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When it comes to being a big, muscular meathead and chopping people up into little bits, few people have a resume as impressive as Conan's. This unstoppable barbarian has made his way from books to comics to movies and to videogames, and now he's coming to the PlayStation 3. We got a solid sampling of the game on the show floor at this year's Tokyo Game Show.
Once we started playing the best part was obvious: the weapons. By default Conan has a medium-sized sword. This weapon is always with him and is placed in a scabbard across his back when not in use. It's a fine tool for slicing and dicing but it'd be a shame to limit yourself to just this one blade. Weapons are common and can be found laying about in crypts or taken from defeated enemies. We saw curved blades, huge rectangular swords that looked like they came out of a Final Fantasy game, axes, shields, and other fun pointy objects. Each of these can be picked up and used and dual-welded.
Your fighting style will depend on what weapons you're holding. For example, if you want to go with a traditional one-handed sword and shield loadout, you'll have your typical sword attacks as well as a shield bash along with the added defense that comes from having a the shield itself. If you pick up two short swords you'll become a whirlwind of blade death, dishing out quick, flashy attacks. Pick up a large two-handed sword and you'll dish out big-time damage. You can really mix it up; we were a fan of using two axes, but you can also go axe-sword, or axe-shield. Not only that, but every weapon can be quickly thrown by pressing the R2 button.
Controlling Conan is similar to a lot of other action games out there nowadays. You'll have a quick attack and a powerful attack along with a button to interact with objects. There were more than a few moments that reminded us of the God of War series. There are times when you'll have to open doors by rapidly pressing the Circle button. You'll also get your health back by picking up large vats of liquid (we assume it's wine or perhaps barbarian grog) and gulping it all down.
The level we played took place in an ancient temple inside a mountain. All the enemies we fought were either spirits in armor or big statues come to life. We managed to chew through them pretty easily while trying out all sorts of fun weapon combos. The environments and enemies all looked about par for this generation's HD consoles, which means they looked good, but only good in the same way that almost every other game that comes out nowadays looks good. We never really saw anything that was a visual knockout, but we never saw anything that looked bad either.
Right now our biggest concern with Conan is that it might end up just another hack and slash action game. Hopefully the developers have got stuff later in the game that'll really make this title stand out. If not we could see this one getting lost in the shuffle of games like Devil May Cry 4, Ninja Gaiden 2 and Heavenly Sword.


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X2 Hot is a total technological marvel with more distance, consistent launch & versatility.
We made it thinner, lighter and more robust. It's how the Hyper Speed Face Cup delivers faster ball speeds with more distance to make this club even longer than the X Hot Fairway Wood. Yes, you read that correctly. Longer.
The CG is precisely located, and because of that you'll get more consistent launch and spin across the entire face. That leads to longer shots more frequently, which leads to you having more fun, which then leads to you playing more golf. You like more golf. We like more golf.
This is our best and most versatile sole design and it makes the X2 Hot Fairway easier to hit from every lie. And isn't that what a great fairway wood should do? We think so.
This premium shaft offering delivers excellent feel and control. It's built to optimize launch conditions too.

subset: commoncrawl


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yes, the gd2 file format does improve the speed of image creations as the data-setup is designed to be native for the GD function - ie, the image doesn't have to be converted to a usable format prior to processing.
you may also note that the newer gd2 format creates much smaller size files than the older imagegd function, certainly for images involving chunks of single colours anyway. you'll probably find this function most useful for saving overlay images or background images used in larger image creation scripts.
to read a ping or jpeg image (.png / .jpg) and save a .gd2 version to server...
$img = $_GET['img'];
$dim = getimagesize($img);
$cr = ($dim[2] < 4) ? ($dim[2] < 3) ? ($dim[2] < 2) ? NULL : imagecreatefromjpeg($img) : imagecreatefrompng($img) : Null;
if($cr !== NULL)
should save a copy with the same filename and directory using extension .gd2 - which can then be nicely and swiftly read using either imagecreatefromgd2 or imagecreatefromgd2part


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Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Where is the Best Beer?
It's time to lighten things up a bit and switch to a more pleasant subject.
Yes, beer, or more specifically, which countries have the best beer? On that topic, I am a scholar.A few of the choices are obvious. A couple are surprising. In fact, two of the countries I have chosen for making the best beer are Muslim countries.
Let's take the obvious choice for number one.
1 Germany
German beer is really the best in the world. I learned to drink beer while a soldier in Germany in the 1960s and go back every couple of years. No matter where you go, you will find great beer. There is a myth that Munich has the best beer in Germany. I disagree. The city has a lot of breweries and is arguably the best place to drink beer with its beer gardens and beer halls. However, you can find beer anywhere in Germany that is just as good if not better. (I concede that the eastern part may be catching up to the west because in the days of the DDR, you had far fewer breweries to choose from.)
And a real beer fest? Not to be missed. Munich's is the most famous, but for my money, Erlangen has the best during May and June (Whitsuntide).
My preference is a simple pils from the draft as you would order in a restaurant. The beer is as attractive as it tastes as it is served in a stylish beer glass with the logo of the brewery and a creamy head on top. (I have a collection of German beer glasses that dates back to my army days in the 60s.)
As with all beers, you need to drink them in their own country. German imports-at least in the US- don't taste anywhere near what they do in Germany. If you want the authentic taste in the US, visit the Hofbrauhaus in Las Vegas. It is shipped directly from the Munich Hofbrauhaus in kegs with no changes. It is the real deal.
2 Czech Republic
The real deal
Home of Pilsner Urquell and the original Budweis-which is ten times better than that swill we have in the US of similar name.
3 Holland
Holland doesn't boast as many breweries as Germany. It has two or three that are internationally known, such as Heineken. As with German beer, Heineken doesn't taste the same in the US as it does in Holland. The only problem in Holland, at least up until my last visit, is that they served them in small glasses. Very bothersome.
4 Turkey (Surprised?)
The main brewery is Efes Pilzen, an excellent beer that goes great with Turkish food. When I was in Turkey in the 1980s, they also had a Tuborg brewery which produced a better product than Denmark. That is because it was Turkish beer. That's the way those "under license and supervision" deals work. When they were making Loewenbrau in the US, it was American beer. In Italy, they brewed Heineken locally in the 80s when I was there. It stunk. It was Italian beer (ugh).
5 Philippines
San Miguel. Best beer in Asia along with Indonesia. Trying it here in the US was, of course, disappointing. They used to make it in Hong Kong-again with disappointing results. (Maybe it still is.) In Aruba, I found a Filipino restaurant that got San Miguel from the Filipino sailors who brought cases on the ships. It was the real deal.
6 Indonesia
Bintang is an excellent beer. The Indonesians learned the art of brewing from the Dutch. Hmm. Looks like a good place to drink beer.
There it is. Of course, it is all a matter of opinion and taste. The wave of micro-brews in the US has improved the beer scene dramatically. Yet, the beers I have listed above are superior (to me) than any American beer I have tasted.
14 comments:
I'll drink to that!!!
- January 31, 2012 at 7:37 PM
Have you ever had "Jever" which they drink in the North of Germany, it is very bitter, I don't like it but my sister in Bavaria prefers it. Our "house beer" is "Veltins" which is a pils and has a nice, clean taste. Every time we go to Erlangen we bring back a couple of cases of Kitzmann, which is still my favorite beer, though I am not a big beer drinker, prefering California style red wine. We were in Belgium a few weeks ago and the beer there was excellent. Since you blew it with Lance you won't get to taste some of his excellent home brewed beer, schade.....
- February 1, 2012 at 2:20 AM
- manster said...
Obviously has very poor beer tastes. Me thinks he should down a 12 (pack, not oz) of Newcastle and the reconsider his conclusions.
- February 1, 2012 at 4:28 AM
I always thought the best beer at any given time was the one in your belly.
- February 1, 2012 at 7:06 AM
- Findalis said...
I'll second that Squid.
I agree about the German beer. Best out of the keg.
I also like the Belgium beers. Very good in Belgium, not so good at home.
- February 1, 2012 at 7:09 AM
- Gary Fouse said...
Belgian beers that have 8-15% alcohol are too strong for my taste.
- February 1, 2012 at 9:46 AM
- Gary Fouse said...
I know the two brands but have only had Jever in Riga, which has a Jever restaurant. It was OK, but it was in Latvia. I once spent a night in Brussels sampling the beer. Too strong for my taste. Stella Artois in Belgium is ok but not as good as German beer.
PS: I did not blow it with Lance. Lance blew it with me. When he gets all emotional over GW and starts using words like Liar, F---- coward, and such, that's it.
- February 1, 2012 at 9:50 AM
- Matthew Holderfield said...
You seem to only like lagers. Isn't that a little limited... and boring? I mean, once you've had one good pils, you've had them all. IMO the US has the best beers in the world, second place goes to Belgium and Germany comes in at 3rd with England a close fourth.
- February 1, 2012 at 10:04 AM
- Siarlys Jenkins said...
Well, its not made in Milwaukee any more. No beer is made in Milwaukee any more, except a few bottles for tourists at the Miller Museum.
Since Milwaukee stopped brewing beer, teen pregnancy and single-family parenting have grown by leaps and bounds. There must be a connection.
- February 1, 2012 at 10:24 AM
- Gary Fouse said...
Milwaukee was always over-rated when it came to beer in my view. I mean, Schlitz??!! Miller High Life??
- February 1, 2012 at 12:09 PM
- Gary Fouse said...
Newcastle is a pretty good beer-if you happen to be in the US. Dark beers are fine. I don't go for Weissens.
- February 1, 2012 at 12:11 PM
- Findalis said...
@ Siarlys
There is a relation between a loss of jobs in a community and the destruction of community morals. Look at the cities with high unemployment, high welfare levels and you will find high teen pregnancy and high single parent households.
Could it be that the only way you can get government aid is to be a single parent? And why work when your neighbor on welfare receives free rent, free food, free utilities AND has all the luxuries that you have to scrape and struggle to get? To many young people it is better to get the free money than to work.
- February 1, 2012 at 1:09 PM
- Siarlys Jenkins said...
Excellent, Findalis. You and I are on the same page. Young men stopped marrying the girls they got pregnant after they no longer could get hired at a job that would support the family.
After that, yes, having a child was the ticket to a check, and the men became parasites who moved in with the girls. I've heard a few of these guys on the buses and hanging out at bus stops.
It all started when they stopped producing the beer. Whether it was quality beer, I don't know, because I don't drink the stuff. I have to take Gary's word for it. This is his field of expertise. But Conway Twitty used to sing about "red necks, white socks and blue ribbon beer," so SOME patriotic down home Americans must have been guzzling the stuff.
- February 1, 2012 at 6:21 PM
- Bartender Cabbie said...
I have a friend from CA. who tells me the only good thing about Texas is "Shiner Bock." I find it ok at best really.
Good old Abita Turbo Dog is mighty tasty. It is a Louisiana product and I might be biased a bit.
I recently tried a "Piraat" from Belgium and after getting past the yeastiness and sweetness, I found it pretty good.
- February 4, 2012 at 5:01 AM


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NEW YORK (AP) — Four years ago, she was the star of the Republican National Convention. Now Sarah Palin is upset about getting the hook from the television network where she is working.
The former vice presidential candidate posted on her Facebook page Wednesday that she's "sorry Fox (News Channel) canceled all my scheduled interviews" for the evening. She said she wanted to honor John McCain, who selected her as his running mate in 2008.
Fox executive Bill Shine said the network's plans changed because the Republicans had to condense their schedule of speeches from four nights to three because of Hurricane Isaac. He said Fox looks forward to having Palin back soon.
The former Alaska governor is a paid Fox contributor. She was on the network Monday and Tuesday nights.


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Wild Douse Flames For Fifth Straight Win
The Minnesota Wild beat the Calgary Flames 3-2 Monday night at Xcel Energy Center. The win gives Minnesota a nine point lead in the Wild Card race over Winnipeg.
Kyle Brodziak scored at 9:02 of the second period to break a scoreless tie and give the Wild a 1-0 lead. Mike Cammalleri scored for Calgary with just over three minutes left in the second to tie the game at one.
The Wild secured a 2-1 lead on Jared Spurgeon's power play goal at 5:49 of the third period, then got the eventual game-winning goal from Zach Parise at 14:44 of the period.
Darcy Kuemper made 21 saves to earn the win for Minnesota, the team's fifth straight.
Minnesota is at Dallas Saturday night.


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Not all 9-inch and 10-inch tablets are made to the same specifications. A half-inch there or there and your tablet won't fit into a case. Kensington has solved that problem with a universal case that features a contemporary cover design and can hold all the most popular 9-inch and 10-inch tablets. The soft, lightweight case offers secure protection for your device through the Silicone 4-Corner Base, which uses stay straps that come up and over the corners of the tablet. The inside cover has soft lining that prevents the screen from getting scratched or damaged and a magnetic flap keeps the case securely closed. The cover can be opened or folded into an upright or low-angle triangle stand so you can select the ideal position for watching videos, typing emails or web browsing.
Designed to securely hold a wide variety of 9-inch and 10-inch tablets from the most popular brand names
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Ensures the case is closed securely, maintaining worry-free mobility for you and your tablet
To compare the product you selected, please choose a product below to replace
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text:
Online Collections
Search Tips
The following must appear in ALL CAPS and with a space on each side.
AND—Indicates that the records found must contain all the words joined by the AND operator. For example, to find objects that contain the words wizard, oz, and movie, enter wizard AND oz AND movie.
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Spe-Dem Grand Prix Auto Race
board game
During the so-called Silver Age of American game manufacture (1915-1945) the Rochester firm All-Fair, Inc. was probably the third most important game maker after the giants Parker Brothers and Milton Bradley. Known by several names such as Alderman-Fairchild Company, Fairco, and E.E. Fairchild, the firm grew out of Rochester's strong printing industry, influential since the late nineteenth century. All-Fair's games were characterized by catchy names, timely designs, and bright colors. No job, it seemed, was too big or too small for All-Fair, from individually personalized card decks to paper labels for other manufacturers. Well established in Rochester, the firm eventually moved to Churchville, NY, and began to shrink. The quality and look of their games and puzzles diminished and All-Fair went out of business around 1980.
- Manufacturer: All-Fair, Inc.
- Material: printed paper | cardboard
- Origin: Rochester, NY
- Object ID: 108.1463
All artifact images, interpretive information, and website text © The Strong.


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Text for adapted aquatics instructor courses. A reference for instructors of adapted aquatics professionals who teach or coach in inclusionary aquatics programs and others who teach swimming or manage aquatics programs.
Monica Lepore, EdD, is a professor at West Chester University of Pennsylvania in West Chester. A master teacher of adapted aquatics, Dr. Lepore has been an American Red Cross water safety instructor for more than 25 years. She has a degree in leadership in adapted physical education and was a recipient of the International Swimming Hall of Fame Adapted Aquatics Award in 2001. In 2006 she was named AAHPERD/AAPAR Adapted Physical Education Professional of the Year, and she has been on the Top 100 Aquatics Professionals list twice. She acted as chair for AAHPERD/AAPAR adapted aquatics from 2000 to 2005 and received a Meritorious Award from the Aquatic Council of AAHPERD/AAPAR in 2005. In her leisure time, Dr. Lepore enjoys swimming, biking, and hiking.
G. William Gayle, PhD, CAPE, is a professor and coordinator of adapted physical education at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. A master teacher of adapted aquatics, Dr. Gayle has been an American Red Cross water safety instructor for over 20 years. He holds degrees from Virginia Tech and University of Wisconsin at LaCrosse and a doctorate in adapted physical education and psychology of mental retardation and developmental disabilities from Ohio State University. In 1988 he was inducted into the Ohio Wheelchair Sports Hall of Fame. He served on the AAHPERD/AAPAR adapted aquatics committee from 2000 to 2005. In 2006 he was inducted into the National Wheelchair Basketball Association Intercollegiate Division Hall of Fame and selected as Teacher of the Year in the College of Education and Human Services at Wright State University. He has provided adapted aquatics programs for university students and surrounding school districts for several decades. In his leisure time, he enjoys golfing, swimming, and traveling internationally.
Shawn F. Stevens, EdD, is executive director of Edgemoor Community Center in Wilmington, Delaware. Dr. Stevens has been an American Red Cross instructor trainer for water safety, lifeguarding, first aid, CPR, and AED for 25 years, and he was an adapted aquatics instructor trainer for 18 years. Overall, he has provided leadership in conducting aquatics programs for 30 years, and he assisted with the development of the ADA Accommodation Resource Guide for the American Red Cross. In his spare time, he serves as a volunteer instructor trainer and leadership volunteer for the American Red Cross, and he also enjoys golfing and swimming.
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A decade after he forced poet Amiri Baraka out as poet laureate of New Jersey, former Gov. Jim McGreevey mourned the poet's passing.
Baraka, who died on Jan. 9 at age 79, was seen as one of the last voices of the radical Black Power movement of the 1960s, and a man who retained his radical roots in his home town of Newark.
Baraka had warned McGreevey that naming him to the post of poet laureate in 2001 might bring controversy. Year later, circumstance and protests from the arts community forced McGreevey to ask for Baraka's resignation after the poet published a controversial poem about 9/11, a poem Baraka continued to read even though some of the information contained in it was proven to be inaccurate.
The confrontation in 2002 was not personal, McGreevey said.
McGreevey, along with many of the state's art elite, were outraged by a 9/11 poem Baraka read at the 2002 Dodge Poetry Festival slightly more than a year after the terrorist attack brought down the Twin Towers and destroyed a portion of the Pentagon, resulting in deaths of thousands of innocent people.
Baraka questioned whether Israel knew in advance of the attack on the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001 and whether the nation deliberately ordered its citizens to stay away from the buildings.
"There is a difficult tension in people who are creative and those who make public policy. Amiri was in a different place." – Jim McGreevey
His lines ran as follows: "who knew the World Trade Center / was gonna get bombed / Who told 4,000 Israeli workers at / the Twin Towers / to stay home that day?
Baraka offered no apology, claiming that the U.S. government was well aware of the attack before it happened. Baraka believed the United States and others were seeking to use the attack as an excuse to crack down on unfriendly governments in the Middle East.
The line was based on a website claim that was later proven to be inaccurate.
At the time, McGreevey was besieged by complaints, but a decade later, he said he understood the conflict between art and government.
"There is a difficult tension in people who are creative and those who make public policy," said the former governor, who now heads Jersey City's jobs commission. "Amiri was in a different place. It was my mistake to ever think that he would feel compromised by the state designation. He did not want to compromise his art."
Amiri was a radical in the truest sense of the word, defying convention when he found convention generated inequality, especially when he came to race.
Over the years, Baraka continued to read the poem as a kind of personal protest, something he commented on during an appearance at Jersey City Library in the Greenville section a few years later. Baraka's firing became a symbol of the limits of free speech for many.
The benefit of hindsight and time's passage
But in marking Baraka's passing earlier this month McGreevey called the poet "a great artist."
"He was exceptionally gifted," McGreevey said. "I named him poet laureate because I appreciated his art, his intelligence and his creative energy. I've always had great personal affection for him and recognized him as a gifted creative force."
While McGreevey and Baraka did not make public peace, they shared mutual friends, and McGreevey understood Baraka's position.
"As governor, I had to deal with the responsibility of my office," McGreevey said. "People who cherish his work also admire his artistic freedom. The position of poet laureate created a conflict in his creative license. He saw that as something sacred. He understood things from a different perspective. It wasn't in him to compromise. But his loss is the loss of a great artist."
McGreevey said he understands the radical side of Baraka. And remarkably, over the last decade, McGreevey has moved closer to the place Baraka occupied, working with many of the same people.
In Newark, even hardened street gang members would step aside on the street out of respect for Baraka, knowing that his voice represented many of those who had no voice of their own in an unfair community.
"I consider myself radical," McGreevey said, citing his work with many of the same prison population Baraka represented in his work.
"When one out of every 100 people is in prison then there is something radically wrong with the system," McGreevey said. "This should put us on notice that we are failing."
McGreevey laughed during a telephone interview at the irony of his winding up in the same sphere as Baraka.
"Maybe this is his best revenge," McGreevey said. "He's bringing me over to that place."
Payne pays tribute to Baraka as well
Rep. Donald M. Payne, Jr. who represents Newark as well as parts of Bayonne and Jersey City, paid tribute Baraka as well, calling him "an icon"
"Born during the Depression, at a time when racial tensions were at their peak, Amiri Baraka used poetry to empower and enlighten," Payne said. "He eventually founded the Black Arts Movement of the 1960s and 70s, and received countless awards for his contributions to the arts. My father and he attended school together, and I'll never forget as a youngster, hearing Amiri Baraka's poetry, and recognizing the power his written words had over a person – regardless of age, gender, or race."
Baraka, as McGreevey also noted, was not only a poet, he was an activist. In 1969, he organized the Black Puerto Rican Convention which brought those communities together at a bleak time. He was also one of the main organizers and the keynote speaker at the 1972 Black Political Convention in Gary, Ind.
"His profound words were influential as many searched for meaning in some of the most troubling struggles of our time – like civil rights, war, oppression, and poverty," Payne said. Later, he taught at SUNY Buffalo and SUNY Stony Brook, giving his talents to a new generation of poets, artists, and activists."
Al Sullivan may be reached at email@example.com.


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Here's a weekly blog featuring former UCLA players and what they did in their NFL games:
Akeem Ayers, fourth-year linebacker for the Tennessee Titans: Ayers was active for the Titans for only the second time in 2014, and had his best game. He made three tackles in the Titans' 29-28 loss to the Cleveland Browns.
Anthony Barr, rookie linebacker for the Minnesota Vikings: The Vikings played Thursday night, so Barr attended UCLA's loss to Utah on Saturday. He made six tackles in the Vikings' 42-10 loss to the Green Bay Packers.
Nate Chandler, third-year offensive tackle for the Carolina Panthers:...


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Wooden BBQ in Tin Suitcase
or make 4 interest-free payments of $8.74 AUD fortnightly with More info
This barbecue set is fitting for the hungry little chefs out there. It is complete with 15 pieces consisting of 1 salt shaker, 1 pepper shaker, 10 food pieces, 2 skewers and 1 bbq rack food pieces can be taken out from the skewers.
Ages 3yrs+
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Last updated: 28/08/2018, 10:30pm AEST


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Message Board
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Author Taylor's Book Reviews
Resurrection Pinnacle, Sept 2002, 5.99, 304 pp. ISBN 0786014717 Deidre Griffin and Mitch Greer are still very much in love and happily married but that is the only thing in their lives that have remained the same. They reside in Whitby, England where they run the local pub and live on the edge ever since vampires have come out of the closet and humans know that they are real. The Others, beings who know how to fight vampires, are determined to e...
The Vampire Vivienne
Karen E Taylor Zebra, Sep 2001, 5.99, 302 pp. ISBN: 0786012064 Vivienne Courbet was born in Paris, but ultimately ran away from her home. In 1719, she went to a brothel, The where the news of her beauty, youth and innocence eventually reached the attention of her employers Victor and Mona. The duo was as impressed as her customers and converted the vibrant Vivienne into one of them, a vampire. She easily changed to her new lifestyle a...


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Tom Corbett isn't the flashiest or most charismatic governor in America. But I'm beginning to think he may be the dumbest:
Gov. Corbett toured a Malvern factory powered by state-of-the-art robotics Tuesday, then hit the automatic-reset button on a replay of the state university tuition wars that dominated the battle over his first budget proposal last year.
Corbett insisted to reporters during his tour of the high-tech Siemens Medical Solutions plant that his 2012-13 plan for a steep new cuts in state aid to higher education - including 30 percent less money to state-backed schools such as Pennsylvania State and Temple Universities - could be dealt with by reducing campus operating costs, not by raising tuition.
Let's think about this. Corbett is touring a manufacturing plant driven by robotics -- proof that the kind of assembly line jobs that once existed for high school grads have disappeared, and that our economy now needs college grads with math and science training to design these high-tech devices. And he chooses this as a venue to defend his jihad against public universities for the middle-class in Pennsylvania. Brilliant.
Corbett's right about one thing -- universities are bloated and inefficient, and smart cost-cutting is one part of the solution. But in the end Harrisburg needs to work with college administrators to pour any savings back into making higher education more affordable, not more expensive. If he really wanted to create jobs in the Keystone State, Corbett would push for efficiencies that would lower tuition -- not raise it -- and also bolster community colleges and vocational training. I guess Grover Norquist wouldn't sign off on that plan, unfortunately.
Corbett has more leeway in the budget than he lets on -- in some areas he's actually increasing spending. This is what's more important to the governor than sending Pennsylvania kids to college:
For instance, Corbett's budget proposal provides $1 million in anticipation of a voter ID bill passing. This bill was introduced by state Republicans last year, but did not pass. It would have required that voters show a government-issued photo ID before being allowed to cast a ballot. Critics argued that the bill would disenfranchise senior and minority voters.
Also, as we like to say here at the Daily News in front-page headlines...WTF?
Another area that gets more funding this year under Corbett's proposal is the state's Alternatives to Abortion Services Program. The budget allocates more than $6 million to it, which is a slight boost from last year.
The relatively-unknown program, which is run by a contractor, funds counselors throughout the state who work to convince pregnant women not to have abortions. It is paid out of the Department of Public Welfare's budget — which has otherwise seen massive cuts under the Corbett administration.
So the same conservatives who've been telling me we need less government spending and more personal freedom have no problem with spending millions in taxpayer dollars to tell women what to do about their pregnancies? That makes about as much sense as going to a company that needs smart college grads and defending your decimation of the state's universities. I guess this all makes the very existence of Tom Corbett Exhibit A for why we need to improve education in Pennsylvania. Severely.


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Mazda D2 Racing Brake Kits : 330mm
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If we do not have the exact D2 Brake kit in stock you require for your Mazda we will order them in. Leadtime is generally 3 to 5 weeks.


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Belltown Seattle Apartments
In the Pacific Northwest, music is more than just entertainment, it is a way life, feeding your soul and nurturing your spirit. Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Band of Horses, The Head and the Heart, Modest Mouse and countless others over the years have cut their teeth in the Seattle music scene. From grunge rock to adult alternative to hip-hop, music lovers rejoice in the sounds of the city.
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Need more amenities? How about a state of the art fitness facility with access to a local Pilates studio? Or a penthouse lounge perfect for chilling out or entertaining? To top it all off, ALTO Apartments offers its residents access to a 4,000 square foot rooftop deck, replete with Sonos music system and outdoor speakers. There is even a pet relief station for your four legged friends!
For more information or to learn more about ALTO Apartments, contact the leasing office today!


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Smuggling drugs into Berlin prison an escalating problemBy BOB HOOKWAY
Special to the Union Leader
December 12. 2013 9:26PM
LANCASTER — The Coos County prosecutor and an investigator at the state prison in Berlin said Thursday that attempts to smuggle illegal drugs to inmates has become a constant problem.
No fewer than 10 people — inmates and their associates outside the prison gates — were indicted this month by a Coos County Superior Court grand jury on charges of trying to bring contraband into the Northern New Hampshire Correctional Facility in Berlin.
"It's more and more frequent," Coos County Attorney John McCormick said. "You would hope that when you go to prison you'd clean up a little bit and not carry on the same activity that sent you there in the first place. But it's a problem, and we're trying to deal with it."
The charge is usually delivery of articles to prisoners, or maybe conspiracy to make that delivery, both Class B felonies punishable by 3½ to seven years in prison.
The smugglers are often relatives of inmates, said Tim Coulombe, the investigator at the Berlin prison. At least three of those charged this month are not inmates, at least not yet, he said.
Christine Banks, 40, of Nashua, Sheila Berube, 45, of Laconia, and Kimberly Hickey, 26, of Taunton, Mass., all tried to bring drugs in, according to the indictments. Banks allegedly tried to sneak in "items concealed in balloons" on July 14.
Berube is accused of buying and swallowing unspecified contraband, also in balloons, before visiting the prison in December 2012. She worked along with several of the others charged, according to one of her indictments.
Hickey's role, also in December 2012, included "relaying messages between and among prisoners," an indictment against her says.
The alleged smuggling attempts accounted for 18 of the 79 indictments the grand jury in Lancaster handed up on Dec. 6.
Also charged, were Sean Varney, Matthew Woodrow Peters, Robert W. Hickey, Ryan Grimes, Zachary Fry, Shane Berube and Linwood Antwine.
Though the particular drug involved was most often not specified in the indictments, buprenorphine was listed at least twice.
Both McCormick and Coulombe said that's one they're seeing most often these days. The Buprenorphine Information Center's website says in its legal use, the drug is intended to help people discontinue the "misuse of opiates without experiencing withdrawal symptoms." But the website cautions that buprenorphine itself "may be abused, particularly by individuals not addicted to opiates."
And Coulombe said corrections personnel's work got a good deal harder when the manufacturer switched the drug from tablet form to "sublingual strips" that can now be concealed and delivered to inmates much more easily.
Regarding the prevention of contraband as a whole, Coulombe said of inmates and their associates, "Whenever we find a way to stop it, they'll try to find a way around it."


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Japanese author and keen runner Haruki Murakami sent a "personal message" to the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing and said he also felt wounded by the attack on his favourite race.
"So, even from far away, I can imagine how devastated and discouraged the people of Boston feel about the tragedy of this year's race," he wrote in a piece for the New Yorker magazine titled: "Boston, From One Citizen Of The World Who Calls Himself A Runner."
"Something that should have been pure has been sullied, and I, too — as a citizen of the world, who calls himself a runner — have been wounded."
Murakami said he spent three years on the outskirts of Boston, including two years as a visiting scholar at Tufts University and a year at Harvard, and had run the Boston Marathon six times.
"I've run marathons all over the world, but whenever someone asks me which is my favourite, I never hesitate to answer: the Boston Marathon," he wrote in the article translated from Japanese.
Murakami compared the process of recovering from the scars left by the attack with tackling the Boston Marathon's Heartbreak Hill, a four-mile section near the end of the race.
"The real pain begins only after you've conquered Heartbreak Hill, run downhill, and arrived at the flat part of the course, in the city streets," he said.
"Emotional scars may be similar. In a sense, the real pain begins only after some time has passed, after you've overcome the initial shock and things have begun to settle.
"Only once you've climbed the steep slope and emerged onto level ground do you begin to feel how much you've been hurting up till then. The bombing in Boston may very well have left this kind of long-term mental anguish behind."
Ethnic Chechen brothers Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26, who was killed in a police shootout, and Dzhokhar, 19, are accused of carrying out the bombing, which killed three and wounded more than 264 at one of the world's premier sporting events.
Murakami recalled the time he interviewed survivors and family members of those killed in the sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway in 1995.
"Some of the pain goes away over time, but the passage of time also gives rise to new types of pain. You have to sort it all out, organise it, understand it, and accept it. You have to build a new life on top of the pain," he wrote.
The article can be found here.


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Personnel from the High Plains Underground Water Conservation District No. 1 and the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS) are now gathering data for their annual joint pre-plant soil moisture survey.
High Plains Water District and USDA-NRCS personnel use moisture meters to gather data at more than 200 permanently-installed soil moisture monitoring sites within the district's 15-county service area.
Readings are taken at six-inch intervals throughout the five-foot soil profile by lowering a probe into an aluminum access tube at the site. These data are later processed to calculate the moisture level in the soil (available moisture) and how much moisture the soil can still hold for plant use (deficit moisture).
Maps are constructed illustrating the location of soil moisture monitoring sites within the district and the crop type, irrigation application method, and amount of soil moisture in the upper three feet and upper five feet of the soil at each site.
"This information allows producers to review soil moisture conditions for several sites in their area, and then make pre-plant irrigation decisions based upon information from those sites and their own on-farm soil moisture test," said Scott Orr, agricultural group supervisor.
The High Plains Water District and the USDA-NRCS strive to provide timely soil moisture information to assist producers with management decisions for the 2009 growing season. Results of the 2009 pre-plant soil moisture survey will be provided to news media and published in The Cross Section, the Water District's newsletter.
Additional information about the 2009 pre-plant soil moisture survey is available by calling the High Plains Underground Water Conservation District at (806) 762-0181 or visiting the water district's web site at http://www.hpwd.com/programs/MoistureSurvey.asp.


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Man Made Global Warming
07-11-2011, 11:57 AM (This post was last modified: 07-11-2011 12:00 PM by houseofcantor.)
RE: Man Made Global Warming
(07-11-2011 11:32 AM)Peterkin Wrote: This book came out in 1972.
Back in the day, before it became capitalized, more than a few scientists talked about global warming - and more than a few were talking about "downtown Phoenix" - it's concrete - go from my house, to downtown, in July - expect a rise in temperature. This case may not apply to this particular book - but from my research, that's the kinda simple extrapolation more than a few scientists made back then.
I've been keeping an eye on this topic of and on since '98 - and it has become a Major Issue since then. Like I've been saying - I'm playing "devils advocate" to Zat's "savior" - cause we know Zat's on the side of angels - even if they don't exist.
Ya wanna know what happened back then that is real scary shit? Guy called Carter, I believe - made the original graph - that has since become peak oil.
Ignorance ain't bliss - but it's a whole lot less stress.
RE: Man Made Global Warming
Masturbatory discussions like this make me want to throw a brick through a window.
The question of anthropogenic climate change (ACC)--or if you like, man-made global warming--is a scientific question. Scientific questions are properly addressed by . . . wait for it . . . scientists. Scientists are professionals with advanced academic degrees who conduct research and publish their findings in peer-reviewed journals.
If you're a bona fide climate scientist, then present your credentials and I'll listen to your opinion on ACC. If you're not, then you're talking to hear yourself talk, and your opinion isn't worth shit.
We call something a controversy when expert opinion is equally divided, or when there is at least a substantial number of experts in the minority. In the case of global warming, 97% - 98% of expert scientific opinion is on the side of ACC. THERE IS NO LEGITIMATE SCIENTIFIC CONTROVERSY. Man-made global warming is a fact. If you don't accept that, then you're no less a whack job than the crazies who think we never really got to the moon, and 9-11 was an Israeli-American conspiracy, and the Holocaust was a hoax, and dinosaurs were on Noah's Ark.
Religious disputes are like arguments in a madhouse over which inmate really is Napoleon.
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houseofcantor (08-11-2011), morondog (11-11-2011), defacto7 (12-11-2011)
RE: Man Made Global Warming
(07-11-2011 04:59 PM)cufflink Wrote: Masturbatory discussions like this make me want to throw a brick through a window.
Im in a pretty bad mood so I shouldnt really be posting but hey......life isnt rosey all of the time and im sick of holding back.
Yes I do think its a scam.....and yes when I have gathered my research together I shall present it.
As for calling me a nut job.......excuse my french but fuck you......I do my own in-depth research and look at ALL the evidence be it scientific....or whatever....and no im not a scientist but that doesnt mean im not allowed my own opinion on things and again if you think im a nut then again you can.......you know the rest.
I feel so much, and yet I feel nothing.
I am a rock, I am the sky, the birds and the trees and everything beyond.
I am the wind, in the fields in which I roar. I am the water, in which I drown.
The following 1 user Likes bemore's post:1 user Likes bemore's post
houseofcantor (08-11-2011)
RE: Man Made Global Warming
(07-11-2011 06:02 AM)Zatamon Wrote: You, as an avid 'conspiracy-theorist', should know that.
Now I need to clarify this comment I made to bemore:
I said it as both as a joke and as a compliment!
I respect 'conspiracy theorists' as people who have the courage to question established mainstream interpretations.
I am a conspiracy theorist myself -- for example, I am convinced that the US government, at least, had advance information about 9/11 and I don't put it past the bastards to have engineered it.
I hope, bemore, that you don't get offended, or hurt, because I am on your side.
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houseofcantor (08-11-2011)
RE: Man Made Global Warming
No. It's not the whole species - though people in large groups are easy to lead astray, easy to inflame, easy to delude and befuddle.
It's the few major beneficiaries of this economic/ cultural blind alley we've gone down and don't know how to retreat from.
We're too far removed from our roots, our next of kin and our primary needs - that's what drives us to madness, waste, destruction and aggression.
If you pray to anything, you're prey to anything.
RE: Man Made Global Warming
(07-11-2011 05:24 PM)bemore Wrote:(07-11-2011 04:59 PM)cufflink Wrote: Masturbatory discussions like this make me want to throw a brick through a window.
We're both in pretty bad moods.
In debates, ideas should be attacked, not people. So I apologize for going over the line on the personal level. But I stand by everything else I said.
People are entitled to their opinion about absolutely anything . . . in the sense they have, or should have, the right to think and say what they want without fear of being thrown in jail. But the world of opinion is not a democracy, where it's one opinion, one vote. The opinions of professionals in their field of expertise count more than the opinions of lay people. I can ask Joe in Accounting, "Hey, whaddaya think? Is our building earthquake-safe or does it need to be retrofitted?" Joe may very well have an opinion, but unless he's a structural engineer who's examined the building, why should his opinion be valued? On the other hand, if I want to find the best method of accounting for certain investments on the company's balance sheet, I might value Joe's opinion highly.
I respect the enterprise of science. The scientific method along with the academic structure of peer-reviewed research may not be perfect, but it's the best thing we've come up with so far for determining truth about the natural world. It's basically self-correcting: here and there a scientist can be bought off, but eventually the fudged data comes to light and the disgraced cheat is booted out of the fraternity. When a new theory comes along that better explains the data, the field changes. I believe the earth is 4.54 billion years old rather than 6,000 not because I've discovered that fact for myself—I wouldn't know how to begin—but because I rely on the conclusions of scientists who have devoted their professional lives to investigating such questions and have reached a consensus. Unless my scientific background and ability is equal to theirs and I have special insight that's escaped them all, it would be the height of arrogance for me to doubt them. I suppose I might think it's just a big conspiracy and they've all agreed to pull the wool over the eyes of the unsuspecting public. But that wouldn't be healthy skepticism; it would be paranoia.
Unlike the age of the earth, the question of man-made global warming has real consequences for the future of the planet. And here in the U.S., politicians are trashing the science because it doesn't fit in with their political philosophy. Of the eight major Republican candidates for President, only one has gone along with the consensus of 98 percent of the scientific community. (John Huntsman: "I believe in evolution and trust scientists on global warming. Call me crazy.") That's just sad.
And in Gov. Rick Perry's Texas, a state agency commissioned an oceanographer to write a report about Galveston Bay, then removed sections of the report that referenced sea level rise and global warming! Why? The agency said, "We are paying for this report and the assertions and statements will be attributable to [us] . . . Why should we include questionable information we don't agree with?"
Right. These non-scientists are entitled to their opinion. And of course they paid for the report.
Religious disputes are like arguments in a madhouse over which inmate really is Napoleon.
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08-11-2011, 02:54 AM (This post was last modified: 08-11-2011 03:31 AM by bemore.)
RE: Man Made Global Warming
Just a quick update......im still gathering all my information and I still have a way to go but the first thing I would like to bring to peoples attention is this.
In 2007 the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) wrote a report saying that...... "Glaciers in the Himalayas are receding faster than in any other part of the world ........... if that rate continues, the likelihood of them disappearing by the year 2035 and perhaps sooner is very high if the Earth keeps warming at the current rate"
(the actual date for the melting is 2350)
They said that nearly a billion people in Asia would be affected by this.
These particular findings were based upon three reports
1: A 2005 WWF Nature report on glaciers
2: A 1996 Unesco document on hydrology.
3: A 1999 news report in New Scientist.
NONE and I repeat NONE of these reports were peer reviewed by the IPCC which they are mandated to do.......they shouldnt have published these particular "facts" as they are ridiculous and nothing but fear mongering based on no scientific evidence whatsoever (none that has been tried, tested and verified)
They have since admitted this.
Now dont get me wrong people........im not basing my view on this one mistake alone....it is just the tip of the slowly melting iceberg that my research has uncovered and Im currently correlating my information about how much of an effect water vapour has on "greenhouse" effects compared to CO2 emissions.
Will post when I have finished compiling a decent arguement.
(08-11-2011 02:49 AM)cufflink Wrote: In debates, ideas should be attacked, not people. So I apologize for going over the line on the personal level. But I stand by everything else I said.
Apology accepted and please accept my apology as well. I understand what you are saying and I agree that none of us are experts in the field and we all rely solely on people who like you have rightly said have studied this for most of there working life. There seems to be scientific evidence that goes against what the "experts" have published though and it is these findings im hoping to share with everybody for review and discussion.
I look forward to recieving your feedback on the things I will post.
(08-11-2011 02:54 AM)bemore Wrote: There seems to be scientific evidence that goes against what the "experts" have published though and it is these findings im hoping to share with everybody for review and discussion.
Al Gore.......the "expert" who has dedicated 30 years of his life to this apparently.......unable to give straight answers and debate in a serious manner to congress.
I feel so much, and yet I feel nothing.
I am a rock, I am the sky, the birds and the trees and everything beyond.
I am the wind, in the fields in which I roar. I am the water, in which I drown.
RE: Man Made Global Warming
The millions of earthlings without food and water, whose farms are blowing away in the wind or washing out to sea, right this minute, probably aren't much concerned with the temperature of Venus or whether Gingrich is scoring political points.
If it's a question of debating or changing the way we do business, we'll debate every time... until the problem comes, goes, and becomes subject for historical debate. Only, in this case, there won't be any historians - at least, on this planet.
If you pray to anything, you're prey to anything.
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RE: Man Made Global Warming
Here, we use an extensive dataset of 1,372 climate
researchers and their publication and citation data to show that (i)
97–98% of the climate researchers most actively publishing in the
field support the tenets of ACC outlined by the Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change, and (ii) the relative climate expertise and
scientific prominence of the researchers unconvinced of ACC are
substantially below that of the convinced researchers
~from Cufflink.
In recent years 18,000 people have qualified as climatologists. It would be reasonable to assume that this constitutes no more than half the total number of climatologists, on that basis the number will be upwards of 36,000. There is no international register of climatologists so it's very hard to provide a specific number.
~from Answers by Yahoo
How'sit go? Lies, lies, lies; and damn statistics.
Back in the day, the numbers went the other way. I don't care, I won that argument - there ain't no Global Warming. Here I'm being "devil's advocate" 'cause there's a whole fuckload of devil in the details.
While I mainly align with the contention that ACC is occuring, I also align that we are part of Gaia. We are part of the ecology. People make "assessments" as if this were not the case. After reviewing Dyer's proposal, referred by Zatamon, it made me reconsider - if we're doing something wrong, we need to be pushed around. We need human controls on humans.
Throwing seven blimploads of sulfur into the atmosphere may be acceptable to eggheads - 'cause they don't think about pushing people around, they're eggheads; and I can't help but think of deterministic chaos.
You know, the butterfly effect? We ain't butterflies. Besides, as for a crisis to have a crisis over, ACC doesn't even rank. This is taking the eyes off the ball - which is peak oil. Which is globalization occurring when there isn't (to my knowledge) a global economic theory that even works on paper.
So yeah, if you're hating on humanity "because we pollute," and you were praying for a Revelation -you're prayers were answered. Humanity all kind of fucked - next thirty years. Drink up.
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Public Works
The Public Works Department provides maintenance services for streets, trees, traffic control systems, parks, landscape maintenance districts, City buildings, City vehicles, graffiti removal, solid waste, recycling, community facilities, airport, and public transportation. The department also maintains water distribution, sewer collection and drainage systems within the City.
Mission Statement
The mission of the Public Works Department is to maintain and operate Tracy's public facilities and infrastructure in an efficient and cost-effective manner while preserving the health, safety and aesthetics of our community.
Administrative staff provides leadership and support to all Public Works divisions.
Maintenance and Operations
The Public Works Maintenance and Operations Division provides services for the City's infrastructure, including streets, trees, sidewalks, parks, City facilities, water, sewer and storm drains.


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queequeg wrote:Stickybeak wrote:I had a bit better look at it - I liked the path so much I did it on Sunday early: I realise there is a river flowing past, its tidal and half of Sydney drains into it so it may weel be prone to a risk of flooding - not that I can remember Canterbury Road ever being at risk of being cut from flooding.
The underpass at Tempe (under the rail bridge) is prone to Tidal flooding. You don't really want to be riding your bike through all that salt water, especially in a King Tide!
noticed sludge on the path...can't see a cheap solution to that one
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If you're wondering why everyone seems to love IPAs, but you think they're way too bitter, maybe you should stop drinking them while you listen to weird Norwegian death metal.
A new study found that the music you listen to while you drink beer actually affects how it tastes. Like, if you're listening to a Disney movie soundtrack, beer tastes sweeter. If you're listening to something with a lot of angry bass, it tastes more bitter.
The researchers say it's probably because you mentally transfer the emotions you feel from the music over to the beer.


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Jennifer Lawrence's Fall: An All-Time Great Oscar Moment
We are not making fun.
Really, it was just a trip. When Jennifer Lawrence recounts her Oscars stairs drama on countless talk shows this week (and next week, and in the many years to come), she will play it up, moan about how she fell flat on her face and say charming, self-deprecating things about high heels and wax floors. There will probably be an SNL skit that launches a rag-doll Jennifer Lawrence eight feet in the air. But the real thing was just a bobble, and it was her reaction that made it magical — J. Law catches herself with her hands and then stays there for an extra beat, one part embarrassed, one part "holy shit I just won an Oscar." It was the kind of unscripted, extra-human moment that makes Jennifer Lawrence so Jennifer Lawrence. Please understand: This is not to mock her. That trip was one of the most wonderful Oscar moments we've seen in years.
This awards season has been a J. Law lover's dream — it's a wonder we don't have a Quote Generator already — but the ceremonies presented a more subdued Lawrence, respectful and reined in. There was the infamous Meryl Streep joke (funny but kind of swallowed, as if she were afraid to land it), and her sincere but understated (save a Harvey Weinstein joke) SAG awards speech. Recall her first trip to the stage last night. She introduced Adele, and she looked so nervous that you thought she might throw up her nonexistent lunch. The trip changed all that. She was looser, necessarily self-deprecating, overwhelmed but still genuinely enthused. ("Happy birthday, Emmanuelle!") It was like the entrance freed the lovely screwball actress inside her.
It was also, as all the Best Oscar moments are, totally unplanned. (For a counterpoint, consider Anne Hathaway's baby-voiced, obviously rehearsed "It came true.") Like Adrien Brody's Halle Berry make-out and Sally Field's "You like me," the J. Law trip will be parodied and referenced to death. We will roll our eyes, probably. But when it happened, and when Lawrence swept herself back up the stairs to a standing ovation, it felt like she (and we) had managed to escape the overproduced fanfare and the bad jokes and the theatricality of the whole affair. It felt real. Which is why we loved her in the first place.


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Barrow County Emergency Services is advising citizens to avoid the intersection of Highway 124 and Highway 211.
"A gas line has been hit and is leaking," commented Lieutenant Scott Dakin. "We have closed the intersection and evacuated nearby businesses until the leak can be contained."
Firefighters will remain on scene until the area is safe. A gas company repair crew is responding at this time. It is unknown at this time how long the area will be closed.
Gas line leaking at Hwy. 124/211 intersection
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Beaufort and Bluffton both commemorated Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday with parades and other events.
The parade on Monday morning brought large crowds of spectators.
A memorial service and parade on Monday afternoon were part of MLK Day celebrations in Bluffton. People walked, marched and turned out in honor of the civil rights leader and his vision.


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Days Go By Photography is located in Rio Rancho, NM. I specialize in Maternity, Newborn, Childhood and Family Photography, but not limited to only those. Location and Studio portraits are available. Please visit my Gallery pages to see my work.
Hello my name is Heather Galto and photography is my biggest passion in life. Next to my own children of course. Since I was a child, every where I went my camera went with me. Until about 5 years ago I had considered myself just a hobby photographer but to my family and friends I was always a pro. I had shot weddings, senior portraits and babies but most of it was done because I love it. Now I have my own studio in my home and unfortunately I do have to earn a little money :) I do try to keep my prices very reasonable so that everyone can get affordable fabulous portraits of their children and family.
I want to be there to help capture your family's milestones. To share in the joy of a new baby, a 1st birthday or even a lost tooth. Just know that I will put as much effort into making these moments just as special as I would want them to be.
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Barrington man faces 33 years for sexual assaultBy JOHN QUINN
Union Leader Correspondent
March 20. 2013 10:19AM
DOVER - A Barrington man is facing the possibility of spending up to 33 years in prison as a result of charges that he sexually assaulted a 15-year-old girl over a period of two years in two communities.
A Strafford County grand jury handed up indictments against David Barr, 52, of 58 Seavey Bridge Road, Barrington, who is charged with four counts of felonious sexual assault and five counts of sexual assault.
Police say Barr sexually assaulted the girl five times at a home in Barrington in August of 2010 and two other times between August and October of that year. Additionally, he allegedly sexually assaulted the same girl in Rochester in March of 2011, according to the indictments.
Each count of felonious sexual assault is a Class B felony, which could result in a maximum sentence of 3½ to 7 years in prison. Meanwhile each count of sexual assault is a Class A misdemeanor, which could each yield up to a year in jail and a $2,000 fine.
Barr is scheduled to appear for arraignment in Strafford County Superior Court March 28 at 9 a.m.


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Protect your laptop and personal information with the ClickSafe® Portable Combination Laptop Lock. A keyless 4-wheel combination offers 10,000 possible combinations and is easily resettable. The ClickSafe Security Anchor installs quickly into the industry-standard Kensington Security Slot found on most laptops and provides high-level security in one click. The self-coiling cable can stretch up to 6 feet to attach to a fixed structure, then shrinks back down to only 3 inches for easy packing.
Tested against the most rigorous and thorough standards in the industry, the lock is tamper-resistant and will durably perform time after time
With a simple one-time install of the ClickSafe Security Anchor into the industry-standard Kensington Security Slot found in most laptops, the lock engages in a single click with one hand
A 4-wheel number sequence can be set to an easily remembered code so you can put it to work quickly. It's also resettable to any of 10,000 possible combinations.
Made of engineered carbon steel and sheathed in protective plastic, it can stretch up to 6 feet to anchor to a desk or fixed structure yet shrinks down to 3 inches for easy portability
Kensington's online key registration program that allows for quick, secure and easy code retrieval if it ever gets lost or stolen
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While there is no official announcement, Core Games' Danny Bilson revealed that the sequel has been greenlighted, but that it will take at least another two years before we'll be able to play it.
Penned by legendary comic book artist Joe Madureira (X-Men, Battle Chasers, The Ultimates), Darksiders is set in a Post-Apocalyptic demon-ravaged world where evil forces have prematurely brought about the end of the time.
Deceived by the forces of evil into prematurely bringing about the end of mankind, War – the first Horseman of the Apocalypse – stands accused of breaking the sacred law by inciting a war between Heaven and Hell. In the slaughter that ensued, the demonic forces defeated the heavenly hosts and laid claim to the Earth.
Brought before the sacred Charred Council, War is indicted for his crimes and stripped of his powers. Dishonored and facing his own death, War must return to Earth to search for the truth and punish those responsible. Now, hunted by a vengeful group of Angels, War must take on the forces of Hell, forge uneasy alliances with the very demons he hunts, and journey across the ravaged remains of the Earth on his quest for vengeance and vindication.
Players take on the role of War as he embarks on a brutal quest of vengeance and revenge against the forces that betrayed him with the help of his phantom steed Ruin. Darksiders features open-world exploration, a deep combat system and a huge arsenal of modern and mythical weapons
Features :
- Combining brutal attacks, supernatural abilities and seamless traversal, delivering intense action combat and epic adventure, set in an immersive demon ravaged world.
- Each open world hub offers players the freedom to explore and make their own game-experience.
- Unleash WAR's fury with an expansive arsenal of weapons, from the fantasy oriented to the modern and the ability to use virtually anything within your environment as a weapon.
- Customized to your gameplay style. Build up WARs Wrath powers and unleash them in spectacular attacks—or collect Soul Cores to increase or unlock new abilities.
- Gain the services of Ruin, War's phantom steed, blazing a trail through enemies across devastated environments.
- Joe Madureira's (X-Men, Battle Chasers, The Ultimates) unique visual art style and original storyline.
- Darksiders will immerse players in a rich cinematic gameplay experience—featuring beautiful graphics, detailed special effects, cinematic lighting and an epic musical score that compliments the in-game action.
More articles about Darksiders II


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Five of the best goals from the World Cup
The 2014 World Cup has produced several goals of outstanding quality. The following are five of the best so far.
(Colombia 2 – Uruguay 0)
Rodriguez had already caught the eye with his performances in the first round but his opener against Uruguay in the Round of 16 confirmed him as one of the players of the tournament.
After a bit of head tennis on the edge of the Uruguayan box midway through the first half at the Maracana, the ball arched towards Rodriguez, 25 metres out.
He had the presence of mind to glance over his shoulder to check the positioning of the Uruguayan goalkeeper before chesting the ball down and, in one fluid movement, turning and firing a left-foot volley in off the underside of the crossbar.
For good measure, Rodriguez added Colombia's second after the break to seal their victory.
(Netherlands 5 – Spain 1)
A stunning goal to match a stunning result as the Netherlands came from behind to thump world champions Spain in Salvador.
With Spain leading 1-0 through Xabi Alonso's 27th minute penalty, Van Persie sprung the offside trap to launch himself in the air and meet a raking cross from left wing back Daley Blind.
The Dutch captain's diving, looping header caught Spain keeper Iker Casillas in no man's land and dipped below the bar to tie the score at 1-1.
"It was a brilliant goal, I have to be fair," said Van Persie. "It was a bit of a gamble but just before the pass I saw Iker Casillas out of his goal. It was a header, really a lob-header, but a great goal."
(Netherlands 3 – Australia 2)
Arjen Robben put the Netherlands ahead in the 20th minute in Porto Alegre but Cahill responded for Australia just seconds later in spectacular fashion.
From the re-start, Australia fed the ball to Ryan McGowan on the right flank. He launched a long, diagonal cross into the box towards Cahill.
Most players would have tried to take the ball down but not Cahill who smacked it first time with his left foot, in off the crossbar, giving the Dutch goalkeeper no chance.
Anyone who has played football knows how hard it is to hit a first time volley cleanly. But when the ball is coming to from distance, at speed and from over your shoulder, it takes outstanding brilliance.
(Argentina 1 – Iran 0)
With 90 minutes played, the frustrated Argentinians were being held to a goalless draw in Belo Horizonte by supposedly one of the weakest teams at the tournament. They had enjoyed 76 percent of the possession but managed only four shots on target.
Enter Messi, who dropped his shoulder on the edge of the box, jinked past a defender and fired a gorgeous curling left-foot shot into the far corner of the Iranian net.
The penalty area was packed with bodies – there were eight Iranian defenders between Messi and goal – but somehow he threaded his effort into the one exposed corner of the net.
"When you have a player such as Messi … it's like water in the desert," Argentine coach Alejandro Sabella said later in the tournament after yet another sublime Messi performance.
(Brazil 2 Colombia 1)
Brazil were leading 1-0 in the 69th minute of their quarter-final against Colombia when James Rodriguez tripped Brazilian striker Hulk 30 metres from goal in a central position.
Centre-back David Luiz stepped up and fired the free-kick into the top left-hand corner of the Colombian net to seal an eventual 2-1 victory.
The odd thing about this goal is that Luiz side-footed his shot, any yet he hit it with such power and precision that it dipped and swerved before entering the net.
Luiz laughed about it afterwards, saying he had splayed feet "set at ten minutes to two o'clock" and that was why he has side-footed it. The Brazilian fans were laughing too as their side headed for the semifinals.


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The nervous system
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The International Book of Christmas Carols Friday, October 29, 2010
The International Book of Christmas Carols was compiled  by choral conductors  Walter Ehret  and George Evans. It is a truly international collection of Christmas carols. There are 164 carols from the USA, England,  France, Germany, Scandinavia,  Italy and  Spain. There are Slavic and Latin carols as well. Each carol is in its original language and includes the English translation. Guitar chords are included with the piano accompaniments. If you collect Christmas carols or if you are constantly looking for new Christmas songs, this is the book for you. It will keep you happily busy for years! Stanton's Sheet Music sells copies of this great collection every Christmas season.


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European Commission
Press release
Brussels, 22 November 2013
Online threats: survey shows impact of cybercrime
Internet users in the EU are very concerned about cyber-security, according to a Eurobarometer survey published today. 76% agree that the risk of becoming a victim of cybercrime has increased in the past year, more than in a similar study from 2012. 12% of Internet users have already had their social media or email account hacked.
While 70% of internet users across the EU are confident of their ability to use the internet to shop or bank online, only about 50% actually choose to do so. This significant gap shows the negative impact of cybercrime on the digital single market: the two main concerns about such online activities being related to the misuse of personal data (mentioned by 37%) and the security of online payments (35%).
"This survey shows the destructive impact that cybercrime has on internet use – too many people choose not to take full advantage of all the possibilities that the internet brings us. This hampers both our digital economy and our online lives. We need to strengthen European cooperation, building on the work of the European Cybercrime Centre, to get to the bottom of online organised crime." said Cecilia Malmström, EU Commissioner for Home Affairs.
Encouragingly, more EU citizens feel well informed about the risks of cybercrime compared to 2012 (44% - up from 38%). However, it appears that they do not always draw all the necessary consequences from that information. For example, less than half of internet users have changed any of their online passwords during the past year (48% - slightly better than 45% in 2012).
The Eurobarometer survey covers more than 27 000 people in all Member States, and also shows that:
The European Commission is working to strengthen EU's overall response to cybercrime and contribute to improving cyber-security for citizens.
The European Cybercrime Centre (EC3) launched in January is working towards a collective EU response to the threats from cybercrime (IP/13/13). Cooperation with and assistance to law enforcement agencies from the Member States and beyond are a central priority of the EC3.
In February, the Commission, together with the External Action Service, also adopted a Cybersecurity Strategy for the European Union (IP/13/94 and MEMO/13/71). Priorities in this area include helping Member States to identify and address the gaps in their capacity to fight cybercrime, as well as fostering cooperation between the EC3, Member States and other actors.
Furthermore, in August, the EU adopted new rules boosting Europe's defences against cyber-attacks which include the criminalisation of "botnets", i.e. networks of infected computers whose processing power is harnessed for cyber-attacks, and other tools used by cybercriminals (MEMO/13/661). It also introduces new aggravating circumstances and higher criminal sanctions, in order to effectively prevent large-scale attacks against information systems. Moreover, the Directive improves cross-border cooperation between the judiciary and the police of EU Member States.
The Eurobarometer survey was carried out between May and June of this year.
Useful Links
The 2013 Eurobarometer on cyber-security
The 2012 survey
Cecilia Malmström's website
Follow Commissioner Malmström on Twitter
DG Home Affairs website
Follow DG Home Affairs on Twitter
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Kate Hudson Is Going to Make the Most of This Glee Appearance
She is dancing her heart out.
Professionally, it has been a rocky few years for Kate Hudson, who spiraled down from the critically reviled Bride Wars and Nine into a cancer rom-com that required her to dance at her own New Orleans jazz funeral while Whoopi Goldberg–as-God looked on. (Retroactive A Little Bit of Heaven spoiler alert. Sorry.) She's in kind of a reset phase career-wise, and as such has scheduled a three-episode arc on Glee, to remind audiences she can do more than sit on a fluffy dream sequence cloud and ponder the meaning of love. (That also happened in A Little Bit of Heaven. It was quite the film.) Below is early clip from Hudson's guest run — she plays an instructor at NYADA, Rachel's fancy new art school — and though it's only a three-minute dance sequence, this much is clear: Kate Hudson is trying. She is more than trying — she is strutting and circle-clapping and putting Gwyneth Paltrow's robot moves to shame. There is still an annoying Glee mash-up to contend with (Glee: stop that!), and she will not be subbing in for Adele on any future tours, but this is a not a bad look for Hudson. It might even be good.


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The Deep Arctic Ocean as an Indicator of Climatic Shifts
OCCI Funded Project: 2006
Proposed ResearchRecent studies have shown that the deep waters of the Canada Basin in the Arctic Ocean have been in isolation from shallower waters for at least the past 500 years. This prompts the following questions of key climatic importance: Did a climate shift in the recent past prompt an end to new influxes to the deep Canada Basin? If so, how? The dense Canada Basin deep water most likely originated when salty brine was expelled by ice formation at the surface. In the present climate, adequate volumes of surface water sufficiently dense to reach the deep waters are not generated by ice formation. In a different climate regime, however, in which there is less permanent ice cover, the capacity for extensive new ice growth could re-start deep water renewal. This would likely have a strong feedback effect involving the surface and shallower waters. I propose to investigate, both analytically and numerically, the fundamental relationships between ice growth and deep-water renewal. The aim of this proposed research is to explicitly understand how the present day properties of the Arctic deep water can give insight into past Arctic climate patterns and recent climate transitions. Furthermore, the proposed research will assist in understanding how future changes in the Arctic deep water may signal an Arctic climate in transition.
Progress ReportMy research thus far has been an investigation of the relationships between ice growth and deep-water renewal with the aim of understanding how the present-day properties of the Arctic deep water can provide insights into past Arctic climate patterns and recent climate transitions. I have quantified the penetration depth of dense flows produced by ice formation, where the forcing from ice growth is specified by both contemporary and hypothetical ice cover scenarios. I have calculated the conditions necessary for surface water to become sufficiently dense to sink into the deep basin. My future research will involve relating this to ice cover and climate in the Arctic.
I have begun collaboration with Marika Holland at the NationalCenter for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) on a numerical climate modeling aspect of this research. Our goal is to identify changes to the deep water caused by reducing the summer sea ice to an extent that is characteristic of global warming scenarios. The numerical model investigations will provide a basis for understanding to what extent deep-water renewal events can be used as indicators of a shifting Arctic climate, and aid in the interpretation of field observations. If future observations in the deep CanadaBasin indicate new salty influxes, what can we infer then about the shifting climate state?