text:
If you
were worried that the rather anemic
release (features-wise) of the Palm Pre 2 might be a sign that Hewlett
Packard was giving up on the smartphone market, the company today had a
trifecta of product announcements that should put those fears to rest.
I. The Event
At a San Francisco warehouse the company held a special event at 1 p.m. today
entitled "Think
Beyond". There the company showed off its hopes and dreams for
mobile products powered by the company's new webOS 2.0 "Mansion".
HP's Tom Bradley brags, "We have a history of firsts. We have a tradition
of creating firsts."
Describes Mr. Bradley, "I think the most conservative estimates for the
connected device market is low. We're in the early stages of a market that's
going to continue to grow in size, importance, and relevance for years to come.
What we've focused on is how we bring the scale. Since acquiring Palm, we've
added hundreds of engineers. Adding to an already amazing team, led by Jon
II. The Devices
i. Smartphones
The first fruit of Palm's recent labors announced at the event was the tiny HP
Veer smartphone. It packs 8 GB of storage, 512 MB of DRAM, HSPA+,
802.11b/g, and Bluetooth into a credit card-sized footprint. It also
packs a second generation Qualcomm Snapdragon, the 800 MHz MSM7230 to be
precise. Like most smartphones it comes equipped with light sensors,
proximity sensors, and accelerometers for responsive animation and touch.
It also can create a mobile hotspot to share the internet connection with
other devices.
Mr. Rubinstein brags, "Never before has a smartphone done so much, and
felt so little."
Next up is the Pre3, which Palm CEO Jon Rubinstein describes as a
"smartphone for professionals". The newest version of the Pre
line comes with a more up-to-speed 3.6-inch 800 x 480 WVGA LCD touchscreen
display, a 5 MP rear camera w/ flash, a VGA front-facing camera, and a large
slide-out QWERTY keyboard which Mr. Rubinstein claims is the largest in an
available smartphone bottom-out slider today.
Rounding out the hardware is a beastly 1.4 GHz Snapdragon 8x55. It's
unclear whether this is a dual-core or single core chip (both designs have been
announced), but from the series (8000), it's clearly based on the Scorpion core
design and is built at 45 nm. The RAM stays at 512 MB.
The Pre3 comes in two different varieties that support Bluetooth
2.1+EDR, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, and either HSPA+ or EVDO Rev. A. The phone
is available with either 8 or 16 GB of NAND Flash storage.
The Pre3 won't be available till the summer, but the HP Veer
will launch in the "spring" timeframe.
Next up HP unveiled the latest version of the Touchstone charge, which requires
no cords to charge up the smart phones. Both the Veer and the Pre3 are
compatible. The phones now launch into configurable demo modes while
charging, to show off photos, appointments, etc.
ii. Tablets
Palm's next big item was the TouchPad, the company's long-awaited direct
answer to the iPad. Rumored for over a year, the webOS tablet is
finally here (and even leaked online earlier today).
The TouchPad could well be the iPad-killer that many were hoping one of the
Android makers would deliver.
To start, it is a full 9.7-inches (same as the iPad) and features an iPad-like
1024x768 pixel display. At 13.7 mm it's ever-so-slightly thicker than the
13 mm thick iPad. And it weighs 1.6 lb, identical to the weight of the
3G-version iPad.
But it ups the hardware ante, offering stereo speaker sound by Beats,
a 1.3 MP webcam, and video calling.
The rest of the hardware also beats the first-generation iPad handily.
Onboard is a dual-core 1.2 GHz dual-core Scorpion Snapdragon SoC.
The likely model number is the MSM8660. An Adreno 220 GPU is
onboard the chip for snappy graphics. It has a full 1 GB of DRAM, up from
the iPad's meager 256 MB. It packs either 16 or 32 GB of onboard Flash
It comes with Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n), Bluetooth (2.1+EDR), and sensors galore
(compass, accelerometer, gyrometer).
On the software side Palm showed off a paneled touch-driven email app, similar
to that found in iOS. The app supports multiple accounts and multi-touch
selection of multiple messages (a feature not present in iOS). The app
supports a number of forms of messaging, including email, Twitter posting, and
The OS has a clean virtual keyboard (which is resizable and creates satisfy key
"press" noises, to boot), and offers support for wireless printing
and VPN. Supported productivity apps include QuickOffice, Google
Docs, Dropbox, and Box.net compatibility.
The device offers eBook support via a built in Kindle reader app, which comes
courtesy of a new partnership with Amazon. It even supports those gaudy
page flip animations.
Like the Pre, it will sync your music collection (presumably with iTunes, to
Apple's chagrin). It offers full Flash support too, letting you watch web
video and play online games without pause.
Rounding out the tablet, it offers what looks like a terrific multi-tasking
interface. Like a tablet-digestable version of what you experience on the
computer, it breaks down items into notifications near the top of the screen,
and multiple apps you can seamlessly and quickly switch between.
HP may well have Apple or Android beat in this department. It seems to
think so... HP's Sachin Kansal states, "Multitasking was not an afterthought,
it was a design principal from day one."
HP even took another dig at Apple and other "walled garden"
ecosystems, with Mr. Bradley stating, "We've embraced the webOS dev
community. We keep the tools in the garage -- unlocked."
So when in the TouchPad coming?
According to Mr. Rubinstein, "A WiFi version of HP's TouchPad will be
available in the summer, followed by 3G and 4G versions.
iii. Connecting the Tablet, Smartphone, Web, and Printers
Perhaps the most impressive aspect of HP's announcement was its announcement is
how its new products communicate in so many different ways
For example the TouchPad and Pre phones would talk to each other. When
the Pre phones are dropped on the next-gen Touchstones, they relay texts and
phone calls to the TouchPad. Presumably you would use a Bluetooth headset
to take voice calls.
You can take your Pre and tap it against your TouchPad and it transfers the
website you're viewing on your tablet to the phone (incredible, we wonder if HP
has a patent on this...). HP calls this tech "Touch to Share".
Another example of this focus on connectivity can be found in the new pictures
app, which automatically Sync's with cloud storage sites, such as Facebook.
It even integrates features from those sites, say showing Facebook
comments in a in-app pane. And the pictures can be relayed to a supported
printer anywhere using HP's remote printing technology.
III. Our Take
HP clearly delivered an A-game presentation today. From appearances by
the Beats CEO who works closely with Dr. Dre, to the special featurettes with
executives TIME Magazine, Dreamworks, and others, the presentation left you
shaking you blinking your eyes confused, wondering if you had mistakenly
wandered into an Apple press event.
But one question is whether it tipped its hand too soon. Typically, Apple
showcases products that are available the next day, or at worst in a couple
weeks. The TouchPad and Pre3 won't grace store
shelves for at least another four months.
A lot of whether the TouchPad is a stud or dud is thus uncertain. Palm
unveiled great looking hardware, connectivity innovation, and impressive
software today. However, by four months from now will it seem as great?
A lot of that depends on what kind of Android 3.0
"Honeycomb" products launch in the meantime and what kind of
improvements Apple delivers with the soon-to-launch
iPad 2.
At worst, HP seems to have three products that will be in the same ballpark, if
not technically superior.
Perhaps the biggest unknown, though, is the question of developer support.
Right now Palm doesn't exactly have an overly active developer community.
Yes, it has apps, and yes some developers still make apps for webOS.
But most developers focus on two platforms -- Android and iOS.
With Windows Phone 7 now entering that mix, one has to wonder how well Palm
will be able to convince everyone from game makers to business software makers
to devote the large time budget needed to create a custom port fully leveraging
the power of webOS.
From what we've heard webOS is a friendly enough environment to develop in,
with good tools and APIs, particularly if you're familiar with the Java-heavy
Android environment. But good tools don't exactly equate to developer
HP may be able to get by with a little bit of "if you build it, they will
come" mentality, but in the long term whether these products are mobile
heroes or zeroes over their lifespans will boil down to their app catalog.
The partners who spoke at the event is clearly a good first time, but HP
has a long road ahead of it in trying to reignite an active webOS development
community and get product to its potential customers (you).
It's always fun to root for the underdog, so until these products come up
short, we're optimistic that they'll offer a nice challenge to the
market-dominating RIM-Android-iOS trifecta.


text:
Photo: Russ Shea
Glenshee Snowboard Centre is located on either side of the Cairnwell Pass on the A93 in Scotland, which at 670m is the highest road in the UK. In January 08 a miracle happened. Glenshee had record snow!
Now this may not seem like a big deal to you but to Scotland they needed it because over the last few years the snow had gone elsewhere causing a massive drop in revenue for the Scottish resorts, which in turn had affected their ability to re-invest in new lifts and services. Whether that's down to global warming or just being unlucky we'll never know, but when I got a phone call from Andy Laird telling me that the snow had come to Scotland and that there was plenty of it, I just had to jump into my car and head north.
I had never been to Glenshee before so didn't know hat to expect, although having spoken to many a friend that has rode there they assured me that I wouldn't be disappointed with the terrain and scale of the place.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
If high quality, all original nudes are what you're after, then look no further then Hegre-Art.com! Created by internationally famous photographer Petter Hegre, Hegre-Art is the world's number one site committed to showcasing nothing but the brightest young models from across the globe. Visit Hegre-Art.com today and seize your dreams!
Take a Peek Behind-The-Scenes!
You've marvelled at all the hot models on Hegre-Art.com but what about the man behind it all…?
Enjoy an exclusive film featuring the man himself, Petter Hegre, as he talks about what it takes to put it all together. Shot in Mexico, this fascinating and in-depth interview reveals something of the man who had the vision to create this number 1 ranked nude website.
Along with candid, behind-the-scenes clips of the sexy models from the Mexico production, this is a rare chance to find out more about the life of a top nude photographer. Be a part of Petter's exclusive shoot in Mexico and join in the fun!
"Brings refinement to the web"
GQ, Italy
"Delightfully wholesome and sinfully sexy all in one – this site is fantastically great!"
Jack Gilbert,
New Age Publications, LLC
"The pictures are scarily intimate!"
Emily Jenkins, Salon.com
"Excellence in erotic expression."
Erotic Oscars, London
"The user get tons of great photography and a pleasing user experience..."
Site of the day, Staff Coolstop
"The Art Of Seduction"
Esquire Magazine
"Norwegian photographer Petter Hegre is serious about his work"
Playboy Magazine (US)
"Petter Hegre's images and galleries tend towards the intimate - with the voyeuristic feel of images shot in everyday scenarios as opposed to more staged sets. Beautiful stuff."
"The best in Naked Photography...art at its' best!"
"In just three years this remarkable young photographer has captivated Europe and America with his brilliant work..."


text:
ArtCarved Classic 31-V749W-L
All products are subject to price change and availability. Carter's Diamond & Fine Jewelers reserves the right to limit quantities. Any typographical, photographic or other errors are subject to correction. For all prices and products, Carter's Diamond & Fine Jewelers reserves the right to make adjustments due to errors, changing market conditions, product discontinuation or typographical errors.
ArtCarved Classic 31-V749W-L
Email This Item
Send information about this beautiful piece to someone you know.
Tell A Loved One
Give someone you love a hint that you like this beautiful piece.
Item Description
You'll find an remarkable selection of brand named wedding bands at Carter's. We are honored to be an authorized ArtCarved retailer. Wedding ring are meant to last a lifetime which is why we offer only the best brands. This timeless Ladies ArtCarved wedding ring is brilliant. It is skillfully made of 14k white gold and comes from the luxurious Classic collection. Wedding rings are lasting symbol of your lifelong commitment.
Item Specification
|Stones Type
|Stones Shape
|Stones Setting
|Wedding Band Style
|Metal Type
|14K White Gold
|Product Type
|Wedding Bands
Repair Take-in
I agree that the approximate values and description of the items listed above are correct, and I accept the following terms and conditions: This store, including its employees, accepts no responsibility for the condition or identification of jewelry or stones upon receipt. Items are submitted to this store for repair only and this store will not act as an insurer of the items listed above. Responsibility for loss, theft, or damage is accepted by this store only when it is due to their negligence. Any damage or loss due to this store's negligence will be limited to the cost to repair or replace the items and will not exceed the value declared above. Should no value be listed, it will be assumed the value is less than $75.00. Items receipted pursuant to Section 31C of Chapter 225 of the General Laws must be claimed within one year of such receipt, may be subject to sale.
Since many stone treatments such as fracture filing, laser drilling, and other clarity or color enhancements may be undetectable to the eye, it is the responsibility of the client to notify the craftsmen at time of take in of these pre-existing conditions. Carter's Diamonds and Fine Jewelers is not responsible for treated, created, or enhanced stones or mis-marked metals. Loose stones not purchased at Carter's Diamonds and Fine Jewelers are set at the client's risk.
Note: A Jeweler, designer, or other representative of Carter's Diamonds and Fine Jewelers may determine additional information of work needed after further inspection. You will be contacted before work is begun regarding any changes.
Special Orders
We regret that special orders are non-returnable, no exchange or refund can be made. A ll special orders require a 50% non-refundable deposit. A special order constitutes any jewelry, gemstone, watch, or gift item ordered or altered at the client's request.
Return & Exchange Policy
Carter's Diamonds and Fine Jewelers strives to satisfy our clients. Unless otherwise specified below, your purchase may be returned within 7 days of purchase by the original client when accompanied by a sales receipt. Any item that shows wear, use or has been modified (including ring sizing) is not eligible for return or exchange. All warranty cards, explanation booklets, certifications and reports must accompany the returned item in its original gift box. Special orders, completed layaways, modified and/or custom pieces are not returnable or exchangeable. If the purchase was made via credit card, the original card must be presented. Store credit or exchanges will be permitted within 30 days of purchase with a sales receipt. Purchases made by cash or check will be refunded via check. Refunds on check sales will be refunded 10 business days after date of sale. Gift receipts will be issued merchandise credit only. Gift cards are not redeemable for cash. Purchases made at special events are not eligible for return.
Returned Check
Returned checks for insufficient funds will be assessed a $30.00 fee.
Special Orders
We regret that special orders are non-returnable, no exchange or refund can be made. All special orders require a 50% non-refundable deposit. A special order constitutes any jewelry, gemstone, watch,or gift item ordered or altered at the client's request.
Carter's Diamonds and Fine Jewelers offers a 90 day interest free layaway with a minimum deposit of 10% provided you make payments regularly. Layaways are not returnable or exchangeable. Cancelled layaways are subject to a 20% restocking fee with the remaining balance to be issued as a store credit valid for one year. We reserve the right to return items to stock that have not been picked up after 90 days.
Custom Work
Custom designed jewelry involves metal, gems, and labor furnished by Carter's Diamonds and Fine Jewelers for a specific client. As such, all custom jewelry requires a 50% non-refundable deposit before any work begins. Every effort will be made by Carter's Diamonds and Fine Jewelers to accurately manufacture or produce the item(s) so ordered. Minor adjustments, such as sizing or texturing, will gladly be done by Carter's Diamonds and Fine Jewelers to accommodate the wearer at either a modest fee,or at no charge, depending on the complex ity of work involved.
Diamond Upgrade Policy
Any center diamond purchased from Carter's Diamonds and Fine Jewelers may be traded in for credit for the original purchase price on any future single diamond purchase upon meeting the following conditions:
- The diamond must be in the same condition as it was at the time of purchase.
- The diamond must be accompanied by any reports or certificates that were sold with it.
- The original receipt must be present to verify purchase price.
Servicing and Cleaning
We will clean and inspect your jewelry at no charge. We recommend you do this every 3 months, but please feel free to have your jewelry cleaned as often as you would like!


text:
Grocers Opt Out of Interchange Settlement
The National Grocers Association, one of the groups which first brought an anti-trust suit against large credit card-issuing banks and the major card brands, has opted out of the preliminary settlement of its case and has urged other litigating retailers to do so as well.
The case charges that the issuers and card brands violated anti-trust laws in setting interchange rates.
"The NGA Board carefully considered not only what is in the best interests of the retailers and wholesalers it serves, but also all other merchants who will be adversely affected by the proposed settlement," said NGA CEO Peter Larkin.
"It is clear to NGA that by deciding to opt out and object to the proposed settlement it sends a clear and unequivocal message that the proposed settlement should be rejected at the fairness hearing on Sept. 12, 2013," Larkin said.
The NGA said it opposes the proposed settlement because it "does not achieve the fundamental objective of restructuring and reforming anticompetitive credit card swipe fees and payment rules, and will only make matters worse for consumers and merchants." The association also charged that the settlement "does not meet the (legal) standard for being fair, adequate and reasonable. It is unfair because it violates due process. It is inadequate and unreasonable because of the illusory nature of the relief and overly broad reach of the release from future antitrust violations."
NGA said its opposition to the settlement dated back to back to when it was first proposed as a settlement, according to NGA Director of Communications Lauren Hefner.
"NGA did not initially support the settlement," Hefner said. "The settlement was proposed on July 12, 2012 and the NGA Board voted last July to reject and oppose the settlement agreement. But in November, Judge John Gleeson preliminarily approved the proposed settlement.
"Between now and May 28, class members can let Judge Gleeson know what they think of the settlement via opting out, objecting, etc. and NGA has officially decided to both opt out and object. A fairness hearing is scheduled for Sept. 12 to determine if the settlement is fair, reasonable, and adequate."


text: Seriously though shippuden is getting boring. Why don't they start making episodes directly from the manga. The freaking theme song shows more from the manga than the show does. They should stop loading naruto up with dumb fake episodes not from the writer kishi. What do you think. I needed to vent out cuz I realized how far behind the show is.


text:
Appeal following aggravated theft of art from house in Belgium
Belgian police are appealing for assistance to locate more than 50 items stolen during an aggravated theft at a private residence in Namur, Belgium during the night of 31 December 2012.
The thieves violently attacked the homeowner, leaving him with serious injuries, before escaping with the works of art including a valuable collection of 18th and 19th century snuffboxes and boxes, some decorated with precious gems, and others depicting royal personages.
All items reported as stolen by the Belgian authorities have been inserted into INTERPOL's Works of Art database, which is publicly accessible via a secure connection.
Anyone with information about the theft or whereabouts of the stolen items is asked to contact the INTERPOL National Central Bureau in Brussels (Ref. ART-22549) and the INTERPOL General Secretariat (Ref. 2013/3336).


text:
In a criminal trial so popular that reporters had to purchase seats from ticket scalpers, administrators for the infamous file-sharing portal The Pirate Bay faced their first day in a Swedish courtroom on charges of assisting others in copyright infringement.
Defendants Fredrik Neij, Gottfrid Svartholm, Peter Sunde, and Carl Lundström face accusations from a wide variety of entertainment labels and copyright organizations, including Sony BMG, Warner Music Sweden, Blizzard Entertainment, Activision, and MGM Pictures – who collectively are demanding at least 120 million kronor (US $14.3 million) in compensation for The Pirate Bay's role in allowing users to copy music, movies, TV shows, and videogames.
Prosecution is focusing specifically on a handful of titles, including Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, season 1 of the TV show Prison Break, and the computer games Call of Duty 2, Diablo 2, and F.E.A.R.
Day one of the trial saw the prosecutor painting The Pirate Bay as an ideological project, and its administrators as benevolent computer nerds whose project eventually grew to something larger than they could support – hence The Pirate Bay's decision to display advertisements and start collecting revenue. By the time Swedish police raided the site in May 2006, prosecution claims The Pirate Bay grossed a total of US $150,000.
In accordance with The Pirate Bay's stance that it is innocent of copyright infringement because it doesn't actually store any of the content, all defendants plead not guilty to any criminal wrongdoing and only two of them – Neij and Svartholm – admitted any responsibility in administering parts of the site. Lundström, in particular – who faced unrelated controversies in the past – said his hosting company, Rix Telecom, only sold The Pirate Bay bandwidth and server space "at market prices."
Stockholm University tort law professor Marten Schultz, speaking with Wired, said the figures presented against The Pirate Bay are "grossly inflated," and the defendants claimed that what revenue they did make only partially covered The Pirate Bay's expenses.
The Pirate Bay leadership is attempting to attract as much attention as possible in support of its case, throwing parties, press conferences – which blacklisted major media outlets because of their prior behavior – and touring the European countryside in a converted Swedish public transport bus. The focal point of its efforts is a specially-purposed website called Spectrial, which serves as an internet rallying point, events calendar, and feed portal for The Pirate Bay's twitter and micro-blogging efforts.
Interestingly, the trial features a number of live audio feed broadcast in The Pirate Bay's native tongue, as well as additional tech feeds in English, Swedish, and a number of other languages.
Outside the courtroom, onlookers waved black pirate flags and held street protests in support.


text:
OCP has created a huge and powerful computer-brain cyborg, the MIND (Massively Intelligent Neural Device) mixing human brain tissues and computer chips. In parallel, OCP is secretly supporting human gangs, which are dealing a new synthetic drug, the BrainDrain.
LEGO Star Wars The Force Awakens
The gameplay of Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens is similar to previous Lego video games. New systems are introduced, ...23 Jan, 2018
Homefront: The Revolution
Homefront: The Revolution is set in 2029, two years after the events of Homefront and four years into the invasion of ...23 Jan, 2018
Yarny, a small creature made of red yarn, who explores the world around him by using his own body. As Yarny moves, the ...23 Jan, 2018
Assassin's Creed Chronicles23 Jan, 2018
Legends of Honor
Have you got what it takes to fight and win epic battles in Legends of Honor? Plan your next steps carefully and become ...23 Jan, 2018
Need for Speed Nissan GTR Premium 2017 Video Game Debut
Fallout 4 Automatron Developer Walkthrough
Call of Duty: Black Ops III Black Market Trailer
The Elder Scrolls Online Join The Thieves Guild
Star Citizen The Loremakers Guide To The Galaxy Horus System
Pro Cycling Manager 2012 V1.20 – V1.30
The Pro Cycling Manager 2012 V1.30 patch supplies additional bug fixes including those for the career and database.31 Jul, 2012
PES2013 Demo
The Pro Evolution Soccer 2013 demo features a selection of club and international teams to sample.26 Jul, 2012
ArmA II: Operation Arrowhead V1.60 – V1.62
The ArmA II: Operation Arrowhead V1.62 patch installs multiplayer, AI and stability bug fixes.26 Jul, 2012
Pro Cycling Manager 2012 Any – V1.20
Pro Cycling Manager 2012 will be supplied with a host of fixes, including for the career, stage and interface, with the ...26 Jul, 2012
ArmA II: Reinforcements V1.60 – V1.62
This ArmA II: Reinforcements V1.62 patch supplies multiplayer, AI and stability bug fixes.26 Jul, 2012


text:
No Ross, gray's back, fields and Amir start. Discuss
No Ross, gray's back, fields and Amir start. Discuss
Glad to have Landry back in the starting line up. I don't think he fits in with Calderon all that well.
Despite injuries, this is a game the Raptors have to win. The Sixers are struggling and have basically been blown the fuck out their last four games.
No Ross ouch.... but then again why rushhim back I predict a W Sixers beat us twice we gotta get em this time. Come out Desperate!
I just hope Landry Fields shows his worth so we don't end up trading for Rudy Gay. That contract is too huge! Him and DeMar are too a like but Dear is cheaper and 2 inches shorter.
I would love to start Lowry vs Holiday, I have a feeling Jose is not going to be able to stop him in the 1st
Strange observation. No offence but Raps cheerleaders aren't beautiful, my personal opinion.
Edit: haven't thought Jose has such strong accent
Edit II: today I'm really random...
Last edited by RandomGuy; Wed Jan 9th, 2013 at 07:07 PM.
Come on man, we have the best cheerleaders in the league. Everyone of them is beautiful.
I even like the security chickies... huba huba
(rule no1 of the players play book, every single woman is beautiful, treat them all like they are hot, and you will have them all flocking to you)
Last edited by BasketballCrush; Wed Jan 9th, 2013 at 07:15 PM.
Well then probably my taste is bad or not, haha... but the rule of yours is general one. True that.
What do you know, Jose giving Jrue point guard lessons
Fields showing his ball IQ early if he ever gets his shot back look out.
wow, Anderson just walked right in
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text:
Jump to navigation
Founded 30 years ago in Bozeman, Montana, PERC—the Property and Environment Research Center—is the nation's oldest and largest institute dedicated to improving environmental quality through property rights and markets.
PERC's publications, each designed to resonate with specific groups, move ideas generated at PERC to broader audiences.
Research is at the heart of PERC's work, with a focus on the question: What is the link between economic growth and environmental quality?
The goal of PERC's programs is to fully realize the vision of establishing "PERC University," where scholars, students, policy makers, and others convene to expand the applications of free market environmentalism.
PERC's fellowships share a common goal of exposing new scholars, students, journalists, and policy makers to free market environmentalism, as well as enable scholars already familiar with FME to explore new applications.
PERC continues to publish and present a broad range of research and discussion through podcasts, videos, and other multimedia channels.


text: Its pretty obvious that Fields was a gamble to sign Nash. At least BC took the gamble. To be honest who cares if he's worth the money, at least BC gave it a shot. Theres no doubt he attempted a ton of different scenarios to improve the team. Having to take on Fields? meh, at least hes not lazy like turkoglu and he is an improvement over Kleiza.


text:
Microsoft is aware of these concerns and it has been
racing to develop a successor to IE 8 -- Internet
Explorer 9. IE 9 looks to be everything IE 8 wasn't -- fast
and lean. With the forthcoming release, Microsoft looks to give
Internet Explorer a makeover akin to the Windows Vista to Windows 7
The foundation of this effort was discussed in
depth at the Microsoft Professional Developers Conference in Los
Angeles by Windows unit president Steven Sinofsky. At the core
of the changes is hardware acceleration of text and graphics.
Microsoft's Dean Hachamovitch, general manager of Internet Explorer,
said the technology will be akin to Google's Native Client, used by
Chrome to better utilize the processor's power, and Mozilla's WebGL,
used by Firefox to provide hardware acceleration for 3D
The browser will use Direct2D, rather than the
previously used GDI (Graphical Device Interface). The
hardware-acceleration will provide support for technologies such as
sub-pixel positioning, which smooths text, reducing eyestrain.
The acceleration also allows the browser to keep up with displaying
rich graphics, such as interactive online maps. In side-by-side
testing, Microsoft reports that an online mapping utility runs in IE
9 at 40 to 60 fps with low processor usage, while running at only 5
to 10 fps and 50 to 60 percent CPU usage in IE 8.
Hachamovitch describes the night and day comparison, stating, "It's
a remarkably different level of performance. It's like the
difference between watching Pixar or an Xbox vs. watching an old PC
chug along."
He adds, "This is a direct improvement
to everybody's usage of the Web on a daily basis. Web
developers are doing what they did before, only now they can tap
directly into a PC's graphics hardware to make their text work better
and graphics work better."
The browser will also be much
closer, reportedly, to the high bar of standards compliance set by
the likes of Opera, Safari, Chrome, and Firefox. Microsoft in
August joined the HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) standards effort
and this month it set a dozen members to the World Wide Web
Consortium (W3C) meeting, a standards summit. IE 9 reportedly
will have almost full support for CSS 3.
Adrian Bateman, a
Microsoft program manager who's involved in the standardization
effort, describes, "High-quality specifications that improve
interoperability between browsers are important. Our goal is to help
ensure these new standards work well for Web developers and will work
well in future versions of IE."
The standards and
hardware acceleration efforts are merged, as Microsoft is looking to
use the Direct2D support to speed up the rendering of advanced
standards like Cascading Style Sheets, reducing the stress on the
developer. States Mr. Hachamovitch, "Web sites didn't have
to change behavior and code in a different way [to utilize
Direct2D]. With a lot of other technologies, it takes a lot of
work and a lot of time to figure out how to do something different.
It isn't necessarily an interoperable, standards kind of thing --
it's something from one particular vendor. We're taking interoperable
implementations of things like CSS, things that developers are using
and expect to work everywhere, and making them demonstrably
While it's unclear if SVG (Scalable Vector
Graphics) will finally receive official support in the release, it
looks like Canvas graphics are finally likely to be onboard.
Eliot Graff, an IE lead technical editor, is working with W3C to edit
the Canvas standard. Currently on Acid3, a compatibility test,
IE 9 scores a 32, versus a mere 20 percent for IE 8.
is also working to speed up its Javascript (JS) engine. In this
respect, Microsoft lags significantly behind Chrome's V8, Firefox's
TraceMonkey, Safari's Nitro, Opera's Futhark and Caracan JS engines.
John Montgomery, a leader of IE's browser compatibility and tools
team says the company is giving a much better showing in the
SunSpider JavaScript benchmark. He states, "We're whipping
through these faster than (IE) 8 was. We're pretty early in the
development process. There's still some stuff we can still squeeze
out of the engine, but we're doing a lot better than we
Microsoft really needs a hit when it comes to
browsing. While it still holds a dominant position, thanks
largely to its
business users, its marketshare has been sliding thanks to
competitors like Firefox, Chrome, and Opera. The browser by
some recent estimates has slid below 60 percent for the first time in
years, while Firefox's market share may have risen as
high as 30 percent.
With IE 9, Microsoft still might not
offer quite the level of standards support as, say Opera, but it is
taking a compelling approach -- it is saying that most of the
standards it supports will receive some degree of hardware
acceleration. While not new, Microsoft certainly seems to be
tackling the topic of hardware acceleration on a much broader scale
than is found in the current implementations of Firefox and Chrome.
In all Microsoft's Internet Explorer 9 looks to be an intriguing
release, a sign of a positive direction from the browser team, and
just maybe enough to win back some of the customers Microsoft has
lost to its rivals.


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Syrian refugee crisis: Three things you should know
Joy Toose, social media manager for World Vision Australia, spent a month reporting from Lebanon about the Syrian refugees who fled there to escape violence in their home country. Today, she shares three things that she learned about the refugee crisis that you should know, too.
* * *
Stories about the conflict in Syria have been popping up in my news feeds for the past two years. Most of them have focused on the fighting between the government and rebels: Who has taken which city? Who has gained the upper hand?
But I've heard much less in the news about the refugee crisis that this conflict has caused.
Now that I'm in Lebanon, I'm meeting some of those families.
My time here has confirmed for me that the Syrian conflict is complex. I've had a difficult time getting my head around it all -- but here are a few things I've learned.
1. Nearly 6 million people have been forced to leave their homes.
Imagine if almost all the residents of Los Angeles and Chicago combined were forced to flee their homes. The Syrians I've met had little choice; the war literally came to their suburbs, their streets, their apartments.
The 1.6 million refugees represent a fraction of the people affected. There are 4.25 million more people displaced within Syria by the conflict.
Forza, a mother of five boys, told me about her former life in Syria. Her husband worked in a supermarket. They lived in a three-bedroom apartment near a university in Homs. When Homs became a hotspot for violence, they moved in with relatives. Soon, that area was caught up in the fighting, too.
Finally, Forza and her boys fled. She has since heard that their apartment block was destroyed in a missile attack. There is no home for them to return to. Forza didn't want to talk about her husband; he had not come with them to Lebanon.
This family's story is not unique. The refugees I've spoken with have all been directly affected by violence. Some escaped as their homes were hit by missiles; others have scars from shrapnel, bullets, and burns.
"They've been fighting for almost two years already," Forza says. She is not hopeful about returning home or seeing an end to the crisis soon.
2. At least half of the Syrians affected are children.
The lives of the Syrian children I met break my heart. They are in tough situations; the stories of their pasts are harrowing; their future is uncertain.
Forza's teenage sons, Ahmad and Mahamed, sat still and somber while their younger brothers reached for my camera and played loudly in the tent.
I asked about a toy tank that sat on the ground. Mahmoud showed me how he had seen tanks driving up and down roads, firing sideways, using his toy to recreate the movements. He told me that he worries about his friends; he doesn't know where they are or if they're safe. He misses school.
Like many children in the refugee settlements, Forza's sons have little to do during the day. They help their mother or play outside in the dirt with whatever they can find.
World Vision provides Child-Friendly Spaces where children can play safely. We offer programs to help them make up for lost schooling and prepare them to enroll in Lebanese public schools. This is their hope for the future.
3. Neighboring countries face challenges.
My friend has lived in Beirut, Lebanon's capital city, for almost a year. The city has changed around her. Today, refugees are visible everywhere, begging on footpaths and sleeping under bridges and shopfronts.
Tent settlements have sprung up in empty fields.
Syrian refugees now make up 10 percent of Lebanon's population. The Lebanese people who welcomed them two years ago now worry about limited resources like electricity, schools, and housing. These and others are all stretched to the breaking point.
All of Syria's neighbors feel the effects of the war. The financial and societal challenges of hosting 1.6 million refugees are extreme.
* * *
That's what I know. Millions of Syrians, more than half of them children, have fled their homes. The refugees depend on help from governments and organizations like World Vision.
I hope that, through their own strength and determination and the generosity of others, the refugee children I've met will grow up healthy, educated, and in peace.
Make a one-time donation to help World Vision provide emergency assistance for Syrian refugees. Your gift will help us deliver basic hygiene kits and food vouchers for refugee families, as well as support initiatives to help refugee children continue their education away from home.
Please join us in prayer for all World Vision staff members working around the world, particularly in this region of conflict.
Related articles


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The Student Union Ballroom at Fort Lewis College will host the fifth Homegrown Retreat, an effort to interest or involve more people in the local-food movement, starting Friday and continuing most of the day Saturday.
Admission is free to the event called Dig In & Branch Out: Expanding the Reach of Local Food in Southwest Colorado. Preregistration is requested for the Saturday session.
Keynote speaker Steve Warshawer from La Montañita Cooperative in Albuquerque will talk Friday evening about extending the reach of local foods, barriers to extending that reach, and about existing distribution systems throughout the Four Corners.
The Montañita Cooperative is a four-store, consumer-owned grocery chain. About 16,000 families in Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Gallup, N.M., have a share.
In a telephone interview, Warshawer said he isnt a radical out to destroy global markets. He advocates a happy medium where each food producer does what he or she does best.
Producers should partner with the market that best serves their skills, Warshawer said. For too long, he said, small agriculture was marginalized by the emphasis on global markets.
That global focus was epitomized by Earl Butz, who served as secretary of agriculture under presidents Nixon and Ford, Warshawer said. Butzs mantra was get bigger or get out, he said.
Small growers can succeed, feed people and, at the same time, protect the environment, Warshawer said.
Were all part of the food system as a whole, Warshawer said. We all can have a rightful place.
Katy Pepinsky, the director of the sponsoring organization Growing Partners of Southwest Colorado, said the group has three goals: We want to educate the public about current food topics, facilitate connections in the food network and inspire people to get engaged in the network.
Homegrown Retreat themes change each time. The first conference was held in 2007.
This year were focusing on getting local food out to the community, said Joshua Jackson, general manager of Durango Natural Foods, a local food co-op. Among topics well hear about are distribution, what it takes to produce more food locally, how to increase efficiency and how to get consumers to become local-food advocates.
The Saturday session will start with a panel discussion on what has been working in the distribution of locally grown food and how to expand the network.
Workshops, from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., will delve into eating local food year-round, how to become a local-food advocate, the farmer-chef connection, backyard beekeeping, soil improvement methods and food safety on the farm.
Growing Partners has 16 supporters and sponsors: Fort Lewis College Environmental Center, Cooking Matters, Colorado State University Extension, Local First, Healthy Community Food Systems, Twin Buttes, Southern Ute Community Action Programs, Healthy Lifestyle La Plata, the Garden Project of Southwest Colorado, Turtle Lake Refuge, Zia Taqueria, Sodexo Food Services, Durango Natural Foods, Namaste Health Center and KSUT-FM radio.


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Q&A: Developing communities economically
Why World Vision? In today's Q&A, Jose Figueroa, senior director for Economic Development, explores the variety of ways in which World Vision works to economically develop communities to better support their children.
* * *
1. What is the greatest challenge to a community's economic development?
There are several challenges that limit a community's economic development capacity, but the main roadblocks are lack of financial education, lack of access to financial services, and limited understanding of market dynamics.
2. How does World Vision work to help address these challenges?
World Vision helps group people together and develops their financial literacy, promoting savings practices, entrepreneurship, access to capital, and market knowledge.
3. With child sponsorship as the core of World Vision's work, how does sponsorship tie in to a community's economic development?
Sponsorship serves as the base through which World Vision develops community organization and volunteer networks, and it strengthens long-term relations at the grassroots level. It also allows for building relationships with local and national stakeholders that have a presence in the community.
4. How does economic development help children?
Economic Development is not an end to itself, but a means to achieve child well-being. World Vision's Economic Development projects target and measure the following outcomes: children have enough food at the table (three square meals each day); children of school age attend school (parents pay school fees, supplies, and uniform costs); parents care for the medical needs of their children; and parents are able to improve shelter conditions for their children.
Economic Development's sole purpose is to increase income and assets at the household level so children's lives benefit directly. Our microfinance institutions track the household use of additional income generated from business loans through its loan application cycles (starting with the second loan requested).
5. What is microfinance, and how does it help communities develop economically?
Microfinance is the provision of financial services to micro-entrepreneurs and small businesses that lack access to formal banking and loan capital. All businesses, big and small, require capital to operate, since household income is insufficient to start or expand a business. For small-scale producers, formal financial services are not available due to the high transaction costs and the lack of collateral to guarantee the loans. World Vision works with VisionFund (a microfinance institution) to organize small-scale producers into groups, to strengthen their financial and business literacy, and to provide loan capital for them to start and operate their businesses.
By supporting local small-scale businesses — in agriculture, commerce, and industry — jobs are created and sustained, income and assets increase, and household well-being improves.
6. What's the difference between microfinance and economic development?
Microfinance is a component of economic development and at the heart of entrepreneurial development; however, economic development includes other products, such as savings and access to markets, which are equally important.
7. What does World Vision do in these other financial product areas?
By organizing neighbors into savings groups, World Vision introduces and builds financial literacy in the community. Group members save weekly and lend to each other, setting their own interest rates and multiplying their resources collectively. Savings groups are an excellent way to introduce the power of financial discipline to low-income families, since it allows for a multiplying effect of their own money with low risk. Not every person is comfortable becoming an entrepreneur, but everyone can benefit from saving. We expect approximately half the savings group members to venture into accessing microfinance services.
Another equally important economic development product is access to markets, since having a good product and work capital are not enough to guarantee higher market sales. To access more profitable markets, producers need to strengthen their market knowledge, so World Vision conducts market studies that define the most profitable products for the micro regions where small-scale producers are located.
A second step is to help farmers organize into producer groups and learn about improving packing methods and using more advanced but locally applicable technology. Organized and trained producer groups then work together to negotiate better prices with suppliers and buyers.
8. As a Christian organization, how is World Vision's work in economic development motivated by faith?
As an organization made up of faith-inspired people, World Vision knows well that worldviews motivate a great number of behaviors. A modern biblical worldview, beginning from the concept that humanity is created by God and redeemed by Christ, sees that all people have the ability and responsibility to lead their own development. This involves roles and responsibilities around work, finances, family relations, and natural resources.
The most vital force for social development comes from within, as people seek to know how God is calling and empowering them to change the world around them for the better.
Child sponsorship is the cornerstone of World Vision's approach to community development. Join us! Change a child's life for good. Sponsoring a child provides life-saving basics and helps break the cycle of poverty. Consider sponsoring a child today!
You can also help change the life of an entrepreneur like Nalangu. Visit World Vision Micro to choose your entrepreneur today!


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One of the exchange-traded fund industry's biggest events, the Morningstar ETF conference, is sold out this year and looking for a new home next year due to the event's enormous popularity.
To be held in Chicago on Oct. 2 through 4 at the Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel, the Morningstar ETF Invest Conference has reached its capacity of 500, according to Ben Johnson, Morningstar's director of passive funds research, who has been involved in putting the agenda together and will serve as a moderator and master of ceremonies for the event.
"It's a full house this year. The event is all sold out. We're looking for a bigger venue for 2014, but it will definitely be in Chicago," Johnson said in an interview on Tuesday. He added that the Windy City's weather this year "is predicted to be fantastic."
Asked why the conference is at capacity, Johnson pointed to interest in the event's agenda, which is scheduled to bring together experts from across the ETF industry to discuss tactics, strategies and portfolio management.
"We have a lot of good content with good speakers and great thinkers," Johnson said. "As with all Morningstar conferences, it's not a pay-to-play event driven by sponsors. This is content that's selected by Morningstar's analyst, including hand-picked speakers and break-out session topics."
Morningstar team members will moderate all sessions. Johnson said he especially looks forward to moderating one of the topics that he picked: "The New World Order in Indexing," scheduled to be held as a morning breakout session on Oct. 3. He noted that Vanguard "fired the shot heard round the world" when it recently transitioned six international stock index funds to FTSE benchmarks and 16 U.S. stock and balanced index funds to the University of Chicago's Center for Research in Security Prices (CRSP) benchmarks.
Johnson's indexing session will address how index providers have moved from methodological convergence in the plain-vanilla beta space to "the next great frontiers in smart beta." Panelists include David Barclay of CRSP, Craig Lazzara of S&P Dow Jones Indices and Raman Subramanian of MSCI.
In addition, Johnson said, Morningstar has a strong line-up of speakers for the general sessions. They include PIMCO's Douglas Hodge, who will take what Johnson called a "tongue-in-cheek" look at "The Great American Saver," and University of Chicago Booth Business School Prof. Austan Goolsbee, formerly of President Barack Obama's Council of Economic Advisers, who will talk about how Washington has clouded the outlook for the U.S. economy.
In all, nearly 50 speakers will appear during the Morningstar ETF Invest Conference's workshops and sessions. Sessions will cover topics ranging from tactical investment strategies to bond market volatility to profiting from market inefficiencies to using alternatives and quantitative strategies and more.
"What we're doing this year is putting together an agenda which puts people as investors first and ETFs second," Johnson said. "We want an agenda that helps investors build a better understanding of what's going on in a broader macro context before they dive into the details of putting together ETFs for tactical use in their portfolios. It's about strategy first."
Read Morningstar Guru Johnson: The Cons and Pros of Active ETFs at ThinkAdvisor.


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1970's Retro Candy
1 Item
1 Item
The last stop on our retro candy list is 1970's candy, which includes many fun and fruity, and in one case explosive, old-fashioned candy celebrities. Pop Rocks were a bang when they were first offered in 1975, and they still are (read about Pop Rocks and Children's Culture and Candy Consumption).
You might think of Reese's Pieces as a product of the 1980's, since the release of E.T. in 1982 launched the candy to stardom. They were actually first marketed in the United States in 1978, making them peers with other celebrities of the 1970's, like Bubble Yum, Grapeheads, Freshen Up Gum, Charms, and Rolo.
If you enjoyed browsing our nostalgic retro candy selections, take a look at our Confectionary Timeline for more historical details that could give you a leg up in your next game of Trivial Pursuit. The timeline includes links to our old-fashioned candy favorites to make shopping your way through history a breeze.


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This questions is sort of relevant to Matt's other thread of, would you build a team around a player, or build a team and than fit the player.
My question is to you... What player would you start a franchise with and why?
Reasons could be loyalty, finance, on-court, off-court, and etc.
Please notice I went with this generation/decade of players and current ones


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Tax Foundation Advocates Taxing Credit Unions to Reduce Deficit
Credit union tax exemption is a "least worst" option to increase federal government revenues, according to the Tax Foundation, a Washington-based tax think tank.
The conservative-leaning group Wednesday published a report entitled "Raising Revenue: The Least Worst Options" that named credit unions three separate times as a way lawmakers could reduce the federal deficit as they negotiate fiscal cliff solutions.
The report is replete with banking lobby talking points, charging that credit unions "compete directly with private businesses but have the advantage of not paying federal income taxes" and estimated the value of the "tax benefit to credit unions" at $2 billion to $3 billion per year.
The report did not mention the tax-exempt Subchapter S charter enjoyed by roughly one-third of all banks, which was valued at $2.05 billion in the 2010 federal budget, compared to the $1.27 billion credit union tax expenditure that same year.
Tax Foundation President Scott A. Hodge also erroneously included credit unions among Government Sponsored Enterprises and federally owned businesses, saying they should be required to pay federal income taxes.
NAFCU Executive Vice President of Government Affairs Dan Berger fired off a response letter to Hodge Dec. 6 that called the report a "myopic perspective of including and singling out credit unions."
Berger wrote in the letter that "credit unions are no more 'federally owned' than the Tax Foundation is 'bank-owned,' as credit unions are not-for-profit cooperatives owned and operated by the millions of Americans who are their members."
He also countered the reports claim that the credit union tax exemption is worth $2 billion to $3 billion annually, sourcing a 2010 Senate Budget Committee Report that put the estimate closer to $500 million for fiscal year 2013.
John McKechnie, partner at Washington-based lobby firm Total Spectrum, called the report a "disturbing misread" of the credit union tax exemption and said the Tax Foundation should know better.
"If nothing else, this is a reminder that we're in an environment that calls for vigilance when it come to the tax exemption," McKechnie said.


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World Cup TV: Trophy Returns to Scene of the Crime
The Rugby League World Cup Trophy has this week returned to the Midland Hotel in Bradford, from where it mysteriously disappeared for 20 years in 1970. Fortunately on this occasion, the silverware remained safe as it created a little slice of history...
This was one of its last appearances before Rugby League World Cup 2013 kicks off on October 26 with a spectacular Opening Ceremomny and double header of matches featuring England against Australia, and Wales v Italy at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.
Tickets are now on sale for RLWC2013, with 55 per cent of tickets priced £20 or less. To purchase tickets please visit www.rlwc2013.com or call the 24-hour Ticket Hotline on 0844 847 2013.


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With A's, the right environment for Melvin to flourish
Third time the charm for manager after short-lived stints in Seattle, Arizona
By Tracy Ringolsby / MLB.com
PHOENIX, Ariz. -- Bob Melvin wasn't looking to prove anyone wrong.
He just wanted a chance to manage again so he could prove himself right.
Mission accomplished.
Given a third shot at managing by the Oakland A's, it's been a charming turn of events for Melvin. A year ago, in his first full season with Oakland, he led the team to the franchise's first American League West title in six years and most victories (94) in nine years.
And he isn't done yet.
The A's weren't on the radar of the experts last spring. During the course of the season, however, they made a stretch run to overtake the two-time defending AL champion Texas Rangers, and this spring, Oakland is getting the respect.
The A's earned it.
So did Melvin.
"He has a great demeanor for baseball," A's outfielder Seth Smith said. "He has a quiet intensity. He knows want he wants and stands firm."
The third time has been charming for Melvin, who has roots in the Bay Area. He was born in Palo Alto, went to high school in Menlo Park, and attended the University of California in Berkeley. He even spent three of his 10 big league seasons playing across the Bay with the San Francisco Giants.
"There are horses for courses," Melvin said. "There are places you really feel right. This is one of those places."
His managerial career started in Seattle, where he was on the job for two years, taking over for fan favorite Lou Piniella. Piniella led the Mariners to the only three postseason appearances in the franchise's history, and seven winning seasons in 10 years on the job. The Mariners have only four other winning seasons since their creation as an expansion team in 1977.
One of those three seasons came in Melvin's debut. The Mariners were 93-69 in 2003. Age, however, caught up with the Mariners in a nasty way. They slipped to 63 wins in '04.
Every member of the Mariners' regular lineup that second season was in his 30s, except DH Edgar Martinez, who was 41. Only three of them -- Ichiro Suzuki, Raul Ibanez and Bret Boone -- retained an everyday role in 2005.
Melvin did not survive, either.
He matriculated to Arizona, where in 2007 he led the D-backs to a National League West title. He, however, was dismissed 29 games into the '09 season by general manager Josh Byrnes, who had been hired prior to the '06 season and inherited Melvin. Byrnes' main lieutenant, farm director A.J. Hinch, took over for Melvin in a move that was a part of why Byrnes himself was dismissed a year later.
"In some places, there is a shelf life, and that was the case in Seattle," Melvin said. "It was a team that got old at the same time. In Arizona, in my view, it was a different situation."
Melvin had been told three days before the move was announced that he was going to be let go. He was sworn to secrecy on the matter so the club could handle the announcement when the team returned to Arizona for a homestand. However, the news leaked while the D-backs were on the flight home.
It was difficult for Melvin, fueling his desire to get another managerial opportunity. He interviewed for the job in Houston, which went to Brad Mills, and he never felt he was a serious candidate. He also was a candidate in Milwaukee, where Ron Roenicke was hired, and with the New York Mets -- Terry Collins got the job. In those opportunities, Melvin felt optimistic about his chances.
Then came the chance in Oakland, where he took over midway through the 2011 season, after general manager Billy Beane made the difficult decision to let go of his childhood friend, Bob Geren. Melvin and Beane had never been teammates or worked together after their playing careers, but they had developed a professional relationship.
"We'd always found time to talk, whether it was during Spring Training, when I managed Arizona, or when I was in Seattle and we'd play the A's, or even the year before when I was scouting [for the Mets]," said Melvin. "We had good conversations."
Now, they are enjoying a good working relationship .
"When we came out of Spring Training [last year], you knew we had good pieces, and I felt we had the ability to get better and better as the season went along," said Melvin.
They did.
The season began to turn around in mid-June.
At 26-35 after being swept in a three-game series at Arizona, leaving them in third place on June 10, the A's went into Colorado, swept a three-game series from the Rockies and began their climb up the standings. They moved into second place on July 24 and eventually faced Texas for a season-ending three-game series, trailing the division-leading Rangers by two games.
Three wins later, the A's celebrated a division title.
"In that second half, we had a different feeling," said Melvin. "Billy did a great job of managing the roster. Every move he made had an impact of some degree on our success. Everything fell in place."
And Melvin knew he was finally in the right place.
Tracy Ringolsby is a columnist for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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And i'm glad that Matt and Jack finally pointed it out tonight.
DeRozan fades all the time whenever he drives the ball avoiding contact, sometimes changing shot INSTEAD of just going straight to the basket HARD.
That play late in the 4th was a great example. That was not a foul. And i'm glad that Matt and Jack finally tells it the way it is instead of constantly calling "no foul called" whenever DeRozan drives the ball.


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How are the children? is the traditional greeting of the mighty Masai tribe of Kenya and Tanzania. No tribe is considered more fearsome or more intelligent than the Masai warriors; yet they continue to place the highest value on their children and can answer, All the children are well. This means, of course, that peace and safety prevail, the priorities of safeguarding the young and powerless are in place. It means the daily struggles for existence do not preclude proper caring for their children.
Former president of South Africa, Nelson Mandela once said, There can be no keener revelation of a societys soul that the way in which it treats its children. What does the U.S. record of how we care for our children reveal about our soul as a society?
Maternity leave: The United Nations International Labor Organization has set these standards for leave: 14 to 18 weeks minimum, pay should cover a minimum of two-thirds of a parents earnings and family members should be covered by medical insurance. All European countries, except for Ireland and the U.K., exceed the standard for wage replacement. Some countries also have father quotas, as long as three months leave time for the dad, also. Germany gives parents two to 12 months of allowance, and single parents can go for 14 months, with between 67 and 100 percent income replacement.
The U.S., by contrast, does not meet any of the ILOs standards. We are one of the four countries (Liberia, Papua New Guinea and Swaziland are the other three) that does not require paid maternity leave. We allow only 12 weeks of unpaid leave but only for companies that employ 50 or more people. Only one-fourth of American employers give fully paid leaves of absences to give birth.
Early care: European countries also support child care in the very early years of development. The French offer eight hours daily of free care for 2- to 6-year-olds. Europe has plenty of care for younger-than-2s and pays about 75 percent of the cost. Family allowances also exist to subsidize families through cash payments.
The U.S. has no national child care programs, and we do not offer family assistance. We rely instead on private sources, some targeted state child care assistance and subsidized programs by income levels, and tax breaks.
Preschool: European governments also heavily support and subsidize preschool, starting at age 3, instead of our Head Start at age 4. Eighty-four percent of European kids attend publicly funded programs, while in the U.S., only 55 percent do, and they must qualify financially. The U.S. ranks 28th in the percentage of 4-year-olds in early childhood education. European programs are taught by qualified teachers with a formal curriculum.
Older American children rate the fifth worst, as determined by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, in lacking more than four of eight key educational possessions a desk on which to study, a quiet place to work, a computer for schoolwork, educational software, Internet connection, a calculator, a dictionary and school textbooks.
Infant mortality in the U.S. is the fourth worst (after Mexico, Turkey and the Slovak Republic), and we have the sixth worst rate of low birth weight. Europeans enjoy universal health benefits, while in the U.S., 50 million citizens are uninsured and lack access to care.
These statistics are shocking to me and a real wake-up call to the reality of many children in La Plata County. I wonder how it might effect our consciousness if we took to greeting each other with, How are the children? I wonder if we all heard this many times a day, from friends, in meetings, in the press, at county commissioners and city council meetings, in church, on the mountain and in the gym, it would begin to make a difference in how children are thought of and cared about.
I wonder if and when we can all say, They are well, yes, all the children are well.
Martha McClellan has been an early care child educator, director and administrator for 36 years. She currently has an early childhood consulting business, supporting child care centers and families. Reach her at email@example.com.


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So the entire Cullen cast just got back from lunch and Rosalie said shed come out after this scene to say hi/do pix.You lucky ducks! Could this be Birthday Party Bloodiness or Let's Take a Vote on Whether or Not Bella Ought to Become a Vampire filming? Finally, an RPattz sighting. Waiting to see the pics...Stay tuned.
We saw RPattz, Ashley, Jackson, Kellan, Nikki, Elizabeth, Peter and KStew!!!
UPDATE: Still waiting to see the pic, but it may not have the whole cast and was told it's a bit dark. In any case, I saw the E!Online report that RPattz was in LA on Monday. Even if that is true, who knows where he was yesterday? :-)


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First and foremost I am Canadian, True North Strong and Free, born and bred TO, so don't flame me for being anti-Canadian.
In the last 10 years I've noticed that MLSE has been making subtle changes to the Toronto Raptors that had me scratching my head. Its been the inclusion of features and things that made me notice the abundance of Canadian themes.
I call this the Canadianization (like Americanize) of the Raptors.
1) Changing the Colours from primarily purple to a Red-White Canada scheme (I personally
liked the purple/black better)
2) Inclusion of the Leaf on the back of the away black jersey's. (First inclusion of any
national symbol for any nba team i.e no other team has an american star/eagle/etc)
3) Hiring the First Canadian Head Coach in NBA History to the Raps
4) Rebranding the RaptorsTV Channel to NBA TV Canada
5) Removal of the claw entirely from the raptors Jersey with the replacement of the leaf
(see new home jersey)
6) The "diversification" of the roster because "Toronto is such a wonderful Diverse City
and our GM thinks that the roster should reflect that"
Now the reasons why MLSE could have done this is to appeal to more fans in canada, and make more money. While this may be good for MLSE profit I don't think its good for the raptor's Franchise or Canada Basketball. Here's why:
The team is the TORONTO raptors not the Canada Raptors, the Toronto Canucks, or the Toronto Habs ;-) . That should focus on the greatness of the City of T.Dot not where it is. It creates a generalization of all Canadian cities, int that they're all the same as TO (otherwise it wouldn't represent them all), when clearly they're not (ie Montreal and Vancouver) and removes them as potential home cities for other teams. (Imagine if all of canada had to be represented by the Leafs ). Common rhetoric against further expansion or relocation is "but Canada ALREADY has a team".
Players focus on the Canadian aspect of the team rather than the team itself. We all know players look at the geography of a team as a deciding factor ie. (Mr."Ill take my talents to South Beach" cough*Cough*). This favors warmer climates like LA and Orlando to places like New York, Chicago. Yet teams further north have had success building contenders despite location, ie Detroit Pistons(it gets cold here Damn It) and even the Boston C****ics. Thats because they focus on the team and not where it is.
I always say Winners go where Winners are, so unless TO shocks the world and goes to the finals this year, I doubt good players will flock to come here based on the argument "We're friendly up here Eh" (btw Eh is a stereotype we don't all talk like that). It should be the name on the front of the Jersey that should be most Important, nothing else.
Regardless of whether you like the new colour changes to the jersey, or the new design, or think Jay is the Best coach for the team you can't ignore these evidences of an increase in Canadian themes and an overall Canadianization of the Toronto Raptors.
So what do you think, are MLSE over-Canadianizing the Rap's, do you approve, or does it even matter?
This has J-D tellin you to keep your "glyde" on


text:
when fully electric vehicles have become a mainstream reality and
will be available before the year is up, new
advancements in hydrogen fuel cell technology are following
closely behind. This is triggering Kia to declare their hopes of
becoming the world leader in hydrogen
vehicles as soon as 2015.
this year, Kia plans to sell their first hydrogen vehicles to
research institutions and government fleets. As early as 2012, they
hope to release these vehicles to the public, and by 2015 would like
to have 10,000
fuel cell vehicles sold to consumers. Kia aims to reach
these goals by continuing progress on vehicles like the Kia Borrego
FCEV, a hydrogen SUV that can reach 60 mph in 12 seconds and has a
top speed of 106 mph. The vehicle is capable of covering 375
miles before needing to refuel.
this mission looks
promising, considering the staff of just 150 engineers at
Kia's Eco Tech Research Institute in Mabuk, Korea, there are still
some issues that
need to be ironed out before hydrogen vehicles can hit the market.
major concern is the relatively nonexistent refueling
infrastructure. Fuel companies are skeptical about investing in
hydrogen fill stations when there are so few vehicles on the road.
Although global demand for oil is expected to increase over the
coming years and the cost of hydrogen will fall, making fuel cell
vehicles that much more alluring to consumers. Also, SunHydro,
the world's first chain of privately funded fueling stations that
provide hydrogen, plans
to transform Interstate 95 into a hydrogen highway.
some earlier hydrogen vehicle problems concerning cold
starting and safety issues have been resolved. Kia ran
several tests with varied temperatures from minus 40 degrees up to 70
degrees on water left in the fuel stack and front, side and rear
impact tests as well as a vehicle fire test have been successfully
conducted on hydrogen vehicles.
issues still remain, though, including concerns about price and
insurance. Kia has admitted that getting insurance on these vehicles
would be "impossible" because so much about hydrogen
vehicles are new and unknown. This is expected to change over the
next few years as more technological advancements are made. Also, the
cost of hydrogen vehicles would be high because fuel stacks are so
year 2015 is a ways off and Kia plans to fix these hydrogen-related
problems along the way, but it looks as though test
drivers are already impressed with the hydrogen vehicles
saying the Kia Borrego FCEV is "above all, a smooth, smooth


text:
Florida Court: Fraud Allegations Can't Force Re-Opening of Voluntarily Dismissed Foreclosure Cases
The Florida Supreme Court has found that voluntarily dismissed foreclosure cases can't be reopened when there are allegations of fraud, an important ruling in a state that saw a lot of foreclosures during the housing crisis.
In this case, Bank of New York Mellon Corp. brought a foreclosure in 2008 against homeowner Roman Pino, who had a Bank of America mortgage. Pino alleged that the bank's documents were fraudulently backdated in conjunction with "robo-signing," a practice in which law firms and banks signed off on foreclosure documents without checking to see if they were accurate.
Pino asked the court to dismiss the case, but before it could, BNY Mellon voluntarily dismissed the suit. It later refiled against Pino, using different documents, and Pino's lawyer argued that the bank should not be allowed to do that when it committed fraud the first time. Pino's lawyer requested that the court reopen the first case.
Even though Pino and BNY Mellon reached a settlement before the case made it to the Florida Supreme Court, the court decided to hear it anyway, and found that voluntary dismissals can't be reversed because of fraud allegations, unless the plaintiff had gotten relief and the dismissal kept the court from remedying the fraud.
The Supreme Court decision was announced Thursday.
This article was originally posted at InsideCounsel.com, a sister site of Credit Union Times.


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"According to the information handled by the portal, Argentinian actress will participate in a film from director David Slade.
Leonardo DiCaprio's manager is a close friend of Michael Bublé and was the one who managed the reunion between the director and the actress.
It was predictable that she was going to break ground on the outside, due to her confirmed affair with Canadian singer Michael Bublé.
Is that the boy has a lot of press in the northern countries and is slowly becoming a figure of influence within the genre. He also has many contacts that helped Luisana to take a few steps in the Hollywood film.
So much so that Luisana is confirmed that will participate in a film by the British filmmaker David Slade, who has just convened her for his next film.
It should be noted that Slade is working in the U.S. on the third film of the Twilight saga "Eclipse", due to 2010.
Leonardo DiCaprio's manager, who is a close friend of Bublé, was the one who arranged the meeting between Slade and Luisana.
Luisana will have one last date with David to discuss the details of his character, Tanya, a vampire from the Denali clan."
If Luisana does have a role in Eclipse I'm thinking it might actually be Nettie or Lucy (both fair haired and of Hispanic origin, no?) rather than Tanya (if I recall of Russian descent?) - I can't remember where Charlotte's meant to be from :/
I know not everyone agrees with me but I would've put money on Evan Rachel Wood being Tanya.
Not only does she have the perfect strawberry-blonde hair and pale skin but is BFF's with Nikki (and now Kristen too) from working with Catherine on "Thirteen"!
- Lorabell
P.s. I dare you to go Google images of Luisana *ahem*
UPDATE: Tanya is NOT in ECLIPSE. This news report has been refuted!


text:
by strong sales of more expensive 3D
movie tickets and fueled by a viral marketing campaign online and
off, Avatar proved a triumph in a hit or miss market that's
seen even veterans like Harrison Ford recently deliver painful
flops. If Avatar has one problem it's that it's having a
hard time keeping up with international demand, as the film quickly
raked in over $1B USD within only three weeks of its December 10,
2009 release.
From a tech and science standpoint Avatar
is landmark success for 3D animation, marking the first time
audiences have embraced (for the most part) emotive human-like 3D
characters alongside living ones in a drama flick. The
animation pushes the boundaries of current work, as does the
xenobiology featured in the film (Avatar hired a team of
experienced biologists to help develop the flora and fauna of the
fictional world of Na'vi).
Now Avatar is about to make
history as it is expected
today to become the highest grossing film ever, sinking the
Titanic's record total of $1.843B USD. What is
particularly impressive is how quickly Avatar pulled in the
total, reaching $1.841B USD over the weekend, after only six weeks in
theaters, and less than that in some foreign markets.
many countries, Avatar has become the top grossing U.S. film
in their history, and even among their total top grossing films -- a
remarkable achievement in countries with strong film industries like
France. Internationally the film has earned $1.288B USD,
despite getting a bumped from China's standard theaters for a new
Chow Yun Fat epic about the Chinese philosopher Confucius (Avatar
continues to play in around 900 of China's 3D theaters).
as Avatar rolls towards the epic mark of becoming the first
movie to break $2B USD, Cameron has announced that two sequels are in
the works. Considering Fox may have spent more than $300M USD
on the film, that's great news for the 3D animation industry.
its success, Avatar has drawn some backlash. The U.S.
Marine Corps disliked the unflattering depiction of the mercenary
marine army whose leadership was corrupted by greed and bloodlust.
Others loved Avatar so much that they reported depression and
suicidal thoughts out of regret they could not live in the movie's
fantasy world. And still others have complained of the film
being too similar to past work, varying from Pocahontas (first
popularized to the masses by the 19th century burlesque The Gentle
Savage) to Braveheart.
Critics, for the most part,
have been deaf to such criticism. They rewarded Avatar
with awards for Best Motion Picture and Best Director and the 2010
Golden Globe Awards.


text:
Credit Union-Backed House Candidates Win
Credit unions and their PACs were winners in the 2012 elections. In key House races for the industry, credit unions picked up three victories, losing only in North Carolina where Rep. Larry Kissell (D) lost to Republican challenger Richard Hudson. Credit unions in the state supported Kissell with partisan communications, sending advertising to members voicing industry support.
Credit union winners in the House include Brad Sherman (D-Calif.), Dan Maffei (D-N.Y.) and Ed Perlmutter (D-Colo.). Maffei received significant support from CUNA in the form of independent expenditures, in which the trade paid for broad advertising that wasn't coordinated with the former congressman's campaign. Perlmutter, who pulled away from his challenger Joe Coors in the final weeks to claim a decisive victory, was the recipient of CUNA independent expenditure funds in 2010.


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Zoo 'confident' of panda pregnancy
Zoo bosses are "confident" about the pregnancy prospects for the UK's only female giant panda, amid expectations that she will be ready to mate within a fortnight.
Experts at Edinburgh Zoo have been monitoring Tian Tian's hormones and believe she will soon enter her brief fertile period.
They hope she and resident male panda Yang Guang will produce a cub this year as the animals both start to show the tell-tale signs that they are ready to breed.
But experts cautioned that there are no guarantees the pair will soon hear the patter of tiny paws.
Latest hopes of Tian Tian falling pregnant follow last year's disappointment when the pair did not mate. Although she was artificially inseminated, she lost her foetus at late term.
Tests have shown the panda's oestrogen levels rose higher than her progesterone levels earlier this week - a key sign that she will be ready to breed in the next seven to 14 days.
Speaking at the zoo today, Iain Valentine, director of the giant panda programme at zoo operator the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), said: "Tian Tian has had the crossover in her hormones, so that means we're now into the 14-day point where she will actually hit peak. We don't know exactly when that's going to be.
"What we're doing now is bringing all the expertise together to help us work our way through the whole process.
"Yang Guang is really getting bigger and bigger. He's filling himself up with bamboo, trying to put on lots of weight and energy for breeding.
"This year there's been a lot more recognition and scent marking going on between the two and that's been happening for quite some time now. As we're getting closer and closer to breeding it's becoming more intensive.
"Over the next few days we'll put the male into the female enclosure and vice-versa, so they're picking up the chemical cues from each other."
Mr Valentine has described panda breeding season as a "delicate and complex" affair.
Experts are now watching Tian Tian's behaviour closely to gauge when her 36-hour breeding window begins.
Professor Wang Chengdong, from the China Conservation and Research Centre for Giant Pandas (CCRCGP), was due to arrive in Edinburgh today to help decode both pandas' behaviour in the run-up to the mating period.
If the pandas do not mate then artificial insemination will take place. This would be overseen by specialists from the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW) in Berlin.
Mr Valentine said: "We know that we got her pregnant last year and hopefully it will be all the way through to a cub in August or September.
"We're positive, we remain positive. We know that we have a pair of pandas which have bred before, although obviously not with one another. Tian Tian is a proven mother so we have all the right ingredients."
RZSS chief executive Chris West said the two animals seem calmer and more settled this year.
He said natural mating is preferable , but that artificial insemination would take place if that did not occur.
"Last year she was pregnant so we are confident that we can get her pregnant but there is no guarantee - this is nature, it's biology," he said.
"But we are confident and we have a great team here."
On a possible future cub birth at the zoo, he said: "Pandas are truly endangered so any new cub is important.
"And when people come here, and more and more people will come here to see a cub, they are connecting with conservation in some way."


text:
Watch when he gets moved there will be a cult of Bargnani lovers led by R.dot circling the forums saying "If we had Bargnani we could have won this game....etc etc We really miss Bargnani's lock down Defense and his great rebounding"
Watch when he gets moved there will be a cult of Bargnani lovers led by R.dot circling the forums saying "If we had Bargnani we could have won this game....etc etc We really miss Bargnani's lock down Defense and his great rebounding"
hopefully, in the off season, they can find a suitable sucker..... i mean, potential trade... with a team that is willing to shit all over their own hopes and dreams... i mean, give bargs a decent chance to contribute to their success..
Bargnani has had a good run. He's made over $50 million, including this season in 7 years in the NBA and he has at least another $23 million coming his way.
just amnesty him now make him use him own money to rehab his injury dont waste our resources on him anymore
1) there will be a lot trades consummated in the future that are not basketball trades. Hopefully the Raptors having deep pocket content starved owners becomes a blessing.
2) I fully expect Bargnani to have revitalization in his career whenever and where ever he plays after Toronto.
3) Bargnani saves Chicago a lot of money but they also have Gibson capable of logging big minutes. Bargnani might start but I woudn't expect him to log more than the 29 mins Boozer currently does.
4) Mirotic is due to come to the NBA when Bargnani's contract is expiring. They are likely to try and work in a stretch 4 in preparation of his arrival.
5) Boozer is just as toxic as Bargnani when it comes to contracts in the NBA. Boozer also has his fair share of injuries in the past.
And Boozer plays no D and screams really loud all the time. I hate him.
Chicago has also had a history of decent 3 point shooters, and Bargnani has a reputation of being a good one (I don't think he's that great, but that reputation does exist), and BC can seem to sell anything to anyone.
I think Noah is probably one of the best centers in the league, and to pair him up with Bargnani could work out.
Where ever there is Bargnani there is an increase in suicide.
LOL! this video kills me.
reminder that we got nothing in the S&T for bosh.
reminder that we traded 3 players AND roy hibbert for oneal, who lasted for 41 games, who exchanged for shawn marion, who also only lasted less than a season, and finally ended up with ... turks and antoine wright.
finally a reminder that we also will get nothing for bargs.
how the fuck does BC still have his job?
Welcome to Europe Bargnani!
I thought it was funny the first time but they went way overboard with the shit they said. I would never say stuff like that about a player on tv no matter how bad they may be.
Is it possible for a euro league team to buy out AB's contract in the NBA...sort of reverse of what usually happens. If someone is willing to pay AB to play in Europe and he is willing to work with the Raps on a reasonable buy out it might end well for both sides.
A fitting end to both AB and BC's tenure in this city. I'm fine with the 2.5% ticket increase, for as long as those two fools are gone for good.
The saving of our world from pending doom will come, not through the complacent adjustment of the conforming majority, but through the creative maladjustment of a nonconforming minority. - Martin Luther King
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text:
This is the playlist statistics page for "Lick It Up" by Kiss.
All songs played by Kiss
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text:
Thursday, March 7
Chili Night with The Scrugglers, 5 p.m., Ska Brewing Co., 225 Girard St., 247-5792, www.skabrewing.com.
Trivia Night, 5:30 p.m., Durango Discovery Museum, 1333 Camino del Rio, 259-9234, www.durangodiscovery.org.
Steep Canyon Rangers with Wild Mountain, 7 p.m., $25/$34, Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College, 247-7657, www.durangoconcerts.com.
Karaoke, 8 p.m., 8th Avenue Tavern, 509 East Eighth Ave., 259-8801.
Robby Overfield, 8:30 p.m., Derailed Saloon, 725 Main Ave., 247-5440, www.derailedsaloon.com.
Salsa Night, 9 p.m., Moes, 937 Main Ave., 259-9018.
Durango Funk All-Stars, 9:30 p.m., $5, The Summit, 600 Main Ave., 749-8128 or (630) 740-2021, www.durangosummit.com.
Art of Lorraine Trenholm, through March 29, Pine River Valley Bank, 1701 Main Ave., 385-9583, www.lorrainetrenholm.com.
The Colorado Plateau: A Storied Land, through March 23, Durango Arts Center, 802 East Second Ave., 259-2606, www.durangoarts.org.
Mortality in Eternity: Mayumi Amada, through March 28, Fort Lewis College Art Gallery, 247-7167.
Southside Artisans Guild presents The Miniature Show, through March 13, Raider Ridge Cafe, 509 East Eighth Ave., 375-9727.
The Journey is the Destination: The Journals and Photography of Dan Eldon, through March 28, Open Shutter Gallery, 735 Main Ave., 382-8355, www.openshuttergallery.com.
The Lost Dog Art Spectacle presents Darlene Redmond, through March, Lost Dog Bar & Lounge, 1150 Main Ave., 259-0430.
John Brandi and Tom Leech (haiga works), Art Library at Durango Arts Center, 802 East Second Ave., 259-2606, www.durangoarts.org.
The Art of Alexis McLean, through March, ENO, 723 East Second Ave., 385-0105.
Woven to Wear, historic Navajo and Puebloan textiles, through May, Fort Lewis College Center of Southwest Studies, 247-7456, http://swcenter.fortlewis.edu.
Far Out
Durango Celtic Festival, March 8-10, $10-$30, Henry Strater Theatre and Irish Embassy Pub, www.durangocelticfestival.com.
Chuck Pyle benefit concert for the Mancos Heritage Project, March 9, $15, Millwood Junction Restaurant, Mancos, (tickets at Southwest Sound in Durango), 759-9716.
Neil Bergs 101 Years of Broadway, March 13, $28/$40, Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College, 247-7657, www.durangoconcerts.com.
Wonder Women: The Untold Story of American Superheroines with filmmaker Kelcey Edwards, March 14, Fort Lewis College Ballroom, 247-1242.
Steamworks Clambake with Frequency to benefit La Plata County Search & Rescue, March 15, Durango Mountain Resort, www.steamworksbrewing.com.
Steampunk Stomp, March 16, $33, Durango Discovery Museum, 1333 Camino del Rio, 259-9234, www.durangodiscovery.org.
Spring Hoedown with Robbie Overfield and the Breaks, Hello Dollface, Caruta Roma and more, March 16, $20, Mancos Opera House, 136 W. Grand Ave., 759-9716.
Camera & Gear Swap, March 16-24, Open Shutter Gallery, 735 Main Ave., 382-8355, email@example.com.
Durango Ragtime & Early Jazz Festival, March 22-24, Strater Hotel, 375-7160, www.durangoragtimefestival.com.
3rd annual Durango Blues Train, May 31 and June 1, $95, (877) 872-4607, durangobluestrain.com.
The calendar runs through Thursday. Submit events at www.durangoherald.com/section/eventsubmit, or fax, mail or deliver a listing for your event to the Herald no later than noon Wednesday for the coming week. Ted Holteen compiles the calendar. Email him at email@example.com. Check www.durangoherald.com for updates to the calendar throughout the week.


text:
Mathomatic is a portable, general-purpose computer algebra system (CAS) that can solve, differentiate, simplify, combine, and compare algebraic equations, perform standard, complex number, modular, and polynomial arithmetic, etc. It does some calculus and is very easy to compile/install, learn, and use. The symbolic math application with a simple command-line interface is designed to be a colorful algebra calculator that is reliable, responsive, and convenient to use. The symbolic math library is lightweight and easy to include in other software, due to being written entirely in C with no additional dependencies.
Movgrab is a command-line movie downloader for sites like YouTube. It has no dependencies; everything that's needed should be there in the tar.gz package. Movgrab can connect through an HTTP proxy, can output the download to stdout for piping into another program, and can fork into the background to free up the console. When forked into the background, its progress can still be seen in a ps list.
getlock is a command-line lockfile utility that uses 'fcntl' style locks, which release if the program exits. getlock normally locks one or more files and then runs a command, but it can be run without a command in order to just lock the files. It can also run a command if all the locks cannot be made, kill off current lock owners, write a PID to a lock file, and background, but still keep the lock, for use in shell scripts.
spuug is a little tool that generates the boilerplate code for GObjects. spuug can be used for "plain" GObjects, but also for more sophisticated objects such as GTK+ widgets. It tries to be a bit smart with the code in spits out. However, understanding of GObjects/GtkWidgets is recommended.
The OATH Toolkit makes it easy to build one-time password authentication systems. It contains shared libraries, commandline tools, and a PAM module. Supported technologies include the event-based HOTP algorithm (RFC4226) and the time-based TOTP algorithm (RFC6238). OATH stands for Open AuTHentication, which is the organization which specifies the algorithms. For managing secret key files, the Portable Symmetric Key Container (PSKC) format described in RFC6030 is supported.
A minimalist Web server for configuration forms.
Software to build easy-to-use cross platform installers on Linux, OS X, and other platforms.


text:
Chip market ready for steady rebound
4 comments
LONDON The global semiconductor market is set to enjoy long-term growth with a compound annual growth rate of 9 percent over the period 2010 to 2018, according to market research firm Databeans Inc. (Reno, Nevada).
Databeans said that while the recovery would be variable by region - with AsiaPac and the U.S. leading and Europe and Japan lagging the semiconductor industry will see better growth in 2013 and would carry this momentum into the years to come.
The market is recovering from sluggish demand across all market sectors due to global economic uncertainty, which produced a flat market in 2012. Poor demand through 2012 resulted in a build-up of chip inventories.
Databeans expects that 2013 will see a solid rebound, growing by 7 percent from 2012 reach $313.04 billion global chip sales. Averaging selling prices (ASPs) have stabilized, particularly in memory and demand is coming from the mobile phone and tablet computer sectors for mobile processors, logic ICs and NAND flash memory.
The strongest sector in 2013 is forecast to be the wired communications market, which will grow by 15 percent and reach nearly $32.5 billion. This is attributed to the continued rollout of infrastructure equipment supporting data centers worldwide.
Click on image to enlarge.
Worldwide semiconductor revenue forecast by market segment. Source: Databeans Inc.
Wireless communications growth will from China as domestic handset OEMs including Lenovo, ZTE, and Huawei target lower income individuals with handsets priced at or around 1000 Yuan (about $160). The weakest sector is the computer segment, expected to grow by 4 percent in 2013 to $82.5 billion in semiconductor sales.
Related links and articles:
News articles:
Penn keeps predicting chip market growth
Excess chip inventory set to hurt Q1
Intel expects growth in 2013