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What's new in this release.
(Global changes)
1) MLServer's built in web servers were completely re-written. We previously were using a third party web server control. The new web server's have been written using the native .NET components. The new web servers now have compression turned on and transfer data to the clients about 300% faster using one third of the previous bandwidth. These are significant improvements but difficult to measure in the real world because of the small size of the web app pages. However, you should be seeing better performance overall.
2) Communication from the web app to the server and back has been switched from XML to the more industry standard JSON.
3) The MLServer web sockets server has also been updated to support the current web sockets standards.
4) If your tablet or phone is capable of using web sockets then you can now take advantage of the new MLServer WebCmd command. Similar to MainLobby's MLCmd the new WebCmd can be used to send client commands using a MLServer command. Any valid client command can be used. For example sending a changescene command to a web client looks like WebCmd|LoadScene|index.html. Since this is a MLServer command you are free to use server variables where appropriate. Currently all iOS devices, current generation Kindles and Android devices running Android 4.1 support web sockets.
5) The formulas that are used to calculate gradients have all been normalized. Prior to this release different formulas were used and this resulted in inconsistent looks between objects.
6) The restriction that only one instance of a MLServer variable can be used on a page has been removed. There is now no limit to how many times the same variable can be used on a page. (THIS HAS A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON ANY EXISTING PAGES YOU HAVE ALREADY CREATED. MORE ABOUT THIS LATER.)
7) The JQuery files have been updated to the latest release.
8) The core JavaScript routines in the Scripts.js file have been reworked to support the new functions and features.
9) To accommodate users that do not want to maintain the default file naming conventions for the html files a new JavaScript file called Custom.js has been added to the allow for different file names. The hard coded file names in the Scripts.js file have been moved to the Custom.js file and are exposed as JavaScript variables. If you want to use different file names all you have to do is edit this file in notepad and make the appropriate file name changes.
10) The "FastClick" JavaScript library has been implemented in the core scripts. This should help eliminate the 400ms delay inherent when pressing the objects on screen.
Additionally each of the insertable objects have seen significant changes. The more significant changes to each object are outlined below.
Panel Object
1) Gradients now uses the new formula
2) Panel corners can now be adjusted in pixel increments. It is possible to create round panels.
Text (Label) Object
1) Labels can now be rotated a full 360 degrees.
Image Object
1) (new) Opacity Variable - you can define a server variable that can be used to set the opacity of the image. The variable should range from 0 to 100. A sample use for this would be to add a glow to a light that reflects the lights level.
2) (new) Reload - when you enable this option the image will automatically be refreshed at about 1.5 second intervals when displayed on a page.
3) (updated) Click Object - When you enter the name of a object ID here that object will receive the red glow ring when you click the image.
4) (new) Rotate When On - when the state variable associated with the image is in an On state the image will rotate on the screen approximately 10 degrees every 200 milliseconds or about 8 rpm.
5) (new) On Image - you can swap a different image when the state variable is On.
6) (new) Off Image - you can swap a different image when the state variable is Off. These come in pairs. You need to specify both On and Off images if you want to use this feature.
Button Object
1) (updated) - corner radius can be adjusted in pixel increments. It is possible to create round buttons.
2) (updated) - gradient uses the new formula.
3) (new) Rotation - Buttons can be rotated a full 360 degrees.
4) (updated) Click Object - When you enter the name of a object ID here that object will receive the red glow ring when you click the button.
5) (updated) Icons - new icons from the Transport font appear in the font drop down.
6) (new) On Background - you can set the background color of the button when the state variable is on.
7) (new) Off Background - you can set the background color of the button when the state variable is off. These come in pairs. You need to specify both On and Off colors if you want to use this feature.
Vertical Slider Object
1) (updated) - Corners can be set at 1 pixel increments
2) (updated) - gradients use the new formula
Horizontal Progress Bar Object
1) (updated) - corners can be set at 1 pixel increments
2) (updated) - gradients use the new formula
Generic Progress Bar Object
1) (updated) - gradients use the new formula
Toggle Button object
No changes - consider using the background On,Off feature of the button object until this object gets rewritten.
Movie Browser Object
1) (updated) - A/Z corners can be set at 1 pixel increments
2) (updated) - A/Z gradients use the new formula
3) (new) - Option to include / exclude movie titles
Music Browser Object
1) (updated) - A/Z corners can be set at 1 pixel increments
2) (updated) - A/Z gradients use the new formula
3) (new) - Option to include / Artist and Album names
Netflix Browser Object
1) (updated) - A/Z corners can be set at 1 pixel increments
2) (updated) - A/Z gradients use the new formula
3) (new) - Option to include / exclude movie titles
Scroller Object
1) (updated) - visible scroll bar has new styling and will automatically disappear after a few seconds.
Video Object
1) (update) - underlying html is fully HTML 5 compliant
Gauge Object
1) (update) - new dial graphic and needle images.
Calendar Object
No changes
Infinite Scroll Object
Carousel Object (NEW)
1) (new) - This object can be used to build horizontal or vertical scrolling objects. Menus, images browsers. Lots off possibilities. Like the infinite scroll object the carousel supports a virtual infinite scroll. For example you could build a carousel of movie thumbnails that automatically load new images as the user scrolls. Like the Infinite scroll this object is still in development and should be considered an advanced object that requires SQL and HTML knowledge. We can work with you if you want to use this object.
Web Page Object (NEW)
1) (new) Like WebLobby you can now embed an external web page on your scenes. Web pages are loaded in an IFrame object. Not all web sites like being loaded in an IFrame but this should work fine for all normal uses.
A lot of effort has gone into trying to automatically covert the older HTML code into the new format supported by this release. It will be easier to start with the new versions of the sample apps but the designer will convert your old scene HTML code to the new format and be 95% successful.
To convert your old scenes to the new format you will have to do the following for each page.
1) Open the scene and after it finishes loading immediately press the Save button.
2) Then for each Button object on the page do the following
a) Re-select the button background color
b) Re-select the label font color
c) Press the Update Button.
3) Then for each Text label on the page do the following
a) Re-select the label font color
b) Press the Update button.
4) Then for each Panel on the page do the following
a) Re-select the panel background color
b) Press the Update Button.
5) Then for all other object on the page
a) edit the object and press its Update button
6) Edit each .html file that is not an overlay and insert the following line just BEFORE the scripts.js line
Code: Select all
<script src="javascript/Custom.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
This seems like a lot but it really doesn't take that long. I converted the sample iPad app using this method. The only place where you will see some issues is that there are some times you will lose the server state variable associated with the object if one was previously being used.
This new version has gone through a considerable amount of testing. We have used the designer on two different customer's designs and it is working well. However, there is probably still some bugs lurking in there and there are still some objects to be enhanced. The designer has seen over 12,000 lines of code modified from the last release so you can see many, many things have changed. It is strongly suggested that you sample the new apps before starting on the migration of your existing scenes. By all means DO NOT immediately press the refresh button on your existing scenes before you are ready to dive in with making ALL the changes. If you just press Refresh without editing all your old scenes all of the old scenes WILL STOP WORKING properly. Caveat Emptor.
The next post will talk about the new sample apps. The new release will appear in the Installation Assistant just after a bit more testing.


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Only four games into their schedule, the No. 20 Florida Gators have already endured a season's worth (or more) of change and adversity. Yet they gamely cling to the same No. 1 goal they set for themselves last spring.
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Only four games into their schedule, the No. 20 Florida Gators have already endured a season's worth (or more) of change and adversity. Yet they gamely cling to the same No. 1 goal they set for themselves last spring.
"We have one goal here and that's to get to Atlanta and win an SEC championship," junior outside linebacker Ronald Powell said earlier this week.
Given UF's demanding league schedule (at LSU, Georgia, at South Carolina), everyone knew when the goal was established that it was going to be a long, hard road to Atlanta.
And that was before.
Before the Gators (2-1) lost their star kick returner (Andre Debose) and their starting right tackle (Chaz Green) for the season to injuries.
Before their starting tailback (Matt Jones) and starting right guard (Jon Halapio) missed all of preseason camp (and early games) with illness and injury.
Before numerous other starters missed playing time and games with injuries in the first three games.
Before their most important offensive player (starting quarterback Jeff Driskel) and their most dominant defensive player (tackle Dominique Easley) fell to season-ending injuries only days apart this past week.
With all that's happened, that road to Atlanta is starting to look like a potholed, dead-end street for a team that looks a whole lot different than it did heading into the season.
"I mean, that's just the game we play," Halapio said. "You just have to expect that people are going to get injured. I didn't know it was going to be this fast for people going down, but that's just the game we play."
It's been rough, almost devastating, but like UF coach Will Muschamp has so often said, no one in the SEC is going to feel sorry for the Gators.
Florida certainly will get no sympathy from Kentucky tonight (or any other night). The Wildcats (1-2) have not beaten the Gators since 1986. That adds up to a monumental (and almost unexplainable) 26-game losing streak for Kentucky in the series.
Given Florida's delicate condition — Driskel and Easley out; Tyler Murphy making his first start at quarterback, in a hostile environment — could tonight be the night the streak ends?
Some UK players seem a little more confident than usual coming into a game with Florida.
"I think it's a very (winnable) game. I know it is," senior middle linebacker Avery Williamson said earlier this week. "You have to go in with that attitude and come out with a win."
Defensive end Za'Darius Smith, a junior college transfer, refers to Florida as just "an OK team."
"I'm not going to say they're all that," he said. "Hey, it's the SEC."
Muschamp said the streak will be not be a factor in tonight's game, and UK coach Mark Stoops, who is making his SEC debut tonight, pretty much agrees.
"You've heard me talk enough that we won't get into all that," Stoops said. "Sure, I think it's motivation. I do. I think it needs to be talked about, but that can't be the focal point. We have to get better each and every day, each and every game. That's really what we're worried about, and that's been my message since I've been here: just to get better."
What figures to be a bigger factor than the streak is how well (or poorly) the Gators play with a new starting quarterback and without their defensive leader and most dominant defensive lineman.
Murphy was poised and efficient coming off the bench for Driskel in the win over Tennessee a week ago. But the atmosphere will be decidedly different on the road, at night. And the UK defense, which played well against star Louisville quarterback Teddy Bridgewater two weeks ago, has film on Murphy and had a week to prepare for him.
"I'll have butterflies, I'm sure," Murphy said. "I'll be anxious, but, you know, I'll get out there and maybe complete my first pass. Once I get hit, I think I'll be fine. But I don't think it will be as bad as it was (against Tennessee as far as being nervous)."
Murphy's coaches and teammates expressed confidence in their new (and inexperienced) quarterback throughout the week.
"I can't compliment him enough how he came in and responded and handled the situation (against UT)," Muschamp said. "We have a lot of confidence in him. He's really taken a step forward.
"He's improved tremendously as a passer. Taking the ball to the right spots. He's always been a very intelligent guy. A really good athlete. We will not change much of who we are offensively."
Stoops is a long-time defensive coach who likely will throw plenty of pressure Murphy's way tonight with blitzes and stunts.
"We've just got to protect him," Halapio said. "When he came in there (in the UT game), the confidence that he had and to perform the way he did, you just want to block for that type of guy. Especially now. He is almost our last option at quarterback."
Contact Robbie Andreu at 352-374-5022 or firstname.lastname@example.com. Also check out Andreu's blog at Gatorsports.com.

subset: commoncrawl


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"We now live in a culture that's hyperaware of the construction and manipulation of images in politics," David Greenberg writes in Nixon's Shadow. "The notion that our politicians regularly mislead us with manufactured and manipulated images is an underlying premise of much political commentary today." Led or misled, infuriated or entertained, we are all connoisseurs of image construction–just as we are experts at watching television.
Greenberg is not the first to recognize that America's post-World War II–which is to say, post-TV–political culture has become increasingly and even self-consciously preoccupied with stagecraft and authenticity. Each in his way, Norman Mailer, Marshall McLuhan and Daniel Boorstin responded to the 1960 contest between the uncannily glamorous John Kennedy and his unlovely rival Richard Nixon with a critique of our new media-driven democracy and the impact of political image-making.
For Greenberg, however, it was Nixon who would be the first American President pre-eminently concerned with the construction of his image. One might argue that Kennedy got there first, but unlike JFK, Nixon was a self-made man without the benefit of an extremely wealthy and well-connected stage-father. Nixon, Greenberg points out in his illuminating book, managed his first campaign even more than his campaign manager did–and, although abetted by aides typically recruited from advertising and public relations firms, he would continue to do so throughout his career. Yet Nixon's image-making, unlike Kennedy or Reagan's, regularly backfired. That is part of his fascination.
"Let's face it, a lot of people think Nixon is dull," erstwhile Nixon media consultant and reigning Fox News impresario Roger Ailes asserted–at least according to Joe McGinniss's highly influential New Journalism report, The Selling of the President 1968. "They look at him as the kind of kid who always carried a bookbag. Who was forty-two years old the day he was born. They figure other kids got footballs for Christmas, Nixon got a briefcase and he loved it. He'd always have his homework done and he'd never let you copy."
Ailes was among those commissioned with fashioning a New Nixon. "Put him on television, you've got a problem right away," McGinniss has him explaining to his staff. Nixon is "a funny-looking guy. He looks like somebody hung him in a closet overnight and he jumps out in the morning with his suit all bunched up and starts running around saying, 'I want to be President.'" And then he was.
The President's "symbolic power," in Greenberg's formulation, "exerts material force." Accordingly, his thoughtful, wittily titled history provides a more or less chronological account of the ways in which the outer-directed introvert Richard Nixon successfully lodged himself in the national consciousness.


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American Physical Society Sites|APS|Journals|PhysicsCentral|Physics
- American Physical Society Sites
- Publications
- Meetings & Events
- Programs
- Membership
- Policy & Advocacy
- Careers In Physics
- Newsroom
- About APS
- Become a Member
As a graduate of Delsea Regional High School, I look back at my high school career and have not one regret. The staff at Delsea helped me find the path I want to take. I never thought about teaching physics until my number one teacher, Mr.McCulley, approached me. In my physics class, Mr.McCulley asked me to stand up and explain to my peers why it is that when you swing a bucket of water over your head the water does not fall out. We had been discussing circular motion all week. So I got up, demonstrated, and explained as best I could; he had put me on the spot. Mr.McCulley was one of the best teachers I have ever had. He really grabbed my attention and made a topic that may not be appealing to most so enjoyable. I admired him. So after class he pulled me aside and told me I had the "teaching thing." I looked at him very confused and asked, "what is the 'teaching thing?'" He told me that some people just have this thing about them that makes them a fit in the teaching career. Out of all the teachers I have had, he helped me to see that teaching is not just giving students information, it is taking the subject and explaining it in multiple ways until your students understand it. When Mr. McCulley gets excited about physics, so do his students. I want to bring that excitement to students.


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The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has announced its list of nominees for 2013. This isn't the list of acts who will get in, this is the list of act that voters will choose from to determine who gets in.
They are: Donna Summer, Lankenau Hospital-born Joan Jett, The Meters, Public Enemy, N.W.A., Albert King, The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Kraftwerk, Heart, Randy Newman, Procol Harum, Rush, the Marvellettes, Deep Purple and Chic.
You have to have been making music for 25 years to qualify, so incendiary rappers N.W.A are eligible for the first time. Among the list of artists that the Rock Hall draws the most persistent for excluding, there are four - disco queen Summer, German techno innvocators Kraftwerk, pop-funk-disco architects Chic and Canadian prog-rock trio Rush - who have a shot this year. Long suffering make-up wearers Kiss do not.
The recently deceased Summer is a sure bet to get in, as are political sloganeering rappers Public Enemy, and probably Kraftwerk, who were feted at the Museum of Modern Art this year. Other than that, it looks wide open to me. The induction ceremony will be held in Los Angeles in April of next year. Chic's "Le Freak" is below.
Previously: Nick Waterhouse at Johnny Brenda's Follow In The Mix on Twitter


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|Perl: the Markov chain saw
Re: Using WWW::Selenium To Test Or Automate An Ajax Websiteby sundialsvc4 (Abbot)
|on Apr 02, 2011 at 13:52 UTC ( #897087=note: print w/replies, xml )
|Need Help??
Not to resurrect this thread too much (nor ones that I have raised before) ... has anyone ever tried to add hooks (even, presumably, custom-made hooks and JS classes...) that can tap into the interactions between Flash and a web-page?
In my particular case, I know what the phantom test-user is going to "do to" the Flash stuff ... what is going to be clicked and so-forth ... and what I am interested in testing is the (known to be broken) JavaScript's reactions to what Flash, in turn, gives it. I'm not trying to push Flash's buttons: I'm trying, first, to capture what it generates, then, to play it back at will. Therefore, I know perfectly well that there is going to have to be (more) instrumentation of the JavaScript, akin to what Selenium is already doing in order to create its test environment. It's not just Perl, and I understand that, although I want Perl to be ultimately driving this test-suite as usual. What I am hoping to find from this inquiry is insight from "those Monks who have gone this way before."
Edit: After writing this, I encountered http://www.adobe.com/devnet/flash/testing_usability.html and, within that page:
I hope that a fellow Monk finds this collection of breadcrumbs useful, and will point to more.
In Section Tutorials


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Musicnotes has the largest selection of officially licensed leadsheets right at your fingertips, including favorite songs arranged for the Ukulele. Featuring partial lyrics, chord symbols and the melody line of a song, leadsheets are the arrangements that will help take your Ukulele skills to the next level! From the classics to modern-day hits, shop Musicnotes now for the best variety of instantly available leadsheet arrangements.
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Look no farther than Musicnotes.com for the best selection of ukulele tab, leadsheets and sheet music available online. You can download the songs of your choice on your mobile devices using our free PC, iOS, Mac, and Android apps, or print your selections at your convenience.
If you love the highly individual sound of the ukulele as much as we do, then you will love our catalog of sheet music even more. Choose a modern favorite that will charm your listeners, or move them with a classic hit that can affect their mood and yours. Our arrangements are written to suit all skill levels, and many versions of highly popular ukulele classics can be found.
If you are hesitant to buy sheet music, use the Musicnotes.com audio and visual preview features to take a peek before you commit. You'll know whether your version of the song is good for your beginner, intermediate, or expert fingers, and you'll be able to experience a little bit of the music to help get you ready to learn. Choose from our extensive library and then get back to the good stuff: playing the ukulele.


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Community Briefs
Tax Office Manager Melvin Joseph said Tuesday that the total refund checks released Monday afternoon came to $469,065 - which cover taxpayers who filed up to Jan. 19.
Of the total tax refunds: $178,693 were for local refunds and $290,372 for the Additional Child Tax Credit (ACTC), which is funded by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, said Joseph, who reminds all employers that W-2 forms were to have been given to employees by Jan. 31.
He also reminds all employees that processing tax returns can be expedited, if the person provides all necessary and correct information, such as the social security number - including social security for any dependents claimed - and W-2 forms.
American Samoa Visitor's Bureau executive director David Vaeafe said two more cruise ships will be calling into the Port of Pago Pago, bringing more visitors to the territory.
Cunard Line's 'Queen Elizabeth' is scheduled to arrive on Valentine's Day, Feb. 14 from Honolulu, before heading to Nandi, Fiji later that evening. A regular visitor, Holland America Line's 'Amsterdam' will arrive Feb. 18 from Pape'ete, French Polynesia then heads for Lifou, New Caledonia.
The two vessels will be in port for the day with passengers disembarking to go sightseeing and shopping. The total number of passengers and crew for both ships was not available at press time.
Responding to a Samoa News story last week, an official with a church in Tafuna says their church was burglarized three times.
Capt. Lavata'i Ta'ase Sagapolutele, who heads the Department of Public Safety's Criminal Investigative Division, said that of the 93 burglary cases in 2011 only 1% were churches.
Lavata'i said that luckily, Samoans are church-going people, so they tend not to burglarize the churches.
However, the official at the Tafuna-based church said churches are still being targeted by suspects. He said their church was burglarized twice two years ago when someone stole the air conditioner, which was later replaced and the new one was again stolen.
"We decided not to replace it any more and the hole on the side of the wall for the air conditioner is still there," the official, who asked not be identified, told Samoa News on Wednesday.
And then last year, someone broke into the church and stole the new PA system, which is still missing and the church is looking at how to replace this system, said the official, adding that the church decided not to report the incident to the police because it makes for bad news, when people burglarize churches.
The official also said that the total value of the stolen items came to more than $500 and didn't include labor costs for the installation of the two air conditioners and the PA system.
"We try to teach people not to steal - including not stealing from churches - but it still happens," the official said. "Our church pastor also preaches the same message to the congregation."
Samoa News has learned that at least three other churches were burglarized in the recent past. Instead of reporting the thefts to the police, their own church members now watch the premises at night.


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We're here with our SEPTEMBER challenge & we have a great theme of FESTIVE DECOR for you, so anything that depicts Christmas decorating goes! Don't forget to check the post below for the August winner & top 3.
We are sponsored this month by the fabulous Flat Friends. The lovely Emma is offering the lucky winner 2 digi images, thanks Emma x
Here's some fabulous inspiration from the team:


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Eighty-two-year-old Daniel Nathan Jolly passed away in White Salmon, Wash., on Feb. 4, 2009. He was born in Ariel, Wash., on Aug. 3, 1926, to Johanna (Jenkins) and David Asher Jolly.
Daniel graduated from Woodland High School when he was 16 years old. He joined the army, working as a cook on a ship, during World War II. After his military service, Daniel went to work as a timber cruiser. Throughout his life, he worked in all aspects of the timber industry.
In 1951, he was baptized as a Jehovah's Witness and later helped start and build many Kingdom Halls.
Daniel was married for 51 years to Fern Jolly, until her passing in 2003. In 2004 Daniel married LeLane Benjamin. He will be remembered as a wonderful, honest person.
Survivors include his wife, LeLane Jolly, of Dallesport, Wash.; children, Kristine Ann Kelly, of Vancouver, Wash., Daniel Jolly, of Eugene, Ore., Patricia Stamp, of Illwaco, Wash., Thomas Jolly, of Oregon City, Ore., Brian Jolly, of Centerville, Wash., Sheryl Thorsen, of Vancouver, Richard Jolly, of Vancouver, Kenneth Jolly, of Portland, and Melissa Norried, of Corning, Calif.
He is also survived by his stepchildren, Vivian Ellson, of White Salmon, Wayne Westby, of McMinnville, Ore., and Stan "Buck" Westby, of Yuma, Ariz.; siblings Becky, of Ariel, David, of Whidbey Island, Steve, of Ariel, Phillip, Jim, of Japan, Joe, of Alaska, Pete, of Florida, Paul, of Portland, and Michael, of Arizona; and 34 grandchildren. He was preceded in death by brothers Tim and John.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, Feb. 14, at 5:30 p.m. at the Vancouver Kingdom Hall, 3617 R Street, Vancouver, WA 98663. Gardner Funeral Home handled cremation arrangements.
Information from the News and our advertisers (Want to add your business to this to this feed?)


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James Harden's head will be on a swivel long before the NBA All-Star Game finally tips off on Sunday.
As the Houston Rockets' lone All-Star and the unofficial host of the festivities that will take place in his team's town, he'll be pulled a few dozen different ways for appearances, interviews, photo-shoots and — last but certainly not least — his job as a coach in the celebrity game on Friday. But considering his young-and-upcoming team is still in need of the sort of talent that will be in ample supply at the event, he'll leave some time for the sort of recruiting effort that is tailor-made for this annual, star-studded scene.
"I'll do a little bit of recruiting during the All-Star break, but my main focus is on just trying to get this team focused on every single game, every practice," Harden, whose team has significant salary cap space that can be used this summer if they don't do a major deal before the Feb. 21 trade deadline, told USA TODAY Sports on Sunday.
"I can't worry about who we want to recruit and things like that. ... For the most part, we're trying to make the playoffs."
They're not alone in that regard.
With a little more than a third of the season remaining after the All-Star break, time is running out for teams to make their respective postseason pushes. The Rockets are among the surging teams in the Western Conference, having entered Sunday's game at the Sacramento Kings with six wins in their past eight games and firmly in playoff position (currently seventh). No one is hotter than the Denver Nuggets, who overcame the sluggish start to their season to win nine of their past 10 games and are in fourth.
BUSTED: Pierce saves Celtics, ends Nuggets' streak
The Oklahoma City Thunder (38-12) have thrived even without Harden, as Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are having career years and new running mate Kevin Martin is filling Harden's sixth-man role quite well. The San Antonio Spurs are dominating quietly as always, having won 12 of their past 13 to sit atop the conference. Meanwhile, the Golden State Warriors — who have been the surprise team of the season thus far — have lost four consecutive games to fall to 30-21 and have only a Tuesday game against the Rockets to get back to their winning ways before the break.
As has been the case since the start of the season, the Los Angeles Lakers continue to capture attention no matter how good the third-place Los Angeles Clippers (36-17) prove to be. Yet despite the super-team status that came with acquiring Dwight Howard and Steve Nash in the summer, the Lakers (24-28) are on the outside looking in even after winning seven of their past 10 games They lost at the Miami Heat 107-97 Sunday.)
LAKERS: LeBron makes 'greatness look easy' in Heat win
CLIPPERS: Grant Hill shuts down Carmelo in beating Knicks
The Heat (34-14) imposed their will late against the Lakers – a slice of symbolism if ever there was one. They're atop the Eastern Conference despite a relatively slow start and a defensive decline that only recently appears to have fixed, winners of 10 of their past 12 games. They're currently slated to face in the first round the Milwaukee Bucks (25-24), who have a three-game lead on the Philadelphia 76ers for the eighth and final spot. As unpredictable plots go, no team has been more puzzling than the Boston Celtics. After losing point guard Rajon Rondo to a season-ending knee ligament tear on Jan. 28, they have won seven in a row after a triple-overtime win over the Nuggets on Sunday night.
As shocking story lines go, though, none was more sudden than Oklahoma City's decision to trade Harden to Houston in late October. And now that his new team looks primed to be in the playoffs for years to come, he's hoping to have a few free agency conversations this week that could help with that cause.
But while free-agents-to-be Dwight Howard of the Lakers, Andrew Bynum of the 76ers and Josh Smith of the Atlanta Hawks could be coming his way, Harden said he doesn't have a specific player in mind on top of his personal priority list.
"I don't because if I did have a guy (like that), I'd be texting him every single day," Harden said.
Specifically, Harden said he has no relationship with Howard.
"Like I said, if I did, I'd be texting him every single day," he said. "Dwight, (Clippers free agent-to-be) Chris Paul, Bynum, all of them."


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Don't miss a single recipe from Picky Palate: sign up for my weekly newsletter
Welcome to Picky Palate, my online kitchen! You'll usually find me with a cookie in one hand and a salad in the other. It's all about the balance :) The recipes you'll see are my creations. The Picky Palate Cookbook is now available. Enjoy!
Welcome to the ORIGINAL Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe! You'll find my recipe that was taken all over the web, but please note, this is my original recipe 🙂 … Continue Reading »


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February 20. 2013 10:34PM
Manchester-based power supplier unplugged
By DAVE SOLOMON
New Hampshire Union Leader
Low natural gas prices gave rise to a competitive consumer market for electricity in New Hampshire, but increasing prices have claimed one of those competitors.
Manchester-based Power New England, known as PNE, was suspended from the regional power market on Feb. 14 by ISO-New England, the independent, nonprofit organization that manages the New England grid. ISO directed Public Service of New Hampshire to take on PNE's approximately 8,500 retail customers, according to a PSNH filing with the Public Utilities Commission Tuesday.
Power New England is one of 12 companies approved by the regulatory agency as a competitive power supplier in the PSNH service area. The ISO would not comment on the action taken against Power New England, which the company is not contesting.
"In general, all market participants who are active in the wholesale electricity markets in New England must maintain a minimum amount of collateral and comply with other financial assurance and billing requirements to participate in the markets," wrote an ISO spokesperson in an email.
Resident Power, which brokers power from PNE and other sources for its energy service customers, is not affected by the ISO action, according to Bart Fromouth, managing director. "Resident Power is completely unaffected as a company by what's going on with PNE," he said. "Not all of our customers are placed with PNE."
Fromouth said PNE got in over its head with low-priced offers to consumers as natural gas prices went up. "In January and February, prices have skyrocketed to around 15 cents per kwh, compared to 4 cents we were seeing last year," he said.
Some competitive power suppliers like Energy New Hampshire (ENH) lock in a wholesale price with a power generator before offering a price to consumers, but PNE apparently had more exposure to short-term contracts.
That major price spike meant PNE was locked into low-cost contracts with consumers while having to pay more for wholesale electricity.
The price volatility is due to a variety of factors, including a cold winter and an increasing demand for natural gas in New England, despite a pipeline system that can only accommodate so much, according to Martin Murray, manager of media relations for Public Service of New Hampshire.
"While PNE hasn't stated clearly what happened, it seems likely that it's linked to the extreme volatility in the energy market in New England because of our dangerous reliance on natural gas," he said.
PNE management was unavailable for comment.
Murray said PSNH has been working feverishly to accommodate the PNE customers.
"This is new territory, and it certainly will be interesting if it occurs with an even larger group of customers," he said.
To further complicate matters, PNE was sold to FairPoint Energy in a transaction announced just two days before the ISO action.
FairPoint Energy, an affiliate of FairPoint Communications, hopes to claim the 8,500 customers as its own, even though the ISO has assigned them to Public Service.
"We will take our direction from the PUC," Murray said. "There's still some uncertainty about exactly what will happen and when."
The situation has left many consumers confused.
"We're getting calls today from customers who are PNE customers, but they think they're Resident Power customers," said Murray, "so there is some understandable confusion because they were solicited and marketed by Resident Power."
A spokesman for FairPoint Energy said the company will honor the PNE rates customers had prior to their transfer to PSNH.
"Ultimately, we are happy to see energy deregulation working in the marketplace, particularly since the system ensures that the customer never loses their power, even while shopping for the most attractive rate options," he said.


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- Courtesy call on the morning of the Wedding
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- Complimentary Bottle of Champagne


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To give you an idea of the versatility of fixed-gear bicycles (and what a nut case I am on the subject) I should mention that I own, I blush to admit, 11 fixed-gear bicycles at last count. Let me tell you about them:
Raleigh International
First, there's an early '70's Raleigh International with nice retro Nervex lugs (chromed), all 531, Brooks Swallow saddle, Campagnolo Record High Flange hubs. Non-retro aspects include Scott AT-4 Pro bars, Shimano 105 cranks (Biopace--gasp!, yes, I am the only person left in the world who likes Biopace) Sun aero rims. The rear wheel has 28 spokes, the front 24 (the front hub is 36 holer, I just don't use all of 'em!) Weinmann centerpull with quick release hanger set up to act as parking brake.
Cannondale ST500
- Then there's the Cannondale ST 500 touring frame, equipped with Scott AT3 bars, ESGE fenders, rear rack, all black, cool looking. The black Dia Compe front brake is operated by a BMX/freestyle brake lever that has a lock button which I use as a parking brake.
This Darth Vader machine is my major wet weather commuter.
Raleigh Twenty
I have long had a weakness for Raleigh Twenty folding bikes. My fixed gear Twenty has a Haro BMX fork, Araya alloy wheels, Normandy high flange hubs (nutted), Continental Grand Prix 25 mm tires, mtb bar with built-in bar ends, Brooks Swallow saddle, Dia Compe BMX brake. The brake lever has a lock button which I use as a parking brake.
Moulton Stowaway
Then there's my 1962 Moulton Stowaway. This first-generation Moulton has full suspension, itty-bitty 349 mm (16 inch) wheels, and takes apart in the middle for storage or transport in another vehicle. It was originally supplied with all steel parts and a coaster brake. I've replaced most of the parts with more up-to-date aluminum parts, making it very much lighter than it started out.
Mead Ranger
One of my newest bikes is also my oldest, a 1916 Mead Ranger. Back during the Wilson administration, this high-end $40 bike had wooden rims, 28 inch single-tube tires, and a coaster brake. When I bought it for $25 in 1998, it had no wheels nor saddle. I installed a couple of high quality late '70s vintage 630 mm (27 inch) wheels, the rear equipped with a Phil Wood track hub. Using the old-style 1" pitch chain, this bike has a 26 tooth chainring, and the flip-flop rear hub has an 8 and a 10 tooth sprocket. This bike is a real kick to ride, and the ancient frame has a very modern feel. I've got a separate page about this bike.
The above bikes all have only front brakes, operated by the right side lever.
Lenton Grand Prix
- Then there's the 1957 Raleigh Lenton Grand Prix, 531 main tubes, Raleigh cottered cranks. This bike has wheels I built up with light alloy 630 mm (27") rims. The most unusual feature of this bike is the rear hub, a 1952 Sturmey-Archer ASC, three-speed fixed gear. Gives direct drive, 90% and 75%. I have it geared for gain ratios of: 6.31 (83" / 6.62 m), 5.68 (75" / 5.95 m) and 4.73 (63" / 4.96 m). (My usual fixed gear is 5.77 (75.6" / 6.05 m gear) Actually, the Lenton has fallen on hard times, because it has given up its wheels and saddle to help outfit my E.G.Bates.
- Almost as wierd is my "woodie" fixed-gear mountain bike; this is 1930's Hercules with a reversable hub. One side has an 18 tooth fixed cog, the other has a two-speed freewheel, 20 & 30 teeth. This bike has a Shimano 105 crankset, 42/52. The 52/18 gives me a fixed gear with a gain of 5.56 (75" / 6.00 m) , which I use most of the time. On the freewheel side, I have a choice between the 52/20 --5.01 (68" / 5.44) road gear and the 42/30 --2.70 (36" / 2.91 m) off-road gear. This bike has 559 mm mountain-bike wheels, usually with 1.5 semi-slicks, though sometimes I put on a front wheel with a knobby if I plan to go off-road. I've got a separate page about this bike
Most of the above bikes have 165 mm cranks for improved cornering clearance.
- Then there is my beater, an early '50's Rudge, 531 main tubes. Originally equipped with a four speed Sturmey-Archer hub, this all-steel bike has mostly original equipment, except I replaced the rear hub with a vintage 40 hole steel fixed hub.
This is a rustbucket that lives outdoors behind my house, I never lock it. With a milk crate on the Pletscher rack, it is used for short-hop errands. This bike is deliberately uncomfortable and hard to ride, to deter thieves. It is a 21" frame, a couple inches too small for me, with a huge seatpost and the plastic base of a cheap ten-speed saddle with the cover and foam torn off.
The North Road handlebars are low and have been flipped upside down, so they are at least a foot lower than the saddle. Sharp steel rattrap pedals with no clips nor straps complete the instrument of torture. Anyone rash enough to try to ride this bike would have to have very long legs like me, and even then, a rider who was not accustomed to fixed gear riding would surely crash painfully if he or she tried to ride off on my Rudge. It has a gain ratio of 5.01 (68" / 5.44), and is comfortable enough for me for rides of a mile or two.
Bridgestone CB-3
My Bridgestone CB-3 is a special bike for snowy conditions. This started out as a bottom-of-the-line Bridgestone mid '80's CB-3 "city bike". I took off all the gear stuff, and the rear brake. I screwed a 15 tooth track sprocket onto the steel hub, which lines up nicely with the 28 tooth ring on the triple crankset. This gives me a 3.63 ratio (49" / 3.88 m) which is high enough for as fast as I would want to go on a snowy road.
It has old-fashioned mtb tires with big squarish knobs that seem to work quite well on snow-covered pavement.
Bianchi B.a.S.S.
Singlespeed Mountain Bike built up from a bargain frameset, an absolute joy to ride.
This bike has a flip-flop hub with a fixed gear on one side, a two-speed freewheel on the other.
Click here for more.
Raleigh/Baylis Professional
A wrecked and ruined 1974 Raleigh Professional, rendered better than new by Brian Baylis, including a "heart transplant."
It is set up as a fixed gear with anachronistic parts. A thing of beauty and a joy to ride.
E.G. Bates
My E.G.Bates is possibly my coolest, and certainly most valuable bike. A gloriously hand-crafted frame with very ornate lugwork, it also features the extremely rare Sturmey-Archer ASC, three-speed fixed gear hub. See the separate page on this bike.
Rambouillet Fixed Gear
Lugged steel frames are not obsolete! This beauty was made in 2002
Thanks to the new White Industries eccentric hub, I was able to rig this up as a fixed gear even though it has vertical dropouts.Click here for more.
1983 Picchio fixed-gear tandem
- I'm the only kid on my block with a fixed-gear tandem! This tandem originally came with Campagnolo Record/Nuovo Record road parts, and the previous owner sold it to Mike Kone's Bicycle Classics. They "parted it out" and put the frame on the floor with a sign that said "Ride it if you dare!" My kids had outgrown the Cinelli BMX bike that each of them had used for a while, so Mike and I traded frames. I hope he has as much fun with the Cinelli as I have been with the Piccio.
Blasphemer that I am, I built it up with Shimano 105 cranks (165 mm arms, Biopace chainrings all around.) and 105 SLR single-pivot brakes (the finest caliper brakes ever, in my opinion.) With Mathauser brake shoes, the braking is quite good, especially since I built it up with 630 mm (27") wheels, which shorten the caliper reach by 4 mm. It is made of Oria tubing, with strange creases down some of the tubes, which, I presume, are intended to stiffen it up. I was skeptical about the open rear parallelogram frame design, but it seems quite stiff despite the lack of triangulation.
IRO Jamie Roy Fixed Gear
Aluminum frame, Rock Shox MTB fork.
622 wheel in back, 559 in front, about 20 pounds complete!
Gunnar Street Dog Fixed Gear
This damaged-in-shipping frame is a new home for the parts that had been on my Cannondale fixed gear.
Just as a hack, it is set up with the chain on the left side.
It features an unusual headlight mount, using the lowrider boss on the fork.
Quckbeam Fixed/Free Road Bike
I've been a fan of fixed-gear bikes for many years, generally preferring "road" geometry but with some trackish features. In many ways the Quickbeam from Rivendell is the answer to a longstanding dream of mine.
It is designed specifically as a high-performance single-speed machine, without any derailer-related doodads, but unlike track bikes, it has geometry and tire clearance that make it very versatile and comfortable for road use or even off-road as long as the trails don't ge too "technical."
More Fixed Gear Pages on This Site:
Fixed Gear for the Road Fixed Gear Testimonials Fixed Gear Parts from Harris Cyclery
More of Sheldon Brown's Wild and Crazy Bikes
Sheldon Brown's Personal Pages Books Boston My
La Belle
Humor My
Misc. My
Québec Radio
Articles by Sheldon Brown and others Harris
Beginners Brakes Commuting
Essays Family
Fixed Gear
Frames Gears &
Tandems Touring What's
Wheels Sheldon
Accessories Bicycles Parts Specials Tools
Copyright © 1996, 2008 Sheldon Brown
Harris Cyclery Home PageIf you would like to make a link or bookmark to this page, the URL is:


text:
Goldman Sachs Group Inc has urged the U.S. Supreme Court to throw out a mortgage securities class-action lawsuit that it said could cost Wall Street tens of billions of dollars.
The bank is challenging a September 6 decision by the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York allowing the lawsuit, which accuses it of misleading investors about the securities' risks.
Continue Reading Below
That court let the NECA-IBEW Health & Welfare Fund, which owned some mortgage-backed certificates underwritten by Goldman, sue on behalf of investors in certificates backed by mortgages from the same lenders, but which the fund did not own itself.
Circuit Judge Barrington Parker wrote for a three-judge panel that the NECA-IBEW fund could pursue these claims because they "implicate the same set of concerns" as its own.
Goldman's lawyers argued that the 2nd Circuit created a direct conflict with the federal appeals court in Boston, which in a similar case involving Japan's Nomura Asset Acceptance Corp, found in January 2011 that a plaintiff could not pursue claims on behalf of a class that it could not bring by itself.
The stakes are "difficult to overstate," according to an October 26 brief by Theodore Olson, a partner at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher and former U.S. solicitor general, who represents Goldman.
"In the context of mortgage-backed securities litigation in which this case arises, the decision will effectively increase by tens of billions of dollars the potential liability that financial institutions face in this and similar class actions," he wrote. "Moreover, the new standard threatens to expand the scope of class actions in many other areas of the law."
A split among federal courts often increases the chance that the Supreme Court will accept an appeal.
The NECA-IBEW fund serves electrical workers and is based in Decatur, Illinois. It has an opportunity to respond to Goldman's filing. If the Supreme Court accepted Goldman's appeal, no decision would likely be issued before the middle of 2013.
Joseph Daley and Arthur Leahy, partners at Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd who represent the NECA-IBEW fund, did not immediately respond on Friday to requests for comment.
Goldman and its rivals have faced thousands of lawsuits by investors seeking to recoup losses on mortgage securities.
Investors typically claim they were misled about the risks relating to the underlying home loans, most of which were made before or as the U.S. housing slump took hold in 2007.
The 17 offerings in the NECA-IBEW lawsuit dated from 2007, were sold under the same registration statement, and contained loans from many mortgage lenders.
According to court papers, the fund had bought certificates from two Goldman-led offerings that contained loans from GreenPoint Mortgage Funding, later part of Capital One Financial Corp , and Wells Fargo & Co .
The 2nd Circuit let the NECA-IBEW fund represent investors in these and five other offerings backed by GreenPoint or Wells Fargo loans. It said the 10 other offerings were too different.
On Friday, JPMorgan Chase & Co urged a Manhattan federal judge to put a similar case against it on hold while the Supreme Court addresses Goldman's appeal. That case is led by the Fort Worth Employees' Retirement Fund in Texas.
Goldman's appeal is Goldman Sachs & Co et al v. NECA-IBEW Health & Welfare Fund et al, U.S. Supreme Court, No. 12-528.
(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in Washington, D.C.; Editing by Gary Hill)


text:
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Web development
- Design to development
- Building stronger front-end practices
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A well designed, accessible and scalable website is imperative for most businesses. Pluralsight has an extensive course collection for web development, but here are a few courses to get your students started.
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Companies big and small are investing in cloud storage. Help your students become cloud-savvy with courses on the major technologies in the space.
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text:
To encourage environmentally responsible forest management.
When using new wood-based products and materials, use a minimum of 50% that are certified in accordance with the Forest Stewardship Council's principles and criteria. Division 12 (Furniture) material value is included in the determination of the certified wood content.
Please note that casework and built-in millwork items must be included in the base building calculations.
Join LEEDuser
Ask questions, share tips, and get notified of new forum posts by joining LEEDuser, a tool developed by BuildingGreen and supported by USGBC!
Sample forms
Active Form Static Form
Active Form Static Form
Active Form


text:
Sony Vaio Pro SVP-1x21
This document will guide you through the process of installing Arch Linux on the 2013 Sony Vaio Pro Haswell based Ultrabook. From what we've seen, this laptop seems to be very Arch friendly! :)
- 1 Features
- 2 Pre-installation
- 3 Installation
- 4 Post-intallation
- 5 Summary of known issues
- Intel Haswell Series CPU (4200U/4500U)
- 4/8GB of DDR3 1600MHz RAM
- 128 to 512GB SSD with read speeds over 1GB/s
- 11/13" LED-backlit 1080p IPS screen
- Optional touchscreen
- Backlit keyboard
- Webcam
- Wireless: WiFi 802.11n, Bluetooth, NFC
- Sensors: ambilight
- Ultra low weight; around 1.1kg for the 13" model
BIOS Configuration
Get into the BIOS by pushing the assist button when the system is shut off and then hitting Start BIOS Setup. Do not try to boot from your usb key using recovery mode, instead change the boot order in the BIOS. Make the following changes:
Intel(R) AT Support System [Disabled] Secure Boot [Disabled] External Device Boot [Enabled] Select 1st Boot Priority [External Device]
If you want to use the legacy boot (non-EFI), change:
Boot Mode [Legacy]
Install media
- Important! Do NOT use the usb port labelled with a lightning bolt, you will never get it to even boot.
- When booting from USB, append
libata.force=noncqto the kernel parameters to avoid problems with the SSD.
Internet connection
As the Intel 7260 WiFi card is only supported in linux kernel 3.11-rc4 or newer, you might have to use another method to connect to the internet.
Known working methods:
- USB tethering with an Android device. Samsung i9300 @ 4.2.2 tested.
Picking a bootloader
Works as expected.
Some users are unable to run the install.
Works as expected.
Issues fixing the frequency at 800MHz should be fixed in Linux kernel version 3.11. Known working fix using the 3.11-rc4 kernel can be found here.
Works good with the xf86-video-intel driver. For instuctions on installing and configuring, see the Intel Graphics article.
Works out of the box. As the Installation Guide suggests, install alsa-utils and follow this guide to get started.
The Intel 7260 WiFi card is only supported in Linux kernel 3.11-rc4 (tested) or newer.
Touch screen
Tapping works out of the box. Multitouch gestures do not work.
Keyboard backlight
Works out of the box. Enables in low amblient light and a key press, turns off after about 20s.
Can be customized by modifying
kbd_backlight and
kbd_backlight_timeout found in:
A simple shell script for toggling the backlight, bind to a keyboard shortcut for easy use:
#!/bin/sh path="/sys/devices/platform/sony-laptop/kbd_backlight" if [ $(<$path) -eq 1 ] then newval=0 else newval=1 fi echo "$newval" > $path
Make sure that you can write to this file without root privileges:
#chmod 777 /sys/devices/platform/sony-laptop/kbd_backlight
Monitor backlight control
Works out of the box with xorg-xbacklight. By default the backlight is only adjusted by 1% per button press. This can easily be fixed by binding those keys to a xorg-xbacklight command. DM:s like Xfce does take larger steps by default.
Works great with the xf86-input-synaptics driver. A good base config can be found here.
Works very well out of the box.
Fan control
Works well out of the box. It stays quiet during normal load. Change profile by editing
thermal_control found in:
Available profiles can be found in
thermal_profiles in the same directory.
Set the maximum charge to 50/80/100% by modifying
battery_charge_limiter found in:
USB ports
The usb port labeled with a lightning bolt does not work for anything but charging. This is a known issue for many Sony laptops.
SD card slot
Works out of the box.
Not tested.
Works out of the box.
Works out of the box.
Summary of known issues
- No multitouch support
- Only one usb port fully working
- No good with kernels older than 3.11


text:
Listen to today's episode of StarDate on the web the same day it airs in high-quality streaming audio without any extra ads or announcements. Choose a $8 one-month pass, or listen every day for a year for just $30.
You are here
Sun Tower
The Sun reaches its northernmost point in the sky tomorrow, which is the start of summer in the northern hemisphere. At noon, it'll stand directly above the Tropic of Cancer, an imaginary ring around Earth at a latitude of 23-and-a-half degrees north. It's named for the constellation Cancer, because centuries ago, the Sun passed through the constellation at the summer solstice.
Many cultures have built monuments along the Tropic of Cancer. In part, that's because, with the Sun standing directly overhead at noon, objects on the ground cast no shadows.
The monument building continues today. In 1986, for example, China built a structure at the city of Shantou, which is about 200 miles up the coast from Hong Kong. The structure is known as the Symbolic Tower of the Tropic of Cancer.
It's basically a big pedestal that supports a globe that's 16 feet in diameter.
Because the monument is built on the Tropic of Cancer, it's a popular spot for visitors on the summer solstice. At local noon, when the Sun stands straight overhead, sunlight shines directly through a pipe that passes through the globe, illuminating the granite patio beneath it with a circle of intense light.
Visitors who stand below the hole not only have their heads bathed in sunlight, but they cast no shadow. And if they straddle the metal marker beneath the globe, they'll have one foot in Earth's tropics and the other in the temperate zone.
More about the solstice tomorrow.
Script by Robert Tindol and Damond Benningfield
- ‹ Previous
- Next ›


text:
404 - Page not found
404 - Page not found
The page you were looking for could not be found. The page has either moved or no longer exists.
Please check the address of the page you are looking for and try again.
Go to the Garden Fences Locally Homepage


text:
Celebrating Memorial Day
[On Memorial Day] we may ask our children to remember those who gave the utmost level of devotion to secure our freedoms. But we mostly don't talk among ourselves about the fact that names are still being added to the list of the lost, names that until recently belonged to people, but now belong to memory, belong to the ages. Names that once brought smiles to parents' faces and light to a lover's eyes but now bring only a whistling blow to the pit of the stomach for those who loved them. Names that now signify a vast, empty, mournful space that actual people used to fill.
Photo: Flyover Country


text: Chris Jones is the chief theater critic and a Sunday culture columnist for the Chicago Tribune. His reviews of theater, performance, circus and comedy for the newspaper number in the thousands, and his Sunday column explores all aspects of culture and its relationship with American life and ideas. He also serves as a critic for WBBM-Ch. 2. He is the author of "Bigger, Brighter, Louder: 150 years of Chicago Theater," published by the University of Chicago Press. Prior to joining the full-time staff of the Tribune in 2002, Jones served for many years as a critic for Variety, and his work has also appeared in the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, The Washington Post and American Theatre magazine. Jones has twice served on the drama committee of the Pulitzer Prizes. He has a doctorate from Ohio State University.


text:
Beaumont/Port Arthur
(Lamar press release)
The Cardinal Singers will delight audiences with jazz classics and popular '50s hits that are guaranteed to get toes tapping when they take the stage for the Lamarissimo! concert at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 25, in the Julie Rogers Theatre.
Lamar University's acclaimed Lamarissimo! Concert Series continues Thursday, March 7, as the Wind Ensemble and Concert Band perform classic symphonic selections by Edvard Greig and Leonard Bernstein, and premieres an original composition in honor of Wayne Dyess, longtime director of jazz studies at Lamar, who died Feb. 27.
While we harbor no disrespect for the Wall Street Journal who called us "that scrappy little paper from Southeast Texas," we prefer to think of ourselves as simple seekers of the truth. We're of the opinion that headlines and sound bites never tell the whole story. Our readers demand all the facts, facets and flavors of every story or event. And, they expect to be informed, educated and stirred to action.
For this week's New York Times crossword puzzle, pick up a copy of this week's The Examiner on newsstands now.


text:
This has been a long time coming for the Giants, who have been leaving little hints and displaying various signs that all is not well, despite their winning ways.
It all caught up with them Sunday. There was a will but there was not a way. They believed they would provide about three hours of relief for those dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, but instead they spent the better part of three hours showing the flaws they have gotten away with in previous weeks but not this time, as evidenced by a 24-20 loss to the Steelers and the end of a four-game winning streak.
"We've lost games around here where we've played really well and physically battled away and just got beat, but that wasn't one of them,'' coach Tom Coughlin said.
No, this wasn't one of them. The Giants (6-3) actually weren't playing all that well but still took a 20-10 lead into the fourth quarter, despite another strangely off-kilter game from Eli Manning and a run defense that made Pittsburgh's No. 3 running back, Isaac Redman (147 yards), look like the second coming of Franco Harris. Perhaps Coughlin's desire to win this one for the storm-battered region would be enough.
"We wanted emotionally so badly to win the game for obvious reasons, for all our neighbors who are struggling and who need some type of inspiration,'' Coughlin said. "Of course, we didn't provide it for them.''
The Steelers ensured there would be no feel-good story at MetLife Stadium, inhabited by thousands of their black-and-gold clad, Terrible Towel-waving fans. The Steelers flew in the day of the game — an extreme rarity in the NFL — so as not to displace hurricane refugees from their hoteland made the brief stay a profitable one. They scored the final 14 points of the game, getting a 51-yard catch and run-run-run by Mike Wallace on a short toss from Ben Roethlisberger and a 1-yard scoring plunge by Redman for the winning points, interspersed with a defense that turned Manning into just another quarterback without any answers.
To wit: The Giants had three offensive possessions in the fourth quarter and went three-and-out in all three — going meekly with series of minus-12, three and one yard.
"We've been pretty good in fourth quarters at coming back and scoring more and finishing the game strong,'' said Manning, who completed just 10 passes for 125 yards, no touchdowns and one interception. "We were in a position — down — with a chance to score a touchdown and take the lead and possibly win the game and we didn't come through.''
Manning's ill-advised floater intended for Victor Cruz in the first quarter was intercepted by Ike Taylor, helping to set up Roethlisberger's 4-yard scoring pass to Emmanuel Sanders for a 7-0 Pittsburgh lead. A 41-yard pass interference penalty on cornerback Keenan Lewis led to Andre Brown's 1-yard touchdown to make it 7-7. Osi Umenyiora's strip-sack of Big Ben was scooped up by Michael Boley for a 70-yard fumble return — the second defensive touchdown for the Giants in as many weeks. The Giants led 14-10 at halftime and 20-10 after Lawrence Tynes' second field goal of the game.
A potential momentum shift came when Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, trailing 20-17, eschewed a 20-yard field goal for a fake that cornerback Michael Coe snuffed out. It did nothing: The next offensive series produced three yards and a punt. An offside penalty on rookie Jayron Hosley on third down helped set up Redman's rushing touchdown, but the Giants, down by four points, still had 3:55 remaining. Eli time.
Not this time. Incomplete pass, incomplete pass, Manning sacked by LaMarr Woodley. When Big Ben hit Sanders — who abused Hosley — for 16 yards on third-and-9, that was that.
"We've been a team known for finishing. We take the lead in the fourth quarter and we don't sustain it — that's frustrating; that's not us,'' Justin Tuck said.
Coughlin sounded incredulous that the offense has dried up — "Two weeks ago we were the number one big-play team in the league. … I mean, it doesn't make any sense'' and said the goal now is to get Manning "back on track.''
Manning didn't agree with an assessment that he's in a slump.
"We haven't been playing our best football offensively in the last few weeks,'' he said. "But tonight it finally caught up with us.''


text:
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States has authorized the use of up to $50 million from its emergency refugee fund to help with urgent humanitarian needs resulting from fighting in South Sudan, the White House said on Monday.
The conflict between President Salva Kiir's Dinka people and the Nuer of his former deputy, Riek Machar, has prompted a humanitarian crisis in the world's youngest nation. The fighting has curbed oil production in South Sudan, which became independent from Sudan in 2011.
More than 1.3 million people have been displaced, and South Sudan is at risk of famine, the White House said.
"Months of conflict between the government of South Sudan and rebel forces have exacted a terrible toll on the people of South Sudan," White House National Security Council spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden said in a statement.
The $50 million will support the U.N. High Commission for Refugees and its partners to help more than 300,000 refugees who have crossed into Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan and Uganda, as well as internally displaced people, the statement said.
The White House said the $50 million would be part of a package of nearly $300 million in additional assistance that the United States will formally pledge on Tuesday at a conference in Oslo. It brings the total of U.S. humanitarian assistance to about $434 million since the conflict began in December.
Norway pledged $63 million on Monday.
(This version of the story was refiled to remove an extraneous words from the headline.)
(Writing by Jim Loney; Editing by Jan Paschal)


text: By Peggy McInerny, Director of Communications International Institute, July 11, 2012 — That pizza will attract undergraduates to a meeting is an established fact. But pizza and research papers? That was the combination that drew a number of International Institute Interdepartmental Program (IDP) students together at the end of Spring 2013 quarter to learn about one another's research projects. Sandy Valdivieso The first IDP "end-of-the-year celebration" was organized by Sandy Valdivieso and Magda Yamamoto, the undergraduate academic counselors for International Development Studies (IDS) and Global Studies, and for International & Area Studies, respectively. Yamamoto is also the academic counselor for International Institute graduate programs. These two women help intrepid International Institute IDP students navigate the UCLA academic labyrinth, register for courses across departments and fulfill IDP graduation requirements — all the while lending them moral support and cheering them on. Mike Lofchie Mike Lofchie, Chair of IDS, greeted the students warmly. He noted that IDP students can sometimes feel without a home, given that their studies are interdisciplinary by nature, and wholeheartedly recommended that such get-togethers become a regular feature of their life at UCLA. International Institute IDP students have an excellent reputation among UCLA faculty, said Lofchie, noting that whenever he asks department chairs about IDP students, they invariably identify them as their best students. Mike Thies International Institute IDP students are dedicated, added Mike Thies, as it takes effort to figure out how to put the courses together that will meet their major or minor degree requirements — you don't just follow a set of requirements set out for you. Thies is Chair of both the Global Studies and International & Area Studies programs. When he teaches Global Studies students, he said, it's clear they are a different group than political science students – more passionate about international politics. Katherine Parkinson James Walker A number of International Institute IDP students, many of whom would graduate in less than two weeks, then presented research papers or made presentations on international volunteer work. Two, Katherine Parkinson and James Walker, presented findings from their senior theses for the Global Studies program. Parkinson analyzed programs and the literature dealing with the reintegration of former armed combatants into civilian society, a process known as DDR (disarmament, demobilization and reintegration). She argued for a rethinking of the paradigm for such programs, recommending that they focus on building the capacity of local societies to understand why former soldiers took up arms in the first place and engage them in defining what DDR will mean in their communities. Walker spoke about his research on the impact of international criminal tribunals on national sovereignty, using three case studies on: General Augusto Pinochet, a former head of state (Chile), who was arrested in London on an indictment issued by a Spanish magistrate and eventually returned to Chile for trial; Slobodan Milošević, a deposed head of state (Yugoslavia, then Serbia), who was tried by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia; and Omar al-Bashir, a sitting head of state (Sudan), for whom the International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued several arrest warrants but continues to govern his country and travel freely in North Africa. Walker noted that the normative progression of prosecutions had culminated in a denial of the sovereign immunity of national leaders, with the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (which established the ICC) outlawing any law that could block a leader's culpability for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and crimes of aggression. Caity Campos Priscilla Mapelli IDS students Caity Campos and Priscilla Mapelli then spoke about their work with nonprofit organizations in developing countries. Both young women have engaged in multiple humanitarian endeavors as UCLA students, both in the Los Angeles community and abroad. Campos spoke in particular about Global-7, a nonprofit that she founded while attending high school in Argentina with the idea that one school can be a model for development. After fundraising for the organization upon her return to the United States, Campos created a number of programs for students in the Argentine school, including trash collection, recycling and repainting over graffiti; an after-school program; and college scholarships. She went on to establish similar programs in Granada and Nicaragua in 2010, the administration of which she passed off to seven high school students whom she chaperoned to the region in 2013. Mapelli discussed her extensive volunteer work with UCLA UniCamp and Global Brigades at UCLA. She traveled with the latter organization to Honduras five times and Ghana twice to help build local clinics and work on clean water projects during her four years at UCLA. Mapelli will join Global Brigades as a staff member after graduation to foster similar such partnerships in that country. Finally, two students pursuing majors under the International & Area Studies IDP presented their research projects. Andrea Avila, a B.A.-M.A. student in Latin American Studies, examined the impact of displacements caused by three generations of civil conflict in Colombia (about 50 years). According to Avila, the country has the second-highest number of displaced people in the world, the greatest number of whom are women (often widows) and children. Continual displacement accompanied by great violence has resulted in a number of impacts on this population, said Avila, including the spread of infectious and skin diseases, anxiety and depression, malnutrition, land mine injuries, habitation in areas with poor infrastructure and inadequate access to health services. Angela Arunarsirakul Angela Arunarsirakul, a Southeast Asian studies major, spoke about her research on why Thai students go abroad for education, based on a small sample of Thai students currently studying at UCLA. Her research looked at the push-pull factors involved in the decision, with Thais going abroad in increasing numbers and UCLA aggressively recruiting foreign students. Among her findings was that the median family income of Thai students at UCLA was quite high (although this average had been skewed by a few cases), as were their SAT scores. The presentations and the collegial atmosphere of the afternoon reflected the kaleidoscope of interests, intellectual curiosity and passion common among IDP students at UCLA. They may not have a typical departmental home, but they certainly recognize one another. And so do their professors.


text:
Karen Holmes Ward hosts "CityLine," Channel 5's award-winning urban news and feature magazine program. For a half hour every Sunday at noon, "CityLine" explores an array of compelling subjects at length.
The program covers a wide spectrum of topics: political and social policy, medical care, historical discussions, people profiles, ethnic cuisine, travel, newly-released books and the latest previews of theatrical, musical, dance and fashion-related productions around the city.
The result is a blend of education, enlightenment and entertainment.
- July 25, 2010: Alternative Education: Crispus Attucks, Boston Opportunity Agenda, Mass Bay Community College
- Nov. 15, 2009: Good Sports: Red Sox Charity Efforts; Patriots Encyclopedia; Bio of Sugar Ray Robinson
- Oct. 11, 2009: Black women and Bulimia; Paralympic ski Champ Bonnie St. John; Life in Kashmir, India


text:
By Robert Mattler
Hosts Lawrence Technological University (LTU) and Michigan Interfaith Power and Light held a two-day sustainability conference, Sustainability Strategies for People, Profit & Planet, on Sept. 27-28 on the campus of LTU.
It was an interesting perspective on informing and educating more than 200 people in attendance on methods to drive sustainability in our businesses, residences, non-profit world and houses of worship. Experts discussed several projects and tools having an impact on both our local and regional sustainability status and introduced us to new concepts to help drive the sustainable built environment forward.
One of the keynote speakers, William Spratley, executive director of Green Energy Ohio, spoke about the strides made in renewable energy in Ohio. With a number of successful solar and wind projects completed and many more significant projects either in the planning or building stages, the future looks bright for Ohio reaching and surpassing its Renewable Portfolio Standard in the very near future.
Sad to say, Michigan is not quite as ambitious in this field, notwithstanding both states' heavy reliance on coal to produce electricity at the majority of their power plants.
With a full day of speakers and educational tracks to choose from, attendees had a plethora of choices on honing their skills on sustainable topics. Both local and regional experts introduced a variety of topics to eager participants, including Case Studies on Successful Sustainable Projects, Community Urban Gardens, Portfolio Manager Workshops, PACE Financing, Community and Michigan Solar Initiatives, Faith and Ecology, Recycling, Green Gamification Software, the Living Building Challenge, and many other worthwhile topics.
The afternoon keynote was delivered by Terry Gips, CEO of Sustainability Associates and a nationally recognized expert on helping for for-profit and non-profit organizations save money, improve performance, and teach others to become leaders in sustainability.
The first day concluded with a lovely networking afterglow, raffle, and review of the Green Expo at LTU.
All of the events on Saturday were family-oriented and free to attend. There were LEED-certified, docent-led building tours on LTU's campus, a self-guided tour of the storm water trail on campus, and docent-led tours of a 10 KW Photovoltaic system. Two interesting environmental movies were shown, "DIRT!" and "HOME," and a special family session was unveiled allowing both adults and children to examine their "ecological footprint" in a hands-on, family-fun manner.
This event seems to outdo itself each and every year. Both participants and organizers are looking forward to what's in store at the 10th annual Sustainability Conference at LTU next year.
It's important to note those supporting sponsors that made this two-day event so special. Gold Leaf Sponsors included Performance Engineering Group, Pure Michigan, ASHRAE Detroit Chapter and DTE Energy. Silver Leaf Sponsors were NECA and Pure Eco. The Breakfast Sponsor was Meadowlark Energy and the Afternoon Snack Sponsor was Michigan Environmental Council. In Kind Sponsors included Great Lakes Renewable Energy Associates, Great Lakes Coffee, Green Safe Products, ASHRAE LTU Students Branch, Detroit Regional Chapter of USGBC, USGBC Students and the media sponsor, www.greeningdetroit.com.
Robert E. Mattler, associate broker, attorney and LEED AP BD+C, is director of Green Brokerage at Armada Real Estate Services in West Bloomfield, Michigan. He is also senior correspondent for www.greeningdetroit.com. He speaks, writes and blogs about emerging sustainable real estate issues in Michigan and elsewhere. For more information, contact him at (248) 855-1221 or email@example.com.


text:
You will first need to download the latest 2.6 kernel from http://www.kernel.org
Untar the new kernel and copy it to your /usr/src directory. Then cd to /usr/src. You will need to use either 'make gconfig' or 'make menuconfig' to configure the kernel.
In this tutorial, we will use menuconfig for our examples. Type in
#make menuconfig
You will have to go through and configure the kernel according to your system specifics. I can't do that for you as there are just too many variables. make sure you are familiar with your system specifics, and compile in support for the various components for your system. That is out of the scope of this tutorial, and we will only discuss configuration for encryption support in this paper.
The first thing we will want to do, is enable loopback device support. This option is located under
Device Drivers ---> Block Devices---> Loopback device support.
There are two options here. We can either compile this support directly into the kernel or compile it as a module (as will be the case for each of our options) Do whichever you feel more comfortable with. Remember that if you compile these options as modules, you will either need to edit /etc/rc.d/rc.modules to load the modules on boot or load them manually with modprobe. For loopback support, I would suggest compiling support directly into the kernel, but the choice is yours. If you want to compile loopback support directly into the kernel, then scroll down to loopback support and enter 'y'. If you want to compile it as a module, type in 'm'
Right below loopback support is the option for Cryptoloop support. I suggest compiling support for cryptoloop as a module. But again, you can you compile it directly into the kernel if you choose.
Next, we need to enable our encryption algorithms. Choose 'Exit' to revert back to the former screen and exit that screen as well to return to the original screen. scroll down to 'Cryptographic options' and press 'enter'. You will be presented with the following options
--- Cryptographic API
--- HMAC support
<M > Null algorithms
<M> MD4 digest algorithm
--- MD5 digest algorithm
--- SHA1 digest algorithm
<M> SHA256 digest algorithm
<M> SHA384 and SHA512 digest algorithms
<M> Whirlpool digest algorithms
<M> Tiger digest algorithms
-- DES and Triple DES EDE cipher algorithms
<M> Blowfish cipher algorithm
<M> Twofish cipher algorithm
<M> Serpent cipher algorithm
<M> AES cipher algorithms (i586)
<M> CAST5 (CAST-128) cipher algorithm
<M> CAST6 (CAST-256) cipher algorithm
<M> TEA and XTEA cipher algorithms
<M> ARC4 cipher algorithm
<M> Khazad cipher algorithm
<M> Anubis cipher algorithm
<M> Michael MIC keyed digest algorithm
<M> CRC32c CRC algorithm
<M> Testing module
Hardware crypto devices --->
A few of these options are already selected by default. I would suggest selecting all of the remaining options and choose to compile them as modules. You may at various times need access to any one of these algorithms, but it's rather senseless to compile all of them directly into the kernel. If there is one particular algorithm that you tend to use a lot or exclusively, then you might want to consider compiling that algorithm directly into the kernel.
This is all you really need to do for what we will discuss in this tutorial. However, there is another encryption option available to us, that would probably be a good idea to add also, This option is the md-crypt option, and will be the successor to cryptoloop. There are some good tutorials available for using this function, so before we finish up, lets go ahead and enable this option as well.
Again, choose 'exit' to return to the main screen after you have selected the options mentioned above. Once you return back to the original screen, choose
Device drivers ---> Multi-device support (RAID and LVM) --->
Compile support for Multi-device support (RAID and LVM) directly into the kernel, as well as the 'Device mapper' option below that. Also, compile support for Crypt target support as a module. This is the actual 'md-crypt' option. That's all we need to do there, and we will have md-crypt and device mapper support for later projects.
After you have finished selecting all the options you want to have in your new kernel, exit and save your work. Type in 'make modules' and 'make modules_install'. When this has finished, we will want to copy the new kernel into our 'boot' directory. First make a backup of your existing kernel, your config files and System.map files in the '/boot' directory. Then copy the new kernel over.
#cp /usr/src/linux-2.6.12/arch/i386/boot/bzImage /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.12
Then, copy over your new config file and System.map files
#cp System.map /boot/System.map-2.6.12
#cp .config /boot/config-2.6.12
Next, we will make some symbolic links in the boot directory.
#ln -s System.map-2.6.5 /boot/System.map
#ln -s config-2.6.5 /boot/config
#ln -s vmlinuz vmlinuz-2.6.12
And finally, we will edit /etc/lilo.conf to reflect the new changes. Comment out [or change] the old config section
#image = /boot/vmlinuz-ide-2.4.29
#root = /dev/hda3
#label = Slackware10
And add the new configuration
image = /boot/vmlinuz
root = /dev/hda3
label = Slackware10.1
Next, type in 'lilo' to reload the new configuration and then reboot. If everything works smoothly after a reboot, then you have done a great job! We are ready to proceed. If you have problems with anything, you will have to figure out what you forgot and go back and reconfigure the kernel again, and repeat the same process. Once you have gotten everything on your system running smoothly with the new kernel, we will move on to how we will create the encrypted ISO image that we will burn to a CD.
To create the encrypted ISO, we first start by filling an emtpty ISO image with random data. Make sure that you make the image large enough to hold the contents of the documents directory you wish to encrypt.
#dd if=/dev/urandom of=crypt.iso bs=1M count=650
next, setup the loop device
#losetup -e blowfish /dev/loop1 crypt.iso
Enter your password, again being careful in what you type, as you will not have a chance to verify the password.
Next, we will run mkisofs through the loop device using the documents folder we wish to encrypt
#mkisofs -r -o /dev/loop1 /documents
create a mountpoint for the ISO image.
#mkdir /mnt/crypto
And then mount the image, verifying that you have the correct password
#mount crypt.iso /mnt/crypto -t iso9660 -o loop=/dev/loop1,encryption=blowfish
If all has gone well, you should see your documents listed in unencrypted form in the /mnt/crypto directory
#cd /mnt/crypto
You are now ready to burn the ISO image to a CD. Unmount the image, unset the loop device and burn your ISO using cdrecord
#umount /mnt/crypto
#losetup -d /dev/loop1
#cdrecord -v -dev=/dev/hdc -data crypt.iso
Once you have the ISO image burned to the CD, you can then mount it and make sure that everything has gone well.
#mount /dev/hdc /mnt/crypto -t iso9660 -o loop=/dev/loop1,encryption=blowfish
If all has gone well, you should see the encrypted ISO image from the CD listed in unencrypted form in the /mnt/crypto directory.
The CD will not even be mountable without the encryption passphrase. This adds even more security to your CD in addition to the fact that the documents stored on the CD are encrypted. The files stored on the CD in encrypted form will not be copyable without first being mounted, and the CD will not mount without the passphrase. This adds quite a bit of protection for your sensitive files.
This tutorial is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License and was extracted from my paper entitled "Encrypted partitions, filesystems, ISO images and CD's" located at Rootshell Security


text:
Is your head spinning from the conflicting reports about Wes Welker's future with the Patriots?
He is close to a new contract (CSNNE.com's Mike Giardi).
He will become a free agent (ESPN's Adam Schefter).
One or two teams could steal Welker if he hits the market (ProFootballTalk.com's Mike Florio).
He has mild disdain for the Patriots (Yahoo!'s Jason Cole).
Got all that?
You haven't seen anything yet.
Starting at midnight on early Saturday and going until the start of free agency at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, the NFL will hold its inaugural free agent negotiating period. The agents of all players set to become unrestricted free agents can negotiate (but not execute a contract) with teams.
A few of the guidelines:
There can be no direct contact between teams and players. That means no visits or medical evaluations. And free agent visits can't be scheduled.
Players without agents, such as Ravens safety Ed Reed, can't be contacted by teams.
Of course, rules are broken all the time in the NFL, especially when it comes to contract and free agent negotiations, so who knows what ultimately will happen.
This is for certain: prepare to be bombarded by different reports about negotiations for the top players. It will make the Welker stuff look tame.
Agents with top-of-the-market players about to cash in — Mike Wallace, Greg Jennings, Jake Long, Cliff Avril, Dashon Goldson, Michael Bennett, Brent Grimes, etc. — are under a lot of pressure, not only to boost their own commission, but to deliver that huge contract they've been promising their client. There is a desperation involved, especially if the market isn't hot to start. So if an agent thinks that lying to a media member will boost his client's contract, you better believe he's going to do that.
So prepare yourself for breathless reports about how such and such team is in the lead but three other teams are expected to get into the bidding. And it will go on all the way until Tuesday.
And it's exactly what the NFL wants — not the teams, the league office. This negotiation period is purely artificial, to boost the spotlight on the league during a slow period in the sports calendar. The NFL thinks this will cause more media to write or talk about the league and it desires that attention. And you better believe those outlets that measure success purely by clicks will be beating the drums right along with the league.
So if you've had fun with the Welker experience, strap yourself in.
Of course, most teams hate this. They feel it will inflate player contracts against a flat cap. And it hurts a team such as the Patriots because they do their best free agent work when they can get a player in the building, sit him down with Bill Belichick, flash some Super Bowl rings, and convince them signing for less with the Patriots is in their best interest.
As for No. 83, here's where things stand.
Yes, what happened early last season, specifically the game plan for Arizona in Week 2, really irked Welker no matter how many targets and catches he ended up having in that game and the rest of the season. If Aaron Hernandez didn't get injured and if the Patriots won impressively with Julian Edelman ahead of Welker, he very well could have been traded last season.
But that's very much in the past, although Welker will not forget it. The relationship between Welker and the team evolved over the season and they ended in a good place. The team realized Welker's true value is in his dependability because even after losing Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski for an entire season combined, the offense still reached great heights. Why? Because Welker was always there, not to mention that he returned punts as well.
And even though he wasn't thrilled privately, Welker never let on. Not even to his closest friends and teammates. He is the consummate professional.
Is there some concern in the Welker camp that the team could go back to undervaluing the receiver? Sure, which is understandable. How much can one half of a season really change the thinking, especially if Josh McDaniels is calling the shots on that side of the ball? And Belichick isn't exactly an open book when it comes to the team's plans for a player. If you sign with the Patriots, you are expected to do what you're told for the good of the team. If you have a problem with that, don't sign here.
But the overwhelming sentiment, from sources on both sides of the Welker situation, is he will be back with the Patriots. It's not a matter of if, but when. What you are seeing now is part of the process.
Is it possible the sides don't get there? Sure. You never know what will happen when a player hits the market. Maybe someone makes an offer Welker can't refuse in a bid to put them over the top (49ers, Texans, Broncos, Seahawks, Dolphins).
But in a survey of a half-dozen personnel executives at the Scouting Combine, almost all of them thought Welker's market would be limited — much more than if the Patriots didn't tag him last year — because of the lack of cap space across the league. Welker certainly would find a job — those who believe the Patriots' system has made Welker couldn't be more wrong — but it wouldn't be at the top of the market.
So if the money is close, why wouldn't Welker stay with his buddy, Tom Brady?
Another potential sticking point is if the Patriots expect some sort of discount because Welker's one year older and they paid him $9.5 million this past season. If the team retreats on the amount of guaranteed money it was willing to do last year, that's not going to help things.
I'm on the record saying the Patriots should move on from Welker for the good of the offense. While no one has more respect for or values Welker more than I do, I think to become the toughest team to defend for a defense, the Patriots need to get more dynamic on the outside, let the tight ends handle the middle of the field, and take Welker away from Brady.
Get a viable downfield threat — Wallace and Jennings aren't coming here, but the draft is full of them, the Patriots could make a trade, and more receivers could join the low-price market of Jerome Simpson, Mohamed Massaquoi, Brandon Gibson, and David Nelson — and get constant and athletic yards-after-catch from the other side in a combination of Edelman and Danny Amendola, Josh Cribbs, or a draft pick, and the Patriots would be tougher to defend in all parts of the field in the postseason, which has been a problem for them.
That's what I would do. But I doubt that's what the Patriots will do. They learned the value of Welker last season and think that if they can find that outside threat to pair with Welker, they'll be just as dangerous.
Things can change, but the odds are strong that Welker will be back — despite the noise, which will only grow this weekend. Have fun.Greg A. Bedard can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
Analysis of the Asia-Pacific Virtualization Security Market
Growing Awareness toward Virtualization Security Enhancing the Market
Published: 11 May 2012
The Asia-Pacific virtualization security market witnessed a growing mindshare in 2011 as more enterprises recognized the importance of virtualization security. The years 2010 and 2011 saw an increase in education and desire to learn about virtualization security. Fast-growing virtualization, be it server virtualization or application virtualization, was the key driver for the growing awareness toward virtualization security, as virtualization definitely adds a level of complexity to consistent policy enforcement and configuration management.
1. Asia-Pacific Virtualization Security Market
Features of this research
- ICT, Industry Research, Asia Pacific
- Information & Communication Technology, Industry Research, Global
- Cybersecurity, Industry Research, Asia Pacific
- Asia Pacific Network Security Tracker
- Network Security Technologies, South Asia, Middle East & North Africa
- Cybersecurity, Industry Research, Global
Help Desk
For more information and general enquiries, contact Frost & Sullivan near you.
North America
tel: +1.877.463.7678
Select a location near you..


text:
New Free Sony Ericsson U8a Vivaz pro (SE Kanna) Software Download. Freeware Games, Apps, Themes, SIS
Crazy hamster
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Mobile darts
Mobile Darts is the most realistic, funny and difficult Darts game for Touch devices. The game mode is made for two players...Read more
Big box of blox
This is a tetris game from a famous developer. Just like all other products of Astraware, its distinctive feature is originality, in spite of the fact that the idea of this game is not new. You will plunge into psychedelic atmosphere which is proved by the graphics of the game and its music...Read more
Filao fried chicken
Fried Chicken Reloaded - the adventures of a famous chicken Leo in the Extreme North. Lots of unsolved issues come back together with the sequel of the famous game Filao Fried Chicken. Fifteen new levels, new opponents, gorgeous new graphics and animation will bring you lots of pleasure...Read more
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You have a building and you need to clean it really good! Wash the windows and catch prizes which will fall. In Woosher game you will work as a window washerman. Pay attention to the falling objects. As soon as you touch them, they will bring you good or bad bonuses, so be careful. And hurry up, you are short of time. Time flies faster than you think...Read more
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Help the main character to dance, touching the screen of the telephone in proper moments. The game has a complex bonuses system...Read more
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In this game you will need to examine the labyrinths of ancient tombs. Take your explorer to the exit and collect all the coins on your way...Read more
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Your master was kidnapped. Of course you need to save him. You will meet lots of obstacles and enemies on your way. You can disable your enemies if you come from behind and to avoid traps you will need your adroitness! The game has many bonuses and potions which can help to hypnotize your enemies, to become invisible, to become faster etc...Read more
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