text:
Value Line is regarded as the best independent research available. More than just recommendations, Value Line provides the rationale behind its picks for greater understanding.
The investing world is often broken down into two broad camps: growth and value. The growth group looks for companies with earnings that are advancing at a material clip. The value camp, meanwhile, looks for stocks that are trading on the cheap. The desire to find undervalued stocks is both emotionally and intellectually appealing—after all, who doesn't like to take advantage of a sale? Moreover, value investing follows one of the oldest, and most obvious, sayings on Wall Street, "buy low, sell high."
The problem is that everyone is trying to buy low and sell high, even the growth investors. So it's important to properly define "cheap" and have a systematic way of identifying candidates that meet that criterion. Equally paramount is remembering that some merchandise winds up on the sale heap because it is damaged in some way. A fact that is as true for stocks as it is for consumer goods.
To help investors cull through the list of potential investments, Value Line provides weekly screens. One of the more useful screens for value investors is the Bargain Basement Stocks screen. The screen is fairly simple, highlighting companies with price-to-earnings multiples and price to "net" working capital ratios near the bottom of the Value Line universe. The idea is to identify companies that are trading cheaply relative to earnings and to the money that would be "left over" if the company were to be liquidated. Note, that most stocks never trade below their liquidation value, but even trading at two or three times that value is noteworthy.
This screen is available every week in the Index section of The Value Line Investment Survey. Subscribers can access the most recent Index here to see all 35 names on the list. Some recent names of interest that moved to the top, or the bottom as the case may be, were Hi-Tech Pharmacal (HITK) and Avnet, Inc. (AVT).
Hi-Tech Pharmacal
Hi-Tech Pharmacal provides generic, prescription, and over-the-counter products that treat a range of diseases, including glaucoma, asthma, bronchial disorders, dermatological disorders, allergies, and pain. The company operates in three business segments, with the largest being the Hi-Tech Generics group (about 81% of revenues for the fiscal year ended April 30, 2011). The other two divisions are ECR Pharmaceuticals (branded prescription drugs—12%) and Health Care Products (branded OTC products—7%).
Third-quarter earnings per share were about 6% lower than the year-earlier tally, stemming from a mild cough and cold season, plus a rise in operating expenses (reflecting higher marketing spend to support new medications). Meanwhile, profit margins were constrained by a combination of diminished sales in the ECR Pharmaceuticals group and lower prices for generic Flonase on one hand, and by the costs for additional sales representatives on the other. Although the upcoming allergy season should be a positive for Hi-Tech, it appears that the higher cost structure will remain in place for the next several quarters, at least. Consequently, we have reduced our full fiscal year estimate, but if accurate, it would still be significantly higher than the prior fiscal-year tally.
The stock price has fallen sharply since our last full-page report went to press in April. We think that can be attributed, in part, to the lower third-quarter profits. A turbulent market (reflecting global economic concerns) has not helped these shares' performance, either. Even at the recent quotation, recovery potential is subpar. However, future acquisitions could prompt us to raise the equity's 2015-2017 Target Price Range.
Avnet, Inc.
Avnet, Inc. is the top distributor of semiconductors and computer and peripheral equipment to resellers and end users, based on sales (which were $26.5 billion in fiscal 2011). The company operates through two segments, the Electronics division (57% of last year's sales) markets semiconductors, connectors, and passive components; and the Technology Solutions unit (43% of sales), which sells servers, computing, and data storage products.
We anticipate decent earnings growth going forward. The economy, though less than spectacular, has perked up a bit as of late, providing many large manufacturers with an increased appetite for electronic devices. Moreover, corporate IT budgets and overall order sizes ought to reestablish themselves in the coming quarters, with the pace of the ongoing economic recovery picking up steam. Also, as customers begin to loosen their purse strings, excess inventory now present in the supply chain should begin to diminish, paving the way for higher prices. All things considered, we believe that share net will advance during both fiscal 2012 and fiscal 2013. (Years end June 30th).
Meanwhile, the company has been aggressive on the acquisition front. In fact, it recently announced the purchase of four technology businesses, namely Pinnacle Data Systems, Nexicore Services, ROUND2 Technologies, and DE2-SAS. These additions ought to allow Avnet to broaden its array of products, bolster margins, and enhance operating leverage. Moreover, investors should note that we look for the company to expand further via business combinations, since a number of industry peers still trade at attractive valuations.
At the time of this article's writing, the author did not have positions in any of the companies mentioned.


text: Just because it's cold outside doesn't mean you can't have as much fun getting dressed as you did during the warmer months—and look just as stylish! In fact, as much as we love a one-and-done sundress, the endless layering possibilities that come with the chill of winter kick the sartorial part of our brain into high gear. Flip through to find our favorite looks for the season—to keep you looking cute and staying warm all season long!

subset: commoncrawl


text:
"Richard French Live" is an Emmy Award winning interactive, progressive news talk show. It's a one-of-a-kind program that includes breaking news, charged opinion and investigative exposés. Counting politicians, pundits and personalities as contributors, ranging from President Obama to the biggest newsmakers from the national to regional level, it is a forum for both lively debate and serious conversation.
Focusing on national and regional politics with a healthy dose of sports and entertainment, the Regional News Insider blog offers readers a chance to further explore today's headline news through the writings of industry insiders, commentators and special guests.


text:
Scott Burton (American, Greensboro, Alabama 1939 - 1989 New York)
Bronze Chair, 1979
Inscribed and stamped 1
Solid cast bronze
Overall: 44 1/8 x 21 1/2 x 22 1/2 in. (112.2 x 54.5 x 57.3 cm)
Gift of Philip Droll, at the direction of Donald Droll, in honor of Richard E. Spear, Director (1972-83), 1983
Like many artists during the 1960s and after, Scott Burton aimed to break down the boundaries between art and real life. Bronze Chair is one of Burton's sculpted furniture pieces, which merge the eternal, hallowed presence of the art work--it is a sculpture cast in bronze--with references to daily life, real uses of things, and the often eclectic styles of everyday objects.
The Oberlin Bronze Chair is a replica of Burton's Bronze Chair of 1972/75, the artist's first sculptural furniture piece.2 This sculpture began its life as a found object, a worn, wooden chair that had been left behind by the previous tenant of Burton's New York apartment. The chair's derivative style, which the artist called "Grand Rapids Queen Anne," appealed to his interest in ecclectic, vernacular forms. He was also drawn to the chair as a sign of the absent owner, whose weight and seated posture had slightly bent the frame. Burton decided to cast the wooden chair in bronze in around 1972, and applied a patina of metallic bronze; it was finally cast in a bronze foundry in New York in 1975. 3 In 1979, Burton had a replica made as a gift to Donald Droll, who was his friend and dealer; the piece was cast partly from the original model (since destroyed) in a bronze foundry in Queens. Droll's sculpture, Oberlin's Bronze Chair, is the only replica.
Burton first exhibited the Bronze Chair on the Wooster street sidewalk across from Artist's Space gallery in 1975. 4 It later found its way into a wide range of museum installations, either interacting with other furniture pieces or alone. Oberlin's Bronze Chair is often installed in the King Sculpture Court of the Allen Memorial Art Museum, and is sometimes mistaken for a "real" chair by visitors who sit in it (which would have pleased the artist).
A. Kurlander
Work reproduced with permission of Max Protetch, New York
Scott Burton was born in Greensboro, Alabama, in 1939. He received a B.A. degree from Columbia Univerity in 1962, and an M.A. from New York University in 1963. He began to use furniture in his art in the early 1970s, creating what he called "behavior tableaux," with silent, interacting performers and found objects of furniture. The first furniture piece he made was the Bronze Chair of 1972/1975. Burton constructed his subsequent furniture pieces from a wide range of natural and fabricated materials, and designed them in forms that invoke, exaggerate, and animate various historical and vernacular styles. His work was frequently featured in solo and group exhibitions and performances, including a performance at the 1973 Festival of Contemporary Arts at Oberlin College. Burton died of HIV-related illness in New York in 1989.
General References
Pincus-Witten, Robert. "Scott Burton: Conceptual Performance as Sculpture." Arts Magazine 51 (September 1976) pp. 112-18.
Stuckey, Charles. Scott Burton Chairs. Exh. cat., The Fort Worth Art Museum, 1983.
Gift of the artist to Donald Droll (1979)
Gift of Philip Droll (at the direction of Donald Droll) to the museum in 1983
Pincus-Witten, Robert. "Scott Burton: Conceptual Performance as Sculpture." Arts Magazine 51 (September 1976) p. 117.
Image & Object in Contemporary Sculpture. Exh. cat., The Detroit Institute of
Arts, 1979, not paginated.
Stuckey, Charles. Scott Burton Chairs. Exh. cat., The Fort Worth Art Museum, 1983, pp. 11, 27 (mentions Oberlin's replica on p. 27).
Onorato, Ronald J. Faux Arts: Surface Illusions and Simulated Materials in Recent Art. Exh cat., La Jolla Museum of Contemporary Art, 1987, p. 6.
Technical Data
The work is cast in copper alloy in several sections, with the seat spot-welded in place. The center back stile and two front stiles appear to be welded. The surface is finished in a black patina with a medium gloss. It appears to be coated with a pigmented wax, rather than lacquered. The piece is in good condition, despite the appearance of some green copper corrosion products at the base of the proper right rear leg.
1. Inscriptions and stamps are all below central seat ornament; stamped left: S.B; inscribed center: 1979 REPLICA/FOR DONALD DROLL; stamped right: MODERN ART FOUNDRY NEW YORK / N.Y.
2. The present location of the original bronze is unknown. It was in the artist's collection from its fabrication until at least 1987, when it was documented in Ronald J. Onorato, Faux Arts: Surface Illusions and Simulated Materials in Recent Art (exh. cat., La Jolla Museum of Contemporary Art, 1987), p. 6. It is likely that the work remained with Burton until his death in 1989.
3. Charles Stuckey, Scott Burton Chairs (exh. cat., The Fort Worth Art Museum, 1983), p. 11. Stuckey's essay provides the essential account of Burton's chair pieces.
4. Charles Stuckey, Scott Burton Chairs (exh. cat., The Fort Worth Art Museum, 1983), ill. p. 27.


text: DNVGL.com.au uses cookies to give you the best possible experience on our site and for marketing purposes. By browsing the site you agree to our use of cookies, and you can click "Close" to remove this message. If you do not want to allow cookies, go to our cookie settings page and disable.


text:
The romantic side of Gretchen Wilson comes out when talking about Billy Joel. The country singer raves about Joel's song writing abilities and says one song in particular really connected with her.
"For a man to sit down and write 'She's Always a Woman'…that's not supposed to come from a man," says Wilson. "He's not supposed to be that far inside of us."
And then there's Wilson's honest side.
"I'm not the only one who loves [Joel]," she says. "He's had some good looking girls throughout the years, hasn't he? I mean, for somebody like him -- he looks like he's been beaten the hell out of."
I get to know this honest side pretty well on Friday. Wilson sits directly across from me in her dressing room before her Toyota Park concert wearing an adidas t-shirt and jeans. The Pocahontas, Ill.-native doesn't care that I'm seeing her without her makeup and isn't hiding the fact that she's chewing Skoal tobacco.
She says she has "nothing to be ashamed of" and tells me early on in the conversation that I can ask whatever I want. OK, how is it possible that we're from the same state?
"I don't get it either," says the "Redneck Woman" singer. "It feels like it's two different states. In southern Illinois, it's country and rock and roll. Pop is nowhere.
"Where I come from – I'm just going to say it – it's redder than hell. So when I'm looking at the elections and I'm seeing the blue state, I just don't get it."
Wilson did her part for the Republican Party last fall when she campaigned with former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin. She performed at Palin's rallys and sang Heart's "Barracuda" when Palin would come out.
"I remember her speech writer frantically writing speeches in the seat in front of me," Wilson says about traveling with Palin. "He would call someone and say 'Can we say this?' and then they'd go 'She can't say this because that could [anger] that person.'
"What killed me the most is that she couldn't go up there and say what she wanted to say. We never really got to see her. Then I start thinking 'Well [shoot], we've never seen none of them then.' "
Wilson knows a little about what it's like when people try to make you something you're not. She says early in her career tour mangers would put her on a pedestal and separate her from the rest of the band and crew.
She was uncomfortable with the fact that they didn't want her getting off the tour bus without security and hit a breaking point when the lighting guys looked down one time when she walked by.
"I want them to call me by my first name and I want them to call me out if I'm doing something wrong," says Wilson, whose debut album "Here for the Party," sold over five million copies. "There's not a person who works for me who wouldn't tell me if I was getting too big for the room."
Also keeping her grounded is her eight-year-old daughter Grace, who now tours with Wilson. The 36-year-old Mom says touring without her in the past was depressing. Her tour schedule now revolves around Grace's school schedule so that the two can be together at all times.
The conversation switches over to a topic that comes up often in Wilson's interviews -- pop country. I tell her I like the genre. She tells me she hates it. Rather than turn it into "You say tomato…" I attempt to see where she's coming from.
"It's a manufactured performance," says Wilson, who has lived in Nashville since 1996 and now has the accent to show for it. "Something with that much going on is not naturally done.
"If I could turn on the radio and hear a Taylor Swift song and right after that a Charlie Daniels song, we wouldn't be having this conversation. But you don't hear Charlie Daniels on the radio anymore."
As for Taylor Swift's spoof rap video with T-Pain, Wilson said she didn't enjoy it.
"I thought she looked like a goofball," says Wilson. "What, anything for the camera?"
With show time nearing, Wilson goes off to get dressed. When I see her again in the dressing room, she is getting her makeup done and will have her hair done soon after. She's also now wearing a rhinestone belt and high heels and her adidas t-shirt has been replaced by a black corset.
It's a change, but not a transformation. She is still holding a "spit cup" for her chewing tobacco. After her makeup and hair are all set, she peeks out the window to look at the crowd.
"Now if I walk out there, they're going to know who I am," she jokes.
Wilson is at her funniest when she rags on herself (and Billy Joel). She admits she has forgotten the words to her songs during shows because she was reading the signs in the crowd. And when she sees how intoxicated some fans are hours before Friday's show, Wilson says, "I'm going to sound great to them."
Surprisingly, Wilson still gets nervous before shows even after all these years. She claims she paces back and forth and sometimes throws up.
"Do you know what they expect me to be when I go out there? I'm just this -- and they expect me to be that," she says, nodding at the stage. "But then I walk out there. I own the place."


text:
2014 Ranger Tugs R29
- Description
- View Full Specifications
- Year:
- 2014
- Hull Material:
- Fiberglass
- Length:
- 29'
- Engine/Fuel Type:
- /
Imagine a 40-foot cruiser with sleeping accommodations for up to six adults, live-aboard accommodations, a complete navigation electronics package and the economy and reliability of diesel power. Imagine its headroom and elbow-room, complete galley and head with shower, and its standard bow and stern thrusters for pinpoint maneuvering.
Now imagine all this—and more—in a trailerable 29-foot hull. That's the idea behind the Ranger R-29, a comfortable family cruiser offering admirable range, a smooth ride, responsive performance and all the standard features you need for a cruise itinerary that could be measured in weeks, not just weekends. Among the R-29's many noteworthy features are two private double staterooms plus a convertible dining banquette that converts to a third berth; a fully-equipped galley that's ergonomically arranged for efficient meal preparation; large view windows and five opening skylight hatches for outstanding light and ventilation. There's even a pilothouse door for immediate access to the foredeck, and a molded-in cabinet in the self-bailing cockpit for refreshment service and additional storage.
Thoughtful extras include a cabin-top rack for securing water toys, crab pots or bicycles; a stainless steel railing system surrounding the transom platform; and a hinged mast for trailering and access beneath low bridges. You can also select a variety of just-right options to tailor your R-29 exactly to your cruising style; these include a diesel generator, enhanced navigation electronics package, autopilot, air conditioning…even a Kyocera solar panel to keep batteries fully charged and to power selected onboard electrical systems.
Additional Specs, Equipment and Information:
Hull Shape: Semi-Displacement
LOA: 33 ft 0 in
Beam: 10 ft 0 in
Minimum Draft: 2 ft 4 in
Dry Weight: 9250 lbs
Engine Options
Engine Option 1: 1x Yanmar 260 HP
Fresh Water Tanks: (70 Gallons)
Fuel Tanks: (120 Gallons)
Holding Tanks: (40 Gallons)
Performance Specs
Manufacturer Website


text:
They've done this before...
This is not the first time they've put wolves in sheeps clothing(woolen suits etc.)
I think the cat ate the canary...The Dogs are fabulous. Thanks for sharing the windows & the laugh!ReplyDelete
Those are great! Very creative.ReplyDelete
Fun post, Carol! I particularly enjoyed the new campaign in the Parisian transportation system. Efficient? I do not know. Clever? Certainly. -- VeroniqueReplyDelete
Its so imaginative and the work that went into it , all for art!
and humor *))
It's always fun to see Paris' advertisements and windows! I'm not a big fan of the fashion and animal mix...I am, however, a big fan of the metro signs. They are hilarious and really clever. My favourite is the French gal who is talking too much. Good to see a realistic portrayal of our femme française..sometimes I feel like she is represented in such an ideal wayReplyDelete
DEER Carol,
As a former South Jersey Farm Boy, I feel an overwhelming obligation to inform you that what you noted to be a LAMB, in the barber chair, is actually a STEER. I don't usually have a BEEF with your blog postings, and my correction is not really meant to COW you...but there may be other fans of yours who might know the difference between these animals (MEN included)
and I'd hate to see you having to go on the LAMB, because of your oversight.
You can take the girl out of the city, but you can't take the city out of the girl.
That is awesome!ReplyDelete
Those metro ads are hilarious! I see people piss, shit and jump turnstyles all the time. Actually a friend of mine saw a man drop his pants and poop all over the train floor...I think he had gastro on the way to work. Poor guy. Anyway I'm pretty sure no one is going to follow those ads. I can just imagine someone saying pfff to them.ReplyDelete
Is that why you live in North Man-Cat-oh?ReplyDelete


text:
Academy Members Only
The Kentucky Academy is the local chapter of the National
Academy of Distinguished Neutrals, a professional
association whose membership consists of attorneys
distinguished by their hands-on experience in the field
of civil & commercial conflict resolution and by
their commitment to the practice of alternative dispute
With over 900 members throughout the United States, the
NADN is the largest free public roster of experienced
ADR attorneys online. Membership is by invitation only
and limited to neutrals who have proven experience in
the resolution of commercial & civil disputes. All
members have been recognized for their accomplishments
through a peer-nomination and client review process.
About this Kentucky Chapter Site
There is clear demand from attorneys, corporate counsel,
adjusters and parties to know more specific information about a given
neutral: their practice experience, qualifications, language skills,
dispute areas in which they have previously mediated, and so on. This
website allows the visitor to find the state's most experienced ADR
professionals quickly and easily. There is also the common difficulty of
settling upon a mutually agreed date for a mediation or arbitration -
this website serves as a daily scheduling aid to attorneys and staff.
Membership in the Kentucky Chapter is by invitation only.
Membership is limited to established mediators and arbitrators, each of
whom is confirmed to have met our nomination and experience requirements,
and to have established a solid reputation in their respective field.
Formal Criteria:
All nominees must provide attorney references (as described above)
before being considered for the Academy. The final decision
to approve/decline membership rests with Executive Director of NADN.
Advisory Committee
The Advisory Committee is an appointed committee of fulltime
ADR professionals who have been instrumental
in helping to identify, and nominate, neutrals of
repute across Kentucky. They have also
given advice as to suitable membership criteria, and assistance in the
planning of local Bar outreach efforts, including press ads.
We are grateful to the following
distinguished 2016-18 Committee Members:
National Academy Membership Fee : $70 per month
(Preferred method of payment is monthly
charge to members' credit card, else annual card payment of
CRITERIA AND DUES DETAILS AT www.NADN.org/membership.html
In June 2013, NADN was confirmed as a partner to both the
national defense bar (www.DRI.org/Neutrals)
and the plaintiffs bar (www.Justice.org/Neutrals).
All NADN member profiles are now promoted to the more than
40,000 members of these legal associations.
View Complete Kentucky Roster :: Legal
Notice :: KAMA is the Kentucky Chapter of the National
Academy of Distinguished Neutrals (www.NADN.org)


text:
What You'll See at Friday Fix Part 2 — Come See 3rd Date This Week!
Your free concert at Friday Fix is a party every week! We jammed out to Kate Turner last week and local super group 3RD DATE is this week. Bring your kids to jump in the free bounce house. Buy some dinner from local food vendors. Catch up with friends in the beer garden. We'll be there from 5 to 9 p.m. Photos taken by Jonathan Halvorson.


text:
Ultra m998 Mid-Tower ATX Case Review
Features and Specifications
Don't let the name fool you. Ultra's m998 mid-tower case is much more than a utilitarian enclosure. It may be named after the rugged and versatile M998 HMMWV (Humvee) military vehicles but it features a wealth of useful features. Ultra designed the m998 mid-tower ATX enclosure for PC enthusiasts planning to build the ultimate gaming, multimedia, or high-end workstation system. Inside the oversized, aluminum enclosure you will find two 120mm cooling fans, 11 drive bays, a removable motherboard tray and Ultra's unique Power Bar system. The m998 also comes with a large side window, removable top and side panels, and caster style feet.
(Courtesy of Ultra Products)
Ultra m998 ATX Enclosure Key Features:
• Aluminum construction with elegant, clean styling
• Black anodized finish inside and out
• Removable top and side panels for easy access to internal components
• Large acrylic side window with CPU and VGA vent openings
• Removable chrome-plated steel motherboard tray
• Two 120mm case fans included (front and back)
• Ultra Power Bar power distribution and cable management system
• 11 Drive bays (6 externally accessible and 5 internal HDD bays)
• Front mounted controls and I/O panel with eSATA
• Standard feet or lockable caster style wheels
Ultra m998 Specifications (from Ultra's website)
The Ultra m998 mid-tower enclosure ships wrapped in plastic and nestled between large Styrofoam end caps inside a bright orange and black retail box.
Securely packed inside the enclosure are two small boxes and a brief multi-language User's Manual. One box contains the optional casters and the second box contains all the accessories (screws, hardware, I/O plate, SATA cable, and the Power Bar cables).
Post new comment
PC Perspective
Upcoming Events
Get notified when we go live!
PC Perspective Live! Google Calendar RSS


text:
I'd advise you to add at least a lb. of sugar to lighten up the body.
I'd probably try to simplify the grain bill a bit. I normally love a bit of Munich in an IPA, but for an IIPA I think you really want the malt bill to get out of the way of the hops. I'd swap out the Munich for 2-row. The honey malt may be OK, but I'd be more inclined to replace it with a light Crystal (20-40ish) or even Carapils.I'd add about 4-6 oz of hops at flameout and a minimum of 6 ounces as dry hops.
I am confused at this thread. He wants to get rid of a bunch of his leftover ingredients, but wants to brew something to age with high ABV. A DIPA will have the ABV, but there is no point in aging it as then you are just wasting the hops you are putting into it. Maybe that's just me though.
An IIPA is a hop showcase, plain and simple. It''s not about balance, it's about hops. If you cant afford to go absolutely crazy with your hops addition I'd look too scaling back down to IPA or just brew a barley wine.


text:
October 23, 2012
Speech Recognition: Is It Finally Ready for the Law Office?
By Nerino J. Petro, Jr.
The new generation of speech recognition products offers significant improvements over its predecessors. A case in point is the noticeably better accuracy of Dragon NaturallySpeaking's latest version. The help you've been waiting for may be here.
Anyone who has ever seen 2001: A Space Odyssey will easily recall how the computer named Hal could understand spoken commands and interact with the ship's crew. It seemed pure fantasy when the film was made in 1968. What about today? While technology doesn't yet approach the level of sophistication required to allow direct and unfettered interaction between man and machine, it has made significant strides in the area of speech recognition.
Speech recognition is the technology whereby a computer converts a person's speech into text using specialized software. Take note that this is not the same as digital dictation, which should be thought of as the replacement for traditional tape-based transcription units.
Speech recognition is literally the scenario of "I talk and the computer types"—although the software isn't actually recognizing a specific user's voice, but rather the user's words (making the term "voice recognition" a misnomer). As Wikipedia defines it, speech recognition is "the process of converting a speech signal to a set of words, by means of an algorithm implemented as a computer program."
Speech recognition technology for the masses was first introduced in the 1990s, but it always seemed to promise more than it actually delivered. The initial systems were "discrete word" systems that required a clear pause between each and every spoken word. While these systems could capture speech, pausing between each word is not the way in which we interact with each other on a day-to-day basis. These early systems were onerous and cumbersome to use. Discrete word recognition systems never truly caught on with the public or professionals, and work continued on software that could recognize continuous speech.
Finally, in the past 12 to 18 months, speech recognition has made significant improvements to the point where we can consider it ready for prime time. But is it feasible for lawyers to use this technology in their everyday practices? Let's take a closer look.
Improvements and Pitfalls in the State of the Art
The new speech recognition products include not only the ability to dictate documents directly into word processing programs such as Microsoft Word, but can also be used in programs such as Microsoft Outlook, Excel and more. Moving beyond the mere ability to dictate into programs, the new products can also be used to control the computer via commands.
However, even the latest speech recognition software can be affected by numerous factors, including these:
· Difficulty identifying the correct word in the context of the sentence in which it's being used when there is another word that sounds similar (e.g., whether the user means "wear" versus "where")
· Environmental variables such as background noise levels, machinery and other noises present in the workplace
· Speaker variables including stress, emotion, speech quality and health
· Differences such as accents and dialects
What these factors really come down to is that the quieter the work environment, the better the microphone and the clearer the speech, the better the recognition results will be. Better-quality microphones can overcome some background noise issues, and an extremely quiet environment can compensate for poor microphones. The speaker's ability to clearly enunciate words is also critical. So then, what about the question of whether speech recognition software is ready for the law office?
Until June 2006, my answer would have been a resounding no. However, at that time I obtained a copy of Dragon NaturallySpeaking Preferred version 8 from Nuance. The improvements over the prior versions were significant, to say the least. Recognition accuracy was noticeably better and the software's ability to recognize speech was also greatly improved. Then in August 2006, I upgraded to the newly released Dragon NaturallySpeaking Preferred version 9, which offers even greater accuracy. Let's walk through how it works.
Dragon NaturallySpeaking 9 in Action
If you already dictate using a handheld recorder or other type of transcription unit, there's really not that much of an adjustment to make when switching to Dragon NaturallySpeaking. Just as you normally use your handheld transcriber, you dictate your document including all punctuation and symbols to be included.
You can also talk your way through the menu structure. To insert a date, for instance, you can either dictate the entire date such as "January second two thousand seven" resulting in "January 2, 2007" in the text, or you can use the command sequence "Insert date," "Move down 2," "OK." This sequence of commands opens the Date and Time drop-down list under the Insert menu. The command to "Move down 2" selects the format of "January 2, 2007" and "OK" clicks the OK button, inserting the date into your document.
In addition, you can navigate throughout your document using voice commands such as "New paragraph" to insert a new paragraph; "Go to end of line" to move to the end of the existing line; or "Select paragraph" to select the entire paragraph. You can also use menu items such as File, Edit, Insert and the like by stating their name and then the "move up" or "move down" commands. A user can quickly master the basic navigational commands in a very short time. Note that not all Word commands are available through NaturallySpeaking, but the most important commands are all built in. A full listing is set out in the Command Browser inside NaturallySpeaking.
Although it is not overly difficult, dictating commands does take some getting used to—especially when words that you are attempting to put on paper are interpreted as commands. In these instances, you must speak with a pause between each word. With a reasonable amount of training you can overcome this potential obstacle so that you can dictate entire documents without using your keyboard or mouse. You can use speech commands to select a line, a specific number of words, a paragraph or an entire document. You can bold, underline and italicize text; copy, cut and paste; enter Roman numerals; and otherwise format text. You can also spell out words that you wish to train the system to recognize. Commands are also available within Microsoft Excel, Outlook, Corel WordPerfect, Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox.
While Dragon NaturallySpeaking Preferred 9 can be used out-of-the-box without any training, I strongly recommend that you do the initial training and then continue to train on the software each time you use it. This will give you a higher degree of accuracy and save you time in the long run. Training entails reading a script that is displayed on your screen.
Another nice feature that enhances recognition is that the program will look to your Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Express and any documents that you have in your My Documents folder to recognize your writing patterns.
Ultimately, accomplished typists may not notice much improvement in production by using speech recognition—but for those of us who are keyboard-challenged, speech recognition technology is a vast improvement over hunt-and-peck typing.
What Your Bucks Will Buy You
While there are several smaller companies providing speech recognition software (even Microsoft has added the capability to its Windows XP and its newly released Vista operating system), the current champ for speech recognition in the law office is Dragon NaturallySpeaking. The program comes in several different versions, progressing from the least-expensive Standard to the mid-priced Preferred and the top-of-the-line Professional version. You can purchase the Professional version with a specialized, profession-specific dictionary for legal practices, too.
The Professional version also gives you the ability to create complex macros, provides for a "roaming user," which allows someone else on a different computer to play your speech file and edit the transcription, and more. However, the Professional version is pricey at $800 or more. For most lawyers who are looking to experiment with speech recognition, Dragon NaturallySpeaking's Preferred version is the place to start—it currently sells for around $199.
When you purchase the Dragon NaturallySpeaking Preferred software, you also receive a headset that plugs into the sound card on your computer. Generally, though, with speech recognition software, I recommend that you purchase a better headset that connects to your computer via a USB port—this bypasses your sound card entirely and removes any sound card-compatibility issues from the equation. Headsets from Parrott, Plantronics, Sennsenheiser, VXI Corp., GN Netcom and Andrea electronics are approved for use and will generally provide better recognition and accuracy. The Philips SpeechMikes can also be used with the program and have received high ratings for accuracy from Nuance. Dragon NaturallySpeaking 9 also supports Bluetooth and other wireless-technology-enabled microphones. You can even use your handheld digital recorder to transfer dictation that you take on the road into NaturallySpeaking.
You should also check out other types of third-party products that are available for use with Dragon NaturallySpeaking, including specialized libraries and command sets. One such provider is KnowBrainer, whose products include advanced scripting additions, a large number of new commands, legal and medical dictionaries, and microphones and headsets as well. You can also find third-party Dragon NaturallySpeaking command files for Time Matters practice management software at Premier Software.
These kinds of "add-ons" can give you a leg up in maximizing your use of Dragon NaturallySpeaking, and hopefully there are more of them to come as speech recognition technology improves still further in accuracy and ease of use. For now, the bottom line is that speech recognition is definitely worth considering for lawyers who are not good typists, or where physical challenges like carpal tunnel syndrome are at issue. With a minimal amount of training, you can begin using it in a way that reduces the amount of actual typing needed, thereby saving time (and aggravation) and allowing for greater productivity.Author's Note: This article was prepared using Dragon NaturallySpeaking Preferred 9.


text:
Fallon to Succeed Leno in Spring 2014
Jay Leno will hand the reins of "The Tonight Show" to Jimmy Fallon in the spring of 2014, marking the official timing of a generational handoff that has been widely expected in the industry. John Jannarone reports. Photo: Getty Images.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... the the ... it's ... it's ... e ... my ... late teens ... in ... twenty years at times ... the ... at some special Jimmy Fallon will I come from to allow as the host of that slide show ... below was itself with all the Wall Street don't John Jannarone joining us now from the ... media marketing Bureau ... says ... a thousand different pricing in a muffled it was so ... good for pretty present ... so um it's official ... that's right ... so he's leaving Idol is a huge surprise ... in these numbers are bubbling up ... of last summer months and ... look I'm ... this is not a new theme there's been a shift ... in demographics parade ... I was reading ... on ... the East Coast are getting older and you know they're turning ... on you know a younger audience I think a lot of people who are in their sixties Wuxi shows the course ... to advertisers care about or younger so that's that's when the DPP Keeter and demographic eighteen forty and so ... now this is I mean Jay Leno has been mapped on doing very well for twenty two yes that's right that is often only long walk yesterday I think so aam and that but you know I have to wonder if he really wanted or I it's it's it's it's not clear course you know ... do is go up as other stuff that you know ... it's it's it's not so it's not the intruder probably be in appearing on ... the ... summit to be seven M and B C says this that that that depicted Darwinian of a lot right with the ethos of wine and he'll Pacific equipment and an inch and a median of along well it's that they say that but you know I've Jimmy Kimmel liaison in creeping up on right now so aam it is not what he think we like it could be any new sem phenomenally well on ... but I'm ... you know it's early days of going on for months we we don't we'll know for sure Benjamin chief of up to two weeks but because they are both very funny and they're both very well what's what's ... it aam I think so I don't know I'm very ... very little yet it's ok if you ... are not so much of it ... some of the very funny ... aam but the


text:
Update from ComputerWorld: This story originally said that Verizon Wireless expected to make the Galaxy S II smartphone available sometime in July. After the story appeared, the Verizon spokeswoman quoted in the story said she was incorrect and meant that Samsung Galaxy Tab would appear in July. She didn't comment on whether the carrier is making the smartphone available next month.
Mobile World Congress brought one of the most anticipated devices of the year, the Samsung Galaxy S II. The device's popularity quickly gained momentum and reached the top of our wish lists, with some of the most groundbreaking specs of this year (at least for now).
This device will be among the best phones in the market, upon its release. Featuring specs like a dual-core 1.2 GHz processor, 1 GB of RAM, Android 2.3 Gingerbread, front and rear cameras, a stunning Super AMOLED Plus display, and its amazing design, this device is sure to bring some good competition to other manufacturers. But when is it going to be released in the U.S.?
The Samsung Galaxy S II was first released in South Korea, but before today, we had no idea when it would be reaching the U.S. According to the guys at Droid-Life, a Verizon spokeswoman has stated that they are planning to have the Samsung Galaxy S II for sale by July (no specific date given), which is actually sooner than expected.
Though we wish we could have more details about the release date (and whether it will have 4G LTE connectivity or not), at least we know that the Samsung Galaxy S II is about to reach the U.S. There is also no word on the Samsung Galaxy S II versions for the other carriers, but we can assume that the competition won't lag too much. For now, Verizon users can have something to look forward to until next month. Any Verizon users out there getting this?


text:
See what questions
a doctor would ask.
Mastectomy: Surgical breast removal.
Mastectomy: Surgery to remove the breast (or as much of the breast tissue as possible).
Source: National Institute of Health
Mastectomy: surgical removal of a breast to remove a malignant tumor.
Source: WordNet 2.1
These medical condition or symptom topics may be relevant to medical information for Mastectomy:
Source - MeSH 2007
Source - WordNet 2.1
Source - WordNet 2.1
Source: CRISP
The following list attempts to classify Mastectomy into categories where each line is subset of the next.
Source: WordNet 2.1
Search to find out more about Mastectomy:
Tools & Services:
Medical Articles:
Search Specialists by State and City
By using this site you agree to our Terms of Use. Information provided on this site is for informational purposes only; it is not intended as a substitute for advice from your own medical team. The information on this site is not to be used for diagnosing or treating any health concerns you may have - please contact your physician or health care professional for all your medical needs. Please see our Terms of Use.
Copyright © 2014 Health Grades Inc. All rights reserved. Last Update: 13 August, 2015 (0:39)


text:
Friday, June 10, 2011
Peace doves hover over Islamabad
Afghan President Hamid Karzai arrives in Pakistan on Saturday amid a huge wave of expectation that the process of reconciliation with the Taliban is finally on a track that could lead to peace. Most important, Islamabad's longstanding demand for reconciliation now finds almost complete acceptance in the United States establishment. This puts the onus on Pakistan to bring the Taliban to the negotiating table. Read my article in the Asia Times on the broad sweep of of an Afghan peace process that struggles to be take off.
Posted by M.K.Bhadrakumar at 2:37 AM
2 comments:
- Robert said...
I find your remark intriguing that "the "debriefing" of the key US intelligence operative Raymond Davis through two full months of gruelling interrogation in Lahore has stunned the Pakistani military about the dangerous ramifications of the US's covert operations for Pakistan's security and stability." I think much of the public would be most interested in finding out what it was that the Pakistani's found out. Please elaborate.
- June 10, 2011 at 10:56 AM
- kamal said...
Hello Mr.Baradkumar,
Don't you think US wins and Russia loses if TAPI is operational?(Turkmenistan to Gawdar to Europe?)
How can SCO prevent the US from embedding itself with ASIA if there is an India which ios ready to partner the US against China?
- June 10, 2011 at 9:49 PM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
Former Grand County Council member Chris Baird, who is running for a seat on the council this fall, drafted a petition that asks Grand County Clerk Diana Carroll to place a recall advisory question on this November's election ballots.
In order to make it on to the ballot, Carroll's office must certify at least 580 valid signatures — and perhaps as many as 595 signatures — by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 2, she said.
San Juan County resident Kiley Miller is one of an unknown number of people who are circulating the petitions. As she visits people's homes and businesses, she keeps hearing the same thing over and over again, she said.
"Lynn Jackson has betrayed the public trust [and] abused his position as our representative," she said.
In particular, Miller said that she and others believe that Jackson has limited the public's involvement at county council meetings — a concern that local resident Bill Love shares.
"Lynn Jackson has tried every way possible to discourage the public from making comments on county issues," Love told The Times-Independent.
Miller believes that Jackson hasn't been forthright about his closed-door meetings with proponents of a seven-county economic development and infrastructure coalition. Nor does he want to share his agenda with the public, she said.
"People are very concerned because they feel that their welfare [and] economic investments are being threatened by his shortsightedness," she said.
Jackson counters that his critics are speaking for a small number of people who don't share his views on some issues.
"What they're really saying is I'm not listening to them," he said.
While he acknowledges that they represent a "sizable minority" of county residents, Jackson said he is standing up for many others in the community.
"There's a whole 'nother group out there — perhaps just as many people, and maybe more — that I do speak for," he said.
He believes his critics and political opponents are narrowing their focus on a few issues, instead of looking at his overall record.
Jackson, a former U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) employee, has made no secret of his belief that the county needs to find a balance between conservation and natural resource development.
He points out that he has consistently said that energy development can help diversify the county's economy beyond the tourist sector. But he's been just as consistent in his support for proposals that would ask Congress to create more wilderness in Grand County.
Likewise, he noted that he has repeatedly — and publicly — voiced his support for greater protections of the La Sal Mountains watershed, as well as the area's rivers.
Other council members have been less receptive to some of those proposals, but Jackson said he has no control over how they might vote.
However, local resident Sue deVall believes that Jackson is pursuing an agenda that is limited to his own interests, and she said that's why she signed the petition to get the recall question on the ballot.
"Jackson has demonstrated a refusal to listen to any ideas that do not agree with his own," deVall told The Times-Independent.
Miller said Jackson demonstrated as much during an Aug. 5 county council meeting, when he initially said he would not allow audience members to comment on the seven-county coalition proposal. Jackson relented after Grand County Council vice chairwoman Elizabeth Tubbs urged him to open the item up to public comment.
Miller agrees that Jackson struck a more conciliatory tone at the following council meeting, when he said that everyone — including himself — should try to be more respectful of others.
"But it doesn't change the fact that he has been trying to quell the public's voice," Miller said.
"It hasn't been the only meeting where he's been hostile or hasn't wanted to hear the public," she added.
Jackson told The Times-Independent that his move to limit public comment that afternoon was a "huge blunder."
"It was a mistake on my part," he said. "I'm not perfect."
Jackson suggested that he would have likely opened the discussion to public comment once the council had a chance to weigh in on the proposal. In hindsight, however, that was not the right approach to take, he said:
"I should have just let them get up and have their say."
However, he defends his decision to call Grand County Sheriff's deputies to the council's chambers that afternoon, as tempers in the room flared.
Jackson said he made the decision because he noticed that one unfamiliar person in the audience appeared to be wearing a knife sheath around one of his legs. He wasn't sure if the man was actually carrying a knife, he said, but he didn't want to take any chances.
"I didn't know what this kid was capable of," he said. "I felt physically threatened."
Both Miller and Love, however, see the deputies' presence in the room as a form of intimidation.
Love has been attending council meetings off and on for the last 18 years, and during that time, he's only seen sheriff's deputies on three occasions, he said. Jackson presided over two of those three meetings, according to Love.
"He is using the [Grand County] Sheriff's Office to intimidate the citizens of Grand County who want to speak at meetings," Love said.
Jackson said he deserves some of the criticism that has come his way. But he said he wishes the comments weren't so "personal," "mean" and "hateful."
"In a town this small, your family tends to get caught up in this, too," Jackson said.
His daughter, Andrea Jackson, said she's tried to separate herself from Moab's small-town politics. But the self-described liberal environmentalist said she just can't do it anymore, she said.
"I feel like it has become a personal attack more than it has a critique on how he has chosen to represent himself," she said.
In the long run, Lynn Jackson said he hopes that everyone will make more of an effort to be respectful toward each other.
"We all live here, we all love this area and we all want to see what we believe is best for our area," he said. "Let's get on with it."
However, Jackson said he won't back down.
If the recall measure makes it on to the ballot, Jackson said he will fight to serve out the remainder of his term. If need be, he said, he'll run again for another seat on the council.


text:
Swansboro mayoral candidates were sent the following questions by The Daily News in advance of the Nov. 5 municipal election. Candidate profiles were edited for length in The Daily News� print edition. This is the full, unedited written response by one of three candidates vying for Swansboro�s mayoral seat.
Swansboro mayoral candidates were sent the following questions by The Daily News in advance of the Nov. 5 municipal election. Candidate profiles were edited for length in The Daily News� print edition. This is the full, unedited written response by one of three candidates vying for Swansboro�s mayoral seat.
Name: S.D. "Junior" Freeman
Office you are seeking: Swansboro Mayor
Date of birth:
City of birth:
County of birth:
How voters can contact you:
SD �Junior� Freeman
Emerald Coast, Inc.
PO Box 1649,
714 W Corbett Ave Suite #15
Swansboro, NC. 28584
Cell: 910-330-1650
Fax: 910-325-0221
Occupation: General Contractor, Home Inspector, Real Estate Broker
Education: Fayetteville Technical Institute, 3 years: Machinist/Tool & Die Maker: NC School Of Government
Prior publicly elected, appointed or held positions: Currently serving as Swansboro representative on the ONWASA Board of Directors. Secretary Treasure.
Swansboro Downtown Renaissance Committee; Gateway to Swansboro Committee, Waterfront Advisory Committee and the Board of Adjustments. Prior to becoming a Swansboro resident, he served for eight years as a member of the Onslow County Economic Development Board, was chair of the Cedar Point Board of Adjustments, and was also a member of the Cedar Point Planning and Zoning Board.
Past president and current director of the Swansboro Area Chamber of Commerce, Past President, Jacksonville New Car Dealers Association, Past chairman Swansboro Military Affairs committee, Past chairman of the Onslow County Home Builders Association. Served as director of a number of civic organizations. Past President and currently Secretary Treasure of Swann Harbour Owners Association. and serves on the board of the Swansboro Area Development Foundation, Seaside Arts Council and Festivals Committee. Also contributed to civic life as a member of the Jacksonville Evening and Breakfast Rotary Clubs and in my tenth year as a Swansboro Rotary. Have received recognition, in previous years, as Man of the Year and Business of the Year by the Swansboro Area Chamber of Commerce and the Onslow County Home Builders Association, Breakfast Rotary and Lion�s clubs.
Leadership experience:
How long have you live in the municipality for which you seek office? May 2008
Why are you running for office? I am committed to preserving the values of the place I call home and offering my experience to leas our town and preserve our historical heritage.
What makes you the best candidate for the position? I am a Dedicated Experienced Leader. I will work with the Commissioners to do what is best for all the citizens of Swansboro.
What specific issue would you most like to address while in office? Continue with our goals that we have set.
My additional goals:
Look for ways to increase revenue and lower taxes.
Work with and listen to our citizen advisory boards.
Work with area Mayors and County Commissioners.
Work with ONWASA to find ways to increase sewer capacity and minimize rate increases.
Find a way to get a senior citizens �Independent Living Complex� built in our community to include assisted living and a nursing home.
What is your position on building height limitations in Swansboro? Maintain the current height of 35 feet. Continue the work on the conditional zoning zone that would allow the board to review each project on a case-by-case basis to determine if a higher height would be acceptable with restrictions.
What is your stance on the use of municipal funds for purchasing the Nancy Lee Fishing Center? The municipal fund that the board approved to match grant funds will enhance our waterfront allowing for town citizens additional access as well as allow us to rent slips the possible charter boat services and local tours. The area will also provide access for kayakers and fishermen. Over the past years there have been plans to build condos and other large structure. By putting it into use by the town we can help preserve our open views that so many commend us on.


text:
Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey
195 Little Albany Street
New Brunswick, NJ 08903-2681
New Brunswick, N.J. – For the second consecutive year, The Cancer Institute of New Jersey has been awarded a $75,000 grant from the non-profit entity the Breast Cancer Alliance. The grant, which supports the institute's Breast Surgery Fellowship Program, is for academic year 2013-2014. The Cancer Institute of New Jersey is a Center of Excellence of The University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.
The one-year fellowship program provides surgeons who have completed their general surgery residency with advanced training and experience that prepares them to provide comprehensive care specifically for patients with breast disease. Through the program, they learn how to apply a multidisciplinary approach to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer and rehabilitation of breast cancer patients.
Along with supporting education and outreach efforts devoted to breast cancer, the Breast Cancer Alliance also awards grants to support innovative research. This component is a main focus of the Breast Surgery Fellowship Program, as fellows participate in clinical and/or laboratory research with opportunities to design and implement clinical trials. They also train in the basic methodology for conducting those trials.
"The Breast Cancer Alliance has supported fellowships at many top institutions in the Northeast region through the years. We are pleased that its members recognize the strength of our program here at The Cancer Institute of New Jersey in training the next generation of breast cancer surgeons," said Cancer Institute of New Jersey surgical oncologist Laurie J. Kirstein, MD, FACS, who heads the fellowship program and is an assistant professor of surgery at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.
The grant will support the program's newest breast surgery fellow, Ibironke Vivian Adelaja, MD, beginning July 1. Dr. Adelaja comes to The Cancer Institute of New Jersey from the Central California Faculty Medical Group. She previously was the chief surgical resident at UCSF Fresno, where she helped establish a breast surgical services clinic for underserved and uninsured patients.
About The Cancer Institute of New Jersey
The Cancer Institute of New Jersey (www.cinj.org) is the state's first and only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center dedicated to improving the detection, treatment and care of patients with cancer, and serving as an education resource for cancer prevention. Physician-scientists at The Cancer Institute of New Jersey engage in translational research, transforming their laboratory discoveries into clinical practice, quite literally bringing research to life. To make a tax-deductible gift to support The Cancer Institute of New Jersey, call 732-235-8614 or visit www.cinjfoundation.org. Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TheCINJ.
The Cancer Institute of New Jersey Network is comprised of hospitals throughout the state and provides the highest quality cancer care and rapid dissemination of important discoveries into the community. Flagship Hospital: Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. System Partner: Meridian Health (Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Ocean Medical Center, Riverview Medical Center, Southern Ocean Medical Center, and Bayshore Community Hospital). Major Clinical Research Affiliate Hospitals: Carol G. Simon Cancer Center at Morristown Medical Center, Carol G. Simon Cancer Center at Overlook Medical Center, and Cooper University Hospital. Affiliate Hospitals: CentraState Healthcare System, JFK Medical Center, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton (CINJ Hamilton), Somerset Medical Center, The University Hospital/UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School*, and University Medical Center of Princeton at Plainsboro. *Academic Affiliate


text:
Portions of the following information are based on facts provided by the arrested individuals.
Portions of the following information are based on facts provided by the arrested individuals. Those individuals have been booked with, not convicted of, the offenses shown. All accused should be presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Oct. 11, 2012
Terrebonne Sheriff's Office
Christopher Elliot Medice, 39, 327 Ruth St., Houma, failure to appear.
Kenneth Kendrell Bannister, 27, 527 Washington Ave., New Orleans, theft, monetary instrument abuse.
Martinique Lachene Smith, 27, 215 Crozier Drive, Houma, theft by unauthorized use of access card, domestic abuse battery.
Kane Michael Pertuit, 24, 205 West 147th St., Galliano, parole violation.
Joshua Williams Jr., 17, 218 Rosemary Ave., Houma, simple criminal damage to property.
Jonathan Phillip Mills, 16, 2208 Acadia Drive, Houma, aggravated battery.
Za'morion Donted Robertson, 18, 135 Samuel St., Houma, disturbing the peace by offensive language, resisting police by violence, battery on police officer.
Paul Alfred Dion, 61, 6699 Shrimpers Row, Dulac, domestic abuse battery (strangulation), aggravated assault with firearm, domestic abuse battery in presence of juvenile. drug, unlawful possession drug
Houma City Police
Henry Oneal Allridge Jr., 19, 401 Ashlawn St., Houma, attempted second degree murder, domestic abuse battery (strangulation), simple battery, two counts simple criminal damage to property, theft of goods less than $500, possession schedule I drug, improper display of license plate, no driver's license.
Barbara Ann Green, 44, 1312-A Calvin St., Houma, aggravated battery.
Devon Lane Proctor, 22, 139 Connely St., Houma, simple burglary.
Louisiana State Police
Katie Louise Cunningham, 29, 103 Lewald Drive, Houma, possession with intent to distribute schedule II drug, possession schedule 5 drug.
Gerald Joseph Lebouef, 43, 4344 Country Drive, Bourg, possession schedule II drug.


text:
It's Time To Retire Kabuki
The word doesn't mean what pundits think it does.
Judging from op-ed pages and talk radio, American pundits know a lot about Kabuki, the 400-year-old Japanese stage tradition with the Lady Gaga get-ups. Health care reform recently brought Kabuki to mind for both Rush Limbaugh—"what you have here is 'Kabuki theater' "—and New York Times columnist Frank Rich: "[I]f I were to place an incautious bet on which political event will prove the most significant of February 2010, I wouldn't choose the kabuki health care summit." For The New Yorker's George Packer, all the capital's a Far Eastern stage, and all its men and women merely players. "I looked for answers outside the Kabuki theatre of Washington personalities."
Pundits use Kabuki as a synonym for "posturing." The New Republic's Michael Crowley, for example, has defined it as a "performance, in which nothing substantive is done." But there's nothing "kabuki" about the real Kabuki. Kabuki, I'll have you know,is one of UNESCO's Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity! And it's nothing like politics. It does indeed use stylized gestures, expressions, and intonations, but it's far from empty and monotonous. As the scholar A.C. Scott has written, a great Kabukiactor's performance will "contain an individuality beneath the unchanging conventions, his symbolism must be something more than imitative repetition." Unlike a Dick Durbin stemwinder, the quintessential Kabuki moment (known as a kata) is colorful and ruthlessly concise, packing meaning into a single gesture. It is synecdoche, synopsis, and metaphor rolled together—as when, in one Kabukiplay, a gardener expecting a visit from the emperor cuts down all his chrysanthemums except one, the perfect one. And in contrast with our own shortsighted politics, Kabukiconcerns not the present so much as a "dreamlike time shrouded in mist but ever present in the subconscious," to quote critic Shuichi Kato.
Of course, pundits don't care about the real thing. They use Kabuki precisely because they and everyone else have only a hazy idea of the word's true meaning, and they can use it purely on the level of insinuation. They deploy Kabuki because:
1) It sounds funny.
2) It sounds childish.
3) It sounds foreign.
4) It sounds incomprehensible.
Kabuki succeeds chiefly because it makes your opponent sound silly and un-American. And finally kabuki works because:
5) It sounds Japanese.
Needless to say, it sounds Japanese because it is Japanese. Point is, the word can conjure certain stereotypes about Japanese politics. As the scholar Gerald Curtis has noted, we have "an image of Japanese politics in which bureaucrats dominate … and policy making is little more than a process of collusion." For Rush Limbaugh, what better image with which to tar health care reform?
But how did Kabuki, one of Japan's most revered arts, come to signify loathsome fakery? Kabuki escaped derision only so long as no one had heard of it. The Japanese initially considered it too difficult to export; indeed, seeing a Kabuki play cold is like tuning into Lost midseason. Consequently, the word didn't appear in print in English until the late 19th-century, and then only rather infrequently. That changed when, following World War II, Japan's government tried to shed its image as a global marauder by touring its best Kabuki troupes. As historian Barbara Thornbury has written, "spectacular, larger-than-life kabuki was seen as having the potential to reignite America's nearly hundred-year-old romance with exotic Japan." This concept, alas, failed miserably. Although America's urban theatergoers lauded Kabuki, their good opinion did nothing to improve ties between the United States and its one-time enemy. Indeed, relations worsened due to drawn-out treaty negotiations. When American official James C. Hagerty visited Tokyo in 1960, protesters surrounded his car, broke its windows, and nearly flipped it.
According to my research, it was in this hostile atmosphere that Kabukiacquired its modern derogatory meaning. Writing in 1961 about a State Department plan to revise its security measures, Los Angeles Times writer Henry J. Taylor declared, "[By] finally dismissing Chester Bowles as undersecretary of state at the moment he did, the President unhitched the plan's kingpin in this shoddy piece of left-wing kabuki." Six months later, Taylor struck again, "Agriculture Secretary Freeman announced he has discussed Billie Sol Estes' political corruption kabuki with Robert F. Kennedy and 'had mentioned it informally to the president.' "
Writers have enlivened their prose with Kabuki ever since. Usage increases whenever Japan is in the news for disingenuous behavior—as in the early 1990s, when it turned out that Japan's go-go economy was an elaborate sham. It's been cropping up most recently due to the Toyota recall, which has made some Americans question the Japanese car company's commitment to safety. "Toyoda Is Wary Star of Kabuki at Capitol," blared the Wall Street Journal. The word is also on the ascendant whenever fakery seems particularly rife in American politics. Kabuki loves itself a Senate nomination hearing.
It may seem P.C. or peevish to ask writers to resist kabuki. (Is Kabuki resistance itself Kabuki?) The request is impractical, I admit. If a former theater critic such as Frank Rich can't be trusted to use it properly, who can? This is one of those writerly words that is helpfully absent from ordinary conversation, that says, "Stand back, pundit here!" (Slate writers, by the way, have also abused Kabuki—repeatedly!) But how would you feel if your favorite art form, ballet or truckers' quilts, say, became another nation's derogatory epithet? How many Americans today steer clear of actual Kabuki(it is regularly performed here) because of the word's reputation? And there's a final reason to ditch it: Posturing is far too tepid an indictment of contemporary American politics. I'd sooner opt for Grand-Guignol, which Wikipedia aptly defines as "graphic, amoral horror entertainment." It is seppukutime for Kabuki.
Become a fan of Slate on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter.


text:
4 DIY Gifts to Make with Your Kids
Last minute gifts can be less stressful when you get your kids involved in the crafting process! Plus, anything made by a kid is tres adorable. We've collected four favorite DIY gifts that your mini assistant could help with.
1. First Words Book on Say Yes to Hoboken blog: Older kids can help pick out a few objects around the house to photograph and upload into a book for a baby or toddler gift.
2. Photo Snow Globes on Design Mom: Making your own snow globes gets even more fun when they're full of family photos. Kids will love helping pick out photos and creating a snowy scene inside.
3. Clay Ribbon Necklace on Momtastic: Clay is a wonderful way to entertain little ones and create a pretty accessory for Grandma in the process. Plus, pinching and poking is great exercise for their fine motor skills.
4. Painted Block Puzzle on Say Yes to Hoboken: Coming up with their own painted designs on blocks is a great activity for school aged kids and produces a fun gift to give a toddler.
(Images: 1. Say Yes to Hoboken 2. Design Mom 3. Momtastic 3. Say Yes to Hoboken)


text:
OTTAWA, Ontario - Six students earn top honours and 14 students are provincial champions in the 2004 Canadian Open Mathematics Challenge (COMC). The COMC is organized and administered by the Canadian Mathematical Society (CMS) in collaboration with the Centre for Education in Mathematics and Computing (University of Waterloo). Over 5750 students from all across Canada wrote the ninth Open on November 27, 2004. Students had to solve 12 questions during the two and one-half hour time limit.
"The Canadian Open Mathematics Challenge is designed to motivate students beyond their regular classroom work and provide a mathematics enrichment challenge," said Professor Peter Crippin, University of Waterloo, and Chair of the CMS COMC Committee. "In addition, the Open acts as a qualifying paper for the 2005 Canadian Mathematical Olympiad which will be written on March 30, 2005."
Prize Winners: The top six contestants in the 2004 Open are: Francis Chung, A.B. Lucas Secondary School, London, ON; Oleg Ivrii, Don Mills Collegiate Institute, Don Mills, ON; Taotao Liu, Vincent Massey Secondary School, Windsor, ON; Richard Peng, Vaughan Road Academy, Toronto, ON; David Rhee, McNally Composite High School, Edmonton, AB; and Geoffrey Siu, London Central Secondary School, London, ON.
For outstanding performance in the COMC, the top contestants in a region are selected as the Provincial Winners. The 2004 Open Provincial Winners are:
Alberta - David Rhee, McNally Composite High School, Edmonton; British Columbia - Rongtao Dan, Point Grey Secondary School, Vancouver; Manitoba - Yuchen Mu, St. John's Ravenscourt School, Winnepeg; New Brunswick - Chen Li, Fredericton High School, Fredericton; Newfoundland and Labrador - Christopher Mong, Holy Heart of Mary Regional High School, St. John's; Nova Scotia - Keran Xu, The Halifax Grammar School, Halifax; Ontario Central - Qi Yao, Glenforest Secondary School, Mississauga; Ontario East - Ying Li, Lisgar Collegiate Institute, Ottawa; Ontario Metro - Oleg Ivrii, Don Mills Collegiate Institute, Don Mills; Ontario North - Megan Lickley, Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School, Sudbury; Ontario West - Geoffrey Siu, London Central Secondary School, London; Prince Edward Island - Mostafa Fatehi, Colonel Gray Secondary High School, Charlottetown; Québec - Karol Przybytkowski, Marianopolis College, Montréal; , Saskatchewan - Jia Xi Sun, Walter Murray Collegiate Institute, Saskatoon.
"All the winners have done extremely well on a very challenging competition and have demonstrated the essential and creative problem solving skills so essential in today's workplace," said Dr. George Bluman, University of British Columbia and Chair of the CMS Mathematical Competitions Committee. "Students with excellent problem solving skills are vital if Canada is to be competitive in the global marketplace."
Approximately 70 of the top students from the 2004 Canadian Open Mathematics Challenge are being invited to write the 2005 Canadian Mathematical Olympiad (CMO). The CMO is Canada's premier mathematics competition organized and administered by the Canadian Mathematical Society (CMS). "These top students will be busy honing their problem solving skills as they prepare for the 2005 CMO and try to be one of six students who will be chosen to represent Canada at the 2005 International Mathematical Olympiad in Merida, Mexico in July," said Dr. Graham Wright, CMS Executive Director. "These valuable enrichment activities are only possible because of the voluntary help received from many school, college and university teachers."
The 2004 Open results, questions and solutions are available at:
For more information, contact:
Dr. Graham P. Wrightor
Executive Director
Canadian Mathematical Society
(613) 562-5702
Dr. George Blumanor
Department of Mathematics
University of British Columbia
(604) 822-3044
Professor Peter Crippin
Centre for Education in Mathematics and Computing
University of Waterloo
(519) 888-4567, ext 3480


text:
Rainy weather brings rainbow sightings
"If there be a rainbow in the eve, it will rain and leave; but if there be a rainbow in the morrow It will neither lend nor borrow."One positive result of the recent rainy weather has been the sighting of numerous rainbows. The optical and meteorological phenomenas are caused by the reflection of light in water droplets resulting in a multicolor spectrum of light. One of the most picturesque spectacles in nature, rainbows have inspired countless legends, songs and fairy tales.
Local Social Media Posts


text:
This content has been marked as final. Show 2 replies
1. Re: Ecc Memory Jumper SettingsDoc_SilverCreek Oct 8, 2011 12:56 AM (in response to lawrence1L)
I am starting by assuming you have a D8445HV MB ?
Did you find this document? http://downloadmirror.intel.com/15332/eng/D845HV_TechProdSpec.pdf
I dont see any reference to a jumper, but these is a BIOS set-up option to select ECC if you DIMMs all support ECC
2. Re: Ecc Memory Jumper Settingslawrence1L Oct 11, 2011 2:39 PM (in response to Doc_SilverCreek)
Sorry for such a gross error. The motherboard is an Intel D845HV. I have looked in the bios description of the setting for ECC/non-ECC, and the ECC is the default setting. I have tried to set the 'defaults' but it still will not accept the ECC memory.


text:
South Luangwa National Park
Eastern Zambia : South Luangwa National Park
South Luangwa National Park [5] is in eastern Zambia.
Called by some as one of the greatest wildlife sanctuaries in the world, South Luangwa is one of Zambia's main draws. This 9,050-sq km park is centered around the Luangwa River and is home to one of Africa's largest concentrations of wildlife.
Thanks to its inaccessible location, South Luangwa manages to combine immense density of wildlife with limited visitor numbers, and it's also one of the few national parks that allow night safaris. However, visitor numbers are steadily marching upwards, and the best time to visit is right now — before it becomes the next Kruger or Serengeti.
South Luangwa is dry woodland, watered by the meandering Luangwa River and its many oxbow lakes. The dominant tree is the mopane, but stately baobabs also dot the landscape here and there. In the dry season, most plants and trees seem to shrivel up and wildlife congregates around watering holes, allowing excellent viewing.
Flora and fauna
South Luangwa is home to a dazzling array of wildlife. You'll see hippos and crocodiles as soon as you cross the bridge over the Luangwa River, and elephants are hard to miss along the river's banks. Thornicraft's giraffe, with white legs and faces, and Crawshay's zebra, without the brownish "shadow-stripe" of common (Burchell's) zebra, are both endemic to the park and easily spotted. Herds of buffalo roam the park, along with several prides of lions. The density of leopards is among the highest in the world, although spotting these nocturnal creatures can be tricky. All sorts of antelopes abound: impala are ubiquitous, the puku — rarely seen outside Zambia — is almost as common and there are plenty of waterbucks and bushbucks too.
South Luangwa is a dream come true for birdwatchers, with over 400 species recorded. Depending on who you ask, the best times to go are November-December (when the rains start), April-May (when they end) or August-September (when the water levels are at their lowest).
See also: African flora and fauna
The peak travel season is May to October. May to August it's still pleasantly cool and dry. September and October are very hot and the humidity is building up, but these are the best months to spot the game as they gather close to the river and watering holes. November to December is hot and humid and January to April is the rainy (or "green") season, some lodges close during this period, other give reduced rates. The rainy season is the best time to go birdwatching. From March to June is the best time to spot the elusive African wild dog.
Get in
There are two major access points for the park: Mfuwe Gate, near the village of Mfuwe and connected by bridge, and the less used Nyamaluma 50 km to the southwest, where a pontoon ferries vehicles across the river.
By plane
The nearest airport is in Mfuwe, which offers flights to Lusaka and Livingstone, as well as Lilongwe (Malawi). Note that flight schedules are cut down in the green season. The airport is about 30 minutes away by car from the park entrance, and most lodges offer free transfers.
By car
Mfuwe is 123 km by car from Chipata, nearly 100 km untarred. The untarred road can vary enormously in its state of repair and travel times vary greatly accordingly. In March 2008 the first 60 km from Chipata were in fairly good form as they road had been graded recently by the Chinese. However the last 40 km were bad although the Chinese were reportedly shortly to regrade that section: it's possible to complete the journey in as little as 2 hours in the dry season in a high clearance vehicle (longer if a public vehicle is being used), but travel is more difficult, occasionally even impossible, in the wet season. Trucks ply the road, but can take more than seven very bumpy hours. In March 2008 they journey took 2.5 hours in a high clearance 4x4 private vehicle.
From Chipata, it's 1.5 hours (2-3 hours public transport) to Lilongwe depending on the time it takes to cross the border and 8-10 hours to Lusaka.
There is a rarely used very scenic track from Petauke down the escapement and along the Luangwa northward to Mfuwe, but it's best not attempted unless you're traveling in convoy and can repair any problems that crop up. Expect 8 hours for this unforgettable trip of 180 km.
With a tour group
As of September 2006, the basic park fee is US$25 per day for non-Zambians. Extra fees are levied for bringing in your own vehicles ($15 foreign reg or 12,500 ZKch for local).
Note: Entry permit is valid for 24 hours from entry time
Get around
By car
Most visitors tour South Luangwa by car, either on safari drives organized by their lodge, or by their own 4WD vehicle. If going on your own, there are plenty of trails but the signposting can be a little haphazard, so pick up a map from the gate.
It is possible to rent 4WD open top Land Cruiser from a local company in Mfuwe (Hardies Engineering, near airport).
By boat
During the dry season the water levels in the Luangwa River are too low to permit travel by boat. In the green season, however, some operators arrange canoe safaris, but trying this on your own is not recommended due to the large number of hippos (which capsize canoes) and crocodiles (which attack capsized canoes) in the river.
On foot
Independent travel on foot is not permitted, but you can join a walking safari (see next section).
See & Do
The thing to do in South Luangwa is, of course, to go on safari. All lodges organize game drives, where a trained guide takes visitors around by a safari jeep. Safaris are typically arranged at the crack of dawn (wake-up call before 6 AM), in the evening past 4 PM when temperatures have started to cool, and at night after sunset when high-powered spotlights are used to locate nocturnal animals like leopards, hyenas and civets. High-end lodges include drives in the price, but independent travelers pay US$20-25 each if you can rustle up 3-4 others to go.
Some lodges organize walking safaris, where you actually walk through the bush on foot and track animals with the help of a guide — an altogether different experience. Walking safaris can be as short as 4 hours, but multi-day treks where you stay overnight in "bushcamps" (usually far more luxurious than you'd think from the name) are more rewarding. You will not, however, save any money this way: costs are generally US$300-400 per person per day.
At the end of the day, if all that bouncing around in jeeps and/or tramping about the bush has you tired, call Personal Touch (tel. +260 6 246 123, [6]) to book an on-site massage at your lodgings.
Buy, Eat & Drink
There are no public shops or restaurants in the park itself. Safari lodges usually provide three meals a day.
In the July-September peak season demand often outstrips supply, so book in as far advance as possible. During the green season, however, many lodges close down and those that are still open can offer steep discounts.
Unless otherwise noted, all rates below are per person per night and include all meals, two game drives per day, park fees and airport transfers.
[11]. Nestled on the banks of the Luangwa river ,5 minutes from the main entrance to the park where "the grass is greener on the other side" lies Croc Valley Camp The campsite is situated under large shady and lapas with power and water points on the river. Our rustic chalets on stilts are unique in their look.Game drives @ $40 and camping at $ 8.50.Swimming pool bar and restaurant facilities available
Bushcamps are scattered throughout the camp, but are generally accessible only on exclusive safari tours costing US$300-400 per night. The largest operators are Robin Pope Safaris, Norman Carr Safaris and Kafunta Safaris.
There is also a barebones camp site at the Nyamaluma pontoon, but using it is only practical if you have your own 4WD.
Mobile phones do work in the national park and nearby Mfuwe has GSM. However, all safari lodges and camps, as well as the airport, are set up with a radio system for local communication.
Stay safe
Walking in the bush at night is extremely dangerous, and lodges provide escorts to take their guests even around lodge grounds. Hippos, crocodiles, lions and buffalo kill many people every year — although the victims are mostly unfortunate locals, not tourists.
Get out


text:
Hampshire Cricket Lotto and Lotto Network are committed to making your online gambling experience as safe and secure as possible.
Encrypted connections
All sensitive data transmitted between your computer and Hampshire Cricket Lotto is securely passed over the internet using strong encryption. We use modern Secure Socket Layer Version 3 (SSLv3) technology on all web pages that contain your personal information.
Look for the padlock
Our SSL certificates are authenticated by GlobalSign - one of the most trusted certificate providers on the internet. Any pages processing personal information should display the padlock security symbol in the address bar or in the status bar at the bottom of your browser window. Click on the padlock to view the security certificate.
Firewall protection
Firewall software is configured to permit or deny access to data through a computer network. Access to our secure servers is strictly controlled by our firewalls, ensuring maximum protection for the website.
Automatic sign out
If you are signed into your account for some time without using it, the system will automatically sign you out.
Security tips
Protecting your personal and financial details is our top priority and they should be yours too. In this section we recommend a few ways to keep your details as secure as possible.
Use a strong password
Remember: your password controls access to your account. Keep it safe and change it every few months. We recommend you choose a password with 8 characters or more combining both letters and numbers. Avoid using familiar names, dates or the same password on many websites. For more information we recommend Microsoft's pages on password security: www.microsoft.com
Protect your personal information
Your personal information is valuable and should be protected from online fraudsters. Please note that, once you have registered, Hampshire Cricket Lotto or Lotto Network will NEVER ask you to provide or confirm sensitive information. When signing in to our website you will only ever be required to enter your:
- username and password; or
- username, date of birth and a security question (if you have forgotten your password).
We will NEVER send you an email, text message or leave you a voice message asking you to provide your username, password or debit/credit card details.
Anyone asking you for this information is likely to be involved in fraudulent activity. If you are concerned that you may have given away personal data relating to your Hampshire Cricket Lotto account contact our customer service team immediately.
Protect your computer
Your computer should be protected from attack by criminal hackers who may try to access your personal information or use your machine to attack other computers.
There are things you can do to minimise the risks:
- Keep your system and software up-to-date (if possible select the 'automatic updates' option) and only download files from trustworthy sites.
- Install anti-virus software, spyware software and - if possible - a firewall restricting external access to your computer.
- Be careful when you click on links within emails or web pages. Remember that they could be fake and lead to harmful web pages.
- Try to avoid signing in to your Hampshire Cricket Lotto account from a public computer or in a public 'wi-fi' environment (e.g. in an internet cafe).
A sensible approach to computer protection and security will help you to avoid common dangers such as Trojans, Spyware, Adware and Phishing. For more information and useful tips visit www.getsafeonline.org.
Anti-money laundering
Hampshire Cricket Lotto and Lotto Network take their legal obligations regarding anti-money laundering and handling the proceeds of crime very seriously and comply with legislative and regulatory requirements.


text:
Everybody always says Republicans are uncool, out of step. They're old, they're white. Face it, they have no rhythm.
This is, of course, a wild overstatement, for many of them excel at the rhumba, not to mention the carioca.
No, what Republicans seem to lack is political rhythm. Timing. They go after their primary enemy with vigor and force — but they strike too
As Adm. James T. Kirk told the genetically superior Khan in that peerless work of hard-headed political science, "Star Trek 2," "You've managed to kill everyone else, but like a poor marksman, you keep missing the target!"
Twice now, Republicans have "killed everyone else," in the form of rallying their own troops and others to punish the incumbent; and twice now, their actions only served to strengthen their opponent's hand when they had to face him directly.
(I understand that I am likening Republicans to Khan, which is not nice, and I apologize. But he is genetically superior to Kirk and Spock and everybody else — plus he was played by the awesome Ricardo Montalban, so that's nice, too.)
In 1992, George H.W. Bush lost to Bill Clinton, who is now thought of as some kind of political genius — but he sure didn't seem like one in 1993, when he made a hash of his first six months in office, raised taxes and then released a crazily overcomplicated health-care plan his wife had cooked up.
Republicans pounced. A frenzied grass-roots campaign, led in part by the newly powerful medium of AM talk radio and particularly a guy by the name of Rush Limbaugh, stirred passions as never before. The statism they feared most had been embraced by the other side; they would not take it lying down.
A year later, when the dust had cleared, the Clinton plan was dead and Republicans had scored the most decisive midterm election triumph in history in 1994.
They won 52 seats and took control of the House of Representatives, which had been in Democratic hands for — I'm not joking — 40 consecutive years. They also took back the Senate.
In so doing, they saved Bill Clinton from himself. He gazed out at the nation and realized he'd gone too far left. He also knew he wasn't going to get any legislation through a Congress intent on holding down the size of government. He picked fights with them on Medicare and on a shutdown of the federal government and won them. But he also declared "the era of big government is over" and signed welfare reform, which horrified many liberals.
The Republican brake on his ambitions made it possible for him to win re-election, and he did. The GOP wanted to take him out, but the grass-roots mobilization came far too soon for that. What happened afterward didn't generate similar passion, and they missed the target.
Eerily similar to the last few years, no?
Barack Obama came into office, muscled through an $860 billion stimulus, concocted a partial nationalization of the auto industry and then forced ObamaCare on a recalcitrant nation after a year of pushing. Only a few months into his tenure, the most effective and spontaneous grass-roots movement in American history arose almost out of nowhere.
The Tea Party organized itself, dedicated to the proposition that Obama was changing America in fundamental ways and in opposition to the vision of the Founding Fathers.
In November 2010, when the dust cleared, the GOP had made history with the most lopsided partisan midterm sweep ever — 63 house seats and 738 legislative victories at the state and local level. A "shellacking," Obama called it.
Once again, the GOP slammed the brake on the president's new initiatives. Once again, he used their ideological opposition to government spending to his advantage in a showdown on the debt ceiling in 2011. Obama did not say "the era of big government is over," and he did not sign Republican legislation, but he also had a larger constituency than Clinton (he'd won 53 percent of the vote compared to 43 for Clinton in 1992) and therefore less of a need to compromise.
Sure, the GOP wanted control of the House. But what it and its rank-and-file wanted most was to take Obama down.
Instead, after Obama's shellacking two years ago, the GOP got shellacked right back.
This may be the real reason the GOP needs more women and blacks and Hispanics. Because, in the words of those great political philosophers, the Go-Gos, those Democratic constituencies "got the beat, they got the beat, they got the beat. Yeah — they got the beat."


text:
DailyDirt: Making More Real Coins, Not Bitcoins...
from the urls-we-dig-up dept
- The Royal Mint is looking to introduce a new £1 coin that it claims will be the most secure coin in circulation. It's a dodecagon coin (no, not a dogecoin.. a twelve-sided coin) with high-tech security features that go beyond the coin's size, shape weight and composition. [url]
- Curved coins from the US Mint will be produced according to the National Baseball Hall of Fame Commemorative Coin Act. The curve of the coin will match with a baseball glove on the concave side and a baseball on the convex side. However, this kind of curved coin probably won't make it beyond commemorative coins because it'd be a nightmare to re-design vending machines to accept them. [url]
- For a while now, it's cost more than $0.01 to mint a penny and more than $0.05 to mint a nickel. There have been some proposals to change the metal composition of these coins, and if you didn't know, the penny was once minted from steel (in 1943) and from aluminum (as a test in 1974). [url]


text:
Nicely wooded Lot 7 situated on high land. The area offers excellent hunting and fishing among the thousands of acres of Nicolet National Forest. Snowmobile trails are located nearby and downhill skiing at Ski Brule is within 15 miles. This lot, Lot 7, percs for a mound system. 5149
Features Residential
|Lot Size SqFt: 81457
|Lake Chain:
|Lot Size Acres: 1.87
|Lake Name:
|Zoning: Residential
|River Name:
|Taxes: $0
|Water Frontage (feet): 0
|Tax Year: 2008
|Lake Size-Acres: 0
|High School:
|School District:
|Access Road: Unpaved Road
|Site Influence: Quiet Area, Recreation Nearby, Shopping Nearby, Ski Hill Nearby, Wooded Area


text:
Thu, May 8 2014
LeTourneau University is offering three courses in its new STEM Academy this summer to help high school students planning to major in science, technology, engineering or math fields get a jump on their college education. Registration is under way now at www.letu.edu/stemacademy. Classes run from July 7 to Aug. 24.
"These courses were designed for students who are ready to get a head start on their core classes," said LETU Dean of Arts and Sciences Dr. Larry Frazier. "This program allows these students to engage one-on-one via technology with their professors and tutors, as well as to interact with other students from across the country entering STEM fields."
Frazier said these classes are offered at a discount of $750 per class, down from the typical $1,050 per class that is the usual rate of $350 per credit hour.
The three courses include English Composition, Pre-Calculus and Introduction to Chemistry.
"For some students, this STEM Academy is not just an opportunity to get ahead, but a safeguard from falling behind during their first year at a university and having to stay on another semester to complete their degree, which could be more costly," Frazier said. "This STEM Academy is designed to enable students to enter college better prepared for the academic rigor of university study."
The English course will include a study of effective writing, reading and speaking with an emphasis on expository and personal writing.
The Pre-Calculus class will include a review of algebra, as well as a study of polynomial, exponential, logarithmic and rational functions, systems of equations and inequalities, sequences, series and analytic geometry.
The Introduction to Chemistry course is a fundamental courses that teaches
foundational concepts of organic and inorganic chemistry, including the metric system, atomic structure, the periodic table, ionic and covalent bonding, nomenclature of chemical elements and compounds, balancing chemical reactions, oxidation/reduction, states of matter, acids and bases, and solution concentrations. It cannot be applied toward the General Education requirement, but is instead designed to provide students with a basic understanding of chemistry, which will enable them to meet the challenges in General Chemistry (CHEM 1113) or to pursue upper level courses as part of a science major.


text:
Chris Hemsworth & Elsa Pataky: Palm Springs Stroll with India!
Chris Hemsworth and his wife Elsa Pataky make a picture perfect family while going for a stroll with some pals on Thursday (December 27) in Palm Springs, Calif.
The 29-year-old actor carried their baby girl India in a carrier during the sunny afternoon out and about.
PHOTOS: Check out the latest pics of Chris Hemsworth
Earlier in the week, Chris and Elsa were spotted out with his little brother Liam Hemsworth while doing some food shopping on Christmas Eve.
FYI: Chris is using his Baby Bjorn baby carrier.
25+ pictures inside of Chris Hemsworth's family day…


text:
Skyforce Top Texas, Square Season Series
The odds for four straight close games between the Sioux Falls Skyforce and Texas Legends seemed pretty steep. However a total blowout seemed even more unlikely considering the final minute provided a game-changing play. A 102-93 Skyforce victory Saturday night has more texture than just a spread of 9 points. The Skyforce extended a winning streak to three games and finishing a five-game home stand strong leading at one time by 26 points. Also, the Legends have lost five straight dating back to the final game of the D-League showcase.
Sioux Falls (13-10) catapulted to a double digit lead with a 19-2 run which began in the middle of the first quarter and lasted into the early stages of the second frame. Through the rest of the game that distance would stay at double digits except for brief stretches of the fourth quarter. Defense was the key for the Skyforce to forge the win keeping Texas (11-10) to 35 percent shooting. Even the twin gargoyles of turnovers and surrendering offensive rebounds did little to dampen the effort.
Granted the game was pretty one-sided, however Darius Rice of the Texas Legends was determined to leave everything on the court. Rice hit 9 three pointers and finished with 39 points both bests in the NBA Development League this season. Even Chris Roberts was stellar for the second straight night with 19 points. Unfortunately, the rest of the Legends were way off. Hide the kids for this next part as the rest of the Legends shot 12 of 53 (23 percent). Rice actually did leave the court with an injury in the third quarter, but returned to bomb away in the fourth hitting 6 from down town in final stanza.
Sioux Falls took advantage inside as the front line of Demetris Nichols (26 points), Dexter Pittman (18 points, 13 rebounds) and Mike Davis (11 points) far outplayed their counterparts. Plus the Skyforce got reacquainted with the services of Donald Sloan (14 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists) after returning from a ten-day contract with the New Orleans Hornets. Even Mark Tyndale flirted with a triple double of his own (8 points, 9 rebounds, 9 assists) and is glad to have a couple days off after the physical play on Saturday night. The season series stands at two games apiece with the final installment Friday night January 25 in Frisco, Texas.


text:
Heineken "road to the final" by Wieden & Kennedy
AgencyWieden & Kennedy Amsterdam
SectorAgencies, Food and Drink and Alcohol
Heineken has aired the latest instalment of its "road to the final" campaign during the Uefa Champions League quarter-final matches on 2 April.
The ad, which was created by Wieden & Kennedy Amsterdam, shows the protagonist playing in a band in the depths of the Amazon, when he is handed a ticket to the Champions League final. He then has just 48 hours to make it to the match in London and charms a host of characters to help him make it in time.
It was written by Zach Watkins, art directed by Craig Williams and directed by Fredrik Bond through Sonny.
Heineken has sponsored the Champions League tournament for the past seven years. This year's "road to the final" campaign also included social media challenges where fans could win prizes.