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It's not easy being green?
With all due respect to Kermit the Frog, I beg to differ.
I find it as effortless as zipping up my "transitional" pants. The green I mean is that of envy, a deadly sin that loves new moms like gluttony loves an all-you-can-eat breakfast. Not that I, or any mother, invites the dreaded green-eyed monster to set up a pied-á-terre in her heart. It's just that the beast finds exceptionally comfortable living conditions there, says Richard Smith, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology at the University of Kentucky in Lexington. "If you're ever going to be uncertain, it's going to be when everything is new and you don't have any experience to hang your hat on," he notes.
Even women who have logged mommy time, or have at least trolled parenting websites and dog-eared page after page in their baby bibles, can feel rudderless when they see other moms managing to hold what looks like a steady course. "Some women keep the house clean, work, cook dinner every night, and don't ever seem tired," laments Danielle Spears of Indianapolis, who considers herself a relatively competent mom.
Perhaps these übermoms have time and energy to spare because they don't waste either on envy. Or perhaps they're just better at hiding their own green-eyed monsters (say, in the expandable waistbands of their transitional pants). One thing is certain: Whether you feel it or are the object of it, for most moms, envy is inevitable.
Contributing editor Kitty O'Callaghan is Babytalk's "Girl Talk" columnist and a mother of three in White Plains, NY.
Object of envy #1: The Martha mom
It's hard not to notice the Martha mom. She's the one who packs her baby's clothes away according to size and season, and arranges her toys as if they were on display in a museum. She's also able by some manipulation of the time and space continuum to get showered, styled, manicured, and made up daily.
"My girlfriend's house is always neat and tidy...and she is always out and about," says Hainesport, New Jersey, mom Michele Morelli, who feels as if her own home has been in disarray ever since her baby arrived. "There is always laundry to be done, and it seems the mail and every other piece of junk is lying on the kitchen counter." The disparity is so noticeable that she says she can't help but ask herself, "What am I doing wrong?"
Mary Peters of New York City knows the feeling: "I once stopped by a neighbor's apartment to borrow something and was stunned at how immaculate everything was, even though she has two kids. I never dropped in again."
While these moms may be able to win a proverbial "Tidy Bowl," any illusions about their superiority might go down the drain if we got to really know them, says Leslie Morgan Steiner, editor of Mommy Wars (Random House, March 2006). Indeed, the neat mom might be the first to say that envy from other moms is misplaced.
Kelly McElwain of Davidsville, Pennsylvania, used to berate herself every time she visited a particular mom's spotless home, until the woman confided that her husband was Attila the Household Hun who had no tolerance for messy surroundings. "She told me that if he found papers or clutter around, he would throw it away immediately," she says. Later, after McElwain moved out of the neighborhood, she also discovered another fact worthy of Wisteria Lane: This seemingly stress-free neighbor was popping Prozac, along with every other woman in their playgroup, to combat her supermom anxiety. "That cured my envy," says McElwain.
Flo Huffman of Noblesville, Indiana, mom of a 1-year-old, understands the pressure of having a neat house -- it's one she puts on herself. "I get caught up in trying to be the most organized mom and homemaker," she says. "I envy women who can put laundry on hold or leave dishes in the sink to play with their babies." In other words, is the dirty glass in the sink half-empty or half-full?
Object of envy #2: The gifted child's mom
You wouldn't trade your child for anyone else's, right? Yet wishing your kid could be more like the baby next door is an envy pit that swallows many a new mom. Abby Warmington of Belmont, Michigan, points to her nephew, who was born two days after her daughter. "Just yesterday I was talking with my sister-in-law on the phone and I heard my nephew babbling 'mamama'...I thought, 'Ashlyn's not doing that yet!' "
Even babies you've never met can incite very real envy. Chrissy Perry of Hilliard, Ohio, participates in an online message board with other moms whose babies were born in the same month. "I read all about milestones of other babies all the time," she says. The only way she's found to keep envy from taking over is to "sit back and anticipate" that her daughter will eventually hit them, too.
For Colleen Kelly of Naples, Florida, the only milestone that mattered was when her child slept through the night. "It overrules all other envy issues. I almost couldn't even be around other moms with good sleepers," she recalls.
You don't have to tell that to Garland, Texas, mom Tiffany Lankford: "I envy every mom who has a 'sleeper' baby. My child is 2 and I can count on one hand the number of times he has slept an entire night."
When you love your baby more than yourself, why envy another person's child? Perhaps because in some sense, you view your baby as an extension of yourself, says Smith. And who wants to watch herself "lose" to a little person who isn't even potty trained?
Object of envy #3: The bombshell mom
Perhaps nothing trips the envy wire as surely as seeing another mom who's managed to lose all her baby weight. Of course, comparing your body to someone else's is as idiotic now as it was in seventh grade. It's also just as natural. Like puberty, motherhood transforms a woman's body, which can make her acutely aware of it, says Steiner. Add to that the fact that our culture continually heralds celebrity moms who can fit back into their skinny jeans a few weeks after delivery, and it's easy to understand why many moms feel like they don't measure up.
"I can't wait for the day that I don't examine every woman's belly and compare it with mine," says Carrie Dubiner of San Francisco.
Lindsey Marx in Santa Fe, New Mexico, had the misfortune of having a seriously svelte best friend deliver two months after she did: "My friend had the metabolism of ten male athletes. In two weeks she was back in her size-4 pants; meanwhile, I was still in my stretch pants at almost three months postpartum."
Size-4 envy is part of a larger desire to regain control over your appearance, says Smith. Indeed, seeing another mom out and about in clean clothes and makeup leaves others scratching their heads in disbelief (and because they haven't had time for a shower in two days). "I have a friend who has two children under age 2 and who always manages to have her hair done, be neatly dressed, and most noticeably, never has bags under her eyes," says Michelle White of York, Pennsylvania. "I am the mother of one child under age 2 and I don't manage to brush my hair, or teeth for that matter, before bedtime. I don't get it!"
"My beauty ritual is to wash my face and brush my teeth and hopefully get a brush run through my hair," echoes Fairdale, Kentucky, mom Angela Ferguson. "Even when I get up super early I always manage to find something needing my attention and end up running out the door, late as usual, and still looking a mess."
The truth is, no matter what you think you can surmise from a mom's outward appearance, you still have no way of knowing what's really lurking under her skinny duds, including envy-destroying stretch marks and cellulite. Even size-6 jeans can hide those postpartum tummy rolls that we all know nothing short of liposuction can cure. As for insta-thin celebrity moms, Diane Burdick, a mother of three from Pensacola, Florida, offers this reminder: "They have access to personal trainers and nannies to watch the baby." And if you really want to stop the envy, says Steiner, think about the fact that they have to look good, or risk having their rippled behinds splashed across the tabloids (hardly something to be jealous of).
Object of envy #4: The know-it-all mom
Like those children who are born to be intellectual or athletic whiz kids, some women appear born to be, well, perfect mothers, who've got the immediate answer to every cranky spell, sleepless night, food jag, or earache. They not only know what they "should" do -- breastfeed for a full year, put their baby down when he's drowsy instead of sleeping -- they actually manage to do it. Feeling envious?
"I am," admits Kim Aman of Bremerton, Washington. "My friend is still able to breastfeed her son. I had a hard time with it and wish it had worked out better! I stopped breastfeeding at five months and sometimes regret that I didn't keep trying."
Mary Peters realized how green her valley was when she complained to her friend that she couldn't get her baby to stop whining. "She sat with him on the floor and in about two minutes he was laughing. 'Why didn't I think to sit on the floor?' I asked myself. Then I realized that I had -- I just didn't want to. And I envied her for having that desire."
Even fathers can incite übermom envy, as Marx explains: "To bolster my experience, I devoured every how-to parenting book in print. But when my first child was born, I was a basket case. Positively certifiable. To my great distress, my husband was like Mary Poppins. He seemed to know just what to do in all situations, making me feel even more inadequate. It was a vicious cycle. The better he did, the less confident I felt."
Unfortunately, notes Steiner, moms are rarely told that it's okay to have your own mothering style. "It's always negative messages" that come through, she says. "You never see how important it is to be an imperfect mother, to find your own way." And until women accept that everyone "mothers in a unique fashion," says Steiner, envy will remain a constant companion.
Object of envy #5: You
Before you fall off your chair laughing, consider this: There's bound to be something you have or do that other moms don't. Maybe it's the husband who actually enjoys diaper changes or whipping up a meat loaf on Saturday afternoon. How about that not-so-meddling mother-in-law who babysits at a moment's notice? Not in size-6 jeans? The fact that you've made it to size 12 signals serious progress to onlookers in 16s. Even sagging breasts hoisted up in a push-up bra look good to the woman who promptly deflated back to her A cup. That job that limits your time with your baby may mean the end of hand-me-down strollers to the stay-at-home mom of three down the block.
"The funniest thing is, my friend says how organized she thinks I am," says Susie Lancaster of Glendale, Arizona. "She envies my sewing and baking and other craftiness. What she doesn't realize is that I'm so absolutely disorganized that those hobbies are my escape from the wreckage of the rest of my life!"
Peters agrees: "My neighbor wonders how I have the time to do my own projects. What she doesn't know is that I don't want to sort socks."
Which makes you wonder, "What if she did know?" One soul-baring conversation between Marx and another mom, who seemed to be handling everything perfectly, was all it took to squelch the green-eyed monster in Marx for good. "As we chatted, this mom's problems came tumbling out. Turns out the 'togetherness' was a facade masking a family in turmoil," says Marx. "She told me about struggling with a husband who let the kids run wild and mountains of credit card debt. I had to focus to keep my jaw from hitting the floor."
As Smith explains, envy not only dupes people into believing that others are better off, it distracts them from appreciating their own good fortune. It would be healthier to say, "Wait a minute. Look what I'm doing," he notes.
For her part, Denise Koster, a mother of three in Hugo, Colorado, says that experience has taught her to shut out envy. "I guess being a slightly older mom, I'm comfortable in my own skin. I don't give a tweet how much smarter your baby is, how much cleaner you keep your house, or how wonderful your husband is about picking up his socks. I'm happy for you!" And, she adds, "if you have time to waste worrying about me, please come over and clean my kitchen!"
But if that happens, Denise, please don't tell the rest of us, or we may turn green with envy.


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WALNUT — Water tower maintenance in Walnut is set to begin next week.
Walnut Village Superintendent Carl Minks told the Walnut Village Board the maintenance on the water tower scheduled for this fall has been delayed, probably until the spring because the village was unable to secure a water storage tank to be used by local residents while the water tower was under repair.
However on Tuesday, the village was able to secure a 10,000 gallon hydro pneumatic tank from Coating and Inspection Service of Eureka, Mo. The cost for the tank is $4,320 per month, plus a $2,000 delivery and pick-up fee. If the repair requires more than a month, there will be an additional charge of $250 a week or $1,270 a week.
McGuire Iron of Sioux Fall, S.D., had been contracted to carry out the general maintenance work on the water tower.
In other business, Police Chief Thomas Ptasnik reported he is in the process of obtaining quotes for the purchase of new police radios. He will have the necessary information to present to the board at its next meeting.
Ptasnik also said he will be speaking to kindergarten through third grade students at Bureau Valley North regarding Halloween and trick or treat safety. He is hopeful he can obtain reflective candy bags to provide to each child. The cost of enough bags is approximately $250. He is getting final numbers and will discuss with Law Committee Chairman Deb Quinn.
By unanimous vote, the board passed the necessary ordinance for the sale of the Hansen property. Village Attorney Rob LeSage said this ordinance is necessary, by statute, to complete the sale.
The board set trick or treat hours for 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 31.
Comment on this story at www.bcrnews.com.

subset: commoncrawl


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Manet and the American Civil War – 1
A recently received a gift of a book that I am thrilled to add to my library. It is, Manet and the American Civil War published by The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York [which I had the opportunity to visit for the first time this year], and Yale University Press. It is co-authored by Juliet Wilson-Bareau, "an independent art historian based in London" and David C. Degener, an independent researcher based in San Francisco.
Manet and the American Civil War
The book's primary focus is the battle of the U.S.S. Kearsarge and C.S.S. Alabama. This from the front flap which provides an eloquent introduction to the book which I could not better….
"On June 19, 1864, the United States warship Kearsarge sank the Confederate raider Alabama off the coast of Cherbourg, France, in one of the most celebrated naval engagements of the American Civil War. The battle was widely reported in the illustrated press and riveted public attention on both sides of the Channel. When Kearsarge later anchored off the French resort town of Boulonge-sur-Mer it was thronged by curious visitors, one of whom was the artist Edouard Manet. Although he did not witness the historic battle, Manet made a painting of it partly as an attempt to regain the respect of his colleagues after being ridiculed for his works in the 1864 Salon. Manet's picture of the naval engagement and his portrait of the victorious Kearsarge belong to a group of his seascapes of Boulonge whose unorthodox perspective and composition would profoundly influence the course of French paintings."
In part 2, more on Edouard Manet followed in subsequent posts about the two ships and their encounter across the Atlantic.
Note that I have added a shelf to my online library titled "Civil War Art and Artists." You can access that shelf here. I will shortly cross-reference this book on the Naval History shelf as well.


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The football game was fabulous – the Super Bowl extravaganza, not so much
Without a doubt, last Sunday night's Super Bowl football game was a heart-stopper. This is a good thing, because the game carried the brunt of the load for Sunday night entertainment.
That being said, congratulations are certainly in order for the New Orleans Saints, who gave fans of both teams a spectacular performance. America loves to see the underdog win, and the Saints won handily against a formidable opponent, the Indianapolis Colts.
Nonetheless, the history of the game followed the formula of a Greek or Shakespearian tragedy. Archie Manning, the first quarterback for the New Orleans Saints so many years ago, never got his team close to the play-offs.
They were so bad that their fans called them "The New Orleans Aints."
The fans wore brown paper bags over their heads whenever they donned team jerseys. On numerous occasions, Archie said that he would love to see the Saints win the Super Bowl before he died. This year's game was a classic example of "Be careful of what you wish for."
Archie Manning got his wish on Sunday, but the price he paid was high. His son, Peyton Manning, the Indianapolis Colts quarterback, was the field general for the losing team. To add to the pain, the name of the Saints' coach, Sean Peyton, became a household word.
In the Manning family, the wrong Peyton won.
However, that wasn't the first time Archie Manning experienced emotional pain at the football Mecca. In 2006, Archie watched his sons, Eli and Peyton, collide in the ultimate contest. Eli quarterbacked the New York Giants, while brother Peyton led the Indianapolis Colts to victory. Dad couldn't root for either son as he watched brother battle brother, which, in his eyes, was son against son.
For Archie, it was an emotional quandary at best.
Fast forward to this year. The supporting cast of the Super Bowl seemed to lack the luster of previous productions. Everything from the geriatric rock band to the sometimes difficult to understand, lifeless commercials seemed to distract from the excitement of the game.
Last year, Adriana Lima, dropdead beautiful Victoria's Secret model, seduced men around the globe with "The Real Game Starts after the Super Bowl" television commercial. That was followed by an additional heart-throbbing 30-second spot for a Victoria's Secret Valentine's Day. Those spots are indelibly etched in the memory banks of every heterosexual male who saw them.
This year, we got Megan Fox sitting in a bubble bath up to her neck while she spouted statistics about her Motorola cellular phone. What were the sponsors thinking? Even Megan Fox couldn't pull off making hard ad copy sound seductive while she sits in a bathtub covered in bubbles. If she can't do it, then it can't be done.
This was followed by a weird commercial for TruTV featuring Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker, Troy Polamalu. He was a midget imitating the infamous groundhog Punxsutawney Phil.
The Career Builder spot with the "average" – and I mean "very average" – people running around in their underwear was sure to have caused massive cases of gag reflex.
I'm not saying that all the commercials were terrible. They were not.
However, the entries that fans have counted on since the inception of Super Bowl Sunday were not quite up to snuff. That seemed to be the consensus of the commentators on the three major networks the morning after the game.
The yearly Budweiser Clydesdale commercial, a fan favorite, appeared to be a re-hash of an old idea that didn't quite make the grade. It didn't pull at the heartstrings like the one of the Clydesdale colt growing up aspiring to be a lead horse on the Budweiser beer wagon.
The Bud Lite commercial was similar. Traditionally, it was always good for a laugh, but the models had forced smiles and were working too hard at celebrating to make the spot believable, which is too bad.
The Who gave a good performance, but they are an aging rock band. Weren't Mick Jagger and the Stones enough to compensate for the sin of a nanosecond flash of Janet Jackson's bare breast in an accidental wardrobe malfunction?
Apparently not.
Come on Madison Avenue – we want Mean Joe Green, Victoria's Secret and a macho Detroit metal commercial that doesn't emasculate men.
I hope the Super Bowl has not become another undependable fixture in a system we can't understand.


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Fantastic Four Regional Differences
Chris Gould takes a look at the variation between the UK and Hong Kong discs
The most widely-recognised difference between the two versions of the film is the scene in which Reed and Sue first begin to rekindle their romance. In the UK theatrical cut and DVD release this takes place during a walk with a view of the Statue of Liberty, as evidenced by this screen capture.
The original version of this moment is known as the 'Planetarium with a Kiss' scene, which was included in the theatrical cut in territories such as Hong Kong, France and Germany, as evidenced by this screen capture.
However, this scene is actually truncated from the original version, ending in a rather abrupt close-up of Reed before the actual kiss takes place. The full scene is included in the deleted scenes section of the bonus disc and plays a little better, as evidenced by this screen capture.
A curious change, if ever I saw one. However, there is yet more to come. As well as the visual differences, the Hong Kong DVD release also omits one or two lines of dialogue during the climactic battle towards the end of the film. In the UK theatrical and DVD versions Dr. Doom says the line 'Goodbye, Ben' as he walks towards the Thing with a steel girder, but this line is missing from the Hong Kong DVD release. Click here for a clip from the UK disc, or here for the same scene Hong Kong style.
Next up we have another visual difference between the UK and Hong Kong DVD releases. During the scene in which Dr. Doom is caught in the nova flame, he turns to camera and lets out a yell. In the UK release the yell is just that, as evidenced by the screen capture below.
However, the Hong Kong release adds a small visual effect to the scene. When Doom turns and yells, a fiery breath is emitted, as you can see from the screen capture.
This is a neat little touch, but another curious difference. The next variation is once again of the aural variety. After Doom emerges from the nova flame in the UK version he says the lines 'Is that the best you can do? A little heat?' before he is doused in water. However, the Hong Kong release omits the 'A little heat?' portion of the dialogue Click here for a clip from the UK disc, or here for the same scene from the Hong Kong release.
The final change during the confrontation relates to the way in which our heroes defeat Doom. In the UK release the Thing breaks open a fire hydrant and Mr. Fantastic uses his body to direct the jet towards the molten villain. This can be seen in this screen capture.
However, in the Hong Kong release the Thing doesn't appear to need Mr. Fantastic's help, as he is solely responsible for directing the jet with his foot, as evidenced by this screen capture. Oddly, Mr. Fantastic still has wet hair in the following shot, indicating that the effect was always supposed to appear!
The final change occurs during Reed's proposal to sue on the boat at the end of the film. In the UK theatrical and DVD versions Reed can be seen bending down on one knee while using his stretching powers to maintain eye level with Sue. Here's the screen capture for proof.
However, the Hong Kong release completely omits this shot, instead showing Reed kneeling down to propose without the aid of his powers. Here's the screen capture.
One last thing I'd like to mention is the difference between Dr. Doom's voice in the region two and region three releases. In the UK version his voice sounds almost natural, while the Hong Kong version has him sounding more like he's talking through a mask. It's particularly evident during the scene in which he tortures Mr. Fantastic.
Click here for a clip from the UK release, and here for a clip from the Hong Kong disc. Remind anyone of the aliens from the mini-series V?
Well there you go. There are enough changes in this one to upset those who are familiar with the film, but overall none of the alterations really have an effect on the plot. In fact, a couple of them actually improve the film (I never liked the way Reed looked during his 'stretch' proposal for one thing). If pushed I'd have to say that the UK version just edges out the Hong Kong release because it's more 'polished', but the differences are negligible. I do like the more 'mechanical' voice used for Doom in the Hong Kong release, and those of you unfamiliar with the film might want to plump for that disc simply because it's cheaper and comes packaged in an extremely nice Digipak, as opposed to the boring old Amaray used in other territories. It also appears to have a slightly better transfer than the region two release. Choice is the best thing about owning a multi-regional player and in this case the choice, as they say, is yours.
Editorial by Chris Gould
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Funny Articles
10 Best Cartoon Best Friends
Did you know June 8th is National Best Friends Day? Ain't that special? We here at Smosh believe that friendship always wins. ALWAYS! We also believe that cartoons always win. Therefore cartoon BFFs are the winning-est of all. Got that? You can look no further than Shut Up! Cartoon's own Pubertina and Debs! Pubes sure is lucky to have a friend like Debs to discuss her tampon dreams with. I only had my 74 year-old great aunt Pearl. AWKWARD! In honor of National Best Friend Day here's a look at 10 of the best cartoon best friends!
Spongebob and Patrick
Okay, most of the time you seek good advice from your best friends. But doesn't Patrick's bad advice lead to much more entertaining hijinks? I think so. Is this everyone's dream best friend? No, this is Patrick. And he was made for Spongebob.
Phineas and Ferb
It's pretty rare in this world to see two step brothers who are also best friends. Luckily they have brains and ingenuity, so we never have to worry about them growing up to be the Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly characters from Step Brothers. Although it would be funny to see Ferb lay a 15 second fart. I'm pretty sure there has never been recorded proof of a Brit farting.
Stan and Kyle
The relationship of Stan and Kyle is supposedly based on the real life friendship of creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker. Awww…that's so damn sweet! But of course the internet hates sweet and likes to crush childhood memories. I'm fine with Kyle and Stan being gay, internet, but I'm not fine with the smutty fan fiction being written about that gay relationship! Especially when it involves Mr. Hankey!
Finn and Jake
The normal dog-human relationship is a classic combo. They say a dog is man's best friend or at the very least a dog is someone who gives man some lovin' when no one else in the world gives a rat's ass. But Finn and Jake are true equals hence "Finn The Human" and "Jake The Dog".
Ash and Pikachu
Remember in Pikachu's Goodbye , when Ash tried to set Pikachu free? And then they hugged and you snot -cried your eyes out, so touched you were by their enduring friendship and love? That wasn't just me, right?
Beavis and Butthead
Sometimes I feel like I am both Beavis and Butthead rolled into one person. It must be nice to have someone else around to laugh at your immature jokes and your non-stop attempts to turn everything into something filthy. It's hard being a 15-year-old boy who likes making wang jokes trapped in a grown ass woman's body!
Mordecai and Rigby
I strangely admire someone who can make slacking their full-time job. Unless it's someone I work with. Luckily co-workers Mordecai and Rigby have a similar slacking philosophy. Don't be jelly, Benson!
Milhouse and Bart
Milhouse and Bart are like what I imagine Wilson and House would've been like if they were best friends as kids. Is there any better combo than the chronic bad-ass rule breaker and the guy with a stick up his rear? Lisa just needs to accept the inevitable and marry Milhouse so we can always guarantee the 'forever' in this BFF.
Mac and Bloo
Aren't they a great pair? Sometimes your best friend is an imaginary one named Bloo. And sometimes your penis is an imaginary one named Jerry. IN YOUR FACE BIEBER! I AIN'T THROUGH WITH YOU!
The Ponies
HELLO? The show has 'Friendship Is Magic' in the title!?! Every little girl grows up wanting a best friend pony! Even other ponies. And sadly even Bronies. Why you gotta make friendship so icky bronies?
Who's your fave cartoon BFFs? Let me know @desijedeikin or in the comments below!


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Turtle's English to Hindi dictionary has over 20,000 English words and their meanings in Hindi. Good for home users, authors, and those who want to learn the Hindi language. Users can quickly search for words or select a word from a list of words for its meaning. The dictionary has a quick and easy to use interface and full text search capability.
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Hindi Fonts Converter and Editor is an extremely useful Hindi Unicode converter. This Hindi converter is capable of converting any scripts and writing in Hindi to Unicode. In addition to this, the software is able to convert and edit scripts in various languages like Marathi, Nepali and Devanagari. The tool is also able to convert Kruti to Mangal. Free download of Hindi Fonts Converter 6.0.4, size 2.66 Mb.
Hindi Unicode Editor is a very useful software tool developed to assist in typing and editing text in different devnagri scripts like Hindi, Nepali, and Marathi etc. in Unicode font. USP of the tool is its feature allowing the users to type in kruti or Shusha style. This feature is valuable for users habituated to type only in kruti or Shusha font.. Freeware download of Free Hindi Unicode Editor 2.0, size 2.06 Mb.
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Hinduism Shaivism related Books featuring vedas, agamas, upanishads, kasmiri saivism, virashaiva, saiva siddhantha in English, French, Hindi, German, Sanskrit, Tamil, Kannada, Marathi.
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Archive of "New York Times" reviews of Frost's last four books.
Reviews of books by and about Native Americans.
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Many pages about Spanish literature from the on line bookstore Spanish-Books.net.


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Love Is Sweet
Hello readers and happy Tuesday to you! Today I am sharing my Design Team card for the Stamp, Ink, Paper "Valentine's" theme challenge. I'm sure this is going to be a popular theme this week, so do be sure to join us and share the love!
Thanks for visiting and have a wonderfully creative day!
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I am Crystal Komara, aka "Super Stamp Girl," an independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator from Western Mass, and I am solely responsible for this blog. Stampin' Up! does not endorse the use of this blog or it's contents. All images © 1990-2018 Stampin' Up!®
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Russia may lose 4 million metric tons of wheat from its potential harvest after rains restricted planting of winter crops, the Institute for Agricultural Market Studies said.
Winter-crop sowing in the Central Federal District will fall 25% short of the original target, and farmers in the Volgograd and Rostov regions in the south will also plant less grain than planned, Dmitry Rylko, director of the Moscow-based researcher, also known as IKAR, said in a phone interview yesterday. The area planted with winter crops by Russian farmers was 20% smaller than last year as of yesterday, Agriculture Ministry data show.
"Plantings in central Russia and along the Volga are significantly below the target, and there are problems in the south as well," Rylko said. "This may mean a potential shortfall of four million tons of wheat for next year's crop."
Rains and cold weather delayed winter-crop planting in both Russia and neighboring Ukraine. Planting of winter grains in Russia may fall 4 million hectares (9.9 million acres) below the target, Hamburg-based researcher Oil World said Oct. 15. Wheat is heading for a fifth straight weekly gain in Chicago, the longest winning streak since July 2012.
Russian farmers planted 12.1 million hectares with grains and other winter crops as of yesterday, compared with 15.1 million hectares a year earlier, according to the Agriculture Ministry. The government set a target of 16.4 million hectares under all winter crops. The area may drop to 13 million hectares, Agriculture Minister Nikolai Fedorov said Oct. 7.
Late planting
Central Russia and Volga are unlikely to add to plantings, while southern Russia may still sow more, said Alexander Korbut, vice president of Russia's Grain Union, a producer and trader group. The total area under winter crops will come to 14 million to 14.5 million hectares, he said.
"The problems are obvious: late planting, delayed vegetation, higher risks on entering dormancy and spring survival," Korbut said. "As a result, the winter crop will be lower, and winter grains define total crop."
Russia's Central district accounted for 26% of the country's grain crop last year, according to the Federal Statistics Service. Farmers in the central Federal District will plant 2.8 million hectares with winter crops, compared with 3.74 million hectares planned, Rylko said. Crops in the area may also be weaker because about 10% of the planting was done at a later than optimal time, Rylko said.
Rostov was the second-biggest grain-growing area last year, accounting for 8.7% of the crop. Farmers in Krasnodar, the top grain region, and Stavropol, the third-biggest, can still increase areas under winter wheat compared with last year, Rylko said.
Copyright 2014 Bloomberg. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


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Online Trends
Richard Griffiths (Vernon Dursley, Harry Potter)
Trending on: Reddit, Google Plus
Why: Actor Richard Griffiths, who starred in the Harry Potter movies and Withnail and I, has died at the age of 65 after complications following heart surgery. He was best known for playing Vernon Dursley in the Harry Potter films and Uncle Monty in Withnail and I. [ BBC ]
Warner Bros. Photo
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Hey all,
I've heard that people were having problems with logging into chat, so I've installed a new chat app that should solve the issues. If it doesn't, let me know. To use it, clear your cache and then click on the pink megaphone icon in the menu at the top of every TN page. Enjoy!


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56 models of planners, 22 new formats, 1000 ways to use them. A new gallery shows pages from Moleskine planners in use. It begins from large format planners for people who think in images and need plenty of space for drawing, coloring and pasting to planners used by professionals who prefer neatly arranged notes; from that person who loves tiny writing and can fit everything on a weekly layout to the student who fills his pages with color and clippings; from that person who views a planner as a simple to-do list to be checked off to someone who uses it as a personal diary.
A look inside Moleskine planners
Some of the choices available to mix and match: the color of the cover, hard or soft cover, daily, weekly or monthly format and size, XS, pocket, large, X large or A4.
There are many new choices for 2012: special editions dedicated to Pacman and Peanuts, new Cover Art images, new families of Cahier notebooks and the new large format from the Professional line.
2012 Moleskine planners are available at the Moleskine Store, MoleskineUS, Moleskine Asia and in select stores around the world.


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Bedbug Update
Monday, December 10, 2012 - 5:19am
News and Tips on Preventing and Treating an Infestation
The numbers of reported bedbug problems has steadily increased throughout the United States over the past decade. As demonstrated by recent media coverage, the City of Madison and other Dane County communities are no exception to this trend. Due to this continuing public health challenge, Public Health Madison and Dane County (PHMDC) has made efforts to improve the prevention and control of bedbugs part of our ongoing health promotion activities . However, the treatment of bedbug infestations, when performed incorrectly, could lead to potentially dangerous consequences. This situation was the main focus of a recent health advisory released by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) concerning the overuse and inappropriate use of pesticides to eliminate bedbug activity.
To reduce the bedbug risk in our community, the following information provides general information about bedbugs and lists effective methods of prevention and control of these insects.
Bedbugs are small reddish brown insects that feed solely on the blood of people and other animals and birds. The flat bodies of the insect allows them to fit into tiny cracks and crevices throughout the infested area but they are most often found in bedding, mattresses, box springs, bed frames, headboards, dressers, and nightstands. The presence of bedbugs is not sign of poor hygiene or cleanliness but a demonstration of the insect's talent to efficiently travel between locations by hitching a ride on clothing, luggage, furniture, and other items.
Bedbugs are most active during the night and feed on people as they sleep; biting exposed areas of skin such the face, neck, arms, legs, back, and shoulders. Typically, people bitten by bedbugs develop an itchy red welt and may experience swelling of the bite; this reaction may lead to additional symptoms including anxiety, sleeplessness, and/or secondary infections. Other individuals have little to no symptoms. Although bedbugs are considered a public health nuisance, the bites of the insect are not known to transmit disease to humans.
The spread of bedbugs is difficult to prevent, especially in apartments and hotels where there is frequent turn-over of occupants, but there are actions that can be taken by homeowners, property owners, and renters to reduce the risk of bedbug infestations and the treatment of bedbugs if they do manage to enter into your home. These include the following:
• Check luggage and clothes when returning from a trip
• Avoid the purchase of second hand clothing, mattresses, and furniture without inspecting them for bedbugs.
• Clothing and other fabric items purchased at a yard sale or consignment shop should be run through the washer and dryer before being stored in your home.
• Reduce clutter in the home and seal cracks and crevices where bedbugs can hide
• Thoroughly clean the infested areas, bedding, and clothing. Use hot water and hot dryer on items that can be put in a washing machine
• Enclose mattress, box spring, and possibly pillows in plastic covers
• Place a piece of 2-sided tape or glue board (glue trap) under the legs of the bed) to create a barrier between the bed and the floor
• Pull the bed away from the wall
• Hire an experienced pest control professional
• If you choose to apply pesticides in your home, ensure that they are approved for indoor use, are effective against bedbugs, and are US EPA-approved. See this link for details. (http://cfpub.epa.gov/oppref/bedbug/). During application, accurately follow all label instructions to avoid dangerous levels of the pesticide that may poison people and damage household materials.
? DO NOT USE BLEACH in areas where you have treated your home with pesticide. The reaction may produce a more toxic form of the pesticide that could lead to harmful exposures to individuals that come in contact with the treated area.
Additional information about bedbugs and treatment guidance is available from the following sources:
If you have questions or want to learn more about bedbugs, please call Public Health Madison and Dane County at (608) 266-4821.
Public Health - Madison & Dane County
- Jeff Golden(608) 243-0302


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BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union foreign ministers announced Monday that they were keeping current sanctions against Syria in place for three months, rejecting attempts to alter an embargo on the country so that arms could be funneled to rebels fighting President Bashar Assad.
However, in an apparent nod to the U.K, which had argued that the rebels should be exempted from the embargo, the ministers adopted a non-specific amendment "so as to provide greater non-lethal support and technical assistance for the protection of civilians."
EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said that the meaning of that would be defined in meetings among the representatives of member countries to the union. She denied to reporters that the wording was a political fudge.
Still, British Foreign Secretary William Hague appeared to claim victory, saying many countries had not even wanted to discuss changing the embargo at a meeting in November.
"Most states were opposed to any amendment of the embargo and today we have amended it in a very important way, in a couple of very important ways," Hague said.
He added that further amendments could be made three months from now, an indication that Britain might continue its push to arm the rebels.
"We will have to have that debate at the time, and I think that will depend on whether any political progress is now made in Syria and depend on the continued loss of life which continues on an appalling and unacceptable scale," Hague said.
Several EU foreign ministers said, in strong terms, that they opposed sending any more arms into the ravaged country.
That view was supported Monday by a new report by a U.N.-appointed panel that said Syria's civil war is becoming increasingly sectarian and the behavior of both sides is growing more and more radicalized. The report urged the international community to curb the supply of weapons and anti-government forces to part with foreign fighters.
A number of ministers said they were placing their hopes on the mediation efforts of Lakhdar Brahimi, the joint U.N.-Arab League envoy to Syria.
"There is no shortage of arms in Syria," Luxembourgish Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn said. "With more arms, there are more killed, more atrocities."
The U.N. says nearly 70,000 people have been killed in Syria's conflict since the revolt against Assad began in March 2011.
Despite the appalling violence, diplomatic efforts continue. Mouaz al-Khatib, the president of the opposition coalition, has said he would negotiate with representatives of Syria's governing party — though not with Assad or members of his security services.
Brahimi, the international envoy, says that offer "challenges the Syrian government to fulfill its often-repeated assertion that it is ready for dialogue and a peaceful settlement."
The report released in Geneva on Monday by the U.N.-appointed Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria made for alarming reading.
Discussing events since July, it said human rights abuses by anti-government groups did not "reach the intensity and scale of those committed by government forces and affiliated militia." But it said rebels have continued to endanger civilians by placing military targets in civilian areas.
The commission, set up by the U.N. Human Rights Council, hasn't been able to enter the country and said that "significantly limited" its ability to investigate all alleged abuses — particularly those committed by armed anti-government groups. The report was based on 445 interviews with victims and witnesses.
"The war has become colored by sectarianism, permeated by opportunistic criminality and aggravated by the presence of foreign fighters and extremist groups," the panel said.
It said the number of foreigners fighting in the conflict has increased but still accounts for "a small proportion" of anti-government groups — though it remains hard to assess with accuracy their numbers.
Still "their expertise and experience in matter of IEDs and insurgency warfare have brought a substantial contribution to the opposition's tactical effectiveness," the report said. It added that foreign fighters appear to come from countries in the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia, "many from Libya, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Iraq and Egypt."
It urged anti-Assad groups to "detach themselves from the foreign fighters, particularly extreme elements that fail to comply with international human rights and humanitarian law."
The commission also found that the civil war "is becoming more militarized because of the proliferation of weapons and types of weapons used," with arms and ammunition smuggled across Syria's borders to anti-government groups on an increasingly regular basis.
It said government forces have increasingly used cluster munitions, but there was "no credible evidence" of either side using chemical weapons.
Government forces and allied militia committed murder, torture, rape and engaged in "enforced disappearances" among other violations of human rights and international law, the report found.
Anti-government groups have committed war crimes including murder, torture and hostage-taking, it said.
It accused both sides of using children in the conflict — with government-affiliated militia using under-18s in fighting and children under 15 participating in hostilities in armed opposition groups.
The panel also said it will submit a new, confidential list of Syrians suspected of committing crimes against humanity in the country's civil war to the U.N. high commissioner for human rights, Navi Pillay, next month.
Moulson reported from Berlin. Don Melvin can be reached at http://twitter.com/Don_Melvin.


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Helicopters do not have to be loud. This is the conclusion of scientists at the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) working on the FRIENDCOPTER project. On 24 and 25 November 2009, this EU project was concluded with an official presentation in Braunschweig.
Objective: A passenger and environmentally friendly helicopter
A total of 34 institutions were involved in the FRIENDCOPTER project, from helicopter manufacturers to university faculties and research agencies, with the aim of developing helicopters which are more passenger and environmentally friendly. Along with reduced fuel consumption and reduced noise and vibration in the cabin, one of the main objectives of FRIENDCOPTER was to lower noise during flight. The DLR Institute of Aerodynamics and Flow Technology (Institut für Aerodynamik und Strömungstechnik; IAS) at Braunschweig found a way to cut down the noise of helicopters, especially during the noisy landing phase, in a very simple and economical way. Even simply changing certain flight procedures can be of enormous value and reduce noise by up to 10 decibels.
Lower noise due to modified flight procedures
During flight, the main rotor experiences numerous aerodynamic interactions. During descents, the noise is produced mostly by what is known as the Blade Vortex Interaction (BVI), the interaction of vortices in the air with the rotor blades. The tips of the rotor blades shed vortices and the following blades, due to the particular characteristics of helicopter flight, repeatedly cut through these vortices. This results in the familiar 'chopping' sound made by helicopters in flight. With the aid of thorough aero-acoustic flight experiments, simulations and optimisation with generic algorithms, the researchers were able to calculate that modified flight procedures when descending would significantly reduce rotor noise.
A conventional helicopter landing follows a uniformly descending path. The optimised landing procedure calculated by IAS scientists, on the other hand, has the helicopter climbing once more before landing, after which it lands in a steep, delayed descending trajectory. Less noise is generated when climbing, because the edge vortices are driven downwards under the rotors, so that the following blades do not pass through them. This makes the flight of the helicopter less noisy. In a similar way, the delayed, steeply descending trajectory enables the vortices to dissipate – this time, above the rotors. This means the loud chopping sound of the interaction between the rotors and the vortices is eliminated for much of the landing procedure. It is heard at most during the one- to two-second transition between climbing and descending. This is a huge improvement, since helicopters normally produce disturbing noise for the entire several minutes of a conventional landing procedure.
Proof by test flight
The calculated flight procedure was tested with DLR's Eurocopter EC135-FHS research helicopter. In order to aid the pilot in keeping to the optimised flight plan, the researchers, with the aid of the DLR Institute of Flight Systems (Institut für Flugsystemtechnik), installed a 'tunnel in the sky' display. Once the flight path, speed, height and attitude of the helicopter are input to this system, it displays a tunnel for the pilot to follow. Special attention has to be given to the attitude, because this has the greatest effect on low noise flight.
On helicopters with shrouded tail rotors (Fenestron), like the EC135, the rear rotor is another source of noise. During a steep, delayed descent, the main rotor can approach auto-rotation. In this condition, the rotor turns without being driven and derives lift only from the flow of air. The counter-torque generated by the tail rotor or Fenestron is not required during autorotation. In order to keep the helicopter straight, the pilot reverses the flow through the Fenestron using the control pedals. The reversed flow through the Fenestron means that the wake of the fixed blades in the shrouded tail rotor is driven through the rotor. This results in very noisy pressure variations through the rotor. To prevent this noise, the researchers and pilots tested the possibility of not reversing the flow of the Fenestron. While this leads to a high angle of yaw, the additional noise of the Fenestron is completely eliminated. In the future, the tail rotor may be made quieter without the resulting yaw by means of a rudder on the tail of the helicopter.
A further possible way of reducing the noise results from the assumption that the noise level is highly dependent on engine torque. Once this idea had been tested in flight, a new way of reducing flight noise was found. By avoiding a particular torque range, using an instrument found in every helicopter, the noise of vortices can be prevented throughout the helicopter's speed range. In other words, if the pilot flies in a suitable torque range, the helicopter is quieter. A special flight display is not necessary for this; the usual GPS (Global Positioning System) is sufficient.
DLR's researchers felt that the programme had been a complete success. Using no more than normally available instrumentation and indicators, the noise of helicopters in flight can be reduced by up to 10 decibels. The quieter landing flight pattern was no problem for pilots to learn and would be easy to train them for.
A documentary video about the FRIENDCOPTER test flights is available in the right-hand column of this page, under 'Downloads'.


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Chocolate babka done Krantz style
I again used my YW/ SSD levains to make a pulla dough. Having chocolate butter cream and cinnamon sugar ITJB, sliced almonds and chopped hazelnuts on hand, I rolled the dough out as a babka. The Kranz variation as I Googled, involves cutting the rolled up babka in two and twisting the stands together. Then I folded it into a loaf pan. Oh my!
Happy baking, Brian


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Salutation: (Example: Dear Joe, My Dearest Susan...)
Some days seem so filled and so busyWe seem to need more hours in the day To get it all donePeople who mean the most to usDon't get a phone call, a card or a visit That would mean so very muchThey aren't told how very precious they are to usAnd they aren't aware Of just how often they are in our daily thoughtsI don't want another day to passWithout telling you how very much I appreciate you And all that you do And that I admire and respect you in so many ways.I never want you to think that I take you for granted.I love you each day, Even when I don't take the time to tell you.
To have Names or Words Capitalized,
(Skip a Space) using your SPACE BAR then capitalize the next word that you want capitalized.
Closure (Line 1): (Example: All My Love, Best Wishes...)
Closure (Line 2): (Example: John, Linda...)
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By Manuela Braun
"Look!" says a moonstruck Rolf Hempel. On the computer screen is a detailed image of the Moon. Hempel reaches for his green and red glasses. The flat Moon acquires contours, crater rims curve upwards and the hills between which there landings have taken place can be seen vividly. This 3D effect is the result of a trick he has played using a telescope in his home garden, sacrificing many hours of his spare time. "The Moon is simply unique." The Head of DLR's Simulation and Software Technology Facility is a 54-year old amateur astronomy enthusiast – he points out the significant elements in his image of the Moon, one by one. "Here is the Apollo 15 landing site; that is Mount Hadley…"
On the trail of asteroids
His passion for heavenly bodies began when 13-year-old Rolf Hempel sat in front of the television watching Neil Armstrong become the first man on the Moon. "That was an unbelievably exciting time," he says. "I have spent a lot of my spare time on astronomy." It also inspired Rolf Hempel to become engrossed in planetary orbit calculations for 'Youth Research' ('Jugend forscht', a German contest for young scientists), winning second place in the North Rhine-Westphalia regional competition in 1974. The International Astronomical Union gave the number 519 to his asteroid research station, situated in the garden of his parents' house in Sauerland at that time. Hempel published many hundreds of asteroid positions through the Minor Planet Center in the USA and in doing so became one of the most active asteroid observers in Germany.
As a schoolboy, he carried out his first orbit calculations by hand using logarithm tables. In those days it would take two weeks to work out an orbit. "If you made a mistake …" Hempel waves his hand dismissively. Calculation errors mean that observers will be pointing telescopes and cameras at the wrong place and at the wrong time. Later on, as a student, it was a logical step for Hempel to develop a software system for the Astronomische Rechen-Institut (ARI) in Heidelberg, to carry out orbit calculations. Inaccuracies are the stuff of nightmares for the trained mathematician – so even back then he approached his first software development project with the greatest possible precision. "Twenty-five years later, I had the chance again to meet Dr Schmadel, the professional astronomer in charge at the time, and he was still using my software."
Combining spaceflight and software development
Hempel has a knack for logical connections and a passion for space. "I could work anywhere in the world in software development, but only at DLR can I combine this with spaceflight," he says. This is why he moved to the research centre nine years ago. Previously, he had spent 15 years working with high-performance computers. When the Earth Simulator supercomputer went live in Yokohama in Japan in 2002, Hempel took a share of the plaudits; he and his team at NEC had collaborated on the two computers' communication software. The software expert was also involved in the development of the Message Passing Interface (MPI), a global standard for programming parallel computers.
Then, as now, his activities took place in the background. "A great deal of complex software is being developed at DLR, but this is not high profile activity," says Hempel. But still, it is important for developing space systems, constructing aircraft, or if engineer A needs to share data with engineer B regarding very different activities that are ultimately intended to become a successful whole. "Much of our work involves integration. One institute may be working on a flow simulation; another may be optimising engines, while a third is working on improving the structure of an aircraft. They are all using their own planning and simulation software, and our task is to bring all those development tools together into a single software system." The DLR Facility staff members are currently looking after some 30 projects. "The most thing is for everyone to have a good overview. What is already available on the market? What do we need to program ourselves?" The Facility's sphere of activities is constantly growing. "Scientific visualisation, such as converting data sets into 3D models, is becoming more and more important – and for this we need high performance computers as well".
A Hempel in space
Rolf Hempel is always happy to look for new challenges – at work as well as in his spare time: photographing the International Space Station as it flies overhead, or the Moon in even better quality, or Jupiter and its Great Red Spot. He has stitched together 38 individual shots of the Moon on his computer. The result hangs in a frame on his office wall. They were taken from his garden in Westerwald. "From there you can see the Milky way really well!" But his favourite image of a celestial body hangs on his pin board. The planets are painted in vibrant gold against the inky blackness of space. 'Sun, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars' is written in a child's handwriting. And then there is 'Hempel'. Rolf Hempel's nine-year-old son has positioned it precisely in his drawing – the asteroid named after the DLR employee by the International Astronomical Union lies between Mars and Jupiter. Discovered in the early 1970s, it was previously known by the sober title '3064 T-1' and has a diameter of six kilometres. "It's no giant, but anyway," says Rolf Hempel.


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Investors Close Golden Parachutes
Nonbinding Votes Seek to Limit Stock Rewards for Executives After Mergers
Golden parachutes are encountering a stiff wind.
Shareholders at four companies have voted in recent weeks to prevent executives from cashing in on certain stock bonuses if their companies are sold, the latest sign that investors are pushing back on the generous pay packages in the event of a merger or sale.
The nonbinding votes at oil refiner...


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Flyers star Claude Giroux is returning to the United States to be examined by the same doctor who treated Sidney Crosby's concussion, the Daily News has learned.
Giroux, 24, suffered a neck injury with an illegal check to the head last Friday night during an overtime loss for Eisbaren Berlin in the German Elite League.
His agent, CAA Sports' Pat Brisson, told the Daily News on Tuesday that Giroux will be traveling to Atlanta to visit controversial specialist Dr. Frederick "Ted" Carrick at Life University in nearby Marietta, Ga.
Carrick is a "chiropractic neurologist" who specializes in traumatic brain injuries. He has been the go-to guy for hockey players when it comes to concussions, having recently treated Crosby (Brisson's biggest client), in addition to Chicago captain Jonathan Toews and Minnesota forward Guillame Latendresse.
Brisson said Giroux is visiting Carrick as a "precaution" and "we don't believe it's serious."
To this point, the word "concussion" has not been used with Giroux, but clearly when a check to the head is involved and a neck injury is apparent, it is certainly a possibility. Brisson did not immediately respond when asked if a concussion has been ruled out.
When reached via text message in Berlin on Tuesday, Giroux said he is "fine" and "don't read into this too much." Giroux said on Saturday that it was "just a little neck injury."
There is some debate as to exactly when Giroux will be returning to the United States. The release from his Berlin team said he will be flying on Wednesday. Giroux told the Daily News he is not leaving until next week. Usually, flying after head trauma is not recommended - especially when it comes to a 9 or 10-hour jaunt across the Atlantic Ocean.
Dr. Carrick is a Canadian-born chiropractor who has helped many hockey players in his 35-plus years in the industry. He uses no drugs or surgery. He has met controversy on his theories with "blind spots" in the brain, which critics say is "nothing more than placebo" and that his methods have no basis in science or medicine. There is plenty of reading available on Carrick's approach, and this story in MacLean's in Canada is a fine start.
Considering the insurance risks and his concussion history, Giroux leaving Berlin to return to the United States does not absolutely mean his injury is of a serious nature. It could also be a move to stay out of harm's way for a while. Giroux's experience in Germany has been a very positive one, playing alongside teammate Danny Briere. He has racked up 19 points in 9 games.
Giroux suffered a concussion last season - as was well documented in the HBO documentary "24/7" during the Winter Classic - but returned to the ice after just 4 games. It was his second career concussion.
For the latest updates, follow Frank Seravalli on Twitter: @DNFlyers


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Wide Load – Overloaded Vehicles In China
Overloading, as you can clearly see, is a serious problem in China; about 80 percent of trucks (or any means of transportation used to transport goods) are overloaded. These vehicles have been damaging the country's already-crumbling highways and they have been the cause of collapsed bridges in the past. This bizarre collection of photographs,published by China Foto Press, reveal the heartbreaking reality of the statistics, as we see here the incredible amounts of junk that these tiny transportation vehicles carry on a daily basis. Although amusing and puzzling at first, these colorful and peculiarly beautiful compositions beg for awareness and possibly a chance for change.
"Highway and bridge tolls in China are too high for transportation companies. Sometimes, they can account for as much as 20 percent of the total expense. Therefore, many companies carry too much freight to try to make trips more profitable and compete with rivals." – Cui Zhongfu, secretary-general of the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing.
The rivalry over transportation companies has cost China about a dozen collapsed bridges each year. For instance, Qiantang River in Hangzhou, a bridge that was designed for vehicles weighing only 30 tons and trailers weighing 55 tons, was abused by truckers carrying loads in excess of 100 tons. The bridge finally gave in and collapsed in July 2011, when a 129-ton truck tried to cross it. In the same month, a bridge in Yancheng and another 301-meter steel-arch bridge in Wuyishan, Fujian province, collapsed. Both bridges had been built about 10 years ago. (Via Amusing Planet)
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Watch The ::God Is Imaginary Videos On YouTube ::
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Human beings always have and most likely always will have issues with the very big (the universe), the very small (atoms, molecules, viruses, bacteria, etc.), the very fast (speed of light, most chemical reactions, etc.) and the very slow (geological processes, evolution, cosmology, etc.) .
Exactly right. Above or below a certain scale, we have to use tricks. Timelines or other devices can help us understand the scale, at least visually. But our brains aren't tuned for billions of years or nano scales and it isn't easy. I, for one, certainly appreciate it when people create explanations/charts/clarification such as this timeline.


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Hello -
I was looking through the IT books today and came across a book published in 2004 called "Grey Hat Hacking", which details the different type vulnerability assessments and penetration testing, with some discussion on tools and defenses against hacking. It looked interesting and I was just wondering if anyone here has a read of it:
From Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/007...lance&n=283155
AO Member Tony Bradley's review - he recommends it btw:
If someone or two or three others have read it as well- was it worth buying or is most of that information available via Google or other sources? If it helps, I'm an IT Auditor that is also charged with performing internal penetration testing. Also - are there other books you have come across that would help me hone my skills as an auditor and pen tester? Always looking for great material.
Thanks in advance!


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The third round in the 2002 NHRA Sport Compact Drag Racing Series brought racers and fans alike to Atco, N.J. on May 18th and 19th for what may have been the most competitive and entertaining day in the history of the sport.
The 2002 season has had a lot of close races, but never before has every class served up door handle-to-door handle racing like this. The level of competition at the Lucas Oil Products NHRA Sport Compact Nationals presented by Smirnoff Ice is truly a testament to the growth of the sport; not only are racers building more reliable and more powerful cars in the upper classes, driving skills are improving.
All Motor
This class could possibly be the hardest in which to do well. Going fast is not a matter of turning up the wick and watching the boost gauge run higher. There is much more finesse involved; every little bit of horsepower gained could be the difference between advancing and loading up on the trailer.
First round action pitted Ken Scheepers and his old-school '79 RX-7 against Larry Kelley and his '69 VW Fastback. Kelley was having engine problems in qualifying, but limped his car to the line and even managed to get a head start on Scheepers. But it was Scheepers that would move to the semi-final as Kelley was forced to shut his car down when the engine let go.
Jesus Padilla and his tubbed-out '85 RX-7 was matched against Charles Lore and his '92 Honda Civic. This turned out to be a no-brainer for Padilla, not only did he smoke Lore off the line, he was also over two seconds faster at the finish. Padilla finished in 10.558 sec at 127 mph to Lore's 12.651 at 82 mph.
The Skunk2 Integra has been dusted off and brought out of retirement for 2002 and in the first two events proved the Integra and driver Tony Shagday were still a force. In the first round, Angel Valentin and his '85 RX-7 were able to get a small lead off the line over Shagday, but engine problems ensued and Valentin dropped off and Shagday motored into the semis.
The final run in the first round was a little comical, but easily understood. Tom Fujita driving his '87 Civic went against Jeremy Allen and his '92 Civic. Inexperience and adrenaline seemed to get the best of Fujita though. As Fujita was lining up to stage, Allen had already rolled into the first beam. Apparently, Fujita wanted to win really badly; he rolled through the lights without staging and took off, forgeting the staging rules. Allen's adrenaline must have been surging as well, he decided to give chase. Allen at least waited to see the first yellow light though, and a red light beats a "no stage."
It seems Shagday would have it easy for most of the day, but that doesn't mean he didn't go out and run some great numbers. What could have been a close match for both Shagday and Scheepers became a walk in the park for the Skunk2 Acura. Scheepers entered the first staging beam setting his car up for a hard launch, but problems ensued and Scheepers rolled through the lights. Rules dictate you cannot back the car up to try again. The light turned green for Shagday, who ran a 10.761 at 123 mph moving him into the finals.
Jeremy Allen had his work cut out for him running against Jesus Padilla. It was FWD vs. RWD and Allen would have to muster up something better than his best run of the weekend if he would have a chance against Padilla. Both competitors staged, but when the tree dropped, Padilla's Mazda launched past Allen's Civic and he never looked back. It was Allen's best run an 11.436 at 116 mph, but definitely no match for Padilla's 10.557 at 129 mph.
Final round pitted the top two qualifiers against one another-Shagday vs. Padilla; old school vs. new. This time Shagday was the underdog. Both competitors staged and Padilla's RWD launched past Shagday by the 60-foot mark. Shagday gave chase and was trailing Padilla by a car length, but Shagday was unable to reel in Padilla. It was very close, but the Wally went to Jesus Padilla and his three-rotor RX-7 posting a 10.577 at 128 mph against Shagday's 10.690 at 126 mph.
Street Tire
Toyota Supras were the weapons of choice filling half the qualifying field, but the RX-7 of Ari Yallon and Rotary Performance as well as the Talon of John Shepherd (2001 IDRC Champion) would have to be knocked out of the way if a Supra was to win the Wally.
Having beaten the Supra of Vinny Ten in the first round, Ari Yallon was matched against the Titan Motorsports Supra of Mark Mazurowski in the semis. The first NHRA Street Tire final in Gainesville brought these two together with Yallon beating Mazurowski off the line. Mazurowski qualified with a 9-second pass and wanted to show Yallon just what that looked like in the semis. Both competitors lined up in the staging area with Yallon creeping slowly into the first beam. Yallon's transmission problems in qualifying would plague him once again. Just as the tree turned yellow, Yallon's RX-7 crept out of the last staging beam, causing him to red light and give the easy win to Mazurowski.
Next up was the '93 Supra of Marko Djuric and the '91 Talon of John Shepherd. Track favorite John Shepherd had pulled 9's out of his car beating Jeff Elliot in the first round, but Djuric was also up to the 9-second task. And when the tree went green, Shepherd was left holding the bag at the line as Djuric cut a good light and blasted past Shepherd. Shepherd was looking to catch him by the end, but Djuric had a new personal best run, crossing the finish with a 9.802 at 143 mph to Shepherd's 9.932 at 147 mph. This was the first all 9-second showdown in the Street Tire Class, a testament to the rapid evolution this division is experiencing.
The final round was Supra vs. Supra; Mazurowski vs. Djuric. With both Toyotas capable of single-digit passes, the crowd knew this was going to be close and they were right. One green light later and Djuric got the jump on Mazurowski by two car lengths. Both cars were on the march with Mazurowski hot on the heels of Djuric. Door to door both cars approached the traps, but at the 1000-foot marker, Djuric's turbo took a dump, billowing clouds of smoke like a mosquito fogger. Fortunately Djuric had enough momentum to hit the traps before Mazurowski. Who cares about blowing a turbo when you win, right?
Not right-Djuric who had finished in 9.725 at 135 mph was disqualified, as the car did not meet NHRA requirements. It seems the Supra's only form of chassis protection was a simple four-point roll bar, which is required of cars running 10.00 to 11.99 seconds. Cars faster than 10.0 seconds require a six-point roll cage. Djuric was warned after his 9.80 in the semis that another 9 would result in a DQ. His only way to win was to run a 10 and still beat Mazurowski. It wasn't to be and Team Titan got the win.
Hot Rod
The quarterfinal round started by matching the Venom Civic of Bruce Mortensen against Sav Leone and his IMPO Performance-sponsored Civic. Leone qualified tenth and knew he would need a little luck if he was going to knock the number two qualifier out of the race. One green light later it was all over for Leone. By the time Leone dumped the clutch, Mortensen was past the 60-foot marker. To top that off, his IMPO Performance Civic was misfiring halfway down the track. Mortensen finished with an off-pace 10.146 at 153 mph to Leone's 11.479 at 128 mph. Jojo Callos and Andrew Bermea were the next competitors out of the gate, but this was an easy round for Callos. Bermea not only was late off the line, but also broke. Jojo was running his typical 8-second pass and moved into the semis.
Having beaten Kenny Tran in an earlier round, Mike Crawford and his PhatRidz Dodge Neon looked to slam the door on Jennifer Williams and her Inline Pro Honda. This is Jennifer's first year running the Hot Rod Class, having made her way through the ranks of bracket classes. Both cars left the line at the same time, but every time Jennifer shifted gears, the automatic transmission of Crawford's Neon kept him moving forward. At the trap, she was ahead by two car lengths. Crawford finished with a 9.453 at 151 mph to Williams' very respectable 9.594 at 147 mph. Be sure to watch for Jennifer Williams at future events.
The last pairing in the quarterfinal matched Lisa Kubo against newcomer to the import scene, Marty Ladwig, driving GM Racing's 2002 Sunfire. Ladwig is going to have to step up his game if he is going to play with the big boys. Ladwig was first off the line with a good reaction time, but it was the pure horsepower of Kubo's Civic that blasted her past Ladwig as she finished in 9.306 at 157 mph to Ladwig's 10.233 at 129 mph.
Saying the semi-final rounds were exciting is the understatement of the event. First up was the Venom Civic of Mortensen against Crawford's FatRidz Neon. First out of the gate was Crawford with Mortensen close behind. Both cars were surging toward the finish neck and neck, but good driving technique and a few extra ponies helped Mortensen inch past Crawford and move into the finals for the third time this year.
If that wasn't close enough, the Callos-Kubo race was just flat out amazing. Kubo was able to get half a car length on Callos when the light turned green, but the Castrol Syntec Acura was hot on the heels of Kubo and gaining. It wasn't until the 1,000-foot marker that Callos was able to pull past Kubo and not just take the win, but also set a new national record of 8.825 at 161 mph. Kubo finished with her best time as well, a 9.140 at 158 mph but that was just not enough.
The final started a little late as the track was oiled down by Marko Djuric when his turbo let loose. Jojo Callos and Bruce Mortensen stepped up to the line to see who had the goods; one was a fast pass away from the big money. But when the light turned green, things got ugly. As soon as Mortensen dumped the clutch in the Venom Civic, the engine gave out completely and started spewing oil.
In fact, just about every last ounce of the motor's lifeblood ended up on the track. Callos would earn the win but slowed toward the finish when his engine started smoking.
The Modified Class has turned into a clash of late-model, front-wheel drive vs. old-school rear drive. Every racer has his own idea of just how to go fast but in the end it usually comes down to horsepower and good driving technique. A little luck can help as well.
First up was Steven Thomson and 2001 NHRA Modified champ Carlos Gonzalez. Thomson didn't make the field, qualifying ninth; however, Christian Rado's World Electronics Celica broke a valve spring seat during qualifying. Unfortunately for Thomson, his nerves at the line got the best of him as he red-lit by just 0.44 of a second. It was not to be Thomson's day.
Next up was Jose Mendez driving an older Toyota Corolla against Luis Torres Maldonado in a Mazda rotary. The Pan American effect was in full swing; fans in the stands were quick to choose the side of Mendez' piston instead of Maldonado's rotary. Maldonado's Mazda fouled out at the start and piston fans were quick to add a humiliating "boo" to the proceedings. (Just remember: What comes around goes around.)
Crowd favorite Stephan Papadakis was next in the burnout box against Nelson Hoyos driving the GM Racing Chevy Cavalier. Hoyos, you may remember, is the owner of the low 7-second yellow Ford Focus featured in a past issue of Turbo. Nelson is stepping in for Stephanie Reaves while she recovers from a recent back operation. Any ideas of a fairly close race were snuffed when Hoyos' car stopped accelerating just before the 330-foot marker. The culprit-a $10 throttle pedal. Papadakis motored to the win, finishing with an 8.513 at 170 mph.
The last showdown in the quarterfinals was Marcos Acosta against the new Venom Supra of Jimmy O'Connor. As you may remember, O'Connor had shattered his leg while testing the Venom Tundra toward the end of the 2001 season. His injuries have not healed as quickly as expected and instead of moving successful drivers out of the Hot Rod Civic or Pro Tundra, Venom expanded its racing program with a Modified entry-a Supra. In fact, the car was purchased eight weeks prior to this event and finished by Paralax Race Cars just in time to ship it to Jersey.
Team Venom was happy to take the number two spot on the grid with an 8.210 at 163 mph. But this was just not to be O'Connor's day as the 2JZ-GTE gave way just before half track, giving the easy win to Acosta who finished with a 9.380 at 147 mph. It was great to see Jimmy behind the wheel again.
A lot of friendly smack talk has been exchanged in the past between racers Stephan Papadakis and Carlos "Steph killer" Gonzalez, but the semi-final round would be the proof in the pudding as to who would reign for the day. When the tree dropped, it was all about Papadakis getting the jump. Gonzalez came charging hard and it looked like he might even be able to pass, but the top-end power of Papadakis' AEM Civic was enough to keep Gonzalez at bay. Papadakis finished with an 8.473 at 172 mph to Gonzalez' 8.265 at 162 mph. Steph's super quick.502 reaction time against Carlos' .850 was the difference.
The second pairing in the semis was Jose Mendez and Marcos Acosta. Once again it became a piston vs. rotary showdown. This really was a close race as both racers left at almost the same time; Mendez had a .526 to .583 reaction advantage. The cars were neck-and-neck the entire 1320 with Acosta seeming to gain just slightly toward the finish, but the slight lead Mendez took at the start was just enough to get his bumper to cross the finish first. Mendez finished with a 9.014 at 145 mph to Acosta's 9.209 at 149 mph.
This final followed the liberal track oiling of the Venom Civic. By the time workers finished cleaning the racing surface the sun was gone, the lights were on, and the track was cold. Both cars tried their best to warm their tires but with temps dipping into the high 50s, the cold track was quick to cool tires. Mendez cut a fantastic light (.449). The Corolla pulled away but slowed to run an 11 and change at the finish while Papadakis seemed to have engine problems and could not give chase.
Pro Class
It is obvious the Pro Class competitors are really stepping up their game as seven out of the eight qualifiers posted 7-second times. And it should only get better as the thirst for speed is drawing competitors from other classes to step into the realm of tube-frame, high-horsepower cars.
For example, Ara Arslanian of Bullish Motor Racing was competing in the unibody class last year with his streetable Toyota Supra. This season he has come out blazing with not just one, but two mirror-image Toyota Solaras with identically prepared Supra powerplants.
New to import drag racing, but a legend in his own right, John Lingenfelter has decided to join the ranks of Pro Import Class cars with his Summit Racing-sponsored Sonoma truck. He is running a turbocharged Ecotec four-cylinder and has no problem keeping up with the pack. Orlando Torres, driving a Mazda RX-7, was first to try to shut Lingenfelter down, but when the light turned green, Torres' Mazda pulled left and out of the groove, forcing him to shut down early while Lingenfelter walked into the next round.
Piloting the Venom Racing Tundra, Grant Downing was up to the task of taking names and kicking ass. First up to the plate Rafael Rolda and his Toyota Corolla. Little did Rolda know that Downing is probably the only import driver that is licensed to drive a Top Fuel Funny Car. All that experience was seen as Downing cut a .473 light, launching him past Rolda, who was having problems of his own back at the line. Downing moved into the semis with an impressive 7.397 at 185 mph.
With less than 10 total passes on his Toyota Solara, Ara Arslanian was looking to knock the tube-frame Duttweiler-prepped twin-turbo V6 Cougar of Manny Cruz out of the way. Ara qualified with a 7.712 pass, which is good for a brand-new car. But it was obvious that bugs still need to be worked out when Ara was slow to launch. Cruz, who made it into the field when the 300ZX of Jorge Lazcano broke in qualifying, posted his best time of the event an 8.240 at 159 mph to Ara's ailing 7.980 at 162mph.
Driving the other Bullish Motor Racing Solara was George Ioannou, who was able to better Ara's time in qualifying. Ioannou would have his work cut out for him when he was set against Jose Torres and the Siguel Racing Mazda RX-7. As the light changed to green, Torres bogged off the line and Ioannou took full advantage of the mistake, blasting his way to the finish with a personal best of 7.227 at 186 mph to Torres' 8.211 at 175 mph.
Opening the semifinal round were George Ioannou against John Lingenfelter. This was definitely the upset of the day. All of Lingenfelter's experience was not enough to beat the 1.049 60-foot of Ioannou and the Bullish Solara, and even though Lingenfelter was able to hold even, he was not able to gain ground on Ioannou's 7.439 at 186 mph. Lingenfelter finished with a 7.546 at 187 mph.
Second in the semi were Grant Downing and Manny Cruz, but this was over before it started. During the burnout Cruz was leaking fluid; he was forced to shut it off and call it a day. Downing, however, did not take the easy way out and made a full pass, which gave him the win for the battle of the trucks with a 7.316 at 187 mph.
The final should have been close, but these two cars ran right after Papadakis and Mendez. Again, the temps were dropping and the track was cold. Ioannou was able to get away from Downing early on and Downing dropped out of the groove. Ioannou shut down early when he realized the finish was close and Downing was nowhere to be seen. Ioannou took home the win for the Bullish team, an achievement for such a new car.
Pro V8
At Atco, the Toyota Tundra of Craig Paisley and Toyota Celica of Matt Scranton and Turbonetics were the only Pro V8 racers on hand. Wanting to at least put on a good show, Paisley and Scranton ran each other in qualifying. But when it came down to the pass that counted, Paisley had problems. After both vehicles did long "pro style" burnouts, Paisley was shut off behind the line. The Celica made a single pass, got loose after the 60-foot mark and Scranton tried his best to get back in line. It was an easy way to collect a third consecutive NHRA win for Scranton and Turbonetics.


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LONDON (AP) — London's Old Vic Theatre says Matthew Warchus will become artistic director when Kevin Spacey steps down next year.
Warchus' directing credits in London and New York include the musicals "Ghost" and "Matilda." At the Old Vic, he has directed Alan Ayckbourn's "The Norman Conquests" and a production of David Mamet's "Speed-the-Plow" starring Spacey and Jeff Goldblum.
Spacey said Thursday that Warchus was "a thoughtful, intuitive and highly creative director."
Spacey, who won Academy Awards for "The Usual Suspects" and "American Beauty," has led the Old Vic for a decade and has been credited with restoring the fortunes of the storied 200-year-old venue.
Warchus said Spacey "has re-established the Old Vic as a globally important theater and I look forward to continuing to develop it as a hub of invigorating creativity."


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| WMU News
KALAMAZOO—Four anthropology students at Western Michigan University have won Public Anthropology Awards for opinion-editorial pieces they submitted in a competition sponsored by the Center for a Public Anthropology.
The contest included submissions from more than 3,500 students at 25 North American universities. Only students whose op-eds were ranked in the top five percent in North America earned certificates of recognition from the center.
Award winners
Sarah Harrington, of Grand Rapids, Mich.
Craig Johnson, of East Lansing, Mich.
Brandy Morgan, of Battle Creek, Mich.
Katie Psotka, of Warren, Mich.
All four were students in the Principles of Cultural Anthropology class taught by Dr. Kristina Wirtz, WMU associate professor of anthropology. They each wrote their op-eds on how institutional review boards should enforce a set of common rules regarding research.
The competition was part of a two-and-a-half-week online community action project of the Center for a Public Anthropology, a nonprofit organization that encourages scholars and their students to address public problems in public ways.
Students in classes participating in the project wrote professional-style op-ed pieces that were anonymously evaluated by their peers at other schools. The pieces with the highest grades were declared model op-eds.
The project gives students the experience of writing for audiences beyond their classrooms and schools in a way that attracts attention and serious consideration. In addition, it helps the students understand how democracy works through discussions in the public sphere, and how to effectively participate in the process.
Wirtz, a WMU faculty member since 2005, is a linguistic and cultural anthropologist who studies Santería in contemporary Cuba. Her research and teaching interests include religion, discourse, ritual performance, and negotiations over identity and community.
For more information about the community action project, visit the Center for a Public Anthropology website at publicanthropology.org. The site contains a direct link to the four op-eds written by WMU's students.