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In 1985 the father of sabermetrics and current Red Sox advisor, Bill James, introduced a new concept in his annual Baseball Abstract book. What James invented was a new way to measure and evaluate minor league players' performances. He came up with the idea of Major League Equivalencies (MLEs) in which he adjusts for a number of external factors such as run environment, park factors, and level of competition. For example, James found that on average a player loses about 18 percent of his offensive production when moving from Triple-A to the Major Leagues. These translations are not predictions of what the player will do in the Major Leagues but rather an indicator of what he has done and how the player performed. Bill James believed this to be some of his most important and influential research breakthroughs.[1] Having reliable translations of minor league performance may change how front office decision makers decide whom to acquire or promote. Since James first wrote about MLEs many others have worked to duplicate and improve his work. There are now translations for Japanese leagues and all levels of the minor leagues. There are also some translations for pitchers, but these results are prone to much greater error than hitting stats.
The objective of this research was to take Major League Equivalencies to the next level. Specifically, to introduce NCAA Division 1 college statistics and determine minor league translations to figure which statistics correlate and translate best into the professional ranks. There is simply too much noise and variation for one to translate college stats all the way to the major league level. However, once the numbers are translated into the minor league levels it is conceivable that these numbers could then be adjusted using MLEs. I set out to translate college stats into Rookie level equivalencies and Low-A level equivalencies because these are the two levels most college draft picks end up playing their first year.
The particular statistics I was interested in observing were walk rate (BB%), strikeout rate (K%), isolated power (ISO) and weighted on-base average (wOBA). A player's walk rate is simply his total number of walks divided by his plate appearances. The strikeout rate is the total amount of strikeouts divided by at-bats. Isolated power is measured by a player's slugging percentage subtracted by his batting average. It is a simple yet effective way to capture a player's true power. Weighted on-base average is a linear weights statistic designed to measure total offensive performance[2]. It is weighted to an on-base percentage scale, which means at the professional levels .330 is around the average. I used the formula (slugging percentage plus 1.75 times on-base percentage) divided by three to estimate wOBA.
The website www.boydsworld.com has an in-depth database of college baseball statistics which I used to obtain the college numbers. The first step was to apply park and strength of schedule factors for all players. To do this, I used a methodology used by writer and researcher Kent Bonham in a series of online articles he wrote. To apply the park factor I multiplied the three-year weighted Park Factor for each team by the square root of 100 divided by the PF. Then to apply the strength of schedule rating I multiplied the SOS-number for every team by the square root of the SOS divided by 100. Basically a Park Factor over 100 implies the team played in favorable hitting environments while a PF under 100 suggests the opposite. Likewise, a strength of schedule rating over 100 indicates the team faced an above-average level of difficulty and under 100 means a weaker schedule was played. These neutralizing
I then took all college position players drafted in the first 30 rounds of the 2009, 2008, and 2007 drafts who acquired at least 50 plate appearances in Rookie level or Low-A and college the same year they were drafted. I decided to use only same-year statistics because this would eliminate noise and other variables such as player improvement in skill, strength, or age. The next step was to equalize the plate appearances since players rarely accumulate the exact same amount of plate appearances in college and the minor leagues the same year they were drafted. To do this one must create a "plate appearance factor" to multiply for each player. I divided each player's plate appearances in college and the minors for that season, using the factor to weight all statistics according to the lesser amount of plate appearances. So if a player had 125 plate appearances in college but only 100 in the minors that same here I would weight all of this college stats by .8 (100 divided by 125) so that all things were held equal. This ensured that the total plate appearances would be the same for sample groups.
My rookie-level sample consisted of 222 players and the Low-A sample had 324 samples. With sample sizes this large I felt good enough to move forward with the research. I had originally intended to use five years of draft data but I noticed that with three years the numbers had already begun to flatten out and I did not think any more data would be necessary.
To create these factors I first had to sum up all statistics. These statistics included plate appearances, at bats, hits, singles, doubles, triples, home runs, total bases, slugging percentage, walks, hit by pitch, strikeouts, ground into double plays, on-base percentage, sacrifice flies, sacrifice hits, stolen bases, stolen base success rate, batting average on balls in play, isolated power, walk percentage, strikeout percentage, walk to strikeout rate, and weighted on-base average. This was done with four different data sets; rookie level stats, NCAA-rookie stats, Low-A stats, and NCAA Low-A stats. The totals were added up for each respective draft class and then the minor league numbers were divided by the collegiate numbers to create our factors for both the Rookie level and Low-Single A level (please see attached spreadsheets for specific results).
The factors are for a typical player and are not representative of each individual's skill. Naturally some players will over perform and underperform the factors but they are designed as a guideline for the average division-1 collegiate player's transition into the minor leagues. These factors intuitively make sense, Rookie level players lose less of their offensive value going from NCAA Division-1 than Low-Single A players because the competition increases at each level of the minor leagues and Rookie leagues are the lowest rung of the minors. According to my factors, Rookie level players lose roughly 16 percent of their offensive value (wOBA factor of .842) while Low-A players productions are reduced by roughly 27 percent (wOBA factor of .727). Walk rates remain fairly consistent at each level with a Rookie factor of .879 and a Low-A factor of .866. Strikeouts rates are increased at both levels by factors of 1.313 and 1.378 respectively. One interesting observation was the dramatic decrease of power experienced as a player transitions from college to the minor leagues. A typical player will lose roughly 33 percent of his isolated power jumping to the rookie leagues and about 45 percent going from the NCAA to Low-A.
In order to test my results I ran a regression of some of my predicted statistics against the actual minor league numbers. I decided to run regressions for the key statistics I mentioned on page two at the Low-A level. To do this I multiplied each of the sample's college statistics by the respective factor. This gave me my x-variable, the predicted results. I than ran excel regressions against their actual minor league statistics for that season (please see attached for excel regressions). The results were encouraging. For strikeouts rates I got an equation actual K%= 15.248 + .389(predicted K%). The t-statistic was significant (8.00) and the p-value was below .05 so the result is statistically significant. The regression equation for walk rates was actual BB%= 5.22 + .489(predicted). The T-stat was over seven and the p-value was below .05 indicating the result was significant. For ISO the equation was actual= .057+ .516(predicted) and again the values were highly significant. The equation for wOBA was .212 + .200(predicted) and the results were significant (t-stat of 2.6 and p-value of .009). I have also included charts of the actual versus predicted statistics.
There are some causes for concern in this study. First off, there is selection bias in separating the samples into Rookie and Low-A pools. It is often the case that better players are drafted and placed in higher levels (usually Low-A, but sometimes Single-A) while weaker picks might go straight to the rookie leagues. The numbers seem to support this argument as rookie players posted an average of a .420 weighted on-base average in college while Low-A players averaged 35 points higher for a cumulative average of .455. This would indicate a gap in talent level between the two groups and may skew the numbers accordingly. Also, by using 30 rounds of draft picks we see wildly dramatic results in the minor league levels. Typically, higher draft picks will outperform others especially at the lower levels of the minor league system because they are more advanced and more talented than their counterparts. Using 30 rounds as a baseline may be too wide a gap and a further study may reduce that number. There also could be a problem with using 50 plate appearances as a baseline. Baseball statistics accumulated in only 50 plate appearances are not incredibly reliable and subject to extremely large confidence intervals because the sample is rather small. In the future it may be beneficial to increase the minimum amount. Also, some of the NCAA data was missing some entries. Not every school tallies sacrifice hits and sac flies or stolen base attempts which may alter the numbers somewhat.
Something that could be interesting for a future study is to include collegiate pitchers. Pitching is, by nature, subject to more variability to due injuries and other uncertainties and this may be difficult for a researcher to overcome but I think I've laid out a baseline for which one to follow. Similar methods could be applied to pitchers to create factors as well.


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Optical-proxies of Particulate Iron Formation Kinetics in Hydrothermal Plumes: A Proof-of-concept Study for Future In-situ Measurements
Margaret Estapa, Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry
John Breier, Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry
*Funded through the Ocean Ridge Initiative and the DOEI
Iron fluxes to the ocean through hydrothermal vents may be similar in size to river inputs. The biogeochemical fate of this hydrothermal iron depends, in part, on how far currents transport it before particulate forms precipitate and grow to sizes where they settle out of the water column. Particle formation and evolution under rapidly changing conditions near plumes occur rapidly such that high spatiotemporal-resolution observations are required to determine the reaction timescales. Currently available discrete sampling technologies cannot achieve this resolution, although the samples returned can be analyzed in great detail to determine mineral particle composition. However, the light-absorption and -scattering properties of these particles can be measured rapidly and directly at depth using commercially available sensors. Such optical properties are used routinely as proxy measurements for particle concentration and composition in surface ocean environments. Here, we propose a series of shipboard laboratory experiments that will (I) measure the kinetics of hydrothermal particle formation and (II) test the utility of these sensors in plume environments. At a vent site characterized by high iron concentration, we will collect and return filtered plume water to the shipboard lab. Spectral beam attenuation, absorption and angular scattering, as well as particle composition and mineral phase, will be monitored simultaneously as the plume water oxidizes and particles form. Optical and compositional properties from the experimental timeseries will be analyzed to quantify characteristic optical properties of different forms of particulate iron. This study will provide new insight into hydrothermal plume chemistry and demonstrate the feasibility of rapid, in situ proxy measurements of particles as they form in vent plumes. Final results from this lab study will also include estimates of in situ detection limits, which can guide future field deployments, as well as modification of sensors for future hydrothermal plume applications, if necessary.

subset: commoncrawl


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The technology we have available at our fingertips provides instant access to information to improve our knowledge, increase our likelihood of making the right purchase and even spread the good news when a company meets our expectations. This technology also makes it easy to interact with the contact center via live conversations or self-service options. How the company responds to those interactions can make or break the value of the brand in the mind of the consumer.
This is where workforce management solutions lend the most value. The contact center needs the ability to accurately anticipate the volume of interactions in a given period of time, schedule according to the anticipated calls and available agent skill sets and make changes when actual activity doesn't match predicted levels. There's simply too much to balance to try and do it manually and contact center managers need to be able to make the customer experience the key focus.
The challenge, of course, is ensuring the optimal customer experience when customers are on the move 24x7. They expect to receive a higher level of quality care regardless of the selected time or interaction channel. It doesn't matter if they call in the middle of the day, text in the afternoon or access the IVR in the middle of the night – the experience must be consistent across each of these channels. Without workforce management solutions in place to anticipate these interactions, customer service efforts may fall short.
It is in the anticipation of these unexpected contacts that prove to be the most challenging. Consumers are mobile and they take the same devices they use to interact with the contact center with them at all times. To increase the challenge, they also use these devices to share information via social media channels. If the service they receive from the contact center is less than stellar and the interaction ends without satisfaction, the customer can let tens of thousands of friends and followers know right away with a simple Facebook post or tweet on Twitter.
This fear of instant bad publicity is enough to have the contact center manager on edge, watching every move made within the center at any given time, constantly making adjustments and handling interaction himself/herself when the workload gets to be too much. Such an approach may seem the right way to go to ensure all volume is handled, but it can actually cause more problems by introducing chaos into the mix.
To help stave off the chaos and instead manage a fully-functional contact center that operates with efficiency to meet customer expectations, Teleopti will discuss this topic in more depth during: Workforce Management for a World in Motion on Tues., Mar. 5 at 1PM EST.


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i'll go ahead and start....
For once, it didn't all begin in a tavern. The tavern was second. First was the blood-curdling scream that sent Path running towards the docks. But he soon checked his headlong pace as the obvious source of the scream came running up the cobblestone road and right past him without even seeing him. A pretty young thing, for a human. She was in obvious distress and shock, blinded by it, in fact.
Not one to be torn by indecision, the obvious answer was that he needed to both investigate where she came from, and to speak with her. So, calmly he strings his bow, nocks an arrow, centers his mind, and all while ignoring how far she was getting from him. Then he shoots her through the leg, dropping her to the ground.
Now, he moves as swiftly as he can, and runs down to the docks. His excellent night vision reveals that something came from the water, and also returned to it. There is no other clues, and he is not about to enter the water when something that may have a clear advantage in said water may still be lurking.
Swiftly returning to the young lady, he finds that she has fainted. Taking advantage of this, he forces a healing potion into her mouth, massaging her throat to make it go down. His arrow had already long vanished. Then he carries her to the first inn he finds, a somewhat well-to-do place in the bordering merchants quarter.
A silent gesture and some money soon secure service for her, and gives him time to write a short note. Finding that the inn-keep is literate, he writes another short note of explanation, and orders for them both. This unusual manner of conduct attracts the attention of a few others, some who offer to help, all to listen... or as soon transpires, read. The others understand Path's gestures and written notes to mean that he is mute.
Some of the others have run into similar situations, there is an unusual rise of uncanny things taking place. Unusual signs have been seen, and things that should rightly be dead, are not staying where they were laid.
Someone suggests that something more than simple chance has brought us together, and that since we are ones who have collectively noticed the problem, then we should investigate further.
Our inquiries over the next few days bring us to the attention of the town administration, who commissions us to seek out the source of these evil happenings. With reward upon return, little-to-no payment upfront, the usual blatherings that the short-lived races seem to find so needful.
We decide to pool our resources and consult a learned divinist. This proves more costly than expected, but Path was able to pay 1/3 of the price with a single coin, of ancient origin, and of great value to a seeker in the past. Our payments prove their worth, and so does the diviner, as something was blocking his efforts, but despite that, he managed to come up with a few leads.
Path had urgent business that needed taking care of, and while he was away, the rest of the group searched out the leads, and met with some success. A previous group of well-doers had sought out the same thing that now disturbs the general peace, and won a partial success against it... if the death of all but two, maybe three, can be counted a success. Armed with new information and a new companion, the group continued to seek the source.
Path returned from his affairs with a treant companion and acquaintance. Together the group found the source of the disturbance... a place know only as the Tomb of Horrors. To our dismay, an academy devoted to the unearthing the secrets of the necromantic arts had been built upon the site, and they were most determined to keep us away.
After much tribulation, and several deaths, fortuitously revived before too much time had passed, the academy was defeated. Several abominations were discovered that were too dangerous to deal with directly, they were entombed by Pook, who also took it upon himself to more or less level the structures surrounding. The building material went towards entombing the evils, and apparently the start of a garden.
This, of course, we did not find out until after we returned from the depths of the tomb. Many traps, of a devious and decidedly macabre and evil nature, were overcome, but some took the lives of yet more of our companions. This time, we had not the resources we needed to revive them, for the one who could do such, was one of the first victims.
These deaths resulted in the most unexpected joining to our group of a new companion, one that had unbeknownst accompanied Path from when he was very young. Within his dagger, slumbered away the spirit of a woman, apparently a human woman, one of rare and unusual powers. Her centuries-long sleep was disturbed by the psychic shock of the sudden deaths of our companions, and the survivors' subsequent mourning. Her abilities proved most effective and useful in the deadly environment we found ourselves. We struggled on through more traps, twists, and dead ends.
At last, we fought with the demi-lich... only it was not. This entire tomb, was nothing but a sham, in a way. A monstrous test to amuse the twisted and evil mind of the true source behind all this destruction. We lost yet another companion in that final battle, only to unexpectedly recover hope, when the gem containing his soul was found intact. And a body to receive it as well... unexpected and ironic that we will be able to turn at least one of the evil plans of the academy towards good instead.
A rare treasure indeed, to take from any tomb; the treasure of hope.


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Sun quietly sets mobile middleware bait
Who's biting?
Yes, Apple has a lot to answer for. Having hooked the iPhone into Microsoft's Exchange email server, so business types can now read corporate emails horizontally, more tried-and-tested enterprise vendors are revisiting the concept of mobile business computing.
Sybase last week began pushing the latest version of SQL Anywhere. IBM has done what it does best: announce a consulting practice - Mobility@Work - along with more new software, this time for mobile hook ups. IBM is also giving Sprint users even more reason to abandon that company's network as Sprint and AT&T certified IBM's Lotus Notes Traveler software for wireless replication of Notes on selected smartphones.
There's a definite whiff of desperation in the air. It's no surprise, then, that Sun Microsystems - a vendor with more claim than most to being a provider of systems for telcos - has also jumped on the mobile enterprise computing bandwagon.
Sun has quietly released version 1.0 of its Mobile Enterprise Platform (MEP) that it slipped into beta at JavaOne in May.
Sun can claim at least one advantage over the competition: the components of MEP are downloadable free - although there are the usual associated costs for support plans.
Based on a stack of tried-and-tested Sun Java technologies including the GlassFish enterprise application server, MySQL and Java Mobile Edition (Java ME), the MEP aims to link mobile devices such as RIM's Blackberry and Palm's Treo to enterprise products such as SAP and Siebel.
Sun presumably hopes to ride what is predicted to be the next wave of enterprise computing where access moves away from PCs towards smart mobile devices. It has singled out telecommunications carriers who want to offer enterprise application services as potential adopters of MEP. The company said "field service, logistics and sales force automation" are the main markets for MEP-based applications and it has included high-level security protection based on SSL and Triple DES encryption to reassure enterprise users that their data will be secure.
On paper, MEP has something to offer: a framework for building mobile applications synchronized with enterprise databases. The framework sits between a Java-based client front end, deployed to a mobile device, and a traditional server application.
It takes care of the communication between the mobile device and the application using openly available technologies such as data synchronization from the Open Mobile Alliance (OMA), and CLDC and MIDP from the Java Community Process (JCP).
Developers can use the Java ME client SDK to build applications for the MEP. It enables bi-directional data synchronization via an API called the Mobile Client Business Object API (MCBO).
While it is not difficult to see why Sun has decided to join in the mobile enterprise market at this time - it's hip and cool thanks to Apple's iPhone - it is hard to see quite who will pick up on MEP when there are already established candidates serving strong, existing user bases - or "seats".
In addition to Sybase, which claims ten million SQL Anywhere seats, and IBM's more than 120 million Lotus Notes seats, there's Microsoft's Mobile Client Software Factory to build business applications on Windows Mobile that talk to back-end systems over a network, and - yes - the internet's number-one search company Google is getting in on the act with its OneBox to trawl enterprise information via your Google search appliance.
As ever, Sun is putting its middleware out there in the hopes downloading it will be the first phase in a cycle that leads to development, use and support. Sun's got the credentials among telcos with Solaris and its identity and directory server software. The challenge lies in convincing people they need MEP to hook up enterprise applications rather than using middleware from those ISVs who provide applications or are already connecting them.®


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Free agency and poor performances during the evaluation process are starting to have a big impact.
I got quite the response last week when I dropped Teddy Bridgewater and Johnny Manziel towards the back-end of the first round. I wasn't alone. Bridgewater especially took a dive in most mocks after his poor performance at his Pro Day. Truth be told, I don't expect these guys to fall very far come May 8th, but if they get past a few teams, trust me, the cliff is there.
For the Chargers, free agency hasn't affected my plans for them so far. It comes down to cornerback or pass rusher at No. 25.
View the Video Draft Insider - QB Chaos
Here is my updated 2014 NFL Mock Draft through four rounds, now with compensatory picks:
1) Houston (2-14) — Jadeveon Clowney, DE, South Carolina, Jr.
Some people question Clowney's effort. My gut tells me he played it safe last season to protect his future. He's just too talented to pass up. Plus, the Texans believe they can land a QB in the second or third round. So why not select the best player in this draft with the top pick? Top needs: QB, OT, S.
2) St. Louis (7-9) from Washington (3-13) — Jake Matthews, OT, Texas A&M, Sr.
The Rams could stay here, or trade down a few spots, regardless, the pick will be Matthews. Top needs: OL, SS, WR.
3) Jacksonville (4-12) — Khalil Mack, OLB, Buffalo, Sr.
It's either a QB or a pass rusher here. Mack's performance at the combine and his pro day was phenomenal. The U-T's Matt Calkins wrote a great piece on him here. Top needs: QB, DE, OL.
4) Cleveland (4-12) — Greg Robinson, OT, Auburn, So.
Joe Thomas at left tackle, Robinson on the right side and Alex Mack at center (assuming he stays) — the Browns instantly have a Top 5 offensive line. Top needs: QB, OG, RB.
5) Oakland (4-12) — Sammy Watkins, WR, Clemson, Jr.
The acquisition of Matt Schaub provides the perfect stopgap until the Raiders find a QB of the future. They certainly can't afford to miss on a QB with this pick so they go with one of this draft's sure things. Since 2007, only two wide receivers have been drafted in the Top 5: Calvin Johnson and A.J. Green. Watkins is that good. Top needs: QB, OT, WR.
What do you think?
Who do you think the Bolts need to pick up in the draft? What holes in the lineup do you want to see filled? Share your opinions in the comments below.
6) Atlanta (4-12) — Anthony Barr, OLB, UCLA, Sr.
It wouldn't surprise me if the Falcons traded up for a top tackle or even Clowney if he doesn't go No. 1 overall. With all three off the board, Barr is the choice. He followed up his breakout junior season with 20 tackles-for-loss — the fifth-highest total in the nation — 10 sacks, five forced fumbles and four fumbles recovered. Top needs: DL, OT, TE.
7) Tampa Bay (4-12) — Taylor Lewan, OT, Michigan, Sr.
Thanks to being bold in free agency, the Bucs can afford to address their woeful offensive line. Lewan solidified himself as the third best tackle prospect with a spectacular effort in Indy. He is a big, nasty blocker who can overpower defenders in the run game. Top needs: DE, LB, OL.
8) Minnesota (5-10-1) — Blake Bortles, QB, Central Florida, So.
New offensive coordinator Norv Turner has the credentials to develop someone like Bortles. Obviously, a high upside pick, but his skills are still maturing. Top needs: QB, DL, OLB.
9) Buffalo (6-10) — Eric Ebron, TE, North Carolina, Jr.
Ebron is too athletic and fast for linebackers and too big and strong for safeties. E.J. Manuel's development would receive a major boost with this selection. Top needs: OL, TE, OLB.
10) Detroit (7-9) — Justin Gilbert, CB, Oklahoma St., Sr.
Gilbert's a spectacular athlete with terrific hand-eye coordination and return skills, making him a threat on defense and as a kick returner. His 4.37 seconds in the 40-yard dash was the fastest among defensive backs at the combine. That element provides a little space between him and Darqueze Dennard for top overall cornerback in this draft. Top needs: WR, CB, FS.
11) Tennessee (7-9) — Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Louisville, Jr.
While I'm a believer in Jake Locker's potential, I'm not too sure new Titans coach Ken Whisenhunt is. Tennessee could be a wild-card to select a QB in the first round, especially if one of the Top 3 falls to them. Top needs: OT, S, CB, DE.
12) N.Y. Giants (7-9) — Aaron Donald, DT, Pittsburgh, Sr.
Giants co-owner John Mara said addressing the offensive line was the Giants No. 1 priority this off-season, and they've done it. Pass rush had to be No. 1A. Donald reminds me of Warren Sapp, albeit, a slightly smaller version. Top needs: OT, LB, CB.
13) St. Louis (7-9) — Mike Evans, WR, Texas A&M, So.
With this pick, the Rams go all-in on Sam Bradford. Evans is 6-foot-5 and weighs 225 pounds, so he can win any jump ball situation and pull in bad throws. His type of physicality/aggressiveness will fit perfectly in the NFC West. Top needs: OL, SS, WR.
14) Chicago (8-8) — HaHa Clinton-Dix, S, Alabama, Jr.
The Bears' defense was toothless last season, and will require a complete overhaul this offseason. They need two safties, and Clinton-Dix could provide an eraser in the deep middle to patch up holes quickly. Top needs: DL, S, CB.
15) Pittsburgh (8-8) — Darqueze Dennard, CB, Michigan St., Sr.
The Steelers have one of the oldest defenses in the league, so an infusion of talented youth is needed. Dennard is a tough, experienced playmaker with above-average size and great instincts. He plays smart, and is coming off a phenomenal season for the Spartans. Top needs: DT, S, OT.
16) Dallas (8-8) — Timmy Jernigan, DT, Florida St., Jr.
The Cowboys defense is horrific, so any defensive player is an upgrade here. The defensive line was especially porous, however, and Jernigan would fit Dallas' system perfectly. Top needs: DL, S, LB.
17) Baltimore (8-8) — C.J. Mosley, ILB, Alabama, Sr.
Ozzie Newsome always takes the best available player. Mosley's athleticism and instincts are off the charts, and he could have easily been a first round draft pick last season. He's capable of providing the presence on defense the Ravens' lacked last season after Ray Lewis retired. Top needs: OT, WR, ILB.
18) N.Y. Jets (8-8) — Zack Martin, OG/OT, Notre Dame, Sr.
The Jets addressed receiver with the Eric Decker signing, plus it's an extremely deep position in this draft. Martin, who lined up at left tackle for the Irish, projects best at guard where his quick feet and explosive hands will serve him well. Top needs: WR, OL, OLB.
19) Miami (8-8) — Xavier Su'a-Filo, OG, UCLA, Jr.
Free Agent tackle Branden Albert isn't a cure-all for the Dolphins offensive line issues. Albert is just the beginning. Su'a-Filo played both tackle and guard for the Bruins. The Dolphins will value his versatility. Top needs: OT, DT, TE.
20) Arizona (10-6) — Kony Ealy, DE, Missouri, Jr.
The Cardinals likely crossed off offensive line as a position to target early with the signing of tackle Jared Veldheer. The super-athletic Ealy compares favorably to Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul. He showed at Missouri he can blitz from the edge and the middle. But he's also athletic enough to shift out to linebacker. Top needs: OT, OLB, S.
21) Green Bay (8-7-1) — Calvin Pryor, S, Louisville, Jr.
Pryor is a hitting machine. He's able to play free or strong safety, and is equally adept at playing the run or dropping into coverage. Top needs: S, DT, TE.
22) Philadelphia (10-6) — Bradley Roby, CB, Ohio St., Jr.
The Eagles secondary must improve. Roby's performance during the evaluation process has almost made up for his subpar final season with the Buckeyes. Top needs: S, CB, OLB.
23) Kansas City (11-5) — Marqise Lee, WR, USC, Jr.
Had Lee not dealt with injuries last season, he'd be in the Top 15 discussion. Top needs: WR, DE, S.
24) Cincinnati (11-5) — Kyle Fuller, CB, Virginia Tech, Sr.
Leon Hall's knee injury makes this pick a necessity. Fuller has great size and performed well in Indianapolis. Top needs: CB, S, OLB.
25) Chargers (9-7) — Louis Nix, DT, Notre Dame, Jr.
If Gilbert and Dennard are off the board, I'd focus on the pass rush. A monster in the middle like Nix could have positive ripple effects for the entire defense (See: Lotulelei, Star). Top needs: CB, OLB, OL, DT.
26) Cleveland (4-12) from Indianapolis (11-5) — Johnny Manziel, QB, Texas A&M, So.
If any of the Top 3 quarterbacks fall past Tennessee at No. 11, this is where they are falling to, and I'd imagine the Browns would look to manufacture this into more picks if they aren't a fan of whichever one falls. Top needs: QB, OG, RB.
27) New Orleans (11-5) — Dee Ford, OLB/DE, Auburn, Sr.
Rob Ryan needs more toys. Ford followed up a tremendous late-season surge at Auburn — and a solid peformance in the national title game — with an outstanding week of practice and a monster game in the Senior Bowl. He also claims to be a better pass rusher than Clowney, saying he plays like a "blind dog in a meat market." You have to appreciate his confidence. Top needs: OLB, OT, CB.
28) Carolina (12-4) — Odell Beckham Jr., WR, LSU, Jr.
Grabbing Cam Newton an explosive pass catcher with this pick certainly wouldn't hurt his development. Outside of Watkins, Beckham was the most impressive receiver in Indy. He'll help in the return game as well since Ted Ginn signed with Arizona. Top needs: WR, CB, OT.
29) New England (12-4) — Ra'Shede Hageman, DT, Minnesota, Sr.
The Patriots need to get younger and more explosive in their defensive line, regardless if they release Vince Wilfork or not. Top needs: DT, TE, CB.
30) San Francisco (12-4) — Brandin Cooks, WR, Oregon St., Jr.
Cooks is an extraordinary athlete with the agility and home-run speed to help immediately on offense and special teams. Top needs: WR, CB, C.
31) Denver (13-3) — David Yankey, OG, Stanford, Jr.
The Broncos essentially won free agency, so they can focus on something vital to the team's success: protecting Peyton Manning. Top needs: OT, CB, DL.
32) Seattle (13-3) — Jace Amaro, TE, Texas Tech, Jr.
How much better could Russell Wilson be if he had an actual weapon at the tight end position? Amaro was able to pull in 106 passes for Texas Tech last season and has the ability to go up and make difficult catches. Top needs: WR, OL, DE.
33) Houston — Jimmie Ward, S, Northern Illinois, Sr.
34) Washington — Jason Verrett, CB, TCU, Sr.
The Redskins need help all over their defense. While Verrett is a bit undersized, he changes directions and breaks on the ball with ease. His ball skills are towards the top of this corner class. Top needs: DB, ILB, OL.
35) Cleveland — Kelvin Benjamin, WR, Florida St., So.
36) Oakland — Derek Carr, QB, Fresno St., Sr.
37) Atlanta — Austin Seferian-Jenkins, TE, Washington, Jr.
38) Tampa Bay — Allen Robinson, WR, Penn St., Jr.
39) Jacksonville — Cyrus Kouandjio, OT, Alabama, Jr.
40) Minnesota — Ryan Shazier, OLB, Ohio St., Jr.
41) Buffalo — Kyle Van Noy, OLB, BYU, Sr.
42) Tennessee — Carlos Hyde, RB, Ohio St., Sr.
43) N.Y. Giants — Troy Niklas, TE, Notre Dame, Jr.
44) St. Louis — Terrence Brooks, S, Florida St., Sr.
45) Detroit — Davante Adams, WR, Fresno St., So.
46) Pittsburgh — Stephon Tuitt, DE, Notre Dame, Jr.
47) Dallas — Carl Bradford, OLB, Arizona St., Jr.
48) Baltimore — Marcus Martin, C, USC, Jr.
49) N.Y. Jets — Marcus Roberson, CB, Florida, Jr.
50) Miami — Tre Mason, RB, Auburn, Jr.
51) Chicago — Dominique Easley, DT, Florida, Sr.
52) Arizona — Jaylen Watkins, CB, Florida, Sr.
53) Green Bay — Trent Murphy, DE, Stanford, Sr.
54) Philadelphia — Jeremiah Attaochu, OLB, Georgia Tech, Sr.
55) Cincinnati — Scott Crichton, OLB/DE, Oregon St., Jr.
56) San Francisco from Kansas City — Lamarcus Joyner, CB, Florida St., Sr.
57) San Diego — Pierre Desir, CB, Lindenwood, Sr.
It says a lot that Desir was able to garner an invite to the Senior Bowl playing at a small school like Lindenwood. Obviously, his 6-foot-1 frame is an advantage in an era where big corners are a hot commodity. He has showcased good speed as well, but the most impressive thing about the kid: he didn't even have a scholarship. He had to work to take care of his family, and put himself through school. Despite how difficult that can be, he's still about to realize his dream of playing in the NFL.
58) New Orleans — Antonio Richardson, OT, Tennessee, Jr.
59) Indianapolis — Bashaud Breeland, CB, Clemson, Jr.
The Colts were able to keep Vonte Davis, but they still have a big need at corner. Breeland is fast, physical and his long arms make him perfect for some press schemes. Top needs: S, OG, CB, ILB.
60) Carolina — Jack Mewhort, OT, Ohio St., Sr.
61) San Francisco — Weston Richburg, C, Colorado St., Sr.
62) New England — Chris Borland, ILB, Wisconsin, Sr.
63) Denver — Billy Turner, OT, North Dakota St., Sr.
64) Seattle — Gabe Jackson, OG, Mississippi St., Sr.
65) Houston — Jimmy Garoppolo, QB, Eastern Illinois, Sr.
66) Washington — Trevor Reilly, OLB, Utah, Sr.
67) Oakland — Brandon Thomas, OG, Clemson, Sr.
68) Atlanta — Deone Bucannon, S, Washington St., Sr.
69) N.Y. Jets from Tampa Bay — Bishop Sankey, RB, Washington, Jr.
70) Jacksonville — A.J. McCarron, QB, Alabama, Sr.
71) Cleveland — Ka'Deem Carey, RB, Arizona, Jr.
72) Minnesota — Ed Reynolds, S, Stanford, Jr.
73) Buffalo — Jordan Matthews, WR, Vanderbilt, Sr.
74) N.Y. Giants — Yawin Smallwood, ILB, UConn, Jr.
75) St. Louis — Keith McGill, CB, Utah, Sr.
76) Detroit — Dion Bailey, S, USC, Jr.
77) San Francisco from Tennessee — Kareem Martin, DE, North Carolina, Sr.
78) Dallas — Dakota Dozier, OG, Furman, Sr.
79) Baltimore — Donte Moncrief, WR, Mississippi, Jr.
80) N.Y. Jets — Paul Richardson, WR, Colorado, Jr.
81) Miami — DaQuan Jones, DT, Penn St., Sr.
82) Chicago — Stanley Jean-Baptiste, CB, Nebraska, Sr.
83) Cleveland from Pittsburgh — Louchiez Purifoy, CB, Florida, Jr.
84) Arizona — Telvin Smith, OLB, Florida St., Sr.
85) Green Bay — Ego Ferguson, DT, LSU, Jr.
86) Philadelphia — Will Sutton, DT, Arizona St., Sr.
87) Kansas City — Marcus Smith, DE, Louisville, Sr.
88) Cincinnati — Joel Bitonio, OT, Nevada, Sr.
89) San Diego — Cyril Richardson, OG, Baylor, Sr.
The Chargers need to upgrade their interior line. Richardson played both left tackle and left guard in college. His large body — 6-foot-5, 350 pounds — helps him move bodies easily in the run game, but he also excels in pass protection.
90) Indianapolis — Shayne Skov, ILB, Stanford, Sr.
91) New Orleans — Victor Hampton, CB, South Carolina, Jr.
92) Carolina — E.J. Gaines, CB, Missouri, Sr.
93) New England — Travis Swanson, C, Arkansas, Sr.
94) San Francisco — Martavis Bryant, WR, Clemson, Jr.
95) Denver — Jackson Jeffcoat, DE, Texas, Sr.
96) Minnesota from Seattle — Jeremy Hill, RB, LSU, So.
97) Pittsburgh (compensatory) — Jarvis Landry, WR, LSU, Jr.
98) Green Bay (compensatory) — C.J. Fiedorowicz, TE, Iowa, Sr.
99) Baltimore (compensatory) — Cameron Fleming, OT, Stanford, Jr.
100) San Francisco (compensatory) — Demarcus Lawrence, DE, Boise St., Jr.
101) Houston — Kelcy Quarles, DT, South Carolina, Jr.
102) Washington — Robert Herron, WR, Wyoming, Sr.
103) Atlanta — JuWuan James, OT, Tennessee, Sr.
104) Tampa Bay — Christian Kirksey, OLB, Iowa, Sr.
105) Jacksonville — Lache Seastrunk, RB, Baylor, Jr.
106) Cleveland — Jordan Zumwalt, OLB, UCLA, Sr.
107) Oakland — Daniel McCullers, DT, Tennessee, Sr.
108) Minnesota — Anthony Johnson, DT, LSU, Jr.
109) Buffalo — Ahmad Dixon, S, Baylor, Sr.
110) St. Louis — Aaron Murray, QB, Georgia, Sr.
111) Detroit — Jordan Tripp, OLB, Montana, Sr.
112) Tennessee — Rashaad Reynolds, CB, Oregon St., Sr.
113) N.Y. Giants — Adrian Hubbard, OLB, Alabama, Jr.
114) Jacksonville from Baltimore — Chris Davis, CB, Auburn, Sr.
115) N.Y. Jets — Prince Shembo, OLB, Notre Dame, Sr.
116) Miami — Arthur Lynch, TE, Georgia, Sr.
117) Chicago — Christian Jones, ILB, Florida St., Sr.
118) Pittsburgh — Nevin Lawson, CB, Utah St., Sr.
119) Dallas — Jared Abbrederis, WR, Wisconsin, Sr.
120) Arizona — Zach Mettenberger, QB, LSU, Sr.
121) Green Bay — Bryan Stork, C, Florida St., Sr.
122) Philadelphia — Will Clarke, DE, West Virginia, Sr.
123) Cincinnati — Charles Sims, RB, West Virginia, Sr.
124) Kansas City — Craig Loston, S, LSU, Sr.
125) San Diego — Josh Huff, WR, Oregon, Sr.
Headed into next season, Keenan Allen is the only Chargers wideout who doesn't raise any questions. Huff dominated Senior Bowl week. He's very athletic, plays bigger than his listed size and catches the ball well. The North corners in Mobile had issues keeping up with him in the slot or when he took off deep on the outside.
126) New Orleans — T.J. Jones, WR, Notre Dame, Sr.
127) Cleveland from Indianapolis — Anthony Steen, OG, Alabama, Sr.
128) Carolina — James Hurst, OT, North Carolina, Sr.
129) San Francisco — Lamin Barrow, ILB, LSU, Sr.
130) New England — Morgan Breslin, OLB, USC, Sr.
131) Denver — Mike Davis, WR, Texas, Sr.
132) Seattle — Antone Exum, CB, Virginia Tech, Sr.
133) Detroit Lions (compensatory) — Tyler Larsen, C, Utah St., Sr.
134) Baltimore Ravens (compensatory) — Devonta Freeman, RB, Florida St., Jr.
135) Houston Texans (compensatory) — Crockett Gillmore, TE, Colorado St., Sr.
136) Detroit Lions (compensatory) — Jon Halapio, OG, Florida, Sr.
137) New York Jets (compensatory) — Chris Smith, DE, Arkansas, Sr.
138) Baltimore Ravens (compensatory) — Caraun Reid, DT, Princeton, Sr.
139) Atlanta Falcons (compensatory) — Andre Williams, RB, Boston College, Sr.
140) New England Patriots (compensatory) — Deion Belue, CB, Alabama, Sr.Copyright © 2018, The San Diego Union-Tribune


text:
Today marks the first day of Beta testing for the Hulu service.
We've been hard at work on a service that offers a great selection of television shows, clips, feature films and more that you can enjoy for free and on-demand. At Hulu, you'll find current hit shows like The Office, Prison Break, The Simpsons, Heroes, and many more. You'll also find a large number of classic television series, including Arrested Development, Miami Vice, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and The A-Team. We're also going into beta with an initial selection of feature films that includes Conan the Barbarian, Sideways and The Blues Brothers.
Starting today, we are sending out invitations which will allow users to access the private beta at Hulu.com. If you haven't signed up, you can do so by visiting Hulu.com. As well, this week we'll start serving Hulu's content lineup to our distribution partner websites, which include AOL, Comcast, MSN, MySpace and Yahoo.
The team here is excited to gather real user feedback. We've made it easy to leave comments and suggestions through a feedback form which can be found next to each video that is played on the site. We're committed to making the service great, which means that we'll be reading every piece of feedback and working hard to improve the service each day. You should expect to see us adding more content and more functionality throughout the private beta period and beyond.
Not everyone will receive an invitation to the private beta today, but we will be ramping up the number of invitations to the private beta each week. In the interim, we've captured a number of screen shots for those interested. Here's Hulu's homepage, which we just pushed live:
On behalf of the Hulu team, thank you for giving us the chance to present this service to you. To a person, this team is extremely passionate about fulfilling what we see as a big consumer need: to enable people to find and enjoy premium content when, where and how they want it. Great content needs to be that easy. Please know that this crew of technologists, user interface geeks, and all-around media junkies will not stop in our pursuit to provide you more and more premium entertainment to enjoy on your terms.
Thanks in advance for your feedback…
Jason Kilar ()
CEO, Hulu


text:
In Memory of
Virginia Ann Della Serra
1934 - 2017
Light Candle
All services will be handled privately by the family.
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Who We Are:
We are a family owned funeral home and are genuinely dedicated and committed to Family Service. Our qualified Staff is available 24 hours a day and we are available to assist your family in customizing a Funeral or Cremation Service that reflects your desires.
Our Location:
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Chester, NJ 07930
Fax: 908-879-3092
William J. Leber, Owner, Manager & President
NJ Lic. No. 3043


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Follow RFF News on your cell phone. Text follow rff to 40404 you will receive txt messages with RFF News
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
You have to put in a credit card, but they do NOT charge it. They don't charge it until you go to buy a song or something.Can anyone confirm that I am right?? LOLRob
RJ made a joke? I plan on giving one star because I love the show. Lower stars mean you like it more right?
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HOUSTON (Reuters) - A malfunction on the gasoline-producing fluidic catalytic cracking unit at BP Plc's 240,000 barrel-per-day Los Angeles-area refinery in Carson, California, triggered flaring on Thursday, according to industry and trade sources.
BP reported unplanned flaring at the refinery to California pollution regulators but did not specify the cause of the problem.
A BP spokesman declined to discuss operations at the Carson refinery Thursday morning.
(Reporting by Erwin Seba)


text:
We're looking for Bandleaders, Keyboard, Multi-instrumentalists, String instruments, Wind instruments, Percussion
Apply now!
Cirque du Soleil is seeking professional male and female singers for live performances in its existing shows and upcoming creations. We will be hosting auditions in Austin, Texas in March of 2011. We are looking for all types of voices and styles.
Please note that space is limited.Only selected candidates will be invited
Apply now!
Watch this video of gymnast Raj Bhavsar, courtesy of the Houston Chronicle
Cirque du Soleil is currently seeking gymnasts specializing in swinging rings for a new creation that will open in 2011.
If you would like to be considered for this position, create your profile online and submit:
* One headshot and one full body picture;
* A video demo of your SOLO performance - show us your best tricks!
Get all details and apply online
Deadline: November 30, 2010
We will be on site at the Swiss Men's Individual and Team Apparatus Gymnastics Championships in Saanen - Gstaadt. Come meet with our talent scout on November 13 or 14 to learn more about on-stage career opportunities for athletes.
Cirque du Soleil is joining forces with the estate of a true entertainment legend, Michael Jackson, for the creation of an arena touring show. We are currently seeking a high-level male parkour specialist for this project.
Read more
Watch this video from Las Vegas Weekly presenting a recent Cirque du Soleil audition for circus performers that took place at the "O" theatre in Las Vegas.
LOVE skater Marco De Santi showed off his mad skills on July 31, at this year's Red Bull European in-line skating championships in Moscow. This competition was by invitation only to twelve in-line skaters from around the world, with six skaters making it to the final round. (...)


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Heath Ledger Fathered Love Child?
Members of Heath Ledger's family claim he may have secretly fathered a love child.
Australia's Daily Telegraph reports the Aussie star was a 17-year-old schoolboy when he had an affair with an older woman.
The mother – in a relationship with another man at the time – is thought to have only learned she was pregnant after the affair with Heath ended.
Heath's uncle, Haydn Ledger, yesterday confirmed there was a "real possibility" his nephew had fathered a girl with the woman.
If it's confirmed that Heath was the girl's biological father, it could split his multi-million-dollar fortune between his two-year-old daughter Matilda Rose, his former partner Michelle Williams, and his secret love child.


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Welcome and thank you for visiting my web page. It is a great honor to be able to serve you as a member of the Indiana General Assembly. I encourage you to look through my website, which I hope you will find helpful and informative. Please feel free to contact me with any issues or concerns you may have.
Thank you,
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District 21
Latest News
Wesco Stands His Own Ground - Appeared in the Goshen News January 30, 2012
Click Here to View the Article
Indiana House's youngest legislator reflects on session - Appeared in the Indy Star March 11, 2012
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Feeding Frenzy Cheats :
This page contains Feeding Frenzy cheats list for PC version. Now we have 1 cheats in our list, which includes 1 secret. We hope information that you'll find at this page help you in playing Feeding Frenzy on PC platform. If you didn't find needed cheats put request or ask question about this at special section of the game. Also you can subscribe on all new cheats that we'll find for you in the future!
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Monday September 24, 2018; 07:20 am EDT
A trip to Balticon is like cozying up to the bar at a Star Wars cantina
Science fiction fans love technology, so it's no surprise that they stay in touch with each other using Twitter, Facebook and Skype. But they also enjoy getting together in person. One of the biggest destinations is just around the corner: Balticon, the annual convention of the venerable Baltimore Science Fiction Society.
Every Memorial Day weekend for 46 years, Balticon has hosted the luminaries of science fiction: Isaac Asimov, Neil Gaiman, Anne McCaffrey, Ben Bova and more. Thousands of fans from around the country and the world meet in the flesh to talk, drink, share stories, play games, swap ideas, buy books and collectibles and pull wickedly imaginative pranks.
Walk through Balticon's bustling dealers' room, and you can strike up a conversation with Syntheia Finklepott and Montague of SteamPunkFunk, whose elaborate costumes blend Victorian elegance with Jules Verne-inspired gadgetry. Or with Brian Koscienski and Chris Pisano, the publishers of Drunken Comic Book Monkeys Volume 3: Scary Tales of Scariness.
Broad imagination and deep knowledge invigorate dozens of panel sessions, featuring topics ranging from how to improve your knitting to how to write believable alien sex scenes. Other attractions include costume balls, role-playing games, readings, autograph sessions and live music.
When you finally need a break from all of this activity (and in four days, you certainly will at some point), you can head down to the video rooms to watch movies current and classic, short films like Job Interview with a Vampire and Hambusters and episodes of classic science fiction shows like Star Trek and Doctor Who.
The main activity at Balticon, however, is conversation. Fans are a friendly species, eager to meet new people and to renew acquaintance with old friends. Indeed, they make no distinction between the two.
Last year, Gary Lester and I convened at Balticon, in part to promote our new science fiction website Channel 37. There we befriended Zach Ricks, an attorney from Texas, and Scott Roche, a computer technician from North Carolina, the co-founders of the science fiction magazine Flagship.
Scott in turn introduced us to a legend of science fiction podcasting, Nathan Lowell. Lowell's book, Full Share, came within a whisker of cracking the Amazon Top 100 in sales — astonishing because he's published not by one of the big New York houses but by small Ridan Publishing. The superstar chatted with us as if we were old pals — instead of star-struck fan-boys.
Early on, I struck up a conversation with an older fellow wearing a beat-up badge reading Balticon 9, 1975. Bill 'Scratch' Bachrach describes himself as a professional fan. He's been going to conventions for as long as I've been alive. Scratch is an unshakable optimist. Echoing the sentiments of an earlier generation, he is convinced — downright determined, actually — that he will not die on this planet.
I asked Scratch whether, in this age of instant communication, science fiction conventions will eventually whither away. No, he said. "Conventions are where introverts can be extroverted."
May 25-28 at Marriott Hunt Valley Inn: $62: 410-785-7000; www.balticon.org.


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Hi, Am 08.01.2012 02:09, schrieb Hawes, Mark:
Hi Lars, I have got the sc plugin working with your hybrid patch v2 and introduced the premium card and all is working well. Are you planning any more revisions to the patch? Or at least a 1.7.22 version?
Not really, because the driver changes introduced by Manu are on its way into linux-media. After that only one frontend will be left and new ioctls are there to switch between delivery systems.
Rumours say Klaus is working on it for vdr 1.7.23... :-) But if you like, you can send me your changes. I'm curious about them. Lars.
Thanks, Mark. -----Original Message----- From: Hawes, Mark Sent: Thursday, 1 December 2011 10:08 PM To: 'VDR Mailing List' Subject: RE: [vdr] [PATCH v2] multi-frontend-support for vdr 1.7.21 Hi Lars, First reports on v2 of your multi-frontend patch with HVR 4000 card: - can switch between both frontends successfully and very stable with repetitive tests - timer behaviour as expected - switching response seems quicker than before - Streamdev and xineliboutput plugins compile OK. Xlo tested OK, will look at Sd later - Have modified Rotor plugin to fit (maintaining personal version) and all seems OK - Working through sc plugin changes to fit. If I can get the sc plugin working I'll move across a sd premium card into the mix and see how it behaves, watch this space ... While this is all good obviously things will no doubt change when Klaus releases 2.x with the new multi-frontend adapter handling. However, reading between the lines this may not be in the immediate future so an interim workaround for these cards is appreciated by me and I expect others ... Thanks and keep up the good work. Mark. -----Original Message----- From: vdr-boun...@linuxtv.org [mailto:vdr-boun...@linuxtv.org] On Behalf Of L. Hanisch Sent: Thursday, 1 December 2011 10:50 AM To: VDR Mailing List Subject: [vdr] [PATCH v2] multi-frontend-support for vdr 1.7.21 Hi, Here's version 2 of my multi-frontend-patch. It's still "dirty", since it changes the constructor of cDvbDevice which will break compilation of some plugins. But I think it might be necessary to look at the relevant plugins since they might need to react on frontend changes. I haven't tested any of those plugins but will have a look at some that I'm using. Maybe there have to be some virtual functions like "BeforeFrontendSwitch" and "AfterFrontendSwitch" so the plugins are even able to know about it. Assumption for this patch: All frontends within one adapter have to be used mutually exclusive. All cards I know behave in this way. If there are cards with multiple frontends which can be used simultaneously I'd like to hear about it. Whenever the dvb-api-changes are upstream (the ENUM_DELSYS thingy) I think my patch can easily be converted to use that. I'm still working on this patch, it's not finished yet... :-) Have fun, Lars. _______________________________________________ vdr mailing list firstname.lastname@example.com http://www.linuxtv.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/vdr
_______________________________________________ vdr mailing list email@example.com http://www.linuxtv.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/vdr


text:
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text:
To All People Around the World
Please send your prayers of love and gratitude to water at the nuclear plants in Fukushima, Japan!
Now is the time to understand the true meaning. Let us all join the prayer ceremony as fellow citizens of the planet earth. I would like to ask all people, not just in Japan, but all around the world to please help us to find a way out the crisis of this planet!!
The prayer procedure is as follows.
Name of ceremony:
"Let's send our thoughts of love and gratitude to all water in the nuclear plants in Fukushima"
Day and Time:
March 31st, 2011 (Thursday)
12:00 noon in each time zone
Day and Time:
March 31st, 2011 (Thursday)
12:00 noon in each time zone
Please say the following phrase:
"The water of Fukushima Nuclear Plant, we are sorry to make you suffer. Please forgive us. We thank you, and we love you."
Please say it aloud or in your mind. Repeat it three times as you put your hands together in a prayer position. Please offer your sincere prayer.
Human wisdom has not been able to do much to solve the problem, but we are only trying to cool down the anger of radioactive materials in the reactors by discharging water to them.
Is there really nothing else to do? I think there is. During over twenty year research of hado measuring and water crystal photographic technology, I have been witnessing that water can turn positive when it receives pure vibration of human prayer no matter how far away it is.
Thank you very much from my heart.
With love and gratitude,
Masaru Emoto
Messenger of Water


text:
Jobs were a signature issue of the 2012 elections. And they're likely to be so in the 2014 midterm and 2016 presidential contests as well.
That's because the jobless rate may not return to its pre-recession levels of 5-6 percent for another five to 10 years.
President Barack Obama clearly has benefited politically from the drop in the jobless rate from its peak of 10 percent in October 2009 to just below 8 percent on Election Day. The Labor Department Friday said that the rate dropped still more — to 7.7 percent in November from October's 7.9 percent.
The White House quickly hailed "further evidence that the U.S. economy is continuing to heal."
But Alan Krueger, chairman of the president's Council of Economic Advisers, also acknowledged "more work remains to be done."
Recovery from the 2008-2009 recession is at the slowest pace since the post-Great Depression period. Economic growth has averaged a shade over 2 percent so far this year. The latest White House forecast sees it rising to only 2.7 percent in 2013.
Major private forecasts don't see growth above 3 percent or unemployment below 7 percent until 2015 at the earliest.
And that's assuming politicians can reach a budget deal to avoid the so-called "fiscal cliff" of across-the-board tax increases and spending cuts due to kick in at the start of the new year.
Heidi Shierholz, an economist for the labor-oriented Economic Policy Institute, suggests "it will take about 10 years" to get back to pre-recession unemployment levels. "This isn't good news."
Forecasters say the economy must grow by 4 to 5 percent a year and add around 350,000 jobs a month — compared to 146,000 last month — to bring the jobless rate down to 6 percent before the 2016 elections.
And much of the recent improvement reflects a drop in the number of adults looking for work — not new jobs.
Follow Tom Raum on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/tomraum


text:
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You can purchase our Golden King NGR metal detector through one of our dealers in LATVIA listed below. To purchase the product from a different country, please select the country from the drop-down list above.
Granita 3, Riga, LV-1057


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Marcus Corporation (Ticker MCS) is an entertainment and lodging company which owns and manages numerous hotels and movie theaters located primarily in the Midwest. Founded by Benjamin Marcus in 1935, Marcus Theatres began as one movie theater in Ripon Wisconsin. Today, The Marcus Corporation currently trades on the New York Stock Exchange and is split into two divisions, Marcus Theatres (the sixth largest movie theater chain in the U.S.) and Marcus Hotels and Resorts. [1]
Marcus Corporation theater division currently owns and manages 54 Theaters in 7 different states 44 of which are owned and 10 of which are managed for other companies.
The Chart above shows that while the three competitors have locations in similar states, the main state Marcus Corporation's theater division operates in, Wisconsin, does not have a sizable Regal entertainment or Carmike Cinemas operation. This gives Marcus Corporation a huge advantage against it's larger competitors because most customers visit local theaters only, and since Marcus has more locations more customers can be reached. [2]
The above chart shows different metrics of Marcus Corporation's movie theater division and two of its competitors, Regal Entertainment and Carmike Cinemas. These two competitors were chosen because of they operate in the same markets as Marcus Corporation. The above chart shows the number of theaters and screens per theater. This average is then used to figure out the amount of revenue gained per theater screen. This number can then be used to determine if Marcus is better off adding more screens in their theaters and if Marcus has anything that gives it an advantage against the larger competitors. Obviously, the larger movie theaters have an advantage because they are able to have more people viewing each screen. The concession revenue per location tells a different story. Marcus is able to make less revenue but pull more profit per location than some of its competitors. The concession profit per location is greater than that of Carmike Cinemas. What should be noted about the movie theater industry is that there are a lot of single owned and operated locations. They tend to be locally owned and have customers strictly in a single town or area. Since they are not traded publicly, information could not be gathered on these individual locations.
Movie theaters, especially Marcus Theatres, tend to have multiple suppliers which have very little power over what the movie theater does. However, the large movie companies are the ones that are in charge. Since the movie production companies are in charge of making, marketing, and distributing the movies, theaters are at their mercy. What movies are available to view are completely dictated by the movie companies. If the public is not aware of a movie being shown, they will not show up to see it in theaters. This gives movie companies tremendous power over the theaters.
Suppliers of concessions and equipment on the other hand have very little power over move theaters. There are many suppliers of theater food and equipment who need the movie theater customers. There are not a lot of choices for projector companies, or popcorn machine makers to sell products to. This makes movie theaters their best choice, giving the theaters strong power over them.
The movie theater industry tends to operate at a strictly local level. Meaning consumers will tend to not travel great distances to go to the movies. Movie theaters, especially those in small towns, tend to have a loyal local customer base because of the closeness of the location. So this means that the buyers have very little power over the movie theaters. It could be argued that if a movie theater is bad enough, people would just not go to the movies, they would just wait for the movie to come out on DVD or TV and watch it from the comfort of their own home. This gives the buyers more power over the movie theater's actions. The theater must make sure to provide a good enough service to attract customers enough to see the movie in theaters. The movie theater has very little control over the marketing and exposure of movies. The major motion picture companies tend to be in charge of marketing. So the theater industry has little control over what the consumer wants.
The amount of capital to build and start a movie theater is very high. The most expensive part of the theater tends to be the building itself. Therefore, the most common start up of a theater is a person or company buying a theater already in place and running it. This makes starting a theater much cheaper and easy to do. It is also very simple to get a hold of suppliers to provide movies and concessions, making new entrants more likely. There is a limited number of these buildings available however and so the threat of new theaters opening is lowered.
Watching movies is considered a leisure activity, so any other type of leisure activity could be considered a substitute to Marcus corporation's movie theater division. Everything from watching television to surfing the internet would be considered a substitute. This creates a scenario where
Movie theaters that tend to be located close to each other tend to be highly competitive. However, with the similarity of the products(movies, snacks, drinks, seating) consumers are not very likely to travel great distances to experience the same thing. Any theater is just as capable of playing a movie as any other. So theaters that are far enough away do not have to worry about local consumers traveling to another town to experience the same product. So rivalry is really only a problem at the local level.
The below movies were some of Hollywood's most popular movies of 2010. The four movies provided the most revenue for Marcus Corporation's theater division and its competitors.
The above chart shows the locations of Marcus Hotels and resorts sorted by location and ownership. The managed Hotels are owned by other companies and those companies pay Marcus Corporation a fee for managing their operations. [7]
The above chart shows some operating metrics for Marcus Corporation's hotel division compared to competitors also in the hotel industry. It shows that Marcus is able to collect more revenue per available room. This has been instrumental in assisting Marcus through the current global recession in which consumers are spending less money on travel and lodgings. Marcus is able to keep up with, if not beat, its competitors in occupancy rates which are a large factor in hotels making money. If customers do not stay in the rooms, all other operations of the hotel are meaningless because no one would be around to use them. With these statistics, it would be profitable for Marcus to open more hotels in different areas as apposed to adding more rooms to the hotels already in operation. Already the average number of rooms per operation are over one and a half times the size of its competitors. Marcus may have a hard time increasing occupancy rate of the same locations. [8] [9]
Suppliers tend to have little power over hotels and their operations. There are many suppliers that offer many price ranges for hotels and their services. This takes away the power suppliers have on the industry and Marcus Hotels and Resorts specifically. Marcus has a larger operation, with many suppliers. The items needed to run a hotel are also very simple in nature. Suppliers would not be very hard to find for those products.
Customers have very high power over the hotel industry. Switching costs for customers are low due to the multiple choices customers tend to have when they go on vacation. Customers also, however, tend to not pay until after services have been provided. If a customer is not satisfied with his/her service, he/she generally attempts to get a credit so they do not pay as much. This makes the hotel industry vulnerable to consumers because hotels need to keep patrons satisfied.
Threat of new entrants are relatively low. The costs to build and run a hotel are just too high for many companies to enter the industry. Also, since hotels are busier depending on the location, any spot which would raise large amounts of customers would already have many hotels built there. So the only way to start a hotel cheap would be to buy an existing building, and that can still be really expensive.
Substitutes for the hotel and resort industry vary. Since the industry can be defined as a leisure industry, any activity could be considered a substitute. However, hotels are used mainly for travel and vacationing. So rather than saying any activity is a substitute, it can be said that activities that take place of travel are the substitutes. Some examples are camping, staying at home, or even mobile homes are substitutes to hotels. The global recession has made these substitutes seem like a better choice since many of them are a cheaper alternative to renting a hotel room.
Competitive Rivalry in the industry is very high. The largest factor in hotel placement is location. If people are not going to be traveling through the area, or staying there for any reason, hotels will not be successful. That being said, locations that favor those factors will attract many hotels. For this reason, hotels tend to be built close together, giving customers many choices as to where they want to stay. Prices then have to be cut to attract customers to stay.
The above chart shows the revenue streams of Marcus Corporation. The largest item is clearly movie ticket admissions. However, shown from the chart below, movie theater operations are also the highest cost to the company. Concessions make a higher margin for movie theaters than admission tickets do since the revenue generated is much higher relatively to the costs. This can be attributed to the relatively close prices of movie tickets and concessions. While it is rather expensive to buy the rights to play a movie, it is relatively cheap to make popcorn and have fountain drinks. For the hotel sector, room rental revenue has a higher margin than food and beverages. This can be attributed to the higher price of hotel rooms compared to the price of food and beverages at hotels.


text: Music, food and fun were on tap Saturday at the annual Beer in the Bushes event to benefit the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation on Sanibel Island. Those attending were treated to a wonderful evening of beautiful Florida weather, New Belgium beer stations, hot food and music provided by the Bradenton-based Have Gun Will Travel, and headliner The Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band, a blues/Americana group. Specially painted bicycles and other items were auctioned at the event, which attracted some 350 ticket-holders. Proceeds from the evening directly benefit the wildlife, water management and land conservation group.


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Exploring the heavens with spaceships and fancy orbiting telescopes like the Hubble is pretty routine stuff for NASA. But the space agency is going low-tech to get a good look at an eagerly anticipated comet. The space agency plans to launch a balloon -- yes, a balloon -- to study Comet ISON, the much-hyped comet that many hope will put on a big sky show in coming months. Astronomers are scrambling to figure out ways to learn more about the comet, and that's where the balloon comes in. This isn't the kind of balloon you buy for kids at a party store, but they do have some things in common.
NASA says its scientific balloons are made of polyethylene film like the material in plastic bags, and it will be filled with helium, just like a party balloon. But the NASA balloons can carry a payload weighing 8,000 pounds (3,600 kilograms), or about the weight of three small cars. It has a gondola to carry the instruments. Some similar balloons can fly up to 26 miles high and stay for up to two weeks.
The 671-foot-tall balloon that will monitor ISON is called BRRISON, or Balloon Rapid Response for ISON. According to NASA, it will float about 120,000 feet above Earth to observe the comet -- and other science targets -- using a telescope and other instruments. It is expected to stay up from nine to 11 hours.
"By ascending above 99.5% of the Earth's atmosphere, BRRISON will be able to study the materials within the comet," Andy Cheng, principal investigator, said on BRISSON's website. "It's possible that water and organic chemicals on comets may have played an important role in the evolution of life on Earth."
The launch, from NASA's Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility in Fort Sumner, New Mexico, is targeted for 8 p.m. ET on Saturday, weather permitting.
Comet ISON is nearing Mars on its way toward the sun and will fly about 730,000 miles above the sun's surface on November 8. If it survives, it could brighten and put on a big show as it passes Earth's orbit on its way back to the outer reaches of the solar system. Comet enthusiasts hope they will be able to see it without binoculars or telescopes.
Its closest approach to Earth would be December 26, and it could be visible from the Northern Hemisphere for weeks in early 2014.
The comet was discovered by Russian astronomers Vitali Nevski and Artyom Novichonok in September 2012. It is named after their night-sky survey program, the International Scientific Optical Network, a group of observatories in 10 countries organized to track objects in space.
Amateur astronomers already are posting pictures and making calculations about the comet's future. For those who want to try to track Comet ISON themselves, NASA has some tips on its Comet ISON website.
Credit: cnn.com


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|View Poll Results: Kanon - 2006 - Episode 5 Rating
|Perfect 10
|9 out of 10 : Excellent
|8 out of 10 : Very Good
|7 out of 10 : Good
|6 out of 10 : Average
|5 out of 10 : Below Average
|4 out of 10 : Poor
|3 out of 10 : Bad
|2 out of 10 : Very Bad
|1 out of 10 : Painful
|Voters: 99. You may not vote on this poll
|Thread Tools
|2006-11-07, 14:53
|Link #121
Gone for Good
Join Date: Apr 2004
Oh boy, seeing Mai make requests to Kyon-ichi's food offerings and then munching on the food has caused massive brain cell damage. Not to mention her awesomeness with a blade.
My weakness is still silent girls, I guess. I swear, if the anti-Kyoani people deliebrately used dirty tricks to vote Mai out of Saimoe 2007 just because she's from a Kyoani series, I will have to personally hunt these people down. lol
I'm really impressed with Tamura Yukari, no matter how much I listen to them, I'm still amazed that Mai and Nanoha are voiced by the same person.
Oh and of course, nice use of silence to maximum comedy effect in the bath scene, while Kyon took like half a minute to realize Ayu's having free breakfast at his place. Like Makoto and Shiori, the Uguu~ girl doesn't seem to go to school either, but I'll find out soon enough once I get past to playing Nayuki's pathway in the game.
(Game trivia - Nayuki *really* sleeps a lot, she sleeps standing up, she sleeps when walking down the stairs. "I'm used to it," She says, but her amazing stunts still worries Yuuichi to no end. )
|2006-11-07, 19:51
|Link #123
Great episode, rated this earlier. Yuuichi does make his rounds well. The lunch was nice and he seems to be able to get Mai to open up a bit.
I have a feeling after Mai meeting Makoto, Mai is more interested in Yuuichi.
|2006-11-09, 10:58
|Link #124
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2006
This episode definitely had the funniest bits so far, imo. Decided to watch it again on impulse and I am thinking, in line with what Vexx posted a page back, that Mai's "demons" would be something pretty abstract, maybe even nothing at all; just imaginings. For one, Yuuichi can't see them, and she just appears to cut at thin air. Thin air. I think that's hinting at something, or maybe I'm just reading too much into it again.
Also, I wonder how Yuuichi recovers so fast from Mai's silent declaration that she's a demon hunter. He doesnt mention a word of it when he gets back home to Naiyuki.
And I'm gonna make an ava out of Makoto.
|2006-11-09, 13:31
|Link #125
makes no files now
Join Date: May 2006
|2006-11-09, 15:57
|Link #126
Lazy Poster
Maybe it was so traumatic moment err what else you expect to hear girl who's in night in school with sword...
At least he was hinting about it to Makoto when he asked her to say "Demon hunter" ten times.
|2006-11-10, 12:48
|Link #128
piko piko pikori
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Western WA, USA
Downloading episode 6 now. I can't believe that we're only a quarter of the way through. If this were 2002 we'd already be halfway through. All hail Kanon 2006!
As an aside, I recently played through the first week or two of Kanon (the game) and I was impressed by how faithful Kanon 2006 is to the original material. The Kyuuichi (Kyon) influence can be laid to rest any time now. The game Yuuichi is a sarcastic ass (with a heart). There were points in the game where I was pleading with him, "No Yuuichi -- don't say that, yuu punk!"
As an off topic aside, I've read about half of an English translation of The Meloncholy of Haruhi Suzumiya recently and was impressed with how faithful the KyoAni anime was to the original material.
I hope Kyoto Animation remains a force to be reckoned with in the anime industry.
|2007-05-03, 11:34
|Link #129
Right I forgot I was supposed to be doing this. This is entirely based off of memory keep in mind:
Presentation: I might as well drop this altogether as Sugita can't go one episode without his pointless little freakout that nobody even seems to notice anymore cause it's so trite. 5/5 for animation (I should mention that Kyoto Animation's style is starting to seem less and less all-encompassing these days with the other companies finally catching up and arguably leaving them in the dust. I've noticed I don't quite like there character animation style lately, and the backgrounds tend to be too bright and overexposed. This might actually go down in the future from a 5/5 to a 4/5 unless they start pushing the limits even further)and 3/5 for Voice acting (He keeps sounding less and less annoying with each passing episode though, but man if he could go one episode without me having to hear him spaz and send shivers down my spine (I actually screamed at my monitor "SHUT THE HELL UP!" during one of his freakouts in this episode if I recall. I came close to turning the episode off that day. Guy needs to talk much much much less. Mai's voice was kind of bleh so VA gets slightly less than last time. Bring back Shiori full-time all ready, she was the least annoying character.
Plot: Not much, okay Mai's arc has the potential (Writing so as not to take into account the episodes I've seen up to episode 10. This is the trouble of marathoning and then coming back to try and right a non-biased review as if I had not seen what comes afterward) to be interesting, but the whole walk in on Makoto, while she's in the bath (I would have just leapt on in instead of saying "Yo" like an idiot), and throwing her into bed.... sure its cutesy, but its BORING and pointless. Mai/Sayuri eating scene, boring and pointless, Shiori scene, slight character development and a good move on the writers parts to include her. Still 2/5 (And that is being EXTREMELY generous) instead of 0/5 for the addition of Mai the Demonslayer and the brief, but unfortunately short return of Shiori, and the potential for action even though Mai is boring as freaking sin and makes the other characters look like the life of the party (Overall less staring and more doing stuff girls).
Characters: The characters did some funny things this episode (It was around this episode that I started noticing a pattern in the writing much like a dating sim day-by-day script, where some funny stuff goes on in the morning, possibly involving fanservice, followed by some rather boring school stuff and an encounter with one or more of the girls during Yuuichi's day out, where we may or may not learn anything about them, and then some more antics when Yuuichi gets home.) such as Makoto's sneeze speech pattern, but the goofy antics with her kind of subtracted (Even though I must say the bath scene is a keeper). Regardless, I'm still waiting for some real character development for Makoto and she's been around for like 3 episodes all ready, so what the hell. 2.5/5
5+3+2+2.5=12.5 out of 20=6.25 rounded down equals 6/10 from me.
So far the highlight of the show continues to be the music as of episode 10.
Last edited by Kaioshin Sama; 2007-05-03 at 12:01.
|2010-07-08, 16:05
|Link #131
This is where the show starts getting good. Mai patting Makoto on the head, and the bath scene. All the characters start becoming adorable and not annoying. Well, except for Makoto so far, lol.
And just remember, you can never predict what Mai will do next.
Less uguu and more story, though it still really drags. ~6/10
|2010-07-10, 03:52
|Link #132
Yuri µ'serator
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: FL, USA
Age: 30
I am unsure which girl I prefer here yet, I need to see more of them. Also I think the younger Ayu looked much more cute than she does now D:.
Though I am liking the series pretty well so far, though one thing...
Spoiler for Shiori:
Also I decided if uguu~, or auu~ is said more
|Thread Tools


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LAWRENCE COUNTY, AL (WAFF) - Wednesday, April 27th, started off as a normal day for Jennifer Warren. She hung her diamond engagement ring on the cabinet while she cooked.
However, after dinner she, her six-year-old daughter Jade and several others were hustled into the storm shelter her dad built.
Warren said even before she got out of the shelter she was thinking about the ring, but when she saw the devastation around her----those thoughts changed. "That part is devastating."
She said it was tough looking at what used to be her home and neighborhood...when everything was gone. For a week she has been looking for the ring and pictures of her daughter. "I had a stick that day was pulling over the debris to see what I could find...and I found things like quarters."
She was literally digging around and thought she found another quarter. "I picked it up and turned it around...and it was my ring."
"I jumped up and down and I run up and I hollered. I ran up the road and I really could not believe I found it ."
For Jennifer, her fiance and daughter...their home may be gone but the symbol of eternal love is back on the finger of a very grateful woman.
Copyright 2011 WAFF. All rights reserved.


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To all of you dear WOMEN. Yes, this post is for you! (And your husbands can read along, too. We are just so glad many of you are reading!)
I wanted to address a few requests that have come in regarding a MAJOR, MAJOR TOPIC, I think, for women all over the place…. 🙂
And, HELLO PRETTY BLOGS! HELLO GORGEOUS FACEBOOK PHOTOS! They have a tendency to start up that damaging script in our heads that says we are not good enough/smart enough/creative enough/skinny enough/desirable enough, etc. There is just so much access to other women & their lives, outfits, homes, parties, etc. And it seems more than ever before, women all over are plagued with comparing themselves to others, all along their self-esteem is deflating.
A dear reader wrote in to say that she struggles to find a balance between tapping into her true identity & worth (mentioned in the post called "Best Beauty Secret in the World") while at the same time, balancing her desires such as…
-Being super model-thin.
-Being the girl with the best outfit at the party.
-Being rich.
-Being flirtatious with men.
-Being famous for something.
-Living in a nicer house.
This reminds me of some of the comments brought up in the response to the "Highlights from Alt Summit" post regarding comparing each others' fashion. I know it's so easy to fall victim to this crap whether it is comparing husbands (or lack thereof), the size of your butt/thighs/waist/boobs, comparing children's accomplishments, the success of others, how quickly someone lost weight after having a baby, or even how much of that dessert you finished compared to other women sitting next to you at a girls' night.
Well, I've been thinking a lot about my answer to this reader and my answer to all of you. For starters, can I just say, with all sincerity, that you women….ALL OF YOU….are wonderful. I haven't met a woman yet in my entire life who was not a beautiful human being with either the biggest heart or the best intentions to offer something good to this world. One of my greatest wishes ever is that we can all tap into our worth & end this horribly damaging cycle of comparing ourselves.
I know you can end that cycle.
Because I did.
Here's how….
I finally decided what I REALLY, REALLY wanted out of this life, and I surrendered to it. Completely. I gave all of my heart to it. (By the way, I decided to do this when I was at the most rock bottom state of my life – in the midst of a crumbling marriage and the early years of infertility.)
This is what I decided I wanted the most & clung to it for dear life:
1. To be a good mother someday.
2. To be a good wife, worthy of a good husband.
3. To share & give all that I have to helping others on their path.
4. To leave this earth a better place for being in it.
5. To be happy & at peace, regardless of circumstance (cause it helps me to do all of the above.)
6. To try to represent those Divine qualities of love/faith/hope (cause it helps me to do all of the above.)
I realized that if I let all that comparing bull crap infiltrate my thoughts & life, then it would hold me back from having #1-6 of my most important goals. You see, the bull crap doesn't fit into #1-6. So I decided to work each day to give it up.
So how did I give it up? LOOOOVE ! 🙂 🙂
-THINK OF OTHERS, INSTEAD OF YOURSELF. When I walked into a room – whether it was a room full of billionaires & their wives (a situation I was in quite often due to my former jobs whether I was in New York, on a beach in St. Barths, or celebrating Easter on Rupert Murdoch's sailboat, or sitting next to the founder of Google at brunch. Ha!), or whether it was a room full of executives in the fashion industry, or a room full of women at church from all backgrounds, or a room full of young urban teenagers with wit and style that could intimidate the crap out of me, if I let it…….Instead of thinking of MY inadequacies, I thought about how I could make others comfortable, how I could get to know them better, how I could brighten their day in some way, or how I could just experience what they had to offer and learn from it. Thinking of others and taking my thoughts off of myself left no room for damaging thoughts. TRY IT! I promise it works like a charm. And it's a great way to ensure you look and feel radiant.
-EMBRACE THE BEAUTY & SUCCESS OF OTHERS. Instead of letting the success of others bring me down, I feel excited for for them. I feel special/grateful to be able to associate with someone so talented/creative/or successful. One reader wrote in to say that a friend of hers has "the perfect house, kids, figure, & entertains like Martha Stewart." She said "other women find her intimidating and avoid her friendship." But this woman has formed a great friendship with her and loves her dearly & thought it was so sad that other people were missing out. So don't miss out! Surround yourself with people that you admire. Reach out to them, love them, and learn from them.
-GIVE UP THE COMPARING OUT OF LOVE FOR YOUR LOVED ONES. If you are dwelling in negativity and self criticism, guaranteed it will spew over to your husbands, kids, boyfriends, girlfriends, family and coworkers. You can't really hide that stuff. And guess what – – it's not attractive. It doesn't lead to happy marriages and relationships. So if you are letting your desire for skinniness/riches/fame/attention make you feel negatively, think of the poisonous negative energy you are sending into the world and the effect it is having on others. Consider that you are teaching your children to live this way as well. Use your love for others as a catalyst for trying to change your ways. Love really is the most powerful force that can help us to stay on track.
-HAVE LOVE & GRATITUDE FOR YOURSELF. Think of every kind word that has ever come your way. Think of every person you have influenced for the better. Think about HOW BLESSED you are!!!! Eyes. Hair. Walking legs. A smile. Family. A chance to be alive and experience this beautiful life! Maybe you have a mother. Maybe you have a spouse and/or children. Maybe you have a friend. Maybe you have a roof over head. No matter who you are, think of what you have and cherish it.
And lastly, if any of us have a weak moment and find ourselves comparing the crap out of someone else's life & wishing we had more…….THINK OF VERUCA SALT. 🙂 This girl had everything, but was never grateful for it & always wanted more……
"All I've got at home is one pony, two dogs, four cats, six bunny rabbits, two parakeets, three canaries and a green parrot and a turtle and a silly old hamster! I WANT A SQUIRREL! But I don't want any old squirrel! I want a *trained* squirrel!"
"I want a party with roomfuls of laughter, ten thousand tons of ice cream. And if I don't get the things I am after, I'm going to screeeeeeeeEEEEEEEAM!!!!"
-Veruca Salt, Willy Wonka.
Do you guys have any other ideas for how women can stop comparing themselves to others??


text:
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Friday September 21, 2007 12:47 pm
Exoskeleton Aids the Burden for Soldiers
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Misc. Tech, Science, Transportation
MIT has found a way to lighten the burden for those in the military, at least physically. The Exoskeleton Leg Rack can take 80% of an 80 lb. load off its wearer although it will affect his/her normal walking pattern. Hugh Herr, principal investigator of the Biomechatronics Group, hopes that the device will allow soldiers to hustle without running out of breath and to carry heavier packs. He believes that about 20 years from now people will be buying leg racks instead of bike racks. We love when scientists do research for the military, knowing that eventually it will trickle down to those of us in the civilian sector, even if it takes another 20 years.
Read More | MIT
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- exoskeleton, leg rack, military, mit, soldiers, transportation, weight
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James McGrath, MD, PhD
Research Scientist in Comparative Medicine, in Genetics and in Pediatrics
Departments & Organizations
Genetics: Genetics Consultation Service
Pediatric Cardiogenetics Program
Pediatric Genomics Discovery Program (PGDP)
Yale Cancer Center: Genomics, Genetics, and Epigenetics
Dr. McGrath received his PhD and MD degrees from Temple University. He performed a postdoctoral fellowship under Dr. Solter at the Wistar Institute in Philadelphia, PA. Drs. McGrath and Solter reported the first live births following mammalian nuclear transplantation and did the first experiments that hypothesized and proved the existence of genomic imprinting in mammals. Dr McGrath did his Pediatric residency training at St. Christopher's Hospital for Children and his Genetics fellowship training at Yale University.
Education & Training
|Temple University (1986)
|Temple University (1980)
|Temple University (1976)
|Temple University (1973)
|St. Christopher's Hospital
|Yale University School of Medicine
|Board Certification
|AB of Medical Genetics, Clinical Genetics (1993, recertified: 2012)


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Really don't want to sell this but i'm skint:( It's as new, ridden 3 times by me, has the tiniest ding on rail (done by courier) I've put some glass over it, it didn't need it:)
5'2" x 22" x 2 1/2"
Rolled entry, pinched rails, single concave, quad set-up, but can be ridden as a twin. FAST. SOLD(inc fins) Board is in Edinburgh, but I can pack if you want to arrange a courier. Paisley Freight are £20. It will be very well (over) packed.
Any questions just ask. . .


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Austin saw two separate homicides on Friday, a RedEye analysis of preliminary police data found.
An 8-year-old girl was strangled to death in the 5200 block of West Adams Street, police said. Meanwhile, a 24-year-old man was stabbed to death in the 700 block of Central Avenue, according to officials.
Austin has logged 17 homicides so far this year, including four deaths this month. The West Side community area recorded 37 homicides last year, according to RedEye data.
Citywide, gunshot homicides were logged in the last week in Chicago Lawn, Humboldt Park, North Lawndale, Rogers Park, South Deering, South Shore and West Englewood, RedEye determined.
Thirty homicides have been recorded so far this month. Forty-nine homicides were logged in July 2012, according to RedEye data.