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WinBoard / XBoard 4.8.0
WinBoard 4.8 is the follow-up line of WinBoard 4.7, which ended with version 4.7.3. A special version of WinBoard is available for visually impaired people, for working with the JAWS or NVDA screen readers, but for now the old 4.5.2 is the latest JAWS version available. (See the post below or click here to get there.) WinBoard 4.8.0 has several new features added compared to its predecessors.
In Cylinder Chess moves wrap across the board edges
WinBoard 4.8 can be downloaded as an installer package from here. This installer contains all essential support programs, such as Polyglot and timeseal, pre-installed and ready to run. It contains two demo engines, a native WinBoard engine (Fairy-Max 4.8) and a UCI engine (Fruit 2.1). The 4.8 installer also contains adapters for running Xiangqi UCI and UCCI engines, and Shogi USI engines, and optional engines for these and other Chess variants.
New features of WinBoard 4.8 are the possibility to display tablebase hits, selective depth and speed (nps) in the Engine Output window, (and select there what you display), probe bitbases to shorten engine-engine games, and save entire sub-selections of a database with one command. Setting up positions and hand-editing the opening book has been made easier. General variant support has been greatly improved, by offering engines the possibility to configure the GUI for initial position and piece moves. There exists a somewhat older experimental "Alien Edition", and as development goes on, new experimental versions will become available in the future.
Download WinBoard 4.8.0 installer (2.6MB)
Download experimental WinBoard executable (500 kB), (with support for some non-Chesslike games, such as Checkers and Amazons, see here).
Old versions:
WinBoard 4.7 downloads.
WinBoard 4.6 downloads.
WinBoard 4.5 downloads.
WinBoard 4.4 downloads.
This installer also contains optional sections for using WinBoard as a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) GUI, and engines for Shogi (Japanese Chess), and for general Chess Variant aficionados. For more information about the Xiangqi capabilities of WinBoard, look here. The variants section provides engines for in total more than 20 widely different Chess Variants (most of them through the Fairy-Max and Pulsar engines), ranging from Chess960 and Gothic Chess to Crazyhouse, Losers and Atomic. For the exact rules of these games, see http://hgm.nubati.net/rules .
The source code for WinBoard 4.8.0 and previous versions can be obtained from the GNU website. Use the tar ball that is tagged 4.8.0 (xboard-4.8.0.tar.gz). Most unzippers should understand this format (e.g. 7Zip).
What is New?
An elaborate description of the new features can be found on the GNU web pages. There you can also find a (new) User Guide summarizing the features of XBoard, which, apart from the screenshots, should largely apply to WinBoard as well.
Columnar search info can be selectively displayed. Also note the fail-high/low indicators on the score
Note that the UCI support built in this WinBoard version can only be fully exploited with the most recent Polyglot versions (which are of course included in the 4.8.0 installer pack). The source code of these are now collected in an on-line git repository, hosted at http://hgm.nubati.net/cgi-bin/gitweb.cgi . Note that the Polyglot included with WinBoard 4.7.3 was obtained by compiling the 2.0.2 version in the "learn" branch of that repository. Older Polyglots would not support transmitting info on tablebase hits and such, and versions from before the 2.x.x series would not support exclusion of moves from analysis.
Variants - WinBoard 4.8.0 sets a new landmark in Chess-variant support. It is now possible for an engine to take control over highlighting of target squares of 'picked-up' pieces, allowing legality checking in games that WinBoard does not know the rules of. A limited form of multiple moving is also supported through this mechanism. In addition, it is possible for engines to set up the initial position of a game (including definition of the board size), have non-rectangular boards by selectively declaring squares of an encompassing rectangular board as inaccessible (displayed as black), and have the engine define how the various pieces move (to get perfect SAN and target-square highlighting, and make legality testing work even when it is off).
XBoard 4.8.0
Version 4.8.0 also includes a new XBoard which supports the same new features as WinBoard. Since version 4.7 the front-end of XBoard has been completely rewritten. It is now based on the Cairo graphics library, using png and (resizable) svg image files rather than the xpm and bm image formats used in previous versions. The build that uses the more modern GTK widget set (in stead of the very old Athena widget set) should now be considered stable, although the old Xaw version is still supported. The GTK build now even has features that the Xaw build dos not have (because they were impossible to implement with the primitive Athena widget set), namely an integrated ICS Interaction / Chat window. Another new feature it copied from WinBoard is the possibility to save entire combinations of graphical settings as 'board themes'. Binary packages for various Linux distributions should be available from the build server. (Consult the XBoard home page how to get there.) People using other Unix / Linux distributions can install from source. The sources are kept at the GNU XBoard website.
WinBoard / XBoard source code
XBoard 4.8.0's new ICS Interaction /Chat window of the GTK build

subset: commoncrawl


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Endpoint Management
Keep things simple—and moving. Endpoint management for Android, iOS, Windows, Chrome OS, MacOS, and Linux is easy to set up and use.
Keep things simple—and moving. Endpoint management for Android, iOS, Windows, Chrome OS, MacOS, and Linux is easy to set up and use.
Lost phone? Stolen tablet? These things happen. Keep your company's data secure with endpoint management. You can require screen locks and strong passwords and erase confidential data with device wipe or selective account wipe for Android and iOS, as well as block access to specific Windows, Chrome OS, Linux, and MacOS sessions.
Simplify endpoint management in your organization with Google Workspace.
Enforce passcodes and wipe specific accounts without installing software on a user's Android and iOS device with agentless endpoint management. This feature is on by default.
Manage and secure Windows 10 devices through the Admin console.
Distribute business applications from the Admin console on Google Play (agentless) or Apple's App Store. Host internal-only Android apps in the Play Private Channel.
Employees want to bring their personal phone or tablet to work. Google Workspace endpoint management is truly BYOD, making it easy to keep your company data safe while letting employees use their favorite personal device.
Worried about employee productivity? As soon as your employee's device gets enrolled, all WiFi and email configurations including server-side certificates get pushed to the device instantly.
Android separates business apps from personal apps so employees can use their favorite Android device for both work and play. Setting up company owned devices is simple with additional security settings.
No. Endpoint management is included with Google Workspace. Certain advanced features are only available with Business and Enterprise licenses.
Yes. Admins can enforce policies across both Android and iOS so your employees can choose the device they're comfortable with to get work done. Access from any Windows, MacOS, Chrome OS, and Linux device is logged and can be blocked if needed.
Start a 14-day trial or contact us to learn more about Google Workspace . If you're already using Google Workspace , learn how to enable endpoint management from your Admin console.


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Software Patents and Business Methods Patents, Are They Patentable?
Software Patents and Business Methods Patents, Are They Patentable?
Are software and business methods patentable? If you have been Googling the topic recently, you may have heard that the US Supreme Court and the Federal Circuit have heard a series of different cases during the past few years regarding it. Before I get into the history below, the short answer is still generally yes for software patents, with exceptions, but probably not for pure business methods, with exceptions of course!
Some of the earliest cases in the 70's held that abstract ideas are not patentable, thus computer software which is composed of algorithms/mathematical concepts were held not to be patentable. This was an initial strike against software patents! Later in the 80's the Supreme Court ruled on Diamond v. Diehr. The patent in question related to an invention for a method to determine how rubber is heated so it can be best "cured." The invention was tied to a computer that calculated heating times of the rubber. The claims included a computer program claim and method claims. The Supreme Court held that the invention was not simply a mathematical algorithm, but was a valid process and
therefore patentable.
Throughout the years however, other cases came out that conflicted with Diehr. It wasn't until the 90's, in the seminal Supreme Court case of State Street Bank v. Signature Financial Group, which seemed to clarify the patentability of software patents. This patent related to a method of running mutual funds. Again, the issue revolved around the patentability of a mere mathematical algorithm or business method. The Supreme Court held the patent as valid and thus allowing a business method to be patentable subject matter. A key point was that the software must yield a "useful, concrete and tangible result". So for many the feeling was that the patent claims needed to be drafted such that the software or processes were tied to a computer or processor to achieve a useful, concrete and tangible result to be patentable.
Fast forward to 2008, the Federal Circuit ruled on the In re Bilski matter which garnered a lot of media attention as to the patentability of business methods and computer software. The main claim at issue in the Bilski patent was for a method of hedging risk in the field of commodities trading. The claim was considered to be a pure business method because it dealt with simply a mental process (information that is analyzed and acted upon). The Court walked away with a new test requiring that a process is patentable if "(1) it is tied to a particular machine or apparatus, or (2) it transforms a particular article into a different state or thing." This new machine-or-transformation test really called into question pure method claims, and software method claims as well.
Then in late 2009 the Bilski matter was pushed to the Supreme Court to decide if the machine-or-transformation test is a proper test to determine patentability of business methods. The Supreme Court will rule on the case sometime in mid 2010. Upholding of Bilski will likely require all business method patent claims to be tied to a machine and require processes to either transform an article or be timed to a machine. More will follow after the Bilski decision later this year!
Los Angeles Trademark Lawyer


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Minutes of the Federal Open Market Committee
March 20-21, 2007
A meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee was held in the offices of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, March 20, 2007 at 2:30 p.m., and continued on Wednesday, March 21, 2007 at 9:00 a.m.
Mr. Bernanke, Chairman
Mr. Geithner, Vice Chairman
Mr. Hoenig
Mr. Kohn
Mr. Kroszner
Ms. Minehan
Mr. Mishkin
Mr. Moskow
Mr. Poole
Mr. Warsh
Ms. Cumming, Mr. Fisher, Ms. Pianalto, and Messrs. Plosser and Stern, Alternate Members of the Federal Open Market Committee
Messrs. Lacker and Lockhart, and Ms. Yellen, Presidents of the Federal Reserve Banks of Richmond, Atlanta, and San Francisco, respectivelyMr. Reinhart, Secretary and Economist
Ms. Danker, Deputy Secretary
Ms. Smith, Assistant Secretary
Mr. Skidmore, Assistant Secretary
Mr. Alvarez, General Counsel
Ms. Johnson, Economist
Mr. Stockton, Economist
Messrs. Connors, Evans, Fuhrer, Kamin, Madigan, Rasche, Slifman, and Wilcox, Associate Economists
Mr. Dudley, Manager, System Open Market Account
Messrs. Clouse and English,1 Associate Directors, Division of Monetary Affairs, Board of Governors
Mr. Struckmeyer, Associate Director, Division of Research and Statistics, Board of Governors
Mr. Reifschneider, Deputy Associate Director, Division of Research and Statistics, Board of Governors
Messrs. Dale2 and Oliner, Senior Advisers, Divisions of Monetary Affairs and Research and Statistics, respectively, Board of Governors
Mr. Hambley,2 Assistant to the Board, Office of Board Members, Board of Governors
Mr. Meyer, Visiting Reserve Bank Officer, Division of Monetary Affairs, Board of Governors
Mr. Small,1 Project Manager, Division of Monetary Affairs, Board of Governors
Mr. Kiley2 and Ms. Kole,2 Section Chiefs, Divisions of International Finance and Research and Statistics, respectively, Board of Governors
Mr. Doyle,2 Ms. Mauskopf,2 and Mr. Wood,2 Senior Economists, Divisions of International Finance, Research and Statistics, and International Finance, respectively, Board of Governors
Ms. Roush, Economist, Division of Monetary Affairs, Board of Governors
Mr. Gross, Special Assistant to the Board, Office of Board Members, Board of Governors
Mr. Luecke, Senior Financial Analyst, Division of Monetary Affairs, Board of Governors
Ms. Low, Open Market Secretariat Specialist, Division of Monetary Affairs, Board of Governors
Mr. Rosenblum, Executive Vice President, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas
Mr. Hakkio, Ms. Mester, Messrs. Rolnick, Rudebusch, and Sniderman, Senior Vice Presidents, Federal Reserve Banks of Kansas City, Philadelphia, Minneapolis, San Francisco, and Cleveland, respectively
Messrs. Cunningham and Hilton, Vice Presidents, Federal Reserve Banks of Atlanta and New York, respectively
Ms. Sbordone, Research Officer, Federal Reserve Bank of New York
Mr. Hetzel, Senior Economist, Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond
1. Attended Wednesday�s session. Return to text
2. Attended portion of the meeting relating to the discussion of communications issues. Return to text
The Manager of the System Open Market Account reported on recent developments in foreign exchange markets. There were no open market operations in foreign currencies for the System�s account in the period since the previous meeting. The Manager also reported on developments in domestic financial markets and on System open market transactions in government securities and federal agency obligations during the period since the previous meeting. By unanimous vote, the Committee ratified these transactions.
The information reviewed at the March meeting indicated that the economy appeared to be expanding at a modest pace in the first quarter. Declines in residential construction activity continued to weigh on overall activity, and business investment had softened considerably over the preceding several months, especially in equipment used in the construction and motor vehicle industries. However, consumer spending had increased appreciably in the early part of the year, and labor demand continued to expand, albeit at a somewhat slower pace than last year. Meanwhile, the twelve-month increase in core consumer prices remained elevated relative to its pace one year earlier.
Employment gains moderated in early 2007. In February, employment in the construction industry contracted considerably, in part because of severe winter storms; manufacturing employment also declined, but hiring in service-producing sectors remained solid. A decline in the average workweek led to a contraction in aggregate hours. At the same time, the unemployment rate edged down from 4.6 percent in January to 4.5 percent in February.
Industrial production rose strongly in February and was revised up for both December and January. In February, production was boosted by a rebound in motor vehicle assemblies and by a temporary surge in output at utilities that reflected a swing from unseasonably warm temperatures in January to colder weather in February. Production rose at a solid pace in all major high-tech categories. Output of materials and defense and space equipment expanded as well. In contrast, production of consumer goods and business equipment changed little, while output of construction supplies declined.
Real consumer spending appeared on track to rise at a robust pace in the first quarter, buoyed in part by a weather-related surge in spending on energy services and by a jump in sales of light motor vehicles. Outside of these areas, however, real consumer spending moderated. The determinants of household spending were mixed. Disposable personal income was estimated to have risen sharply in January, but the increase was partly the result of special factors, such as pay raises for federal and military personnel and cost-of-living adjustments to Social Security payments. Meanwhile, readings on consumer sentiment, which had been favorable in recent months, edged down in early March. The boost to consumer spending from earlier gains in wealth was likely being muted by the lagged effects of the upward trend in borrowing costs. In addition, recent declines in equity prices and slowing house price appreciation pointed to a modest reduction in households� wealth-to-income ratio in the first quarter.
Housing starts declined in January, extending the downward trend that had been in place since early 2006, but bounced back in February. However, adjusted permit issuance in the single-family sector continued to step down, suggesting that builders were still slowing the pace of new construction to work off elevated inventories. The inventory of new homes for sale remained high, although cuts in residential construction in the last few months had reduced the number of unsold homes. As at the time of the January meeting, available data suggested that housing demand was stabilizing. Sales of both new and existing single-family homes in recent months were, on balance, in line with the pace seen since mid-2006. However, a tightening of standards for subprime borrowers in recent weeks seemed likely to restrain home sales. House price appreciation had slowed further, with some measures showing outright declines in home values.
Business fixed investment had been sluggish in recent months. Real spending on equipment and software fell in the fourth quarter, and nominal orders for and shipments of nondefense capital goods excluding aircraft posted widespread declines in January, with transportation equipment showing a very large drop. Business purchases of light vehicles remained low, and new orders for and deliveries of medium and heavy trucks plunged in the last few months after a surge in 2006. Investment in goods and services other than transportation and high-tech equipment softened more than fundamentals had suggested. Declines in spending for capital equipment that is used heavily in the construction and motor vehicle industries accounted for an outsized share of the drop in orders and shipments at manufacturers outside high-tech and transportation in January. Investment in categories such as industrial equipment; electromedical, measuring, and controlling devices; and other electrical equipment also softened. In contrast, computer imports surged in January, suggesting rising domestic purchases, and computer sales appeared to have picked up in February. The ample cash reserves held by firms and ongoing reductions in the user cost of high-tech capital goods remained supportive of investment going forward.
Businesses accumulated inventories of items other than motor vehicles at a slower pace in January than in the previous two quarters. Even so, the ratio of inventories to sales for manufacturing and trade excluding motor vehicles remained elevated. In addition, purchasing managers at manufacturing firms, on net, continued to view their customers� inventory levels as too high.
The U.S. international trade deficit narrowed considerably in the fourth quarter. Exports rose, partly reflecting a robust increase in deliveries of civilian aircraft to foreign buyers, while imports were pushed down by a fall in the volume and price of imported oil. In January, the trade deficit was little changed.
Economic activity in the advanced foreign economies accelerated in the fourth quarter. In Japan, private consumption rebounded strongly, and private investment and net exports continued to boost growth. The pace of economic expansion in the euro area picked up as investment and exports rose. Growth in the United Kingdom firmed because of brisk investment spending and a rebound in consumption growth. In contrast, output in Canada decelerated in the fourth quarter as inventory accumulation turned down sharply. Recent data for the emerging-market economies pointed to continued strength in activity, although there were signs that growth was moderating in some countries. Growth remained solid in China but decelerated in several other Asian economies and Mexico.
In January, the overall PCE price index rose moderately as a decline in energy prices helped to offset a jump in food prices. Meanwhile, the PCE price index excluding food and energy rose at a faster pace than in the previous two months. Increases in consumer energy prices and higher prices for fruits and vegetables in February reflected a period of unusually cold weather and contributed to an acceleration in that month�s CPI. Excluding food and energy, core CPI inflation slowed slightly in February but remained elevated. In recent months, prices had risen across a broad range of core goods. On a twelve-month-change basis, core CPI inflation in February was considerably above its pace a year earlier, largely because of a sharp acceleration in shelter rents over the past year. Average hourly earnings also rose at a noticeably faster pace during the year ending in February than during the preceding twelve-month period. Surveys indicated that households� expectations of inflation over the next year were little changed in February while households� and professional forecasters� longer-term inflation expectations edged lower.
At its January meeting, the Federal Open Market Committee maintained its target for the federal funds rate at 5-1/4 percent. The Committee�s accompanying statement noted that recent indicators had suggested somewhat firmer economic growth and that some tentative signs of stabilization had appeared in the housing market. Overall, the economy seemed likely to expand at a moderate pace over coming quarters. Readings on core inflation had improved in recent months, and inflation pressures seemed likely to moderate over time, but the high level of resource utilization had the potential to sustain inflation pressures. The Committee judged that some inflation risks remained. The extent and timing of any additional firming that might be needed to address these risks would depend on the evolution of the outlook for both inflation and economic growth, as implied by incoming information.
The FOMC�s decision at its January meeting was in accord with market expectations, but the accompanying statement reportedly was read as a sign that the Committee was more sanguine about inflation prospects than in December, and the expected path for monetary policy beyond 2007 edged lower. Policy expectations declined a bit more in the wake of the Chairman�s semiannual monetary policy testimony, which apparently reinforced investors� beliefs that the FOMC anticipated gradually diminishing inflation pressures. Economic data releases were somewhat weaker than expected on balance over the first few weeks of the intermeeting period, and policy expectations moved appreciably lower on net by mid-February. Financial market volatility increased sharply in the second half of the intermeeting period amid an apparent pullback from risk-taking that was reportedly spurred by mixed news on domestic economic activity, mounting concerns about the subprime mortgage sector, and significant declines in foreign equity prices. On net over the intermeeting period, investors tilted their anticipated path for monetary policy beyond mid-2007 down substantially, and yields on two- and ten-year nominal Treasury securities fell 30 to 40 basis points. Yields on inflation-indexed Treasury securities generally declined somewhat less than their nominal counterparts, leaving inflation compensation slightly lower across the term structure. Broad stock price indexes dropped several percent on net over the period. Yields on investment-grade corporate bonds fell about in line with those on Treasury securities of comparable maturity. In contrast, yields on speculative-grade bonds declined only modestly, leaving risk spreads noticeably wider, albeit still narrow by historical standards.
Domestic nonfinancial sector debt appeared to be continuing to rise at a relatively brisk rate in the first quarter. Despite the recent volatility in financial markets, funding in the bond and syndicated loan markets appeared to remain readily available. However, borrowing by nonfinancial corporations was estimated to be moderating somewhat in the first quarter, with a step-down in bond issuance associated with merger and acquisition activity. Indicators pointed to a continuing deceleration in house prices this quarter, and home mortgage borrowing probably continued to slow. M2 increased more moderately in February than at the end of 2006 as the expansion of liquid deposits slowed from its outsized fourth-quarter rate.
In its forecast prepared for this meeting, the staff marked down the projected increase in real GDP in the first quarter in response to weaker-than-expected incoming data on business equipment spending and federal defense purchases. The recent increase in oil prices and decline in equity prices, along with increased strains in the subprime mortgage sector, were expected to exert some drag on real activity over the remainder of the year. Even so, real GDP growth was expected to pick up to a rate a little below that of the economy�s long-run potential for the remainder of 2007, as declines in residential construction activity lessened, and to remain at a similar rate in 2008. The increase in energy prices over the intermeeting period led the staff to revise up its forecast for headline PCE inflation during the first half of this year, but the staff continued to expect that core PCE inflation would edge down over the remainder of this year and next.
In their discussion of the economic situation and outlook, meeting participants agreed that, while recent economic data had been mixed, the economy was likely to expand at a moderate pace in coming quarters. Although the housing sector adjustment continued, accumulating data suggested that the demand for homes was leveling out. Business fixed investment had been soft in recent months, but financing conditions and other fundamentals remained favorable for a pickup in capital spending. Moreover, continuing gains in personal income could be expected to support growth in consumer spending. Thus economic growth likely would increase in coming quarters to a pace close to or modestly below the economy�s trend growth rate. However, additional evidence of sluggish business investment and recent developments in the subprime mortgage market suggested that the downside risks relative to the expectation of moderate growth had increased in the weeks since the January FOMC meeting. At the same time, the prevailing level of inflation remained uncomfortably high, and the latest information cast some doubt on whether core inflation was on the expected downward path. Most participants continued to expect that core inflation would slow gradually, but the recent readings on inflation and productivity growth, along with higher energy prices, had increased the odds that inflation would fail to moderate as expected; that risk remained the Committee�s predominant concern.
Participants reported signs of stabilization in housing demand in most regions of the country. At the national level, sales of new and existing homes, while fluctuating in recent months, did not display declining trends. The inventory of new homes for sale reportedly had fallen further from its recently elevated level. Participants noted, however, that such inventories likely would need to be worked down appreciably more before growth in housing construction would resume. The increase in delinquencies on subprime adjustable-rate mortgage loans and the ensuing increase in interest rates and tightening of credit standards in the subprime mortgage market likely would constrain home purchases by some borrowers, perhaps retarding the recovery in the housing sector. However, there was no sign of spillovers from the subprime market to the overall mortgage market; indeed, interest rates on prime mortgage loans had declined somewhat in recent weeks, along with yields on U.S. Treasury securities. Moreover, home-buying attitudes had improved and continuing job growth could be expected to support home sales.
Business fixed investment spending had been surprisingly weak of late, given strong corporate balance sheets, high profitability, anticipated growth in sales, and favorable financial conditions. Participants continued to expect these fundamentals to support a firming of investment spending going forward, and they saw no indication that recent market volatility had prompted a reduction in the availability of financing for business investment. Also, declining office vacancy rates in some areas were spurring gains in nonresidential construction activity, and further advances in commercial construction were seen as likely. Energy prices were high enough to encourage continued investment in alternative fuels. However, the relatively slow pace of investment in recent months might be signaling that business executives had become less certain about the outlook, and perhaps that they expected quite modest gains in sales. Participants agreed that the possibility of persistently sluggish investment spending was an important downside risk to the outlook for economic growth.
Growth in consumer spending would likely continue to be supported by gains in employment and incomes. Meeting participants noted that weakness in the housing market had not spilled over to aggregate consumption--though the flattening out in house prices likely would contribute to an increase in the personal saving rate--and turmoil in the subprime mortgage market did not appear to be generating any diminution in the availability of other types of household credit. The recent increase in oil prices and the reduction in household net worth resulting from the small net declines in equity prices during the intermeeting period warranted a modest downward adjustment in projected growth of consumer spending. Even so, the possibility that the personal saving rate would fail to rise as projected in the staff forecast remained an upside risk to the outlook.
Growth in federal as well as state and local government spending probably would remain a source of stimulus to the economy. Moreover, continued expansion in domestic demand in our major trading partners could be expected to sustain solid growth in U.S. exports.
Many participants again reported softness in manufacturing, primarily but not exclusively in industries related to housing or automobiles. However, a number of firms outside of the housing sector--including auto companies--appeared to have made progress in reducing inventories to more comfortable levels, and contacts in the industrial sector were generally optimistic about future growth. Such attitudes were consistent with national and regional surveys that pointed to a rebound in manufacturing activity later this year.
Anecdotal and statistical evidence suggested that labor markets remained relatively tight. Business contacts continued to report shortages of skilled workers in technical and professional fields, with significant wage pressures in some occupations, as well as a scarcity of less skilled and unskilled workers in some areas of the country. So far, aggregate measures of labor compensation were showing only moderate increases, but, looking ahead, the possibility that labor costs might rise more rapidly was seen as an upside risk to inflation. It was noted, however, that increases in compensation that exceeded productivity gains might be absorbed to some extent by a narrowing of firms� high profit margins. Participants expected that productivity growth would pick up as firms slowed hiring to a pace more in line with output growth but acknowledged that the improvement might be limited, particularly if business investment spending were to remain soft.
Most participants continued to expect a gradual decline in core inflation over the next year or two, fostered by stable inflation expectations, a likely deceleration in shelter costs, and a slight easing of pressures on resources. Nonetheless, all meeting participants expressed concern about the risks to this outlook. The latest readings on core inflation were higher than expected, and it was difficult to discern whether the apparent downward trend in core inflation during the past few quarters was continuing. Also, the recent increases in prices for energy and some non-energy imports likely would boost overall inflation in the near term and might put upward pressure on prices of some core goods and services. Moreover, rates of resource utilization that were near the high end of historical experience suggested a possibility that inflation pressures could build. Participants agreed that risks around the expected and desired path of a gradual decline in core inflation remained mainly to the upside; some noted that upside risks to inflation appeared to have increased slightly in recent months.
In the Committee�s discussion of monetary policy for the period between its March and May meetings, all members favored keeping the target federal funds rate at 5-1/4 percent. Recent developments were seen as supporting the Committee�s view that maintaining the current target was likely to foster moderate economic growth and to further the gradual reduction of core inflation from its elevated level. Nonetheless, the combination of generally weaker-than-expected economic indicators and uncomfortably high readings on inflation suggested increased downside risks to economic growth and greater uncertainty that the expected gradual decline in core inflation would materialize.
In light of the recent economic data and anecdotal information, the Committee agreed that the statement to be released after the meeting should note that economic indicators had been mixed, that the adjustment in the housing market was ongoing, and that the economy seemed likely to expand at a moderate pace over coming quarters. Members agreed the statement also should indicate that inflation pressures seemed likely to moderate over time, but that recent readings on core inflation had been somewhat elevated and the high level of resource utilization had the potential to sustain inflation pressures. A persistence of inflation at recent rates could eventually have adverse consequences for economic performance. All members agreed the statement should indicate that the Committee�s predominant policy concern remains the risk that inflation will fail to moderate as expected. The Committee agreed that further policy firming might prove necessary to foster lower inflation, but in light of the increased uncertainty about the outlook for both growth and inflation, the Committee also agreed that the statement should no longer cite only the possibility of further firming. Instead, the statement should indicate that future policy adjustments will depend on the evolution of the outlook for both inflation and economic growth, as implied by incoming information.
At the conclusion of the discussion, the Committee voted to authorize and direct the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, until it was instructed otherwise, to execute transactions in the System Account in accordance with the following domestic policy directive:
�The Federal Open Market Committee seeks monetary and financial conditions that will foster price stability and promote sustainable growth in output. To further its long-run objectives, the Committee in the immediate future seeks conditions in reserve markets consistent with maintaining the federal funds rate at an average of around 5-1/4 percent.�
The vote encompassed approval of the text below for inclusion in the statement to be released at 2:15 p.m.:
�In these circumstances, the Committee�s predominant policy concern remains the risk that inflation will fail to moderate as expected. Future policy adjustments will depend on the evolution of the outlook for both inflation and economic growth, as implied by incoming information.�
Votes for this action: Messrs. Bernanke, Geithner, Hoenig, Kohn, and Kroszner, Ms. Minehan, Messrs. Mishkin, Moskow, Poole, and Warsh.
Votes against this action: None.
The Committee then returned to the topic of improving policy communications. Participants expressed a range of views on the possible advantages and disadvantages of specifying a numerical price objective for monetary policy and on technical aspects of a quantification. Participants emphasized that any such move would need to be consistent with the Committee�s statutory objectives for promoting maximum employment as well as price stability. The Committee made no decisions on this issue. Participants also discussed the communications role of the economic projections that are made periodically by the members of the Board of Governors and the Reserve Bank presidents. A number of substantive and practical issues would still need to be evaluated before the Committee could make decisions about an enhanced role for projections in explaining policy. The Committee planned to continue its review of communication issues at the FOMC meeting in June 2007.
It was agreed that the next meeting of the Committee would be held on Wednesday,
May 9, 2007.
Notation Vote
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CSR Throws Spotlight on Wireless Networked Audio and Bluetooth Smart Technologies at CES 2013
CSR Throws Spotlight on Wireless Networked Audio and Bluetooth Smart Technologies at CES 2013
More than 40 Public and Private Demos Underscore Diversity of CSR Solutions for Consumer Electronics
LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- CSR plc (LSE: CSR; NASDAQ: CSRE) today unveiled at the 2013 International Consumer Electronics Show a bold array of demonstrations of turnkey hardware and software solutions that manufacturers can use to deliver exciting capabilities and differentiating features in the next generation of wireless and networked audio products and a variety of Bluetooth® Smart devices. With more than 40 public and private demonstrations at the show, CSR underscores the diversity of wireless connectivity, voice and music, advanced imaging and printing, automotive infotainment and indoor location and navigation solutions it is providing to the world's most popular consumer electronics brands.
New Platforms for Wi-Fi Enabled Audio
At the show, CSR is demonstrating its leadership in Wi-Fi® enabled home audio by introducing the Sonata™ networked media processor and the VibeHub™ and VibePlayer™ networked audio platforms. These turnkey hardware and software solutions will make it easier for manufacturers to rapidly create a broad range of affordable DLNA-Certified® intelligent audio hubs and low-cost, portable, battery-powered wireless speakers and speaker docks with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Bluetooth Smart connectivity that will allow people to enjoy very high-quality, synchronised multi-room audio throughout the home, indoors and out.
"Networked, wireless home audio and the smart home present exciting new opportunities for CSR, and we have put a huge effort into building upon our proven technologies to create exciting new solutions for consumer electronics manufacturers in these markets, as evidenced by the extent of the demonstrations we are presenting at this show," said Patrick Little, senior vice president of sales and marketing at CSR. "Our µEnergy and Wi-Fi technology opens the door to exciting new applications in the home, outdoors and on the road by enabling smart devices and sensors to interact with each other to automate many common tasks and provide greater convenience. Our turnkey solutions make it easier for manufacturers to bring new applications to market quickly and cost effectively."
New Platforms for Sound Bars
CSR is also introducing two new platform solutions that will enable OEMs and ODMs to quickly and easily develop a full range of high-quality, cost-optimised sound bar products with Bluetooth wireless subwoofers addressing the low to high ends of this growing market. From a single-chip platform for sound bars based on the CSR8670™ wireless audio SoC (system-on-chip) to a fully integrated and scalable solution based on the CSR MAPX™ multimedia applications processor SoC family, these turnkey hardware and software platforms give consumer electronics manufacturers the greatest flexibility to address all segments of the market with a comprehensive range of products from a single vendor.
New Low-Latency aptX for Gaming
CSR will also be demonstrating numerous Bluetooth enabled headphones, speaker docks, sound bars, tablets and smartphones that incorporate CSR aptX® technology for delivering high-quality audio over wireless connectivity. The aptX audio codec now features in consumer audio products from leading global brands such as Beats®, Creative®, Denon®, Monster®, Nokia®, Samsung®, Sennheiser® and many others.
In addition, CSR will be giving what is believed to be the first practical demonstration of its aptX Low Latency audio codec being used to empower Bluetooth connectivity to deliver action-synchronised, high-quality audio to a wireless gaming headset. By overcoming Bluetooth's inherent inability to allow users to play games interactively with synchronised high-quality audio and visual action, the aptX Low Latency codec opens the door to new markets for Bluetooth, making possible "universal" headsets serving both high-fidelity wireless audio and gaming applications.
Elsewhere, CSR will be demonstrating the superb audio performance and software-driven configurability of its unique DDFA® all-digital amplification technology which employs direct digital feedback to make extremely efficient, compact, multi-channel, high-quality audio power amplifiers for a variety of speaker systems designed for the home and for in-car entertainment.
µEnergy Platforms for Bluetooth Smart
CSR has extended its leadership in ultra low power connectivity technology with a collection of CSR µEnergy® Bluetooth low energy solutions that OEMs and ODMs can customise to rapidly develop new and innovative Bluetooth Smart fitness, smart home and human interface products. Various practical demonstrations of these Bluetooth Smart solutions illustrate the revolutionary possibilities that CSR µEnergy technology can enable across a range of applications, allowing, for example, smart devices and sensors to interact with each other to automate common tasks and provide greater consumer convenience.
SiRFusion Platform for Location-as-a-Service
CSR will demonstrate its innovative SiRFusion™ location platform at this year's show. SiRFusion combines GNSS, Wi-Fi and pedestrian dead-reckoning measurements on a smartphone platform with indoor maps to provide an unparalleled user experience. This capability will be demonstrated live, together with CSR Location Services, a new, cloud-based location service platform that enables seamless indoor/outdoor positioning augmented with proximity awareness and geo-fencing for rapid deployment in asset and data management applications for enterprise and government systems.
AtlasVI Platform for Automotive Infotainment
On the automotive infotainment front, CSR will demonstrate a number of automotive-grade multimedia SoC, location, connectivity and audio technologies. For example, one demonstration shows the SiRF AtlasVI™ platform, the latest-generation, location-aware, multimedia SoC from CSR, performing a number of graphics-intensive applications combined with in-vehicle use cases for Bluetooth Smart; another demonstration shows how the SiRFstarV™, the latest-generation, location-aware SoC is capable of simultaneously tracking GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO and COMPASS global navigation satellite systems. Finally, the UniFi® CSR6000™ Wi-Fi demonstration highlights the exciting range of use cases for in-car Wi-Fi, while another automotive infotainment demonstration proves the concept of using Bluetooth to stream high-quality audio within the vehicle by making use of the CSR aptX audio codec.
COACH Platforms for Digital-SLR Cameras
A collection of the latest CSR COACH™ video and image processor-based cameras will be demonstrated, highlighting advanced video, connectivity and image quality features.
All of this and more will be presented in the CSR booth #MP25179 and private suites during the show. Attendees wishing to view the private demonstrations should contact CSR for an appointment.
All CSR's news at CES can be found on its online press kit: http://www.tradeshownews.com/events/2013-International-CES/CSR/
About CSR
CSR is a global provider of innovative silicon and software solutions for the location-aware, media-rich, cloud-connected world. Our platforms are optimised for the automotive navigation and infotainment, digital cameras and imaging, connected home infotainment and wireless audio markets. We provide solutions to complex problems in the audio-visual, connectivity and location technology domains across a broad range of markets, with a technology portfolio that includes GPS/GNSS systems, Bluetooth®, Wi-Fi®, FM, NFC, aptX® and CVC™ audio codecs, JPEG, MPEG, H.264 imaging, PDL printing, microcontrollers, DSPs and broadband receivers. CSR's technology solutions and market platforms enable its customers to deliver a superior user experience and are adopted by leaders in the auto, computer, home and mobile markets. More information can be found at www.csr.com. Keep up to date with CSR on our technical blog or CSR people blog, YouTube, Facebook or follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/CSR_plc
This press release contains certain statements (including statements concerning plans and objectives of management for future operations or performance, or assumptions related thereto) that are not historical facts and constitute 'forward looking statements' within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 in relation to CSR's products and technology, including those designed for networked audio, sound bars, high-fidelity Bluetooth stereo, Bluetooth Smart, advanced imaging, location-as-a-service, and automotive infotainment products, devices and other technology, and their performance characteristics in manufacturer's products, devices and other technology, and other future events and their potential effects on CSR. These forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as 'will,' 'can deliver,' offers', 'allows', 'to enhance,' 'enables,' 'designed to' and other similar expressions regarding the performance characteristics of CSR's products and technology, and their performance characteristics in consumer electronics products, and their potential effects on CSR. Any future release of CSR's products and technology or consumer electronics products containing such technology, related products or modifications to such products' capability, functionality or features are subject to ongoing evaluation by CSR and its customers, and may or may not be implemented and should not be considered firm commitments by CSR or its customers and should not be relied upon in making purchasing decisions. Such forward-looking statements represent the current expectations and beliefs of management of CSR, and are based upon numerous assumptions regarding CSR's business strategies and the environment in which CSR will operate and therefore involve a number of known and unknown risks, contingencies, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of CSR, including, but not limited to, those detailed from time to time in CSR's periodic reports (whether under the caption Risk Factors or Forward Looking Statements or elsewhere), which are available at the SEC's web site http://www.sec.gov. Each forward looking statement speaks only as of the date hereof. CSR does not undertake to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward looking statements contained herein, otherwise than required by law.
Bluetooth® and the Bluetooth logos are trademarks owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and licensed to CSR.
Wi-Fi®, Wi-Fi Alliance®, WMM®, Wi-Fi Protected Access®, WPA®, WPA2®, Wi-Fi Protected Setup™ and Wi-Fi Multimedia™ are trademarks of the Wi-Fi Alliance.
Lori Evans
Evans Public Relations
+1 (650) 200-5891
Sally Brown
Rocket Communications
+44(0)845 370 7024
KEYWORDS: United States North America
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Preheat oven to 380 degrees F.
In a large bowl sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and set aside.
In another large bowl, whisk together the sugar, oil, egg and yogurt. Add the dry ingredients reserving 1 tablespoon of the dry ingredients and toss with the blueberries. Stir mixture for a count of 10. Add 1 cup blueberries to mixture and stir 3 more times. Reserve the 1/2 cup of blueberries.
Using a #20 ice cream scoop, add the mixture to greased muffin pans. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of berries on top of muffins and press down lightly. Place into the oven and increase the temperature to 400 degrees. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, rotating pan halfway through. Remove from oven and turn out, upside down on tea towel to cool completely. Serve immediately or store in airtight container for 2 to 3 days.


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Black and white photographs
Black and white photographs are the end product of the first form of photography that was developed in the early 1800's, and they remained the norm for over 100 years before the development of color photography became refined enough to offer a viable alternative.
Classic black and white photographs
Even when the development of color had gathered enough steam to overtake, in decorative and artistic applications the black and white continued to reign supreme, garnering an air of prestige and classicism. Even now, in the digital age, where high resolution digital cameras are relatively affordable, many photographers still prefer to take black and white photographs.
A black and white poster
Black and white photographs remain popular for many reasons, the strong contrasts appeal to the eye and can create quite dramatic effects and stir deep emotions. Where color photographs mimic life as we experience it more closely, the black and white take on a more artistic function, which excites the imagination, making it ideal for a poster. A poster or art print on a stretched canvas featuring an elegant black and white photo would struggle to look out of place on the wall in any home. Indeed, as well as being arguably the most suitable form of photography for a poster, black and white has the added advantage of being incredibly versatile aesthetically. At ARTFLAKES there is a vast array of black and white photographs ready to be printed to a poster or canvas of your choice.


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Good morning, Sunday has rolled around quickly again so its time for a new challenge and for the next two weeks our theme is
you don't have to use PanPastels to colour on your project but you'll see that the DT have been busy colouring their images with PanPastels to create some gorgeous effects!
As always there is a fab prize up for grabs from those lovely peeps at Premium Craft Brands and this time our lucky winner will receive a mask and a PanPastel (colours may vary)
It has been so dark here all week,so I decided we needed some sun.
I stamped my image and clear embossed it I then coloured it in with Pan Pastels. The colours used are below....My backing papers have been made by adding phthalo blue Pan Pastel with light modeling paste and simply painting this on with a brush,I then over stamped
and sanded it to give it a distressed look .xxx
Yvonne - This beautiful Magnolia stamp is perfect for colouring with Panpastels. I used the delicate colours for the background with the stronger colours being used for the flowers at the front of card to bring them out.
Claire C I've made a shadow box using Maimeri Iridescent Medium coloured with Turquoise PanPastel to create the frame and the background. I've also used my PanPastels to colour the focal image, you can find the colours used below the pics, I also used the new PanPastel Colourless Blender - its fabulous!!
Tracy - I went bold and strong for my colour palette today using Pan Pastels mixed with Gesso and water.
here if you have time to hop on along. xoxo
here if you have time to hop on along. xoxo
Terry I have made a notebook coloring everything with Pearlescent PanPastels. I started out with Gesso, using Light Modelling Paste with the Burlap stencil from Dutch Doobadoo. I have colored the background with Green, Red, Orange and Green Pearlescent PanPastels. Worked with a embossingfolder and placed a butterfly on a oval. To finish I placed a little wooden corner that I colored with Brown PanPastel.
These are the products I have worked with:
We'll be back next week to announce the winners from our Cold and Frosty colours challenge and with lots more inspiration from the DT so don't forget to pop back
We don't really do loads of rules here but we do have a couple so please take note:
1. No back links
2. Only 2 entries to make it fair for everyone
3. We'd love you to TRY and play along with the challenge if you can although it's not a hard and fast rule but extra brownie points are awarded to those who do.
4. The main prize can only be posted to a UK address - if the prize is not claimed within 14 days it will be offered to someone on the Top 3 from the same week.
5. You MUST be a follower of this blog to enter
The challenge will run until Saturday 13th December and the winner and top 3 will be announced on Sunday 21st December
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Stone Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale
We're brewers whose substantial mettle and idiomatic approach to brewing allows us to consistently create works of art such as this justifiably self-righteous ale. Its bitterness hits our sweet spot. Its blackness lightens our hearts. Its liquid dichotomy pulls it all together in this sublimely sacrosanct ale. Yes, we damn well know our stuff here at Stone, and it would be irresponsible of us not to acknowledge how remarkable this heavenly creation of ours is. Thus the name we are compelled to give it --- Stone Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale --- serves as a reminder of just how good we are, in both liquid and verbal form.
We're certainly not perfect. Too often, we allow our modesty to get the best of us as we're simply not inclined towards senseless braggadocio. When you're good, you're good. And when you do something great, the least you can do is acknowledge it. Others benefit from knowing. In this case, we find that we are compelled to point out how amazing this ale is that we rightly call the Stone Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale.
First brewed in 2007 as the Stone 11th Anniversary Ale, this ale was an instant hit. With us. Other folks with great taste loved it too, but we were focused on how much we liked it, and we felt it was truly sublime. That euphoria didn't last long though, as it was soon replaced with the grim reality that when we sold out of it there wouldn't be any more. For us. And that was simply unacceptable. So, we are now blessing ourselves, and you the enlightened, with this ale. Thusly, you may now revel in your own self-righteousness as you see fit with this glorious example of ours. You are genuinely welcome, as it is our pleasure.
Hop Variety:
Chinook, Simcoe & Amarillo
ALC/VOL 8.7%, 90 IBUs


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This eye catching all over print is bound to make a statement for the summer. This short sleeve shirt is lightweight and perfect for keeping you cool on those warm days.
Christmas 2014
The cut off point for guranteed UK delivery is 2pm on Friday 20th December.
Cut off for all deliveries is 3pm Monday-Friday, though some orders placed later could be included up until 4pm though not guaranteed. There are also further stipulations with Next Day orders as they are only processed on working days (Monday-Friday)
All UK orders on or over ?100 are shipped free of delivery charges.
Within the UK, we use a courier service called Interlink Express. Its a company that has many merits including a one hour delivery slot sent to you by SMS and convenient re-delivery options.
Next Day Delivery applies to the next working day so any items ordered on a weekend will be processed at the earliest opportunity which is Monday.
Royal Mail Tracked
The Royal Mail Tracked service offers customers a cost effective way to receive their goods, though all parcels using this method are still tracked by Royal Mail until they reach the customer, giving both ourselves at Triads and you the customer peace of mind.
The Tracked service is stated at estimated delivery of 2-3 working days though is nine times out of ten, 1-2 working days. Please get in touch if you'd like to use this service.
Royal Mail Special Delivery
We also offer the ever popular Royal Mail Special Delivery service on request which aims to deliver your parcel guaranteed before 1pm the next working day. This does not include weekends so orders placed on a Friday cannot be guaranteed until the following Monday before 1pm.
Guaranteed Saturday delivery is available upon request, please call us on 01642 254124 or check the Royal Mail website for rates and further details.
International Orders
All orders are sent using the Royal Mail International Signed-For service (though couriers are possibly available upon request). If required, you can also send your own courier (at the customers expense) to collect your items. For Dubai and the United Arab Emirates we use Aramex for all deliveries, please contact us for pricing before making a purchase.
International orders please allow 7-10 working days before contacting us
European orders are ?10.00 per order
Rest of World orders are ?15.00 per order
Please note that we are unable to ship adidas merchandise to countries outside of the EU. This rule was implemented by adidas on the 1st of January 2013 and is something we as a retailer must adhere to. We apologise for any inconvenience.
International orders can contain a maximum of two pairs of shoes under the flat rate and a larger order than this will be subject to extra charges.
We will email you when your order has been dispatched.
If you have not received your order, please contact us quoting your order number.
Pre Order Product
Pre ordered product is shipped at the earliest opportunity as soon as the product arrives. We are unable to give a precise date but can normally provide a an indication of which month they are scheduled for. We apologise but can't be accountable for any slight delays.


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Armed violence prevention, gun control laws and the small arms trade:
To compare Thailand to others, add or remove countries or states below. Only those which publish comparable data for the chosen category appear in the list. To re-create or to E-mail this chart, copy its URL from your browser address bar.


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The terrible news, as you've no doubt heard by now, is that there were two terrorist attacks in Norway – one at the capital of Oslo and another, more deadly attack, just outside the city at a camp for children. Reports are that the death toll is around 90 people killed, many of them children, and scores were seriously wounded. All those numbers may yet rise. The shooter is alive and in custody. He has been identified as a 32-year-old Norwegian farmer, Anders Behring Breivik (picture below via MSNBC from his Facebook page). Racism seems to be implicated in this story in two, very telling, ways: Breivik's views and the initial news reports about the terror strikes.
Anti-Immigrant, Anti-Muslim Views. According to Norwegian journalist Liss Goril Anda, writing for the BBC, Breivik had posted "racist, extremist right-wing comments along with fellow anti-Muslims" on right-wing websties. On his Facebook profile, he identified his political views as "Christian, conservative." However, Breivik didn't belong to any known factions in Norway's small and splintered extreme right movement. Goril Anda writes that the Breivik's online postings represent, "with varying degrees of extremism, a section of the Norwegian population which feels that the country's immigration policies are too lax." Goril Anda goes on to speculate, "Norway might now be forced to deal head-on with this undercurrent of nationalism and anti-immigration sentiments." The Mail refers to him as "an extremist who hated Muslims."
According to another report, Breivik was recently posting online that politics today was not about socialism vs. capitalism but nationalism vs. internationalism. He argued on a Swedish news website that the media were not critical enough about Islam and claimed that Geert Wilders' Party for Freedom in the Netherlands was the only "true" party of conservatives. (Wilders said in a statement, "I despise everything he stands for and everything he did.")
Breivik recommended other sites associated with the so-called counter-jihad movement, notably Jihad Watch, Gates of Vienna and the Brussels Journal. In December 2009 he wrote that he was working full time to promote the ideas of Islamophobes like Robert Spencer and Bat Ye'or.
He also wrote of his contacts with the English Defence League (EDL) and Stop Islamisation of Europe and claimed to have given them advice on strategy. He attached importance to building "a Norwegian version" of the EDL to fight against anti-fascists and anti-racists.
Updated Sunday, 8:26amET: And, of course, the racism in his selection of victims: "Many of the victims in Friday's shooting were the children of immigrants from Africa and Asia…" according to New York Times (via @Alondra).
Shameful Journalism. Shiva Balaghi writing at Jadaliyya has an excellent piece detailing all the major news outlets that first reported this story as a case of "Muslim terrorists" and/or "jihadi groups," supposedly "angered at the war in Afghanistan," including: the New York Times, The Financial Times, and PBS. Perhaps most revealing is her account of Judy Woodruff on PBS' Newshour, Balaghi writes:
Judy Woodruff's interview with a Norwegian journalist that aired on PBS's Newshour followed a similar scenario. We did learn that "a thirty-two-year old white Norwegian guy [sic]" had been arrested for presumably having carried out the bombings and the shootings. But no information was provided on the attacker's motivations or political affiliation; Woodruff simply did not ask those questions. Who forms the neo-Nazi movement in Norway? [emphasis added]
Benjamin Doherty writing at The Electric Intifada has this more detailed account of how a supposed "expert" on terrorism set media speculation on Muslims following the attacks:
"Experts" who supposedly study this topic — almost always white men and very often with military or government backgrounds — direct suspicion toward Muslims by pointing to claims of responsibility on "jihadi" web sites that only they have access to. Notorious attacks invariably inspire false claims of responsibility, or false reports of claims of responsibility, but this apparently doesn't discourage the media and experts from giving them undue attention.
From the "experts" to The New York Times to the world…
The New York Times originally reported:
A terror group, Ansar al-Jihad al-Alami, or the Helpers of the Global Jihad, issued a statement claiming responsibility for the attack, according to Will McCants, a terrorism analyst at C.N.A., a research institute that studies terrorism.
In later editions, the story was revised to read:
Initial reports focused on the possibility of Islamic militants, in particular Ansar al-Jihad al-Alami, or Helpers of the Global Jihad, cited by some analysts as claiming responsibility for the attacks. American officials said the group was previously unknown and might not even exist.
The source was Will McCants, adjunct faculty at Johns Hopkins University, and Doherty does an effective job in tracking down McCants' sketchy sources on this story. Even after McCants posted that his information was flawed (and the claim for responsibility had been retracted), major news outlets like the BBC, the New York Times, The Guardian, The Washington Post were still promoting information originally sourced from him.
The news spread quickly and amplified the association in many people's mind between "terrorism" and "Muslim." The problem, of course, is that it wasn't true, even as these mainstream news outlets kept reporting that it was.
White-Blindness & Terrorism. Taken together, these paint a broader picture of the ways we do not see race when it is white, and the ways we do not acknowledge racism in our thinking about terrorism and the ill-conceived "war on terror." In a way, we have white-blindess, like snow blindness, when it comes to terrorism. A white, Christian, conservative, anti-Muslim, anti-immigrant terrorist takes up arms and the mainstream media is caught short trying to report on the story because of their own white-blindness, their inability to see, indeed even imagine, whiteness as a race. It's likely now that these same news outlets will start referring to him as a "lone wolf," increasingly a phrase that is used only to describe white terrorists. The "lone wolf" designation further distances Breivik's politics from his actions. The rhetoric of "terrorism" and "the war on terrorism" is language that is steeped in connotations of a dangerous, Dark Other, despite the evidence to the contrary. Like the attack by Timothy McVeigh on Oklahoma City that killed 168 people, the Norway attacks demonstrate that white men can be terrorists. It's only white-blindness that keeps us from seeing that.


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About Brian Marick
Brian Marick was a programmer, tester, and team lead in the 80's, a testing consultant in the 90's, and is an Agile consultant this decade.
He was one of the authors of the Manifesto for Agile Software Development and is a past chair of the board of the Agile Alliance.
He's the author of two books, The Craft of Software Testing (1994) and Everyday Scripting with Ruby (2007). The second is actually pretty good.
He is a frequent invited speaker at conferences, including at Better Software 2004; Agile 2005; Pacific Northwest Software Quality Conference 2005; and Software Process Advancement, XP Day Toronto, and OOPSLA (all in 2007).


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Coca Cola's equity investments in selected bottling companies have strengthened its global production, distribution, and marketing capacities. Yet the soda company and its bottlers operate very different businesses, and often have conflicting goals. In 2010, the company bought out the public shareholders of Coca Cola Enterprises, its largest bottler, which controls 80 percent of the US market and almost all of Canada, Great Britain, and Western Europe. In this case, students consider an alternative investment scenario and determine the impact on Coca Cola's consolidated financial statements.
Case ID: 110101
Buy select cases through The Case Centre, Ivey Publishing and Harvard Business Publishing.
Contact us by e-mail at Columbia CaseWorks or 212-853-8585.


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Josh Hadley, a plumber foreman with Tapani Plumbing Inc., installs water lines at the Pleasant Avenue Veterans Housing project in Oregon City. (Josh Kulla/DJC)
The Pleasant Avenue Veterans Housing project from Northwest Housing Alternatives will be named after a service member after it is completed at the end of this year. (Josh Kulla/DJC)
Journeyman carpenter Gabriel Abarca, an employee of Wood Mechanix, installs a roof truss. (Josh Kulla/DJC)
Julio Cesar, a carpenter with Wood Mechanix, frames a second-story window opening. (Josh Kulla/DJC)
The two-story Pleasant Avenue Veterans Housing project will contain 24 apartments. (Josh Kulla/DJC)
Journeyman electrician Michael Stewart, bottom, and apprentice Danil Rybalka, both employees of Advanced Electric, place below-grade conduit at the Pleasant Avenue Veterans Housing project. (Josh Kulla/DJC)
Wood Mechanix carpenter Julio Cesar frames second-floor window opening. (Josh Kulla/DJC)
Juan Ledesma, a journeyman carpenter with Wood Mechanix, frames interior walls. (Josh Kulla/DJC)
The building will contain four studio apartments, eight two-bedroom units and 12 one-bedroom units. (Josh Kulla/DJC)
Carpenters with Wood Mechanix place plywood sheathing on the roof. (Josh Kulla/DJC)
(Josh Kulla/DJC)
Journeyman carpenter Juan Ledesma of Wood Mechanix frames interior walls. (Josh Kulla/DJC)
Michael Stewart, left, and Danil Rybalka, both electricians with Advanced Electric, place below-grade conduit. (Josh Kulla/DJC)
Prefabricated wall panels from Pacific Wall Systems are being used throughout the building. (Josh Kulla/DJC)
The Pleasant Avenue Veterans Housing project in Oregon City will provide affordable housing formerly homeless and low-income military veterans. (Josh Kulla/DJC)
Ehsan Iran-Nejad, right, building information modeling manager for TVA Architects, is spearheading an effort to create open-source plug-ins for the Revit program. (Josh Kulla/DJC)
Adolfo Huerta, a carpenter with Timberland Inc., frames interior walls for Magnolia II, in Northeast Portland, using 3-D BIM modeling and prefabricated wall panels. (Josh Kulla/DJC)
The Magnolia II project in Northeast Portland is being framed with prefabricated panels as part of an effort to increase efficiency in the construction process. (Josh Kulla/DJC)
Every piece of framing lumber used at Magnolia II has been pre-cut and marked according to three-dimensional BIM modeling. (Josh Kulla/DJC)