text:
May 14. 2013 10:35PM
Zip through I-93 tolls soon, stop at new rest area in the future
By GARRY RAYNO
State House Bureau
Rest stop rights: Sell 'em, already
NH gasoline tax increase not happening soon
— Changes are coming to Interstate 93, including new full-service visitors' centers in Hooksett and high-speed tolling at the nearby toll plaza.
The Department of Transportation is ready to announce the winning bidder for two new, full-service welcome centers to replace the existing state liquor stores, visitors' centers and vending machines on the northbound and southbound sides of I-93 in Hooksett.
The Common Man's Alex Ray will lease the land for 35 years to construct single buildings on each side of the highway that will include state liquor stores, visitors' centers, 1950s-style dinners, Italian farmhouse restaurants, old-time delis, breakfast shops, convenience stores and 20 gas pumps.
The buildings will have a "New Hampshire mill building architectural style" according to the DOT. Construction is slated to begin in October. The northbound state liquor store is to be completed by November 2014, the southbound by March 2015.
The lease includes two five-year options at the state's discretion. The state will receive a minimum of $23.23 million over the 35 years of the lease and a portion of concession and gas sales that could bring the total to more than $39 million.
Maryland-based Host Internat'l and Chicago-based First Equity Group were the other bidders.
High-speed tolling
Just south of the service areas, transportation officials hope motorists will experience fewer delays going through the toll plaza when high-speed tolling opens later this month.
Gov. Maggie Hassan, Transportation Commissioner Christopher Clement and other notables are expected to be on hand at 11 a.m. May 22 for the ceremonial ribbon-cutting of the high-speed, E-ZPass toll lanes on Interstate 93 at the Hooksett toll booths.
The open-road tolling lanes will actually open early the following morning.
The $22.5 million project, which included upgrades to three bridges, is expected to improve the capacity of the highway five-fold and mean a faster trip for the nearly 70 percent of motorists who use E-Z Pass.
"Even though Hampton (open-road tolling) has been open for three years, this is going to be a new experience for people who drive the I-93 corridor. We think it will be well-received," said William Boynton, a state Transportation Department spokesman. "You save time, you save money. There's no lines, no slowdowns, no lane changes, no stopping." The Hooksett plaza will offer two high-speed lanes in each direction. Motorists without E-ZPass will pull off to pay a toll. There will be six toll booths on each side of the highway. Booth staffing will depend upon expected traffic volumes for the day.
People without E-ZPass who forget to pull off and pay a toll should go through the monitors. They will be traced through their plates and sent a bill for the toll and a $1 service charge, Boynton said.
Vote delayed
The welcome center projects are estimated to cost $32 million, with the Liquor Commission reimbursing the developer $8.4 million for the liquor stores. The developer is to design, build, finance, maintain and operate the service areas with the exception of the liquor stores.
The Joint Long Range Capital Planning and Utilization Committee was to vote on the lease Tuesday, but declined because the DOT — with the advice of Associate Attorney General Richard Head — said the name of the winning bidder could not be announced while the state continues to negotiate. Head said the developer's lender was reviewing the lease and it is hoped it will be finalized this week.
Committee Chairman Rep. David Campbell, D-Nashua, said "with all due respect, the council would not vote on anything without knowing who is the party." If the planning committee approves the lease, the Executive Council will vote on it June 19.
New Hampshire Union Leader Staff Writer Mark Hayward contributed to this report.


text:
The Buick Century name actually dates as far back as 1936 and used on other various models in the 1950s before becoming one of Buick's main staples starting with the 3rd generation in 1973. The Century lasted until 2005, and had continually been one of Buick's better sellers, appealing largely to traditional, conservative buyers.
Here's a brief rundown on each generation:
1st Generation (1936-1942)
The first Century was slotted in between the Special and Roadmaster models, with the Limited being the top of the line. The Century's claim to fame was it had the Roadmaster's bigger 5.2L (320 cid) I8 engine, but was built on the shorter Special's body frame. This generation Century lasted through the 1942 model year and unfortunately was a bit of a poor seller for Buick, accounting for only 10% of its total sales.
2nd Generation (1954-1958)
In 1954, the Century name reappeared, again combining the smaller Special model with the larger engine of the Roadmaster model. This generation Century would again be short-lived, lasting only thru the 1958 model year. One interesting Century model, however, would be the 1957-58 Century Caballero hardtop station wagon, which would be the only such model ever offered by GM. It was a bit of a sales dud, though, prompting Buick to drop the model, and the entire Century line, after 1958. It would be replaced in 1959 by the Invicta.
3rd Generation (1973-1977)
After a 15 year hiatus, Buick pulled the Century nameplate out of the drawer one more time to place on its new intermediate model. The Century now was an A-body corporate mate to the Chevrolet Malibu, Oldsmobile Cutlass and Pontiac LeMans, and basically picked up where the Skylark left off (although the Skylark name would reappear in 1975 on the newly-redesigned X-body compact). The Century was available as a 2-door coupe, 4-door sedan and a 5-door wagon, and shared the common A-body "colonnade styling" theme. Sedans and wagons utilized the 116" wheelbase, while the coupes were on a shorter 112" wheelbase. The 2-door personal-luxury coupe Regal also debuted this year (in fact at first it was known as the Century Regal), and aside from obvious styling differences, it differed from the "regular" Century coupe by using the longer 116" wheelbase. Base engine was the 5.7L (350 cid) V8 with a 2- or 4-bbl carburetor, with a 7.5L (455 cid) V8 4bbl V8 as an option. A top of the line Luxus model was offered, as was a sport-oriented GS coupe, which was available with either the 350 or 455 engine. It of course was nothing like the Stage 1 GSs of a few years prior, but Buick should be credited for at least trying to inject a little excitement, which wasn't easy for any car manufacturer in the mid-1970s. It is now considered a minor collectible, especially a 455 model.
1974 models got newer, larger front and rear bumpers to comply with the new federally mandated 5-MPH crash standards. this year, and all others continued as before. Regal models were no longer "Century Regals", they were now simply Regals. In 1975, all models got catalytic converters, mandating the use of unleaded gasoline, and they got new grilles and revised taillights but were otherwise the same as in 1974, other than the Luxus being discontinued. Buick resurrected another nameplate from the past, the Special, which became the base model. Upper model Centurys in 1976 now had stacked quad headlights - Special models continued with dual round headlights. The 3.8L (231 cid) V6 was now the standard engine on Specials, and the GS models were discontinued this year. The 350 was still the most popular engine, and the 455 would hang on for one more year. 1977 models would differ little from 1976s, other than the 455 no longer being available. Now that the full-size B-body LeSabre had been downsized this year, the Century was now nearly the same size dimensionally as a full-size LeSabre. Some Century coupes could be had with the Regal's unique styling features, but could also be had with the 231 V6 unlike the Regal, which had the 350 as standard. The Century (along with all the other A-bodies) would be downsized for 1978.
|Buick Century
|General Motors
|Body Style
| 2-Door Coupe
4-Door Sedan
5-Door Wagon
| 112" (coupe)
116" (sedan, wagon)
|3700-4000 lbs
| 4-Speed Manual, RWD
3-Speed Automatic, RWD
| 3.8L (231 cid) V6 (1976-1977)
5.7L (350 cid) V8 (1973-1977)
7.5L (455 cid) V8 (1973-1976)
|105-220 hp
| Chevrolet Malibu
Oldsmobile Cutlass
Pontiac LeMans
Main Competitors
|Buick Century
|General Motors
|Body Style
| 2-Door Fastback Coupe (1978-1980)
4-Door Fastback Sedan (1978-1979)
4-Door Notchback Sedan (1980-1981)
5-Door Wagon
|3200-3500 lbs
| 3-Speed Manual, RWD
4-Speed Manual, RWD
3-Speed Automatic, RWD
| 3.2L (196 cid) V6 (1978-1979)
3.8L (231 cid) V6 (1978-1981)
3.8L (231 cid) Turbo V6 (1979-1980)
4.3L (260 cid) V8 (1980-1981)
4.9L (301 cid) V8 (1978-1981)
5.0L (305 cid) V8 (1978-1981)
|95-170 hp
| Chevrolet Malibu
Oldsmobile Cutlass
Pontiac LeMans
4th Generation (1978-1981)
The 1978 Century was about 600 lbs lighter and over a foot shorter than the 1977 model. Base engine was now the 3.2L (196 cid) V6 engine, with the 3.8L (231 cid) V6 (a much more popular option) and the Pontiac-built 4.9L (301 cid) V8 with a 2-or 4bbl carb as options (a 5.0L 305 V8 was available on California models). A 4-speed manual transmission was available with any engine, but just about all had the 3-speed automatic. 2- and 4-door bodystyles ditched the former colonnade styling of the previous generation and were now a rather curious fastback "aeroback" theme shared with the Oldsmobile Cutlass, and it was definitely a look not everyone approved of. Rear windows also didn't roll down at all, even on station wagon models - again, a cost-saving measure that didn't sit well with some buyers. Despite the oddball styling, the Century did still manage to be a respectable seller, but it was really the Regal coupe that got most of the attention.
1979 models got a different grille, but were otherwise identical to the '78s. One interesting model that debuted this year was the Turbo Coupe, which had (naturally) a turbo 231 V6 engine that was borrowed from the Regal Sport Coupe. It was available only on the coupe and only with the automatic - and is the only Century of this bodystyle to garner any sort of collector interest, albeit very minor. Sales dipped a little this year, although it still sold in fairly substantial numbers. In 1980, Buick wisely canned the aeroback sedan bodystyle and replaced it with a more conventional notchback bodystyle. And, not surprisingly, the Century saw a big sales spurt as a result. The mostly-ignored 3.2 V6 was dropped, the much more popular 231 V6 was now the standard engine. The 301 V8 remained an option (as did the 305 on California models), but the Oldsmobile-built 4.3L (260 cid) V8 also became an option. The 2-door still had the dowdy aeroback bodystyle, and the Turbo Coupe was still available, but very few buyers cared about either one of them.
In 1981, the 2-door Century was dropped altogether - if you wanted a 2-door Century, your only choice was now the Regal, which was fine by most buyers. Century Sedans and wagons got a new grille but were otherwise largely the same. The 301 V8 was now limited to the station wagons only, no longer available in the sedans. The largest V8 in the sedan was now the 260. The 231 V6 remained standard on both models. The Century name would be placed on a new front wheel drive A-body in 1982, but the rear-drive Century bodystyle would live on thru 1987 as a G-body Regal sedan.
Main Competitors
|Buick Century
|General Motors
|Body Style
| 2-Door Coupe
4-Door Sedan
5-Door Wagon
|3200-3500 lbs
| 3-Speed Automatic, FWD
4-Speed Automatic, FWD
| 2.2L (134 cid) I4 (1993-1996)
2.5L (151 cid) I4 (1982-1992)
2.8L (173 cid) V6 (1986-1989)
3.0L (181 cid) V6 (1982-1985)
3.1L (191 cid) V6 (1994-1996)
3.3L (204 cid) V6 (1989-1993)
3.8L (231 cid) V6 (1985-1988)
4.3L (262 cid) Diesel V6 (1982-1985)
|90-160 hp
| Chevrolet Celebrity
Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera
Pontiac 6000
5th Generation (1982-1996)
The Century was an entirely different animal from its predecessors this year. The Century was now an all-new front wheel drive A body, and now a corporate mate to the Chevrolet Celebrity, Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera and Pontiac 6000. The Century rode the same 104.9" wheelbase that was based on the X-body Chevrolet Citation, but the A-body proved much less troublesome than the X-body did (although it still wasn't without its issues, like every other car). Bodystyles were a 2-door coupe and a 4-door sedan, and base engine was a 92 hp 2.5L (151 cid) "Iron Duke" I4, with a 110 hp 3.0L (181 cid) V6 and a 4.3L (262 cid) diesel V6 as options. All engines had a 3-speed automatic. The new Century was originally intended to replace the older rear-drive model entirely, but it was still a strong seller for Buick, so they kept it on and it became a part of the Regal series.
1983 models differed very little, and in 1984, in addition to a revised grille a T-Type model was added, becoming Buick's version of the Chevrolet Celebrity Eurosport and Pontiac 6000 STE, although it wasn't nearly as popular as either of those models. The Century's conservative styling was a hit with older traditional customers perhaps trading from a larger LeSabre or Electra. 1985 models got another new grille, but remained the same otherwise. The 125 hp 3.8L (231 cid) V6 became an option this year, along with a 4-speed automatic transmission. 1986 models got a modest facelift, the front end was more angular and forward-facing than before. Taillights were revised slightly also. The 3.0 V6 was dropped in favor of the 130 hp Chevrolet-built 2.8L (173 cid) V6 (which finally got fuel injection), and the 3.8 V6 got a power boost to 150 hp. The slow-selling diesel got the axe after 1985 also, but the Iron Duke I4 remained the standard engine. 1987 models pretty much mirrored the 1986s.
There wouldn't be many changes in store for the 1988s either, but in 1989, Centurys finally got a minor restyle, becoming more rounded in the front and rear, and gaining composite headlamps and large full-width taillights. The Iron Duke I4 got an hp boost to 110, and an all-new 160 hp 3.3L (204 cid) V6 replaced the 3.8 V6 as the top engine option. T-Types were also discontinued. In 1990, the 2.8 V6 was gone, and 1991 Centurys would get another new grille and front turn signals. In 1992, the Century and Cutlass Ciera would be the only 2 remaining A bodies left, as by now the Chevrolet Celebrity and Pontiac 6000 had gone on to bigger and better things. As staid as the Century design had become, it along with Olds's Cutlass Ciera still struck a chord with older traditional buyers and remained a strong seller for Buick. It also didn't hurt that the Century had become hugely popular with many rental car fleets.
In 1993, the Iron Duke I4 was dropped in favor of a 110 hp 2.2L (134 cid) I4, and they got a driver's side airbag as standard. 1994 models got another revised grille and a different V6 engine: the Chevrolet-built 3.1L V6 replaced the 3.3 V6, but hp remained the same at 160. Coupe models were discontinued this year, leaving only the sedan and wagon bodystyles. There weren't any real changes in 1995 other than a revised dashboard, but the Century, being as old as it was, still racked up 100,000 sales a year - many of which were fleet sales, but Buick had to be elated nonetheless. In fact, the car's name, "Century" had become a bit of a punchline with some in the automotive press, saying the car was aptly named because "it seems like it's been around that long." 1996 models were finally the last of this line, as GM would debut an all new redesigned model in 1997.
Main Competitors
- Chrysler Concorde
- Chrysler Fifth Avenue
- Chrysler New Yorker (1990-1993)
- Dodge 600
- Dodge Diplomat
- Dodge Dynasty
- Dodge Intrepid
- Eagle Vision
- Ford LTD (1983-1986)
- Ford Taurus
- Mercury Marquis (1983-1986)
- Mercury Sable
- Plymouth Caravelle
- Plymouth Gran Fury (1982-1989)
|Buick Century
|General Motors
|Body Style
|4-Door Sedan
|3300-3500 lbs
|4-Speed Automatic, FWD
|3.1L (191 cid) V6
|160-175 hp
| Chevrolet Impala (2000-2005)
Chevrolet Lumina (1997-2001)
Oldsmobile Intrigue
Pontiac Grand Prix
6th Generation (1997-2005)
After a 15-season run in its prior form, Buick's staple sedan finally earned a total redesign. This generation Century was a bit larger than the previous, and was once again closely tied to the Regal for the first time since 1981. A 4-door sedan bodystyle was the only one available - no more station wagon. The Century would now be a W-body corporate mate to the Chevrolet Lumina, Oldsmobile Intrigue (which would be introduced a year later), and the Pontiac Grand Prix. The 160 hp 3.1L V6 and 4-speed automatic transmission carried over from the previous generation, and would be the Century's sole drivetrain - no more four cylinders. Although the Century and Regal were very similar on the outside, the Century differed by offering a smaller engine and true 6-passenger seating (and of course a lower sticker price). While the Regal went after a younger, more sport-oriented clientele, the Century would once again appeal to the older, more traditional Buick-buying crowd - and once again, it hit its mark perfectly. Other than a couple of new colors there weren't much changes for 1998.
1999 Centurys got traction-control and a new tire-inflation monitor on the dash. There were a few changes in store for 2000: the 3.1 V6 got an hp increase to 175, and dual-zone climate controls (manual in the Custom, automatic in the Limited models). A new Century 2000 Special Edition options package included a blacked-out grille and door moldings, body-colored exterior trim, alloy wheels, steering-wheel audio controls, and "Century 2000" emblems. The Special Edition options package would become available on the base Custom in 2001, and OnStar would become standard on both the Custom and Limiteds. Not many changes in 2002 other than front bucket seats borrowed from the Regal were now an option on the Limiteds. In 2003, the exterior trim moldings were now body-colored instead of chrome, 2004 models got the Regal's 4-wheel disc brakes and an optional driver's side impact airbag.
2005 Centurys got virtually no change after a short model year run, which would be the last of the Century as the model was finally retired for good. Century sales, while still fairly respectable, had started declining in its last few years - it remained popular with fleet sales (rental car agencies and such), but its biggest problem was that its core audience was dying off (literally), and Buick had to do something to reverse this trend. The Century was replaced by the all-new, much more up-to-date LaCrosse during 2005. Time will tell if the new LaCrosse will make the indelible mark on Buick history that the Century did.
Main Competitors

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Video: Raw footage of shooting at Congressional baseball practice
WASHINGTON - Eyewitness Noah Nathan was on the scene when a gunman fired shots at Rep. Steve Scalise and Republican Party members practicing for a Congressional Baseball Game.
Watch the full unedited version of Nathan's video as the events occurred.
Viewer discretion is advised.


text:
Music Review: Backstreet Boys bore on 8th album
Music Review: Backstreet Boys bore on 8th album
Jul. 29, 2013
Backstreet Boys, "In a World Like This" (K-BAHN, BMG)
Backstreet's back, all right!
Not all right, actually.
The Backstreet Boys managed to bring fifth member Kevin Richardson back into the fold for an eighth album and a world tour to celebrate 20 years of making music. "In a World Like This" is also the first to come out from under their own label, K-BAHN, after parting with longtime partner, the now defunct Jive Records.
The boys collaborate mostly with producers Martin Terefe and Morgan Taylor Reid on the 12-track album that lacks the immediate hooks that their earlier hits had. BSB's album is a grown-up mix of tunes talking about love and commitment, but the songs bleed into each other despite not being similar. The group is too concerned to show us how they've matured to remember that it's sexy vibes that sell.
"Breathe," ''Feels Like Home," ''Permanent Stain" and "Make Believe" are average, but they provide the much-needed key hooks for the dance floor. "Try" is too Eric Clapton-esque to stand out in this day and age, while acoustic downers "Madeleine" and "Trust Me" bring the sex appeal factor to a zero Kelvin (thankfully "Show 'Em (What You're Made Of)" rises the temperature for a bit).
The album's best moment is its first song: The Max Martin-produced lead single and title track has simple guitar chords that draw you in and a catchy, wholesome beat that keeps you tapping your feet.
But the rest of the album heads in one direction — downhill.
Follow Cristina Jaleru on Twitter: http://twitter.com/cristinelle7.


text:
One of the oldest matchmaking services providing Lanesfield personals to the area. Matchmaker specializes in helping singles in the Lanesfield personals area find that special someone. Whether you are seeking a serious relationship or marriage; matchmaker.com can help you today. Our Lanesfield personals service provides the latest in dating services to help you meet Lanesfield single men and Lanesfield single women. Create a free singles ad and start dating online, its easy!
LanesfieldJoin Now Free!
Lanesfield Girls | Lanesfield Men | Lanesfield Gay | Lanesfield Lesbians
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
More Lanesfield Links:
Lanesfield Dating | Lanesfield Speed Dating | Lanesfield Chat | Lanesfield Singles | Lanesfield Love
Senior Dating | Catholic Dating | Christian Dating | Muslim Dating
Black Singles | Asian Singles | Latin Dating
Specializing in Lanesfield personals services for the past ten years and helping Lanesfield singles find that special someone has helped matchmaker become one of the best online destinations. Our cupid matchmaking service allows you to receive email updates when new members that match your preferences join out Lanesfield dating service. Find the best Lanesfield classifieds and Lanesfield personals when joining our online dating service today!


text:
This is going to be short and to the point. S/MIME is basically a secure form of MIME. What is MIME? It stands for Multiple Internet Mail Extensions. Basically this lets users using different e-mail applications send mail to someone else that has a totally different application. Below is how the S/MIME Protocol works.
#1. User creates message with an attachment
#2. E-mail application places the message in MIME format.
#3. A unique digital fingerprint/message digest is generated by the hash algorithm.
#4. The digest is encrypted by the private key
#5. The e-mail application creates a new message as an envelope for the original message.
#6. A certificate containing a public key is attached to the message and it is sent through the Internet.
#7. The recipients e-mail application checks to make sure that the message digest (when encrypted by the public key matches the original message, that the certificate is from a trusted Certificate Authority, and that the senders address matches the address that in in the certificate.
#8. Lastly the message is disassembled into its original form with the attachment.


text:
Although Fortran 90 standardized an intrinsic function for wall clock time, it does not include a function for CPU time. At the time of this writing, it is anticipated that a CPU time intrinsic function will be added to the language in Fortran 95. If this happens, then StopWatch can become fully system independent once Fortran 95 compilers are widespread. Meanwhile, StopWatch requires that a system dependent CPU time subroutine be provided by the user. Several versions of this subroutine are included with the StopWatch package. One of these may work on your system. The current versions, systems they have been tested on, and clock precisions are shown in Table 7.1. The computers and version numbers of the operating systems and compilers can be found in Table 3.1. Those based on the Cray routine second and the Fortran 95 routine cpu_second do not provide the user and sys clocks. The version cpusec.nil.f contains no CPU clock information, and can be used on systems where there is no routine to measure CPU time. If this routine is used, only the wall clock will be available.
Table: Available versions of cpu_second with clock precisions.
If none of the cpu_second versions work on your system, you will have to write your own. The interface is
subroutine cpu_second(cpu,user,sys) real, intent(OUT) :: cpu, user, sys
The first argument is for CPU time in seconds. Where available, the second and third arguments should break down the CPU time into ``user'' and ``system'' CPU time. If the underlying system does not provide for a way of accessing the breakdown (i.e., has only CPU time), then return a negative constant in user and sys (for example, user=-1.; sys=-1.). The value returned in cpu (and user and sys where available) should be a nonnegative real number such that the difference between two successive calls is the amount of elapsed CPU time in seconds.
If you write a new version of cpu_second because none of the supplied versions worked on your system, please send this information to the author so that it can be included in the next release.


text:
The Greenland ice sheet continued to lose mass in 2016, as it has since 2002 when satellite-based measurement began. Melting began the second earliest in the 37-year record of observations, close to the record set in 2012. more info | view original
Infographic on the 2016 Atlantic Hurricane Season produced by NOAA more info | view original
Shipwrecks like Lucinda Van Valkenburg attract visitors from all around the world to Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary (Tane Casserley/NOAA) more info | view original
The CyberSeek interactive map allows the user to view information about cybersecurity supply and demand by state or metro area. The Kansas City area is highlighted. Credit: CyberSeek more info | view original
After running aground in December 1976, Argo Merchant broke apart, spilling nearly 8 million gallons of oil into Nantucket Shoals. The incident launched what would become NOAA's Office of Response and Restoration. more info | view original
This map shows the historical probability of there being at least one inch of snow on the ground in the Lower 48 on December 25, 2016 more info | view original
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Human Resources Department more info | view original
https://www.commerce.gov/sites/commerce.gov/files/glen_2mb.mp4 Slide Image
For more information, please visit our website: https://www.commerce.gov/enterpriseservices more info | view original
The Japanese mini submarine HA-19 (similar to the mini sub sunk by the USS Ward), which washed ashore on December 8, 1941. more info | view original
Coral restoration in the Florida Keys (NOAA) more info | view original
https://www.commerce.gov/sites/commerce.gov/files/secretary_ross_and_secretary_guajardo_announce_new_efforts_to_resolve_mexican_sugar_export_issues.mp4 Slide Image
On March 10, 2017, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur L. Ross, Jr. and his Mexican Counterpart Secretary of Economy Ildefonso Guajardo Villarreal announced a renewed effort to resolve ongoing issues with Mexican sugar export and anti-bunching limits. more info | view original
https://www.commerce.gov/sites/commerce.gov/files/secretary_ross_announces_241.19_billion_penalty_for_chinese_company_zte.mp4 Slide Image
Wilbur L. Ross, Jr. announces that China's Zhongxing Telecommunications Equipment Corporation and ZTE Kangxun Telecommunications Ltd., known collectively as ZTE, has agreed to a record-high combined civil and criminal penalty of $1.19 billion, pending approval from the courts, after illegally shipping telecommunications equipment to Iran and North Korea in violation of the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) and the Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations (ITSR). more info | view original
https://www.commerce.gov/sites/commerce.gov/files/u.s._secretary_of_commerce_wilbur_ross_addresses_commerce_department_employees.mp4 Slide Image
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur L. Ross, Jr. addresses employees upon arrival at the Department of Commerce on Wednesday, March 1st, at 9:30 a.m. in the Herbert C. Hoover Building auditorium. more info | view original
IMCP Communities after the White House Executive Session and Best Practices Session with Industry Leaders more info | view original
Map of U.S. Internet Use by State from 1998 - 2015 more info | view original
Undergraduate CIC winners Payam Pourtaheri and Ameer Shakeel from University of Virginia, with USPTO's Director of Inventor Education, Outreach, and Recognition Elizabeth Dougherty. more info | view original
U.S. Census Bureau Graphic on Veteran-Owned Businesses in the U.S. more info | view original
MBDA National Director Alejandra Castillo Speaks About the MBDA Inclusive Innovation Initiative more info | view original
City of San Antonio, Texas community leaders and elected officials celebrated the grand opening of the 56,000-square-foot Eastside Education & Training Center (EETC) on November 2, 2016 more info | view original
https://www.commerce.gov/sites/commerce.gov/files/spotlight_on_arizona_-_communities_that_work_partnership.mp4 Slide Image
The Communities that Work Partnership based in the Greater Phoenix region, led by the Arizona Commerce Authority, is focused on engaging and creating initiatives between business, education, and government to develop and retain its workforce in information technology (IT), an emerging driver of regional economic development. more info | view original
https://www.commerce.gov/sites/commerce.gov/files/spotlight_on_northwest_georgia.mp4 Slide Image
The Communities that Work Partnership based in the Northwest Georgia region, led by the Northwest Georgia Regional Workforce Partnership, will focus on the floor covering manufacturing cluster. It will engage the industry to explore changes in curricula, share training assets, promote industry-based career paths, and build a sustainable partnership to provide more support for Georgia's long-standing clusters and the region's largest employer. more info | view original
https://www.commerce.gov/sites/commerce.gov/files/san_antonio.mp4 Slide Image
On November 2, 2016, the city of San Antonio, Texas community leaders and elected officials celebrated the grand opening of the 56,000-square-foot Eastside Education & Training Center (EETC). The facility, which occupies the former Pfeiffer Elementary School, is a one-stop education and workforce development center designed for the Eastside community in partnership with Alamo Colleges and San Antonio Independent School District (SAISD). The city identified and served as a co-applicant with Alamo Colleges and SAISD to secure a $1.5 million grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration to renovate the facility. The San Antonio's Fiscal Year 2017 General Fund budget allocated $100,000 to open and operate the EETC for the next two years. more info | view original
Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) Graphic on Clean Water Infrastructure more info | view original
A southern resident orca breaches off Washington State's Olympic Peninsula more info | view original
GestVision, Inc. receives Patents for Humanity Award for a quick diagnostic test for preeclampsia. Every year, approximately 63,000 women die from preeclampsia (PE), a life-threatening pregnancy complication more info | view original
IP attachés at Tupperware headquarters during Orlando outreach meetings more info | view original


text:
Quarterback Geno Smith leads the nation's third-ranked passing attack into West Virginia's Big 12 conference debut against the Baylor Bears. The 2012 Discover Orange Bowl M.O.P. has been nothing short of phenomenal during the 2012 football season, showing his six-touchdown performance in last year's Classic was no fluke. The impressive repertoire Smith has established with all-star receivers Tavon Austin (345 yards, five touchdowns) and Stedman Bailey (332 yards, five touchdowns) has the Mountaineers' quarterback putting up gaudy numbers on the gridiron (1,072 yards, 13 total touchdowns,), which have vaulted him to the forefront of the Heisman Trophy race. With an 81.4 completion percentage on 118 attempts, the senior has executed Dana Holgorsen's "Airraid" offense to near perfection, and has shown no signs of slowing down.
Lose a Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback- have a down year, right? Following Robert Griffin III's NFL departure, many expected Baylor to slip back to the bottom of the Big 12 ranks. That would be news to quarterback Nick Florence, who has the Bears making plenty of noise of their own. Three games into the 2012 season, the senior has put up over 1,000 yards and thrown 11 touchdowns with just four interceptions, good enough for a 166.9 passer rating that ranks 14th in the nation. With the big Terrance Williams (353 yards, four touchdowns) and speedster Tevin Reese (304 yards, 20.3 yards per catch, three touchdowns) lining up on wings, Baylor might be one of the few teams in the nation with enough offensive firepower on offense to match up the Mountaineers.
While all signs point to this potentially becoming one of the highest scoring games this season, history might suggest otherwise. Last year, the RG3-led Baylor Bears marched into a Big 12 matchup against Oklahoma State and one of the top offenses in the nation. Expected to be a shootout, the Cowboys held Baylor scoreless in the first half as they racked up 55 points in a one-sided affair.
Holgorsen is no doubt hoping that West Virginia can find some similar success against Baylor's high-octane offense. The linebacker tandem of senior Josh Francis and redshirt freshman Isaish Bruce have been menacing quarterbacks all season, racking up 44 tackles and 9.5 for loss together this season. After an unexpected test against Stephon Diggs (touchdowns of 42 and 54 yards) and Maryland last week, the Mountaineers are going to need their defensive corps to shut down Baylor if they hope to come away with their first conference win as members of the Big 12.
Back to All News


text:
ACL2 (A Computational Logic for Applicative Common Lisp) is a programming language for modeling computer systems and a tool for proving properties of those models. It was developed at the University o...
A modular and configurable environment for developing expert systems, which was created at the German National Research Center for Computer Sciences (GMD). It is a forward/backward chaining, hybrid sy...
Syntax anayzer (parser) for any context free grammar.
Implementation of the game of Reversi. A text-mode interface that should work on any implementation and a CLIM GUI are available. The code is based on that of the program Otello(R) in the book "Paradi...
The Common Lisp Utilities project "intends to be a repository for packages that run on any compliant implementation of ANSI Common Lisp". It contains code for data and control structures, financial fu...
Common LISPcraft Code
The source code for the book "Common LISPcraft" by Robert Wilensky, W. W. Norton & Company; 2nd edition (June 1986). It mostly includes AI and parsing code.
Common Lisp Reasoner
Provides tightly-integrated knowledge representation, reasoning and search capabilities, with vanilla XML and RDF/XML interfaces, built around a portable extension of CLOS.
Connect 4
Program that plays the Connect 4 game against the user. It has a CLIM GUI.
A graphical shell for the hybrid expert system development environment BABYLON. EMA-XPS was created at the University of Wuppertal, Germany. It provides a number of tools such as a task processor, kno...
High-performance, open source AI blackboard-system framework based on the concepts that were explored and refined in the UMass Generic Blackboard system and the commercial GBB product.
GECO - Genetic Evolution through Combination of Objects
A CLOS library for writing genetic algorithms.
Genetic Goban
A GO game playing program based on genetic algorithms.
KM: The Knowledge Machine
KM is a powerful, frame-based knowledge representation language with clear first-order logic semantics. It contains sophisticated machinery for reasoning, including selection by description, unificati...
KMgen is an ontology editor for the KM language (Knowledge Machine), written with Lispworks, Foil (a Foreign Object Interface for Lisp) and SWT (Java Standard Widget Toolkit). Free to use.
Grammar and lexicon development environment for unification-based linguistic formalisms. It implements the DELPH-IN reference formalism of typed feature structures, and has a CLIM GUI.
Lisp-based Intelligent Software Agents. A production-rule language for building expert systems. It is influenced by, and similar to, CLIPS and JESS.
Lisp code from Artificial Intelligence, A Modern Approach
Common Lisp code for solving basic AI problems, from the definitive textbook on intelligent agents by Russell & Norvig. The website also links implementations in other languages (java, python, c++, p...
Loom is a "language and environment for constructing intelligent applications". It features a knowledge representation system, a deductive engine, and a logic-based pattern matcher.
an estimated-regression planner that can reason about autonomous processes
Paradigms of AI Programming Source Code
Source code for the book "Paradigms of AI Programming: Case Studies in Common Lisp" by Peter Norvig.
Planet of the Feebs
A simulation game loosely based on the Xerox PARC "Maze War" game. It generates graphics output via CLX.
A scriptable multiplayer game engine.
Screamer is an extension of Common Lisp that adds support for nondeterministic programming. Screamer consists of two levels. The basic nondeterministic level adds support for backtracking and undoable...
Sensory Graphplan
Complete, general purpose planner developed at the University of Washington. It is based on the Graphplan planner and extends it to handle uncertainty and sensory actions. Graphplan is based on ideas ...
Simulation of KYTRONs on the Moon
Simulation program for KYTRONs in a lunar-like environment. It has a CLIM GUI, and is a CLIM primer and a tutorial on how to write portable applications with a GUI. KYTRONs are small autonomous vehicl...
Simple backward-chaining expert system shell based on MYCIN. Although it was created for educational purposes at the University of Texas at Austin, it was also used for developing some real expert sys...
UCPOP Planner
Planner developed at the University of Washington that operates "with actions that have conditional effects and universally quantified preconditions and effects. It accepts universally quantified goal...
Wilbur Semantic Web Toolkit for CLOS
A CLOS toolkit for programming Semantic Web applications that use RDF, XML and/or DAML+OIL. It was developed by the Agent Technology group of Nokia Research Center. Wilbur provides parsers for RDF, DA...
"XI is a hybrid of programming language and metaframe database".
Cl-semantic (A collection of RDF/OWL extraction and relationship parsing macros) is "a collection of macros for extracting and generating relationships between information using ontologies for the Sem...
Clax is a library for intelligent software agents that exchange messages.
A musical composition tool with a Common Lisp based language. It allows the construction and management of musical structures.


text:
Ken Davey, Moab city's economic development specialist, said in a presentation to the council that the program is designed for small, rural areas that tend to have higher unemployment combined with lower wages than urban areas. Cities with a population of less than 10,0000 people and counties with a population below 50,000 are eligible for the designation.
The state-run program is administered by the Utah Governor's Office of Economic Development. The enterprise zone program provides additional tax credits to businesses located within the designated areas and which do not collect sales tax or are not construction related. Davey said those credits are meant to encourage businesses to pay slightly higher wages to employees.
According to the Utah Office of Economic Development's website, the program offers a $750 credit when a qualifying business creates a new, full-time position that is filled for at least six months of the year. There is an additional $500 credit available if that position pays at least 125 percent of the area's average monthly wage for that industry. There are also credits available for employer-sponsored health insurance programs, donations made to nonprofit organizations engaged in economic development, and for costs associated with rehabilitating a vacant building.
Grand County is applying separately to renew its status as an enterprise zone, but the Moab city designation covers all areas located within city limits, Davey said.
"It includes any zone that allows commercial activity," Davey said. "So that's all zones."
Davey said that most businesses in Moab do not qualify for the enterprise zone credits, due to the fact that retail businesses are not included in the program.
"We're trying to convince them that retail is a form of economic development," Davey said.
Moab Mayor David Sakrison said he expects that retail businesses will eventually be included.
"We've seen some movement on it," he said.
Moab's unemployment rate is nearly twice the rate for the state, Davey said. He noted that Utah's current unemployment rate is 4.6 percent while Moab's seasonally adjusted rate is at 8.4 percent. However, Davey said that rate will go up as the winter progresses and many businesses close for the season.
"We get up to around 15 or 16 percent," he said.
Davey said many businesses in the city are staying open later into the year, while other businesses are choosing to stay open throughout the winter. Those changes have the potential to draw the unemployment rate down, he said.
"Some businesses are realizing that they actually lose less money by staying open and laying fewer employees off," Davey said.
He said that by laying off a large number of employees, businesses end up paying more money for their unemployment insurance the following year.
More information about the enterprise zone tax credits is available at the Utah Office of Economic Development website: http://business.utah.gov/programs/incentives/enterprise-zones/tax-credits/.


text:
Church law these days forbids clerics to run for public office. But before that rule was laid down in the 1980s, priests sometimes ran — and won — races for seats in the U.S. Congress, state assemblies and city councils across America.
One was audacious enough to run for president.
Although Father James Cox didn't win the Oval Office in the 1932 race, this Pittsburgh parish priest managed to lead a march on Washington and snag a meeting with his opponent in the election, then-President Herbert Hoover. Father Cox was trying to hatch a New Deal for Depression-era American with his Jobless Party platform before Franklin Roosevelt even got to the White House.
Father Cox didn't win, of course; FDR did. But in today's politics where money talks and more money talks even louder, it's refreshing to recall a candidate whose only agenda was to get jobs for folks who had little or nothing.
Our Sunday Visitor in its June 29 edition profiles the life and legacy of the fascinating man of faith.


text:
Bulletin Board
Welcome this will serve as the discussion topic for Epilogue. Please post your profiles here for approval as well as keep OOC Discussion here. I will be updating the Bulletin Board above with news of events going on, so please check back to keep up to date on current events.
Approved Characters
Toa Onarax - Dante, Ren and Noon, Vinnie
The Snark Knight - Abraham, Alistair
Constructman - Agnes, Vincent and Eleven, Misayo
Levacious Zehvor - Alexander, Brennus
Hubert(I don't care what his current name might be) - Septimus and Cloacina, [color=rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;]唐霄雾[/color]
Silvan Haven - Tim,
Basilisk - Katherine
Dovahkiin -
Lord of Adder's Black - Bart, Karen
Kaithas(Fourteenth Something right now) - Karrie
Advent Aeternale - Adrian
Alex Humva - Shanon
Vengent Spectre - Kyle and V-Demon,
Tyler -
Mango - Eduardo
Promised Land - Brianna
Edited by Toa Onarax, Jul 29 2013 - 10:21 AM.


text:
ACCC calls for input on wholesale rules
Define 'discrimination'
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is pushing on with its frenzy of National Broadband Network-related activity with a consultation paper looking at the question of discrimination between wholesale customers.
The general principle underlying the interaction between the NBN and its retail customers is that wholesale access is to be non-discriminatory: all retailers should pay the same price for access, and should be subject to the same commercial terms.
However, some exceptions are going to be necessary. One particular example given in the ACCC's consultation paper is creditworthiness: should a premium apply to a provider that can't prove its ability to pay its bills?
The question the ACCC needs to answer is how many other "discriminatory practices" now exist that might still be justifiable once the NBN is rolled out.
The paper also seeks information about whether or not the principles of non-discrimination are likely to constrain the NBN from varying its contract conditions over time.
The most contentious aspect of discriminatory practices, however, is likely to be internal discrimination. In those limited cases where NBN Co will be permitted to offer services directly to an end user, should it be able to offer itself discounted wholesale prices?
El Reg would imagine the industry at large already knows its answer to that question. ®


text:
Contact Us
We want to hear from you! Customer service is our top priority, so let us know how we can help you. Our office hours are from 8:00am – 5:00pm CST – Monday through Friday.
Turfline, Inc. Office
712 Jefferson Street, Suite A
Moscow Mills, MO 63362
Toll Free: 800-443-8506
International: +1-636-356-1210
Fax: 636-356-1218
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Turfline, Inc. Manufacturing Facility
739 Jefferson Street
Moscow Mills, MO 63362
Toll Free: 800-443-8506
Fax: 636-366-9882


text:
A critical component to public safety -- including the prevention of further crime
and violence -- is a successful transition for offenders into effective community-based
after care services.
With this goal in mind, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
(CDCR) developed this community-based organization directory. The information in
this directory is provided by representatives of the programs listed. The CDCR does
not specifically endorse or validate any of the organizations listed in this directory.
The Community Resource Directory includes each organization's contact information
as well as the services they provide and the primary regions they serve.
Please read and accept the Disclaimer by clicking the "Agree" button below.
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has provided this Transitional Services Resources Guide for California Parolees to provide information to parolees and available services at a community level to aid their successful re-entry. The website is provided as an informational service only and does not constitute and should not be relied upon as an official record of the CDCR. Content on CDCR's web pages is produced from sources believed to be reliable. CDCR makes no representation, express or implied, that the information on this site is complete, timely, or accurate. No warranty expressed or implied is made regarding: accuracy, adequacy, completeness, legality, reliability, merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, freedom from contamination by computer viruses, or usefulness of any information. All warranties of any kind, express or implied, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of non infringement of proprietary rights ARE DISCLAIMED. CDCR, the State of California, or any elected officials, officers, agents, or employees shall not be held responsible for any errors or omissions on this website or produced by secondary dissemination of this information.
CDCR is not responsible for the contents of any off-site pages referenced from CDCR's web pages. CDCR is not liable for the defamatory, offensive, or illegal conduct of other users, links, or third parties and that the risk of damage or injury from the foregoing rests entirely with the user. The user shall assume all risk and responsibility, and neither the user, nor any third parties acting on behalf of or with the consent of the user, may rely upon any information contained on this website. In no event shall CDCR, the State of California, or any elected officials, officers, agents, or employees be liable for any damages, of any nature whatsoever, including those arising out of the use of, or the inability to use this service and reliance on information provided on this website. CDCR, the State of California, and any elected officials, officers, agents, or employees are not liable for any improper or incorrect use of the information contained on this website.
CDCR, unless statutorily required, has no continuing obligation to provide information on its homepages. Content that is free and publicly available may one day be eliminated, restricted, or require a fee. The location of items may change as menus, homepages, and files are reorganized. CDCR does not warrant that the service will be uninterrupted or error free. User agrees to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless CDCR, the State of California, as well as their elected officials, officers, agents, or employees from and against all claims, damages, and expenses, including the cost of and attorneys fees arising out of the use of this site by user, whether caused by negligence or otherwise.
Misuse of the information on this website may subject the user to criminal prosecution and/or civil liability. Unauthorized attempts to change the information on this website are strictly prohibited and may be subject to criminal prosecution and/or civil liability.
Disclaimer of Endorsement CDCR sometimes distributes data supplied by third parties. Any opinions, advice, statements, services, offers, or other information or content expressed or made available by third parties, are those of the respective author(s) or distributr(s) and not necessarily of CDCR. Reference herein to any specific commercial products, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not constitute or imply endorsement, recommendation, or preference by CDCR, and such reference shall not be used for advertising or product endorsement purposes.
If you believe that any information on this site is in error, please contact the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation at (916)327-4901.
I have read the disclaimer and agree to all of these terms and conditions


text:
Like many casualties of the Great Recession, Alex Nathan's crash began in August 2008, a month before investment firm Lehman Brothers declared bankruptcy and rocked financial markets worldwide.
Lehman fell because it invested in and peddled toxic mortgage debt. Nathan's fall was tied to real estate, too: His income came from selling kitchens in the new homes that fueled the real estate boom.
That bubble was fueled, in turn, with the kind of toxic debt Lehman and others sold to investors.
But while Lehman's flameout took place in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York, Nathan's collapse was much less visible but much more human.
He spent eight months in the Salvation Army's Sarasota shelter on 10th Street, gradually pulling himself together.
Today, Nathan is a living trajectory of Southwest Florida's economy. He lives on a 70-foot yacht with views of Sarasota Bay and Sarasota's skyline. The boat's parking space and expenses alone cost $5,000 per month.
Ironically, his financial recovery is the result of others' Great Recession excess.
Nathan works as a debt counselor, signing up people with too much credit card debt to ever pay back. A Tampa firm then consolidates those accounts into multimillion-dollar tranches and converts them to bonds — the same thing the big Wall Street houses like Lehman and Goldman Sachs did with mortgages that were junk.
Consumers benefit because those debts are used as leverage to negotiate better deals with lenders. Typically, Nathan's clients pay about half of what they owe, over three or four years. He gets a cut from the lender as a finders' fee.
"We do very, very well," said Nathan, aboard the vessel he bought 18 months ago with income from his debt reduction business.
Five years ago was a different story.
He was selling home improvements for Sears, until the bottom fell out of the residential boom.
"Who wants to install a new kitchen in a house that is worth 30 to 40 percent less than the year before?" Nathan said. "I went from three or four appointments a day to one every other day. I couldn't pay my bills. I got evicted."
For solace, he turned to alcohol and drugs before hitting bottom and finding his way to the Salvation Army.
He parlayed the stay there into a telephone sales job collecting debt by making calls from a local Starbucks.
Eventually, he started his own debt collection firm, and landed underwater clients with $40,000 or $50,000 in consumer debt.
"We hit a home run," Nathan said. "What I was able to do was provide people with a little bit of relief."
He now buys mailing lists with 100,000 indebted consumers on them, in the hope of convincing 100 or so to sign up with him.
As the business has changed, so has Nathan's desire to live on the water. He's put the yacht on the market for $300,000.
"It's been a year and a half," he said of the boat. "Time for something new."
Sarasota man goes from rock bottom to yacht life
Like many casualties of the Great Recession, Alex Nathan's crash began in August 2008, a month before investment firm Lehman Brothers declared bankruptcy and rocked financial markets worldwide.


text:
Katrina Leshan – Graphic Notation: Bringing Art to the Musician – TEDxSMU 2012
Originally from Las Vegas, Katrina is in her fourth year at the Meadows School of the Arts at SMU, pursuing a Bachelor of Music Degree in Classical Guitar Performance and participating in the University's Honors Program. She studies with world-renowned guitarist Robert Guthrie and gives recitals at SMU each semester. In April 2011, Katrina and her partner took first place in the Brownsville Guitar Competition in the Duo Category. Katrina traveled to Blonay, Switzerland in June 2011 to participate in the Music11 Festival, where she premiered new chamber works with the Grammy Award-winning ensemble Eighth Blackbird. In July 2012 she traveled to Maccagno, Italy to premiere new chamber works in the soundSCAPE festival's eighth season. She hopes to pursue a Masters of Music degree in fall 2013 and seeks the opportunity to travel and be involved in innovative chamber music.


text:
Contact Us
The answer to your question may already be in the FAQs page so before contacting the Adam4Adam Support team, make sure to first check the FAQs page. The link to the FAQs page is at the bottom of every page.
Contact the Adam4Adam Support Team
For help with login, pic upload, stolen pics, report fake user and abuse, bugs, etc.
Report SPAM
If you suspect a member is using the site to advertise or to scam, please give us his username and a copy of messages he has sent you. Unsolicited promo mail or business mail is also considered spam.


text:
The Marquette University Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) oversees the university's animal programs, facilities and procedures insuring the appropriate care, use, and humane treatments of animals being used for research, testing and education. The IACUC serves as a resource to faculty, investigators, technicians, students, staff and administrators, providing guidance in fulfilling the obligation to plan and conduct all animal use procedures with the highest scientific, humane and ethical principles.
Marquette's Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) is responsible for the oversight and evaluation of animal-related activities at Marquette University. The IACUC members are assigned by the University's Institutional Official and consist of at least one scientist, one veterinarian, one non-scientist and one non-affiliated member. As required, at least five members serve on the IACUC. In addition to the IACUC, there is also a Chief Executive Officer (President of Marquette University), Institutional Official, Research Compliance Officer/Animal Resource Center Director, Animal Care and Facility supervisor, animal care technicians and students who are all involved with animal use and care at Marquette University.
The use of animals for research and teaching are a privilege, not a right. High standards exist for the care and use of animals at Marquette University. Marquette University maintains an Animal Welfare Assurance Statement which declares its compliance with the various regulations and policies. Failure by any individual to adhere to these standards can jeopardize Marquette University's entire animal care and use program. The program is monitored by federal regulatory agencies (USDA-APHIS and OLAW) and an accreditation agency (AAALAC).


text:
Moleskine Passions, the video tells the story of the first notebooks in the series
To talk about beer and its various aspects, Moleskine presents the Beer Journal, the notebook for people who love malt and hops. When you open it there are two designs for making your own coaster, an international glossary with information and curiosities, suggestions from experts and a legend of typical beer glasses from around the world. After that there are the subject sections to take note of your favorites, names, recipes, addresses, tastings and a chapter for trying your hand at homemade beer-making. Blank pages can be customized with notes, drawings, stickers, photos and personal comments.
To try out the page layouts or to download them in your own language, all the templates are available in the myMoleskine section.
Beer Journal is part of the Moleskine Passions collection, a series of notebooks dedicated to the passions of life; as of 2012 they number seventeen, including the latest notebooks Art, Chocolate, Restaurant and Home Life. They are all available at the Moleskine Store.


text:
Winter Garden West Orange wide receiver Garrett Johnson finally received his first college football scholarship offer this week. He's only a junior, but it seems like he's waited a long time.
More than anything, he was just relieved to finally hear someone say they wanted him to be a part of a college football program. The first one to do so was Northwestern wide receivers coach Dennis Springer.
"Oh yeah, I've been waiting for a long time and now I finally got one," said Johnson, who has been one of the top receivers in Central Florida over the past two seasons.
"A lot of weight has been lifted off my shoulders and now I definitely know that I have an offer and I will definitely be going to college for free. It just feels good to know that."
During his sophomore and junior seasons, Johnson racked up almost 2,000 yards receiving. His best year was as a sophomore, when he caught 55 passes for 1,014 yards and 10 touchdowns. His numbers were down this past season, but some of than can be attributed to Johnson having to spend more time on the field as a cornerback when the Warriors didn't have the ball.
He caught 49 balls as a junior, a slight drop-off there, but the yardage was a far more dramatic change in the 685 yards he posted. He also had seven TDs. West Orange will also use Johnson on running plays off the end, and he has scored two touchdowns and gained almost 200 yards on 21 carries.
During this offseason, Johnson has already put on a few pounds and he has also grown a bit, edging closer to that all-important 6-foot mark for receivers, which is a good sign that perhaps he is not done growing.
He was measured at just over 5-foot-9 and 162 pounds at the National Under Armour All-American Combine in St. Petersburg on Jan. 4, but at another combine two weeks ago, he appeared to have grown a bit more and his weight work is showing obvious signs in his arms and chest.
Johnson said Coach Springer likes him for several different reasons, and a lot of coaches, given his size, will begin to start categorizing Johnson into the slot receiver role. Of course, as long as it's college football, it doesn't matter to Johnson.
"When they came down the coach said they really liked me," Johnson said of Springer. "He said that they have bigger receivers, but they need more faster receivers who can catch bubble screens and turn them into 50-yard gains or more. They need more down-field playmakers."
Johnson definitely has the speed. He was clocked at the Under Armour event with a 4.7 lazer-timed 40-yard dash, and a hand-held time of 4.6 seconds. He's been in the 4.5s at times, as well.
He could be getting another offer from Boston College this week. He's been in contact with BC assistant Todd Fitch, the former USF assistant who joined the new staff of Steve Addazio after the Bulls fired head coach Skip Holtz and his staff in November.
Johnson, however, won't be resting on his offers and has set forth a tough offseason schedule to get him where he needs to be next season. It will be the second year working with 2014 classmate and West Orange quarterback Hayden Griffitts. Both will be looking to put together a special senior season under new head coach Bob Head, who comes over from Orlando Olympia.
Chris Hays is the Sentinel's recruiting coverage coordinator and can be reached at email@example.com. Follow us on Twitter at @Os_Recruiting and Facebook at Orlando Sentinel Recruiting and now on Pinterest at Orlando Recruiting.


text:
Needle moving action has been spotted in Ascena Retail Grp (ASNA) as shares are moving today on volatility -2.84% or -0.06 from the open. The NASDAQ listed company saw a recent bid of 2.05 and 894483 shares have traded hands in the session.
Investors may be trying to gauge the current business cycle phase and how that could potentially impact the portfolio. Business cycles can be one way to analyze portfolio performance. Early on in the cycle, profits tend to grow rapidly, sales tend to improve, and activity rebounds. In the middle of a cycle, growth may be peaking, strong credit growth may still be seen, and policy may swing neutral. Toward the later stages, growth may be moderate, earnings may come under pressure, and credit may tighten. Heading into a period of recession, credit may completely dry up, profits may decline sharply, and there may be policy easing. Investors will often have to adjust portfolio holdings that reflect the current state of a business cycle.
Digging deeping into the Ascena Retail Grp (ASNA) 's technical indicators, we note that the Williams Percent Range or 14 day Williams %R currently sits at -95.08. The Williams %R oscillates in a range from 0 to -100. A reading between 0 and -20 would point to an overbought situation. A reading from -80 to -100 would signal an oversold situation. The Williams %R was developed by Larry Williams. This is a momentum indicator that is the inverse of the Fast Stochastic Oscillator.
Investors are paying close attention to shares of Ascena Retail Grp (ASNA). A popular tool among technical stock analysts is the moving average. Moving averages are considered to be lagging indicators that simply take the average price of a stock over a specific period of time. Moving averages can be very useful for identifying peaks and troughs. They may also be used to help the trader figure out proper support and resistance levels for the stock. Currently, the 200-day MA is sitting at 3.29, and the 50-day is 2.16.
Ascena Retail Grp (ASNA) currently has a 14-day Commodity Channel Index (CCI) of -105.49. Active investors may choose to use this technical indicator as a stock evaluation tool. Used as a coincident indicator, the CCI reading above +100 would reflect strong price action which may signal an uptrend. On the flip side, a reading below -100 may signal a downtrend reflecting weak price action. Using the CCI as a leading indicator, technical analysts may use a +100 reading as an overbought signal and a -100 reading as an oversold indicator, suggesting a trend reversal.
The RSI, or Relative Strength Index, is a widely used technical momentum indicator that compares price movement over time. The RSI was created by J. Welles Wilder who was striving to measure whether or not a stock was overbought or oversold. The RSI may be useful for spotting abnormal price activity and volatility. The RSI oscillates on a scale from 0 to 100. The normal reading of a stock will fall in the range of 30 to 70. A reading over 70 would indicate that the stock is overbought, and possibly overvalued. A reading under 30 may indicate that the stock is oversold, and possibly undervalued. After a recent check, the 14-day RSI for Ascena Retail Grp is currently at 42.81, the 7-day stands at 35.03, and the 3-day is sitting at 27.39.
Another technical indicator that may be a powerful resource for determining trend strength is the Average Directional Index or ADX. The ADX was introduced by J. Welles Wilder in the late 1970's and it has stood the test of time. The ADX is typically used in conjunction with the Plus Directional Indicator (+DI) and Minus Directional Indicator (-DI) to help spot trend direction as well as trend strength. At the time of writing, the 14-day ADX for Ascena Retail Grp (ASNA) is noted at 18.43. Many technical analysts believe that an ADX value over 25 would suggest a strong trend. A reading under 20 would indicate no trend, and a reading from 20-25 would suggest that there is no clear trend signal.
Stock market investing can indeed tug on an individual's emotional strings. When the market becomes tumultuous, investors may be tempted to act impulsively, or they may freeze and not act at all. Being prepared for various scenarios may help the investor better deal with the market when the time comes. Staying disciplined with portfolio rebalancing and asset allocation may be a big help for the individual investor. Investors who constantly try to outguess the market and chase winners may eventually find themselves swimming upstream. Staying the course and keeping a logical perspective may assist the investor with making the tricky portfolio decisions when necessary.


text:
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Argentina will ask a U.N. court to order the release of a navy sailing ship seized in Ghana unless the African country releases it within a day, officials announced Monday.
The ARA Libertad training ship was seized on Oct. 2 in the port of Tema as collateral for unpaid bonds dating from Argentina's economic crisis a decade ago. Foreign Minister Hector Timerman said if Ghana does not free the vessel by Tuesday, Argentina will appeal to the International Sea Tribunal in Hamburg, Germany.
"The legal representatives of the Foreign Ministry are already in that city to begin the legal actions," Timerman said Monday in a press conference at government house.
Argentina argues that as a warship, the Libertad is immune from being seized and it says it will take the issue to the arbitrage court under a United Nations convention on the rights of the sea.
Timerman said the government also asked Ghana to immediately restore power and water services that were shut off last week when Argentina refused to let it be moved to a less-busy part of the port.
Argentina's sailors then displayed rifles to prevent Ghanaian officials from boarding the vessel in an attempt to move it.
"(Ghanaian officials) put a halt to this action and the calm has returned," Defense Minister Arturo Puricelli told reporters at the press conference. "But power and water services have not been restored."
Ghanaian Justice Richard Agyei-Frimpong ruled last week that the vessel should be moved because it is keeping other ships from berthing. Port officials say the port it losing tens of thousands of dollars per day in berthing fees.
The court ordered it held at port due to a court order in New York for Argentina to pay $1.3 billion to a group of investors in the country's defaulted debt.
Timerman said Argentina appealed the judge's November 5 order to move the ship to another dock. Since the ruling is suspended until a higher court in Ghana's rules on the issue, Argentina is not in contempt, he said.
Ghana courts seized the ship on a claim by Cayman Islands-based NML Capital Ltd. Its owner, billionaire investor Paul Singer, leads a group demanding payment in full, plus interest, for dollar-based Argentine bonds bought at fire sale prices after Argentina's 2001-2002 economic collapse forced a sharp devaluation of its currency.
The vast majority of bondholders accepted about 30 cents on the dollar years ago, and that is roughly what the holdouts led by Singer initially paid for the bonds.
NML Capital has said Argentina owes it about $350 million, and has offered to let the ship leave if Fernandez's government put up a $20 million bond to be forfeited. Fernandez says the embargo of the ship is illegitimate and that Argentina will not negotiate with what she calls "vulture funds."
Argentina "will just not pay in any way ... creating more poverty and social conflict," Fernandez said shortly after in a speech, repeating words by her late husband and predecessor, President Nestor Kirchner.
But Argentina is in a tough spot beyond the seized ship.
Last month, it lost a long battle against the same fund in U.S. courts when an appellate panel rejected every argument the South American country made against paying $1.33 billion to holdout investors.
That ruling effectively gives Argentina a stark choice: pay holders of restructured and defaulted debt equally, or pay none of them at all.
U.S. District Judge Thomas Griesa has ruled that Argentina must pay the holdouts part of the money and has warned Fernandez not to "defy and evade" his orders on how much it should pay.
Griesa will decide the amount Dec. 1, a day before Argentina is due to make the first of three payments of more than $3 billion to bondholders who accepted restructuring of their debt at a loss.


text:
February 26. 2013 8:54PM
Community committee set to start talks on Keene airport tree cutting
By MEGHAN PIERCE
Union Leader Correspondent
KEENE - A community liaison committee formed to make a recommendation to the city regarding the Keene Dillant-Hopkins Airport tree-cutting project, prompted by Federal Aviation Administration regulations, begins meeting next week.
The first meeting is planned to be held at City Hall on March 5.
Committee members representing the Edgewood neighborhood that is in danger of losing its quarter-mile thick pine buffer from the airport say they want to continue to coexist with the airport, with the buffer to protect the neighborhood as well as protect the city from pollution.
"If those trees are gone, all that pollution is going downtown," said Edgewood resident Richard Hersom on Tuesday. "It's going to have a negative impact, not only on our neighborhood, but on Keene."
Keene Mayor Kendall Lane appointed the committee in January to work closely with city-hired consultants after residents of the 100-year-old Edgewood community opposed city plans to clear cut the buffer that sits between the neighborhood and the airport.
"We've always lived here with the airport," Hersom said. "And as it stands now, we don't really have a problem. When we moved here, we knew there was an airport here. What they are doing is changing the game."
Hersom was appointed to the committee along with Edgewood resident Tim Dunn. The committee also includes a city conservation commission member, a C&S Wholesale Grocers pilot, an Antioch University New England professor of environmental studies and State Rep. Alfred "Gus" Lerandeau of Swanzey.
"Without this forest the property values would plummet," Dunn said.
The Keene Dillant-Hopkins Airport has two runways on approximately 1,000 acres. It is a small airport used by private pilots and corporations.
Hersom, Dunn and another Edgewood resident, Dominick Tralli, question the city's need for an airport and said perhaps the FAA and city-supported airport should have to be self-supporting.
"Progress may not be making something like this more viable because it's going to have a negative impact on not only on us, but on Keene," Dunn said. "Only governments can afford, because they pick all of our pockets every year, only governments can afford to run a business at a loss every year because they can make it up through taxes."
If the city does not comply with FAA regulations and complete the project, it would lose its FAA funding.
State Department of Transportation Director of Aeronautics, Rail and Transit Patrick C. Herlihy said Tuesday that the role a small airport like Dillant-Hopkins plays is complex.
The FAA funds a system of airports across the country because they play a vital role in interstate commerce.
"It's part of what's called the National Airspace System, so there are opportunities for airplanes that are up in the air, if they need to come down, there are places they can do it," Herlihy said.
The FAA regulation calling for the tree cutting is not new, but was enacted in 1965 to maintain a pilot's visibility approaching a runway.
FAA regulations have not changed, the trees have grown, said Tricia Lambert of the state DOT Aeronautics Bureau.
"You have to do something to mitigate them," she said.
Herlihy said the most likely solution would be selective cutting, to maintain the buffer and appease the FAA.
"It's a reasonable solution that is currently being evaluated," Herlihy said, adding the community input on the project is important.
The committee's recommendation would go to city officials, who would make the final decision on the project, Herlihy said.


text:
There was a fair amount of rally-round-the-flag rhetoric from Eagles offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg Thursday -- Mornhinweg said he "loves" the situation the team is in, "us against everybody" -- but underneath, it was possible to discern a level of concern about the difficulties of preparing rookie quarterback Nick Foles for his first NFL start, on the road Sunday at Washington.
"He will see some things he hasn't seen before, and how he reacts to those things will be key," said Mornhinweg, who said in his experience, defenses go one of two ways in such a situation -- they pull out all the tricks and try to confuse the kid, or they play it straight and dare him to beat them.
"Nick Foles is bustin' to prepare himself for this ballgame," Mornhinweg said. "There's quite a bit of excitement in this situation."
Of course, the Eagles haven't officially acknowledged Foles is starting, but Michael Vick remains at home resting and the idea that he will suddenly be cleared from last Sunday's concussion in time to play this week is ridiculous.
"There are certain things (Foles) can do very, wery well," said Mornhinweg, who said the gameplan would be tailored to Foles' strengths. (Translation -- Marty will be working from a limited menu.)
"Nick Foles has excellent command. It appears he's an excellent leader," said Mornhinweg, who referenced his experience with rookie QB Jeff Garcia when Mornhinweg was the 49ers' offensive coordinator.
Asked what drew the team to Foles during the draft process, Mornhinweg said: "He's big. He's got a big arm. I thought he carried Arizona as best he could. They really had problems personnelwise, injurywise. Tough both physically and mentally."
Special teams coordinator Bobby April agonized over the 78-yard punt return touchdown last Sunday that gave Dallas the lead for good in the fourth quarter of the Eagles' 38-23 loss.
"That was as critical a play as we've had all year," said April, who said he blamed himself for not getting the importance of lane integrity "ingrained" in the minds of his coverage personnel. April said the season has been a disappointment, that in several games, dominant special teams could have turned a loss into a victory.
April seemed reluctant to finger the talent level as a problem, though he did acknowledge that once returner Dwyane Harris got past punter Mat McBriar on the sideline, the return became a "footrace" and "genes and chromosomes" take over at that point.
April also was asked about kicker Alex Henery's missed extra point, on which he said Henery's plant foot slipped, twisting him as he kicked.
April also blamed himself for the timeout the Birds had to call before a field goal try, when tackle King Dunlap, upset over a penalty call, left the field with the offense and wasn't lined up to block for Henery.
"I can understand any definition fans might put on the ineptitude of that game," said April, who said he knows from his own upbringing that families work hard to make the money to buy tickets, and they have a right to be angry.


text:
Hood: Time To Spread The Wealth
By Jeff Hood | Senior Writer
When it comes to scheduling professional golf tournaments, it's common for the PGA Tour to visit a venue just once each season. That model has worked well for decades, while players such as Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Tiger Woods became household names.
A novice golf fan, I must admit it would be odd watching the world's top golfers challenge Augusta National Golf Club twice during the same year.
But unlike pro golf, nearly all race tracks that play host to NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series receive two visits during the course of the season.
A major shakeup is anticipated when NASCAR releases its 2011 Cup schedule in early September. Kentucky Motor Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Kansas Speedway are expected to add Cup dates to their lineup next season at the expense of existing races at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Auto Club Speedway (in Fontana, Calif.) and New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
If this comes to fruition, Atlanta, Auto Club, Kentucky and New Hampshire would join Darlington Raceway, Infineon Raceway, Chicagoland Speedway, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Watkins Glen International and Homestead-Miami Speedway as facilities which host NASCAR's Cup Series just once next season.
But considering the difficulty track operators have encountered over the past 18 months trying to fill grandstands and suites and secure corporate sponsorship, is the potential growing trend of one Cup race per season at a venue actually a bad thing for the sport?
Prior to the running of the Cup race in Las Vegas in February, Jimmie Johnson was asked if he'd like to see a second Cup race on an annual basis in sin city beginning in 2011.
The four-time Cup champion's response was somewhat suprising, and seemed to be a page right out of the PGA Tour's scheduling playbook.
"I think its really tough to have two Sprint Cup races at any venue," Johnson said. "Look at (Auto Club Speedway) in California. I have friends and family that were season ticket holders and when there was one race a year, it was real simple what you did.
"You only had one opportunity to go to that race and watch so you would go. They now have two races, their ticket packages and different things were forced upon them to be a part of and things started to change. They thought, 'I'll skip the spring race and go to the fall race.' The fall race comes around and, 'I've got some things going on so I'll go to the spring race.' I have some friends that now have not been for four years because of that cycle.
"I think you lose a little something when you go to two dates. I think if you go to two dates, you have to have the situation like Bristol where there's a long waiting list for one event. Then you consider expanding to two races.
"I don't think you can take a facility that is seating 60 or 70 percent of its capacity and add a second date and expect a big turnout at either event. That's just my opinion and what I have seen."
A crowd estimated at 50,000 turned out at Gateway International Raceway near St. Louis for Saturday night's Nationwide Series event. And NASCAR's junior circuit will race in front of a packed house at Iowa Speedway at the end of the month.
And while Gateway and Iowa, as well as Nashville Superspeedway, would pay dearly to host the Cup Series just once each season, don't look for NASCAR to add Cup dates in these small markets anytime soon. And it's a virtual lock that the Cup Series will never return to once-popular stops in tiny North Wilkesboro, N.C. and Rockingham, N.C.
While it's unlikely, Johnson admitted it would be a novel idea for NASCAR to spread its top series more evenly throughout the country.
"I think it's impossible to do this, but I think it would be great if we had 36 races at 36 different tracks and we hit as many towns and areas throughout North America as we possibly could," he said. "That's not the situation we have.
"Tracks just aren't in certain areas. I do understand it takes a lot to build these facilities and all that. It's a tough road to hoe to have two events and you have to have a sold out track once a year with a long waiting list to consider a second date, I believe."
– Jeff Hood can be reached at email@example.com Comment


text:
posted by Eugenia Loli on Sat 15th Jul 2006 22:45 UTC
Jeff Cogswell writes: "I'm about to make a confession. Even though I've written several books and articles about C++, I have a secret: C++ isn't my favorite language. I have lots of languages that I use, each one for different purposes. But the language I consider my all-time favorite is Python."


text:
2018 (3)
2017 (2)
2016 (5)
2015 (1)
2014 (4)
2013 (7)
2012 (3)
2009 (1)
Saskatoon named a Place of a Lifetime
"We are thrilled that Saskatoon has been included among 50 must-see destinations in Canada," said Todd Brandt, President and CEO of Tourism Saskatoon. "It is truly a testament to our city's vibrant culture and welcoming spirit."
Tourism Saskatoon's travel media department has posted an exceptional year which included hosting the Travel Media Association of Canada annual conference. The media department worked closely with Tourism Saskatchewan and the Canadian Tourism Commission on several media visits throughout the year, all in effort to share the Saskatoon story.
The world's first digital super mag showcases all-new content from every Canadian province and territory. Other Saskatchewan destinations included on the list include Prince Albert National Park and Big Muddy Valley.
For more information about 50 Places of a Lifetime: Canada, please refer to this news release from National Geographic Travel and the Canadian Tourism Commission.


text:
Nice reference with usage, examples and notes.
Thanks for the link, hesperus.
If you can't remember all of them, then type 'help' and return key in the command shell. You will get almost similar list but with less commands. And for help on perticular command type "<commmand> /?".
just my 2 cents.
\"And life is what we make it. Always has been, always will be.\"
That site does have a couple I hadn't seen before.
To bad his/her presentation wasn't a little more sharply done.
http://www.AntiOnline.com/sig.php?imageid=789\"A dark angel of sin, preying deep from within...\" - Rob Halford
You can also navigate to %WINDIR%\Help (C:\Windows\Help on most systems) and view the file ntcmds.chm. It's an HTML help file with all those CMD commands.
Geek isn't just a four-letter word; it's a six-figure income.
Originally posted here by AxessTerminated
You can also navigate to %WINDIR%\Help (C:\Windows\Help on most systems) and view the file ntcmds.chm. It's an HTML help file with all those CMD commands.
A lot of those commands are from the Adminastration Kit tools. The ntcmds.chm only has the standard Windows commands.
I stand corrected, greenies for you....I've seen your AO name somewhere, were you a Senior once?
It wasn't meant in flame type way.
I have no idea where a couple of those commands came from.
I'm not sure if I sounded aggrivated...I didn't mean to. I thought I had seen your nick a while ago. "greenies" are Positive AO Points...essential to your promotion from AO Newbie.
I would guess the Seek&Destroy name is common. (a reference to the 80's Metallica song)
When I looked back at the quote I wrote, I thought it looked a little sarcastic.
I'm sure a lot of folks have no idea where(or what) ntcmds.chm is.
I've only read a little about the AntiPoints deal, I don't really know much about it.
Forum Rules


text:
How to Use the Images
An artist working for Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, visited Springfield to learn more about Abraham Lincoln, his family, and community. He drew illustrations of three first floor rooms within the Lincoln Home that were published in the newspaper on March 9, 1861. Visits from artists, reporters, photographers and others helped satisfy the nations' curiosity about the relatively unknown Abraham Lincoln.
Using the historic 1860 engraving that appeared in Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, as well as other information, the National Park Service has attempted to restore the Lincoln Formal Parlor, where Lincoln received notification of his nomination for the presidency.
Questions for Drawing 1 and Photo 3
1. Compare the 1860 illustration with the modern photograph of the restored Lincoln home parlor. What are the similarities and differences between the two? What might account for the differences?
2. The information provided in the 1860 engraving is not in color. How do you think researchers might have been able to decide what color wallpaper, carpeting, and paint would be correct in the Lincoln home restoration?
3. Why do you think it is important to restore the parlor to the year 1860? How does this help us learn about what Lincoln's life was like at the time?
* The images on this screen have a resolution of 72 dots per inch (dpi), and therefore will print poorly. You can obtain a larger version of Drawing 1 and Photo 3, but be aware that the file will take as much as 56 seconds to load with a 28.8K modem.


text:
Jun 26, 2008 at 1:43 pm
lots of cool Cudas in your garage with lots of muscle. Gotta love them oldies
Jun 20, 2008 at 8:49 pm
We had the same first car! and ended up as Mopar freaks, go figure. Well my daily driver is still a Pontiac, a 2000 Grand Prix. Maybe there's a new Challenger in my future though. Love the '69 Cuda!
Mar 18, 2008 at 2:49 pm
Sharp ride I had a 67 fastback 273 4 speed factory. Girlfreind took it out when I was on the road had a guy rear end it and take off totaled it man was I pissed. Hey Ive spent alot of time in salina use to now the guy that had the napa paint store there


text:
I was in the Internet once. Not really the Internet; more like a nondescript building in downtown LA that was a data center for a network of over 3000 servers that pushed over 5 gigabytes a second which in essence was a small hub for the information super highway. As I was being taken on a tour of the facility by my friend who is a supervisor there, three things came to mind: 1) It was absolutely freezing in the joint; 2) The large amounts of intersecting pipes of all sizes and colors made me think that Ted Stevens was right about the internet being a series of tubes; and 3) I had NO idea how the World Wide Web works. I mean, maybe I have a faint clue, but if I had to explain it to someone, the answer would be full of a lot stammering and BS to cover up the fact that I'm pretty much lost on the subject. It's such a ubiquitous and powerful thing that has permeated every aspect of our culture, but at the same time, a very, very small percentage of the population actually understands the inner workings of it.
With such a powerful tool in our lives, it's like we're Slim Pickens in Dr. Strangelove riding a nuclear missile to our doom. In an essay entitled "Porn," Chuck Klosterman broaches the subject of just this. The "acceleration of culture," as he puts it, leaves a strong sense of anxiety as "we learn to use tools most of us don't understand. This has always been the case with technology, but never to this extent." We grasp at things we can understand in this brave new world of non-comprehension; we play video games, we blog, we download porn, we tweet, we do all these things to tread water as the inertia of tech-culture rushes forward. Along this stream of thought is where you find the inflatable raft of artist Cory Arcangel's work.
Classically trained as a musician, Cory quickly abandoned his first calling to become a visual artist and the art world took to him as quickly as he took to it. Some of Arcangel's first works are among his most famous, using Super Nintendo games as his starting point, the artist is able to create a re-envisioned tableau. Hacking in to the NES cartridge, he re-contextualizes the graphics by removing all the elements except the clouds in "Super Mario Bros." and turns you in to a viewer of a digital world passing you by, or using "F1 Racer," everything is obliterated but the horizon line. In doing so, in a sense he has removed the technology as the antagonist and created a world that is relatable, and created windows to a pop-art world without a koopa troopa to mar the view.
His work ranges from the more subversive, as with the NES pieces to the more benign, but always with an eye to how technology is changing our culture, but not humans, or at least not all of us. In his "Photoshop CS" painting series, he both challenges what art is, and asks the question, "Is technology still technology if no one is using it?" The series, in essence, is a number of large prints that show a variety of standard color gradations, a basic function of the software. The rudimentary use of the tool is in no way a reflection of the programming power under the hood of Photoshop, nor what can be; but that's the point. With so much around us, the majority of the population remains woefully ignorant (by choice) of how to harness powers of the tools given to us. It's a digital Pollock — a piece that everyone will look at and say they can do, and its simplicity is its complexity, a parable of playing solitaire on your computer. There are other variations he has done on this idea; A YouTube collage of a 16-minute video arrangement of Schoenberg's op. 11-1 composed by editing together single notes of cats playing on pianos and sequencing them frame by frame. The re-appropriating of the simplified ubiquity of technology we surround ourselves with being utilized in a more sincere manner gives it more gravity… even if it is tongue-in-cheek. Traversing the tips of these icebergs gives us a safety net we can hold on to while the monolith of the internet and technology looms below us
This May, Arcangel has a show at the Whitney Museum in New York, opening with the centerpiece: a large installation of projections simultaneously playing, on a number of screens, all the bowling video games made for different gaming platforms, creating not only a lineage of gaming history, but also a visual evolutionary ladder of technology. In our lifetime, the inertia of tech has been so strong and swift we are hardly able to keep up, unless we are confronted with how it has been able to make our lives easier by giving us a more profound way to knock down bowling pins from the comfort of our own homes. So straddle a Playstation 3, and enjoy the ride as we blog about Skynet becoming aware and declaring war on us.
tweet me:@matthewebone
Images: Cory Arcangel


text:
Also on: Xbox360, Wii, PS3
With physics you can feel, Madden NFL 13 delivers revolutionary gameplay in the '013 edition of EA Sports' football franchise. Powered by the all-new Infinity Engine, true player impact and authentic momentum transfer ensure that no two plays ever look or feel the same. Madden NFL 13 revolutionizes the way sports video game career modes are played with Connected Careers—a completely new and fully connected universe defined by deep gameplay, unique storylines and social integration. The game continues to evolve the sport sim experience with cutting-edge Infinity Engine technology, revolutionary Connected Careers and a complete audio and visual overhaul that delivers best in class presentation.
- Presentation – NFL broadcasts are some of the most impressive in the world of sports, and that attention to detail is apparent in Madden NFL 13. From the moment players start the game and see the completely redesigned opening, to the 3-D booth showcasing new commentators Jim Nantz and Phil Simms, Madden NFL 13 provides the most dynamic, authentic presentation yet. On the field, HDR and multi-vector lighting tracks the position of the sun after every play, and motion blur gives a true sense of speed. Also, don't forget those brand new Nike uniforms and gear, which debut in their full digital glory in Madden NFL 13.
- Gameplay– An enhanced passing system opens up the game like never before with changes to the way quarterbacks, receivers and defenders react to the ball. On top of all that the new Infinity Engine completely redefines how players interact in Madden NFL 13.
- Audio – The sounds of the NFL are just as iconic as the sights, and both work together to enhance the presentation of Madden NFL 13. To that end, Jim Nantz and Phil Simms provide constant banter, and have provided over 9,000 lines of new dialog to further enrich the experience. Furthermore, new sound effects, authentic quarterback cadences from players like Aaron Rodgers, Cam Newton, Tom Brady and Ben Roethlisberger, and a sweeping new Madden NFL theme all create a game that sounds just as good as it looks.
- Infinity Engine – The brand- new Infinity Engine brings physics-driven animation to the Madden NFL franchise, ensuring that no two plays every look or feel the same. Play outcomes are now unpredictable with factors such as mass, velocity and momentum considered into every play. Just because the tackle has started doesn't mean the action is over, and players can fight for every yard and scrap for every tackle.
- Connected Careers – Create your own legacy or relive that of a legend in the all-new Connected Careers. Lead a created player, a current NFL superstar or an all-time great to on-field glory, or prove your personnel and team management skills as a coach. Then again, why not do both? Connected Careers lets you play your way, all while keeping users engaged in a connected, online experience. Whether it's on a console, mobile device, or the web, prepare to live and breathe the NFL 24/7 as the seasons unfold and real NFL insiders analyze, praise and critique every move you make through the virtual Twitter feed.


text:
By Jeff Franks
HAVANA (Reuters) - Colombia and the Marxist FARC rebels will sit down in Havana on Monday for their first peace talks in 10 years in the latest attempt to end Latin America's longest-running insurgency.
The conflict has dragged on for nearly half a century, taken tens of thousands of lives, displaced millions of people and proven intractable in three previous peace processes.
But both the Colombian government and the FARC, or Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, have expressed optimism that this time might be different.
Government and FARC negotiators will meet in Havana's main convention center in a part of town called Cubanacan, which is lined with palatial homes that once belonged to the elite, virtually all of whom fled Cuba after the 1959 revolution. It is now home mostly to foreign diplomats.
Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos wants an agreement within nine months, but the two sides face plenty of thorny issues in their five-point agenda. It will begin with rural development, then move on to include such topics as the political and legal future of the rebels, a definitive end to the conflict, the problem of drug trafficking and compensation for war victims.
"We hope, as also hope the majority of Colombians, that the FARC shows that they think this is the moment for the force of ideas and not the force of bullets," lead government negotiator Humberto de la Calle said as he left Bogota for Havana on Sunday.
The conflict dates back to 1964 when the FARC was formed as a communist agrarian movement intent on overturning Colombia's long history of social inequality.
The group has been weakened by a U.S.-backed military offensive begun in 2002 that reduced its numbers to about 8,000 and forced them into remote mountain and jungle strongholds.
But the rebels still have the strength to launch attacks that Santos wants ended so the country can grow its economy, which has been boosted in recent years by oil and mining operations, much of it in areas where the FARC has a strong presence.
The FARC has sustained itself by cocaine trafficking, kidnapping, ransom and "war taxes" in territory it controls.
Its leaders deny involvement in the drug trade and renounced kidnappings earlier this year, but the United States and European Union consider the group a terrorist organization.
Ivan Marquez, a member of the FARC's secretariat, will lead a delegation of about 30 people at the talks, which were formally begun last month in Norway.
Norway is a guarantor of the process, along with Cuba.
Officials want the talks held in the strictest possible secrecy, which is likely the reason they are in Cuba, where the government is expert at keeping information close to the vest and the press at bay.
Venezuela and Chile also will have representatives at the talks.
(Additional reporting by Luis Jaime Acosta in Bogota.; Editing by Christopher Wilson)