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Spam levels have always comprised the bulk -- the overwhelming majority, in fact -- of all corporate e-mail. Last month, according to Symantec Corp. subsidiary MessageLabs, the spam tally surged even more, eclipsing 90 percent of all business e-mail. That was an uptick of 5.1 percent in just one month.
What happened in May to encourage such an increase?
MessageLabs ascribes the surge to the persistence of botnets. More than half (57.6 percent) of spam is generated by such networks, MessageLabs officials said, with the Rustock and Bagle botnets, in particular, accounting for more than one-fifth of all spam. Both networks are heavily based in the Americas (the single largest botnet, Donbot, is most active in Asia).
The Americas, and the United States in particular, are disproportionately popular spam targets. Spammers largely hew to GMT -5 or GMT -8 clocks, MessageLabs found; most spam is sent during the U.S. work day.
Thanks to ever greater CAPTCHA-cracking success, spammers have been able to more effectively exploit webmail services or social networking sites.
"Active profiles on social networks are goldmines for spammers to lure unsuspecting users. All spammers use is a subject line and a valid hyperlink to active profiles on one of a number of major social networking sites," a MessageLabs release indicated. "These e-mails originate from legitimate addresses on some of the main webmail providers making them harder to catch by regular anti-spam filters."
The spam watcher also flagged the appearance of a new spin on the always-intriguing "ransom" e-mail exploit -- in this case, Russian language "ransom-style" spam. The content of such messages (e.g., "We know your target audience,/If you want to get to them/Order e-mail distribution from us/Phone XXX/ICQ XXX") doesn't so much amount to a threat as a marketing pitch.
What's intriguing, according to MessageLabs, is that spammers are encoding English language words, phrases or sentences in the Russian (Cyrillic) character set in order to fool spam filtering technologies. When an encoded message is received by an e-mail client, the client will use Roman character analogs to render the Cyrillic characters. "The unneccesary use of another character set to encode the English language subject is purely to hide the true content of the subject of the message, and a technique sometimes used by spammers to avoid content filters."
On the "good news" front, malware traffic was down slightly in May, dropping 0.01 percent from April levels. (This number reflects the global ratio of e-mail-borne viruses from "new and previously unknown" sources, according to MessageLabs.) For the month, exactly 7 percent of all e-mail malware featured links to malicious Web sites. That, too, was a decrease -- in this case, of 6.3 percent -- from April's tally.
The number and variety of phishing attacks increased last month -- albeit by just 0.11 percent -- such that 1 in every 279 e-mails (or 0.36 percent of all e-mails) was a phishing attack of some kind. "When judged as a proportion of all e-mail-borne threats such as viruses and Trojans, the proportion of phishing attacks had remained unchanged at 89.7 percent of all e-mail-borne malware and phishing threats intercepted in May," MessageLabs indicated.
Researchers say both traffic and connection management technologies have had some success in terms of reducing or reining-in spam levels. "Traffic Management continues to reduce the overall message volume through techniques operating at the protocol level," MessageLabs researchers report. "Unwanted senders are identified and connections to the mail server are slowed down using features embedded in the TCP protocol. Incoming volumes of known spam are significantly slowed while ensuring legitimate e-mail is expedited."
Last month, for example, MessageLabs says it processed an average of 3.54 billion SMTP connections per day, throttling back more than half (58.1 percent) of this traffic because it was "unequivocally malicious or unwanted."
Ditto for connection management, which researchers say is an effective tool with which to combat directory harvesting, brute force, or e-mail DoS attacks. In May, MessageLabs rejected an average of 45.1 percent of inbound messages (as originating from botnets or other known malicious senders).
About the Author
Stephen Swoyer is a Nashville, TN-based freelance journalist who writes about technology.
Microsoft this week announced that the new Outlook for Windows 11 is now at the "general availability" release stage for personal account users, but it's also arriving for organizations as a so-called "enterprise ready" release.
Microsoft on Thursday unveiled four new Surface devices for businesses.
Cisco is acquiring security and IT solutions provider Splunk for about "$28 billion in equity value," per a Thursday announcement.
Copilot for Windows 11 will be available on Sept. 26.
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The New Scientific Revolution
December 14, 2012
Before 2012 slips away it's worth remembering that this is the fiftieth anniversary of the publication of Thomas Kuhn's hugely influential book, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, which was itself revolutionary, and has sold more than a million copies worldwide. Almost every time you hear the word 'paradigm', Kuhn's book is in the background.
Kuhn made it clear that science is not simply devoted to the rational pursuit of truth, but is subject to human foibles, ambitions, emotions, and peer-group pressures.
A paradigm is a theory of reality, a model of the way in which research can be done, and a consensus within a professional group. At any given time anomalies that do not fit into the paradigm are rejected or ignored, and 'normal science' goes on within the agreed framework. But at times of scientific revolution, 'one conceptual world view is replaced by another'; the framework itself is enlarged to include anomalies that were previously unexplained.
Some well-known examples of major paradigm shifts are the Copernican revolution in astronomy, the Darwinian theory of evolution, and the relativity and quantum revolutions in twentieth century physics.
Are further paradigm shifts likely? If science is to develop further, they are inevitable. And as old certainties break down all around us in the economic, financial and political worlds, in science the long-established materialist paradigm is in crisis.
In physics, there has been a major shift away from the observable towards the virtual. Since the beginning of this century, matter and energy as we know them have been demoted to 4 percent of the universe. The rest consists of hypothetical dark matter and dark energy. The nature of 96 percent of physical reality is literally obscure. Meanwhile, the observable physical realm is floating on a vast ocean of energy called the zero-point energy field or the quantum vacuum field, from which virtual particles emerge and disappear, mediating all electromagnetic forces. Your eyes are reading these lines through seething virtual photons as your retinas absorb light, and as nerve impulses move up the optic nerve and patterns of electrical activity arise in your brain, all mediated by corresponding patterns of activity within the vacuum field within and around you.
Even the mass of an obviously physical object like a rock arises from virtual particles in hypothetical fields. In the Standard Model of particle physics, all mass is ultimately explained in terms of the invisible Higgs field, which has a constant strength everywhere. The Higgs boson is supposed to create a cloud of virtual particles in the Higgs field around it, and these virtual particles interact with other quantum particles, giving them mass.
Contemporary theoretical physics is dominated by superstring and M theories, with 10 and 11 dimensions respectively. These theories are untested and currently untestable. Meanwhile, many cosmologists have adopted the multiverse theory, which asserts that there are trillions of universes besides our own. These are interesting speculations, but they are not old-paradigm materialist science. Reality has dissolved into the physics of the virtual.
In consciousness studies, materialism is being challenged by a new version of animism or 'panpsychism', according to which all self-organizing material systems, like electrons, have a mental as well as a physical aspect. In his recent book, Mind and Cosmos: Why the Materialist Neo-Darwinian Conception of Nature is Almost Certainly False the atheist philosopher Thomas Nagel argues that a shift to panpsychism is necessary for any viable philosophy of nature that does not need to invoke God.
Meanwhile, in biology, despite the confident claim in the late twentieth century that genes and molecular biology would soon explain the nature of life, no one yet knows how plants and animals develop from fertilized eggs. And following the technical triumph of the Human Genome Project, first announced by Bill Clinton and Tony Blair in June 2000, there were big surprises. There are far fewer human genes than anticipated, a mere 23,000 instead of 100,000. Sea urchins have about 26,000 and rice plants 38,000. Attempts to predict characteristics such as height have shown that genes account for only about 5 percent of the variation from person to person, instead of the 80 percent expected. Unbounded confidence has given way to the 'missing heritability problem'. Investors in genomics and biotechnology have lost many billions of dollars. A recent report by the Harvard Business School on the biotechnology industry revealed that "only a tiny fraction of companies had ever made a profit" and showed how promises of breakthroughs have failed over and over again.
Materialist science seemed simple and straightforward. But old-style material reality has now dissolved into multi-dimensional virtual physics; increasing numbers of philosophers and neuroscientists are moving towards panpsychism; and biologists are having to think about 'systems' and 'emergent properties' that cannot be reduced to the molecular level.
Kuhn's insights, and the subsequent developments in science studies, are not merely of historical relevance, looking at revolutions in the past. Hopefully we can learn from them today. We are in the midst of a new revolution.
Rupert Sheldrake is a biologist and author of more than 80 scientific papers and 10 books, including Science Set Free, called The Science Delusion in the UK. His website sheldrake.org has links to many articles, audio and video recordings. Email Rupert Sheldrake.

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The latest tape by Robert Gass and his On Wings of Song Choir is a reworking of the well-known devotional Sanskrit chant "Shri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram." Side one, subtitled "Serenity," features the primarily female voices of the choir gently singing the mantra to a simple two-chord melody, with layered counterpoint and the accompaniment of acoustic guitar. Side two, "Dance of Joy," adds sitar and, after a while, tabla, building to a lively and celebratory climax, resolving back into the soft lilting version of the chant that characterized the first side. Like their ever-popular earlier tape Om Namah Shivaya, The On Wings of Song Choir have reinterpreted this traditional Hindu chant in a way that is easily accessiblto Western listeners, who can use it for relaxation, meditation or singing along. ~ BackroadsMusic/Heartbeats
Turn your home into a living temple with kirtan (sacred yoga chants). Immerse yourself in rich vocals and delicious layers of world instruments. Great road music.
The latest CD by this award-winning kirtan artist. Heartfelt, sacred Sanskrit chants to inspire and rejuvenate yourself. Listen to the delicious soundclips, relish these ancient mantras of India, and float away in a sea of bliss.
Beautiful, transforming music to reach the spiritual connection
A clear and easy to understand guide to the fundamentals of meditation.
In The Warrior Sage, Dr. Phil Nuernberger carefully examines the conventional theories, revered dogmas, and cultural formats regarding the human potential that are held in high regard by scientists, religionists, the business realm, and the public. Leaving no major paradigm unexamined, he illustrates the inadequacy of our cultural biases that have held society in its throes and provoked the social conditions that face us today. Then he offers a new idea.
The secret of peace and happiness.
Out of stock"Stress is not a necessary part of life", says Dr. Phil Nuernberger. Stress arises when we let fear and self-doubt control our thoughts and actions. He then shows us how to take charge of the powers of our mind, addresses the roots of our fears, and offers real, workable solutions to the epidemic of stress in the world today.
This splendid, updated version of an earlier collection offers 22 essays, written mostly by women and by a few men from diverse religious traditions and professional specialities, that explore connections between spirituality and a wide variety of other topics: self-image, health, nature, psychology, freedom, sex, relationships, marriage, motherhood, food, creativity, art, scriptures, prophecy, prayer, renunciation, and suffering. The essays, updated by the authors and including eight that are brand new, are exploratory, thought-provoking, and inspiring.
Out of stockThe Sermon on the Mount represents the essence of both Christ's teachings and the teachings of Vedanta. Christ said, Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. The kingdom of God is within. Be ye perfect.... Theologians are apt to explain away these teachings, but we believe Christ meant exactly what he said. Read in this book how Vedanta goes to the heart of Christ's teachings.
Out of stockIt's no wonder that The Power of Now has sold over 2 million copies worldwide and has been translated into over 30 foreign languages. Much more than simple principles and platitudes, the book takes readers on an inspiring spiritual journey to find their true and deepest self and reach the ultimate in personal growth and spirituality: the discovery of truth and light. In the first chapter, Tolle introduces readers to enlightenment and its natural enemy, the mind. He awakens readers to their role as a creator of pain and shows them how to have a pain-free identity by living fully in the present. The journey is thrilling, and along the way, the author shows how to connect to the indestructible essence of our Being, "the eternal, ever-present One Life beyond the myriad forms of life that are subject to birth and death." Featuring a new preface by the author, this paperback shows that only after regaining awareness of Being, liberated from Mind and intensely in the Now, is there Enlightenment.
A decade ago, Deepak Chopra, M.D., wrote Perfect Health, the first practical guide to harnessing the healing power of the mind, which became a national bestseller. The book described how breakthroughs in physics and medicine were underscoring the validity of a 5,000-year-old medical system from ancient India known as Ayurveda ("the knowledge of life span" in Sanskrit). Perfect Health went on to describe how to apply the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda to everyday life. In celebration of this classic work we have created this new edition, revised and updated to include the latest medical research. Although we experience our bodies as solid, they are in fact more like fires that are constantly being consumed and renewed. We grow new stomach linings every five days, for instance. Our skin is new every five weeks. Each year, fully 98 percent of the total number of atoms in our bodies is replaced. Ayurveda gives us the tools to intervene at this quantum level, where we are being created anew each day. Ayurveda tells us that freedom from sickness depends on contacting our own awareness, bringing it into balance, and then extending that balance to the body. Perfect Health provides a complete step-by-step program of mind body medicine tailored to individual needs. A quiz identifies the reader's mind body type: thin, restless Vata; enterprising, efficient Pitta; tranquil, steady Kapha; or any combination of these three. This body type becomes the basis for a specific Ayurvedic program of diet, stress reduction, neuromuscular integration, exercise, and daily routines. The result is a total plan, tailor-made for each individual, to reestablish the body's essential balance with nature; to strengthen the mind body connection; and to use the power of quantum healing to transcend the ordinary limitations of disease and aging--in short, for achieving Perfect Health.
In classic of patient empowerment, Peace, Love & Healing offered the revolutionary message that we have an innate ability to heal ourselves. Now proven by numerous scientific studies, the connection between our minds and our bodies has been increasingly accepted as fact throughout the mainstream medical community. In a new introduction, Dr. Bernie Siegel highlights current research on the relationships among consciousness, psychosocial factors, attitude and immune function.
The Rig Veda is not only one of the oldest sacred scriptures of the world, but also one of the most misunderstood. Past scholarship has dismissed the hymns of the Rig Veda as being expressions of a primitive animistic mentality that only rarely rose to true spiritual and philosophical heights. David Frawley's book demonstrates that this judgmental view is ill-founded. His fine renderings of select Vedic hymns bear witness to the fact that their composers were sages and seers--powerful poets who knew the art of symbolic and metaphoric communication. The Vedic hymns give us a unique glimpse not into a primitive mentality but a mentality and culture that revolved around the highest spirtual values and visions. This is an important and riveting book, ushering in a new and sounder tradition of Vedic interpretation and scholarship.
Tantric Yoga and the Wisdom Goddesses is an excellent introduction to the essence of Hindu Tantrism. The author discusses all the major concepts and offers valuable corrections for many existing misconceptions. He also introduces the reader to the core Tantric practices of meditation and mantra recitation, focusing on the ten Wisdom Goddesses" states Georg Feuerstein.
Out of stockJohnsen offers guidance on meditation revealing the intense mental absorption required. Shows the reader the enlightenment to be found through meditation.
Out of stockThis very readable, yet scholarly book, takes us to the temples, jungles, and cities of India to reveal a continuous stream of Goddess spiritualitythat is unbroken for most of human history. "The Living Goddess" also offers a vision of what our own Goddess heritage in the West must have been, revealing how much we lost when humans turned away from the Divine Female.
Kirtan has recently arrived in the West, carried by brilliant singers and musicians, creating a new musical movement that turned yogic chanting into a cultural phenomenon. This book interviews eight of America s top Kirtan singers, Krishna Das, Deva Premal, Bhagavan Das, Snatam Kaur, Ragani, Jai Uttal, Dave Stringer, Wah.
Out of stockThe present volume provides a learned commentary on the second chapter of the Yoga-Sutra. From a traditional perspective, it is as original, broad, bold, and awe inspiring a commentary as Vijnanabhikshu's 16th century Yoga-Varttika. The second chapter of the Yoga-sutra contains the core of Patanjali's philosophical and metapsychological framework, and it also defines both the components of kriya-yoga and the first five components of the eight limbed Ashtanga-Yoga.
This book serves as an excellent guide for the serious meditator. Included are in-depth discussions of the problems and practices of meditation, proper preparations, and concrete methods for deepening meditation.
Out of stockA newly revised an expanded version of a popular an unique work, this extraordinarily valuable introduction discussion of the philosophy of hath yoga is indispensable to any student of yoga. This clear and easy to follow exposition views hatha within the framework of raja yoga, the yoga of eight complements, as promulgated by Pantanjali, the author of Yoga Sutras, the most authoritative text on the science of yoga. Hatha should not be merely a system of physical exercise: this work emphasizes the paramount role that the mind plays in hatha yoga, and demonstrates how to elevate the practices of hatha to an inner spiritual experience. This study outlines how the practice of hatha yoga can serve as a means to understand the subtler essences of mind and prana and to prepare for meditation and the awakening of the kundalini force.
Out of stockThis scholarly, insightful work integrates history and philosophical wisdom to span the gap between life and death. The inspiring examples cited from various cultural traditions draw us away from preoccupation with our own mortality and toward a deeper enjoyment of the life process itself. For those who are touched by the realism of death, this books bids us to look for the purpose in its lesson.
For the first time the science of mantra is made understandable for the modern Western reader. The most common misconceptions regarding meditation and the use of mantra are explained clearly and often humorously. This comprehensive book covers the science of mantra from all angles, including linguistics, history, psychology, science, philosophy, and religion


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Philippines Taekwondo Representative for SEA Games 2019 is Andrew Medina
May 6, 2019
The first time we met this guy, we immediately hit it off right. He understood what @balbo_ph stands for. One of them is that Core training is for ALL. Whatever you do, every single day, it is an essential to treat your Body well by exercising the Center of Power. Glad to have him in […]


text: Hacker group Anonymous plans to promote an affiliated political party to attract people who share its civil liberties goals, but do not agree with its methods.The move appears similar to those by many protest movements that floated legal organizations and parties to represent their case in political, social and legal forums. But the decentralized nature of Anonymous, which claims no central leaders or control structure, will likely make it difficult to get support from all members.There's some evidence of that already.Anonymous had earlier said in a video that it will stop hacks and DDoS (distributed denial of service) attacks, and will restructure the system from the inside. "Although these methods were effective in turning the media's attention to civil rights violations when our numbers were small, and we had limited options, we now have the numbers to make a difference legally," it said.The video posted on July 4 on YouTube did not go down well with some group members. It also did not prevent Antisec, a movement led by Anonymous, from hacking and defacing websites in Turkey on Wednesday."This (party) is just another group that wants to support the goals of Anonymous. It isn't going to replace it," said Testudo Smith, a spokesman for the group behind the push to form a political party.Smith said the group's mission at this point is to set up an advocacy group to provide Anonymous with legal channels with which it can fight for its goals of Internet freedom and civil rights. These legal channels are what Anonymous is most lacking at the moment, he added.A website set up for the Anonymous Party of America sets out a broad agenda for a political party that is largely focused on U.S. politics, and will work towards transparency and accountability in government, individual rights, and common sense. It calls on "any Congressman or Senator that has any honor left, to resign from their corrupted parties and join our call for and end to the present system".The group might find it difficult to gain legitimacy if other hackers, under the banner of Anonymous, continue to carry out attacks on the websites and networks of companies and organizations.Smith admitted that getting all hackers to support his group's goals would be difficult."We have no control over Anonymous as a whole. There aren't any leaders, and it would be futile to attempt to control Anonymous," Smith said.But should the political pressure group gain widespread support, the group has grander plans."Eventually, when we have enough support, and if we think that it is the best way to make a political impact, then we will register ourselves," Smith said. That's in the very long term though, he added.Anonymous has been the target of police actions in some countries, including Turkey, Spain, Italy, and the U.K. It also found itself alienated from the mainstream population that supports Internet freedom and individual rights, but were not in favor of the group's methods.


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WARNING: This post may contain triggers for and about eating disorders. I had intended to write about yoga, but this post molded into something completely different.
Today, 1000 voices around the world are speaking and writing about compassion. This movement isn't intended to change the world, but maybe…just maybe..it might. You can follow the movement by checking out the hashtag #1000Speak or by reading posts on the 1000 Voices for Compassion Link Up.
Compassion. What a beautiful and complicated word. Want to complicate it even more? Direct it at yourself.
I've had a love-hate relationship with my body since I was a little girl. I was the chubby girl. Bullied for my weight. I've had a love-hate relationship with my body since I was a little girl. I was the chubby girl. Bullied for my weight. Awkward. Quiet around my peers, but social around adults. Bigger than everyone else my age, but told I was beautiful by adults. Constantly informed that "I had a woman's body."
When I was in high school, I thought I was fat. I went on Weight Watchers for the first of MANY times. I lost between five and ten pounds. I would kill to weigh that much now.
In college, I went back on Weight Watchers with my best friend. I lost about thirty pounds. I would kill to weigh that much now.
Over the years, my weight fluctuated as much as Oprah's. Since I was 14 years old, my range has extended nearly 100 pounds. And sometimes, it was because of healthy things I did…and sometimes, it was not.
I guess it started in college when I was binge drinking. In college, I drank a lot. And I almost always threw up after drinking. When I felt sick, I'd preemptively puke. It seemed okay because everyone puked when they drank. And a lot of times, it wasn't even preemptive…it just happened. I would drink to excess nearly every weekend.
And then it transitioned into something more.
At the end of and after college, I threw up. A lot. And it was no longer just because I was drinking. I purged daily for long periods of time. Some days it was more than once. Sometimes, after every meal. And after every snack. Between meals. Between dinner and dessert. I could go weeks or months without doing it. I didn't believe I had a problem. And then one day, I would eat too much or not fit into a shirt the way I wanted to…and start again. I didn't consider myself a bulimic. Because I was still fat. And I could stop whenever I wanted to.
I would be eating something. And thinking about how full I was getting or how my stomach hurt just a little…and then I would think, well…just go throw up. And then I would. I started eating things that would be easier to un-digest. I preferred to eat out where I could purge in a public restroom rather than at home. I would pull my hair back and take my shirt off before crouching over the porcelain god. I blamed itchy contacts for my red eyes after going to the bathroom. I carried gum and breath mints everywhere. I was strategic. But I still didn't think I had a problem.
When my mom asked me about it, a couple years after it started…she was very blunt. "Are you bulimic?" She had seen remnants in the bathroom on a regular basis. The evidence was pretty stacked against me.
By then, I knew I had a problem. I had even admitted it to one of my friends. A friend I knew wouldn't judge me…and a friend I knew wouldn't take action. And she didn't. But she would talk to me about it. And try to support me as best as she could. I responded to my mom in the only way I thought could be more evasive than point-blank lying. I told her I was just drinking too much. I wasn't lying. I definitely drank A LOT. But I was still lying. To her…and probably to myself.
I didn't have compassion for myself. I didn't respect my body. One of the clearest memories through all of this was the control that I felt. It wasn't feeling skinny or the satisfaction of eating whatever I wanted. It was control. I would stand in front of the mirror, suck in my stomach and think, I can control this. But I didn't love my body. Not with everything I was putting it through.
I remember telling another very good friend. Another friend who I knew wouldn't judge me…but he would try in his own way to help me. And he definitely did. At dinner, he'd ask me why I was going to the bathroom at a restaurant. And eventually, just knowing that he had his eyes on me and could confront me held me back. When I was out with that group of friends, I would only go to the bathroom when I needed to pee, and I'd be fast about it. I puked less and less.
Somewhere along the way I stopped for good.
I wish I could tell you what made me stop. I wish I could tell you the moment that I took control of my urges and changed the control from puking to not puking. But I can't. And it's not just because I decided to stop one day and magically did. I know I could have benefited from professional help.
The funny thing is…as I was trying to find old pictures for this post…I couldn't find one where I thought I was REALLY fat. But at the time…I thought I was huge. I know that I'm bigger now than I have ever been. And while I will continue to try healthy routes of diet and exercise, I'm becoming more comfortable with myself. I'm respecting and loving my body. Even when trolls on the internet think I'm fat. Or ugly. Or stupid. Or worthless. I am none of those. I am beautiful. And by respecting myself and my body, I can better show compassion toward others.
When we have compassion for someone, we sympathize. We empathize. We express concern. We show love. We sometimes pity. We worry. We care. We think. We share in the experiences of others. Compassion is difficult.
When we have compassion for ourselves, we have to dig deep to truly understand our minds and our bodies. We learn to respect what we can and cannot do. We strive to achieve. We exist.
I recently started practicing yoga again. And I can't tell you how much the support on Instagram and Facebook has meant to me. I've been participating in yoga challenges, and posting yoga pictures daily. Not only is it keeping me accountable, but I'm able to channel that same control I once had over my body into a new venture. Instead of controlling what goes in and out of my body, I can control how I move my body. And I can challenge myself while respecting my limitations and understanding that I am beautiful. Regardless of my size. Or whether society thinks I should take a picture of myself in a sports bra.


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On one weekend every year, four highly-significant football games land on the NFL's center stage. This year, as we were still digesting the epic Saints-49ers finish and a Broncos-Patriots game that never really got started, and while we were anticipating Texans-Ravens and Giants-Packers, the Kansas City Star nearly slipped a potential four-alarm story through the national five hole.
According to Kent Babb of the Star, former Chiefs coach Todd Haley believes that the team bugged rooms at the facility and "tampered with" Haley's phone. (The team denies the accusation.)
That's the most compelling takeaway from a lengthy article that details many of the actual and/or perceived idiosyncrasies of the Scott Pioli regime. Much of the information comes from former employees who naturally aren't happy with the changes that were made, no matter how unreasonable or reasonable or necessary or unnecessary they may have been.
But the most potentially powerful nugget, as culled by Peter King in his latest Monday Morning Quarterback, comes from Haley's allegation of wiretapping.
Like Tom Cruise in A Few Good Men, it's unwise to accuse the Nathan Jessups of the world of serious misconduct absent, you know, facts. If Haley believes that the Chiefs are bugging rooms and/or tapping phones, Haley needs to provide chapter-and-verse evidence.
If he's right, people won't simply lose their jobs; they'll possibly land in jail, and for good reason.
The allegation is so inherently troublesome that we think the league should launch an immediate investigation. This is a far bigger issue than brazenly videotaping defensive coaching signals during games, the foundation of the "Spygate" scandal in New England. If Haley is right, the Chiefs have been violating state and federal law in the name of truly spying on their employees.
That's why accusations of this nature shouldn't be tossed around recklessly.
We'll give Haley the benefit of the doubt and assume that he's not embellishing, exaggerating, and/or fabricating. If the league reacts the same way, the investigation will have already begun.


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Spring Fling Boxed Set
A romance collection
Release Date: March 20, 2018
Winter is fading into the distance and the season of love is upon us.
With desires building, passion explodes in this collection of steamy and must-read romances.
Come and join us, won't you? Spring is in the air…
Featured Stories:
Bossy Boots by Nicole Morgan
Hero by Stacy-Deanne
Inner Girl Rising by Jan Springer
An Unexpected Twist by Krista Ames
Love Potion by Cara Marsi
Fiery Kisses by Khardine Gray
Mister Write Now by Nikky Kaye
The Millionaire by Lisa Marbly-Warir
Why Not by Dana Kenzi
Without Reservation by Lynn Burke
Tempting Asher by Ja'Nese Dixon
Without Reservation
Sandy Ridge #1
by Lynn Burke
MMF, Contemporary Romance
Art studio vandalized and her mother in a fresh grave, Meg Winters heads off on vacation with her two best friends. She hopes for peace from her grief and the return of her muse. She doesn't expect to run into the two men she idolizes, Trevor and Jack, the secretive wonders of the art world whose work she's long admired. She certainly doesn't expect them to be sex-on-legs gorgeous and determined to fulfill her number one sexual fantasy. They not only awaken her slumbering body, but also her creativity and the life she used to wield with her brushes.
However, Meg carries a secret of her own which holds her back from surrendering herself fully to their desires. Will Trevor and Jack be able to overcome her reservations, or will the truth of her past ruin their chance for love?
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Spring-Fling-Limited-Collection-Romance-ebook/dp/B079WNPVH8
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Spring-Fling-Limited-Collection-Romance-ebook/dp/B079WNPVH8
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/spring-fling-nicole-morgan/1128179687
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/spring-fling-8
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1358849057
Meg's feet moved on their own accord, turning her around. She grabbed her pen flashlight and the throw off the foot of her bed to cover her nakedness, slipped on her flip flops, and made her way silently out of her room and toward the back door. It closed with a click behind her.
Heart racing and the inside of her lip between her lower lip, she picked her way through the blueberry bushes, her gaze flitting to the lit bedroom window. The floodlight flared to life as she stepped up onto their patio.
Their back door opened before she reached it, and she pulled up short.
Jack stood in the doorway, shirtless, his jeans slung low on his hips.
The silence rang in Meg's ears as energy crackled between the short distance separating them.
"Just one night," she finally whispered, her need moving her forward.
Jack opened the door wide and stepped back, his hazel eyes glued to her while holding his hand out.
She slipped her hand into his while crossing the threshold, and he tugged her forward into his arms. Jack's full lips swiped across hers, slow and completely knee-weakening. The flashlight clanked as it fell to the floor beside them. Meg sagged against his hard chest and grasped at his back with her free hand, her hold on the throw covering her slipping enough it fell from her shoulders.
He licked the seam of her lips, and Meg opened with a sigh.
A groan sounded from beside them, but Meg was lost to the taste of Jack's sweetness, inhaling his exhales as their tongues sought the other's taste.
The door clicked shut behind Meg, and Trevor pressed against her back, his lips finding her neck, his hands grasping the flare of her hips, keeping the slipping throw from swishing to the ground and leaving her naked.
Jack's hands tangled in her hair, angling her head to deepen their kiss.
Wetness coated her thighs, and she wiggled between the two hard bodies, needing to find the release she'd been riding the edge of since making her decision to give in.
"I've been dreaming about this since I first saw you," Trevor whispered against her ear, tugging the blanket from around her.
Jack released her lips and tilted his forehead against hers. "God, yes." He grabbed her ass and picked her up, and Meg wrapped her legs around his waist, her soaked core settling against the hard ridge inside his jeans.
Face buried in Jack's neck, breathing in the woodsy remnants of his cologne, Meg gave over to the shivers of nerves pebbling her skin and sending tremors through her body. "I've never done this before," she whispered against his skin. "Don't worry." Jack strode across the living room and toward the hallway leading to the bedroom. "We'll take good care of you. Promise."
Lynn Burke is a full time mother, voracious gardener, and scribbler of spicy romance stories. A country bumpkin turned Bay Stater, she enjoys her chowdah and Dunkin Donuts when not trying to escape the reality of city life.
Website: https://www.authorlynnburke.com/
Blog: http://authorlynnburke.blogspot.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Author-Lynn-Burke-555282497937461/
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GIVEAWAY – $10 AMAZON GIFT CARD (taking place March 20th – 26th)


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C. Kent Osborne, MD
San Antonio, TX - SABCS 2015 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium - C. Kent Osborne, MD gives the opening remarks here today, Wednesday December 9, 2015. during the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium being held at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio, TX. Over 7,500 physicians, researchers, patient advocates and healthcare professionals from over 90 countries attended the meeting which features the latest research on breast cancer treatment and prevention. Photo by © MedMeetingImages/Todd Buchanan 2015 Technical Questions: firstname.lastname@example.com
C. Kent OsborneMD gives the opening remarks SABCS 2015


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Here is a glimpse of what the end of March looks like here:
We've encouraged the Clematis armandii to grow under the roof of the front deck. These parts are in full, fragrant bloom. The parts that have remained outside, where it is colder and wetter, are still in bud, thus extending the season for this star of the early spring garden.
It can't hold a candle to the two plants covering this pergola in full sun in Carlton OR.
As it emerges, the Lysimachia punctata 'Alexander' forms these little rosettes (its most charming phase, in my opinion)
On Bloom Day, the Forsythia was still mostly in bud. Now look at it!
Pussy willows have gone from furry to fluffy…achoo!
The first Rhody to bloom is always PJM.
This year 'Janet' is giving it some competition.
Here's a closer look at 'Janet'. Now there's a pink I can get excited about.
Volunteer Ribes pop up all over the place.
I don't know what it is about white primroses: they seem to remain relatively pristine,
While the blue ones are quickly tattered, I presume by slugs and snails.
Some of the plants recently acquired need to be viewed close-up to be appreciated. The Corokia cotoneaster is featured in the oval pot, with Ophiopogon japonicus 'Pam Harper' at its feet. The round pot, upper left, has two blue star creepers (Laurentia fluviatilis) and one Sedum makinoi 'Ogon' setting the stage for Nandina domestica filamentosa…almost invisible here, but I have high hopes for it.
This pretty little silvery lily turf turned up at Home Depot…really the only thing that spoke to me there.
But now back to Carlton, where our hosts, Susan & Gilbert, set this lovely table under that clematis-clad pergola and served up a memorable Easter brunch. Can you believe that sunshine? What better way to bid goodbye to March and wish you all a Happy Easter.


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Source: Link
MURRAY, JOHN WILSON, provincial detective for Ontario; b. 25 June 1840 in Edinburgh, son of Daniel Duncan Murray, a sea captain, and Jeanette Wilson; d. 12 June 1906 in Toronto.
The only source for John Wilson Murray's early life is his memoirs, but as they contain many misrepresentations about later events little reliance should be placed on them other than for details of birth and family. Murray's family moved to North America when he was a young boy, and he was educated there and in Scotland before enlisting in the United States Navy on 5 June 1857 and joining the Michigan at Chicago. He later claimed to have been commissioned in 1862 and to have served under Rear-Admiral David Glasgow Farragut in the Gulf of Mexico and on the Mississippi River, but both statements are probably fabrications, and if he did serve in the region he did not see the action he claimed to have been involved in. By March 1864 he was an acting gunner on the Michigan. This lightly armed steamer was based at Erie, Pa, and was assigned to Great Lakes patrols, recruiting, and supervision of the prison camp for Confederate officers on Johnson's Island, opposite Sandusky, Ohio. During the period in which Murray served on the Michigan, two attempts were made by Confederate agents to capture the ship and release the officers. The memoirs ascribe to him a leading role in thwarting the second of these, in 1864, a role which provided him with his first experience and training in detective work. However, he likely had nothing to do with the case.
Murray was honourably discharged from the navy on 31 Jan. 1866. He later claimed that at the end of that year he joined the Treasury Department as an agent investigating counterfeiting, although he most likely did not. It is certain that in 1868 he joined the police force of Erie as a detective. In May or June 1873, as a result of his acquaintance with William Lawrence Scott, an Erie businessman, Murray became the detective of the newly completed Canada Southern Railway. He probably had done some detective work on contract for Scott on American railways, and went to the CSR when the latter became its president. It was common for corporations, especially railways, to employ private security services at this time, often to deal with labour organizers but also to combat theft by employees and others. The CSR, which linked Buffalo, N.Y., and Detroit through Canada, found itself in intense competition with the Great Western Railway, and it is probable that Murray's appointment was as much a response to the occasional excesses of commercial rivalry as it was to crime per se. He was based in St Thomas and was on more than one occasion successful in forestalling attempts to derail and/or rob CSR trains.
Murray's work for the CSR quickly earned him a reputation in Ontario government circles for being "well up in his business," and as early as the fall of 1874 he was seconded to the government to track down a counterfeiting operation, a case in which he was apparently successful. In May 1875 he was offered a full-time, but temporary, appointment, as "government Detective Officer" at a salary of $1,500 per annum. The position was made permanent shortly thereafter, and in 1877 it was slotted into the regular system of policing when Murray was deemed to be a constable of "every county and district in Ontario," with the authority to act in any part of the province. In 1884 he moved to an office on King Street West, Toronto.
Murray's appointment was a response to weaknesses in the existing system of policing and prosecution. The major urban centres had introduced police forces from the 1830s, and the 1858 amendments to the Municipal Corporations Act had required towns of more than 15,000 people to establish their own constabularies. In rural areas law enforcement was the responsibility of local justices of the peace and county constables, who were remunerated by a system of fees. In all areas prosecution was the responsibility of county crown attorneys, who did no investigative work but prosecuted on the basis of whatever information the police could provide. Detectives were not a major feature of the system. Prior to Murray's appointment the provincial government had employed private detectives on an ad hoc basis, and specialized "detectives" had been used for political purposes, for example in the observation and suppression of Fenian activity [see Gilbert McMicken*]. They were also used by the new dominion government for the guarding of public buildings and the investigation of counterfeiting operations. Some municipal forces and county constabularies employed them from the 1860s, but they were not systematically used.
By the 1870s three principal weaknesses had been perceived in this system, especially in rural areas. First, in the words of Hugh McKinnon, chief of the Belleville police, the constable, who was "usually a poor man," could afford only to "take a look about the immediate neighbourhood"; he went no further because the fees were "totally inadequate to reimburse him for either his time or necessary expenses." Secondly, localism resulted in patronage, corruption, and jurisdictional disputes, which hampered the investigation of crimes involving prominent figures and of many major crimes. Thirdly, there was an increasing perception that rural constables were simply not capable of investigating anything but minor offences. Judge William Aird Ross of Carleton County, for example, underlined in 1882 the necessity in the rural parts of the county for "a competent officer . . . to take prompt, immediate proceedings for the detection and arrest of . . . guilty parties." It was coming to be believed that experience and training were required for an effective system of detection.
These were the principal concerns behind the decision to offer Murray a full-time post as a detective attached to the attorney general's department. In the Executive Council meeting that preceded his appointment, Attorney General Oliver Mowat reported that the greater sophistication and organization of criminals required an experienced detective with "qualifications superior" to those of the detectives who worked on contract for the government. Murray was Ontario's only full-time detective until 1884, when Joseph E. Rogers was appointed; these two were joined in 1887 by William Greer, who had taken cases on contract after Murray's appointment. When the criminal investigation branch of the attorney general's department was formed in 1897 the three men took the title of inspector, with Murray the chief inspector.
Murray's job, in his own words, was to "follow criminals to any place and run them down." In fact, he generally seems not to have intervened in a case until his help was requested by local authorities. Such requests were evidently numerous, for his memoirs, government correspondence, and newspaper reports reveal his involvement in cases in a multitude of communities including Cornwall, Ottawa, Pickering, Toronto, Caledonia, Welland, and Manitoulin Island. He quickly became a well-known figure among those in the criminal justice system. He also became something of a celebrity; after a few years his presence was always noted in newspaper accounts of causes célèbres in which he was involved [see Reginald Birchall*], and he did not need to be introduced to readers. By the time Murray died he was the "most famous police official in Canada" and "thousands of people knew him by sight," according to the front-page story in the Toronto Globe. In his obituary in the Toronto Daily Mail and Empire his name was said to have been "intimately associated with the prosecution of nearly every criminal case of importance in the province outside of the larger cities," and this claim was probably not much of an exaggeration.
He had died while still employed, on 12 June 1906, at home on Toronto's Brunswick Avenue from a stroke suffered on the 9th. Surviving him were two daughters, the unmarried Mary Murray and a Mrs William Boyd of Sydney, N.S. Nothing is known of his wife except that she had predeceased him. He had been an active freemason and a Roman Catholic.
Murray's career marks something of a watershed in Canadian police history and is representative of the increasing importance of detection to policing generally. One might speculate that migration and urbanization had made reliance on community knowledge and self-reporting less plausible, but certainly his appointment filled a perceived gap in the policing and prosecution system, that of an officer who could work without regard to jurisdictional boundaries, local prejudices, and concern about fees. Perhaps this point was best made by T. Matchett, clerk of Victoria County, who noted in 1882 that the presence of a government detective following a "flagrant crime, difficult of detection," had "a stimulating effect upon the local officers of the peace." Murray's effectiveness is demonstrated by the first case in which he was involved after taking up his full-time appointment, an inquiry into the murder of Ralph Findlay, a Lambton County farmer. While local constables scurried about seeking clues to the perpetrator, suspecting that it was a stranger surprised while stealing horses, the county attorney, Julius Poussett Bucke, demanded the assistance of the government detective. It was Murray, it appears, who wrung a confession from the dead man's wife that she had assisted her lover in the deed. Although the appointment of a government detective represented a measure of central government intervention in crucial moments in the life of a rural community, that intervention was perhaps minimal and there was little overt resentment of it, perhaps because from the first Murray had been instructed to cooperate with local authorities and keep them informed. Murray's appointment can additionally be seen as a compromise between leaving the existing system in place and replacing it with a central police force administered from Ottawa or Toronto.
Ideally Murray's career should also be situated in the context of the development of detective techniques, but his memoirs are not very helpful in this regard. There are glimpses of the use of photography, blood analyses, autopsies, and fingerprinting, but mostly he is seen employing such plainer methods as taking and measuring footprints, following the tracks of a cart, and putting out descriptions of suspects. Otherwise, his career reveals little about detection as a profession. Precisely because he operated alone, there is not much to be learned about the move to a more bureaucratic organization for policing work – record keeping, routinized investigative methods, and the like.
Murray's memoirs reveal that he saw an important distinction between policing and detection: "The detective business is the higher branch of the police business. A man may be an excellent policeman, and yet be an utter failure as a detective; and I have seen many a clever detective, who was out of his element in the simple lines of police duty." But his prescriptions for what makes a good detective and good detection are not very revealing and are at times inconsistent. Thus he states at one point that successful detection is "the result of conscientious work, the exercise of human intelligence, an efficient system of organisation and inter-communication, and good luck," while elsewhere he alludes to the fact that a good detective must know "crooks" generally and particularly and be able to tell them by sight, for crime, he says, is a disease, an "inherent, inherited weakness." So too to some extent, it appears, is the ability to detect it, for being able to distinguish the truth from lies is "largely a matter of instinct."
Murray is best known to posterity for his memoirs, which were written by, or at least with, the journalist Victor Speer. Another inspiration and source may have been Murray's memorandum of 25 cases recounted to Premier George William Ross* in the early 20th century. The memoirs are partly in Speer's voice, partly in Murray's, and thus bear a distinct resemblance to the fictional tales of, say, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. An edition in 1977 contains only about half the stories in the original volume, but one in 1980 prints most of the rest; these modern versions omit those which contain Murray's racial stereotyping. Although most of his cases were mundane, involving standard larceny, robbery, and burglary, the memoirs concentrate on his involvement in some 19 cases of murder, as well as cases of counterfeiting operations, arsons, and three cases involving what he called "dynamitards," politically motivated terrorists. These are sensational cases, serious crimes involving desperate and devious men whose apprehension requires an equal mixture of energy, intelligence, and tenacity. They are high dramas, with Murray in a leading role. Judging by a few cases of which there are other accounts, this part of the memoirs is also betrayed by Murray's desire to exaggerate the drama of certain cases and his own part in events. Yet here it is exaggeration only, for the main features of the story are usually correct.
Murray's Memoirs of a great detective: incidents in the life of John Wilson Murray was first published in London in 1904. Victor Speer's involvement is not mentioned in this version, but he is identified (as compiler and editor respectively) in the Toronto and New York editions of the following year. Selections from the memoirs appear in the two modern editions, Memoirs of a great Canadian detective: incidents in the life of John Wilson Murray (Don Mills [Toronto], 1977) and Further adventures of the great detective: incidents in the life of John Wilson Murray (Don Mills, 1980).
AO, RG 4-26; RG 22, ser.390, box 206. Advocate and East Lambton Reflector (Watford, Ont.), 21 April 1876. Daily Mail and Empire, 13 June 1906. Evening Telegram (Toronto), 13 June 1906. Globe, 13 June 1906. News (Toronto), 13 June 1906. Sarnia Observer and Lambton Advertiser (Sarnia, Ont.), 28 May, 4 June 1875. Telegraph (Welland, Ont.), 29 Jan. 1886. Toronto Daily Star, 13 June 1906. Weekly Dispatch and County of Elgin General Advertiser (St Thomas, Ont.), 26 Nov. 1874. Complete general navy register of the United States of America from 1776 to 1887 . . . , comp. T. H. S. Hamersly (New York, 1888). Loyall Farragut, The life of David Glasgow Farragut, first admiral of the United States Navy, embodying his journal and letters; by his son (New York, 1879). Marjorie Freeman Campbell, A century of crime: the development of crime detection methods in Canada (Toronto, 1970). D. D. Higley, O.P.P.: the history of the Ontario Provincial Police Force (Toronto, 1984). J. N. Jackson and John Burtniak, Railways in the Niagara peninsula: their development, progress and community significance (Belleville, Ont., 1978). Rhodri Jeffreys-Jones, American espionage: from Secret Service to CIA (New York and London, 1977). William Kelly and Nora [Hickson] Kelly, Policing in Canada (Toronto, 1976). Ont., Legislature, Sessional papers, 1869, no.2; 1870–71, no.3; 1875–76, no.2; 1884, no.91. Paul Romney, Mr Attorney: the attorney general for Ontario in court, cabinet and legislature, 1791–1899 (Toronto, 1986). F. J. Shepard, "The Johnson's Island plot . . . ," Buffalo Hist. Soc., Pub. (Buffalo, N.Y.), 9 (1906): 1–51. R. D. Tennant, Canada Southern country (Erin, Ont., 1991). U.S., Naval War Records Office, Official records of the Union and Confederate navies in the war of the rebellion (30 vols. in 2 ser., Washington, 1894–1922), with General index, comp. D. W. Knox (Washington, 1927). W. F. Zornow, "Confederate raiders on Lake Erie: their propaganda value in 1864," and "John Wilson Murray and the Johnson's Island plot," Inland Seas (Cleveland, Ohio), 5 (1949): 42–47, 101–5, and 6 (1950): 249–57, respectively.
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Jim Phillips and Joel Fortune, "MURRAY, JOHN WILSON," in Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 13, University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003–, accessed October 4, 2023, http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/murray_john_wilson_13E.html.
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TOMSK, RUSSIA—Prisoners in western Siberia who contract tuberculosis (TB) get sent to a forbidding complex in the heart of this provincial city. Armed guards with dogs patrol the nearby streets. Barbed wire covers the top of the outer walls. Iron bars clang shut when anyone enters. TB can keep you out of a remote Siberian prison camp, but it doesn't keep you out of jail.
And a decade ago, passing through this prison hospital's portals also posed a significant risk of premature death. Between 1991 and 2001 the incidence of TB in Russia's prisons reached a staggering 7,000 cases per 100,000 inmates, according to one estimate. Prisoners made up 25 percent of all new cases in the nation. In this oil-rich province the size of New Mexico with just over a million inhabitants, the prison TB rate reached the equivalent of 4,000 cases per 100,000 inmates, with nearly one of every 11 cases proving fatal.
The massive economic dislocation that accompanied the collapse of the Soviet Union turned Russia into an ideal breeding ground for a TB epidemic. Unemployment and alcoholism skyrocketed. Health and social services collapsed. As petty theft and violent crime soared, the prison population swelled to more than a million, with millions more moving in and out of incarceration. Many developed TB either because their immune systems, weakened by drugs, alcohol and poor nutrition, could no longer keep latent TB in check (an estimated one third of the world's population has latent TB) or they caught it from other prisoners.
The prisons in turn became an "epidemiological pump" for spreading the disease throughout the general population. Ex-prisoners, often with improperly treated TB that had mutated into the multidrug resistant form of the disease, moved back into cramped apartment blocs where, during the long, cold Siberian winters, hallways and unventilated apartments provided ideal conditions for airborne transmission to unwary neighbors, friends and family members. The annual rate of new TB cases among the general population in Russia more than doubled in the 1990s to 88 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. In Siberia the rate soared to over 130 new cases per 100,000 souls. For a comparison, the U.S. had around 10 cases per 100,000 residents per year during the same period, and currently has about four cases per 100,000 annually.
Russia's post-communism prisons incubated the TB epidemic at the very time that the nation's health care system, including its network of specialized hospitals and clinics for treating TB, underwent its own collapse. Antibiotics, traditionally produced in the satellite republics, were in short supply as barter trade with those newly independent states ended and nothing took its place. Money for diagnostic tests and microscopes to analyze sputum samples dried up. The result was stop-and-go drug treatments for many TB patients, which generated in Russia's Siberian provinces some of the highest rates of multidrug resistant TB (MDR-TB) in the world.
The World Health Organization (WHO) at first tried to combat the epidemic by pushing Russia to adopt its proved guidelines for treating the disease—DOTS, for directly observed therapy, short course. The regimen entails six to nine months of daily treatment with four oral antibiotics, directly observed by health professionals to ensure compliance. Health ministry officials in Moscow resisted, preferring to stick with the system inherited from Soviet days where doctors individualized treatment for each patient and relied on partial lung removal for hard-to-treat cases.
But bureaucratic intransigence wasn't the problem here. Local doctors were more than willing to buck the national establishment and adopt DOTS. But their pharmacies had run dry. "We even lacked first-line drugs," recalls Alexander Pushkarev, the physician in charge of the prison TB hospital.
That only began to change in the late 1990s when financier and philanthropist George Soros as well as international relief organizations—first Great Britain's Medical Emergency Relief International, or Merlin, and later the Boston-based Partners in Health (PIH)—began using this province as a testing ground for developing a comprehensive program to combat TB. Funders over the years have included Soros's Open Society Institute, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Eli Lilly and Company Foundation and, since 2004, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, which gave the local health authorities a five-year, $10.7-million grant.
The strategy at first focused on bringing DOTS to Russia. But, starting in September 2000, the groups began taking a riskier and more expensive approach that had been developed by PIH in Peru. They encouraged local doctors, first in the prison system and then throughout the region, to aggressively treat all cases of MDR-TB, which can take as long as two years with anywhere from six to eight drugs. Its architects dubbed it DOTS-Plus.
The strategy was facilitated by the creation in the late 1990s of a drug procurement consortium dubbed the Green Light Committee, organized by the WHO, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, several NGOs and pharmaceutical firms like Eli Lilly that still manufactured the rarely-used antibiotics such as capreomycin and cycloserine needed to treat MDR-TB. Guaranteed purchase contracts and subsidies enabled countries like Russia to buy these second-line drugs at sharply reduced prices. "The cost went from $10,000 to $15,000 per patient to $3,000 to $4,000 per patient," says Peter Cegielski, the CDC's MDR-TB specialist, who joined the committee in 2000 and chaired it from 2004 to 2006.
Before taking a small group of foreign reporters and physicians on a tour of the 1000-bed prison hospital (currently only 60 percent filled with TB patients), director Pushkarev claimed the eight-year-old program had dramatically improved results. "In 1996 we had 60 patients die a year. But with the DOTS-Plus program, the death rate has gone way down. Since 2000, we've had zero deaths among new cases," he said.
The hospital infrastructure had to be almost entirely rebuilt. Global Fund money helped to build an airtight closet for collecting sputum. The lab for analyzing and culturing the samples got new equipment. Whereas prisoners with susceptible TB were sent to live in barracks, those found to have MDR-TB were sent to an isolation ward in the hospital, where they lived six to eight in the room.
Although those conditions are a marked improvement from a decade ago (at least the MDR-TB patients are isolated from other prisoners), the opportunity for reinfection is ever present under such crowded conditions. "Russia just doesn't get it with infectious disease," says Michael Rich, a physician with PIH who splits his time between Siberia and Rwanda. "They have great doctors and a motivated staff. But putting four to five people in a room in winter with the windows closed? Infection control is still an issue here."


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The Power of Graft
This is a common Jewish way of describing an exceptionally wealthy man. It is based on the Talmudic description of the vast fortune of the man whose rebellion against Moshe is recorded in the Torah portion we will hear read in synagogue this Shabbat.
What seems to surprise us in this account is the success of this rebel, consumed by envy of family members in authority, in recruiting 250 "leaders of the assembly… men of renown" to join his rebellion. The answer provided by our Sages (Mesechta Sanhedrin 52a) is that Korach bought their allegiance by lavishly providing them with food and drink.
Despite the stature of these 250 outstanding people, they were so susceptible to bribery that they ended up destroying themselves. What a powerful lesson for today's politicians of much lesser stature!
May the terrible fate which befell those 250 when a fire came forth from G-d to consume them serve as a warning to people in power to avoid the temptation of graft and thus help secure Israel forever.


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I want to start by coming out and saying I'm not one of those car luddites who think everything should hover in some magical past; while I'm very fond of old-school cars, there's an amazing amount of amazing new tech in cars, and LCD dashboards in so many new cars here at the Detroit Auto Show are a genuinely great advance. Except for one big issue: Knobs, switches and buttons? They're now officially doomed.
Knobs are still around, albeit in reduced numbers, but it's very clear they're considered vestigial holdouts and it's just a matter of time before they're done away with completely. Looking at forward-thinking cars like the Tesla Model S demonstrates this, as its dash is basically just two big iPads, one in landscape orientation and the other in portrait.
A booth from Denso, a major supplier of auto parts and electronics, shows a prototype cockpit of the future — and it's all touch screens. Touch screens are great on our phones and tablets; so why wouldn't they be great in a car, right?
The problem has to do more with the "screen" part than the "touch" part, though both are factors. On your phone, you're looking at the screen, interacting with it very directly; the visual feedback is essential for operating the interface.
When you're driving, ideally you're looking mostly out of the big window in front of you, and you operate most of the ancillary controls with no more than a quick glance. Touch screens don't work like that; little buttons on smooth glass surfaces have to be targeted with a pair of eyes.
All you need to do to prove the point is to look up.
Have you ever peeked in the cockpit of an airplane and seen the levers in between the seats? Those levers have funny-shaped knobs: Spool-shaped, crown-shaped, star-shaped — it's the marshmallows from a Lucky Charms box. There is, of course, a great reason why they're like that: so pilots can know what lever is what just by touch.
That's exactly what is being given up when controls move to the touch screen. Tactile feedback and the ability to feel what a control is has long been part of driving.
Traditionally, we can feel and know what's a radio knob, what a climate control lever feels like, how the notches feel as we move them from one setting to another, and it's worked great. Even without any interior lights or dash lights I bet most of us could find and use the essential controls on our cars.
Touch screens are awesome for many, many things. They look great, they can show an incredible amount of information, but they should never be the only components on a dash.
Oh, but that's not the only problem. Some cars, like the Chevy Volt, the Cadillac ATS and everything from Lincoln are replacing standard buttons with sleek capacitive touch plates with big clusters of identically-shaped buttons. Capacitive technology refers to using electrodes to sense the conductive properties of objects, such as a finger. So, basically, rather than physically depressing a button you've fumbled for while your eyes remained on the road, you'll turn on and off four different things before finally looking down to find what function you want to change. Then you crash and die.
So those suck in about the same way touch screens do, and they look like they came off a VCR. So knock that off, too.
Automakers, I'm pleading with you, spare the life of just a few knobs, just some essential ones, even if they have redundant touch-screen controls. Leave me some knobs in the cars of the future. Nice, chunky, clicky knobs, and maybe a lever, switch and button or two.
I'll even let you make them look cool and LED-lit or whatever you want.


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During the Great Depression, speed bump was actually a highly coveted and well respected job.GaseousClay
To his credit, passing out drunk in the street was around long before cars.DizzleDrizzle
This model has all the options. Not only is there a dead hobo on the bumper, but there's a dead hooker in the trunk as well.Backinblack
And THAT was the second time I failed my driver's test.jtklove
"My name is Inigo Toyota. You killed my father. Prepare to die!"FrostLight
Trevor would regret getting all up in Henry Ford's grill.Mothra24
"In the old days, you could kill one bum per car, and that's why it's called a bumper, son."jonnyt
Hmm... my brakes seem to be screaming.Thomas Calnan
"If you can think of a better way to test the durability of coveralls, I'd love to hear it.â€Mario!!!
Every morning in Ireland, the street-sweepers clean up after the night before.FrostLight
Earlier designs for car brakes soon left a shortage of hobos.Manswer
Confucius say: Man who lay in front of moving car, get tired.AssHolyroller
History's first (wait for it... wait for it......) BRAKE DANCER.Zombiecross
"Lorraine, you're taking the kids away from me in that car over my dead body. Ha, Ha, very funny Lorraine, starting the engine doesn't scare me. Did you just put it in gear? Uh oh.â€Mario!!!
Thinking quickly the car put a gun in the man's hand and told the cops it was self defense.RodneyHardman


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What we do BEST
Whether you need top-notch printing, custom web design, or a direct mail marketing campaign, we're ready to help. Get the quality products, services, and experience your business deserves — partner with Sir Speedy today.
SignsGet the visibility your business deserves. Inside or outside signs are a marketing must-have. We do design, production and installation.
Printing & CopyingExceptional quality is essential for all your printed communications, from the simple to the complex. We won't let you leave with anything less.
Graphic DesignSir Speedy can bring your ideas to life. From start to final art and beyond, we'll capture your vision with exceptional graphic design.
Social Distancing & SafetyAdhering to social distancing and other safety protocols is easier when you work with Sir Speedy.
Promotional ProductsPut your company name or logo on just about anything and give customers something to remember you by.
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Google Reviews
tara bevivino
Very happy with my new business cards. Mike and his team were great to work with- great communication throughout the process and very quick to respond with any changes or updates. Highly recommend!
pez pezza
We had three vehicles have graphics added. They were precise and well done. There was an issue with the third vehicle. The applicator picked it up before the start. He made adjustment and asked for my approval. It was an excellent solution! I highly recommend SIR SPEEDY in Havertown!
Teresa M
I had the best experience, I was able to give Kim a sample of a document that I am currently using at work and she was able to recreate it and had the product to me in a weeks time. Fantastic would use Sir Speedy going forward for all my company's needs.
Maggie Enger
Michael and Sir Speedy are wonderful to work with. Great prices, very fast turnaround time, a great variety of print and product options and best of all great quality too. Very happy customer. Love this local business
Jalahan Janneh
If you need tremendous customer service and fast prints? Sir Speedy is the place for you. Their team is absolutely amazing and super helpful. You can definitely count on them to get the job done on time. They also follow up and check in when requests are uncertain , showing how much they care and how passionate they are about their work. My organization (PYSC) has been working with them for a while, and we look forward to working with them again for our next major projects/events. 10/10!!!
Kate Hinckle
We work with Michael Brown and Sir Speedy for several projects for our school. Michael and his team are super supportive, communicative, efficient and fast. We are always pleased with the final results and enjoy the relationship we have built with this team.
Tanya Allen
I used Sir Speedy for a full color community calendar. The only thing that exceeded the stunning print quality and overall design of the calendar was the service level. I will use Sir Speedy for my future print projects, refer them to my network, and recommend to friends. Great experience.
Randall Behrends
Sir Speedy accepted the challenge to print my booklet and also to overcome the e-book specific requirements that Kindle Publishing demands. The changes that I often requested were met with a smiling face and a willing attitude to accomplish what Kindle recommended to be done. Thank you Sir Speedy for partnering with me to help get this booklet published. It turned out great!!
Michael Faia
I'll first tip my hat to the amazingly friendly owner and staff. Michael and his team won't let you down. Further, they live up to the name Sir Speedy! They cover all your basic copy and printing needs. Of course, that is pretty standard. They also have an in-house graphic designer for more complex creations. Once designed, you can decide where you might wanted printed - from poster to products - and they will take care of the rest. I'll keep this review short and 'speedy' by ending with a clear recommend!
Hilary Hays Greenhalgh
I used Sir Speedy for my business cards and brochures when yet another online service was disappointing. I really wanted gold foil on my cards. Michael went back and forth with me several times until we got my design perfect. My business cards are beautiful and my brochures are professional now and something that I am proud to hand out.
Glenn Bugden
This is the second year in a row Micheal and his team at Sir Speedy created new business cards for me. The cards they designed and printed exceeded my expectations and the price was right. I highly recommend them⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Kathleen Zinskie
We are so very pleased with the storyboard Mike and his associates creator for us. From the design to the installation, everything was perfect. Great value great service, overall great company.
Elaine McKay
We have been using Sir Speedy for over 5 years. They are always prompt with our orders as well providing us high quality products. I appreciate all the staff there from placing the order to the hand delivery of my order.
Jack Beck
Sir Speedy Havertown has excellent service and great turnaround time! He printed my sticker sheets just like the PDF I sent them! Thanks Michael
Glenn Porter
Mike Brown is a true pro! His Sir Speedy store does great work at a reasonable price. The professionalism and customer service skills of the entire staff are first rate!
Gary Talda
Enthusiastic, knowledgeable , and helpful. I have never used a printing shop before and had a JPG to print as a 2' x 4' poster. Done quickly and professionally.
Kevin Nolan
I have been dealing with Havertown Sir Speed for over 20 years. I would never consider going anywhere else. ALWAYS a great experience with Michael and his team!
judy clemens
Thank you so much for doing my labels in such short notice! They are amazing! Ill be back. Judy
Dr. Barry Cohen & Associates
Great service. Good reason they call it Sir SPEEDY! Friendly and dependable.
Kate Smith
I was thrilled with Sir Speedy. They were very quick to communicate and stay on top of the project as I was frequently taking extra time for response. It was printed quickly and beautifully. Reasonable prices too!
Eileen Watts
Michael and his team at Sir Speedy in Havertown are just terrific to work with. They respond to inquiries quickly and do beautiful work. What more could one ask?
Lori Rogers - Realtor
I got in touch with Michael and got him over everything he needed. Within 24 hours I had an invoice and within a week my banner was complete! The quality is perfect and the price was very reasonable. I can't wait to see it hanging on Eagle Road. :)
Amanda Israel
I have been using Sir Speedy in Havertown for over 10 years between 3 different jobs and for personal printing as well. They are by far the best printer in the Philadelphia area. They have unparalleled customer service, quick turnaround, and a personal relationship that will carry you through all of your work. Don't wait until you are disappointed with another printer - just go to Sir speedy from the start.
Linda Elkins
Kim was so helpful. Got exactly what I needed faster than I thought. Great communication throughout. My new go to printing place!
Ed Johnson
Just wanted to take a minute and say what a pleasure it was doing business with Mike and his team at Sir Speedy havertown. I had a small job that was time sensitive and these guys treated it as if i was there only client. the job turned out beautifully, on time and with a smile. i will take all my printing and sign work here for now on. 5 stars just doesnt describe how impressed i am with the attention and friendliness this team offered. Thanks!
tracy prematta
Professional products, excellent customer service and competitive rates. Highly recommend!
Steve Quinn (Steve)
Michael Brown and his team always work seamlessly with us. He and his team are willing to go the extra mile to make sure the signs and banners that they produce for us are done to our specifications. Their prices are competitive and delivery is super convenient. Thanks, Mike and team!
Bill Lavery
Your turnaround time was excellent as well as overall service. The tickets we had printed up looked good. Thanks
Mark Lo Sasso
I have worked with Mike at Sir Speedy for many years on many different projects and continue to be impressed by his customer service. Great price. Always on time. I would not use anyone else for all of my printing needs!
George Trosley
Always a pleasure to do business with Michael at Sir Speedy in Havertown. The quality and prices of the printing is excellent and the service outstanding. They always exceed my expectations. Thanks Sir Speedy!
Petite Petitions
Very reasonably priced and took the time to understand my project. I look forward to working with them again!
Maureen Sexton
Mike did a beautiful job with our decal for our office door! The service was quick & professional. Thank you!
Jen D
Our company switched over (about 2+ years ago) from a different printing company to Sir Speedy because I wanted to support local Havertown businesses & I was not happy with our previous printer. Anyway, so glad I switched. Michael & Kim have been nothing but professional & accommodating. They do try to keep their prices low to meet our quarterly printing needs. Highly recommended!
Colleen Muscatello
Our lawn signs were better than I expected. Thank you so much for quick turnaround as well.
Mike Willis
I used Sir Speedy for some postcards, and the process couldn't have been easier. Michael was prompt to answer any questions I had, and the final product was exactly what I wanted.
Molly Nolan
We have had the pleasure to work with Michael, Kim and the Havertown Sir Speedy Team for years - they are our go to printing service! They are consistently organized, detail-oriented and are gracious enough to roll with our occasional last minute requests! I know I can count on them to bring our materials to life and help our brand be seen. They are truly supportive of our Small Business and we are grateful for the strong working relationship!
David Farnsworth
Fantastic work again from Sir Speedy in Havertown. Helped us look great at our first big show since lockdown and were super patient with our last minute needs.
Andrea Farnan
Sir Speedy printed all of my wedding paper (menus, escort cards, welcome bag notes & city map, and wedding programs) from templates I used from Etsy and did an incredibly gorgeous job. They were so easy to work with and the process was great. Thank you to Kim and the team for all of their help!
Richard Maloney
Seeking a printer to print only 20 copies of a 300+ page book with lots of photos was frustrating. Most were either not interested in such a small job or simply didn't understand my creative needs. Sir Speedy was beyond fantastic. Their creativity was beyond my expectations - simply exquisite. They worked fast and made all deadlines. The cherry on top -- the price was significantly less than any others.
Joseph Notte
Michael is always helpful, professional, and responsive for all of my printing needs. Fair prices, quick turn around time, and excellent finished product. Great experience all around!
Nanci Capoferri
Great to work with! We had a new design on stationary, cards and envelopes. Kim is very easy to work with and responsive to our changes. Very pleased with the outcome! Would recommend and defiantly use again.
Michelle Harmon
We had some cards printed for our synagogue. Kim was wonderful to work with. She was knowledgeable and friendly and made the whole process easy. The print job looks great and we are very happy with the price! Will definitely use them again in the future.
Sir Speedy Havertown
Havertown, PA 19083
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text:
ORGAN PIPE CACTUS NATIONAL MONUMENT (Border Report) — There are four endangered species found in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, a 500-mile federal natural reserve in southwest Arizona, which is marked by 200-year-old majestic saguaro cacti.
This part of the Sonoran desert is vast and desolate and it is a recharge zone where the National Park Service is trying to promote the growth of endangered or near-endangered species.
But Dan Millis of the Sierra Club's Borderlands Project says that if a 32-mile, 30-foot border wall is built here it could damage this area, which is named after the organ pipe cactus.
RELATED: Tucson Samaritans deliver water, aid and hope to help lost migrants in Arizona
The Sierra Club along with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and Southern Border Communities Coalition (SBCC)'s filed a lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump's emergency declaration to build parts of the wall through the Arizona and California border, including here at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument.
In July, five of the nine U.S. Supreme Court justices said the Sierra Club and other organizations did not have a legal right to sue. An appeal on a motion is still pending, but as the construction of a border wall has already begun near Lukeville, Arizona, just miles from this reserve, Millis is worried that soon construction also will start at this park.
"It's easiest to build where you already built. They already have the access roads. They already have the staging areas. And they already own the land because this is a national monument," Millis said on Tuesday as he gave Border Report a tour of the refuge.
President Donald Trump recently called a newly constructed section of the U.S.-Mexico border wall in San Diego "a world-class security system." His administration has said that the purpose of the wall that's supposed to cross through Texas, Arizona and California with additional technology is aimed at preventing illegal crossings along the border.
Aerial video: Where the border wall ends in Arizona
In February 2019, a federal appeals court ruled that the Trump Administration was okay to waive environmental rules to speed up construction of the U.S.-Mexico Border Wall.
A spokesperson for the Justice Department, Steven Stafford, told The Hill in a statement that "the court has affirmed that authority, and that is a victory for the Trump administration, for the rule of law, and above all, for our border security,"
According to a report by the National Geographic, it isn't required that the construction of the border wall meets more than 30 of the biggest federal environmental oversight laws because of what was passed under the REAL ID Act. The federal government is able to cite national security as a reason to waive any laws.
National Geographic reports that these laws include the Endangered Species Act, the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act and the National Environmental Policy Act.
These four species of plants and animals that live at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument are endangered:
- The park's Quitobaquito Springs is where the endangered Quitobaquito pupfish live. Behind the park's Kris Eggle Visitor Center there is a special pond where some of the fish are being grown, but the majority only live at the springs. They're tiny. Adult males only grow to an inch and can be seen by their blue glow.
- The Acuna cacti is being grown here and large metal barricades have been placed in the park to prevent off-roading by vehicles that can damage this stocky, 16-inch tall cacti. From 1991 to 2010, the monument lost 95 percent of this cacti.
- The Sonoran Pronghorn, also called the "desert ghost" looks like an antelope but is smaller and faster and can get to speeds of 60 mph, and it lives here on the park, Millis said.
- The Lesser Long Nose Bat thrives on the cactus that grow in the park. Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument is home to 31 types of different cactus, Millis said.
"That bat is going to be disoriented by these daytime-bright 30 miles long lights," Millis said.
A popular campground on the park, known for its "deep, dark starry nights" with campers and hikers, may also be affected by the glow of floodlights, Millis said.
RELATED: Nogales residents empathize with migrants but favor legal entry
A recent Washington Post article reported that a July 2019 internal National Park Service report warns that there are up to 22 archaeological sites that "likely will be wholly or partially destroyed by forthcoming border fence construction" at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. These lands are also the ancestral lands of the Tohono O'odham people.
A new brochure that is given by the National Park Service at the visitor's center at Organ Pipe says: "The fruits of saguaro and organ pipe cactus provided food during the hot Sonoran summer" for these people.
Nellie Jo David, a member of the tribe, says these are her family's ancestral lands and she worries if a border wall is built that the burial remains of her people will be disturbed, uprooted and desecrated.
Read a previous Border Report story and video of Nellie Jo David on building a wall at the park.
Construction plans call for a 30-foot-tall steel bollard fence built where an earlier, shorter wall was put in 2008. The new wall will have an underground concrete and steel foundation eight to 10-feet deep, according to the article, which was written by submitting Freedom of Information Act for specific details.
And the new wall is to be built exactly where the current wall is.
Millis claims the construction of a road next to the current wall is contributing to flooding at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. On a ridge called Monument Rise, where the current wall goes up and over, Millis believes debris and silt are getting clogged in the slats of the wall when it rains and that causes a gully wash that flows downhill, injuring plants and animals.
Sandra Sanchez can be reached at email@example.com. She is part of a team traveling the Southwest border and reporting stories from San Diego to Brownsville, Texas.
Visit the BorderReport.com homepage for the latest exclusive stories and breaking news about issues along the United States-Mexico border.


text:
Give dad the perfect pick-me-up on Father's Day with this perfect pickup! Hand-painted and hand-glazed, this ceramic Chevy hauls a beautiful bounty of living green echeveria plants. It's one of the ways we're commemorating the 100th Anniversary of Chevrolet Trucks!
Orientation : All-Around
All prices in USD ($)
As Shown
This hand-painted ceramic truck is a replica of the classic '55 Chevy pickup, created exclusively for Teleflora's Flowers-in-a-Gift collection. General Motors Trademarks used under license to Teleflora.
As Shown - $52.95


text:
Above the roofs
In the soft light of an overcast day, the glitter of these roof is bright and distinctive. Roofs and gardens of the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon.
Preparing the offerings
Big temples, lots of people working in it.
Here, they are preparing the oil lamps for light offerings to Shwedagon pagoda.
Roofs and the Golden pagoda
Shwedagon Pagoda is the most sacred Buddhist pagoda in Myanmar, as it is believed to contain relics of the four previous Buddhas of the present kalpa.
The barge and the pagoda
Karaweik Palace and Shwedagon pagoda at night.
The lady of the baskets
Early in the morning, before the crowds of local and tourists arrive, this seller enjoys a quick breakfast while guarding her merchandise.
Tailor lane
Early in the morning, it is still possible to get a glimpse of the Ma Ni Sithu market market before the mass of tourists arrive. Few precious moments, worth the early wake up.
A group of novice nuns from a nearby monastery collect alms in the early morning. On their shaved head there's the support that will help keep the large collection bowls balanced on top of their head.
A group of porters, mostly women, unloads gravel from a barge to the shore, where it will be loaded onto trucks and used for paving new roads. In this part of the world, a lot of heavy work is still done without machines.
Valley of temples
A view of the Bagan Archaeological Zone at sunrise.
Hot air baloons fly at sunrise over the archeological area of Bagan
The valley in the morning
View of the archeological area of Bagan at sunrise.
Water matters
Large clay pots are used to store waters during the dry season.
Temples of Bagan
Sunrise over the archeological are of Bagan, Myanmar.
The slowly rising fog creates a beautiful glow.
Sunset pagoda
Sometimes it is worth to look on the opposite direction than the rest of the crowd.
Catching the sun in a net
A fisherman casts his net in the waters of Inle lake. Fisherman start before the sun rises and continue well after sunset.
Leg paddling
The characteristic leg paddling of the fishermen of Inle lake. This unusual technique allows the fishermen an elevated point of view, essential when navigating the shallow waters of this lake.
Color show
The quiet surface of the Inle lake reflects the olors of the morning sky. In few minuted plenty of boats will start crossing the lake, breaking the stillness of dawn into the bustling ativity of the day.
The quiet of mornings (when it's so cold that sensible people stay in their bed)
The morning stillness is broken by the first boats carrying goods, tourists, and fisherman.


text:
When You Wish Upon a Beard
why's (poignant) guide to ruby :: 7. When You Wish Upon a Beard
When You Wish Upon a Beard
why's (poignant) guide to ruby :: 7. When You Wish Upon a Beard
But I, being poor, have only my dreams;
I have spread my dreams under your feet;
Tread softly, because you tread on my dreams.
technorati tags:Yeats, poetry, heaven, cloths, dreams, half-light, poor
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# New: IE Window title now shows IE version# New: IE7 is now an option on GUI
using --gtk option and choosing advanced button
$ ./ies4linux --gui gtk
$ /home/mariuz/bin/ie7
IEs 4 Linux News » IEs4Linux 2.5 Beta 5
technorati tags:ie4linux, ie7, ubuntu, feisty, fawn
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Download of AVA ADempiere 3.1.2 is now available in the download section (latest release). http://downloads.sourceforge.net/adempiere/ava312-1-vmware.zip?use_mirror=osdn AVA is an ADempiere VMWare Appliance created by Timo Kontro of Finland. This AVA allows you to evaluate ADempiere 312 without installing Linux, PostgreSQL, browser and ADempiere binary on your PC. It runs with just one click!
SourceForge.net: AVA 3.1.2 available now in SF
technorati tags:adempiere, compiere, oracle, postgresql, vmware, ava, appliance, linux
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mkdir scratch
cd scratch
apt-get source mplayer
sudo apt-get install dpkg-dev
sudo apt-get build-dep mplayer
cd mplayer-1.0~rc1/
modify the debian rules
vi debian/rules
sudo apt-get install build-essential checkinstall devscripts fakeroot
debuild -us -uc
apt-get remove mplayer
dpkg -i ../mplayer_1.0~rc1-0ubuntu3_i386.deb
technorati tags:mplayer, mencoder, feisty, ubuntu, debian, ffmpeg, mp3lib
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force ffmpeg to use ffmpge instead of mp3lib for audio decoding
right click -> Preferences -> Codecs & Demuxer -> Audio codec family -> FFmpeg
technorati tags:ffmpeg, mplayer, mp3lib, ubuntu, feisty, fawn, codec, audio
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If you read the changelog you will see that mp3lib audio codec is now enabled
Add --enable-mp3lib to CONFIGURE_AUDIO_CODECS (LP: #83580). - Remove --disable-mp3lib. This one took some time to find.
I will see if it works with the new updateHere is is how it was decoded in the past (with the big red warning)
Requested audio codec family [mp3] (afm=mp3lib) not available.
Enable it at compilation.
Opening audio decoder: [ffmpeg] FFmpeg/libavcodec audio decoders
AUDIO: 44100 Hz, 2 ch, s16le, 127.7 kbit/9.05% (ratio: 15963->176400)
Selected audio codec: [ffmp3] afm: ffmpeg (FFmpeg MPEG layer-3 audio decoder)
Opening video decoder: [ffmpeg] FFmpeg's libavcodec codec family
Selected video codec: [ffdivx] vfm: ffmpeg (FFmpeg DivX ;-) (MS MPEG-4 v3))
Accepted mplayer 2:1.0~rc1-0ubuntu3 (source)
technorati tags:ubuntu, fesity, herd-3, mplayer, mp3lib
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I like the first part of the song , it sound like enya or i have the feeling i listen to an Lord of the Rings Sound Track
"Don't tell anyone I'm free Don't tell anyone I'm free"
technorati tags:bsd, openbsd, mix, free
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Somany people live within unhappy circumstances yet will not take the initiativeto change their situation because they are conditioned to a life ofsecurity,conformity and conservatism, all of which may appear to give one peaceof mind, but in reality nothing is more damaging to the adventurous spiritwithin a man than a secure future. The very basic core of a man's livingspirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounterswith new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have anendlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun
Ken Gourlay - Solo Around the World
technorati tags:solo, sun, adventure, conservatism
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