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The Roman Catholic Church has a reputation for clubbiness. (A Protestant arrives in heaven and asks St. Peter if he can visit some of his old Catholic friends. "Best if you didn't," Peter tells him. "They think they're the only ones here.") Catholics are just as prone to turn that overweening sense of orthodoxy on each other. Doctrinal hardliners never tire of telling dissenters like myself, especially those who are politicians, that we're not "real" Catholics — many contend we should be denied communion — because our Christian as well as civic consciences have led us to support women's ordination or legal, if limited, abortion rights.
But since Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney tapped conservative Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan as his running mate last weekend, many liberal Catholics have decided it's their turn to play the pearly gates-keeper. Ryan, a Catholic, has in the past come under fire from even the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) for his more Darwinian political ideas — especially his budget philosophy, which critics charge coddles the rich while hammering the poor and middle class — and this week more than a few progressive Catholics have doubted if not disparaged Ryan's own Catholic bona fides. His cold-hearted betrayal of charitable Catholic social teaching, they insist, makes him unfit to call himself Christian or Catholic.
(MORE: Is Paul Ryan's Budget Un-Christian?)
If this is where U.S. Catholics are headed between now and the Nov. 6 election, then I'll be the first to admit that we all need to chill, hum a little Gregorian Chant and ponder our internecine differences a bit more carefully. As Los Angeles Times editorial writer Michael McGough put it this week, the anti-Ryan barrage is "the latest installment of a tiresome debate between liberal and conservative Catholics about which faction's favored politicians are truer to the teachings of Mother Church." How we practice our faith in the public sphere does matter. But we've reached a point where the battle to define what's politically proper Catholicism, and what's Catholically proper politics, has begun to demean the religion.
It's not that I think Catholics shouldn't question Ryan's policy agenda if they feel it contradicts Christ's call to aid the poor. Likewise, they ought to question the pro-choice position of Vice President Joe Biden, a Catholic, if they feel it contradicts their faith's teaching on abortion. I've often called some of the Vatican's doctrines and policies un-Christian and un-Catholic when they involve less than humane impulses like misogyny, homophobia or the protection of pedophile priests. Still, just as I don't like anyone calling for my excommunication because I don't obey Rome, I wouldn't be so presumptuous as to assert that someone is a bad Catholic because he or she does obey Rome, because he or she defends an all-male priesthood or a ban on gay marriage. And in Ryan's case because he believes, however disingenuous he might sound, that reducing our dangerous deficit and breaking people's dependence on government squares with his religion's call to alleviate poverty.
(MORE: Why the Ryan Pick Won't Bring Clarity to the Budget Debate)
It's one thing for me to take my feelings about Ryan's controversial thinking into the ballot booth and pass judgment on whether or not he's fit to govern — and yes, my interpretation of Catholicism may very well play a large role in how I vote in that regard. But it's something else, as McGough points out, to proclaim that Ryan's Tea Party views make him "a worse Catholic than [Catholic] politicians who favor abortion rights like Rep. Nancy Pelosi." If anything, by taking that larger step, liberal Catholics risk sounding like Vatican hardliners.
A large part of the problem is that the Catholic vote, like the Latino and women's vote, is considered one of the most important blocs to court in this presidential election. We represent almost a quarter of the electorate, and we're a particularly independent-minded cohort — evidenced by polls that show a majority of U.S. Catholics disagree with the Vatican on a host of issues, including abortion. As a result, the media, especially now that Ryan is on the GOP ticket opposite Biden, are eager to sharpen the fissure between conservative and liberal Catholics. According to that cable news scenario, the two sides are supposed to pummel each other rhetorically for the next 12 weeks and let politics, in effect, decide once and for all who the "real" Catholics are.
It's great theater, but it's lousy theology. And I think, to his credit, even the head of the USCCB, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, has realized that by ignoring hardliner criticism and inviting President Obama, who backs abortion rights, as well as Romney to the New York archdiocese's charitable Al Smith dinner in October.
(MORE: Why We're Still Catholics)
The more immediate question, though, is whether Ryan really helps Romney with Catholics. Before he picked Ryan, Romney trailed Obama among Catholics — who went for Obama by a 54-to-45 margin in 2008 — by five points, 45% to 50%, in a recent Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life poll. Ryan, who is socially as well as fiscally right wing — he co-sponsored some of Congress' most draconian anti-abortion bills in recent years — is certainly a boon to conservative Catholics. But they're not who Romney needs to pick up; and Ryan, though he galvanizes the GOP base, isn't likely to deliver many additional Catholic voters.
The Obama campaign, meanwhile, introduced its "Catholics for Obama" crew this week, led by liberal luminaries like Victoria Reggie Kennedy, widow of the late Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy. Their job is to convince Catholic voters that Obama isn't the menace to religious freedom that the U.S. bishops call him, due to his administration's mandate that church-based institutions like universities and hospitals provide birth control coverage in their health insurance. But you can bet that more of their time, energy and money will be spent persuading Catholics that Ryan is a menace to Catholic social teaching. For both sides, branding candidates as anti-Catholic might be effective politics. Just don't call it good religion.
MORE: The Catholic Contraction


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"Global Fitness Activity Monitor Market Research Report 2022"This research report provides COVID-19 Outbreak study accumulated to offer Latest insights about acute features of the Fitness Activity Monitor Market. This intelligence report includes investigations based on Current scenarios, Historical records, and Future predictions. The report contains different market predictions related to market size, revenue, production, CAGR, Consumption, gross margin, diagrams, graphs, pie charts, price, and other substantial factors. While emphasizing the key driving and restraining forces for this market, the report also offers a complete study of the future trends and developments of the market. It also examines the role of the leading market players involved in the industry including their corporate overview, financial summary and SWOT analysis. It presents the 360-degree overview of the competitive landscape of the industries. Fitness Activity Monitor Market is showing steady growth and CAGR is expected to improve during the forecast period.
Manufacturer Detail
Fossil Group
Garmin International
Motorola Mobility
Product Type Segmentation
Application Segmentation
Global Fitness Activity Monitor Market report provides you with detailed insights, industry knowledge, market forecasts and analytics. The report on the global Fitness Activity Monitor industry also clarifies economic risks and environmental compliance. Global Fitness Activity Monitor market report assists industry enthusiasts including investors and decision makers to make confident capital investments, develop strategies, optimize their business portfolio, innovate successfully and perform safely and sustainably.
Fitness Activity Monitor Market: Regional Analysis Includes:
- Asia-Pacific (Vietnam, China, Malaysia, Japan, Philippines, Korea, Thailand, India, Indonesia, and Australia)
- Europe (Turkey, Germany, Russia UK, Italy, France, etc.)
- North America (the United States, Mexico, and Canada.)
- South America (Brazil etc.)
- The Middle East and Africa (GCC Countries and Egypt.)
Major Points Covered in TOC:
- Overview: Along with a broad overview of the global Fitness Activity Monitor Market, this section gives an overview of the report to give an idea about the nature and contents of the research study.
- Analysis on Strategies of Leading Players: Market players can use this analysis to gain competitive advantage over their competitors in the Fitness Activity Monitor Market.
- Study on Key Market Trends: This section of the report offers deeper analysis of latest and future trends of the market.
- Market Forecasts: Buyers of the report will have access to accurate and validated estimates of the total market size in terms of value and volume. The report also provides consumption, production, sales, and other forecasts for the Fitness Activity Monitor Market.
- Regional Growth Analysis: All major regions and countries have been covered Fitness Activity Monitor Market report. The regional analysis will help market players to tap into unexplored regional markets, prepare specific strategies for target regions, and compare the growth of all regional markets.
- Segment Analysis: The report provides accurate and reliable forecasts of the market share of important segments of the Fitness Activity Monitor Market. Market participants can use this analysis to make strategic investments in key growth pockets of the Fitness Activity Monitor Market.
Key Questions Answered in the Report Include:
- What will the market size and the growth rate be in 2027?
- What are the key factors driving the global Fitness Activity Monitor Market?
- What are the key market trends impacting the growth of the global Fitness Activity Monitor Market?
- What are the challenges to market growth?
- Who are the key vendors in the global Fitness Activity Monitor Market?
- What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the vendors in the global Fitness Activity Monitor Market?
- Trending factors influencing the market shares of the Americas, APAC, Europe, and MEA.
- What are the key outcomes of the five forces analysis of the global Fitness Activity Monitor Market?
Table of Contents
Chapter One: Report Overview
1.1 Study Scope
1.2 Key Market Segments
1.3 Players Covered: Ranking by Fitness Activity Monitor Revenue
1.4 Market Analysis by Type
1.4.1 Fitness Activity Monitor Market Size Growth Rate by Type: 2020 VS 2028
1.5 Market by Application
1.5.1 Fitness Activity Monitor Market Share by Application: 2020 VS 2028
1.6 Study Objectives
1.7 Years Considered
Chapter Two: Growth Trends by Regions
2.1 Fitness Activity Monitor Market Perspective (2015-2028)
2.2 Fitness Activity Monitor Growth Trends by Regions
2.2.1 Fitness Activity Monitor Market Size by Regions: 2015 VS 2020 VS 2028
2.2.2 Fitness Activity Monitor Historic Market Share by Regions (2015-2020)
2.2.3 Fitness Activity Monitor Forecasted Market Size by Regions (2021-2028)
2.3 Industry Trends and Growth Strategy
2.3.1 Market Top Trends
2.3.2 Market Drivers
2.3.3 Market Challenges
2.3.4 Porter's Five Forces Analysis
2.3.5 Fitness Activity Monitor Market Growth Strategy
2.3.6 Primary Interviews with Key Fitness Activity Monitor Players (Opinion Leaders)
Chapter Three: Competition Landscape by Key Players
3.1 Top Fitness Activity Monitor Players by Market Size
3.1.1 Top Fitness Activity Monitor Players by Revenue (2015-2020)
3.1.2 Fitness Activity Monitor Revenue Market Share by Players (2015-2020)
3.1.3 Fitness Activity Monitor Market Share by Company Type (Tier 1, Tier Chapter Two: and Tier 3)
3.2 Fitness Activity Monitor Market Concentration Ratio
3.2.1 Fitness Activity Monitor Market Concentration Ratio
3.2.2 Top Chapter Ten: and Top 5 Companies by Fitness Activity Monitor Revenue in 2020
3.3 Fitness Activity Monitor Key Players Head office and Area Served
3.4 Key Players Fitness Activity Monitor Product Solution and Service
3.5 Date of Enter into Fitness Activity Monitor Market
3.6 Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion Plans
{A free report data (as a form of Excel Datasheet) will also be provided upon request along with a new purchase.
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Ph: US – +13393375221
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Note: In order to provide more accurate market forecast, all our reports will be updated before delivery by considering the impact of COVID-19."


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"The High-elven was an ancient tongue of Eldamar beyond the Sea, the first to be recorded in writing. It was no longer a birth-tongue, but had become, as it were, an 'Elven-latin', still used for ceremony, and for high matters of lore and song, by the High Elves, who had returned in exile to Middle-earth at the end of the First Age."
Quenya (Q, pron. [ˈkʷwɛɲa])[2] was one of the languages spoken by the Elves. It was the tongue that developed among those non-Telerin Elves who reached Aman (the High Elves) from an earlier language called Common Eldarin. Quenya was typically written with the Tengwar of Fëanor. An older script, Rúmil's Sarati, was used also.
Of the three clans of Elves in Aman, the Noldor and the Vanyar spoke slightly different, though mutually intelligible, dialects of Quenya (Valinorean Quenya and Vanyarin Quenya respectively). Following the Exile of the Noldor in the First Age, a third dialect, Exilic Quenya or Noldorin Quenya, developed among the Noldor who had journeyed to Middle-earth. In general practice, the word Quenya usually refers to Noldorin Quenya, since it was the only Quenya dialect spoken in Middle-earth.
The language was also adopted by the Valar who made some new introductions into it from their own language, though these loanwords are more numerous in the Vanyarin dialect than the Noldorin one. This is probably the case because of the enduringly close relationship the Vanyar had with the Valar. The third clan in Aman, the Teleri, spoke a different, closely related language: Telerin. This was by some seen as a dialect of Quenya which was untrue in a historic perspective but plausible in a linguistic one; the languages did not share a common history but were very much alike.
The Noldor who fled to Middle-earth following the Darkening of Valinor spoke Quenya among themselves. However, when Elu Thingol of Doriath, who was the king of the Sindar (Elves of the Telerin line who remained in Beleriand instead of journeying to Valinor) learnt about their slaying of the Teleri, he forbade the use of Quenya in all his realm. The Sindar had been slow to learn Quenya anyway, while the Noldor at this time had fully mastered Sindarin.
Noldorin Quenya (Exilic) differed somewhat from Valinorean Quenya, because the language continued to evolve after exile, and it underwent some regularisation as it became a language of lore. There were also a few changes in pronunciation.
The Quenya used in Middle-earth of the Third Age had come to be a scholarly pursuit; it was not typically used in conversation. It was preserved as a formal language and for writing; Sindarin was the vernacular of all Elves. However, the Noldor still remembered Quenya and valued it highly and were delighted when other wanderers knew anything from the "Ancient Speech"; for example, Gildor and his party appreciated Frodo Baggins's greeting Elen síla lúmenn' omentielvo ("A star shines on the hour of our meeting"). Galadriel was perhaps the only known High Elf in Middle-earth during that time who (having being born in Valinor) had learned Quenya as a cradle-tongue.
The poem Namárië is the longest piece of Quenya found in The Lord of the Rings. It is also known as Galadriel's Lament.
- Main article: Quenya Grammar
- Main article: Category:Quenya texts
The ingredients in Quenya are various, but worked out in a self-consistent character not precisely like any language that I know.
Quenya's phonology and grammar are most strongly influenced by Finnish, which is an agglutinative language; grammatical inspiration also comes from Latin and Greek. The phonology is also based on Finnish, and to a lesser extent Latin, Italian and Spanish. Some interesting phonological rules are that no consonant cluster can begin or end a syllable (with one exception, the dual dative ending -nt), a word may not end in a non-dental consonant, and voiced stops must be preceded by sonorants. The first two of these phonotactic rules also exist in Finnish.
The most striking feature of Quenya is that it is a highly agglutinating language, meaning that multiple affixes are often added to words to express grammatical function. It is possible for one Quenya word to have the same meaning as an entire English sentence. For example, one could say "I have found it" in Quenya in a single verb, namely utúvienyes.
Tolkien intended Quenya to be an archaic, ancient and august language for the peoples of Middle-earth of the Third Age, being the cultural analogue of Latin in Europe[3][4]. For that reason, he decided to make Quenya look like Latin ocularly[5] and substituted K for C and Q for QU.
Tolkien wrote much more material about Quenya and his other languages than he published in his lifetime. In fact, Tolkien, a professor of linguistics, originally invented Middle-earth and its inhabitants as a means of imposing upon his artificial languages a history of war, migration and suffering. The famous novels might be considered incidental to his further and more passionately developed linguistic hobby. The journals Vinyar Tengwar and Parma Eldalamberon are devoted to editing and publishing Tolkien's linguistic papers.
Quenya is one of many constructed languages introduced over the years by science fiction and fantasy writers, some others being Klingon, Newspeak, Nadsat, the Ascian language and Lapine.
The word Quenya is in origin an adjective meaning "belonging to the Quendi", but despite this unspecific derivation is only ever used as a name of the language. It descends from an older form kwendjā, with the d surviving only in the Vanyarin dialect, where the name is still Quendya.[6]
In Sindarin and Telerin, the descendants of the word kwendjā became too unrecognisable after the sound shift kw > p. There the language is instead called "speech of the Ñoldor" (because both groups did not frequently interact with the Vanyar), that is Goldórin or Goldolambe[7] and Golodhbaeth or Paeth e Ngolodhrim[8] respectively.
Other versions of the legendarium
Quenya is possibly one of the very first creations of Tolkien's legendarium, as he started constructing it (see: Qenya Lexicon) around 1915, at the age of 23 years old; as he said various times, the languages came first, and stories followed out of the names.
In those early times, the language was called Qenya (although pronounced the same as Quenya), and it was spoken mainly by the "Teleri" (an early name for the High Elves that would be renamed Vanyar). The language underwent countless minor revisions in both grammar and vocabulary before it reached the form found in The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion. The spelling "Qenya" is used by the fandom to refer to the earlier concepts of the language as distinct from the LotR-style Quenya. However, the fluid nature of the revisions makes such a distinction a highly disputed one.
See also
External links
- Ardalambion: The Tongues of Arda, Lessons, etc.
- Atanquesta — a Neo Quenya Course for beginners.
- Eldamo — a Tolkien language lexicon
- Parf Edhellen — a dictionary website for Tolkien's languages
- Vinyë Lambengolmor — a Discord server about Tolkien's languages
- Texts and sound samples at Glǽmscrafu
- Are High Elves Finno-Ugric?
- Quenya's relation to Finnish
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix F, "The Languages and Peoples of the Third Age", "Of the Elves", p. 1132
- ↑ John D. Rateliff, Jason Fisher, Patrick H. Wynne, et al. (mailing list discussion), "a quick question" (#24071 and related messages; dated 29 January 2013), Mytsoc mailing list (accessed 30 January 2012)
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix F, "The Languages and Peoples of the Third Age", "Of the Elves"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien; Humphrey Carpenter, Christopher Tolkien (eds.), The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, Letter 347, (dated 17 December 1972)
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien; Humphrey Carpenter, Christopher Tolkien (eds.), The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, Letter 144, (dated 25 April 1954)
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The War of the Jewels, "Part Three. The Wanderings of Húrin and Other Writings not forming part of the Quenta Silmarillion" p. 360, 361, 393.
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The War of the Jewels, "Part Three. The Wanderings of Húrin and Other Writings not forming part of the Quenta Silmarillion", p. 375.
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, "Words, Phrases and Passages in Various Tongues in The Lord of the Rings", in Parma Eldalamberon XVII (edited by Christopher Gilson), p. 126.


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Julie Bierach
Julie Bierach is the morning newscaster/news producer at St. Louis Public Radio. She was born and raised in St. Louis and graduated from Southeast Missouri State University. She started her career in Cape Girardeau, Mo. as a student announcer.
Bierach returned to St. Louis Public Radio in November 2010 after working in public relations at the Missouri Botanical Garden. She was previously the station's science and technology reporter.
Bierach worked in Tucson, Arizona at Arizona Public Media where she was the host of the station's weekly news magazine, Arizona Spotlight. While in Tucson, she reported on a variety of topics facing the desert southwest, including illegal immigration. Her reports have been featured on NPR's All Things Considered and Day to Day.


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Or are they? That's the problem with anonymity and a free-form organization that isn't an organization...how do we know which announcement represents them or if there's a 'them' to represent? It's pretty silly, really.
Let me be perfectly clear:
The activities of the Phelps family and their Westboro Baptist Church are some of the most vile, repugnant and disgusting exercises of free speech in history.
That said, they've recently been warned by Anonymous that:
"ANONYMOUS cannot abide this behavior any longer. The time for us to be idle spectators in your inhumane treatment of fellow Man has reached its apex, and we shall now be moved to action. Thus, we give you a warning: Cease & desist your protest campaign in the year 2011, return to your homes in Kansas, & close your public Web sites.
Should you ignore this warning, you will meet with the vicious retaliatory arm of ANONYMOUS: We will target your public Websites, and the propaganda & detestable doctrine that you promote will be eradicated; the damage incurred will be irreversible, and neither your institution nor your congregation will ever be able to fully recover. It is in your best interest to comply now, while the option to do so is still being offered, because we will not relent until you cease the conduction & promotion of all your bigoted operations & doctrines.
The warning has been given. What happens from here shall be determined by you."
Even some of my friends are rooting for Anonymous...after all, the Phelps clan is beneath contempt.
I'm not rooting for Anonymous, and I'm shocked that any thinking person is.
Despise the Phelps' protests all you like, but they are operating within the law and have repeatedly gone to court to protect the freedom of speech that we all enjoy. Anonymous, on the other hand, seem to have appointed themselves as the moral conscience of the planet and have decided to dictate what sort of free speech should be permitted.
This group of anonymous hactivists are not only breaking the law, they're attacking free speech while claiming to revere it. They've taken it upon themselves to be the sort of Orwellian authority that one would presume they'd be opposed to.
They're hypocrites - and dangerous ones.
I really don't like coming to the defense of the Westboro Baptist Church and yet I'm forced to do it over and over again because well-meaning but misguided people stupidly attempt to attack them for exercising the same freedoms that the rest of us are exercising.
Now, this blog may vanish tomorrow - but I won't be cowering to terrorist threats just because they're made against someone I despise.


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The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits fell 15,000 last week to a seasonally adjusted 330,000, signaling fewer layoffs and steady job growth.
The Labor Department said Thursday that the less volatile four-week average dropped 9,750 to 349,000.
A Labor spokesman said there was no indication that snow and freezing weather around much of the country caused the drop in applications. The number of applications could fluctuate in the coming weeks because of harsh winter weather that closed some offices this week and last, said Yelena Shulyatyeva, a U.S. economist at the bank BNP Paribas.
Applications are a proxy for layoffs. They appear to have stabilized near pre-recession levels after a period of volatility around the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. That suggests recent job gains will continue.
"The underlying trend is encouraging and supports the view that job creation is picking up momentum," said Jennifer Lee, a senior economist at BMO Capital Markets.
Employers have added an average of 200,000 jobs a month from August through November. That's helped lower the unemployment rate to a five-year low of 7 percent.
The government will release the December jobs report on Friday.
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There are signs that the job gains have helped to lift other parts of the economy. Consumer confidence and spending have picked up. Orders to U.S. manufacturers rose in November, a sign that businesses are investing more on factory-made items such as machinery, computers and electrical goods.
Many economists have become more optimistic about growth in the October-December quarter that just ended. Several are projecting a strong annual growth rate of 3 percent or more. That would follow growth at an annual rate of 4.1 percent in the July-September quarter, the fastest pace since late 2011.
Not all the data have been positive. Income rose at a slower pace than spending last month. Americans are spending more but saving less. And sales of existing homes have fallen for three straight months, held back by higher prices and mortgage rates.
Even with the improvement in the job market, unemployment remains painfully high more than four years after the Great Recession officially ended. And nearly 4.2 million people received some form of unemployment benefits in the week ending Dec. 21, the latest data available.
Fewer people will likely receive benefits in 2014 because a five-year old emergency federal program expired Dec. 28. It provided up to 47 extra weeks of unemployment benefits, paid for by the federal government, to about 1.3 million people.
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Congress is debating whether to revive the program for three more months.
The impact of 1.3 million people dropping off the unemployment benefit rolls probably won't show up in the data for at least another week, because the figures for the total number of recipients are released on a two-week lag.
Economists predict that the expired benefits will cause the unemployment rate to fall by as much as a quarter of percentage point in early 2014. But they say the decrease will likely happen because many of the former recipients will give up on their job searches, which are required in order to receive benefits. The government counts people as unemployed only if they are actively looking for work.
By: Josh Boak


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Chargers fire Marty Schottenheimer. It's like the owner and GM said, "You know, on second thought, losing to the Pats in the Division Playoff really DID suck as bad as we thought it did."
Actually, the real reason is even better than anything you could possibly make up: "Dysfunction." And it's obvious that the GM won that battle. That label probably marks the end of Schottenheimer's NFL coaching career.
So what next? I have two words for you: Pete Carroll. And if the USC coach hears the footsteps of the NCAA heading toward Trojan Nation, he might just decide it's a great time to get back in the pro game. (ProFootballTalk has supporting evidence for my theory, and the NFL Fanhouse is all over the various angles.)
Hell: Who WOULDN'T want to coach the Chargers? You have the best offensive player in the game. You have the best defensive player in the game. You have the best tight end in the game. You have a young Pro Bowl QB. And you DON'T have Marty Schottenheimer.
Duke is out of the Top 25! Well of COURSE they are. The true crime would have been if they had remained IN the rankings.
And, yet, amazingly, how much do you want to bet on the NCAA Seleciton Committee's working S-curve, Duke is no worse than a 5-seed?
(Oh wow: If Duke is going to make the Tournament – and they will – I PRAY they get the dreaded 5-seed. How awesome would that be?)
More College Hoops: Tourney Bias Watch --
I watched both of those
No matter what their ranking, this is a team that has all the parts to make a run to the Final Four. (Including one that I think is critical: A chip on their shoulder from LAST March.)
(I spent some time yesterday discussing Durant-vs-Oden with Shoals from FreeDarko: I walked away more convinced than ever that Oden is the only choice at the top of the draft.)
But I AM rooting for
CBB Tourney Bias Watch, Part 2: The Flip Side. Louisville beats No. 7 Pitt. (At Pitt? At Pitt?!) Another one of those games that I will remember during bracket-picking. I'm staying away from Pitt.
Tiki Barber to "Today": Damn, this would have been so much easier to mock if he hadn't inscribed his children's book to my little son. Damn you, Tiki! (But thank you, too... Damn! See?!?)
NBA: Nash won't play in the All-Star Game. That's too bad, because the ASG can use all the pass-first playmakers it can get.
Riley to return to Heat after All-Star Break: Just in time to take over as the team begins to make its surge for the postseason. Convenient!
MLB: Kris Benson has a torn rotator cuff and will likely miss the entire 2007 season. And the O's season ends before Ps and Cs report.
MLB: Is Mariano Rivera planning to bolt the Yankees after this season? He wants a big payday. How does that gibe with the Yanks' new financial austerity, particularly considering Rivera's mileage. (I dispute that: I think Rivera could be dominant well into his 40s, a la Clemens.)
NFL: Andy Reid to take a leave of absence to help out his delinquent son. Ah, just bring him to the combine. Can't find any trouble there!
Amaechi Watch: With the book about to release tomorrow, he's on the p.r. circuit, and correctly (a) lauding most fans for their positive reactions, and (b) noting that it will take time for true acceptance of gay athletes in major sports. (BTW, I agree completely with Mark Cuban's analysis of the marketing value to an active NBA player who comes out of the closet.)
Beanpot: BU beats BC. We can all go back to not caring about college hockey now (at least until the Frozen Four).


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Selling a Home in Puerto Penasco, Sonora
Selling your home is an involved process that affects your family and your future. Before you begin this process, you'll want to ensure that you have the most up-to-date information. When should you sell? How do you get the best price? What kinds of renovations should be made prior to the sale?
These home selling reports will assist you in answering the many questions that arise during the home selling process. When you're armed with the right information, and an experienced real estate professional, you'll be closer to reaching your goal - selling your home fast, and for the best price.
[forminator_form id="957"]


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Here's one thing that many people mean when they say Washington is broken. They may mean that politicians from different parties seem unable or totally unwilling to compromise, and many voters hate that. And yet many voters also hate it if politicians from their own party should compromise with the other side. That could be considered giving in. NPR's science correspondent Shankar Vedantam joins us regularly to talk about social science research, and he's found some that relates to this political problem. Hi, Shankar.
SHANKAR VEDANTAM, BYLINE: Hi, Steve, thanks for having me.
INSKEEP: OK. So voters want compromise, they just don't want their guys to compromise. Is this correct?
VEDANTAM: Yeah, I think so, because if you look at the ratings that Congress enjoys among the American people today, it's in the very low double digits.
INSKEEP: Eleven, twelve percent around.
VEDANTAM: Right. And at least at a cognitive level, people believe that getting stuff done requires compromise. Now, I talked with this psychologist who studies politics at the University of Montana. His name is Luke Conway, and he told me the problem is that compromise is really, really terrible politics. Here he is.
LUKE CONWAY: The view from 30,000 feet is that simplicity sells. Few people march under a banner that says, we may be right, we may be wrong, let's compromise! You know, that's not good politics.
VEDANTAM: So basically, people want compromise, but when they see compromise, they see it as caving in.
INSKEEP: Or we want compromise in the general sense, but on a particular issue, we want our side to win. Is that what's being said here?
VEDANTAM: The uncharitable view is that we want compromise so long as it's the other side that's compromising.
INSKEEP: So why is it that voters would see compromise as bad?
VEDANTAM: You know, I've talked with different psychologists about this, and one of the dominant opinions is that we believe that consistency and the ability to hold firm is a core trait of leadership, that great leaders are people who can look out into the horizon steer towards a distant point and not get sidetracked by all manner of differences.
INSKEEP: You were talking about this just the other day, the hedgehog theory of leadership.
VEDANTAM: Exactly.
INSKEEP: You stay right on target regardless, or you at least appear to be staying right on target at all times.
VEDANTAM: Exactly. But there's also some evidence that the fact that Americans are so unable to see compromise might at least partially have something to do with American culture. Here's Luke Conway again.
CONWAY: It's partially based on our hyper-individualistic norm that says the person is more important. So I can't go from situation A to situation B and be a different person.
INSKEEP: Hyper-individualistic norm?
VEDANTAM: Yeah, he's basically saying that in the United States we tend to see human behavior as driven by individuals. So psychologists have this term, they call it the fundamental attribution error. And the fundamental attribution error says when I do something, when I look at my own behavior, I tend to see it in context. So I think of myself as being a safe driver, but if I'm driving fast today, it's because I'm running late for an appointment.
But when I look at another person driving quickly, I say this person is a reckless driver, so I see it as being dispositional. And what Conway is suggesting is that Americans may have a tendency to see human behavior as more disposition or driven by the individual as opposed to driven by the context.
INSKEEP: Oh, meaning I understand that I have to make compromises in my own life, but if I see some politician flip-flop or change his views or sign onto something he doesn't totally agree with, that means the politician is craven, he's terrible.
VEDANTAM: Exactly, that we see people who change their minds on issues as fundamentally lacking core principles, which is really, really important to us.
INSKEEP: OK. Does Conway have an example where people have different attitudes about consistency depending on the situation here?
VEDANTAM: He does. He actually thinks that there's research suggesting that in non-Western countries - he actually cited the example of Japan in particular - people are more willing to see behavior as contextually driven as opposed to dispositionally driven. The point that Conway is making is not, you know, a universal blanket statement about how Japanese are different from Americans, but he's saying there are tendencies that are driven by the culture that make some people more willing to tolerate inconsistency than we Americans do.
INSKEEP: Well, now, what about inside this country? Because there have been any number of polls that have suggested that for whatever reason, in this current political situation more Democrats have been willing to say I want my politicians to compromise than Republicans.
VEDANTAM: You know, I've seen the same survey, Steve. I'm not sure I know of good psychological research that explains that, but it could be that the same patterns we're seeing between Western and non-Western countries at the global level are also playing themselves out at the domestic level, meaning that one party tends to be more willing to compromise while the other party tends to see compromise as being a really bad thing.
INSKEEP: It's a cultural difference, in other words.
VEDANTAM: Exactly.
INSKEEP: Shankar, thanks very much.
VEDANTAM: Thanks, Steve.
INSKEEP: That's NPR science correspondent Shankar Vedantam. You can follow him on Twitter @HiddenBrain. You can also follow this program @MorningEdition and @NPRInskeep. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.


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In these more enlightened times, I have so much regular entertainment to choose from that I can easily fill all my driving time and more with shows which confirm my own personal beliefs and prejudices, and much of the time I do. But when Beth asked her Facebook friends what fundie podcasts she could listen to last week, it reminded me. How is Hank doing? I really should start listening again.
And I'm so glad I did. Because if I hadn't listened to the August 1 episode, I never would have run into this great article by Jerry Coyne. It's titled: "As atheists know, you can be good without God."
To put it mildly, Hank did not like this article.
Here are a few excerpts.
...[I]t's clear that even for the faithful, God cannot be the source of morality but at best a transmitter of some human-generated morality.This isn't just philosophical rumination, because God — at least the God of Christians and Jews — repeatedly sanctioned or ordered immoral acts in the Old Testament. These include slavery (Leviticus 25:44-46), genocide (Deuteronomy 7:1-2; 20:16-18), the slaying of adulterers and homosexuals, and the stoning of non-virgin brides (Leviticus 20:10, 20:13, Deuteronomy 22:20-21).
Was God being moral when, after some children made fun of the prophet Elisha's bald head, he made bears rip 42 of them to pieces (2 Kings 2:23-24)? Even in the New Testament, Jesus preaches principles of questionable morality, barring heaven to the wealthy (Matthew 19:24), approving the beating of slaves (Luke 12:47-48), and damning sinners to the torments of hell (Mark 9:47-48). Similar sentiments appear in the Quran.
Should we be afraid that a morality based on our genes and our brains is somehow inferior to one handed down from above? Not at all. In fact, it's far better, because secular morality has a flexibility and responsiveness to social change that no God-given morality could ever have.
Sentiments I think most of us can get behind, but that's no big surprise, right? Most of you readers are on Jerry Coyne's side, as I am.
Now I don't know if you've ever heard Hank Hanegraaff, but he's got this very calm, very soothing voice, with what I would describe as almost a Jim Henson-like quality. He sounds reassuring, authoritative, certain of his facts. Most of the time.
On this particular occasion, as he talked about the terrible injustice of Coyne's article, he just kept getting more and more agitated. He didn't actually refute these claims about the Bible, mind you -- he threw them out there, dismissed them by saying they were "out of context," and then said he'd go over them in depth on another day. Which I loved, because there's no more effective way to stoke an opposing argument than to repeat it without refuting it properly.
By the time he was done with the subject, Hank was doing a passable impression of Yosemite Sam, bringing up the usual red herrings like Mao Zedong and Pol Pot (even implying that Pol Pot was just a humanist trying earnestly to set up an "egalitarian society," which made me say "WTF?")
The best line of the show, however, was when Hank said in a voice of grave and sorrowful concern: "The thing that I find particularly troubling about this article... is that when you read it without discernment skills, you can end up believing it."
Dead on, Hank. Of course, with proper analysis, it's even more plausible. But I think Jerry Coyne should graciously accept the compliment that his rhetoric is so good that people without discernment skills are more likely to accept his reasoning than the Bible stories that they usually take as a given.
That's what bugs evangelists about the internet in general. They're used to stating their case in a vacuum. When someone like Hank Hanegraaff says, as he did to a caller later in the show, "God loves you so much that He sent His son to die for you," he's counting on the assumption that some rude and dickish atheist isn't going to pop up and ask something like "How do you know that?" And when they solemnly proclaim that only God makes you moral, they hate it when you point to passages where Jesus endorses beating your slaves.
Similar sentiments abound these days; just a few weeks ago, Josh McDowell was saying that "The Internet has given atheists, agnostics, skeptics, the people who like to destroy everything that you and I believe, the almost equal access to your kids as your youth pastor and you have... whether you like it or not."
Equal access? That's what we're gaining that's so terrifying? Apparently religion can only thrive if they can muzzle the atheists, shut them up, shame them into not making a peep while we're being slandered.
Keep on scaring them, folks.


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Feb 13, 2017 | Carpet One Floor & Home
The name 'living room' is truly an appropriate title for this space. Living rooms are no longer a room in which to entertain occasional guests and a space to retreat after a hard day's work. Times are changing, and so are our homes. This is a versatile space ready to host the next neighborhood games night, or for an evening of breaking out the old vinyl records while sipping on your favorite cocktail. It's a space in which you are able to truly express yourself, and in 2017 with the exciting new colors and trends you are able to do so.
Color plays a substantial role in any space, but in this particular room they make this blank slate truly dynamic. For example the neutral tones on the walls, big furniture and flooring are layered with rich colored woods, accessories and art throughout that add interest and style which is adaptable as you continue to grow with your home.
A brilliant way to achieve this multi-dimensional look is by experimenting with textures. I assure you, textures do not have to be intimidating. Textiles are a great place to start when introducing color or pattern into your space. Then by adding mixed metal elements you are able to dictate the level of formality of any room, and this can be achieved quite conservatively. Carefully selecting accessories to pull together colors, patterns and textures used in your space are essential to create a harmonious and captivating domain.
Rich emerald, deep blue and warm grey are being included more, especially when paired in a soft texture such as velvet. Overall neutral palettes still rein king, allowing the color and pattern to change with the seasons and trends in smaller accessories.
Since blondes have been having all the fun these last couple of years, the darker hued wood styles are making a comeback for 2017. Wood flooring is ultimately the most efficient yet classic option for flooring in a high traffic area such as a living room.
This is wonderfully simple trend to layer into almost any home. With the focus on adding personality through the more accessible elements like textiles and art, you're able to maintain your key pieces. Opt for rich and varied textiles, graphic art and streamlined furniture for this casual yet elegant look at home.
Toronto-based designer and expert contractor, Melissa Davis is known for her appearances, creative design and renovation work produced for various HGTV shows. With almost two decades of experience in design, architecture and construction, Melissa also held the position, Head of The Art Dept and Series Designer on the award-winning, lifestyle HGTV series, Income Property for 8 seasons. Her private firm, Melissa Davis Design, is a multi-disciplinary design firm offering diverse services for residential, corporate, and retail spaces. Her design work has been profiled nationally and in the U.S. in both television and various lifestyle publications, and is a regular columnist of the Toronto Sun and several other Canadian design and lifestyle publications. Her first continues to service clientele throughout Canada. They specialize in value-adding ROI and resale consultations. To learn more about Melissa and view her work, visit www.melissadavis.com.


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PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Beer lovers across the U.S. have accused Anheuser-Busch of watering down its Budweiser, Michelob and other brands, in class-action suits seeking millions in damages.
The suits, filed in Pennsylvania, California and other states, claim consumers have been cheated out of the alcohol content stated on labels. Budweiser and Michelob each boast of being 5 percent alcohol, while some "light" versions are said to be just over 4 percent.
The lawsuits are based on information from former employees at the company's 13 U.S. breweries, some in high-level plant positions, according to lead lawyer Josh Boxer of San Rafael, Calif.
"Our information comes from former employees at Anheuser-Busch, who have informed us that as a matter of corporate practice, all of their products mentioned (in the lawsuit) are watered down," Boxer said. "It's a simple cost-saving measure, and it's very significant."
The excess water is added just before bottling and cuts the stated alcohol content by 3 percent to 8 percent, he said.
Anheuser-Busch InBev called the claims "groundless" and said its beers fully comply with labeling laws.
"Our beers are in full compliance with all alcohol labeling laws. We proudly adhere to the highest standards in brewing our beers, which have made them the best-selling in the U.S. and the world," Peter Kraemer, vice president of brewing and supply, said in a statement.
The suit involves 10 Anheuser-Busch products: Budweiser, Bud Ice, Bud Light Platinum, Michelob, Michelob Ultra, Hurricane High Gravity Lager, King Cobra, Busch Ice, Natural Ice and Bud Light Lime.
Anheuser-Busch, based in St. Louis, Mo., merged with InBev in 2008 to form the world's largest alcohol producer, headquartered in Belgium. In 2011, the company produced 10 billion gallons of malt beverages, 3 billion of them in the U.S., and reported $22 billion in profits from that category, the lawsuit said.
According to the lawsuit, the company has sophisticated equipment that measures the alcohol content throughout the brewing process and is accurate to within one-hundredth of a percent. But after the merger, the company increasingly chose to dilute its popular brands of beer, the lawsuit alleged.
"Following the merger, AB vigorously accelerated the deceptive practices described below, sacrificing the quality products once produced by Anheuser-Busch in order to reduce costs," said the lead lawsuit, filed Friday in federal court in San Francisco on behalf of consumers in the lower 48 states.
Companion suits are being filed this week in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and elsewhere. Each seeks at least $5 million in damages.
The named Pennsylvania plaintiffs, Thomas and Gerald Greenberg of Ambler, said they buy six cases of the affected Anheuser-Busch products a month. They did not immediately return a message Tuesday, and Boxer would not elaborate on their purchases except to say the consumer-protection suit does not involve retailers or bar owners.
One of the California plaintiffs, Nina Giampaoli of Sonoma County, said she bought a six-pack of Budweiser every week for the past four years.
"I think it's wrong for huge corporations to lie to their loyal customers — I really feel cheated. No matter what the product is, people should be able to rely on the information companies put on their labels," Giampaoli said in a news release issued by Boxer's law firm.
Bloomberg News first reported Tuesday on the lawsuits.
In a telephone interview with The Associated Press, Boxer said he has evidence to corroborate the former employees' allegations, but stopped short of saying the beers had been independently tested.
"AB (Anheuser-Busch) never intends for the malt beverage to possess the amount of alcohol that is stated on the label. As a result, AB's customers are overcharged for watered-down beer and AB is unjustly enriched by the additional volume it can sell," the lawsuit said.


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Fix alcatel Pixi First Slow Running Issue
In today's fast-paced world, our smartphones have become essential tools for communication, productivity, and entertainment.
However, as we install more apps, accumulate files, and use our devices extensively, they can start to slow down.
Whether you're browsing the internet, using social media, playing games, or simply trying to multitask, a slow smartphone can be frustrating and time-consuming.
Moreover, it can impact your productivity and hinder your ability to stay connected with friends, family, and colleagues.
Don't worry, you're not alone. Many users have experienced sluggishness and decreased performance over time on their alcatel Pixi First smartphone.
So, in this article, I am going to help you explore various methods to address the issue and restore your device to its optimal speed and efficiency.
Common Causes of Slow Performance
Before diving into the solutions, it's important to identify the common culprits behind a sluggish Android smartphone. Here are some factors that can contribute to the slow performance of alcatel Pixi First.
Insufficient Storage Space
One of the primary reasons for a slow-running Android smartphone is inadequate storage space. When your device's storage is nearly full, it can hinder its ability to function smoothly.
Too Many Background Apps Running
Having multiple apps running in the background can consume valuable system resources and impact performance. Apps that automatically start when you power on your device can further exacerbate the issue.
Outdated Software and System Updates
Failing to keep your device's software and system up to date can result in compatibility issues and reduced performance. Regular updates often include bug fixes, performance improvements, and security enhancements.
Presence of Malware or Viruses
Malicious software and viruses can significantly degrade the performance of your Android smartphone. These unwanted intruders can run in the background, consume resources, and compromise your device's security.
alcatel Pixi First Performance Issue
There could be several reasons behind performance issues on the alcatel Pixi First with the specified hardware specifications:
1. CPU Limitations: The Spreadtrum 7731 chipset has Quad-core 1.2 GHz. This may not be enough to handle high-end applications or intensive multitasking, leading to performance issues.
2. Insufficient RAM: Although the device has 512 MB RAM, it may not be sufficient for some apps or demanding tasks, especially when the device is running multiple apps at once. This could lead to sluggish performance or even app crashes.
3. Overheating: The device may experience overheating if it is used for extended periods or when running heavy applications such as games. This could cause the device to slow down or even shut down to prevent damage to the hardware. I recommend taking a look at effective ways to prevent your alcatel Pixi First from overheating.
How to Fix alcatel Pixi First Slow Running Issue
Now that we've identified the common causes, let's explore the solutions to fix your slow-running alcatel Pixi First smartphone.
1. Increase your Storage Space
Insufficient storage space is a common issue that can cause Android devices to function slowly.
When your device doesn't have enough space to store data, it can slow down the system processes, which impacts the overall performance of your phone.
However, there are multiple ways to solve this problem and increase the storage space to improve your Android's performance.
Here are some methods that can help you increase storage space on your Android device:
A. Uninstall Unused Apps
Having too many unused apps on your Android smartphone can consume valuable storage space and impact performance. Follow these steps to uninstall unused apps:
Step 1: Go to the Settings app.
Step 2: Select Apps or Applications.
Step 3: Tap on the app you want to uninstall.
Step 4: Click on Uninstall and OK button.
2. Move media files to an SD card
By moving media files such as pictures, videos, and music to the SD card, you can free up space on your device's internal storage, which can improve its overall performance.
The storage of alcatel Pixi First is expandable via a microSDHC card slot, supporting cards with a capacity range of 2GB to 32 GB.
Once you have moved your media files to the SD card, you should notice a significant improvement in your device's performance. You can also continue to use your device as normal, knowing that you have plenty of storage space available for all your media needs.
Note: The majority of new smartphones, particularly in the high-end range, do not come with a microSD card slot. However, some budget or mid-range phones are still equipped with an SD card slot that can support up to 1TB or more of additional storage space.
3. Clear App Cache
Over time, your apps create temporary files and cache data that can take up valuable storage space. Therefore, clearing the cache and app data of your apps can help you free up some space and boost your phone's performance.
Step 1: Open the Settings app.
Step 2: Select Apps or Applications.
Step 3: Tap on the app you want to clear the cache for.
Step 4: Choose Storage or Storage & Cache.
Step 5: Tap on Clear cache.
4. Use Cloud Storage Services
Using cloud storage services like Google Drive or Dropbox can be an excellent solution to increase storage space on your Android device. Here are some benefits of using cloud storage services:
Increased storage space
Cloud storage services offer a significant amount of storage space, ranging from a few gigabytes to multiple terabytes, depending on the plan you choose.
For example, Google Drive provides you with 15 GB of storage for free. By uploading your files to the cloud, you can free up space on your device's local storage and keep the files safely stored in the cloud.
Accessibility from anywhere
You can access your files from anywhere with an internet connection, whether it's from your mobile device, tablet, or computer. This feature makes it easy to access your files on the go and eliminates the need to carry your physical storage devices with you.
Easy file sharing
Cloud storage services make it easy to share your files with others. You can share files with specific people or groups of people, and set permissions on who can view, edit or download the files. This feature can be handy for sharing files with colleagues or collaborating with team members.
Automatic backup
Cloud storage services can automatically back up your files in real time or at scheduled intervals. This feature ensures that your files are safely stored in the cloud, and you can recover them quickly in case of loss or deletion from your device's storage.
Cloud storage services use advanced security measures like encryption, two-factor authentication, and access control to protect your files from unauthorized access. You can be assured that your files are safe and secure in the cloud.
Now that we've identified the common causes, let's explore the solutions to fix your slow-running alcatel Pixi First smartphone.
3. Disable or Remove Bloatware
Bloatware refers to pre-installed apps that come with your Android device and may not be necessary for your usage. Disabling or removing bloatware can help improve performance. Here's how:
Step 1: Open the Settings app.
Step 2: Select Apps or Applications.
Step 3: Tap on the app you want to disable or remove.
Step 4: Click on Disable option.
Step 5: Now, click on the confirmation Disable button.
4. Restart Your Device Regularly
When you restart your device, it clears the temporary files created by apps and services that are running in the background. These files can increase over time and accumulate on your device, which can cause your device to slow down as they take up memory space. By restarting your device, you can wipe these files, freeing up memory and thus boosting performance.
Additionally, some apps and services may continue running in the background even when you're not using them. Restarting your device helps to kill these apps and services, which can consume battery life and slow down your device.
Restarting your device regularly also helps to reduce the likelihood of app crashes and freezes. Apps can sometimes become stuck in a loop, causing your device to hang, freeze, or even crash. By restarting your device, you can stop these processes and clear out any errors that may be causing your device to hang or freeze.
To get the most benefit from restarting your device, it's essential to make it a routine. It's recommended to restart your Android device at least once a week. Some users prefer to restart their device every day to ensure that their device performs at its optimal level consistently.
5. Update Your Android OS
Updating your Android operating system is essential for various reasons. Firstly, it helps to keep your device running smoothly and efficiently, ensuring that it functions at its best capacity.
As newer updates are released, they often come with bug fixes, improvements to existing features, and sometimes new features altogether.
This means that by updating your System operating system, you'll have access to the latest versions of apps and features, making your device more enjoyable to use.
Moreover, it's also essential for security reasons. Updating your Android OS regularly helps to ensure that your device is protected from the latest security vulnerabilities and threats.
Here's how to check for updates:
Step 1: Go to the Settings app.
Step 2: Scroll down and select System or Software update.
Step 3: Tap on Check for updates.
Step 4: If available, click on Download and Install.
Step 5: Finally, click on the Install Now button to get the latest software update.
6. Reduce Animations
Reducing or disabling animations can make your alcatel Pixi First smartphone feel snappier. Here's how to adjust animation settings:
Step 1: Open the Settings app.
Step 2: Select About phone or About Device.
Step 3: Find the Build number and tap on it several times until you see a message saying You are now a developer.
Step 4: Go back to the main settings menu and select Developer options.
Step 5: Look for the Window animation scale, Transition animation scale, and Animator duration scale. Set the animation scales to 0.5x or turn them off completely.
7. Clear System Cache
Clearing the system cache can resolve issues related to slow performance. Here's how to clear the system cache:
Step 1: Power off your device.
Step 2: Press and hold the Volume Up and Power button simultaneously until the device vibrates and goes into Recovery Mode.
Step 3: Once in recovery mode, select Wipe cache partition by navigating through volume up and down buttons.
Step 3: Select Yes to confirm the wipe cache partition.
Step 4: Reboot your device.
8. Disable Auto-sync for Apps
Auto-syncing apps can consume resources and impact your device's speed. Here's how to disable auto-sync for apps:
Step 1: Open the Settings app.
Step 2: Select Accounts or Accounts & Backup.
Step 3: Select Manage Accounts and tap on the account you want to disable auto-sync for.
Step 4: Toggle the Auto-sync option to off.
9. Use Lighter Apps
Using lighter apps can be an effective way to improve the performance of your Android device. Here are some reasons why using lighter apps can help:
- Reduced resource usage: Lighter apps are designed to use minimal resources such as CPU, RAM, and battery. They are optimized to work efficiently on low-end devices with limited resources, which makes them ideal for improving the performance of your Android device.
- Faster loading times: Lighter apps usually have smaller file sizes, which means they take less time to download and install. As a result, they load faster, which is critical for apps that you use frequently, such as messaging apps or social media.
- Improved battery life: Since lighter apps use fewer resources, they tend to consume less battery power. This is especially beneficial for users with older devices or devices with smaller batteries. If you're experiencing a battery drain issue, I recommend checking out article Fix Battery Drain Issue on alcatel Pixi First.
- More storage space: Lighter apps often require less storage space than their heavier counterparts, which is useful for users with mobile devices with limited storage space.
- Easy to use: Lighter apps are often straightforward to use, making them ideal for users who want to save time and simplify their daily tasks.
When seeking lighter versions of apps, look for apps with "Lite" in their name in the Google Play Store. Many apps such as Facebook, Messenger, and Instagram have Lite versions available. Additionally, you can search for alternative apps that may have fewer features and, therefore, consume fewer resources.
10. Perform a Factory Reset (as a last resort)
If all else fails and your Android smartphone is still running slow, performing a factory reset can give your device a fresh start.
However, it's important to note that a factory reset will erase all data on your device, so it should be considered as a last resort and only performed after backing up your important data.
Here's how to perform a factory reset on your alcatel Pixi First:
Step 1: Open the Settings app on your device and go to General Management.
Note: The navigation to perform a factory reset is usually found in the Settings app on most phones. It is typically accessed by going to Settings > System > Reset options > Factory Reset.
Step 2: Tap on Reset or Reset options.
Step 3: Choose Factory data reset or Erase all data.
Important: In some phones, the Reset option may be located in a different setting otherwise the factory reset option is identical across most devices.
Step 4: When you click on the Reset button and confirm, all data on your phone will be erased. It is essential to take a backup of all your data and store it on your laptop or PC to avoid losing any crucial information.
Note: Read the warning message carefully, as it emphasizes the permanent deletion of all data on your device. If prompted, enter your device's security PIN, pattern, or password.
Your device will restart and begin the reset process, which may take a few minutes to complete.
Once the factory reset is finished, your device will be restored to its original state, as if it were brand new out of the box.
Follow the on-screen instructions to set up your device again, including signing in to your Google account and restoring your backed-up data, if applicable.
A slow-running Android smartphone can significantly impact your productivity and overall user experience.
By following the methods and tips mentioned in this guide, you can optimize your device's performance and enjoy a faster and smoother Android experience.
Remember to regularly clear app cache, uninstall unused apps, update your Android OS, and utilize the various optimizations available in your device's settings.
If all else fails, a factory reset can provide a fresh start for your device. Keep your Android smartphone running at its best and enjoy a seamless mobile experience!


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When Google executive Eric Schmidt visited North Korea earlier this month with former New Mexico governor Bill Richardson, they urged the isolated totalitarian state to open itself up to the Internet. Now Google has used the Internet to open North Korea up a little more to the rest of the world. The company announced Monday that it was updating its online map of North Korea with far more details of the Hermit Kingdom, which had previously appeared as a largely featureless void on the Google Maps service.
In a blog post, Google explained that the map had been filled in by years of effort by citizen cartographers using Google Map Maker, which allows volunteers to add detail to a group-edited map. "We know this map is not perfect — one of the exciting things about maps is that the world is a constantly changing place," Google Map Maker senior product manager Jayanth Mysore wrote.
(MORE: In North Korea, Google Exec Sees an Internet Open for the Very Few)
Google highlighted the map's new detail of Pyongyang, the North Korean capital, including the addition of roads and parks. But far more interesting and sensitive features can be found, including the Yongbyon nuclear-research center, a key facility in the country's drive to produce nuclear weapons.
And some of the prison camps that make up North Korea's extensive gulag for perceived enemies of the regime are included on the map. Here's a view of the Hwasong prison camp, or Camp 16, in the country's northeast, where some 10,000 prisoners are believed to be held:
During Schmidt and Richardson's trip, the delegation visited a computer lab at Kim Il Sung University, where they peered over one student's shoulder as he used Google's search engine. In a blog post after the trip, Schmidt's daughter Sophie described the lab as an "e-Potemkin Village" where nobody appeared to be doing anything. The students allowed to use the Internet are members of what one analyst called the country's "superelite," allowed to use the Internet because they are considered politically reliable. The possibility that North Korea might allow greater Internet access seems slim, given the risk that flow of information could pose to the Kim regime. After Google's move to fill in the blank spaces of its map, that prospect seems even less likely.
PHOTOS: A New Look at North Korea


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Can we solve the problems of the future?
By Thomas Homer-Dixon
Knopf Canada (1st edition Sep 2000)
Last year I more or less accidentally bought "The Upside of Down", Thomas Homer-Dixon's most recent book (you find my review here). Wow, I thought, there is somebody who manages to write about politics, sociology, economy and history in a way that my little brain can actually understand something - even though it is challenged with a PhD in physics!
More seriously, I am really picky with books. Given that there are just too many books that I could ever read all of them, it happens frequently that I drop one because it doesn't live up to my expectations (a very bad example of which you find here. I still haven't proceeded one sentence farther than this upsetting paragraph in the preface). "The Upside of Down" wasn't only a great read, it convinced me to also buy Homer-Dixon's previous book "The Ingenuity Gap".
As it turns out, I like "The Ingenuity Gap" better. Mostly because I find the topic more interesting, but also because I find the story better told. It is a very well written narrative that despite several time jumps remains coherent. It uses a number of metaphors that open an area to a closer examination of specific issues, without overusing these metaphors. It tells about a search for understanding, a search by somebody who doesn't stop asking questions, and who tries to fit together pieces of an enormously complex puzzle. 'Complex' is arguably the central word of the book.
Both books, "The Ingenuity Gap" and "The Upside of Down", are on a scientific level equally well founded, and come with a lot of references for further reading. The argumentation is careful and well balanced, points for as well as against a model or a conclusion are mentioned in almost all cases.
The issue under examination in "The Ingenuity Gap" is whether our societies are able to supply the necessary 'ingenuity' to address, in a timely manner, the increasingly complex problems that we are facing.
Homer-Dixon discusses several developments that need to be addressed on global as well as national scales. He covers economical instability, climate change, various other environmental stresses, global politics (terrorism included), info-glut, and 'techno hubris' - changes that are worrisome to varying degrees but have the common feature that they all reflect the human struggle to manage complex systems that have a lot of 'unknown unknowns'. His main argument is that once a problem has been identified, we do not only need the technological knowledge of how to solve it. We also need the appropriate 'social ingenuity' to implement this knowledge. To begin with you have to convince people the problem exists and needs to be solved - a process not without difficulties, the success of which crucially depends on the political and social system and its institutions one has to operate in:
"I soon realized that ingenuity comes in two distinct kinds: the kind used to create new technologies, like irrigation systems that conserve scarce water, or custom-engineered grains that grown in eroded soil, and the more crucial kind used to reform old institution and social arrangements and build new ones, including efficient markets, competent and honest governments, and productive schools and universities. I called these two kinds technical and social ingenuity."
A society that can not provide the sufficient ingenuity of both types to solve its problems, faces an 'Ingenuity Gap'
"If a society develops a serious ingenuity gap - that is, if it loses the race between requirement and supply - prosperity falls falls in the regions already affected by scarcity, and people usually migrate out of those regions in large numbers. Social dissatisfaction rises [...] These changes undermine the government's legitimacy and raise the likelihood of widespread and chronic civil violence. Violence further erodes the society's capacity to supply ingenuity, especially by causing human and financial capital to flee. Such societies risk entering a downward and self-reinforcing spiral of crisis and decay."
Homer-Dixon provides several examples for this, addressing social, political, economical and environmental problems among others in India and China.
The book draws on a large variety of studies, ranging from economy, over complex system's theory, sociology, psychology, neuroscience, biology and even a particle physicist makes an appearance in the plot, 1977 in Strasbourg France:
"[I] earned myself a small wage making kitchen cabinets and cooking meals for a local family. The father was a physicist. He worked at a nearby research laboratory that included a particle accelerator designed to pry open the deepest secrets of the atom. One sunny afternoon in August he took me on a tour of the facilities.
Although tiny by comparison with accelerators elsewhere in the world, the Strasbourg machine seemed mammoth to me, stretching through room upon room filled with computers, wiring, tubing, and heavy magnets. I asked my physics guide about one queer looking component after another, and he tried to explain the machine's operation in simple terms. After an hour or so, however, a larger puzzle came to my mind.
"Is there anybody," I asked, "Who understands this thing in its entirety? [...] Is there anyone who has expertise about all the components and who can put those individual bits of knowledge together into a truly complete understanding of the entire machine?"
"No," the physicist answered, with a look that showed he thought the question a bit peculiar. "No, no one understands this machine completely." I felt some discomfort about his answer at the time, but I didn't know exactly why. "
Admittedly, I too found the question a bit peculiar. Gee, just think about the LHC! However, Homer-Dixon uses this episode to make a point on a much more general level that made me think a lot. As a result of increasingly complex demands, people in our society specialize in certain niches, where they can become experts in their areas. A side-effect of this not necessarily bad development though is a fragmentation of our communities, and a lack of people who have an overview on how the pieces work together. Is there anybody who understands the world's economy in its entirety? The politics? Our societies?
"No matter how much we believe in our institutions and in the regularized procedures of our societies, no matter how just, rational, and durable we think them, they are at the best only loosely grounded on some form of bedrock reality or immutable truths that endure beyond human beings. To a considerable degree, they are sustained by collective belief and consensus, by tacit, unquestioned, and often grossly simplistic assumptions about how the world works, and often by mutual and willful self-delusion. Our societies cohere and function in no small part because most of us want them to cohere and function, and because the alternatives are, for most of us, literally unthinkable.
We all eagerly assume there exist people, somewhere, who unlike ourselves do have a grip on the bedrock reality that underlies our societies, who understand how things work and will take care of us if severe problems arise. We also deeply fear the possibility that it isn't true [...]"
That is to say, the book is determined to make you think about what's going on. Admittedly, I found it a bit scary in parts.
Okay, I feel already odd for all the nice words, it's so not me, so here is the criticism: Despite several attempts the actual definition of 'ingenuity' remains somewhat vague throughout the book. It is also interesting that the subtitle on my paperback version is "Can we solve the problems of the future?", whereas looking at the image above the subtitle on the hardcover is "How can we solve the problems of the future?". The book unfortunately doesn't contain very much on the "How" except the general plea that we need to remedy the "dangerous lag between the natural sciences and the social sciences"
"The natural sciences and the technologies they spawn carry us into the future at bewildering speed, in the process remolding our understanding of ourselves and revolutionizing our relationship with each other and the natural world. The social sciences plod along behind, unable to generate fast enough the knowledge we need to build new institutions for our new world."
Essentially, Homer-Dixon warns we might be running into a global ingenuity gap.
The most amazing aspect of "The Ingenuity Gap" is that despite the large variety of topics the book covers it remains throughout coherent and provides a consistent though somehow incomplete picture (some points esp. the role of energy scarcity were further examined in the second book "The Upside of Down").
The book is overall recommendable. If this was an Amazon.com review I'd give five stars. I wish more people would listen to what he's saying.
If you want to listen to Homer-Dixon yourself, check our today's colloquium PIRSA 08020001 (mostly about climate change and energy scarcity, so not directly related to the review above)
An End to Reticence? Natural Scientists and the Politics of Global Change
Speaker: Thomas Homer-Dixon - University of Toronto
Abstract: A convergence of climate, resource, technological, and economic stresses gravely threaten the future of humankind. Scientists have a special role in humankind's response, because only rigorous science can help us understand the complexities and potential consequences of these stresses. Diminishing the threat they pose will require profound social, institutional, and technological changes -- changes that will be opposed by powerful status-quo special interests. Do scientists have a responsibility to articulate the dangers of inaction to a broader public beyond simply publishing their findings in scholarly journals? Should they become more actively involved in the politics of global change?


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