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There were a good number of NES franchises that ended up making appearances on the Game Boy system, some better than others. Hudson had already enjoyed some popularity on the NES console with their Adventure Island titles, so it was pretty much a no-brainer that they'd eventually bring the series to Nintendo's portable system. For some reason they decided to skip over the first NES Adventure Island release and focus their attention on its sequel, Adventure Island II. Adventure Island on Game Boy, and now the 3DS Virtual Console, isn't a carbon copy of the NES release but is obviously very heavily influenced by it, and thankfully most of its good qualities survived the trip over to the portable arena pretty much unscathed.
The Adventure Island releases have always focused the majority of their attention on the platforming aspects of the game, and this title is certainly no exception. You control Master Higgins using the d-pad and can make him run as well as toss his axes by using the "B" button. Of course, what would a platformer be without the ability to jump with a tap of the "A" button? As you run and toss your weapon, you'll notice that your health gauge will diminish at a faster rate; this forces you not only to hurry along, but also to use your axes sparingly if you're to have any hope of making it to the end of the level. There are fruits available at random points throughout each level that you can pick up to partially restore your health gauge, but not so many that you can afford to be too frivolous with your time or weapons usage.
The adventure takes place on 6 different islands, each containing 5 levels for you to play through. The last level of each island will be followed up by a boss fight, and unlike many other platformers, if you are defeated by the boss you must play through the entire last level of the island all over. As you might imagine, this provides you with a great deal of incentive to get the job done the first time through. Once you've defeated the boss, you'll then move on to the next island, with your ultimate goal being to defeat the boss on each island and regain control over it in order to face the final foe at the end of the game. Of course, that's assuming you can make it that far, though the ability to create a restore point and suspend state save on the 3DS does make this challenge more accessible.
The control itself is about what we've come to expect from the Adventure Island releases. It's a bit loose and will require you to be fairly precise on many of the pinpoint platforming sections you'll ultimately face throughout the game, but it's also about memorizing the layouts and enemy patterns as well. The ability to locate hidden monster eggs also gives the game a nice gameplay twist, as breaking open one of these hidden eggs will allow you to take control of various types of dinosaurs. Some of these dinosaurs offer up powerful firepower, whereas others allow you to swim through the water or fly through the air with greater ease and precision. It's this careful blend of platforming and action elements that make the game so enjoyable to play and will likely keep you coming back for more in your quest to finally finish all of the game's many levels.
The visuals in Adventure Island are actually fairly impressive considering they're running under the original Game Boy hardware specifications. There's quite a bit of detail in the various surroundings and even the character and enemy sprites are quite large and well defined. There are a few hints of slowdown when things get too hectic on-screen, but they're few and far between and generally come at a time when you need things to slow down a bit anyway in order to make it through one of the many tricky spots in the game.
Musically, Hudson was able to do a very nice job of porting over the musical score from the NES release to the portable Game Boy system, with little lost during the transition. In fact, a few of the tracks are actually better than those found in the original NES release, as are some of the sound effects. It might have taken developers a bit longer to come to grips with the sound capabilities of the Game Boy system, but this early effort from Hudson stands as one of the better Game Boy releases during the early part of its lifespan.
The same complaint that could be levelled against the early NES Adventure Island releases can also be said of this Game Boy iteration: the control system can, at times, seem a tad on the slippery side. In reality, this is really what gives the Adventure Island games their unique feel and Hudson was able to capture that feeling quite well for their first portable release in the series. While not quite as musically or graphically flashy as the NES release, there are still a lot of great level designs and a surprisingly lengthy quest to take on, even for more seasoned platformer fans looking for a challenge. Adventure Island might not be quite as polished or playable as its sequel on the Game Boy system, but it's still a worthy retro platforming experience on the 3DS, for those who can appreciate what this unique series has to offer.


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As my sister Heather and I travel within Quebec this week, I note a surprise within every hair-raising, lightening speed turn of our host's, a former racecar driver's, Hummer. We flew (by plane) Thursday into Montreal and flew (by car) to the small village of Nominingue, where we remained two nights on a lake (any lake, really, considering the proliferation), followed by two days in Quebec City, gawking like the tourists we are over the things we did not expect.
"The mountains! The snow! The bread! The people! The tulips! The food! The architecture! The Acadian houses! The copper roofs! The opera-singing street musicians! The Art Nouveau! The bronze statues! An Urusuline convent! White horse beer! The stairs! The wall! A general named Wolfe!"
Well, you get the idea.
(pictured, my sister Heather Wolfe Parker; is it possible that our ancestor lead the British invasion against George Rodrigue's ancestors?)
Most important, we wondered why on earth, especially as Louisianians, we or anyone else bothers traveling to Europe.
"It's almost like a boucherie. They're ready to party!"
…observed our traveling companion Cindy Doré Brunet, as we studied a 1926 painting by Gaston Hoffman (French, b. 1883) within the café of the Musee National Des Beaux-Arts du Quebec (tap photo to enlarge).
(pictured, Cindy Doré Brunet enjoys an impressive Canadian meal of rabbit and duck, prepared five ways)
Regrettably, I have no time to write about any of it today, as we spend our last hours in this area touring a castle, hiking a waterfall, and shopping for souvenirs (specifically, hand-made felt fingerless gloves and artist-on-the-fence type miniature paintings). Montreal tonight and a major post this weekend.
In the meantime, I leave you with a re-post of the images and story behind George Rodrigue's Saga of the Acadians, a series haunting me as I roam these stone streets and reflect over a harbor that saw, in 1759, thirty thousand British troops enter for the last time. The series is on view at the Alexandria Museum of Art until July 2, 2011, followed by Baton Rouge and Shreveport (schedule here).
I also remind you to "Know Louisiana," a tribute to our state and the Cajun paintings of George Rodrigue in my latest post for Gambit's Blog of New Orleans, linked here.
Au Revoir,
The Saga of the Acadians (first posted March, 2010)
Between 1985 and 1989, George Rodrigue painted the Saga of the Acadians, a series of fifteen paintings chronicling the Acadian journey from France to Nova Scotia in the 17th century, from Nova Scotia to Louisiana during the Grand Dérangement of 1755, and finally the first official return visit from Southwest Louisiana to Grand Pré in the 1930s.
I've written about this series so often over the years that I'm struggling to find something fresh for a blog. And yet maybe there's no reason to approach the works in a new way. These are George's graphic interpretation of the story of his ancestors, and perhaps the less analyzation the better.
However, just for fun, before laying out each painting's history I provide here a few interesting tidbits:
In 1984, the year before he began the Saga, George painted his first Blue Dog. Over the next five years he painted not only the loup-garou, but also a number of important Cajun works and portraits, including paintings of Hank Williams and President Ronald Reagan, as well as the Saga of the Acadians. Many people don't realize that there was a long crossover period of both Blue Dog and Cajun works.
George narrowed the Acadian story down to fifteen paintings. He's said many times that had he wanted to, the expansive saga could have been two hundred paintings.
These works are painted in oil, completed just prior to George's struggle with hepatitis, resulting in his switch to acrylic paint. He's often mentioned the marathon pace of painting both this series and the forty canvases for the book Bayou as having brought on his illness.
The paintings typify George Rodrigue's style, established years before with works such as the Aioli Dinner. The figures appear to be cut out and pasted onto the landscape, just as the Cajuns were cut out of Canada and pasted onto South Louisiana, where they started life again, making a home for themselves in the swamps and prairies. The oak trees are cut off at the top so that light shines from underneath, representing the small sky of Louisiana (as opposed to the big sky of neighboring Texas), as well as a distant hope for these transplanted people. Rather than shadowed beneath the trees, the people shine in white, glowing with their culture.
The Saga of the Acadians was originally in the collection of the Landry and Defez Families in Henderson, Louisiana. They donated the works to the Acadian Village Museum in Lafayette, Louisiana, where for ten years the museum housed a George Rodrigue annex, focusing on the Saga, with supplemental paintings loaned by the artist.
Eventually the Anne and Wendell Gauthier Family of New Orleans (by way of Southwest Louisiana) acquired the collection. Through their generosity the paintings tour museums throughout the state of Louisiana, focusing on small venues in Cajun communities. For a list of 2011 tour dates and locations, visit here.
The Saga of the Acadians by George Rodrigue, 1985-1989
All paintings are oil on canvas, 36×24 inches
(Descriptions researched and written with the help of Dana Holland-Beickert for the New Orleans Museum of Art)
The Sailing of the Jonah depicts the beginning of a journey in 1604 from Normandy, France, to what is now Nova Scotia. This journey launched the beginning of an ethnic group destined to fascinate the world.
Pilgrims. Frenchmen were the first settlers of the North American continent. Arriving just north of Plymouth Rock in 1604, they lived a family-oriented lifestyle in the harsh Nova Scotia wilderness.
The First Planting. These imaginative settlers (now Acadians) developed fertile farmland in their marsh-like territory. So successful were their efforts, many historians feel the Acadians were deported in order to make room for British settlers who coveted these productive grounds.
The Fight for an Empire. French soldiers board a ship just ahead of advancing British troops. Caught between two military giants, the Acadian settlers were soon to have their tranquil lifestyle destroyed forever.
The Church at Grand Pré was the first Catholic Church built in Nova Scotia. The British troops used it as a prison for the soon-to-be-exiled Acadians.
Leave Our Homes? Hell No! The British used harsh tactics to subdue these stubborn settlers. Permanent guards were posted at each home, forcing its inhabitants to live for an extended period in the unsheltered wilderness.
With No Country to Call Home, the Pilgrims originally settled in Nova Scotia to satisfy the expansion needs of Motherland France. Following British victory, they were required to forsake the Catholic religion and swear allegiance to the British king. Refusing on both issues, they were deported to many lands, and often refused entry. Even in France, they were considered "no longer French."
Final Insult. Deported Acadians were forced to endure the harsh winter in open vessels in the North Atlantic. This controversial painting shows a soldier of the Crown offering a diseased blanket as cover for a child.
A Final Look at Acadie. Forcibly driven from their homes and separated from those they loved, the stage was set in 1755 for the odyssey to begin and for Longfellow to immortalize this epic journey.
The First Cajuns. After many years without a homeland, these steadfast Acadians reached their long sought "Land of the Oaks" and became Cajuns.
The Last Novena for Gabriel. Evangeline, symbol of forced separation of families, friends and those in love, offers one final prayer for her Gabriel.
Macque Choux. Native Indians assisted the Cajuns in understanding the indigenous ingredients available to them for cooking. (Macque Choux is a corn dish of South Louisiana)
He-bert, Yes – A Bear, No. In 1912 Louisiana Governor Hall issued a special edict that French could no longer be spoken in school. (See the post, Jimmy Domengeaux, George Rodrigue, and a Few Other Louisiana Characters)
Evangeline – A Silent Classic. The oak is revisited by Hollywood in 1929 in its rendition of Longfellow's Evangeline, starring Dolores del Rio. (As a side note, I found this movie and surprised George with it not long after we were married. Later that evening George, his two boys, his mother, our neighbors and I could all be found in the den, snoozing in front of the quiet film. It knocked out every one of us.)
Return to Acadie. Dudley LeBlanc became the first Cajun on record to revisit his roots: the historic Church of Grand Pré in Nova Scotia. At the time, LeBlanc's Hadacol was second in America for advertising expenses behind Coca-Cola.
I leave you with a photograph (1960s) of former Louisiana State Senator Dudley J. LeBlanc with his 'Evangelines' at the White House (note President John F. Kennedy in the bottom photo), on their way to the Church at Grand Pré in Nova Scotia.
For more on Rodrigue's Saga of the Acadians, see the following stories: Early Oak Trees, The Aioli Dinner, Evangeline, Jimmy Domengeaux

subset: commoncrawl


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In this Dell laptop tutorial we are going to show you how to install and replace the Touchpad Mouse Button on your Inspiron 15-7547 (P41F-001) laptop. These installation instructions have be made into 3 easy to follow printable steps. We have also create a video tutorial that shows you how to install your Inspiron 15-7547 (P41F-001) Touchpad Mouse Button.
Before you begin
Please take the time read the following safety guidelines when working on static sensitive electrical components.
Dell repair manual service precautions
Tools needed for this laptop repair
- 1 x small phillips head screwdriver
- 1 x small plastic scribe
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Video tutorial repair manual
Installation and Removal Instructions
Inspiron 15 (7547) Touchpad Mouse Button
Step 1
- Loosen the top screws (6 x M2.5 x 5mm).
- Loosen the captive screws (cannot be removed).
- Remove the access door.
Step 2
- Remove the battery screws (5 x M2 x 4mm).
- Lift the battery & turn it over.
- Unplug & remove the battery cable.
- Remove the battery.
Step 3
- Remove the screws (3 x M2 x 2mm wafer).
- Unplug the cable.
- Remove the touchpad.


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Alabama, Moral Values, and Education
I've spent the two weeks since the election writing again and again about how the socially conservative religious and moral concerns of large portions of the American population (mostly in the rural South and West) need to be granted more respect by progressives. My argument has been that incorporating such religious and moral thinking into the campaign for progressive causes is not only strategically necessary, if any sort of coherent movement to preserve social justice is to make headway in America today, but also wise, in that such values can support and extend the progressive argument in important ways. I believe all that. But I don't want to be painted as someone who believes that religious conservatives in America today, and particularly in the South, are at this moment ready and willing to join in some sort of populist-socialist crusade, because that's ridiculous. Making recommendations to my fellow progressives doesn't mean that I don't realize that most of the hard work has to be done in local religious communities themselves, which have (for both understandable and perverse reasons) to a great extent locked themselves into mindset that rejects much social obligation. Case in point: Alabama and Amendment 2.
This morning, I read John Brummett's column about the close but likely defeat of Amendment 2 in Alabama, a proposed amendment to the state constitution which would have repealed segregation-era language included in the document back in the 1950s. The strategy of Alabama politicians back then to avoid any potential interference with their racist educational system was to amend the constitution so that it included, besides poll taxes and mandated segregation, language which denied the right to an education at taxpayer expense for any Alabama child. Thanks to federal action, poll taxes and the doctrine of separate-but-equal was rendered moot; but the rejectionist language itself remains in the constitution, and has become a branch which many of those who reject a sense of obligation to the larger (and multiracial) social unit which Alabama in fact is continue to cling to. The push for Amendment 2 was led by Governor Bob Riley, who has bravely fought for a better Alabama before, and done so on explicitly Christian grounds. But once again, the Christian Coalition of Alabama and many of their Republican allies refused to budge on their opposition. Not that they necessarily still harbor segregationist sympathies; Amendment 2's opponents insisted that the racist language in their state constitution is meaningless, and that they would introduce legislation to strip them in particular anyway. But to actually get rid of that specific aspect of the constitution which at one time allowed the white population of the state to avoid obligations to the black population, and which is now embraced as a way to keep taxes low and keep the state from being obliged to actually repair the deeply divided and unequal public education system in the state...well, that's taking things too far. Roy "Ten Commandments" Moore took to the barricades, insisting that Christian schools and home schoolers of all sorts would be forced by itchy trial lawyers, looking for a chance to sue the state, to accept onerous and unfair tax burdens if a right for all citizens to be equally educated were recognized by the constitution. His argument appears to have worked, at least barely.
The discussion about this ugly vote over at James Joyner's blog is revealing. Yes, Alabama does have a terrible constitution, a convolunted mess with over 700 amendments running to 12 times the length of the average state constitution; perhaps it is not unreasonable to believe that a great many voters simply vote against any and all amendments purely out of disgust. And no, of course the tax-via-lawsuit issue isn't a red herring; as a resident of Arkansas, I understand very well the complicated and painful issues which arise when the state constitution's guarantee to educate the children of its residents is forced by legal action to confront terrible disparities in wealth on the one hand and strapped state coffers on the other. I'm not crazy about addressing education inequalities through judicial intervention, and while I think a state education is valuable on its own merits, I'm not unsympathetic to those who wish to preserve a certain independence, for religious or moral reasons, from the public school system. And of course, there are communal concerns which come into play here, which bump up uncomfortably against class issues and more (see Alan Ehrenhalt's article about the reaction of isolated-- and mostly white, though he doesn't mention that--rural communities to Arkansas's school consolidation plan here, and my response here (scroll down for both)). But the fact remains that public education is perhaps the single most extensive and widely supported egalitarian program in the history of the United States; whatever its failures, supporting it (in principle, if not in its every detail) surely ought to be an obvious obligation on the part of everyone who professes to believe that God created us to bear one another's burdens, and to make no distinction between the poor and the rich. Were the opposition to this amendment by many conservatives complemented by an earnest effort to redress the injustices of Alabama's tax code, or at least ask themselves how Alabama can do better in educating all its citizens, then I could understand, if not agree, with their actions. But no such effort was made; leaving aside vague concerns about not making Alabama's messed-up government any messier, this boiled down to a simple refusal on the part of a very slight majority of Alabama voters to see themselves as obligated to those who lack the resources or opportunity to either escape from or improve their own public education. I dislike seeing Southerners tarred with the legacy of segregation, but Brummett is not entirely wrong in referring to many Christian schools as "retro tools of resegregation"--spend much time in the South, particularly the Deep South (Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana), and you'll see how many churches and social organizations set up "private" academies in the wake of desegregation, and how the continuing impact of those admittedly often excellent religious schools warps (and depletes) the funding and administrative resources of the local school districts which remain to take care of that portion of the population left behind.
Dealing with civic obligations is never easy, and the compromises which follow the demand that, for example, a right to an education be recognized are never going to satisfy everyone. But I'd much rather see every Southern state go through the stress which Arkansas has experienced over the last ten years or more than watch a large number of white Christian voters unknowingly (or worse, knowingly) brush aside a fundamental egalitarian and Christian principle as part of a partisan struggle. Many social and religious conservatives in the South and West have drawn themselves away from civic responsibility, shamefully allowing archaic and otherwise rejected political strategies to provide them with a way to hide from the inequality and need that education can provide at least a partial solution to. In this case, progressives like myself have our work cut out for ourselves locally; the problem isn't blue, but entirely and embarrassingly red.


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Against a backdrop of an IT industry pushing hard to more fairly represent women in leadership positions, the Association for Computing Machinery has announced that an all-female board has been elected to head up the society.
Leading the new team is incoming President Vicki Hanson, a Distinguished Professor of Computing at Rochester Institute of Technology, and Professor and Chair of Inclusive Technologies at University of Dundee. Hanson, an IBMer from the mid-1980s until 2009, is currently Vice President of the ACM. She replaces Alexander Wolf as ACM President.
MORE: Crypto Dream Team of Diffie & Hellman wins 2016 "Nobel Prize of Computing"
The new Vice President will be Cherri Pancake, Professor Emeritus and Intel Faculty Fellow in the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at Oregon State University.
Rounding out the board is new Secretary/Treasurer Elizabeth Churchill, Director of User Experience at Google.
They each will serve two-year terms beginning on July 1.
In addition, Members-at-Large elected to four-year terms are Gabriele Anderst-Kotsis, Professor and Head of the Department of Telecooperation at Johannes Kepler University Linz; Susan Dumais, Distinguished Scientist and Deputy Managing Director at Microsoft Research; Elizabeth Mynatt, Professor of Interactive Computing in the College of Computing at Georgia Institute of Technology; Pam Samuelson, Richard M. Sherman Distinguished Professor of Law and Information at University of California, Berkeley's School of Law; and the sole male representative, Eugene Spafford, Professor and Executive Director at Purdue University's Center for Education and Research in Information Security and Assurance (CERIAS).
Hanson, commenting on the board's new make-up, says in a statement that "This is an opportunity to highlight the contributions that women have made to computing and to inspire young women to view computing as a career."
Among Hanson's goals is to reach out to young IT professionals and get them involved with the 100,000-strong educational and scientific society via a special advisory board.
The ACM is known for, among other things, doling out the annual A.M. Turing Award, also dubbed the Nobel Prize of Computing.


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Austro-Hungarian Paper Money - Rolled
Adóval együtt
Infoposter Austro-Hungarian Paper Money 1867 - 1918 (35.5 x 26.5 inches)
View High Resolution Image
Size: 91 x 68 cm (35.5 x 26.5 inches)
Educational Poster "Austro-Hungarian Paper Money" (incl. a timeline explaining the historical context)
The Poster shows the particularly beautiful banknotes from the period between 1867 and 1918. By designers such as Gustav Klimt and Koloman Moser.
Condition: New/Original/Sealed Packaging
Premium Reprint
Language: English


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Here's a case of good news oozing out of bad news, and vice versa.
The bad news is that Hostess Brands has sunk into bankruptcy. It couldn't stay afloat with the $860-million debt piled onto it after a group of Wall Street speculators took over the 82-year-old company.
The good news, though, is that devoted customers can still get their daily fix of five kinds of sugar, partially hydrogenated oil, polysorbate 60, artificial flavors, and yellow dye No. 5 — just a few of the ingredients in Hostess Twinkies. When top executives filed for Chapter 11 in January, they assured an anxious nation that the corporation would keep chugging out Twinkies, Ho Hos, Ding Dongs, and its other caloric delights while they dealt with a few legal details to restructure Hostess.
Oh, goodie! But wait — those "details" constitute the bad news flowing out of the good news. The CEO says that to become "a highly competitive company that provides secure employment for our employees," Hostess must make those employees less secure by busting their pensions, cutting their medical benefits, and abrogating their labor contracts. Does this Twinkie-in-Chief even understand how twisted his logic is? Apparently not, for he also asserts that one of the "tremendous inherent strengths" that Hostess can build on to become a viable company is "a talented and experienced workforce."
Thanks for the compliment, chief, but I'm guessing the workforce would prefer a decent pension. Without that, your words are as empty as the calories in a Ding Dong. Meanwhile, the union workers who literally deliver the goods for the company point out that they've already made concessions — and it's time for the profiteering corporate executives who filled Hostess with all that debt to stop sucking all the cream out of its Twinkies.


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Microsoft was formally charged with monopoly abuse by Europe's top antitrust authority, the European Commission, over the way it bundles the Internet Explorer browser with Windows.
The move follows an unsuccessful attempt by U.S. authorities nine years ago to strip Internet Explorer (IE) of its unfair advantage over competing browsers. European authorities were more successful in their prosecution of Microsoft over similar antitrust offenses five years ago, fining the company over €1.6 billion and ordering it to change the way it does business.
The Commission's charges were delivered to Microsoft's headquarters in Redmond, Washington, last Thursday in the form of a formal statement of objections. The company is studying the charges and will respond within the next two months, as is usual in European antitrust cases, it said.
The new charges are the first of many anticipated against the company in the wake of a failed court appeal by Microsoft last year against the original European antitrust ruling.
The latest statement of objections follows a relatively short investigation, one year long, sparked by a complaint from Opera Software, a Norwegian browser developer.
Opera CEO Jon von Tetzchner welcomed the Commission's decision to press charges. "It's clear they are taking this very seriously," he said in a phone interview on Saturday.
However, he still doesn't know if the Commission pursued both aspects of his company's complaint against Microsoft: In addition to complaining about the bundling of IE into Windows, Opera also pointed out that the software giant was undermining open software standards on the Internet.
"Its a problem for companies like ours if Microsoft doesn't support the open standards we all apply, because many Web sites are designed to work with IE, which means our browsers won't always work out of the box," he said.
IE is still the most widely used internet browser, although its market share dipped below 70 percent globally in 2008, according to Web analytics company Net Applications. In December, Opera's share was around 0.71 percent.
Von Tetzchner said he hopes the Commission doesn't apply the same remedy it did in its last ruling, when it ordered Microsoft to offer a second version of Windows alongside the regular version of the software, but without a bundled copy of Windows Media Player .
Microsoft complied with the ruling but no one bought the unbundled version, which was sold for the same price as the version with Windows Media Player included.
"That's not really what we are looking for as a remedy for the bundling of IE," von Tetzchner said, adding: "The only way to give users a genuine choice is to strip out IE from Windows and either replace it with a rival browser or offer users a list of browsers to choose from."
The latest antitrust charges against Microsoft almost certainly won't be the last.
At the same time it opened the investigation into the bundling of IE, the Commission also opened a separate probe to see whether Microsoft withholds information from companies that want to make products compatible with its Microsoft Office productivity suite.
It is also looking for interoperability problems with Windows server products and Microsoft's .Net software framework, following a complaint by the European Committee for Interoperable Systems (ECIS), a trade group representing companies including IBM, Sun Microsystems, Oracle, Red Hat and Opera.
This separate probe is ongoing, said Jonathan Todd, a spokesman for the Commission.
ECIS said Microsoft deliberately withholds interoperability information in order to put rival software companies at a disadvantage; and bases its complaint on the part of the earlier European antitrust ruling that found Microsoft guilty of withholding interoperability information about its Windows server operating system.
"There was a fear that the Commission might be moving on to other battles, having won a resounding victory over Microsoft already," said Thomas Vinje, legal counsel for ECIS, citing other powerful technology companies such as Intel that are the subject of escalating antitrust battles in Europe.
But the fact that the Commission is pushing ahead with the IE case "makes me more optimistic it will press charges in the interoperability case," he said.
The real fight with Microsoft is only just beginning, though. The remedies the Commission demanded in the first antitrust case against Microsoft were largely ineffectual, especially on the bundling side. The true value of that case lies in its power of precedence and can only really be appreciated by lawyers and judges, Vinje said.
The cases that follow, including the IE charges, the interoperability case and possibly others, will be much more significant for consumers and competitors than that first antitrust ruling.
On the bundling side, the Commission is unlikely to make the same mistake it made the first time, and will most likely demand that IE is stripped out of Windows entirely, instead of calling for two versions of the operating system as it did before.
Meanwhile, if the Commission presses charges in the new interoperability case championed by ECIS it could break down the biggest barriers preventing open source operating systems such as Linux from competing with Microsoft on personal computer desktops.


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Internal medicine, pediatrics, and obstetrics/gynecology services in a medical teaching environment. more info
The ambulatory training site for Einstein's Primary Care and Social Medicine Residency Training Program, providing adult medicine, pediatrics, pre-natal care and office gynecology, dental services, ophthalmology, podiatry, dermatology, and mental health and social services. more info
A hospital-based academic primary care practice staffed by Albert Einstein faculty and residents in the internal medicine training program, located within the Family Care Center at Montefiore Medical Center. more info
The Wakefield Ambulatory Care Center is a state-of-the-art multi-specialty medical site providing outstanding healthcare services in internal medicine, surgery, pediatrics, and many subspecialties. more info
A clinical, research, and teaching division of Einstein's Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, operating the largest addiction treatment system (methadone and buprenorphine) in the Bronx and the second largest in New York state. more info
An academic primary care practice staffed by Einstein faculty.
more info
Locate an Montefiore Einstein internist through 1-866-MED-TALK.
Montefiore Medical Center, Einstein's primary teaching hospital, and other Einstein-affiliated hospitals. see list
Montefiore Einstein Division of General Internal Medicine3300 Kossuth AvenueBronx, NY 10467
Phone: 718-920-7102Fax: 718-561-5165
Academy Health
American Academy on Communication in Healthcare
Association for Medical Education & Research in Substance Abuse
Center for AIDS Research
Clinical Research Training Program
NIH Office of Extramural Research
Physicians for a National Health Program
Society of General Internal Medicine


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Jude Frances Passport Trunk Show- Thursday, October 12
14K Yellow Gold Turquoise Drop Earrings With Single Bezel Diamond At Top And Bottom
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Hungarian born and raised, Marika is classically trained in art, fashion, and design. Using a combination of her natural design talent, nature's inspiration, her education, and a keen understanding of modern trends, her work showcases beautifully enchanting designs in 14k yellow gold featuring diamonds and gemstones. Incorporating contrasting styles, natural motifs, and beautiful handwrought details, each piece highlights organic color and natural shapes made to compliment a woman's body. Inspired by the desire to be one with exotic royalty, Marika's pieces are designed for intelligent women with a spirit for adventure. Shop our exotic collection of Marika jewelry featuring bracelets, necklaces, earrings, and rings.
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EMBARK now offers free Wi-Fi on every bus. From your device, open your browser and you should see our EMBARK welcome page. Simply accept the terms and conditions, select the corresponding bus number and start texting, chatting and surfing.
If you have trouble, make sure your device has the WiFi setting turned on. If you're still having trouble, contact us through our service center or the EMBARK Connect app. Please don't ask the bus operator for help. Your driver is focused on getting to your destination safely.
EMBARK WiFi service supports general web browsing activities. Due to limited bandwidth onboard buses, the system does not support high-bandwidth actions such as streaming music, streaming video or downloading very large files.
Just like your cell phone, the bus may travel through dead zones and you could lose your connection. If you do experience a dropout, simply log back in and you are back in business. WiFi access provided by EMBARK is unsecured, however a moving bus is a tough target for hackers. Users should ensure that their wireless devices have up-to-date anti-virus and security protection. EMBARK is not responsible for any loss or security breach resulting from the use of this service.
Please share your experience using the EMBARK Wi-Fi service. Simply, visit our service center and submit an evaluation. Your input will help ensure the service is operating properly.
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EVO 2013 line-up announced & dated, see the game roster here.
EVO 2013 - arguably the most prolific fighting game tournament in the world - has announced its 2013 game roster, dates and venue details. Check out the tournament's official announcement trailer below
Destructoid reports that EVO 2013 will take place at the Paris Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas between July 12-14th, and that seven titles have been confirmed for the roster.
They are: Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Super Street Fighter 4 Arcade Edition v2012, Tekken Tag Tournament 2, Mortal Kombat 9, Street Fighter X Tekken v2013, King of Fighters 13, and Persona 4 Arena.
Are you a fighting enthusiast? Are you excited for EVO '13? Let us know below.


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Blood is thicker than water—and blood plasma is, too (w/ Video)
(Medical Xpress)—The results are significant because they can help to improve our understanding of medical conditions, such as thrombosis, aneurysms and arteriosclerosis. The research team is publishing its results in Physical Review Letters.
Blood flows differently than water. Anyone who has ever cut themselves knows that blood flows viscously and rather erratically. The similarity between blood and ketchup is something not only filmmakers are aware of. Experts refer to these materials as "non-Newtonian fluids," of which ketchup and blood are prime examples. These fluids have flow properties that change depending on conditions, with some becoming more viscous, while others become less viscous. Blood (like ketchup) is a "shear thinning fluid" that becomes less viscous with increasing pressure and it is this that allows blood to flow into the narrowest of capillaries. The flow properties of water are, in contrast, essentially constant.
Up until now it has been assumed that the special flow characteristics exhibited by blood were mainly due to the presence of the red blood cells, which account for about 45 percent of the blood's volume. Blood plasma was generally regarded simply as a spectator that played no active role. For decades, researchers have assumed that blood plasma flows like water. After all, plasma, the liquid in which the blood cells are suspended, consists to 92 percent of water. But results from researchers at Saarland University and at the University of Pennsylvania have now shown that plasma is a very special fluid that plays a crucial part in determining how blood flows. The results demonstrate that blood plasma is itself a non-Newtonian fluid.
According to the study's findings, the complex flow behavior of blood plasma could play a crucial role with respect to vascular wall deposits, aneurysms or blood clots. The results from this research may well help to improve computer simulations of this kind of pathological process.
The research team around experimental physicist Christian Wagner and engineer Paulo E. Arratia have studied the flow dynamics of blood experimentally. The work at Saarland University involved experiments in which the blood plasma was allowed to form drops inside a specially built apparatus equipped with high-speed cameras fitted with high-resolution microscope lenses to analyze drop formation. "Our experiments showed that the blood plasma forms threads, that is, it exhibits an extensional viscosity, which is something we do not observe in water," explained Professor Wagner. The plasma shows "viscoelastic" properties, which means that it exhibits both viscous and elastic behavior when deformed, forming threads that are typical of non-Newtonian fluids.
The studies by Professor Arratia and his team at the University of Pennsylvania involved a microfluidic approach in which they developed a model of a microvascular system in order to study the flow properties of blood plasma. Their measurements showed that blood plasma exhibits a flow behavior different to that of water and that plasma can demonstrate a substantially higher flow resistance. "An important part of our study was developing microfluidic instruments sensitive enough to pick up the small differences in viscosity that are the signature of non-Newtonian fluids," explained Professor Arratia.
Experiments performed by Professor Wagner's team in Saarbrücken also showed that blood plasma influences the creation of vortices in flowing blood. These vortices may facilitate the formation of deposits on blood vessel walls which could influence blood clot formation. In one of their experiments, the research team let plasma flow through a narrow channel of the kind found in stenotic (constricted) arteries or in a stent (a medical implant inserted into constricted blood vessels). The vortical structures were detected at the end, but also at the entrance, of the narrow channel and their formation is a direct result of the viscoelastic flow properties of blood plasma.
More information: Phys. Rev. Lett., 110, 078305 (2013) DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.110.078305


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- Plain woven fabric out of industrial 3K - 200 Tex HS carbon fibers. This gives a very interesting price and high level fabric properties, but a somewhat lesser carbon gloss of the fabric. This makes it very suitable for structural parts. To be used especially for RTM and vacuum infusion process. For hand lay-up for visual parts to be decided by each individual customer. Idea: this fabric can be well used for the lower layers in the laminate where the top layer is Toray fabric.
- This plain woven carbon filament fabric (width = 100 cm) is woven from Industrial 3K - 200 Tex HS carbon yarns into a bi-directional balanced fabric. First class and persistant quality by a producer with many years of experience and highly skilled staff. Produced under the strictest requirements for the processing, storage and quality control of carbon fibers. Made by weavers specially trained in working with carbon fibres and with many years of experience in this field.
- Typical end-uses: model-making, automotive parts, marine parts, aircraft parts, carbon structural parts.
- The plain woven carbon fabric is mostly used in combination with epoxy and vinylester resins. Suitable for application in RTM and vacuum infusion processes.


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Turning Point Express Stainless 31501330 Stainless Steel Boat Propeller
Propeller Specifications:
- Part(s): #31501330
- Manufacturer: Turning Point
- Brand:Express Stainless
- Material: Stainless Steel
- Diameter: 15 - 3/10
- Pitch: 13
- Blades: 4
- Rotation: Standard (Clockwise)
- Usually Ships Within: 1 Business Day
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Order now and save even more with NO shipping costs!
• UPS Ground shipping to lower 48 states only
• UPS does not ship to P.O. Boxes
Turning Point's unique hub kit design features a lifetime warranty
Prop Hub Kits engineered to withstand wear and tear without failure
Save more with the industry's only Hub Kit Warranty
Express Stainless Stainless Steel Boat Propellers
Improve Handling and Boat Lift
Through advanced pitch line and rake line cupping.
Tuned Progressive Pitch Angles
Accelerating and channeling water to minimize slip increases performance and fuel economy.
Tuned Vents for Fast Hole Shot
Vent holes in the propeller's barrel allow exhaust gases to escape, reducing water density around the propeller's blades during acceleration. This causes the propeller to rotate faster at slower speeds resulting in more horsepower. More horsepower at lower speeds means faster acceleration and a faster hole shot. Turning Point is the only manufacturer offering this race proven feature in our Hustler aluminum propellers on most models (selected models only 13" & 14" diameter 17+ Pitch).
High Flow-Through Barrel Exhaust System
Maximizing exhaust flow increases horsepower and top end speed.
Turning Point Hub System
Lifetime Warranty Hub Kits
Turning Point utilizes high tech shock absorbing polymers and a solid brass spindle, the Turning Point hubs will not corrode or break like competing hubs, and are covered by an industry leading Lifetime Warranty. Each hub's one piece design ensures simple housing replacement, making a prop change quick and easy.
Eliminate Hub System Vibration and Chatter
Innovative one piece design reduces the number of parts and eliminates failures commonly seen in multi-part hub systems.
Eliminate Hub Cracking and Failure
The glass reinforced high-tech polymer construction increases flexibility, eliminating potential material stress fractures.
Corrosion Resistant Materials
Premium corrosion resistant brass splines.
Reduce Gear Shock and Engine/Drive Damage
Shock absorbing high-tech polymer cushion.
Easy to Install
Clear and easy step-by-step directions coupled with minimal parts makes installation easy.
Interchanges with other Manufacturers' Propellers
The 500 series Turning Point hubs upgrade and replace Mercury Flo-Torq II, Michigan Wheel XHS, and Solas Rubex hub kit systems.
|50% (8)
|12% (2)
|6% (1)
|18% (3)
|12% (2)
- Scores shown are based on all Turning Point Express Stainless propeller reviews.
Propeller reviewed on Oct 1st, 2020
Good morning I did enter the promo take5 but it does not show that on the invoice. Please let me know.
Propeller reviewed on Aug 23rd, 2020
Very happy order it on a Monday and had it by Friday
Propeller reviewed on Aug 19th, 2020
Good price ,arrived quickly and was easy To install and it performs great
Propeller reviewed on Apr 29th, 2020
Will not work on my new Suzuki 2019 25hp outboard. After I purchased the prop , I had found several comments that the stainless prop would chatter when it was put into gear. After I had heard that, I call Suzuki to inquire about my dilemma, I was informed that they donât make a stainless prop for that size engine- just thought you might want to let your customers to be aware of this problem..
Propeller reviewed on Jul 31st, 2016
Prop arrived quickly, Good packing job ! The only thing I had a prob with was the new trim tab that came with the prop. I had to remove a good portion of the leading edge in order for the prop to have clearance and now it works ok. I installed prop on my Tahastu 30hp 4 stroke.
Propeller reviewed on Jun 11th, 2016
I've used my boat one time since i've installed the new prop. and i'm very pleased with the performance.
Propeller reviewed on Jul 11th, 2015
I paid almost 500$ for this prop X2 performance good but I went back the next day and the welds where the blades meet the hub...RUSTED!!!!!. I EVEN SPRAYED IT WITH FRESH WATER AFTER THAT DAY OF USE. NOT LOOKING FORWARD TO MY BLADES SNAPPING OFF DO TO CORROSION
Propeller reviewed on May 27th, 2015
this propeller performs as stated. I would commend if needing a new propeller to get a turning point
Propeller reviewed on Feb 5th, 2015
Thanks for asking my opinion about your service. I ordered a sst prop from iboats a couple of months ago, the prop came in a box with the correct diameter and pitch marked on the box. However, the prop inside the box was a different diameter and pitch. You would think that common sense would prevail and the prop I ordered could be sent to me. But your company denied my request and told me that I sent back the wrong prop. What a crock!!!! I sent back the same prop in the same box. My credit was denied and the same prop was sent back to me like it was my fault the wrong prop was sent.. I'm done with iboats, no more of my business....Ken Lasserre
Propeller reviewed on Jul 29th, 2014
Returned for credit prop was out of round
Propeller reviewed on Jun 15th, 2014
This is a very expensive product. When it arrived I put it in my trailer and brought it to canada with me on a fishing trip. The plan was to put it on the boat when I got to the lodge. When I tried to put it on, I realized that I needed to purchase an accessory for $30 and that I could not install it without buying this extra piece. This is ridiculous. When you pay $500 for a prop, the product should include all if the pieces necessary for its installation. I never got to use the new prop on my fishing grip.
Propeller reviewed on May 27th, 2014
Not very happy with this product as of now. Tried for 2 weekends now trying to get this prop to work properly on my boat. Still will not work properly. I have contacted Turning Point props and they were not very helpful at all. Will try to get it working once more this weekend
Propeller reviewed on Oct 8th, 2013
Very satisfied with the performance of the product. Better hole shot and cruise performance than the previous prop I was using
Propeller reviewed on Sep 26th, 2013
As described
Propeller reviewed on Sep 15th, 2013
This prop replaced a 13.5 X 13 aluminum prop. It decreased my WOT by 200 RPM but increased my top speed by 2 MPH and gave me a much better hole shot.
Propeller reviewed on Jul 22nd, 2012
This Prop went on easy with no need to alter anything on lower unit. Took all of 15 min to swap and come with everything needed. Thanks, Nicky
The Hub and Housing make a complete prop
This propeller requires two pieces: a propeller housing and a hub designed to fit your engine. In order for this propeller to work correctly, both parts are needed.
Please choose your engine using the Hub Selection Tool located below the "Add To Cart" button. When your engine is selected, the correct hub is included with your order.
If you do not wish to include a hub with your order or you already have the right hub, please select "No Hub"
Prices listed include both the housing and appropriate hub (if applicable)


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The Alpinist Mountain Standards reviews apply Alpinist's tradition of excellence and authenticity to gear reviews by providing unbiased, candid feedback and anecdotal commentary to equipment tested (hard) in the field. Our panel is comprised of climbers who use the gear every day as part of their work and play. Only the gear they would actually buy themselves, at retail price, qualifies for the Alpinist Mountain Standards award. The five-star rating system is as follows:
One Star = Piece of junk.
Two Stars = Has one or more significant flaws, with some redeeming qualities.
Three Stars = Average. This solid piece of gear is middle-of-the-road on the current market.
Four Stars = Better than most comparable gear on the market. It has one or two drawbacks, but still 90% positive.
Five Stars = Is there such thing as perfection? An Alpinist Mountain Standards award-winner.
With an ultralight piece of equipment, I usually expect ultralight performance. But the little axe whacked solid placements on water ice just like a technical tool. It even overdrove at times, forcing me to bang on the adze to get it out.
Continue Reading Article | Pros | Cons | Rating: | Comments (0)
While many packs boast functional versatility, it's clear that the Osprey Variant 37 was designed with the influences of professional alpinists.
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|The White House
President George W. Bush
|Print this document
For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
April 22, 2002
President Calls for Conservation and Stewardship on Earth Day
Remarks by the President on Earth Day
Whiteface Mountain Lodge
Wilmington, New York
Policy in Focus: Earth Day
THE PRESIDENT: Well, thank you for that warm welcome, on a snowy day. (Laughter.) We had a great time in the Park, and I want to thank you all very much for giving me the opportunity to hammer and stack, place gravel -- (laughter) -- in a beautiful part of the world. This is quite a sight for a fellow from Texas. (Laughter.) It's quite a sight for anybody in America. And George is right, this is some of the most beautiful country in our entire nation.
I want to thank you all very much for welcoming me here on Earth Day, a day every spring when America can reflect on our natural world and our duties as Americans to do everything we can to promote the spirit of Earth Day. We have a duty in our country to make sure our land is preserved, our air is clean, our water is pure, our parks are accessible and open and well- preserved. And that's why I'm here, to trumpet this duty and to thank those who assume their duty.
I firmly believe that the 32 years after Earth Day, America understands our obligation much more so than in the years past. That we must be careful of our actions. Americans understand that. Good stewardship is a personal responsibility of all of us. And it's a public value. And that's what's important for Americans to understand, that each of us have a responsibility, and it's a part of our value system in our country to assume that responsibility.
Somebody who understands that is the Governor of the State of New York, George Pataki. He's a great Governor, he's a good friend. (Applause.) He wields a pretty mean hammer. (Laughter.) I'm proud to call him, friend. And I know the people of New York are proud to call him, governor. He's the kind of fellow who does in office that which he says he's going to do. It doesn't matter what your political party is, as far as I'm concerned. What matters is -- in this case, what matters is he does -- he kind of defeats cynicism by preforming. And therefore, what I was going to say is, it doesn't matter what your party is, you've got to admire that in a man.
I also appreciate Christie Todd Whitman's service to the country. Pataki, me and Christie Todd were all governors at one time or another, and got to know each other. I knew she was a very good governor of New Jersey, and she'd be a great Administrator of the EPA, and she hasn't let me down. (Applause.)
I want to thank Congressman Sherry Boehlert and John McHugh and John Sweeney for being here as well, the three Congressmen, thank you all for coming. (Applause.) David Skovron of the -- Chairman of the Adirondack Council, I want to thank you, David, wherever you are. I want to thank Steve McCormick of the Nature Conservancy. I appreciate the good work of the Nature Conservancy. It's a fantastic organization that's doing America a lot of good. I want to thank the members of AmeriCorps. I want to thank the Student Conservation Association, particularly its leadership -- the sergeants. I want to thank the Adirondack Council, the Adirondack Park Agency and all the good folks here who care about the environment and who care about this beautiful part of the world.
You know, Christie Todd talked about Teddy Roosevelt and I -- every morning when I go to the Oval Office I sit at the same desk he used, as well as Franklin Roosevelt, as well as other Presidents. But the guy who wrote the book, "Theodore Rex," Edmund Morris, came in, took a look at the Oval Office and said, you know, Teddy Roosevelt sat there -- and it reminds me of what a huge responsibility I have. And I'm grateful for that. And it also amazes me that in this very park, Teddy Roosevelt used to hang out.
It was here that he formed a lot of his views. And I can see why. These parks helped shape his view of conservation, which had a significant impact on our park system here in America -- eventually helped us -- the beginning of a park system that is worthy of protection and worthy of our focus and attention.
Thousands of acres in the Adirondacks are unchanged. And it's important for people to realize why. Not because they were neglected, but because people have cared for the acreage. Not because people have said, well, let's just let it sit. It's because there have been thousands of man-hours put into this area to make it work for the good of all. And that's important for people to realize.
Generations of New Yorkers have made a commitment and have said this: tread lightly here, and make sure we place sensible limits on the recent development. And that's what's happened. Here we see good stewardship in action. The Adirondack Park is among the first protected wilderness areas in our country. Yet, this land is also home to many -- a place to work, a sanctuary for visitors who come here to appreciate the peace and beauty they can find here.
In the north country of New York, you have chosen the way of cooperation. Private organizations, land owners, government at all levels are working with each other as opposed to against each other. And for those who care deeply about our environment and our country, the lessons learned here are essential. And that is, we must cooperate, we must work together. It is a standard for good conservation being set here, and I'm here to herald it and thank you all.
The Adirondack Park also depends upon the work of volunteers. And for those of you who volunteer here, I want to thank you; as do those who work here, thank you as well. You give your time for an incredibly worthy cause. You help maintain the place so that future generations can use it and know it like you have known it. You protect the wildlife so they have room to roam and a place to live.
I was most impressed by how -- by the discussion of the beaver dams and the care for not only the trail system, but for the beavers, themselves. It was an understanding of the importance of good stewardship.
The other thing the volunteers do is they welcome people here, for this is the people's land. This isn't one person's land, it's the people's land; and foreign visitors about the mountain so they can enjoy their time and leave only footprints behind.
All together, 200,000 Americans lend their time to the care of our national parks and federal lands, and that's impressive.
The commitment they show is more than good stewardship, it is responsible citizenship.
Not only do people have responsibility, obviously, but so does your government. And the federal government has got a big responsibility, and I understand that. And I accept the responsibilities of our government. For three decades, we've acted with clear purpose to prevent needless and, at times, reckless disregard of the air and the water and the soil and the wildlife. This commitment has yielded tremendous progress. Our lakes and rivers are much cleaner than they were on the first Earth Day. Limits on toxic emissions have greatly improved the quality of the air we breathe.
The Clean Air Act has helped reduce acid rain and urban air pollution. We've done all this at a time when our economy and population grew dramatically. We have shown that we can expand our economy for the good of all of us, while also being good and conscientious stewards of the environment.
And that's an important lesson. Americans can be proud of these achievements. We also see there is work ahead. The federal government should do more to assist the states and communities in promoting conservation. I have made it my goal of my administration to revitalize the Land and Water Conservation Fund, particularly the grants it provides to states and local communities. (Applause.)
The fund was created to help acquire, conserve and improve recreational facilities on public lands. Yet in recent years, the federal government has fallen way short of meeting this commitment. So I've asked Congress to increase the fund's state grants by 38 percent, to make sure that the states get their share of the money, as the authors of the law intended. This will allow for more innovative conservation approaches, such as the ones led by George Pataki, and other governors, and other local officials around the country.
May probably not come as much of a surprise to you, but I don't believe all wisdom resides in Washington, D.C. (Applause.) I think the people closest to the land are those who probably love the land more than folks in Washington, D.C. And this is a way to make sure that power and money get out of Washington, for the good of the environment.
I also call for new Clear Skies legislation, to set new tough standards to reduce air pollution. For decades, New Yorkers have been fighting acid rain. The 1990 Clean Air Act amendments helped reduce the problem. And now we should do more at the federal level. Some of the biggest sources of air pollution are the power plants, which send tons of emissions into our air. Therefore we have set a goal: with Clear Skies legislation, America will do more to reduce power plant emissions than ever before in our nation's history. (Applause.)
We will reach our ambitious air quality goals through a market-based approach that rewards innovation, reduces cost, and most importantly, guarantees results. Mine is a results-oriented administration. When we say we expect results, we mean it.
We will set mandatory limits on air pollution, with firm deadlines, while giving companies the flexibility to find the best ways to meet the mandatory limits.
Clear Skies legislation, when passed by Congress, will significantly reduce smog and mercury emissions, as well as stop acid rain. (Applause.) It will put more money directly into programs to reduce pollution, so as to meet firm national air quality goals, and put less money into the pockets of lawyers and regulators. (Applause.)
My administration will foster technologies that I'm absolutely convinced will change America for the better. We will promote innovative ways to encourage conservation. I believe we'll be driving automobiles driven by fuel cells in a relatively short period of time, and we're promoting that technology. I know we need to promote renewable sources of energy to become less dependent on foreign sources of energy. (Applause.)
We also must encourage natural resource restoration, and one good place to start is in the farm bill, that's right now before Congress. The stewardship is the daily work of America's farmers, and those who own the land. I like to tell people, Laura and I are proud to be Texas -- own a Texas ranch, and for us, every day is Earth Day. If you own your own land, every day is Earth Day. If you have to make a living off your land, it's important to make your land as productive as is possible. Every day is Earth Day.
And so, therefore, I support -- strongly support a strong farm conservation effort in the farm bill before the Congress. (Applause.) With more funding and incentives for conservation, we can help our farmers preserve wetlands and wildlife habitat, and to better protect water quality.
Americans have reached a great consensus about the protection on the environment, we've come to understand the success of a generation is not defined by wealth alone. We want to be remembered for our material progress, no question about it, but we also want to be remembered for the respect we give to our natural world.
This Earth Day finds us on the right path, gaining in appreciation for the world in our care. Each of you here today is doing your part to advance that work, and to spread this spirit. And on behalf of our country, I want to thank you.
May God bless you all. (Applause.)


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With my mom in Los Angeles for business, a dinner together was in order. The Astronomer and I met her at the Double Tree in Commerce because she wasn't in the mood to veer far from her hotel. The dining options in Commerce are slimmer than Nicole Richie (pre-baby), so our only choices were either fast food or Steven's Steakhouse.
Family-owned since 1954, Steven's Steakhouse is a blast from the past—I'm not sure which era in the past because my memory only goes back to the 90s. There's nothing wrong with being an older establishment, but there is something wrong with being seriously outdated. Steven's Steakhouse is crying inside for a makeover.
As diners walk into Steven's Steakhouse, they are greeted with a collage of faded photos featuring celebrity diners like Muhammad Ali and Jean-Claude Van Damme. Apparently fighters, both real ones and those who played them in the movies, are big fans.
The dining room was decked out for the holidays with ghastly seasonal decor. Even the not-so-observant-to-details Astronomer thought that the flashing Christmas lights went overboard. In the words of current culinary crush Gordon Ramsay, "F*** me!"
As we perused the menu, our tux-donning, fishnet-wearing waitress brought out some bread and butter. Though warm, the textures of both the brown and white varieties were frighteningly similar to squished hamburger buns.
My mom suggested that we begin with seafood stuffed mushroom caps ($9.95). The larger than average caps were filled with a blend of shrimp, crab and scallops, and doused with a light gravy. The stuffing tasted exactly like the filling found in the frozen stuffed salmon sold at Costco. Boy, I'd like to look inside Steven's freezer…
Each of our dinner entrees included a choice of soup or salad, and a plate of pasta. Yes, a whole plate of pasta. My mom went with the salad, which contained iceberg lettuce, shredded carrots, corn, croutons and red cabbage. She took three bites and called it quits.
The Astronomer went with the French onion soup. Nice presentation, hey? The doily is classic! It's a shame the folks in the back of the house couldn't be bothered to wipe the edges of the bowl. The soup itself tasted watery and burnt.
My chicken dumpling soup was a thick and tasteless mess. Two bites and I was out.
Next, we were all treated to a plate of spaghetti with marinara sauce. That's extremely weird, right? Yes, I do think so.
After our senses were properly titillated, our entrees arrived. My mom ordered the "World Famous Big Jim Special Prime Rib Dinner" ($23.95). It was big alright, and so juicy that I saw my reflection in the pool of blood. The Astronomer and my mom both enjoyed the medium-rare slab of meat. However, it must be noted that after eating such horrendous starters, just about anything prepared decently tasted spectacular.
The Astronomer went with the Steven's Steak Dinner ($18.95)—a 10 ounce New York Steak with mashed potatoes. The steak was too bland to eat alone, so The Astronomer had to dip it in A1 sauce. Sad. The mashed potatoes, which were piped onto the plate using a pastry bag (!), were crusty and dry.
I went with the scallops ($17.95), which were sauteed in a lemon and garlic butter and served with rice pilaf and vegetables. As soon as the plate was set down before me, I removed the gross looking bowl of butter. Much to my surprise, the scallops were well-prepared and pleasant on the palate. The rice was pretty decent too, besides the fact that it was soaked with butter and scallop juices.
Here's The Astronomer and my mom posing with our leftovers. Count 'em—four to-go boxes! Steven's Steakhouse, my vote for the worst meal of 2008.
Steven's Steak & Seafood House
5332 Stevens Place
Commerce, CA 90040
Phone: 323-723-9856


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The Apple iPad may be great for web-browsing. It may be the best slate on which to list half of the 10 Commandments since solid rock. But, for gamers, well, thou shalt have some legitimate doubts about this thing.
Why might the iPad not become the next great player in games?
(Bear in mind, we've now played games on the iPad.}
Uh, It's A Giant iPod Touch: If our man in San Francisco is sitting at Apple's press conference, waiting for Apple to announce a revolutionary way to play games via the iPad, well, I hope he lifts his feet when the janitors come by to sweep the floors. The wait could be long.
As best we could discern from today's announcement, the button-less, tilt-sensitive, touch-screen iPad offers no game-controlling interface improvements over the button-less, tilt-sensitive, touch-screen iPod Touch. In fact, the iPad doesn't appear to even have a camera, which has been supported by some iPhone games. The iPad just shows games bigger. It shows them Beautifully, of course, but Nintendo convinced the world a few years ago that graphical improvements are not the key to modern game machine success.
The Third Pillar Might Not Stand: Back in 2004, Nintendo was preparing to release a new gaming device, the DS. The two-screened system is a hit now, but back then it seemed about as unnecessary as a third shoe. Nintendo claimed that the portable DS would become a "third pillar," as crucial a strut to Nintendo's fortunes as the home console and the portable Game Boy. But that didn't make much sense, because the DS, which could play Game Boy Advance games seemed like it would need to supplant the Game Boy line to be successful. Why, really, would someone need two portable Nintendo machines?
And so the question can now be asked of Apple: If your consumers still need a computer and a phone, needs which you already can fill, what room in their wallet, their bag and their life is there for a semi-portable, semi-desk-ready tablet computer? For gaming or otherwise?
App Apprehensions: It's wonderful to hear that the iPad will run iPhone and iPod Touch games, but those games were made to run on a screen the size of an iPod Touch, not a screen a little bigger than a Superman comic book.
Do you want to run iPad games in a window while you multi-task on the iPad? That would be the closest you'd get to having App Store gaming available on a computer you can sit down with. Well, no can do. You can't multitask on an iPad. Plus, we're talking about games that either won't fill the iPad screen or will have to be blown up by users to play at bigger than their native resolution. We're told that the iPad supports "pixel-doubling" which will compensate for that, but it's hard to get that excited about the concept of playing iPhone games, but larger. The best hope here is that the early announcements of iPad-enhanced games such as Nova and Need for Speed Shift will swiftly give way to announcements of iPad-original games.
The Cost: You could buy an iPhone 3Gs for $299, a Nintendo DS for $129, a PSP for $169, a Wii for $199, an Xbox 360 starting at $199 or a PlayStation 3 starting at $299. Or you could buy an iPad starting at $499, gamers. Tough sell?
Versus PC Gaming: You can look at the iPad as a super-sized iPhone. You could look at it as chunky big brother to the DS and PSP. Or you could look at it as the most gaming-ready computer Apple has every released. In that last respect, the iPad is a nice advance for the prospects of being able to put an Apple product on your desk and play games on it.
But in that last context, the iPad must be compared to, well, Windows-based computers. The barrier to entry for developers is low for either: Make an App for the iPad. Make your own game for the PC. Grassroots developers could flourish on either platform. But we're likely to be seeing sized-up portable games on Apple's iPad for a while. They will be compared to fully-realized PC games that can be run with controllers, keyboards and mice. Advantage, Windows gaming... for now and for a while, it seems.
Room For the Little Guys? One of the best stories about gaming on the iPod Touch and iPad has been how the App Store allowed the smallest developers to vie in the marketplace against the biggest game publishers. The result of that competition has been wonderful games from the littlest crews to the biggest, everything from Tiger Style's Spider to some of EA's best.
The bigger screen size of the iPad, however, may raise expectations for the quality of graphics on iPad games — and smaller studios may find it more challenging than the EAs of the world to create games that are as visually pleasing as they were on the iPod Touch and iPhone.
Inherited iPhone Issues Some models of the iPad will run over Wi-Fi. Others can run on the 3G network, which raises questions about whether they will run into the same networking issues that plague games played over networks on the iPhone.
Another possible problem involves Apple's control of software for its devices. Gaming on the iPhone/iPod has been hampered by Apple's sometimes-unpredictable moves to remove some games from the store due to rights complaints. It's Apple's right to do so, but those who disagree with Apple's decisions could come to look at an iPad as another gaming device that is firmly controlled by its platform holder, just like an Xbox 360 or Sony or Nintendo machine. We're not talking about a market as free as Windows gaming or even Facebook gaming, for better or worse.
Hard To Handle?: Do gamers want to grab the short ends of a magazine and then pretend they are gaming? The original Xbox controller wasn't even that broad and it was a bust. Or would you rather trace your finger on a placemat? Those seem to be the two most likely postures for iPad gaming, an experience devoid of buttons and control sticks. iPhone game developers are still figuring out how to make games fun with some of the same feature restrictions. The iPad's added size looks to make such problems with iPhone gaming controls and comfort even more pronounced.
There are some reason to be excited regarding the experience of playing games on the iPad. Modern Apple products generate an enthusiasm that few other devices do. But Apple still has a long way to go before it can boast that the iPad as an option of first or even second resort for those who want to play video games.
When it was just a theoretical device, the iPad had the potential to be a must-have for gamers. Right now, it appears to be more of a "maybe," one that, from the get-go, instills as much doubt as it does enthusiasm about the newest way to play video games in the 21st century.


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Debian Security Advisory
DSA-2514-1 iceweasel -- several vulnerabilities
- Date Reported:
- 17 Jul 2012
- Affected Packages:
- iceweasel
- Vulnerable:
- Yes
- Security database references:
- In Mitre's CVE dictionary: CVE-2012-1948, CVE-2012-1950, CVE-2012-1954, CVE-2012-1966, CVE-2012-1967.
- More information:
Several vulnerabilities have been discovered in Iceweasel, a web browser based on Firefox. The included XULRunner library provides rendering services for several other applications included in Debian.
Benoit Jacob, Jesse Ruderman, Christian Holler, and Bill McCloskey identified several memory safety problems that may lead to the execution of arbitrary code.
Mario Gomes and Code Audit Labs discovered that it is possible to force Iceweasel to display the URL of the previous entered site through drag and drop actions to the address bar. This can be abused to perform phishing attacks.
Abhishek Arya discovered a use-after-free problem in nsDocument::AdoptNode that may lead to the execution of arbitrary code.
moz_bug_r_a4discovered that it is possible to perform cross-site scripting attacks through the context menu when using data: URLs.
moz_bug_r_a4discovered that in certain cases, javascript: URLs can be executed so that scripts can escape the JavaScript sandbox and run with elevated privileges.
Note: We'd like to advise users of Iceweasel's 3.5 branch in Debian stable to consider to upgrade to the Iceweasel 10.0 ESR (Extended Support Release) which is now available in Debian Backports. Although Debian will continue to support Iceweasel 3.5 in stable with security updates, this can only be done on a best effort basis as upstream provides no such support anymore. On top of that, the 10.0 branch adds proactive security features to the browser.
For the stable distribution (squeeze), this problem has been fixed in version 3.5.16-17.
For the unstable distribution (sid), this problem has been fixed in version 10.0.6esr-1.
We recommend that you upgrade your iceweasel packages.


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Without any exaggeration, Preston University is definitely the most exceptional and productive tertiary educating institute that has been edifying the masses of the country for many years. There have been many dirty propaganda and negative publicity about the institute and many unethical competitors called it as diploma mill without proving a single allegation. However, the so called diploma mill have proved to be the most successful and proficient institute of the country which is relied by thousands of students all over the country.
Preston University today is among the finest universities of the country and the phenomenal growth observed by the university is the result of hardworking and dedicated administration and expert and loyal world renowned faculty. It is expected that even with all the negative publicity of being a diploma mill, Preston University will standout against all odds and would prove to be most successful university of the country.


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On Second Chances: Ted Williams vs. Michael Vick
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Ted Williams was all the rage these last couple of days in the blogosphere and on cable news. In case you happen to be living under a rock this past week, Ted Williams is the homeless man who was a former radio announcer with a "golden voice" who fell into trouble with drugs and alcohol. Williams lost everything in 1993 and became homeless, only to have his life change this week when a video of him demonstrating his God given talent on the side of a Columbus, Ohio highway went viral.
Well, within a couple of days of the above video getting national exposure, Mr. Williams was offered a job as an announcer for the Cleveland Cavaliers, and was even invited on The Today Show and asked to do the opening voice-over for the show.
So, why has America fallen in love with Ted Williams? Simple. Americans love the story of an underdog making good–and, we are all about giving people second chances. (See the hit movies Rocky, Braveheart, Invincible, The Pursuit of Happyness and Rudy as examples of American's love of second chances and redemption.) In fact, America, was, literally, built by tired, huddled masses of people coming to a new land in order to get a second chance. I think that the movie Kingdom of Heaven sums up the American spirit–with regard to second chances–best (even though the film takes place in Medieval Europe/Jerusalem) when Balian's father (Liam Neeson) tells Balian (Orlando Bloom) that, even though he's been charged with a crime and his wife has committed suicide, he can redeem himself by going to Jerusalem to fight the Crusade. To be specific, Balian's father said the following about Jerusalem:
"There, you are not what you were born, but what you have it in yourself to be."
Yes, and in America, you are not what you were born–or what you might have been–but what what you have it in yourself to be. Ted Williams might have been a former drug addict and petty criminal who was cheerfully panhandling by the highway hoping to get a second chance at life (and not blaming anyone for his mistakes but himself), but today, he is a national celebrity known for his "golden voice". He is the quintessential Prodigal Son.
Naturally, all of this talk of second chances makes one think of Michael Vick. Michael Vick was the man with with not only a golden arm, but golden legs as well (which is unusual for a quarterback). However, when he played football for the Atlanta Falcons (prior to going to prison for dog fighting), he was not exactly a model player. Vick was known as a slacker who was frequently late for practice, he was busted for pot possession at the airport, and he was even fined for flipping off the Atlanta Falcons fans. So, when Vick's dog fighting scandal broke, it was especially shocking–particularly because he had been given so much and so many chances before. As it says in the book of Luke:
"To whom much is given, of him much will be required."
And, Michael Vick was given a lot–a whole lot. He is gifted with an incredible talent, and was given millions of dollars in contracts and endorsements. And how did he pay back his fellow Americans who made him rich and famous by buying tickets to his games? Vick paid them back not by, say, volunteering in a homeless shelter, but by fighting, torturing and murdering dogs (i.e., man's best friend). To quote the LA Examiner (H/T Adrienne's Corner):
According to the prosecutor's statement of facts in the case, between 2002 and 2007 Michael Vick and his co-conspirators Purnell Peace, Quanis Phillips and Tony Taylor killed thirteen dogs by various methods including wetting one dog down and electrocuting her, hanging, drowning and shooting others and, in at least one case, by slamming a dog's body to the ground.
Michael Vick didn't make a mistake. He didn't "make a bad choice." Over a period of five years he forced dogs into deadly fights, and he personally killed, or conspired to kill, thirteen dogs. He didn't pick a quick, painless method of killing, but instead chose a variety of means that qualify as torture. Pit Bulls are powerful dogs. Imagine how hard you would have to work to kill a Pit Bull by forcibly drowning him.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution also reports, "Sometimes [the dogs] were starved to make them more vicious in the pit."
And Michael Vick didn't confine the abuse and killing to his own Pit Bulls.
According to a November 2008 ESPN.com news story, a report prepared by the USDA's inspector general-investigations division revealed that Vick, Purnell Peace, Quanis Phillips and Tony Taylor also put family pet dogs into the ring with trained pit bulls.
The report, dated Aug. 28, 2008, says, "Vick, Peace and Phillips thought it was funny to watch the pit bull dogs belonging to [Vick's] Bad Newz Kennels injure or kill the other dogs."
[Adrienne has some pictures of Michael Vick's extracurricular activities–warning, the photos are gruesome.]
On a personal note, when this story about Michael Vick's atrocities exploded, it hit me particularly hard. My dog Molly (who was a rescue dog) had recently been diagnosed with a fibrosarcoma of her lower jaw and had to have part of her lower jaw surgically removed. Well, a few months later her cancer came back and she was given just months to live–even with chemotherapy. However, being the fighter that she was, she held on for almost two years and passed away a little over a year ago. So, when I heard about Michael Vick–a man who had been given so much–torturing and murdering healthy dogs while my dog was fighting for her life…well, let's just say that I had very strong feelings of dislike for Mr. Vick. (Below are some pictures of Molly.)
So, when President Obama called the owner of the Philadelphia Eagles (Mr. Vick's current team) to praise him for "giving Michael Vick a second chance", it kind of stuck in my craw a bit (just like it did with a lot of people). I mean, Michael Vick is not exactly your average felon–i.e., someone from the wrong side of the tracks who never got a break in life or got addicted to drugs, etc. On the contrary, he's gotten plenty of breaks in life. To quote Richard Cohen:
"Vick got a second chance not because he deserves it but because he can play football. This is the lesson we can all take from this sorry episode. It's one thing to be sorry. It's much better to hit your man in the end zone".
However, the good news is that not all athletes feel the same sense of entitlement that Michael Vick seemed to feel. Some actually get the whole, "To whom much is given, much is expected" thingy. Meet Rudy Favard. Allahpundit wrote about him a couple of days ago. He is just a senior in high school and the captain of his high school football team, but already, he understands just how lucky he is to have a healthy, strong body–so he helps out a family with a disabled son by carrying him up the stairs every night, because the father is too weak from heart surgery. (Drats–why is there water on my keyboard?)
So, in conclusion, Michael Vick might not "deserve" a second chance, but this is America and he's got a lot of talent, so he gets one anyway. But you know what, I'm not that upset that he's getting a second chance. Heck, it might turn out quite well in the long run. Just like Balian in Kingdom of Heaven who went from a criminal to a valiant knight/defender of Jerusalem, Michael Vick might go from an animal abuser to a very strong spokesman against cruelty to animals. Maybe his redemption is sincere–that's for God to say, not for any of us to judge. After all, as Alex Knepper recently pointed out, Chris Brown (who beat up his girlfriend Rhianna last year) already seems to be blowing his second chance by taunting victims of sexual abuse on Twitter. Hey, at least Michael Vick appears to be doing all of the right things and showing public remorse for his crimes.
So I will take a deep breath and give Michael Vick his second chance–and I will hope that he has truly seen the error of his ways. However, please don't ask me to forgive him just yet (I hope to eventually–forgiveness is good for the soul), and please, for the love of God, don't ask me to celebrate him. No, right now, I prefer to celebrate Ted Williams and Rudy Favard. Hearing about their stories makes me feel good. With regard to Michael Vick, I will just cross my fingers and hope for the best.
This column is cross-posted from Parcbench, and it is also posted at The Green Room, The Minority Report and Hillbillypolitics.
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