.
It's probably better that I point you to resources than attempt to explain the entire algorithm. Also, as you read through the wiki article, play with the demo and see if you can visualize how it is working. Leave a comment if you have a specific question.
Here is a little article with an animated GIF that show's Dijkstra's Algorithm in motion.
You might find ActiveTut's article on Path Finding useful. It goes over both A* and Dijkstra's Algorithm and the differences between them. It's geared toward Flash developers, but it should provide some good insight on the theory even if you don't use Flash.
One thing that's important to visualize when dealing with A* and Dijkstra's Algorithm is that A* is directed; it tries to find the shortest path to a particular point by "guessing" which direction to look. Dijkstra's Algorithm finds the shortest path to /every/ point.
So just as a first statement, A* is at heart a graph exploration algorithm. Usually in games we use either tiles or other world geometry as the graph, but you can use A* for other things. The two ur-algorithms for graph traversal are depth-first-search and breadth-first-search. In DFS you always fully explore down your current branch before looking at siblings of the current node, and in BFS you always look at siblings first and then children. A* tries to find a middle-ground between these where you explore down a branch (so more like DFS) when you are getting closer to the desired goal but sometimes stop and try a sibling if it might have better results down its branch. The actual math is that you keep a list of possible nodes to explore next where each has a "goodness" score indicating how close (in some kind of abstract sense) it is to the goal, lower scores being better (0 would mean you found the goal). You select which to use next by finding the minimum of the score plus the number of nodes away from the root (which is generally the current configuration, or current position in pathfinding). Each time you explore a node you add all its children to this list and then pick the new best one.
On an abstract level, A* works like this:
I've been confused by a number of explanations of A* before I found this great tutorial: http://www.policyalmanac.org/games/aStarTutorial.htm
I mostly referred to that when I wrote an implementation of A* in ActionScript: http://www.newarteest.com/flash/astar.html
Here is my favorite: http://www.raywenderlich.com/4946/introduction-to-a-pathfinding
with implementation details for cocos2d framework in Objective-C language(for iPhone dev): http://www.raywenderlich.com/4970/how-to-implement-a-pathfinding-with-cocos2d-tutorial


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The John Updike Audio Collection CD: The John Updike Audio Collection CD (Compact Disc)
The extraordinarily evocative stories depict the generation born in a small-town America during the Depression and growing up in a world where the old sexual morality was turned around and material comforts were easily had. Yet, as these stories reflect so accurately, life was still unsettling, and Updike chronicles telling moments both joyful and painful. The texts are taken from his recent omnibus, The Early Stories, 1953-1975.
In describing how he wrote these stories in a small, rented, smoke-filled office in Ipswitch, Massachusetts, he says, "I felt that I was packaging something as delicately pervasive as smoke, one box after another, in that room, where my only duty was to describe reality as it had come to me -- to give the mundane its beautiful due."
About the Author
John Updike was born in 1932, in Shillington, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Harvard College in 1954, and spent a year in Oxford, England, at the Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art. From 1955 to 1957 he was a member of the staff of The New Yorker, and since 1957 has lived in Massachusetts. He is the author of fifty-odd previous books, including twenty novels and numerous collections of short stories, poems, and criticism. His fiction has won the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Award, the American Book Award, the National Book Critics Circle Award, the Rosenthal Award, and the Howells Medal.


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Showing 1-23 of 23 items found in Outdoors & Play
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State park with hunting, fishing, camping, hiking and picnicking. Concession stand and boat rental available.
Middle Fork State Fish & Wildlife Area
The Middle Fork State Fish & Wildlife Area consists of 2,700 acres of grass, forest and cropland, and wildlife habitat. The area also includes a portion of the Middle Fork River, a State and National Scenic River, with over 1,000 feet of scenic corridor for canoeing and fishing. The area also allows for hunting, hiking, picnicking, and camping.
The 3000 acre park includes a seven mile backpack trail among its 15 miles of trail system. Boats and canoes are available for rental in season, and seven lakes are available for fishing. Hunting of pheasant, rabbit, squirrel, dove, waterfowl, goose, mushrooms, turkey, and deer is permitted (Illinois and Vermilion County Conservation District regulations apply).
Pike's Peak Ocean to Ocean Road
One of the first transcontinental highways, Pike's Peak Ocean to Ocean Road is one of the most unchanged of all early highways. Pick up a map to travel the Edgar County route at local Chrisman, Hume or Metcalfe shops.
Feast your eyes on the gardens of iris, hostas and day lillies. These bulbs and rhizomes are shipped all over the country. Please call before your visit.
East lake - swimming, camping, boat dock, walking trail, primitive camping. West lake - fishing, picnic, large pavilion, shelter, fireworks, horseshoes, tent camping, trailer camping, permission by police for primitive camping.
Heron County Park Wetlands Boardwalk
950 foot floating boardwalk. Songbirds, season migratory birds, and waterfowl such as Canadian geese, mallards, wood ducks, kingfishers, green herons, and American egret all flock to the area. Also includes an observation tower to take in the "wide-angle" view.
Lake Vermilion County Park includes a boat ramp, dock complex, concession building, playground, and an open shelter. The park is open year round and considered 'high-use' during summer weekends with power boating (unlimited HP), jet skiing, water skiing, and fishing tournaments. Wildlife observation includes herons, river otters, and eagles. Lake Vermilion, 1,000 acres in size, is one of Illinois' most heavily stocked fishing lakes with bass, tiger muskies, catfish, crappie, and walleye being frequently fished.
Homer Lake Forest Preserve contains 892 acres for fishing, boating, hiking picnicking, cross-country skiing and sledding. Also available is an exciting Homer Lake Interpretive Center, which hosts thousands every year through programs like "Homer Lake Take Me Fishing" and the unique Natural Playscape.
Come visit the quiet, curious and lovable llamas on this working farm.
Guests have the opportunity to rent canoes, kayaks, and paddleboats to explore the rivers and lakes at Kickapoo State Park. Canoe and kayak trips (8 or 13 mile) are offered or rentals can be done by the hour. Following your adventure, guests can grab a bite to eat at the on-site Dockside Cafe which offers live music throughout the summer.
Norton Knolls offers a nine-hole, par 34 course.
This 18-hole, par 71 course is open to the public year round for the best golf around. Carts are available.
Turtle Run Golf Club offers a par 72 championship golf course, designed by Jim Spears and opened in 1970, with four sets of tee lengths to fit players of all skill and experience levels. In addition to the golf course, Turtle Run offers a fully stocked golf shop, public swimming pool, bar and grill, and banquet center.
Wooded camp ground, 2½-acre pond, trails, some cabins and full hook-up.
Harry "Babe" Woodyard State Natural Area
This area encompasses 2.2 miles of the Little Vermilion River, listed as a significant stream because of its aquatic features. The site supports 12 state endangered or threatened species and provides habitat for 23 forest interior species.
Practice your swing at this driving range.
Wolf Creek Golf Club - Danville
This nine-hole course is open to the public seven days a week. Its two sets of tees both have a par of 36.
Middle Fork Canoe at Forest Glen
Scenic canoeing and kayaking on the Middle Fork National Scenic River, Big Vermilion River, and Salt Fork River.
Adjacent to Paris City Hall, this extensively landscaped sunken garden features a serpentine brick wall inspired by Thomas Jefferson's design at Charlottesville and a lion's head fountain patterned after a park in France.
The city of Paris operates this property on Twin Lakes. Wander the trails to see plants and animals that live in the woods, on marshy land and on the lake. Special nesting boxes have brough bluebirds to the meadows.
Visit these scattered sites to witness the return of the bluebird to Illinois. The trail and Sycamore Golf Club are two links in the Transcontinental Bluebird Trail.
Eagle Ridge Golf Course- Paris
This 18-hole, par 72 course features some water, elevation changes and mature greens. Eagle Ridge Golf Course is located in Paris, IL and is know throughout East Central Illinois and West Central Indiana as having one of the most challenging back nine in the area. From your elite golfers to your novice golfers, Eagle Ridge Golf Course has one of the most enjoyable courses to play in the area
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Extension > Food > Food Safety > Preserving and Preparing > Fruits > Gooseberry Jelly Made From Wild Fruit
Gooseberry Jelly Made From Wild Fruit
Jelly is made from fruit juice and sugar. A gel structure will be achieved only if the mixture contains sufficient pectin. Often commercial pectin will be added to obtain this desired structure. Most fruit gives 1 to 1-1/3 cups juice per pound of fruit.
Extraction of juice from the fruit is the first step in the preparation of fruit jelly.
- Wash the fruit in cool running water.
- Crush the gooseberries and add 1/4 cup water for each pound of fruit.
- Bring to a boil in a covered stainless steel or enamel kettle and then simmer for 5-10 minutes.
- Cool and strain through cheesecloth or a damp jelly bag.
Gooseberry Jelly Recipe
- 2 1/2 cups juice from green gooseberries
- 2 1/2 cups juice from ripe (red-purple) gooseberries
- 5 cups sugar
Measure juice, add sugar and stir well. Boil over high heat until jelly sheets from a metal spoon or to 220-222 degrees F. Remove from heat; skim off foam. Pour jelly into hot, sterilized half-pint jars to 1/4 inch of top and seal with two-piece canning lids.* Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
* The use of paraffin is no longer recommended. Minnesota Extension advises the use of two-piece lids.
- University of Saskatchewan Extension Division
Revised by Suzanne Driessen 2015


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How secure would a hash function be which appends an extra block of 16 zeroed out bytes to the end of the message and then AES-encrypts it with a well-known password (say the first 128 bits of pi) using cipher-block-chaining and then XORs all the encrypted blocks together?
Not at all secure; generating preimages would be trivial. Here's a demonstration with a three-block message:
Here is your suggested method (limited to three block messages):
$E_0 = Encrypt( IV \oplus P_0 )$
$E_1 = Encrypt( E_0 \oplus P_1 )$
$E_2 = Encrypt( E_1 \oplus P_2 )$
$E_3 = Encrypt( E_2 \oplus 0 )$
$Hash = E_0 \oplus E_1 \oplus E_2 \oplus E_3$
(with the key for Encrypt and the IV fixed).
Here's how you could find a message $(P_0, P_1, P_2)$ that hashes to a preselected value $Hash$:
You're done: $(P_0, P_1, P_2)$ hashes to preselected value; it's easy to see that hashing this value will cause the internal $E_0, E_1, E_2, E_3$ values that we have selected, and that exclusive-oring them will produce the preselected hash.
In addition, you would want to use at least 256 bits of "state" for an iterated 128 bit hash function due to the existence of generic attacks to produce state collusions. You might want to google for "wide pipe construction" or "random sponge function".


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ABILENE, Kan. (WIBW) -- Congressman Tim Huelskamp showed his appreciation for local high school students who gained national attention for protesting their school lunches.
Huelskamp visited Abilene High School Friday and thanked the students for their efforts.
He told them that their efforts as well as the efforts of students in other Kansas schools helped to get the USDA to ease off of their original restrictions.
Huelskamp also talked about introducing a bill to change the Healthy and Hunger Free Act of 2010.
Abilene High School students have been bringing their own lunches and eating outside of their cafeteria to protest the Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act which increases the required number of servings of fruits and vegetables and cuts down on the calorie content of food items offered to students. The bill is designed to improve nutrition and focuses on reducing childhood obesity.
In the first three days of the protest, the school served half of the lunches they normally do.
Several hundred students have taken part in the peaceful protest, which has been covered by news agencies throughout the country, including USA today.
The protest came about when students were learning about Gandhi in World History class and how he led India to independence from British colonial rule through the practice of nonviolent civil disobedience. They wanted to use his example and practices and apply them to an issue that directly impacted them.


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The Corner Shop
Category: Other Design Fields, Products,
Posted by: Thea
Posted: Aug 8th 2014
No. of comments: 0
Posted: Aug 8th 2014
No. of comments: 0
British artist Lucy Sparrow has converted an entire abandoned corner shop in Bethnal Green into a temporary art exhibition. It's filled entirely by hand-sewn felt products. Chips, magazines, icecreams—even the cash register. All. Fabric. It took Sparrow seven months to complete.


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Teaching Kids About Money: Goals by Age
In This Article:
Watch Your Step
Lucky enough to have a precocious child? She may be years ahead in reading and math but still lack the fundamentals about money. Just because she's smart, don't assume that your child knows a thing about money.
Goals for Kids Age 11 to 13
As your child gets older (essentially middle school age), his responsibilities when it comes to money should increase. Your expectations of his money skills should also increase at this point.
Here are some things you might expect of your child at this age:
- Setting up a savings plan. As your child ages, he's better able to set goals that are more far-reaching. For example, he might want to save for a summer experience—a day at Great Adventure or Six Flags.
- Setting up a savings account. The old piggy bank may have been okay in elementary school, but once his savings grows, it's time to bank it in a commercial institution.
- Giving to charity. Even if it's only a little money, it's about time to learn about giving to worthy causes.
- Shopping wisely. Children this age may spend time at the mall on their own; they need to know about shopping for value.
Goals for Youths Age 14 to 18
By this age (essentially high school age), your child already has one foot out the door. You want her to have a firm grasp of certain money essentials because it may be only a matter of a few years—or even months—before she's away from your watchful eye.
Here are some things that should be mastered by a youth in this age group:
Financial Building Blocks
Kids are painfully ignorant about debt. According to a 1997 Consumer Reports study, 40 percent of teenagers didn't understand that banks charge interest on the loans they make. Many teens don't even realize that credit cards are a form of borrowing.
- Saving for college. College is an investment worth making—and for this age group, it's just around the corner.
- Getting a job. Nothing teaches about the value of a dollar as fast as working for it.
- Learning about investments. Your child may not yet have the bucks to buy a Treasury bill or 100 shares of Microsoft, but it's important that she understand at this age how these investments differ and what investing in general can do for her.
- Understanding what a budget is all about. Money isn't infinite (unless you've been supplying it without restriction), so she should know how to make a budget and allocate the money she has to spend among the things she needs.
- Learning about credit cards and other debt. Whether your child is ready for her own credit card is not the criterion for teaching about debt and how to handle it. It's never too early to learn the perils of having too much debt and how that can happen.
- Understanding about the different kinds of taxes. If your child already had a job, she knows that Social Security and Medicare taxes are withheld from her paycheck. When shopping in most states, she has paid sales taxes on things she has bought. And if she earns enough or has investments, she'll pay income taxes as well.
More on: Money and Kids
Excerpted from The Complete Idiot's Guide to Money-Smart Kids © 1999 by Barbara Weltman. All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. Used by arrangement with Alpha Books, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
To order this book visit Amazon's web site or call 1-800-253-6476.


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5 Absurd Ways Comic Books Have Resurrected Dead Superheroes
Superhero comics have an inherent problem. They are intended to run indefinitely, so you can't really kill off characters. Yet we the reader need to fear for the character's lives when danger is about. They deal with this by repeatedly killing off the good guys, and bringing them back ... often in the most absurd and/or insane way possible...
#5. Spider-Man Gives Birth to Himself
In a storyline titled "Changes," Spider-Man has to fight The Queen, a ridiculously powerful villainess no one has ever heard of before. Her powers are insect-related, so she picks Spider-Man to make spider-babies with (spiders aren't actually insects but just go with it). The Queen kicks his ass in their first fight and then proceeds to rape him in the mouth. Which looks like this:
The Queen eventually lets Spider-Man escape, having accomplished her goal. Later that night Peter finds out that the kiss had a side-effect: it's turning him in a real spider.
The Queen then tracks Spider-Spider-Man down and takes him to her lair, where he can finish his transformation into Frodo's worst nightmare. Oh, and she also reveals that he's pregnant.
So even though Spider-Spider-Man is still male, and The Queen never boned him as promised (tease!), he's somehow been genetically altered to become pregnant. Well, okay. So, what does Spider-Spider-Man do with this news? Nothing, because he's a fucking spider who can't understand what the hell people are saying. Instead, he starts to have a seizure and his body topples over dead, leaving The Queen genuinely heartbroken.
"Oh well. Off to molest a horse, then."
But The Queen leaves just in time to miss ...
... Spider-Man emerging from the dead shell of his own body. Trying to figure out how that makes sense? It doesn't, so don't bother. He's even got all his memories and knows where he is when he pops out, which means somehow Spider-Spider-Man was pregnant with Peter Parker, in human form, fully aged, and then died giving birth to himself. Of all the sentences we thought we'd never get to write, that was easily in our top twenty. Then we finally get to the reason why this horrible story has been going for five god damn issues.
Organic webslingers. You see, the first Spider-Man movie had come out not too long before this storyline, and one of the changes they made was that Spider-Man no longer used webshooters of his invention, he simply shot the webbing from his wrists (because that's clearly more realistic). The writers at Marvel were tasked with coming up with a way to introduce this development on the comic, and "having Spider-Man morph into a giant spider and give birth to himself" seemed like the simplest option.
Also, he discovers that he can also talk to bugs now. This is such an incredibly useful superpower that he has never used it again in like eight years.
#4. Alfred is Saved By His Love for Batman and Robin (Plus, a Regeneration Beam)
Back in the '60s, Batman readers were getting a bit wary about the whole "keeping a young boy in a cave with old men" part of the premise, so the writers had Alfred killed off to be replaced by Aunt Harriet (the annoying old lady from the Adam West show).
"Aunt Harriet must never know about the cave, Dick." "Because we're Batman and Robin." "Um, right."
So, Alfred was dispatched with all the dignity and respect usually reserved for Wile E. Coyote: he's flattened by a boulder. While riding a motorcycle.
A grief-stricken Batman decides to place Alfred's corpse in a "refrigerated coffin" (basically, a freezer), then forgets about the guy and doesn't mention him again for two years. However, it's later revealed that shortly after Alfred's death, a man named Brandon Crawford was in the cemetery studying bugs when he heard a moaning noise coming from a tomb, and ...
"And what is he -- oh God don't look at his pants, don't look at his pants."
Turns out Alfred was only sleeping, a small detail the world's greatest detective neglected to notice while he was burying the man alive. The explanation was that Alfred's love and devotion for Batman and Robin gave him enough "will to live" to counterbalance the physical damage caused by a giant fucking boulder. By this logic, half the people who post on the Internet should be indestructible.
Don't pretend you don't speak their names in your sleep, too.
But "slightly alive" is still "mostly dead". Thankfully, Brandon Crawford, a self-proclaimed "radical scientist", happens to have a handy regeneration beam he keeps in his basement. Alfred's resurrection would have been ridiculous enough if the story ended there, but this is just the beginning. The regeneration ray does restore his life, but it also has a few bizarre side effects: it gives Alfred the worst skin rash of all time, grants him unexplainable superpowers, and turns him into a deranged supervillain.
Oh, it also knocks out Crawford and conveniently transforms his body to look exactly like Alfred's (just so the writers could pretend he was dead for a few more issues). Alfred has a brief stint as The Outsider, a villain who causes Batman and Robin trouble because he knows their secret identities. And by trouble, we mean he can turn them into pieces of furniture by touching them.
This at least saves your family one step in the burial process.
The final fight takes place in Crawford's basement, where Batman accidentally knocks The Outsider into the regeneration beam, transforming Alfred back to normal. Alfred doesn't remember anything he did while he was The Outsider, which is great, because it means they never have to mention any of this ever again and Batman doesn't have to explain why he dumped Alfred's body in a freezer.
But wait -- the public has been told Alfred died, Aunt Harriet moved in to replace him, and they even set up a charity in his name. What kind of crazy explanation will they come up with to explain his return?
So, no explanation, then?
Note that she's stammering out of sadness, and not out of sheer terror because a fucking zombie just walked into the house. You have to turn a blind eye to a lot of things to work at the Wayne estate, apparently. Then again, maybe she couldn't -- Aunt Harriet mysteriously disappeared a few years later and was never mentioned again.
#3. The Thing is Drawn Back to Life by "God"
The Thing from the Fantastic Four, whose superpower is basically "being indestructible", once took a dirt nap because fellow Fantastic Foursman Reed Richards killed him. He didn't want to, but The Thing was possessed by Dr. Doom at the time, and he was taunting Reed with the fact that the only way to stop him now is to kill his best friend.
Tough decision, right? Not really. Reed shoots a death ray at The Thing while dramatically shouting his name (perhaps trying to fool him into thinking someone else was doing the shooting).
Afterwards, Reed's feeling slightly guilty about the whole situation, so he pays Ben the ultimate respect by stealing his dead body to study it in a lab. Behind everyone's back.
Soon Reed discovers a way to bring Ben's body back to life. The catch: his soul has moved on to Heaven, so they'll have to retrieve it first if they don't want him to come back as a zombie or an entertainment lawyer. And how do they plan to achieve this? By literally traveling to Heaven and fetching him.
This is exactly how most suicide pacts begin.
Yes, they decided they needed to steal their friend's soul back from eternal bliss, since Ben would obviously rather be back on Earth than sipping endless martinis in fucking paradise. So they all jump into an old Heaven-transporter Dr. Doom built years ago to, uh, visit his mother.
Yeah, there was definitely something disturbing going on there...
After reaching Heaven and beating up some angels, the Fantastic Three eventually make it to Ben, only to find that (shockingly) he's in no a rush to get back to Earth. While they're trying to convince him to leave the only place where he can look like a normal person and chill with his dead brother, the team somehow gets in trouble and Ben ends up saving Reed from... we're not sure what, since his only options are being sent back to Earth or dying in Heaven and reappearing right there. This shows Ben just how utterly incompetent the rest of the team are without him, so he's guilted into agreeing to go back with them.
And the story could have ended there, but then they're all invited to meet God before they leave. Since they can't really say "no" to that, they step into a door and find...
...a studio with a guy who looks suspiciously similar to Jack Kirby, the artist who co-created most of the Marvel characters with Stan Lee but gets way less credit because he died before he could film any cameos. God draws Ben back into reality and tells the Fantastic Four that Dr. Doom's Heaven-transporter won't work again, which is really just a nice way of staying "stay the fuck out".
He also turns Ben back into The Thing, because he's much more interesting as a miserable monster than as a happy human being.


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Hi Folks! Just wanted to share my new experience. If your Windows XP fails to start due to an error corresponding to lost HAL.DLL, invalid Boot.ini or any other important system boot files you can fix this by using the XP installation CD. Just boot from your XP Setup CD and enter the Recovery Console. Then launch "attrib -H -R -S" on the C:\Boot.ini file and delete it. Run "Bootcfg /Rebuild" and then Fixboot Cheers, Carl
Fix Windows XP by using the XP installation CD
Sharing your experience in PERL article would be of no use. I have moved it to the new thread.
Nice info


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The American whiskey fraternity is enjoying the burgeoning success and ever-increasing popularity of a thing called craft-distilling. There's always been something intrinsically exciting that surrounds artisan food and drink, and whiskey is no exception. In fact, the spirits industry is abuzz with new releases of wonderfully packaged and gloriously quaint bourbons and other American whiskeys and we thought we'd throw in our two cents. You see, whiskey really is a spirit of provenance and it requires great attention to detail. You simply can't go about mass-producing the stuff without due care and diligence, and that's exactly what the new breed of craft distillers are tapping into, and they're creating some of America's best exports. More...
Tags: whiskey, whisky tasting notes, tasting notes, rum, samples, release, drinks by the dram, bourbon, moonshine, corn whiskey, american whiskey, kentucky, corner creek, kentucky bourbon distillers ltd
Categories : Drinks by the Dram | Whisky | News
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You can now get the same sophisticated style you expect from Emporio Armani underwear in swimwear. The Emporio Armani Printed Loose Swim Trunk is made with a quick-drying, lightweight nylon with a supportive mesh lining. The swim shorts feature a relaxed fit with a long leg, an elastic waist with drawstring, and side pockets with an additional velcro back pocket. This men's swimsuit has a glossy, look with an all-over Emporio Armani logo print. This stylish swimsuit will surely get you noticed on the beach, poolside, or wherever you choose to wear it.
100% Nylon.
Machine wash in cold water. Do not bleach. Do not tumble dry. Do not dry clean or iron.
|Extra Small
|26-28 in 66-71 cm
|28-30 in 71-76 cm
|32-34 in 81-86 cm
|36-38 in 91-97 cm
|Extra Large
|40-42 in 102-107 cm


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Individual coaching or group training session are offered for delegates, UN staff and other grounds pass holders. Sessions are organized on various subjects such as UN documentation, Legal Research, Map collection, Advanced research in ODS, General Assembly and Security Council documentation, Electronic resources, etc.
Please click on the class you want to attend to register.