text:
President Trump announced Thursday that he will pull the U.S. out of the Paris climate deal, despite concerns from top CEOs and international leaders.
Although Trump announced the withdrawal from the agreement, he is still open to negotiating an alternative climate deal.
"In order to fulfill my solemn duty to protect America and its citizens, the United States will withdraw from the Paris climate accord, but begin negotiations to re-enter – either the Paris accord or an entirely new transaction with terms that are fair to the United States, its businesses, its workers, its people, its taxpayers," Trump said.
"We will see if we can make a deal that's fair."
But that proposition led to a swift joint statement from France, Germany, and Italy who said the accord can't be renegotiated.
The decision also sparked a flurry of criticism from a number of world leaders, including Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Prime Minister of Denmark Lars Rasmussen.
The move did not necessarily come as a surprise-- reports on Wednesday indicated Trump intended to leave the agreement.
In his announcement, Trump said he feels a duty to represent Americans in pulling out of the agreement.
"I was elected to represent the voters of Pittsburgh, not Paris," he said.
Following that remark, Pittsburgh mayor Bill Peduto responded on Twitter, saying the city will continue to follow the guidelines of the climate agreement.
As the Mayor of Pittsburgh, I can assure you that we will follow the guidelines of the Paris Agreement for our people, our economy & future. https://t.co/3znXGTcd8C— bill peduto (@billpeduto) June 1, 2017
The Democratic Governors from New York, California, and Washington also vowed to continue taking aggressive action on climate change.
In a joint statement, Governor Andrew Cumo, Governor Edmund Brown Jr., and Governor Jay Inslee announced the formation of the United States Climate Alliance. They described it as a coalition that will convene U.S. states committed to upholding the Paris Climate agreement.
Trump's decision is considered a win for Republicans and pulls the U.S.-- the second-largest producer of carbon dioxide -- out of a nearly 200-nation agreement to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Other lawmakers, including U.S. Senator Rand Paul, took to twitter to defend the move. Paul described the action as "great news for the economy" that "could save as many as 6 million U.S. jobs."
Energy Secretary Rick Perry also praised Trump's decision.
"The U.S. will continue to be a leader in energy technology, development & delivery," he wrote in a tweet.
I fully support @POTUS' decision on the #ParisAccord. The U.S. will continue to be a leader in energy technology, development, & delivery. pic.twitter.com/vtcc4eODJl— Rick Perry (@SecretaryPerry) June 1, 2017
CEOs from Apple, Facebook, and Google all urged President Trump to support the pact before his decision. After the secession became official on Thursday, a number of business leaders issued statements condemning the move.
Staying true to his word, innovative powerhouse Elon Musk announced he would leave the president's council in response to the announcement.
Musk had threatened to do so prior to Trump's announcement.
Am departing presidential councils. Climate change is real. Leaving Paris is not good for America or the world.— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 1, 2017
Robert Iger, the CEO of Disney, followed suit.
As a matter of principle, I've resigned from the President's Council over the #ParisAgreement withdrawal.— Robert Iger (@RobertIger) June 1, 2017
Before Trump even finished his full address, President Obama issued a statement opposing the withdrawal.
Last fall, Obama hailed the agreement as a "turning point for our planet."
"The administration is joining a small handful of nations that reject the future," Obama said in the statement.
"I'm confident that our states, cities, and businesses will step up and do even more to lead the way, and help protect for future generations the one planet we've got."
Hillary Clinton also criticized the succession in a tweet on Thursday night.
A historic mistake. The world is moving forward together on climate change. Paris withdrawal leaves American workers & families behind.— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) June 1, 2017
Watch the full press conference here:


text:
Top Items:
Alex Serpo / CNET News:
Ballmer rules out new bid for Yahoo — SYDNEY—Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said Friday that Microsoft is "not interested" in making a new offer for internet company Yahoo, despite Yahoo's share price currently sitting at less than half what Microsoft initially offered.
Greg Sterling / Search Engine Land: MSFT CEO Ballmer to Yahoo: No New Bid
Nathania Johnson / Search Engine Watch: Ballmer Says No to Yahoo Acquisition, Maybe to Search Deal
Peter Kafka / MediaMemo: Steve Ballmer to Jerry Yang: I'm Not Buying You
Alain Sherter / Tech Confidential: Ballmer: I just don't love Yahoo! anymore
Renai LeMay / ZDNet.com.au: Ballmer backs Obama's leadership
Andy Beal / Andy Beal's Marketing Pilgrim: Microsoft's Ballmer Not Interested in Being Yahoo's First Runner-up
David Hunter / Microsoft News Tracker: Ballmer says no new Yahoo acquisition attempt
Benjamin J. Romano / Microsoft Pri0: Microsoft still not interested in acquiring Yahoo
Kara Swisher / BoomTown:
Meet the Internet's Human Pinata: Jerry Yang — Well, this was certainly predictable-the mindless piling on of Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang now taking place in the blogosphere, in the wake of yet another setback for the troubled Internet company. — This time, it comes after the collapse of the search advertising deal with Google yesterday.
Discussion: CNET News and Outside the Lines
Dan Farber / Outside the Lines: Yahoo's Jerry Yang runs into a wall
Larry Dignan / Between the Lines:
Ballmer: We're not interested in Yahoo anymore — Updated: Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said the software giant has no intention of making a new offer for Yahoo-even though the Internet company is on sale relative to its first offer. — Via ZDNet Australia (Techmeme)
Discussion: Epicenter, ZDNet.com.au and WebProNews
Chris Snyder / Epicenter: Ballmer to Yang: Move On
Alex Serpo / ZDNet.com.au: Ballmer rules out new Yahoo bid
Doug Caverly / WebProNews: Ballmer (Yet Again) Rejects Idea Of Yahoo Acquisition
Associated Press:
Microsoft CEO: No interest in buying Yahoo
Microsoft CEO: No interest in buying Yahoo
Discussion: GigaOM, Tech Trader Daily and TG Daily
Stacey Higginbotham / GigaOM: Spurned Microsoft Scorns Yahoo
Wolfgang Gruener / TG Daily: Yahoo stock slaughtered on Microsoft comments
Daniel Ionescu / PC World:
Microsoft Doesn't Want Yahoo Either
Microsoft Doesn't Want Yahoo Either
Discussion: VatorNews
Bambi Francisco / VatorNews: Ballmer to Yang: We moved on
Jonathan Standing / Reuters:
Microsoft CEO pours cold water on Yahoo interest
Microsoft CEO pours cold water on Yahoo interest
Discussion: Download Squad, Profy, paidContent.org, DealBook, BloggingStocks and AppScout
Brad Linder / Download Squad: Microsoft has no plans to buy Yahoo! (this time)
Svetlana Gladkova / Profy: Steve Ballmer to Yahoo: No, Thank You
Tameka Kee / paidContent.org: Ballmer: Yahoo Buyout Is Not Gonna Happen
Douglas McIntyre / BloggingStocks: Ballmer says 'no' to Yahoo! — Yahoo!'s (NASDAQ: YHOO) …
Brian Heater / AppScout: Ballmer: Microsoft Not Interested in Buying Yahoo!
Stan Schroeder / Mashable!:
Steve Ballmer: Another Yahoo Bid? No Way.
Steve Ballmer: Another Yahoo Bid? No Way.
Discussion: Silicon Alley Insider, Notes from the Field, Startup Meme and CNET News
Henry Blodget / Silicon Alley Insider: Steve To Jerry: Sorry, I'm Not Taking You Back
Robert X. Cringely / Notes from the Field: Is Yahoo dead? — Thanks to the DOJ, Google has backed …
Sardar Mohkim Khan / Startup Meme: Steve Ballmer on Yahoo Deal: 'Get Lost!'
Steven Musil / CNET News: Jilted Yang desperate to deal?
Rodney Gedda / Techworld:
Microsoft 'interested' in open source browser: Ballmer — Browser extensions likely to attract proprietary development — Microsoft has given its most ringing endorsement of open source Web browsers to date with chief executive officer Steve Ballmer not ruling out adopting such technology …
Discussion: TechCrunch, WinExtra, OSNews and Slashdot
Robin Wauters / TechCrunch: Microsoft Probably Not Really Considering WebKit For IE
Steven Hodson / WinExtra: A WebKit powered Internet Explorer makes sense
Thom Holwerda / OSNews: Ballmer: Microsoft 'May Look' at WebKit
Microsoft considers adopting WebKit for Internet Explorer
Microsoft considers adopting WebKit for Internet Explorer
Discussion: The Open Road, Alec Saunders SquawkBox, MasterMaq's Blog, MacDailyNews, AppScout, Neowin.net, Ajaxian and digg.com
Mack D. Male / MasterMaq's Blog: WebKit inside Internet Explorer? No thanks
Brian Heater / AppScout: Microsoft's Internet Explorer 8 May Use WebKit
Tom Warren / Neowin.net: Microsoft considering WebKit for Internet Explorer
Dion Almaer / Ajaxian: Adopting WebKit in IE?
Larry Dignan / Between the Lines:
Microsoft? IE? WebKit? Don't count on it
Microsoft? IE? WebKit? Don't count on it
Discussion: ZDNet.com.au and CNET News
Liam Tung / ZDNet.com.au: Ballmer tells Oz: get with the broadband
Margaret Kane / CNET News: Microsoft looking at Webkit?
Joanna Stern / LAPTOP Magazine:
Dell Inspiron Mini 12 Arrives: Sleek but Slow — This morning the stork dropped off one of the most highly-anticipated netbooks of the year. Everyone wanted to see and touch the Inspiron Mini 12 because it's the first netbook with a 12-inch display. How good was the keyboard? How bright was the display?
Discussion: I4U News, CrunchGear, jkOnTheRun, Liliputing and GottaBeMobile.com
Luigi Lugmayr / I4U News: Dell mini 12 is slow?
Doug Aamoth / CrunchGear: Laptop Magazine fondles the Dell Mini 12 netbook
Kevin C. Tofel / jkOnTheRun: Dell netbook with MID CPU gets a first look: Mini 12
Warner Crocker / GottaBeMobile.com: Laptop Mag Reviews Dell Mini 12 Netbook
Sara Silver / Wall Street Journal:
Samsung Overtakes Motorola In the U.S. — Samsung Electronics Co. overtook Motorola Inc. as the leading vendor of handsets in the U.S. for the first time in the third quarter, according to data from Strategy Analytics Inc. — The South Korean company reached the milestone …
Discussion: Electronista and Technology Live
Tarmo Virki / Reuters:
Samsung takes top spot in U.S. cellphone market
Samsung takes top spot in U.S. cellphone market
Discussion: InformationWeek and Phone Scoop
Eric M. Zeman / Phone Scoop: Samsung Surpasses Motorola in the U.S.
Tarmo Virki / Reuters:
Samsung takes No. 1 spot in U.S. cellphone market
Samsung takes No. 1 spot in U.S. cellphone market
Discussion: CrunchGear, Boy Genius Report, Gizmodo and Engadget
Michael Bettiol / Boy Genius Report: Samsung dethrones Motorola as no. 1 in US
Tech-On! : tech news:
'Mobile Phones Will Shoot Full HD Video in 2012,' Ericsson Says — Ericsson AB of Sweden revealed its efforts in the mobile broadband market at a press conference Nov 6, 2008. — In the area of mobile communications, innovative technologies such as "HSPA evolution," which is the successor to HSPA …
Discussion: IntoMobile, Engadget Mobile, SlashGear, VoIP & Gadgets Blog, Unwired View, CrunchGear, Gizmodo and Electricpig.co.uk
James Falconer / IntoMobile: Sony Ericsson Whips out the Crystal Ball: 20MP Cameras and HD …
Thomas Ricker / Engadget Mobile: Ericsson: 20 megapixel cellphones shooting Full HD video in 4 years
Chris Davies / SlashGear: 20MP High-Def capable mobile devices by 2012 claim Ericsson
Matt Burns / CrunchGear: The future of cells phones by Ericsson
Sprint Nextel Lost 1.3 Million Customers in Quarter — Sprint Nextel, the third-largest mobile service, on Friday posted a quarterly loss and weaker revenue as customers fled to rival services. — Sprint reported a net loss of $326 million, or 11 cents a share, compared with a profit of $64 million …
Discussion: Engadget
Business Wire:
Sprint Nextel Reports Third Quarter 2008 Results
Sprint Nextel Reports Third Quarter 2008 Results
Discussion: Tech Trader Daily, Between the Lines, DSLreports, Silicon Alley Insider and Voices
Larry Dignan / Between the Lines: Sprint: Subscribers continue to bolt
Dan Frommer / Silicon Alley Insider: Sprint Nextel Stinks Up Another Quarter As 1 Million Customers Flee
Eric Savitz / Voices: Sprint Continues to Shrink; Credit Terms Amended
Wall Street Journal:
Microsoft Tries to Steal Verizon Deal From Google — Microsoft Corp., capitalizing on Google Inc.'s regulatory snarl, is working to steal a deal with Verizon Wireless away from its rival. — Microsoft has gotten the mobile carrier's attention by offering a sweeter deal to put its search service …
Erin Barker / Contentinople: News Bits: We've Moved On, Ballmer Says
John Paczkowski / Digital Daily: Verizon to Microsoft: Hey Big Spender
Greg Sterling / Search Engine Land: Sensing An Opening, Microsoft Moves to 'Steal' Verizon Search Deal From Google
Rafat Ali / mocoNews.net: Microsoft Trying To Shiv the Potential Google-Verizon Wireless Search Deal
Miguel Helft / New York Times: Google and Yahoo Say Deal Would Have Survived a Suit
Rob Jackson / Android Phone Fans: Verizon Dumping Google For Microsoft?
Shelly Palmer / MediaBytes with Shelly Palmer: Microsoft Still Not Interested in Acquiring Yahoo: MediaBytes …
Steven Musil / CNET News: Report: Microsoft wants Google's Verizon deal
Charles Cooper / Coop's Corner: Microsoft looking to pull end-around on Google?
Robin Wauters / TechCrunch:
Online Money Transfer Service iKobo Calls It Quits — Atlanta, GA-based iKobo, a company that provides a worldwide online money transfer service, is discontuining its operations, effective immediately. In an e-mail to its users, the company writes:
Discussion: YugaTech and Startup Meme
Bilal Hameed / Startup Meme: iKobo Bites Dust, One Less Online Money Transfer Service
Ina Fried / Beyond Binary:
Microsoft aims Windows 7 for 2009 holiday season — LOS ANGELES—In a technical session on Thursday afternoon, Microsoft provided the clearest public indication that it is planning on getting Windows 7 completed in time to run on PCs that ship for next year's holiday buying season.
Discussion: The Register, Electronista, CrunchGear, Engadget, Neowin.net, The Tech Report, Teching It Easy, AppScout, Big Download Blog and digg.com
Nicholas Deleon / CrunchGear: Looks like Microsoft wants Windows 7 out the door in time for Christmas 2009
Andrew Lyle / Neowin.net: Windows 7 RTM as Early as 2009?
Cyril Kowaliski / The Tech Report: Microsoft confirms 2009 Windows 7 launch
Brian Heater / AppScout: Microsoft: Windows 7 Coming in 2009
John Callaham / Big Download Blog: Windows 7 to launch by holiday 2009?
Matt Marshall / VentureBeat:
iSkoot gets $19M warchest to launch Web services platform for AT&T — ISkoot, the company that lets you make Skype Internet calls from your mobile phone, has raised $19 million in a third round of venture capital to build an ambitious mobile platform for AT&T.
Discussion: FierceMobileContent, mocoNews.net and Startup Meme
Jason Ankeny / FierceMobileContent: iSkoot developing mobile web platform for AT&T
Dianne See Morrison / mocoNews.net: iSkoot Raises $19 Million In Third Round; Building Mobile App Platform For AT&T
Sardar Mohkim Khan / Startup Meme: iSkoot raises $19 million in Series C
Larry Dignan / Between the Lines:
Honda's robotics foray continues: Unveils 'walking assist device' — A bit off topic, but pretty neat nonetheless: Honda has rolled out its second experimental walking device. The contraption is for folks that can walk, but have trouble supporting their weight.
Discussion: CrunchGear and Electronista
Demetri Sevastopulo / Financial Times:
Chinese hack into White House network — Chinese hackers have penetrated the White House computer network on multiple occasions, and obtained e-mails between government officials, a senior US official told the Financial Times. — On each occasion, the cyber attackers accessed …
Discussion: The Register and The Dark Visitor
Chris Williams / The Register: White House network pwned 'multiple' times by Chinese
Ina Fried / Beyond Binary:
Windows 7 knows where you are — Microsoft program manager Alec Berntson shows how Windows 7 allows programs to take advantage of location-based information, in this case the operating system's weather gadget. — (Credit: Ina Fried/CNET News) — LOS ANGELES—Windows 7 …
Shane McGlaun / DailyTech: Microsoft Talks Location with Windows 7
Scott Gilbertson / webmonkey: Windows 7 Will Let Microsoft Track Your Every Move
Brooke Crothers / CNET News: Microsoft describes USB 3.0 delays
MG Siegler / VentureBeat:
FriendFeed puts location in a bit more context by auto-adding maps to the stream — FriendFeed quietly rolled out a pretty cool new feature tonight. Now, when you update a service that has location information included in it, such as Brightkite, a Google Map image of your location will be placed below the update.
Discussion: Mashable! and All Points Blog
Stan Schroeder / Mashable!: FriendFeed Now Has Cute Little Maps
Adena Schutzberg / All Points Blog: FriendFeed Supports Geotagging/GeoRSS
Aidan Malley / AppleInsider:
iPhone tops business rankings, steals Nokia market share — Often labeled the outsider in the corporate world, Apple's iPhone has already reached the top of J.D. Power's satisfaction ranks for business smartphones — and is simultaneously the second-largest smartphone maker in the world.
Discussion: Engadget Mobile, Reuters, Cell Phones etc., The iPhone Blog, I4U News, BlackBerryNews.com, Electronista and MobileBurn.com
Chris Ziegler / Engadget Mobile: Analyst confirms Apple slid past RIM to become number two smartphone vendor
Tarmo Virki / Reuters: Apple, RIM win smartphone market share from Nokia
Allan David Reyes / Cell Phones etc.: Apple no. 2 Smartphone Vendor, RIM down to no. 3
Luigi Lugmayr / I4U News: BlackBerry and iPhone to Battle this Holidays for 2nd Place
Troy D. Brown / BlackBerryNews.com: Apple Touch Screened Its Way Past RIM To Become #2 Smartphone Vendor
Ricky Cadden / MobileBurn.com: J.D. Power and Associates ranks Apple highest in smartphone satisfaction
Philip Elmer-DeWitt / Apple 2.0:
iPhone passes RIM, gains on Nokia
iPhone passes RIM, gains on Nokia
Discussion: BlackBerry Cool, CNET News and All About Symbian
Tom Krazit / CNET News: Apple's iPhone wins J.D. Power award
Steve Litchfield / All About Symbian: Canalys worldwide smartphone figures for Q3 are in

subset: commoncrawl


text:
This article is more than 1 year old
IBM bumps up dividend – again
More financial – not computer – engineering
IBM, the original IT darling of the New York Stock Exchange, has once again boosted its cash dividend and piled up billions more cash to run down to the exchange to buy back its own shares.
On Tuesday, the company's board of directors approved a 15 per cent increase in IBM's quarterly dividend – a dime per share – to 75 cents. This is the sixteenth year that IBM has increased its dividend, which has quintupled since 2003. The board also said that IBM could set aside another $8bn to do share repurchases, adding to the $4.7bn that it already has authorization to spend to concentrate its shares and boost EPS figures.
Moreover, IBM said it expected that when the board meets again in October, IBM president, CEO, and chairman Sam Palmisano expects to ask the board to authorize even more cash for buybacks – no doubt because the company's shares will continue to rise and each share is going to get progressively harder to recapture.
"Since 2003, we have returned over $100bn to shareholders in the form of dividends and share repurchases, while continuing to invest in capital expenditures, acquisitions and research and development," Palmisano said in a statement announcing the dividend boost and share repurchase authorization. "Our commitment to delivering value to our shareholders remains as important today, as it has ever been."
Clearly, what IBM needed to do was spend $100bn on a time machine, or at least something that could communicate across the fabric of spacetime to prevent Big Blue from making the serious blunders it did in the 1980s and 1990s.
IBM was a genius at electromechanical engineering, so it is no surprise that the company has been able to play Wall Street so well, engineering earnings-per-share growth by buying back shares for nearly two decades. Regardless of the other things that IBM might have done with that $100bn in cash – or the many tens of billions is spend in the decade before that doing the same thing – with executives being compensated largely with stock, and with Wall Street wanting to see IBM's earnings growth continue even if revenues flatline, this is about the only strategy anyone could reasonably expect. You get the results that you set metrics for and reward.
As El Reg goes to press, IBM's shares are kissing $169 a pop, giving Big Blue a market capitalization of $205.9bn with 1.22 billion shares outstanding.
While IBM is beating its chest about how well it has done since 2003, it always bears remembering that IBM was once the bluest of the blue chip stocks, as I pointed out when IBM raised its dividend a year ago. IBM has been paying quarterly dividends since 1916, and in 1992 – before the company's mainframe business went on the rocks and Unix competitors started eating into its proprietary systems business – IBM was paying out $4.84 per year in dividends.
At the current rate set today, IBM is up to $3 per share for dividends, and has a long way to go to get back to what was once normal. Of course, if it bought fewer of its shares and paid a higher dividend, at this point that might be a better way to boost the stock. Buying back shares when they are trading at $50 or $75 is one thing, but at $170, it takes around three times the cash to have the same EPS effect.
If you want to think about just how powerful IBM used to be on Wall Street, just think about its May 1968 stock split. IBM had 60 million shares on NYSE at the time, and just ahead of the split its shares were trading at $688, more than doubling ahead of the split; IBM's shares traded at 59 times 1967 earnings in those mainframe salad days, and it paid out $4.54 a year in dividends.
Oh, and it didn't do share buybacks. It invested in technology and was a ruthless monopolist. IBM engineered its machines and its business in those days, not its financials. ®


text:
Poetry Moves from the 1920s to the 1930s
An Audio Mini-lecture on the Transition from High Modernism to Radicalism
About a decade ago I recorded a mini-lecture about the transition from the American poetry of the 1920s to that of the 1930s. It gives some obvious dramatic examples of big changes, e.g. Isidor Schneider's move from latter-day imagist in the mid-1920s to communist poet of the 1930s. I left out any nuance here, but then the nuance became the subject of my most recent book, which in a sense refutes the standard description of the big change ("from modernism to radicalism"). However, I do stand by this little audio mini-lecture as a first foray into the topic for my students. And naturally, in the course, we read lots of examples.


text:
Johann Joseph Fux (1660-1741) is remembered less for his music than for his famous textbook on counterpoint, the Gradus ad Parnassum, Yet his music is well worth remembering for its own sake; it was not for nothing that the Emperor Leopold I made Fux his court-composer and music-director.
But to begin at the beginning; Fux was born of peasant stock at Hirtenfeld in Eastern Styria, Austria, about 1660. Little is known of his youth, except that he became a student at Graz University when he was about twenty. Again he disappears into obscurity, perhaps to study in Italy. When next heard of, he is the organist of the famous Scottish Church in Vienna, and on the highroad to imperial preferment. In 1696 he got married, and two years later was appointed Court Composer by the Emperor, an appointment usually reserved for Italian musicians. The Emperor evidently realized that Fux was a man of exceptional talent, to give him precedence over the all-conquering Italians.
Further high appointments were in store; in 1701 Fux became Capellmeister at St. Stephen's Cathedral, and ten years later, in 1711, Music Director at the Imperial Court itself - the highest musical position in Europe. Fux filled the post with distinction, composing and directing many operas and oratorios, as well as dozens of smaller pieces. His most famous stage work was the festival opera Costanza e Fortezza, performed in the most sumptuous and spectacular manner in Prague Castle in 1723 when the Emperor Charles VI was crowned King of Bohemia.
In 1725 Fux published his famous Gradus ad Parnassum, a textbook from which most of the composers of the next generation learnt their counterpoint - indeed Bach himself had a copy in his library. Some six years after the publication of the Gradus, Fux's wife died, and from then on he seems to have devoted himself more to sacred music. He himself died in 1741, at the age of 81.
As a secular composer, he was soon neglected, but his sacred works continued to be performed for many years, and his book maintained its hold over several generations of composers. Then, in the middle of the nineteenth century, Ludwig Ritter von Köchel, Mozart's cataloguer, became interested in Fux, and produced a biography and catalogue of works. This reawakened interest to some extent in the old court composer, and eventually some of his works were reprinted in the Austrian Denkmaler series; Fux began to emerge from the shadows as a fine composer in his own right, and not a mere pedagogue. He was indeed the greatest master of the Austrian Baroque, in music.
Music samples courtesy of
BAROQUE CDs
Music samples courtesy of
BAROQUE CDs


text:
Space geckos? Sticky-footed robots could climb future spacecraft
Gecko's sticky feet seem to let the little climbing lizards crawl wherever they want. Now researchers have used the gecko feet's trade secrets to let robots use that climbing power in space.
The idea, which received backing from the European Space Agency, mimics the pads of the gecko's feet to allow small robots to climb up the hulls of larger spacecraft to maintain and even repair them. Such repair bots could extend the lives of expensive spacecraft, save them from sudden and untimely deaths, and perhaps one day minimize risky spacewalks for future astronauts.
Gecko feet use a "dry adhesive" technique to cling to walls. This doesn't rely on sticky glues, but on bunches of exceedingly tiny hairs on their feet with ends just 100 to 200 nanometers across – about the size of individual bacteria. These structures are so small that they take advantage of the van der Waals force, where atoms in close contact – in this case, the gecko's foot and the surface it's stepping on – are attracted to each other.
The van der Waals force only works on very small scales, when atoms are in very, very close contact – and most smooth surfaces are actually quite rough on the micro and nanoscales, said Carlo Menon, an engineer and professor at Simon Fraser University in Canada who is working on the climbing robots. The gecko's tiny foot hairs fill those gaps in, maximizing the contact area between foot and wall, and allowing the van der Waals force to do its work.
This kind of sticking power would be useful in space, Menon said.
"It's a fundamental problem," Menon said. "In space there are not many options if you want to adhere to a surface and detach multiple times in a vacuum."
The researchers decided to use the technique because it's a far better option than using traditional adhesives in space. Wet glues – the kind that make scotch tape sticky – lose their stick as they're repeatedly lifted and then reapplied, and could also give off fumes that damage sensitive electronic equipment.
Using magnets to stick to a metal spacecraft wouldn't work either, as they don't stick to composites and the magnetic fields they generate could affect scientific instrument readings. Velcro only works if the other surface also has Velcro, and broken-off hook fragments could also contaminate the electronic equipment.
A gecko-based solution would have no such drawbacks, so the scientists used a polymer to create hairlike structures on the adhesive. They're not as small as those keratin-based structures on the gecko feet – about 100 times larger – but made of softer stuff that could slightly mold onto a rough surface and improve the surface contact. They tested the adhesive in a vacuum and it held up well, Menon said.
Using the adhesive, he and his team have created two different robot designs – a rolling, tank-like system and a six-legged walker named Abigaille. Both come with their own set of advantages, he said.
"Each of them has pros and cons," Menon said. "If you want to have more dexterity, you go with the leg. If you are more concerned about power consumption, probably the tank is a better choice."
NASA 'super ball bot' could bounce onto Saturn's icy moon, Titan
Fancy footwork! These penguins do the wave to stay warm
Cute yet creepy? Somersaulting MIT cube robots can self-assemble
Water geysers erupt on Europa! Could Jupiter's moon host life?


text:
It's the second moped-related arrest in three months for Jok, who will be a sophomore for the Hawkeyes next fall.
''We support Peter, but we're not happy with his recent pattern of behavior,'' McCaffery said. ''In the interim, Peter will continue to attend summer school classes, participate in community service projects, and take time to work on things internally, as outlined in accordance with the student-athlete Code of Conduct. We will monitor his progress and go from there.''
Jok was charged with drunk driving on his moped in late April and had his license revoked. He pleaded guilty May 2 and completed a weekend drunk driving program, according to online court records.
Iowa City police arrested Jok again Monday night after initially stopping him for improper rear lights and the lack of a safety flag.
Jok, a 6-foot-6 shooting guard, averaged 4.4 points a game for the Hawkeyes last season. He scored 10 points in an opening-round loss to Tennessee in the NCAA tournament and is expected to push for a much bigger role in 2014-15 now that guard Devyn Marble is in the NBA.
But first, he'll have to convince McCaffery that he deserves another chance to play for the Hawkeyes.
''I'm very disappointed to learn about this, especially in light of the fact that Peter had a previous incident earlier this summer,'' athletic director Gary Barta said. ''We will work through this in accordance to our student-athlete Code of Conduct and team rules.''


text:
|Conventional Scanner Frequencies Database
|Conventional scanner frequencies for the San Francisco Bay Area, now in a fully searchable database (offline)
|Conventional Scanner Frequencies Archive
|Conventional scanner frequencies for the SF Bay Area & Los Angeles area (pending updates)
|Trunked Radio Systems (TRS)
|Trunked radio information for the San Francisco Bay Area & Los Angeles/Southern CA area
|DMR/MotoTRBO Frequencies
|DMR/MotoTRBO frequencies for the San Francisco Bay Area
|Police Scanner Programming Service
|Police scanner programmed for a small fee, now serving the San Francisco Bay Area
|Tekk Two-Way Radio Programming Service
|Tekk NT series two-way radio programmed for a small fee, great for MURS or business users
|Scanner Frequencies From Travelling
|Scanner frequencies I have collected during my travels, a good start for anyone visiting these areas
|Radio Shack PRO-96 Review
|My initial thoughts of the RS PRO-96 digital capable scanner and repair/upgrade issues
|DTV Broadcasting Information Archive
|DTV broadcasting information for the Los Angeles area (no longer updated)
|FM Subcarrier Broadcasts (SCA)
|FM subcarrier broadcast (SCA) information for the San Francisco Bay Area & Los Angeles area
|About Me
|Find out all about me, my radio history, travel history and other interests
|My Photos on Flickr
|View photos that I have posted online, mostly from my recent travels
|Questions, Comments or Concerns
|Ask questions, leave feedback, or just let me know how you feel about my site
I hope users will appreciate this ad free environment and the easy to remember domain name.
Please click on the button below to donate
via PayPal. Your donations of any amount (even a penny) will be used to
pay for the hosting of this site. I thank you in advance for any donations
that are contributed to me.


text:
Private investigator John Blacksad is up to his feline ears in mystery, digging into the backstories behind murders, child abductions, and nuclear secrets. Guarnido's sumptuously painted pages and rich cinematic style bring the world of 1950s America to vibrant life, with Canales weaving in fascinating tales of conspiracy, racial tension, and the "red scare" Communist witch hunts of the time. Guarnido reinvents anthropomorphism in these pages, and industry colleagues no less than Will Eisner, Jim Steranko, and Tim Sale are fans!
Whether John Blacksad is falling for dangerous women or getting beaten to within an inch of his life, his stories are, simply put, unforgettable.
Dark Horse is very proud to present the first three Blacksad stories, completely relettered to the artist's specifications and with the third album, Red Soul, in English for the very first time.
This internationally acclaimed series has won nearly a dozen prestigious awards— including the Angoulême Comics Festival prizes for Best Series and Best Artwork—and is a three-time Eisner Award nominee.
2011 Eisner Award winner for Best Painter.
• Dark Horse Originals is where comics' most innovative creators spin their most original visions!
- Writer:
- Juan Díaz Canales
- Artist:
- Juanjo Guarnido
Next Issue
Blacksad: A Silent Hell


text: According to a survey released this morning by 451 Research, 63 percent of health care industry respondents said they had experienced a breach, the highest of any industry vertical studied.But spending priorities were focused on perimeter defenses. According to the survey, network security was the top category for increased spending over the next 12 months, chosen by 49 percent of respondents. In addition, 78 percent rated network defenses as "very" or "extremely" effective at protecting sensitive data, also the top-rated category.By comparison, just 72 percent of health care respondents selected data-at-rest defenses as "very" or "extremely" effective, the lowest of any vertical other than government, at 68 percent, and below the U.S. average of 75 percent.One reason is that health care organizations spend money on strategies that have worked in the past, said Tina Stewart, vice president of marketing at Vormetric, which sponsored the report."Lots of investment is going into network and endpoint protection," said Stewart. "However, healthcare organizations should prioritize protecting critical information once perimeters have been breached. It\u2019s not that we don\u2019t need network and endpoint defenses, but priorities should shift to include data security."It is not uncommon for organizations to default to the status quo, she added."It\u2019s reassuring and familiar, after all," she said. "We do think, though, this will start to change over time as organizations are forced to learn the hard way.\u201dOne promising sign is that 46 percent of health care organizations did plan to increase spending on data-at-rest defenses such as disk encryption, file encryption, data access controls, application encryption and tokenization, the highest ranking of any vertical. In particular, 46 percent say they will implement data security to follow industry best practices, 39 percent plan to implement cloud security gateways, 35 percent plan to implement tokenization, and 29 percent plan to implement application encryption.A majority of the health care respondents cited compliance as a top spending priority for IT security.According to the report, 68 percent of U.S. healthcare respondents view compliance as "very" or "extremely" effective, the highest of any vertical.[ HOW HEALTHY? Healthcare breaches need a cure for human errors ]"This is understandable," said Stewart. "After all, organizations operating within a regulated industry won\u2019t be able to stay in business without remaining compliant. The surprise is that so many of the professionals polled thought it would also effectively protect them from data breaches."Meanwhile, compliant organizations routinely fall victim to successful cyberattacks, she added.One problem with over-relying on compliance for security is that regulations are updated only over many months or years."Cyberattacks change daily and hourly," she said. "This leaves compliance mandates requiring organizations to use protection methods that may already have been eclipsed by the attackers.\u201dCybercriminals were rated as the biggest threat by health care organizations, chosen by 72 percent of health care respondents, but despite recent reports, only 49 percent recognized nation-states as high-risk external threats.The Internet of Things looms as a potential risk, with 21 percent of respondents saying the connected devices were the greatest risk of loss of sensitive data, higher than other verticals.


text:
Haussler wins another at Tour of Qatar, takes lead
Garmin-Cervélo's Heinrich Haussler won the third stage of the Tour of Qatar Wednesday to take the race leader's jersey from three-time winner Tom Boonen (Quick Step).
Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! Download the app.
An untimely puncture cost Tom Boonen much more than the one-second lead he had over Heinrich Haussler before starting Wednesday's stage 3 of the Tour of Qatar.
In brutal winds that came from every direction on a circuit completed two and a half times, Boonen was unable to reconnect with the lead echelon after the flat.
He wound up losing more than three minutes to Haussler, who won both the stage and the overall lead.
It was the second consecutive stage win for Haussler. The Australian's results — he was also second to Boonen in stage 1 — signaled that he is back to form after a difficult 2010 and on track to challenge Boonen and others in the spring classics.
He's also happy with his half-new squad.
"We had a meeting this morning and we knew exactly what we wanted to do, which was to win the stage and the jersey, and we did it perfect," he told VeloNews.
Tough stage
On the map, stage 3 looked like any circuit race held in the U.S. Southwest: two and a half laps run clockwise around a big right triangle south of Doha, for a total of 151km. In reality, the race was buffeted by stiff winds and rattled by several road sections littered with big potholes. Some teams would have been better off had they used their Paris-Roubaix tires and wheels.
The race began with a neutral start from a causeway shared with fishing boats. The peloton picked up a tail wind once past Kilometer 0, and the attacks began immediately.
The first group to really get a gap came together on the headwind leg at about km36. Six riders got away and quickly built an enormous lead, hitting 12 minutes for a time. The best-placed rider in the group was TVM's Stijn Neirynck, at 5:22.
Meanwhile. the chase pack had exploded in the crosswinds, with Fabian Cancellara (Leopard Trek), Mark Cavendish (HTC-HighRoad) and Theo Bos (Rabobank) among those caught out. Haussler and Boonen remained with the lead chase group, however.
Cavendish managed to reconnect with the yellow jersey group with about 50km to go, just after the breakaway was reeled in. Cancellara, however, was not able to reconnect and the world time trial champion finished an astounding 27 minutes behind the winner, falling from fourth to 102nd on the GC.
Soon after the break was caught, a group of ten took off, whose best placed rider was FdJ's Canadian Dom Rollin. That effort built a 50-second lead but came back under pressure from Garmin and Rabobank.
Soon after entering the final crosswind section, Boonen flatted, as did Leopard Trek's Stuart O'Grady and Tom Stamsnijder.
Boonen chased hard to join the second chase group, but that group was unable to make up ground on the leaders.
"I tried to get back with the second group. Everybody was doing his best, but the guys are in the second group for a reason; it's not called the second group because they are really good," Boonen said.
In fact the second group steadily lost ground, with the gap hovering at about 45 seconds for a long while, and then ballooning to over three minutes in the final 10k.
Up front, Haussler had three teammates in the 26-man front group, which contained dangerous sprinters including Cavendish and his on-form teammate Mark Renshaw, Leopard Trek's Daniele Bennati, Rabobank's Lars Boom, Rollin and Sky's Juan Antonio Flecha and Jeremy Hunt.
Cavendish, however, lost contact in the final 10k and then Astana's Simon Clarke took a solo flyer with about 2k to go. Clarke dangled off the front into the final kilometer and was the first by about two bike lengths when the leaders came through a roundabout with 300 meters to go.
Haussler's team, as in stage 2, brought their speedman to the front in the final kilometer, and he came through the final corner in seventh, behind HTC's Bernhard Eisel and Rollin. Renshaw was first to kick out, blowing past Clarke. But Haussler again showed he's the fastest at the end, beating Renshaw and Bennati to the line with plenty of time to celebrate.
Stage 3
Overall Standings.


text:
Aloha Bloggerinos,
I'm going to do a few posts on things MAC are bringing out soon, because who doesn't like a bit of insider knowledge?
March 2011 will see the release of a new range of blushes that promise to go on creamy and stay creamy, allowing you to blend better and control your contouring. Smashing!
There will be six new colours to choose from:
So Sweet, So Easy Bright yellow pink
Something Special Light coral
Posey Warm peach
Ladyblush Warm neutral coral
Brit Wit Dusty rosy mauve
Tea Petal Mid-tone reddish brown
So for all your Blush Lovers, does this do it for you? I'm pretty new to the world of blusher so welcome your thoughts :)
You can find out more about MAC Cosmetics HERE.
Images and Info courtesy of MAC Cosmetics


text:
Zanoni, by Edward Bulwer Lytton, [1842], at sacred-texts.com
O, be gone!
By Heaven, I love thee better than myself,
For I came hither armed against myself.
—"Romeo and Juliet."
The young actress and Gionetta had returned from the theatre; and Viola fatigued and exhausted, had thrown herself on a sofa, while Gionetta busied herself with the long tresses which, released from the fillet that bound them, half-concealed the form of the actress, like a veil of threads of gold. As she smoothed the luxuriant locks, the old nurse ran gossiping on about the little events of the night, the scandal and politics of the scenes and the tireroom. Gionetta was a worthy soul. Almanzor, in Dryden's tragedy of "Almahide," did not change sides with more gallant indifference than the exemplary nurse. She was at last grieved and scandalised that Viola had not selected one chosen cavalier. But the choice she left wholly to her fair charge. Zegri or Abencerrage, Glyndon or Zanoni, it had been the same to her, except that the rumours she had collected respecting the latter, combined with his own recommendations of his rival, had given her preference to the Englishman. She interpreted ill the impatient and heavy sigh with which Viola greeted her praises of Glyndon, and her wonder that he had of late so neglected his attentions behind the scenes, and she exhausted all her powers of panegyric upon the supposed object of the sigh. "And then, too," she said, "if nothing else were to be said against the other signor, it is enough that he is about to leave Naples."
"Leave Naples!—Zanoni?"
"Yes, darling! In passing by the Mole to-day, there was a crowd round some outlandish-looking sailors. His ship arrived this morning, and anchors in the bay. The sailors say that they are to be prepared to sail with the first wind; they were taking in fresh stores. They—"
"Leave me, Gionetta! Leave me!"
The time had already passed when the girl could confide in Gionetta. Her thoughts had advanced to that point when the heart recoils from all confidence, and feels that it cannot be comprehended. Alone now, in the principal apartment of the house, she paced its narrow boundaries with tremulous and agitated steps: she recalled the frightful suit of Nicot,—the injurious taunt of Glyndon; and she sickened at the remembrance of the hollow applauses which, bestowed on the actress, not the woman, only subjected her to contumely and insult. In that room the recollection of her father's death, the withered laurel and the broken chords, rose chillingly before her. Hers, she felt, was a yet gloomier fate,—the chords may break while the laurel is yet green. The lamp, waning in its socket, burned pale and dim, and her eyes instinctively turned from the darker corner of the room. Orphan, by the hearth of thy parent, dost thou fear the presence of the dead!
And was Zanoni indeed about to quit Naples? Should she see him no more? Oh, fool, to think that there was grief in any other thought! The past!—that was gone! The future!—there was no future to her, Zanoni absent! But this was the night of the third day on which Zanoni had told her that, come what might, he would visit her again. It was, then, if she might believe him, some appointed crisis in her fate; and how should she tell him of Glyndon's hateful words? The pure and the proud mind can never confide its wrongs to another, only its triumphs and its happiness. But at that late hour would Zanoni visit her,—could she receive him? Midnight was at hand. Still in undefined suspense, in intense anxiety, she lingered in the room. The quarter before midnight sounded, dull and distant. All was still, and she was about to pass to her sleeping-room, when she heard the hoofs of a horse at full speed; the sound ceased, there was a knock at the door. Her heart beat violently; but fear gave way to another sentiment when she heard a voice, too well known, calling on her name. She paused, and then, with the fearlessness of innocence, descended and unbarred the door.
Zanoni entered with a light and hasty step. His horseman's cloak fitted tightly to his noble form, and his broad hat threw a gloomy shade over his commanding features.
The girl followed him into the room she had just left, trembling and blushing deeply, and stood before him with the lamp she held shining upward on her cheek and the long hair that fell like a shower of light over the half-clad shoulders and heaving bust.
"Viola," said Zanoni, in a voice that spoke deep emotion, "I am by thy side once more to save thee. Not a moment is to be lost. Thou must fly with me, or remain the victim of the Prince di—. I would have made the charge I now undertake another's; thou knowest I would,—thou knowest it!—but he is not worthy of thee, the cold Englishman! I throw myself at thy feet; have trust in me, and fly."
He grasped her hand passionately as he dropped on his knee, and looked up into her face with his bright, beseeching eyes.
"Fly with thee!" said Viola, scarce believing her senses.
"With me. Name, fame, honour,—all will be sacrificed if thou dost not."
"Then—then," said the wild girl, falteringly, and turning aside her face,—"then I am not indifferent to thee; thou wouldst not give me to another?"
Zanoni was silent; but his breast heaved, his cheeks flushed, his eyes darted dark and impassioned fire.
"Speak!" exclaimed Viola, in jealous suspicion of his silence.
"Indifferent to me! No; but I dare not yet say that I love thee."
"Then what matters my fate?" said Viola, turning pale, and shrinking from his side; "leave me,—I fear no danger. My life, and therefore my honour, is in mine own hands."
"Be not so mad," said Zanoni. "Hark! do you hear the neigh of my steed?—it is an alarm that warns us of the approaching peril. Haste, or you are lost!"
"Why dost thou care for me?" said the girl, bitterly. "Thou hast read my heart; thou knowest that thou art become the lord of my destiny. But to be bound beneath the weight of a cold obligation; to be the beggar on the eyes of indifference; to cast myself on one who loves me not,—THAT were indeed the vilest sin of my sex. Ah, Zanoni, rather let me die!"
She had thrown back her clustering hair from her face while she spoke; and as she now stood, with her arms drooping mournfully, and her hands clasped together with the proud bitterness of her wayward spirit, giving new zest and charm to her singular beauty, it was impossible to conceive a sight more irresistible to the eye and the heart.
"Tempt me not to thine own danger,—perhaps destruction!" exclaimed Zanoni, in faltering accents. "Thou canst not dream of what thou wouldst demand,—come!" and, advancing, he wound his arm round her waist. "Come, Viola; believe at least in my friendship, my honour, my protection—"
"And not thy love," said the Italian, turning on him her reproachful eyes. Those eyes met his, and he could not withdraw from the charm of their gaze. He felt her heart throbbing beneath his own; her breath came warm upon his cheek. He trembled,—HE! the lofty, the mysterious Zanoni, who seemed to stand aloof from his race. With a deep and burning sigh, he murmured, "Viola, I love thee! Oh!" he continued passionately, and, releasing his hold, he threw himself abruptly at her feet, "I no more command,—as woman should be wooed, I woo thee. From the first glance of those eyes, from the first sound of thy voice, thou becamest too fatally dear to me. Thou speakest of fascination,—it lives and it breathes in thee! I fled from Naples to fly from thy presence,—it pursued me. Months, years passed, and thy sweet face still shone upon my heart. I returned, because I pictured thee alone and sorrowful in the world, and knew that dangers, from which I might save thee, were gathering near thee and around. Beautiful Soul! whose leaves I have read with reverence, it was for thy sake, thine alone, that I would have given thee to one who might make thee happier on earth than I can. Viola! Viola! thou knowest not—never canst thou know—how dear thou art to me!"
It is in vain to seek for words to describe the delight—the proud, the full, the complete, and the entire delight—that filled the heart of the Neapolitan. He whom she had considered too lofty even for love,—more humble to her than those she had half-despised! She was silent, but her eyes spoke to him; and then slowly, as aware, at last, that the human love had advanced on the ideal, she shrank into the terrors of a modest and virtuous nature. She did not dare,—she did not dream to ask him the question she had so fearlessly made to Glyndon; but she felt a sudden coldness,—a sense that a barrier was yet between love and love. "Oh, Zanoni!" she murmured, with downcast eyes, "ask me not to fly with thee; tempt me not to my shame. Thou wouldst protect me from others. Oh, protect me from thyself!"
"Poor orphan!" said he, tenderly, "and canst thou think that I ask from thee one sacrifice,—still less the greatest that woman can give to love? As my wife I woo thee, and by every tie, and by every vow that can hallow and endear affection. Alas! they have belied love to thee indeed, if thou dost not know the religion that belongs to it! They who truly love would seek, for the treasure they obtain, every bond that can make it lasting and secure. Viola, weep not, unless thou givest me the holy right to kiss away thy tears!"
And that beautiful face, no more averted, drooped upon his bosom; and as he bent down, his lips sought the rosy mouth: a long and burning kiss,—danger, life, the world was forgotten! Suddenly Zanoni tore himself from her.
"Hearest thou the wind that sighs, and dies away? As that wind, my power to preserve thee, to guard thee, to foresee the storm in thy skies, is gone. No matter. Haste, haste; and may love supply the loss of all that it has dared to sacrifice! Come."
Viola hesitated no more. She threw her mantle over her shoulders, and gathered up her dishevelled hair; a moment, and she was prepared, when a sudden crash was heard below.
"Too late!—fool that I was, too late!" cried Zanoni, in a sharp tone of agony, as he hurried to the door. He opened it, only to be borne back by the press of armed men. The room literally swarmed with the followers of the ravisher, masked, and armed to the teeth.
Viola was already in the grasp of two of the myrmidons. Her shriek smote the ear of Zanoni. He sprang forward; and Viola heard his wild cry in a foreign tongue. She saw the blades of the ruffians pointed at his breast! She lost her senses; and when she recovered, she found herself gagged, and in a carriage that was driven rapidly, by the side of a masked and motionless figure. The carriage stopped at the portals of a gloomy mansion. The gates opened noiselessly; a broad flight of steps, brilliantly illumined, was before her. She was in the palace of the Prince di—.


text:
Israeli Lawlessness in IssawiyaWritten by Stephen Lendman Subject: Israel - Palestine
by Stephen Lendman
Issawiya is a Jerusalem area Arab village. It's located on Mount Scopus. It's 2.5 km east of the Green Line. It's three km northeast of Jerusalem's Old City.
It's close to Hebrew University. It straddles Jerusalem's border. It's surrounded by Israeli settlements and military outposts.
Its 2006 population was 12,000. After Israel's 1967 Six Day War, Israel took control. Issawiya faced annexation and division. Thousands of dunums were confiscated.
Today's reality confines residents to 600 dunums. It's a fraction of Issawiya's original size. Israel used stolen land for settlements, expanding greater Jerusalem, commercial development, Jews-only roads, and planned E1 area construction.
According to Jerusalem's Planning and Building Committee, a future national park is planned. Activists call it a ruse. At issue is blocking Palestinian development east of the city. It's to establish a new settlement.
The park will confiscate hundreds of dunums of privately owned Palestinian land. One activist said doing so is "driving people crazy."
Jerusalem city council member Meir Margalit called the park project "a farce." Designated land is largely "rocks and thorns," he said.
Nothing justifies park development. At issue is stealing Palestinian land, demolishing their property, dispossessing them, and replacing them with Jews.
Palestinian rights are denied. They're brutalized for resisting. On January 1, Haaretz headlined "East Jerusalem villagers: Israel Police subjecting us to collective punishment," saying:
In recent weeks, security forces targeted Issawiya residents ruthlessly. Dozens of arrests and injuries followed.
Things escalated out-of-control. It happened after Samer Issawi's arrest. He's a Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine activist. He was wrongly imprisoned for 10 years. Political activism got him incarcerated.
He was released in Israel's October 2011 Gilat Shalit prisoner exchange. Months later he was rearrested. Israeli deals aren't worth the paper they're written on. Terms are violated with impunity. Samer's hunger striking in protest.
Issawiya residents support him. They staged supportive solidarity marches. Security forces targeted them viciously. Clashes continued for days. Children were brutalized like adults.
Arrests happen virtually daily. Resident Hani Issawi said "(t)there's an intifada here, but it's an intifada of the police and not the residents."
"In the past days, there have been no demonstrations, no marches, nothing - only police provocations."
They're dismissive. They'll continue targeting "suspects" until they're all "arrested and order has been restored," they say.
In January, the Jerusalemite Grassroots Foundation published a report on Issawiya. It's titled "Issawiya Resists Collective Punishment."
It discussed escalated Israeli violence. Militarized occupation enforces collective punishment. Residents are brutalized. They respond by resisting.
Numerous demonstrations and sit-ins were held. Security forces confronted them violently. Issawiya was stormed numerous times. Special Forces were used. Dozens of arrests were made.
Israel set up "flying military checkpoints." They're used to collect taxes and debts. Palestinian drivers are forced to pay without legal justification.
Israel prevents Issawiya's natural expansion. Plans call for filling the area with solid waste. Israel wants residents dispossessed.
It wants area land to connect E1 with Ma'ale Adumim settlement and Jerusalem. At issue is establishing territorial contiguity. It's also to create a greater Jerusalem by Judaizing Palestinian neighborhoods.
Doing so will isolate Issawiya from the rest of the West Bank. Fundamental international law will be violated. Israel's proceeding with its plan.
On February 7, the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) responded. It wants illegal Issawiya operations ended. It called on Jerusalem's police chief to do so.
It demands he end "enforcement operation" violence. It's been ongoing for weeks. Issawiya's "under siege." Entrances are blocked. Checkpoints impose barricades.
Every person and vehicle entering or leaving is checked. Large numbers of Border Police, Riot Police, and undercover units assure clashes.
Excessive force is prioritized. Tear gas, rubber bullets, shock grenades, and other harsh crowd control methods are used. Numerous arrests and injuries follow. Women and children are targeted like men.
Since Israeli operations began, residents estimate about 100 arrests, including 40 minors.
"Children eyewitness accounts describe police use of such measures as handcuffing and shackling of children's arms and legs without justification, the use of violence against handcuffed and blindfolded children, and the interrogation of children without their parents being present."
Homes are stormed pre-dawn. Doors are knocked off their hinges. Warrantless ransacking follows. Property is willfully damaged.
ACRI attorney Nisreen Alyan addressed Jerusalem's Police Commissioner, Yossi Pariente, saying:
"Over the last month and a half, residents of the Issawiya neighborhood of East Jerusalem have experienced a serious deterioration in their sense of personal security."
"Local residents have contacted us with complaints that the police, who are supposed to serve the public, instead are acting discriminatorily and with a heavy hand against the residents."
Basic freedoms are systematically denied. Residents are "living in a closed military zone." Their ability to live normally is denied.
"We remain in the dark as to the motives behind these sweeping enforcement activities, which have continued unabated in Issawiya for more than six weeks."
"But regardless of the reasons behind them, it is the duty of the police - whether in catching criminals or in dealing with public disturbances - to act in a reasonable and proportionate manner while respecting human rights obligations."
"The police may only take action against an individual when there is reasonable suspicion against him or her, and they must not impose sweeping restrictions on entire neighborhoods in the hope that this will curb criminal activity. That is manifestly unreasonable."
Children are traumatized. They're afraid to play outside. Parents won't let them walk alone. Residents avoid going out as much as possible. Institutionalized violence confronts them.
Stress takes its toll. Fundamental freedoms are denied. An entire community is under 24-hour lockdown.
"In light of the above, we ask for your urgent intervention to put an immediate end to such illegitimate police operations, and we further demand that law enforcement be exercised equally and without discrimination, as required by law."
Expect no positive response. Police states operate that way. Israel's one of the worst.
Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com.
His new book is titled "Banker Occupation: Waging Financial War on Humanity."
Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network Thursdays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening.


text:
Opeth's Mikael Åkerfeldt To Curate 2014 Roadburn Festival
Walter & Co are elated to announce that Mikael Åkerfeldt has agreed to curate Roadburn Festival 2014 on Friday, April 11th at the 013 venue in Tilburg, The Netherlands. As curator, Mikael will personally select the bands for his special event, and play a headline show with Opeth, too!
Musically, Mikael has consistently pushed the boundaries. Over the last two decades, he guided Opeth's evolution, drawing the band out from under the doom-laden shade of occult-infused Scandinavian death metal and into a place in the sun as revered progressive rock / metal innovators, never once sacrificing the authentic spirit of previous artistic endeavours.
Mikael's steadfast devotion to aesthetic progression and perfection has proven ground-breaking and highly influential for an entire new generation of musicians practicing the art of progressive rock and psychedelica. At the same time, he has steadfastly honoured the mystical pioneers of late 1960s and early 1970s psychedelic folk, rock and prog — some of Opeth's albums are named after obscure psychedelic prog outfits or song titles — all of which is in perfect sync with Roadburn Festival.
Opeth's body of work is highly respected by Roadburn audiences, which makes Mikael the ideal choice to carry on the tradition that began in 2008 with David Tibet / Current 93, and continued with Neurosis, Tom G Warrior, Sunn 0))), Voivod and Jus Oborn / Electric Wizard.
"It's with great honour that I accepted the invitation to be the curator for the 2014 Roadburn festival", says Mikael Åkerfeldt, "I'm pretty damn far from being a professional booker / promotor, and I've never been part in choosing bands for an event apart from bands that Opeth has toured with. So this is a first for me, but I have to say I'm very excited."
"I've reached out to a handful of my favourite bands from the past and present. As of now it looks like it will be an amazing musical event. Still brainstorming about possible bands for this glorious festival but I already know that I'm going to be like a kid at Christmas. It will be amazing! Plain and simple. Obviously Opeth will perform as well, but to be quite honest with you, our own performance doesn't get me nearly as excited as the thought of experiencing the bands that have shown interest. It will be remarkable and memorable. A celebration, bitches!"
Roadburn are so excited and proud to be working with Mikael and to have Opeth headline his curated Roadburn 2014 event. It will truly be a celebration of progressive rock, psychedelic folk, the heavy 70s and beyond. Roadburn look forward to this collaboration and cannot wait to see how he will expand Roadburn Festival's musical horizons as well as explore more familiar territory from new angles. We are definitely in for some artistic surprises.
Roadburn Festival 2014 will run for four days from Thursday, April 10th to Sunday, April 13th, 2014 at the 013 venue in Tilburg, The Netherlands.


text:
The Pac is avoiding afternoon broadcasting this Sunday. Fortunately, conference games that day feature the two worst teams in the Pac (USC and Cal). I suppose I've tipped my hand surrounding this week's Game(s) to Avoid, but maybe you'll be at a house of favorable fandom. Which really just proposes that you're at a house choosing to optimize the magnitude of the day's events with the requisite accompaniments of next-level junk food. Like I want to hear about food consumption that has you in a funk so Monday that you think 'Ernie Kent for the rebuild' is a great idea. Of course that puts all eyes on Husky fans (no pun intended) who will have dual watching privileges (Cal @ UW 12pm + Super Bowl). So if the Pac-12 is going to try and avoid competing with the Super Bowl, we can oblige! And while it seems that everyone hates both the Seahawks and the Patriots, both produce two very lovable characters. And Tom Brady is awesome.
Game of the Week
A lot of things to keep an eye on this week particularly on Wednesday. Five of the conference's top six teams will be in action that night including our GotW: Stanford @ Washington. This game features our two leading amoeba candidates with identical 14-5 overall records. Washington hasn't had quite the conference success of the Cardinal and now will be short their tallest asset: Robert Upshaw. Nevertheless, #TakingCareOfBusiness at home has been a major part of Pac-12 basketball. They have the second highest conference home winning percentage. This bodes well for Washington. The Upshaw story bodes well for the Cardinal.
And while it's not a game, The Drive, debuts tonight at 9pm PST on The Networks. Expect reviews of that.
Game to Avoid
The aforementioned Sunday slate may be unavoidable. If I'm parked with a booming game day bucket, Taco Bell, 'za, wings, cheap beer, expensive beer, mid-priced red (someone's inevitably going to invite this friend), a Chinese spread, why-not-Thai, an assortment of Hostess products, fuggit-a-pie, ice cream, and Tums® then I won't be opposed to watching Pac-12 basketball, too. Maybe let's make a handful of prop bets for the weekend? Let me know if you want in on this action:
- Herb Sendek gets extended: 3-1
- Spencer Dinwiddie given 6 week D-League assignment in Boulder: 4-1
- Robert Upshaw transfers to Oregon: 6-1
- Robert Upshaw transfers from Oregon: 6-1
- Bryce Alford plays 41 minutes in regulation: 9-1
- BruinsNation writes something nice about it: OFF
- Jordan Adams admits he touched the ball: 18-1
- Larry Scott admits Jordan Adams touched the ball: 5000-1
Something to Prove
They're paying the team they knocked off a return visit and I can't imagine the McKale Center is going to be all too kind to the Oregon State Beavers. You have to appreciate that Wayne Tinkle has said that this season won't be the "year we beat Arizona." Beating one team does not a season make. Since breaking down in his news conference after beating then #4 Wisconsin, Eddie Jordan's Rutgers Scarlet Knights are 0-4. They'd just won their championship. Conversely, Tinkle and his Beavers are 3-1 with their eyes on bigger things. Yes, winning in Tucson and sweeping the Wildcats is a tall order. But beating ASU on the road is far more reasonable, conceivable, and immediate accomplishment.
Something to Lose
Washington evidently had someone to lose and it's in a big way. We won't dwell on that even though last week we thought Colorado had their season to lose while playing short some critical talents. Turns out, just giving a good effort is enough to earn some PacHoops love. Good job, Buffs! Washington still isn't our team with the most riding on the line this week. I think that distinction belongs with the Stanford Cardinal. They've navigated the circle of suck, as Spencer noted, to a 5-2 conference record. They've won at Texas and held court against Connecticut. But they now take all that on the road where Dawkins' teams are 31-50 All-Time. Woof. At this point, however, the Cardinal are playing the role of expected victor not enigmatic maybe. Chasson Randle and Anthony Brown are granite not sandstone. Is this the year Stanford rides that soundly into the NCAA tournament? It seems that way today, a road trip to Washington could alarm us otherwise.
Texts From Family Members
Mom. FTW.


text:
November 16, 2016Zoey Collier
Magic mirror, on the wall—who is the fairest one of all?
Probably the most memorable line from Disney's 1937 classic, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, it may soon become a household phrase again. Modern-day magic mirrors are taking a number of forms, from toys to high tech devices offering useful information to their masters. Now, Darian Johnson has taken that concept an enormous step farther.
Darian, a technology architect with Accenture, has worked in software solution design for 17 years. Today he helps clients move their on-premise IT infrastructure into the cloud. With a recent focus solely on Amazon Web Services (AWS), it's only natural other Amazon technologies like Alexa would pique his interest.
One night, Darian was pondering what he might build for Hackster's 2016 Internet of Voice Challenge. He was surfing the web, when he happened on an early concept of a Magic Mirror and realized he could do even better than that. He did. In August 2016, Darian's new Mystic Mirror won a prize in the Best Alexa Voice Service with Raspberry Pi category.
Darian says his morning routine consists of running between bedroom and bathroom, trying to get ready for work. He doesn't have an Amazon Echo in either, but he does, however, have mirrors there. That's another reason why an Alexa Voice Service (AVS)-enabled mirror made sense.
He set his budget at a mere $100. That covered a Raspberry Pi (RPi), a two-way mirror, a refurbished monitor and speaker, some wood planks and a few other assorted items. He determined that his device would:
You can build your own Mystic Mirror using the details on the Hackster site. But it was his software and Alexa that brought it to life.
Darian decided to voice-enable his Raspberry Pi, microphone and speaker with the Alexa Voice Service (AVS). That meant the Mystic Mirror's master would have access to the built-in power of Alexa and over 4,000 third-party skills, developed using the Alexa Skills Kit (ASK). With just a word, they could control smart home devices, ask for a Lyft ride, play music from Amazon Prime accounts and much more. Best of all, since Alexa is getting smarter all the time, the mirror's capabilities would constantly evolve, too.
But a mirror is inherently a visual device, and the Mystic Mirror is no exception. To endow his creation with unique talents, Darian built his own custom Alexa skill called Mystic Mirror. When the user invokes the skill, its various intents use public APIs to retrieve:
Mystic Mirror can also save your location preferences for these features, send short text messages (without needing your phone), and manage your contacts and calendar reminders. When you need some cheering up, you can ask Mystic Mirror how you look—it's a mirror after all—to get a compliment. You can even take a selfie with the mirror's built-in camera.
[Caption: How the Mystic Mirror skill handles simple intents (requiring no linked accounts or physical mirror). Diagrams for more detailed intents are available Hackster.io.]
Darian says Amazon's templates gave him about 80 percent of what he needed to get his mirror working with both AVS and ASK. In fact, he says be coded half the skill over the 4th of July.
What makes Mystic Mirror powerful though isn't just the data the custom skill retrieves. It's the way it displays that data magically in the face of the mirror, instead of letting Alexa recite it.
The skill knows which intents have data to be visualized and passes the JSON data back to the mirror's Raspberry Pi. There the RPi formats it and sends it to the display monitor behind the two-way mirror. After an interval, the software causes the images to fade mystically away.
Besides the AVS and ASK APIs, Darian used the following to allow make the Mystic Mirror perform its magic:
The Mystic Mirror skill sends data between AWS Lambda and the RPi using MQTT protocol, which Darian enabled using the AWS IoT service. "I created a second Lambda function to serve as a Lambda-based MQTT client," says Darian. "That function receives messages [via SNS] from the Magic Mirror skill, then publishes each message onto a topic."
Will users want a Mystic Mirror? Darian says it's inevitable people will become more comfortable with voice technology. "As developers get better at building services that are clear without the need for displays, people get more comfortable using the technology. That's when you'll start to see leaps and bounds."
Are you ready to build your first (or next) Alexa skill? Build a custom skill or use one of our easy tutorials to get started quickly.
Share other innovative ways you're using Alexa in your life. Tweet us @alexadevs with hashtag #AlexaDevStory.


text:
Cloud storage services such as Dropbox, Google Drive, and SugarSync are convenient, efficient—and notoriously insecure. Files are rarely encrypted, data transfer is typically not protected, and companies are usually able to access your files (even if they state they won't, they may be legally compelled to do so).
Documents such as business plans or other sensitive files (say, a copy of your birth certificate) should be protected. You can utilize a special, ultra-secure provider such as Wuala or Tresorit, or you can encrypt files yourself before uploading them to larger storage services, such as Dropbox.
Price: 5GB Free; Plans starting from 20GB for $4/month
Platforms: Windows, Linux, iOS, Android
Wuala is a secure cloud storage service offered by storage company LaCie. This service differs from mainstream cloud storage providers in two ways:
Client-side encryption of files: All of your files are encrypted locally on your device before being sent to the cloud, which ensures that even on a non-encrypted transfer, no readable data would leak out. This process is more secure than a secure transfer, mainly because it means that nobody except you ever has access to your data.
Zero-knowledge password policy: Only you know your password, and therefore only you can access your account. Wuala's employees cannot see your password, nor can they see your data except in raw form (how many files you have and how much storage space they take up). So even if the government came knocking on Wuala's door and asked them to turn over your files, they simply wouldn't be able to do so. Nor will you be able to get to your stuff if you forget your password, so keep it carefully.
Security aside, Wuala operates like the cloud storage services you're used to. Simply download Wuala's application and the service will install a special sync folder to your device, where you can drag and drop files to store both locally and in the cloud. Wuala also offers backup and versioning, which means you'll be able to access previous versions of files or restore files should you accidentally delete them. Like other cloud storage providers, Wuala offers 5GB of storage for free. Pricing plans start at 20GB for $4 per month.
Price: 5GB Free; Plans starting from 100GB for $7/month
Platforms: Windows, Mac OS X, iOS, Android
Tresorit is a cloud storage provider that claims to offer "a truly secure cloud storage service." Security features include client-side encryption, secure data transfer, and secure data centers that are equipped with physical security measures against intrusion as well as uninterruptible power and backup systems.
Like Wuala, Tresorit encrypts your data on your local machine to help ensure that your files are protected at all times. It, too, practices a zero-knowledge password policy, which means that nobody in the company can ever access your password or decryption keys. Of course, the drawback of such a policy is that if you forget your password, you're basically out of luck (you'll have to create a new account, and you'll lose all of your data in the cloud).
Tresorit's main difference from Wuala, and other mainstream cloud storage services, is the ability to turn any folder on your device into a secure "tresor." What this means is that you do not have to drag and drop files into a special sync folder. Instead, you can simply right-click on an existing folder and "tresor it." This is especially convenient if you're digitally organized and you'd prefer not to rearrange your files into one sync-able folder.
Tresor offers 5GB of space for free. An additional 100GB will cost you 5 euros, or just under $7, per month.
McAfee Personal Locker
Price: 1GB free with a subscription to McAfee LiveSafe
Platforms: Windows 8, iOS, Android
McAfee's Personal Locker is a cloud storage vault that you manage via your smartphone or Windows 8 device. It can store up to 1GB of data, which you can access from anywhere—but only after you've jumped through a series of security hoops.
The app requires voice recognition, biometric data (facial recognition), and a PIN to verify your identity before giving you access to your files. Every. Single. Time. You can choose to set certain files as low priority (you'll only have to enter a PIN to access them), but where's the fun in that?
While definitely not the sort of service you want to use for everyday cloud storage, Personal Locker would work well for sensitive documents that you may need to access from anywhere, such as legal documents, medical records, or copies of your passport or birth certificate. Personal Locker is free with a subscription to McAfee LiveSafe, which costs $80 per year.
Encrypt files locally
Switching to a different cloud storage provider can be frustrating, time-consuming, and potentially a bad financial decision – especially when providers such as Copy offer 20GB of free storage right off the bat. If you'd rather not start from scratch, you can still use client-side encryption to keep your files safe and secure, while continuing to use your insecure, mainstream cloud storage provider. Free applications such as TrueCrypt, for instance, will let you encrypt your files inside your Dropbox folder. You'll need TrueCrypt installed on any device you want to access the files from, too. For more tips on encrypting your files, check out our guide on how to encrypt (almost) anything.


text:
- Home
- About Us
Our Designs
- Less than 80 Feet Sailing
- 80 feet + Sailing
- Power
- New Designs -
- Refits
- News
- Log Book
- Brokerage
- Contact Us
Friendship 36 Launched! Read More
Ship & Boat International Read More
Yachting World Read More
The arrival of Yachting World each month is definitely a highlight around the office. When the March issue arrived a few days ago, we were thrilled to read Toby Hodges' write up on... Read More
*Whisper*, 116' Pilothouse Sloop Welcome aboard the redesigned Fontaine Design Group website. Our award-winning yacht design group has an updated website with vivid images and easy to navigate pages. - In the **About Us*[[sitetree_link id=140]]* section, Ted Fontaine... Read More


text:
Product photography and illustrations have been reproduced as accurately as print and web technologies permit. To ensure highest satisfaction, we suggest you view an actual sample from your dealer for best color, wood grain and finish representation.
An all-American classic, our Natural cabinet finish is an obvious choice for those who appreciate simplicity and the true, unique beauty of Rustic Hickory's distinctive variation in grain patterns.


text:
Stocks Poised to Stall at Five-Year Highs
FOX Business: Capitalism Lives Here
U.S. stock-index futures were little changed Friday, suggesting the broad S&P 500 will likely open around its highest level since 2007. Traders mulled trade data and watched shares of Boeing and Wells Fargo.
Today's Markets
As of 8:40 a.m. ET, Dow Jones Industrial Average futures rose 1 point to 13407, S&P 500 futures climbed 0.75 point to 1468 and Nasdaq 100 futures rose 1.3 points to 2738.
Wall Street has started the year off in a big way, with the S&P 500 pushing its highest levels since late 2007 -- well before the financial crisis that sent markets tumbling. The main catalyst for the early-year push was Congress moving to avert the fiscal cliff. Now, market participants are getting a chance to focus on the economy and the state of U.S. corporations.
The Commerce Department said the U.S. trade deficit widened by 15.8% in November from October to $48.7 billion, bringing the trade gap to its widest level since April. The deficit was expected to fall to $41.3 billion. A separate report showed U.S. import prices falling 0.1% in December, compared to economists' expectations of a 0.1% gain. Export prices also fell 0.1%, but were expected to remain unchanged.
On the corporate front, traders are expected to pay close attention to Boeing (NYSE:BA). Worries have mounted recently after a series have issues have occurred regarding its highly-lauded 787 "Dreamliner" jet. The FAA is reportedly set to begin a comprehensive review of the plane, which has already been the subject of significant manufacturing delays.
Wells Fargo (NYSE:WFC) posted fourth-quarter earnings of 91 cents a share on revenue of $21.9 billion, topping expectations of 89 cents on $21.3 billion.
Best Buy (NYSE:BBY) said its holiday-season revenues fell 0.4% this year to $12.8 billion, while comparable-store sales dipped 1.4%.
Energy futures were in the red. The benchmark oil contract fell 72 cents, or 0.77%, to $93.11 a barrel. Wholesale New York Harbor gasoline sold off by 1.7% to $2.746 a gallon. In metals, gold fell $10.50, or 0.63%, to $1,667 a troy ounce.
Foreign Markets
The Euro Stoxx 50 rose 0.14% to 2712, the English FTSE 100 climbed 0.2% to 6114 and the German DAX gained 0.13% to 7719.
In Asia, the Japanese Nikkei 225 rallied 1.4% to 10802 and the Chinese Hang Seng fell 0.39% to 23264.


text:
Selfies to blame for homeless black cats?
The RSPCA has reported that 70% of all abandoned cats are black, or black and white – and "generation selfie" is to blame.
The charity reckons the problem is partly because black cats don't photograph well, and the ever-growing trend of posting cat pictures on social media has compounded the matter.
At the RSPCA rehoming centre, there are currently four completely black cats, plus 12 black and white felines, out of 40.
Centre manager John Wareing said monochrome moggies have always been unpopular.
He said: "These cats have always been overlooked. When you take a picture of them, all of their features – their jawline, their nose, their body – all disappear and you're left with a silhouette.
"The world now revolves around Facebook and Twitter, and people take photos of every aspect of their lives, including their pets. But why would you take a picture of a black cat on a sofa if you can only make out a shape?
"Like everything, if people come in looking for a cat and they're going to have it for 20 years, then they want it to look right. It's a shame, but that's the way it is.
"Also, non-descript cats tend to be more likely to be left out to roam, and those cats are mostly unneutered.
"If lots of black stray cats have kittens, then the kittens are likely to be black, and the problem gets worse. Then when the kittens end up at a rehoming centre, no-one wants them."
Jessica Powriess, of the centre, added: "It's such a shame, because black cats tend to be really affectionate, and people are missing out. For instance, one of our young male black cats, Jeffrey, he goes out of his way to cuddle you."
Two year-old Bob also loves to be stroked and fussed over, despite arriving at the centre with a badly injured tail that vets originally thought would have to be amputated.
All the cats needing a new home can be viewed on the branch's website: www.rspca-preston.org.uk
Are you a black cat owner and proud of your pet? Send us a photo of your black cat - or a selfie with your black cat - and show the world what they're missing!
You can send us a photo via our website; email it to sally.da[email protected]; post it to us on FaceBook or Tweet it to us.


text:
[youtube hwml9RkeIsY]
When William F. Buckley met Saul Alinsky, one of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton's biggest influences. Unfortunately, only five minutes of this December 1967 edition of Buckley's seminal Firing Line program is online the above clip, but you can read a transcript of the entire interview at the Hoover Institute, or buy a DVD of the program for ten bucks from Amazon. At one point, Buckley describes Alinsky's philosophy:
Look, this is a program of things we want, if you don't give it to us, we're going to make it impossible for Chicago to continue commercial or civic life at all.
Alinsky eventually argues:
I'll put it another way. I said that evolution is a chronological term used by non-participating historians to denote a time sequence of a whole series of revolutions which synthesize into a major change — then they call it evolution.
Change? Say, somebody should use that word as a campaign slogan!
And note this exchange:
ALINSKY: Controversy ranges. It ranges all through various levels of life. I would consider, for example, the same thing on revolution. I think Social Security was revolutionary.
BUCKLEY: Yeah.
ALINSKY: I think Medicare was revolutionary. You see the problem is every —
BUCKLEY: It does seem that we have a semantic difficulty.
ALINSKY: All words in the whole arena of action are all loaded. (Announcer breaks in)
ANNOUNCER: Our debate on these varied issues will continue after this brief pause.
ALINSKY: (Continuing but some of his remarks lost during simultaneous announcement) — gets an idea of blood and barricades, and that sort. And then you say, power — it's sinister word, you know.
BUCKLEY: But for instance, we got Medicare in this country, and we got it as a result of discussion. Now, mightn't Alinsky students have felt that you would need to shoot a few doctors, or let people die for lack of medical attention, before you'd have the kind of conflict that's necessary to midwife for Medicare?
ALINSKY: Buckley, I've been fascinated by your eyes in previous shows I've watched you on, and will you look at me and tell me whether you believe what you're saying?
Ahh, the old "do you really believe what you're saying?"dodge. Also, Alinsky's hatred of traditional religion becomes increasingly palpable as the interview goes on; something that appears to have carried over to his most famous acolyte and his own, well, shall we say, spiritual issues.
Read the transcript online as a PDF file here — you'll definitely read quotes from Alinsky that rhyme with more than a few recent events.


text:
Assistant Manager
- Job Number: 5b0e548f-2f76-40a8-b843-a8150107d148
2712 E Main streetSt Charles,IL
- Posted Date: 10/1/2023
THIS IS A FRANCHISE POSITIONDescription:
Exciting things are happening at Papa John's…and our career experience just keeps getting "Better"! Papa John's Assistant Managers assist the General Manager in managing all functions of a Papa John's restaurant to ensure that high quality products and service are delivered to our customers to ensure restaurant profitability. You must be a team-oriented leader who instills pride and accountability in your team. Other responsibilities include the management of operations including the execution of all Company policies, procedures, programs and systems. Ensure compliance with all federal, state and local laws and ethical business practices. At Papa John's we consider all of our team members to be more than just employees! We care about you and your development. In fact, most of our promotions come from within! So become a part of the Papa John's family and join us as an assistant manager.
• Contribute to profit goals by ensuring they stay within company guidelines and target goals by accurately utilizing the PROFIT System. Execute cash management duties. Assist in the management of adequate inventory levels using the company's systems and guidelines to minimize loss. Manage company's assets by ensuring the restaurant is clean, safe and organized; complies with safety and security standards at all times. • Demonstrates dependability and shows a sense of urgency about getting results. • Cash management skills. • High School diploma or GED. • Successful and stable employment history. • Must be able to lift at least 50 lbs. • Ability to successfully perform the job duties of all positions in the restaurant, including pizza delivery. • Ability to lead a team during a shift with no supervision. • Ability to work with phones, computers, fax machines and copiers. • Reliable transportation to and from work • Responsible to open or close the shift • Dependable and on time
Additional Info:
Benefits: • Food Discounts • Training Programs and Continuing Education • Opportunity for Advancement – YOU have the potential to one day become a Franchisee! • Along with a competitive paycheck you will work in a fun, nurturing environment where you will learn valuable business and people skills
It is the policy of Papa John's to provide equal employment opportunities for all applicants and team members without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, marital status or civil partnership, national or ethnic origin, pregnancy or maternity, veteran status, uniformed service (as defined by 10 U.S.C. §101 (a)(5)), protected disability status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender reassignment, or gender expression, or any other characteristic protected by statute or law.


text:
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Pumpkin-Oat Pancakes...
I took some time yesterday for the annual roasting of a bunch of sugar pumpkins - I do this to harvest the fantastic orange flesh to freeze for pumpkin goodies throughout the year! Before stashing it away, I saved a bit of the fresh mash to make these Pumpkin-Oat Pancakes with Crystallized Ginger for a breakfast-for-dinner night this evening.
I used a combination of dry ingredients to create pancakes that were still fairly light, yet sneaked in a few good nutrients. I mixed things up with all-purpose flour, whole wheat pastry flour and a bit of finely ground old-fashioned rolled oats to add a hearty factor. If you prefer not to use those ingredients, just use completely all-purpose flour instead. To infuse the fragrant aroma of fall into these pancakes, I spiced up those dry ingredients with our favorite Vietnamese cinnamon, allspice, ginger and a pinch of cardamom for its racy attitude.
Since we love the sweet heat of crystallized ginger, and besides the fact that it goes tremendously well with pumpkin, I also tossed a small handful into the mix. This batter is more viscous than typical pancakes, a bit akin towards waffle batter, but don't try to thin it out - just spread the batter out with a spoon or spatula, if desired, once it hits the griddle. The pancakes cook up pretty thick with a healthy weight to them, but they are not dense and gummy either. With just a few tablespoons of brown sugar to enhance the pure pumpkin essence, these pancakes are not too sweet, making them a perfect candidate for a generous helping of warmed pure maple syrup at serving.
12 comments:
Joe, how do you roast your sugar pumpkins?ReplyDelete
I'm interested of knowing myself.ReplyDelete
What a lucky niece, in which State does she study? Niece treats you sent her. I hope she likes both of you a lot.
I never thought of adding crystallized ginger to pancake. I wonder how it tastes like.
I am with Patty and Helene...how do you preserve the pumpkin?ReplyDelete
I would love to have pumpkin stashed away for later in the year!
my my, i love breakfast for dinner and these hit the spot!!ReplyDelete
- Anonymous10/23/2008 01:08:00 PM
Yes indeed! That's one lucky neice. And, as wired as young adults are today, they LOVE getting mail. You're good uncles.ReplyDelete
- Anonymous10/23/2008 06:05:00 PM
You are so sweet to bake a treat a month for your niece! When you are in school getting mail is so much fun--and mail you can eat?! Well that is just awesome!ReplyDelete
I hack the pumpkin in half, scoop out the seeds and any stringy insides. Roast them, cut side down, on baking sheets in a 350 degree oven until tender - time will depend on the size of your pumpkins.ReplyDelete
Scoop out the flesh and run through a food processor for a smoother puree. If it seems a bit watery, you can certainly drain some of the excess liquid away.
TTFN - We do to, as you have probably noticed!
Sue and Courtney - Thanks!
Are you guys interested in adopting a small, but hungry San Francisco family (2 boys and a golden retriever/aussi mix)?ReplyDelete
I love your idea of a treat a month. I gave my niece postcards to mail to me that said "I need cookies". I haven't gotten one back from her yet - maybe I should be proactive? ;0ReplyDelete
thanks for the great recipes and idea!
Ari - Hmm... we've always talked about living in San Francisco - how about we move in and I'll be your dedicated cook/baker?ReplyDelete
Lisa - I love that idea!
WOW, how sweet! I wish I had an aunt/uncle that would send me a treat every month while I was in school!ReplyDelete
Your foodie photos are amazing!
Para - Thanks!ReplyDelete


text:
Team GB Yoyogi T-Shirt Kid's - Red
Let them mark the occasion and show their support for Team GB as they head to Tokyo for the 2020 Olympics! Bearing heritage from the 1964 Games, the Yoyogi venue carries an enduring Olympic legacy. Made from luxurious ring-spun cotton, the design on these t-shirts reflect the venues historic roots with a distressed Team GB Tokyo logo. The perfect memento of the summer Olympics for years to come.
Your support makes a difference!
The success of our mission is entirely dependent upon the income we receive from our fundraising, events and store sales. Your purchase today will help support our nation's finest competitors to prepare for the summer, winter and youth Olympic Games across 35 sports. Thank you!
- 150 gsm
- 100% ringspun semi-combed cotton
- Ribbed collar
- Taped neck
- Twin needle stitching
- Unisex