text:
Submit News
Russia, U.S. Eye Team-up to Build Massive Nuke to Save Planet from an Asteroid
Jason Mick
October 17, 2013 3:52 PM
Recipient E-mail
Sender E-mail
(Source: Touchstone Pictures)
The mother of all bombs would sit in wait in an orbitary platform
Purdue University
Professor H. Jay Melosh
has spent his career studying massive impact craters such as Chicxulub, a massive, partially underwater impact region in the Yucatan.
Thanks to Professor Melosh's research, scientists now feel reasonably confident that it was this massive asteroid impact that
triggered the extinction event that killed the dinosaurs
. And for the last two decades, Professor Melosh had been chief evangelist for a campaign urging the U.S. and other spacefaring nations to adopt a plan to
design asteroid diverting devices
to make sure the same thing doesn't happen to mankind.
I. To Nuke?
Opinion on how exactly to end
an extinction-event size asteroid
is sharply divided in the research communities of Russia and the U.S. --
the world's veteran
space superpowers
One camp was formerly led by
Edward Teller
, a veteran U.S. researcher referred to as the "father of the [American] hydrogen (fusion) bomb". Before his passing he urged lawmakers in the 1990s to consider the use of a massive nuclear warhead, the mother of all bombs, to literally
blow an asteroid off its orbit-crossing impact course
with Earth. At a 1995 meeting at
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
(LLNL) in Calif., he pitched the idea to a collective of U.S. and Russian
ex-Cold War weapons designers
and space engineers.
[Image Source: YouTube]
On the other side is a coalition of experts who believe a non-nuclear solution is possible, and that those on the other side are willfully overlooking the potential security risks of a space nuke for their own self-interest.
Nukes and asteroids... where have we seen this before??? Oh, right...
[Image Source: Touchstone Pictures]
George Mason University
Professor Hugh Gusterson
is cynical about the effort, remarking, "It was a response to the loss of the weapons lab mission, it was not a response to the asteroid threat."
In his 1998 book about the effects of the Cold War on nuclear weapons testers at LLNL "
Nuclear Rites: A Weapons Laboratory at the End of the Cold War
" he argues that interest peaked when nuclear researchers feared that if they did not convinced the government to switch gears and develop nukes to target asteroids, they might lose their jobs. But after they obtained jobs maintaining the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile, he says, these clamoring calls largely died down, save for a few holdouts like Ed Teller.
II. Not to Nuke?
Professor Melosh is also a skeptic of those who advocate
a nuclear answer
. He is leading a campaign to
use an alternate, non-nuclear solution
. In a recent interview with
The Center For Public Integrity
he recalls the 1995 meeting at LLNL,
, "It was a really bizarre thing to see that these weapons designers were willing to work together—to build the biggest bombs ever."
He points out that no very large asteroids are in near-term orbits that overlap with the Earth. He adds, "The remaining smaller objects can be dealt with by non-nuclear means, kinetic detection being the most straightforward [feasible]. I think that the need for deflecting very large objects that might require nuclear detonations is waning and that a reevaluation of realistic needs is very much in order."
Purdue University Geophysics Professor H. Jay Melosh [Image Source: Purdue University]
His plan is to shoot large mechanical impactors -- battering rams of sorts -- at the meteorite, which could
come with ion boosters
to further "push" the asteroid post-impact with the object. Together, he argues, this mechanical solution could prove far more safe and effective than his nuclear alternative. The disadvantage is that mechanical solutions would admittedly take more time.
Researchers believe mankind must find a way to prevent an extinction level asteroid from htting the Earth. [Image Source: LANL]
Others like
Princeton University
Professor Christopher Chyba
-- a nuclear weapons expert and a member of President Obama's 18-person
Council of Advisors on Science and Technology
-- sit somewhere in the middle. He argues that the U.S. and its allies need to increase spending for asteroid surveys to predict potential threats, which could be averted with mechanical solutions such as Professor Melosh's. On the other hand, since surveys
could miss a dangerous asteroid
, he supports a nuclear solution too.
He comments, "This is a hazard I take seriously, and I think this civilization needs to take it seriously. I have no qualms with research on deflection strategies, including nuclear deflection strategies. Nothing will be done to jeopardize existing arms control treaties. There, the game's not worth the candle. Nobody's talking about testing."
III. Obama, Russia Leaning Towards Mega Space Nuke
The deck seems stacked against the nuclear camp. Today there are several major international treaties that ban nuclear weapons testing including the
1963 Limited Test Ban Treaty
(LTBT) which forbids nuclear weapons tests underground and the
1996 Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty
(CTBT) which prohibits all tests. The former treaty was signed by the U.S. and ratified by Congress, while the latter test was signed by President Bill Clinton, but not yet ratified by Congress.
And then there's the
1967 Outer Space Treaty
-- a treaty that prohibits the use of or testing of weapons in space. That treaty has been signed by 129 nations in total -- including China, Russia, and the U.S. Every spacefaring nation, in fact, has signed it
except for Iran
But despite its possibility to breach international treaties, the Obama administration has come to support the nuclear idea. Last month the
U.S. Secretary of Energy
Ernest Moniz and
Russian nuclear agency
(Rosatom) Director Sergey Kirienko
signed a shadowy agreement
to collaborate on "defense from asteroids" and other topics. The 47-page document, published in both English and Russian was not made public, but the
Center of Public Integrity
managed to obtain a copy and make it
publicly available
Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz (left) and Russian atomic agency (Rosatom) Director Sergey Kirienko claims their collaboration will be for peace. [Image Source: State Dept.]
Strangely, there's no mention of asteroids at all in the "agreement" (a semantics game used by recent Presidents to circumvent the authority of Congress, whom are required to sign all "treaties"). Instead the actual text only describes peacetime efforts to improve nuclear fission power, study the potential for nuclear
fusion power
, safeguard nuclear stocks against terrorists, and come up with more effective means of
disposing of nuclear waste
But some experts believe the agreement may be an opening overture in an agreement between the world's two largest nuclear nations to breach both space weapons and nuclear testing treaties, testing warheads in space.
In February the Russia's deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin received a proposal from the Russia's Academy of Sciences to spend $2B USD on asteroid defense. The academy told Russian state-support television channel RT, "Destruction of an asteroid in emergency cases may be performed by a rocket with a powerful megaton-class nuclear warhead. If the threat is detected early, more advanced means of changing an asteroid's orbit may be considered."
David Dearborn, a LLNL researcher, is America's senior anti-asteroid researcher and key advocate of a nuclear solution. [Image Source CFPI]
Rosatom's deputy director Oleg Shubin -- an attendee at the 1995 LLNL meeting -- is his country's counterpart to Ed Teller. He has authored several papers exploring the idea. A March article by state-owned news agency RIA Novosti said that Mr. Shubin was campaigning among Russia's leadership to develop space nukes. The article states, "In the opinion of Oleg Shubin, a departmental director at Rosatom, nonnuclear ways of deflecting and destroying Earth-bound asteroids may be exotic but ineffective."
IV. U.S. is Backing Nuclear Option With Research Funding
In the U.S. funding for examining
nuclear deterrents to an asteroid
is gaining ground. Government-funded research scientists at
Los Alamos National Laboratory
(LANL) in New Mexico have been studying the effect of a nuclear warhead on an asteroid using simulations.
Robert Weaver
and research physicist Cathy Plesko are among the small collective of government researchers at the lab working at least part time to study the idea using the
LANL's Cielo supercomputer
. The researchers are trying to determine -- whether "an energy source of this magnitude" could "really disrupt this asteroid and prevent the hazard to the entire Earth," in Mr. Weaver's words.
Catherine Plesko, LANL researcher [Image Source: Santa Fe Radio Cafe]
University of Washington (UW) engineering professor has received a $1.25M USD grant from the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to study a ballistic impactor designed to deliver a nuclear warhead into an asteroid.
A 1997 concept for a nuclear interceptor to be used on an incoming asteroid
He says in an interview, "When we first started looking at this about a dozen years ago, very early on, the nuclear option was the one that everyone said, 'Hey, we can do this.' But that was politically incorrect, so there was a lot of hesitation for anyone to say that this is a solution."
Iowa State University
(ISU) is another key player in the nuclear effort, with
Professor Bong Wie
launching the
Asteroid Deflection Research Center
, a center looking to model and build model impactors. Professor Wie and the center received a $600,000 USD grant to investigate a "hypervelocity nuclear interceptor system", which would rocket towards an asteroid, fire a secondary impactor, which would create a crater, which would serve as landing site for the warhead in the main missile, preventing the missile from "bouncing" off the asteroid and corralling the blast.
A rendering of the anti-asteroid missile by ISU Professor Bong Wie's group.
Professor Wie estimates a two-stage launcher based on his design would cost $500M USD and could be launched in coming years to demonstrate the technology he's currently developing.
The senior U.S. research studying the nuclear solution is nuclear weapons designer
David S. P. Dearborn
, who was working on the problem on his own time until 2012, when he obtained a grant to make it his full time project at LLNL. You fragment it with enough force so that the pieces spread out ... [and most] miss the Earth. Small bits of rock would burn up in the atmosphere, or fall as dust. Fragmentation may reduce a catastrophe to an inconvenience.
V. Feasibility Concerns Remain
A nuclear explosion would look much different in space than Earth, taking a spherical shape, rather than the mushroom cloud we know. It's unclear whether a nuclear blast could destroy a large asteroid, and if so
what size blast would be necessary
Russian researchers in February mentioned a 1-megaton device, but by March Oleg Shubin said he believed a multi-megaton device might be necessary. (Russia's "Tzar Bombs" built in the 1960s packed 50-100 megatons of explosive energy.) The effect on the asteroid could depend somewhat on its composition as the electro magnetic pulse (EMP) could result in complex magnetization and heating if the asteroid was rich in certain metallic elements, such as iron.
Even if research can hash out what size device they need, there's the question of how to deliver it. Mr. Dearborn and Professor Wie want to deliver it directly. But Ed Teller prefered
an orbital platform with the nuke onboard
-- and some nuclear advocates think that's a good solution. Such a platform could make for a slightly faster response (due to less launch prep) and more precise targeting (due to the effects of atmospheric exit versus space launch) -- but critics like Mr. Dearborn complain that such a platform could pose a security risk, could be
damaged by space debris
, and would require regular maintenance by astronauts.
A similar "orbiting platform" non-nuclear solution has been proposed by
University of California
Professor Phillip Lubin
who wants to build a six-mile (10 km) wide targeting mirror (dubbed "DE-STAR"), combined with a network of laser satellites, which together could focus over a megaton of force a day to a target object.
Prof. Phillip Lubin's "DE-STAR" laser system [UCSB]
A final feasibility problem is what to do with the remains. A shot at a far away object could safely remedy a threat, but a shot near enough to Earth could create a small flock of asteroids that could prove only slightly less dangerous. It's possible such smaller targets could be dealt with by land-based missile defenses, but it's a topic researchers are taking seriously.
At the end of the day of these technologies remain proven, so mankind is as vulnerable as ever to an asteroid strike. But some are working to change that, even if they remain bitterly divided on the topic of nukes in space.
The Center for Public Integrity [1]
"I f***ing cannot play Halo 2 multiplayer. I cannot do it." -- Bungie Technical Lead Chris Butcher
Related Articles
Mankind Creeps Closer to Fusion Power Era as Calif. Lab Nearly "Breaks Even"
October 9, 2013, 7:12 AM
NASA Introduces Asteroid Grand Challenge to Protect Earth
June 18, 2013, 8:48 PM
Iran Successfully Sends Monkey on Sub-Orbital Flight
January 28, 2013, 6:08 PM
Researchers: If Meteorite Hit 13 Million Years Earlier, Dinosaurs Might Still be Around
October 30, 2012, 2:19 PM
Study: Bruce Willis Cannot Save Us from Armageddon
August 9, 2012, 9:39 PM
Latest Headlines
Drug therapy 'restores breathing' after spinal injury
October 18, 2017, 6:26 AM
New system can reconstruct faces using person's DNA
September 7, 2017, 6:18 AM
Meet your new doctor – Robo-doctor
August 26, 2017, 8:15 AM
PIQ ROBOTTM reveals its new artificial intelligence software
November 29, 2016, 12:59 AM
Google's Smart Contact Lens Project gets halted for 2016
November 20, 2016, 7:00 AM
Cell Research Study shows African Americans have greater immune response to infection
November 10, 2016, 1:00 AM
More Headlines
Most Popular Articles
Latest Blog Posts
Google Amazon Feud affects Customers
Elroy Bethell
Dec 6, 2017, 6:55 AM
Amazon Marketplace – Now Features Pet Profiles
Elroy Bethell
Dec 5, 2017, 6:17 AM
Apple iOS 11.2 – Fixes bug in iOS 11
Elroy Bethell
Dec 3, 2017, 7:02 AM
Amazon Alexa – Recognizes Different Voices & Gives Different Reponsesma
Elroy Bethell
Dec 2, 2017, 9:25 AM
Kardiaband – FDA Approved Medical Device for Apple Watch
Elroy Bethell
Nov 30, 2017, 7:45 AM
Samsung Graphene Batteries – Promise 12 Minute Charging
Elroy Bethell
Nov 29, 2017, 7:20 AM
Samsung Galaxy S9 - May Launch with on-screen fingerprint sensor.
Elroy Bethell
Nov 28, 2017, 6:25 AM
Cyber Monday 2017 – Do's and Don'ts
Elroy Bethell
Nov 27, 2017, 7:38 AM
Givenchy VR Googles – Fashion Reality Meets Virtual Reality
Elroy Bethell
Nov 25, 2017, 8:40 AM
Firefox Quantum Browser – Soon to Detect Hacked Websites
Elroy Bethell
Nov 24, 2017, 8:45 AM
Elon Musk Completes World Largest Lithium Ion Battery
Elroy Bethell
Nov 23, 2017, 8:45 AM
Uber hacked – Pays Hackers for Secrecy
Elroy Bethell
Nov 22, 2017, 7:25 AM
German Regulators ban Children's smartwatches
Elroy Bethell
Nov 21, 2017, 7:30 AM
Fake Mobile Apps – Black Friday Shoppers Beware
Elroy Bethell
Nov 20, 2017, 6:54 AM
Quantum Chips and Google
Saimin Nidarson
Nov 12, 2017, 6:45 AM
More Blog Posts
Copyright 2018 DailyTech LLC. -
RSS Feed
About Us
Terms, Conditions & Privacy Information
Kristopher Kubicki


text:
Canadian Core Processing: Coast Capital Goes Live on Temenos Platform
The $11.8 billion (Canadian) Coast Capital Savings Credit Union in British Columbia is now operating on a new Temenos core processing system, the company and credit union said.
Coast Capital replaced two older systems with the TEMENOS T24 platform that is now processing approximately 450,000 transactions a day, Temenos and Coast Capital said.
The credit union also is using the Swiss company's TEMENOS Insight business analytics solution to generate desktop reports and dashboards for managers.
"Given our rapidly growing customer base, our new banking system provides us with a strong, flexible and robust environment that will help us continue to deliver innovative products and services to customers across a wide range of channels, be it online, mobile or in-branch," said Tracy Redies, Coast Capital Savings president/CEO.
Temenos Group AG said its software is now in place at more than 1,500 customers in 125 countries, including 29 Canadian credit unions.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
For those looking for a great way to spend some free time this year, the Medicine Horse Center in Mancos needs volunteers for the organization's therapeutic riding sessions. This is an opportunity for those that love horses, helping people, and getting to spend a few hours a week in the great outdoors.
Medicine Horse will hold volunteer training on Wednesday, March 6 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. for anyone who wishes to participate. Horse experience is welcome, but not necessary; volunteers will be taught everything they need to know. New volunteers are always welcome. Contact Lynne or Rachel at 533-7403 for details.


text:
September's Caption Contest Is Knocking on the Door!
213 comments post a comment
25 lucky commenters this month get a free Trinket development board from Adafruit!
This month's caption contest is going to be so much fun! Not only do we have the fantastic artwork of Daniel Guidera as our standard prize for the author of the best caption, Adafruit has offered to send 25 Trinket boards out to the commenters of our choosing!
You might want to think twice about opening that door when you hear the knock. I doubt it's a flowergram or a candygram. However, it might be the postal service with your prize! Leave your best caption in the comments for a chance to be the winner and get the original signed comic, in color, with your caption on it!
This month, we have an extra special surprise as well. Adafruit has agreed to send 25 Tinker development boards to lucky winners! The caption winner will receive one, as will 24 runners-up. Unfortunately, this time they can only send them to people in the United States. Our apologies to our loyal community overseas.
If you need some inspiration for your caption, check out some previous contests and winners.


text:
Submit News
U.S. GOA: 40 Percent of Defense Supply Chain Damaged by Chinese Parts
Jason Mick
June 17, 2011 2:00 PM
Recipient E-mail
Sender E-mail
On the battlefield, defective parts can cost soldiers' lives. Reportedly 40 percent of the U.S. supply chain is damaged by counterfeit or defective parts, mostly from China.
(Source: Defense Talk)
Using China-manufactured hardware could also offer a convenient route for espionage on core U.S. systems. The DOD continues to use Chinese parts, though because they're cheap.
(Source: Military Factory)
China is blocking U.S. inspectors from entering Shenzhen, a manufacturing metropolis that is suspected as a source of many of the counterfeit parts.
(Source: Beijing Torch Relay)
Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) says not to wholly blame the Chinese, but to look at our own nation's decisions as well. He states, "It's easy to blame the Chinese for this. Just like it's easy to blame the Chinese for taking our jobs and shutting down American manufacturing plants. But we're letting this happen. And the Department of Defense needs to pay way more attention to its whole supply chain."
(Source: AP Photo)
Fake parts are compromising national security, costing Americans jobs
U.S. Government Accountability Office
(GAO), the audit, evaluation, and investigative arm of the U.S. Congress has been busy investigating reports of fake and/or damaged parts in the U.S. supply chain. It has released its
preliminary findings
[press release] and they may come as a shock to some -- though perhaps not so much for others.
I. A Huge Problem
The GAO claims that 40 percent of the
U.S. Department of Defense
's supply chain is adversely impacted by fake or defective parts. From missiles, to rifles, to vehicles, problems abound. The common thread, says the GAO, is that virtually all the suspect parts originated from contractors in China.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
(ICE) agency in 2010 seized 19,959 loads of suspected counterfeit parts and materials valued at approximately $1.4B USD. That's a 39 percent rise from 2009. ICE also reports dealing with 2,000 intellectual property abuse claims last year, which resulted 365 arrests, 216 indictments and 170 convictions.
Defense Criminal Investigative Service
(DCIS), under the auspice of the Defense Department Inspector, has its hands full as well. It is currently actively probing 45 reports of counterfeit parts and 200 allegations of substandard or non-conforming parts.
As mentioned, most of these parts come from China.
Particularly troublesome are reports of counterfeit computer chips. Deputy Defense Secretary Bill Lynn admitted to the magazine Foreign Affairs last year that, "[A]lready, counterfeit hardware has been detected in systems that the DOD has procured."
The report is troubling as it not only endangers national security through failures, but could be a possible route to espionage attempts as well.
The GAO report describes counterfeit seatbelt clasps delivered for Army vehicles, fake computer routers delivered to the Navy, and Air Force microprocessors that were also counterfeit.
The DCIS investigation head James Ives cited an incident in which a Texan in January 2010 was
found guilty
of selling counterfeit Cisco Systems Inc. (
) "Gigabit Interface Converters" to the Marine Corps for use in Iraq. Bought from a Hong Kong-based Chinese vendor, the contractor obtained the systems for $25 USD a piece and resold 200 of them to the Marines for $595 a piece -- for a total of $114,000 USD in profit before applicable taxes.
II. Life and Death
In the field of defense small changes can make the difference between life and death. While the failure of a graphics card or a smart phone due to subpar counterfeit parts might be disappointing, the failure of a jet fighter CPU or a soldier's machine gun could be deadly.
Over the last couple decades U.S. companies have increasingly turned to China to provide for their supply chain. It's hard to resist -- the Chinese offer cheaper labor, parts, and assembly than anywhere else in the world and their workers are moderately skilled.
However, there are serious problems from a culture of corruption and corner cutting with the Asian giant. In July 2007 China
executed the nation's former top drug regulator
after he was found taking bribes to allow counterfeit products that resulted in deaths. The U.S. has experienced this problem first hand, in
recalls of children's toys
that were found to contain toxic levels of brain-damaging lead.
And most recently China's high speed train efforts
were derailed
when they found contractors to be using substandard materials and dangerous cheap fillers. As a result, China was forced to slow its world-leading trains to a pace slower than its foreign competitors.
All of these are telltale signs of a bigger problems looming over the Chinese manufacturing agency. Chinese labor may be cheap. But it's prone to espionage, defects, counterfeiting, and substandard materials.
Ultimate the U.S. Department of Defense has a budget to maintain, though, and at the end of the day it's made the same decision many U.S. companies have -- take the risk of using Chinese parts.
III. China Refuses to Cooperate with GAO
According to the GAO report, most of the counterfeit parts are coming from Shenzhen, a major manufacturing center in China's sea-facing southern Guangdong province.
Some may recognize Shenzhen as the home of
Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd. (
) subsidiary Foxconn's massive "city" plant where over 200,000 employees toil assembling products for
Apple Inc. (
) and other manufacturers. The plant gained international attention last year after a
string of suicides [
] highlighted poor working conditions at the company's Chinese plant [
The GAO has sent inspectors to investigate in Shenzhen. However, they've met a roadblock -- the Chinese government learned of this plan and moved to block the investigators' effort to gain visas. The Chinese government demanded the U.S. inspectors postpone their trip.
U.S. Senator Scott Brown
(R-Mass.), a member of the
Senate Armed Services Committee
and former National Guard Member, blasted the decision in
an interview
[video] with
. But he puts most of the blame on the American government and the DOD for allowing this behavior.
He states, "It's easy to blame the Chinese for this. Just like it's easy to blame the Chinese for taking our jobs and shutting down American manufacturing plants. But we're letting this happen. And the Department of Defense needs to pay way more attention to its whole supply chain."
He says that the cost cutting not only costs "America's jobs", but also "national security", as well.
"If we're using American taxpayer dollars to buy these goods, you better make sure they're American made, you better make sure they're safe, you better make sure you're doing this right," he opines, "If not, you're not contracting with us any more."
Unfortunately Sen. Brown's rhetoric seems far from the DOD's real world daily actions.
"This is from the DailyTech.com. It's a science website." -- Rush Limbaugh
Related Articles
China Slows High Speed Trains Amid Reports of Shoddy Construction
April 28, 2011, 6:27 PM
Employees at Apple's Hellish Foxconn Factory Feel Life is "Meaningless"
June 4, 2010, 10:20 AM
Employee Worked to Death at Apple Plant, Family Refused Full Benefits
June 2, 2010, 1:17 PM
Another Foxconn Worker Dies, CEO Insists Factories Aren't "Sweatshops"
May 25, 2010, 12:00 PM
Another Foxconn Worker Commits Suicide, Video of Employee Beating Leaks
May 23, 2010, 9:00 PM
Latest Headlines
Drug therapy 'restores breathing' after spinal injury
October 18, 2017, 6:26 AM
New system can reconstruct faces using person's DNA
September 7, 2017, 6:18 AM
Meet your new doctor – Robo-doctor
August 26, 2017, 8:15 AM
PIQ ROBOTTM reveals its new artificial intelligence software
November 29, 2016, 12:59 AM
Google's Smart Contact Lens Project gets halted for 2016
November 20, 2016, 7:00 AM
Cell Research Study shows African Americans have greater immune response to infection
November 10, 2016, 1:00 AM
More Headlines
Most Popular Articles
Latest Blog Posts
Google Amazon Feud affects Customers
Elroy Bethell
Dec 6, 2017, 6:55 AM
Amazon Marketplace – Now Features Pet Profiles
Elroy Bethell
Dec 5, 2017, 6:17 AM
Apple iOS 11.2 – Fixes bug in iOS 11
Elroy Bethell
Dec 3, 2017, 7:02 AM
Amazon Alexa – Recognizes Different Voices & Gives Different Reponsesma
Elroy Bethell
Dec 2, 2017, 9:25 AM
Kardiaband – FDA Approved Medical Device for Apple Watch
Elroy Bethell
Nov 30, 2017, 7:45 AM
Samsung Graphene Batteries – Promise 12 Minute Charging
Elroy Bethell
Nov 29, 2017, 7:20 AM
Samsung Galaxy S9 - May Launch with on-screen fingerprint sensor.
Elroy Bethell
Nov 28, 2017, 6:25 AM
Cyber Monday 2017 – Do's and Don'ts
Elroy Bethell
Nov 27, 2017, 7:38 AM
Givenchy VR Googles – Fashion Reality Meets Virtual Reality
Elroy Bethell
Nov 25, 2017, 8:40 AM
Firefox Quantum Browser – Soon to Detect Hacked Websites
Elroy Bethell
Nov 24, 2017, 8:45 AM
Elon Musk Completes World Largest Lithium Ion Battery
Elroy Bethell
Nov 23, 2017, 8:45 AM
Uber hacked – Pays Hackers for Secrecy
Elroy Bethell
Nov 22, 2017, 7:25 AM
German Regulators ban Children's smartwatches
Elroy Bethell
Nov 21, 2017, 7:30 AM
Fake Mobile Apps – Black Friday Shoppers Beware
Elroy Bethell
Nov 20, 2017, 6:54 AM
Quantum Chips and Google
Saimin Nidarson
Nov 12, 2017, 6:45 AM
More Blog Posts
Copyright 2018 DailyTech LLC. -
RSS Feed
About Us
Terms, Conditions & Privacy Information
Kristopher Kubicki


text:
Fiber optic connectors are a substantial fragment of the global telecommunication industry. Optical fibers are joined using fiber optic connectors, which allow the light conduction between two consecutive optical fibers. An additional im…
Sales, means the sales volume of Torque Wrench Insert
Revenue, means the sales value of Torque Wrench Insert
This report studies sales (consumption) of Torque Wrench Insert in USA market, focuses on the top players, with sales, price, revenue and market share for each player, covering
- Gedore
- Bahco
- Stahlwille
- Facom
- Fasst
- Jonard
- Hazet
- Mectron
Split by product types, with sales, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, can be divided into
- Type I
- Type II
- Type III
Split by applications, this report focuses on sales, market share and growth rate of Torque Wrench Insert in each application, can be divided into
- Application 1
- Application 2
- Application 3


text:
Every year there is a wild change of direction (do you remember young guns for goodness sake?)
I think we've found the best direction with this roster than has been found on all other raptors rosters, save maybe the vince carter/oakley era.
If Bargnani is that consistent piece you're referring to, then I agree. HE MUST GE JETTISONED. Ive said it before, BC has until this offseason to accomplish it before I officially call major drafting bias.


text:
Sup everyone,
I am a fantasy sports junkie and besides basketball and football, I am also a huge baseball fan. I was thinking of starting a RR fantasy baseball league, and if there is enough interest, I will set it up and get it going. Given the awesome leagues we have here at Raptors Republic, I think that a baseball league would be a great addition.
If you are interested, please post here and include your email address. When there is enough interest, I will set the league up and start with the invites.


text:
Thanks to Classic run, 'baseball is back' in PR
By Sam King / Special to MLB.com
SAN FRANCISCO -- As a multicolored mess of confetti and light raindrops fell from the sky, Angel Pagan's pride shielded him from the Dominican Republic celebration going on a few feet away.
Less than five months ago, Pagan, the center fielder of Team Puerto Rico and the San Francisco Giants, discovered what it was like to be in the dogpile, to wear the freshly unboxed championship T-shirt and cap.
|Bracket | Full scoreboard
When Puerto Rico's World Baseball Classic ride ended Tuesday night at AT&T Park -- Pagan's home field -- there weren't feelings of regret or disappointment because the center fielder was able to visualize the sights of his nation.
"Our country is paralyzed right now," said Pagan, who set a Classic record for Puerto Rico with 12 hits. "They are just watching us. No criminality. It's just one country right now."
When the Puerto Ricans upset two-time defending World Baseball Classic champion Japan on Sunday, 74 percent of the televisions in the country were tuned in during the final moments. It was the highest-rated sports broadcast in Puerto Rico in the last year.
"You don't know how much this means," said Carlos Beltran, who has participated in all three Classics. "You think about your family, everybody in Puerto Rico the past few days, there has been no people hurt in the streets. Through sport, we were able to unify a country."
They did so without a lot of star power. Sure, there was the presence of Pagan, Beltran, Alex Rios and Yadier Molina. Cleveland Indians shortstop Mike Aviles drove in a Puerto Rico-record nine runs during the 2013 Classic.
But there were other important contributions. Nelson Figueroa, who pitched at the Triple-A level last season, pitched six shutout innings against the United States last Friday to help Puerto Rico advance to the championship round. Mario Santiago, a Minor Leaguer throughout his career, pitched 4 1/3 scoreless innings in the 3-1 semifinal victory over Japan on Sunday night.
"We didn't have a lot of big names," manager Edwin Rodriguez said. "The people who were here wanted to be here. They had a mission and that was to give everything."
Victories over Spain and Venezuela propelled Puerto Rico into the second round of the Classic, where its run ended four years ago at the hands of the United States. This time, Puerto Rico avenged a 7-1 loss to the U.S. in round two to win a 4-3 elimination game and advance to the semifinals for the first time.
When the Dominican Republic won a seeding game in the second round, Puerto Rico was forced to fly from Miami to San Francisco and play a game the following day, without preparation, against the favored Japanese.
Again, Puerto Rico was up to the task and stunned Japan with a stellar pitching performance to advance to Tuesday's championship.
Though a 3-0 loss ended an unforgettable journey, it did not diminish the accomplishment.
"To me, this moment was needed for my country," Pagan said. "Baseball is not doing that good. We need to be a positive example for a country and hopefully they are proud of us right now. Baseball is back in Puerto Rico and that's what it is all about."
Sam King is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text:
Any of you guys seen this yet? Doing some pretty crazy things at the Box Office.
I just got all caught up on the all movies (Iron Man 2, Thor and Captain America) so I'll probably just checking it out soon. They've really done an awesome job with these movies.
The Avengers is literally a Sequel to 3 different movies. haha


text:
First recognized in 1867, cluster headaches remain one of the most painful and frustrating headache syndromes. Their cause is unclear, and no treatment is fully effective. People with cluster headaches may go for more than a year without any attacks, and then suddenly the headaches appear and strike several times a day. Each headache lasts from 30 minutes to 2 hours and consists of very severe pain on one side of the head, generally in the region of the eye. These daily headaches continue for 4 to 8 weeks, and then disappear for another year or more. A more chronic, continuous form of cluster headaches can also occur.
Cluster headaches are different from migraine headaches (although they may possess some underlying similarities) and much more difficult to treat. During cluster headache episodes, rapid-acting treatments are used, including aerosolized ergotamine, pure oxygen, lidocaine nasal spray, and anesthetic inhalation. For prevention, drugs such as ergotamine, prednisone, methysergide, and lithium may reduce the severity and frequency of attacks.
Proposed Natural Treatments
Some evidence suggests that people with cluster headaches have lower than average levels of the hormone melatonin . 1–4 In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 20 people with cluster headaches, use of melatonin (10 mg daily) for 14 days significantly reduced headache severity and/or frequency compared to placebo. 5 About half the participants given melatonin responded well.
As noted above, inhalation of 100% oxygen is sometimes used to treat cluster headache attacks. In preliminary controlled trials, use of hyperbaric oxygen (oxygen under pressure) not only treated the headaches, but also helped prevent further attacks. 6–8
Intravenous use of magnesium has shown promise for cluster headache relief. 9,10 However, use of oralmagnesium has not been evaluated.
Revision Information
- Reviewer: EBSCO CAM Review Board
- Review Date: 12/2015 -
- Update Date: 12/15/2015 -


text:
In the latest naruto manga they state that the Taijutsu people should fight Madara.
So we all know the Hyuga Clan specializes in taijutsu.... hmmmm Hinata go fight Madara? Along with Lee,Guy, and maybe..... SAKURA?! I know she is a medical ninja so she might not fight and just heal people but there is a chance that she could fight Madara?
So my question is... will Madara kill Sakura or Hinata, neither, or both?! :shrug:


text:
"They're going to have to rename the whole conference after us: Toronto Raptors 2014-2015 Northern Conference Champions" ~ ezzbee Dec. 2014
"I guess I got a little carried away there" ~ ezzbee Apr. 2015
"We only have one rule on this team. What is that rule? E.L.E. That's right's, E.L.E, and what does E.L.E. stand for? EVERYBODY LOVE EVERYBODY. Right there up on the wall, because this isn't just a basketball team, this is a lifestyle. ~ Jackie Moon
Everytime I watch that Hoop Summit highlight reel I keep thinking, "why is Joel Anthony playing in the Nike Hoops Summit".
Then I remember Bismack Biyombo might be a lottery pick and I again realize why most of the same teams are in the lottery every single year.
ESPN insider - DAVID THORPE on Bismack Biyombo:
"What if I told you that there is a center who's been in this league four years, who stands just 6-foot-9, and can't shoot. He also has poor hands, one reason he really can't rebound either (except for balls that come right to him). Did I mention he can't score in the paint either? Well, he can't, averaging just 2.5 ppg for his career. Now, would you believe me when I told you this non-shooting, non-scoring, non-rebounding player started at center many times in the postseason? Oh, and his team is two wins away from winning a title.
That's right, Joel Anthony is that guy, and he's an interesting player to evaluate because this draft features a player who's a lot like him -- Bismack Biyombo. At the very least, it appears Biyombo can be slightly more effective, meaning a team can find its future starting center in this draft. That's no easy feat considering the last two drafts have produced only two players that we know can be starting centers (DeMarcus Cousins and Greg Monroe). The thing is, any team that drafts Biyombo will need him to be far more effective than Anthony, because Anthony has the benefit of playing with two of the best players in the world on the Miami Heat. Biyombo won't have that luxury.
Let's break down his game:
To begin with, we need to talk about Biyombo's age. There are rumors that he is older than his listed age of 18. That may be true, but it might not matter all that much. For argument's sake, let's say he's as old as 24. Even at that age, he's younger than many of his opponents in the Spanish league, and he performed well for his playoff-qualifying team there. He may not have as many years to improve but he's ready to help a team, and don't forget that Anthony is 28. Any team drafting Biyombo hopes to be a serious contender in the next four years, and knowing it has a center who should be a better overall player than Anthony would be comforting, especially when he'll be on a rookie contract. If he's indeed 18, or just 20, and is a good rotation player for a good team in the second-best basketball league in the world, then he's even more enticing as a draft pick because his ceiling will appear much higher.
What Biyombo brings to the game right now is exactly what you'd expect when you first see him. He has amazingly long arms, and he uses them as often as he can. That part is easy to see. But I like his nimbleness in defending ball screens and closing out shooters. Other than a few occasions when he stumbles, Biyombo has a smart and mature approach to the way he plays defense. He anticipates well and is not one of those shot-blockers who never wants to leave the paint. He has an advanced understanding of team defense, clearly coming from his experiences playing at such a high level. It would be fair to assume that his team in Spain would go undefeated in any major college conference in America, and that should give you some indication of the talent level there.
Many Spanish teams run complicated offensive sets, full of multiple screens and off-ball actions, yet Biyombo pings from spot to spot as if he's part of a choreographed dance routine. It's the kind of instant recognition required in the NBA to defend great offenses, but is rarely seen in rookies. Biyombo's learning curve in this area will be small. Of course, everyone wants to see him block shots, and he will do that in the NBA. Because he's good at getting good defensive position, he's frequently in the right place to make a play on the shooter. To get a paint bucket on him will require a strong lift and finish, because he eats up anything soft. If within three years he anchors a team that is a top 10 defensive unit, I will not be surprised. This is not some skinny kid who's going to get pushed around. His strength and activity help him on the glass as well. He's a hungry rebounder who flows to the ball well.
Biyombo does not project to be much of an impact guy on offense. His hook shot is flat (though that's easily improved) and his natural scoring instincts are not strong. But I saw something in him that will help him a great deal in the NBA: His second bounce is outstanding and quick. This will not impact his offensive game as much as it will help him on the offensive glass. With those arms and that bounce, Biyombo can be a terror cleaning up the missed shots of teammates.
The biggest issue facing Biyombo is his weak passing. He looks to have major problems dealing with strong closeouts on a dead dribble, so I expect a lot of turnovers early on. This kind of problem can be coached up, as can the other big adjustment he'll have to make. He'll no longer be anywhere close to being the best athlete on the floor. That was often the case in Spain, and it allowed him to impact the game in ways that did not require any skill. In the NBA, though, he'll need to refine his game and build on it in order to play at a high level.
A word of caution to Biyombo: Joel Anthony is a fan favorite because of the way he plays for a guy who went undrafted. More is expected of a top-10 pick, so even if Biyombo is as good as Anthony, that won't be enough in the eyes of most."
Pretty good review, seems like Thorpe thinks Biyombo wil be a good player regarless of age. definetly a solid pcik if we can get another pick in the top 10.
Read my blog, The Picket Fence. Guaranteed to make you think or your money back!
Follow me on Twitter.
I would be very happy to see a few moves by BC. First off, if you can get him, get a big ass like Kanter. If not, we'll take a point. I'm easy with Wright or Walker (Irving being out of range). With a second pick, get Biyombo. That leaves us with Davis, Alabi, Kanter, Biyombo, Johnson, and Bargnani. Most important part, get a big man coach. The year is a full clinic with a Patrick Ewing or someone like that (Kareem would be the best , but he has health concerns). The raps have done a lousy job of developing their big men with Bargnani being handled with kid's gloves and everyone else buried.
If we can work a trade or 2 in there to shore up other positions, great! We have the bodies and plan with the front court to lose someone. Ironically, Bargnani is the only one with a skill set and scoring touch, but mobile, athletic front men with skilled wings and guards is a solid path. If Bargnani can fetch a SF, we are really building.
But we need to get some educators in there to teach these kids.
At point, I am pretty confident with Bayless developing another year, too.
To finish, Biyombo is at least going to be a cheaper version of Reggie.
Ultimately I think we need more than what Reggie (and Dorsey) bring to the table. At least in a Starting Role. Reggie is great to have off the bench. I think Biyombo will end up being a much better defender than Reggie, but really its hard to tell. But he's a 'solid Role Player, on a good team, on the Second Best league in the World.' So that counts for something.
ADD I met Dorsey the other night at Real Sports. He was there watching the Dallas game.
So was that JRDN singer ... not a fan though.
Last edited by Joey; Sat Jun 11th, 2011 at 12:08 PM.
Are Kareem and Ewing great teachers? Maybe, but I really have no idea. The only think a Hall of Fame guy has over someone else is possibly more respect from the player he is teaching. It doesn't make him a better teacher, though.
Read my blog, The Picket Fence. Guaranteed to make you think or your money back!
Follow me on Twitter.
i would take a flyer on him with a second top 10 pick def not the 5th pick
Apparently he bombed his latest workout:
http://www.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/e...48484/29975266The workout was a little painful to watch as he missed shot after shot from within 10 feet of the basket. At one point it seemed a little foolish to have him shoot so many shots when it's not the strength of his game. We counted his shots after the first couple minutes and he went something close to 12-of-35 from within 10 feet playing 1-on-none. He was able to redeem himself somewhat by knocking down 9 free throws in a row at one point to finish 14-of-20 towards the end.
Biyombo didn't look nervous but his shooting may have been thrown off to a degree.
The consensus is that the workout surely didn't help his cause and may have hurt him to some degree in terms of being a lottery pick.
Everyone knew he's not a great shooter. The reason you take him is becasue he puts almost everyone on the Raps roster to shame on D and has the potential and physically tools to grow offensive. We need to draft this guy, our O is fine there are plenty of people on the Raps that can score to make up for him but our D (especially interior) is a utter joke.
Last edited by RaptorsFan4Life; Sun Jun 12th, 2011 at 12:32 AM.
It wasn't pretty for Bismack Biyombo, who puzzlingly did little more than confirm his clear-cut offensive weaknesses in his workout for talent evaluators. Turnaround jumpers in the key (0/5), elbow jumpers alternating sides (2/10), free throws (23/41) – you name it, he missed it. When he switched to uncontested turnaround hook shots in the paint a few more fell, but he mixed in some air balls for good measure.
On the plus side, Biyombo's body looked great and he's still an athletic freak. His combination of length, strength agility and explosiveness is almost unheard of, causing many to marvel at his physical gifts despite the low-skill level he displayed.
Overall? Nothing new outside of a vividly clear illustration of just how raw his offense is at this point.
One NBA exec put it best: "If you liked Biyombo going into today you are going to be set aside the weaknesses he showed and realize that setting couldn't have been any worse for him. The guy is not a jump-shooter, and no one is going to draft him to be one. You need to see through that. But if you came in here with question marks about him you surely came away with plenty more things to worry about. All in all, people who liked him will continue to, and those who don't will as well."
http://www.nbadraft.net/2011-adidas-eurocamp-day-1The Biyombo workout was interesting as a rare public look at a prospect who has not played in months, after splitting with his team in Spain, and was barely known in the United States even when he was in a lineup. It just wasn't good. The entire premise was a bad idea. Biyombo, a power forward from the Republic of Congo, is a stud athlete who blocks shots and rebounds. That would have come out in a game, where he could light up the gym by flying around the rim and overpowering opponents. In one-on-none drills, NBA evaluators got to observe bad hands and an offensive game that everyone agrees will be a non-factor in the league, all the way to a bad showing at the line. Dibs on trademarking "Hack a 'Mack." Opponents will foul Biyombo every time he has the ball within dunking distance, also known as his maximum shooting range. The encouraging news is that an executive with one team said Biyombo did much better at a recent individual workout in Spain by catching balls a club official purposely threw wild to gauge reaction and hands. But nothing hides the zero offense of a player tracking to the top 10.
Biyombo worked out at 1 o'clock in front of around 50 scouts at La Ghirada after the morning game. I walked up to him just before the workout and introduced myself and said "Hi Bismack, I'm Aran Smith of NBADraft.net". He quickly corrected me that the pronunciation of his name is actually "Bismark". He was extremely friendly and kind and all of the scouts I spoke with rave about his attitude and character. I grabbed a quick photo of him and wished him luck.
The workout was a little painful to watch as he missed shot after shot from within 10 feet of the basket. At one point it seemed a little foolish to have him shoot so many shots when it's not the strength of his game. We counted his shots after the first couple minutes and he went something close to 12-of-35 from within 10 feet playing 1-on-none. He was able to redeem himself somewhat by knocking down 9 free throws in a row at one point to finish 14-of-20 towards the end.
To be fair, this type of workout is difficult as the player is being asked to exert a ton of energy without a break and it's extremely intimidating knowing that so many scouts are watching every move and dissecting your game. It can start to play tricks with a player's head if they aren't mentally tough. Biyombo didn't look nervous but his shooting may have been thrown off to a degree.
He did look extremely athletic exploding to the rim, as expected, and looked good running the floor despite dropping the ball a few times.One scout said during the workout, "This is no different than that (Jeremy) Tyler kid that was here last year."
The consensus is that the workout surely didn't help his cause and may have hurt him to some degree in terms of being a lottery pick. But after speaking with his agent, going as high as possible might not be in his best interest anyway. Finding a fit with a team with the right expectations that can use him correctly is paramount.
Last edited by jbml; Sun Jun 12th, 2011 at 08:39 AM.
http://twitter.com/#!/chadfordinsiderSurveyed a lot of NBA teams about where Biyombo & Motiejunas projected to go. Both appear to be in 10-20 range.
Am I the only one that sees a very similar style of game as Reggie Evans? We all know how huge of an impact Reggie has when he is on the court. Now Biyombo is about 13 year younger, hasn't hit the constant injury bug. He can replace Joey Dorsey in the line-up and if Reggie stays (veteran's minimum) he will be a great mentor. I agree he is a project but you can teach offense, however, Biyombo has all the defensive intangibles that the Raptors need and since we are officially rebuilding why not get a second top-10 pick and take a chance. We will have at least one sure thing, and if Biyombo develops into the dominate force I believe he will become in 3 years time (let's not forget he is 18, or so they say) then he will be a steal.
So much so. I love Reggie's Game. I think Iwould love watching this guy play as well.
What makes Biyombo unique to talent evaluators is his outstanding combination of physical attributes, toughness and intangibles.
No player of record has ever measured a wingspan that is nearly 12 inches longer than his actual height—He also sports a chiseled 243-pound frame (4.8% body fat) that he should have no problem putting additional weight onto.
Biyombo is also an excellent athlete. He runs the floor extremely well and is very explosive around the basket.
What makes Biyombo so interesting, though, is his willingness to utilize his physical tools. He plays the game with incredible emotion (think Joakim Noah or Kevin Garnett), often putting opposing players and teammates in harm's way with his desire to make his presence felt. He competes on every possession, often to the point of physical exhaustion, something that will need to be honed. Still, it's an extremely desirable trait in a prospect.
..... his understanding of Fuenlabrada's half-court offense, which appears to be very good.
With that said, defensive ability is the area of Biyombo's game where NBA teams see the most potential -- both in the short and long term.
He has the size, length and mobility to guard both power forwards and centers in today's NBA, particularly as he adds weight. He can step out and hedge screens effectively on the pick-and-roll and is tough and aggressive enough to hold his own in the paint against most back-to-the-basket players.
Biyombo is also one of the best rebounders in the ACB. His length, aggressiveness, toughness, timing and athleticism are all great rebounding qualities. He has no problem going out of his area for loose balls, especially on the offensive glass.
He stood out as the most vocal players on the International team over the course of the week at the Nike Hoop Summit, assuming a position of leadership almost immediately upon arrival. You would often see him having tactical discussions between plays with the coaching staff, and he was quick to take teammates aside and explain the nuances of a play to them when something got lost in translation.
And the bit about replacing Joey Dorsey, c'mon, what does that even mean. If you really want to "take a chance", take it with one of those European guys whose games have the potential to expand both ways.
It's tough to say where he'll end up, but from basically every "expert" he's gotten very so-so reviews.
I admit. Even asking to get him in the top-10 is asking a bit much, but in a draft of many unknown, it seems that the only real defensive minded players are, Biyombo (18), Kahwi Leonard (19), and Chris Singleton (21). So if we use #5 to get a Knight or Walker (I personally think we should pick him here), then why not get a #10 - #15 for one of those 3 guys. My only problem with Leonard and Singleton is they are SF which with Kleiza coming back and Johnson already a decent defensive forward they may be muted choices. I admit Biyombo should probably go more in the 15+ range (Chad Ford has him going 14 to Houston) with all the uncertainty, but on a team that is building and with all the defensive and leadership abilities he has (and we lack) I think he could have the same affect that a Garbojosa had when he played. We all know that Ed Davis is probably going to be the starting 4 in a few years, so wouldn't it be great to have a starter and a bench player get double doubles on a regular basis and protect Bargs from his defensive inabilities? Don't forget we also have the trade exception, and depending on how the CBA comes out a nice chunk of money to pick up defensive minded vets to help round out the roster. Although this draft is going to help the Raptors move forward it isn't going to be the determining factor moving forward, so why not gamble on a Biyombo?
Read my blog, The Picket Fence. Guaranteed to make you think or your money back!
Follow me on Twitter.
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)


text:
As I finished reading 429, I decided to go back and read the battle between
Jiraiya sama and Pein. And as I read chapter 381, I realized something wonderful....
There is a very strong possibility the Ero Sennin is still alive! Not just a strong
possibility, but almost a certainty he is still alive.
In issue 380-381, during the battle, Jiraiya generates a force field, a barrier, if you will.
However, as he recuperates within his barrier, one of the Peins breaks through and
with it's dying breath, stabs Jiraiya through his fore arm and right shoulder. This surprises
Lord Jiraiya, but helps him formulate an idea of who Pein is and how he controls all
those other bodies. As that stabbing weapon remains inside Jiraiya, he feels his chakra
go out of control, meaning that Pein is trying to control Jiraiya, just as he would those
other bodies. Thusly, the elder frog pulls out the odd dark matter to release the control
of Pein.
Then, when Jiraiya tells the grandma frog to take the body to Konoha, she reluctantly
agrees, and tells them: "ya'd better not be late fer dinner!" And this is where my theory,
more like my observation comes into play. If you look at pg. 12 in chapter 381, you
see the grandma frog go in the water, spit out a cork or something, then she sucks in
a body. The image is blurry, but we are made to believe the body she is engulfing is
the lifeless body of one of the Peins. But, a closer examination of the picture reveals
it to be....
That's right, take another look at that page for yourself! I've included a screenshot
of said page, and if you look closesly at the body the grandma frog sucks in, it doesn't
look like the body of the guy that stabbed Jiraiya!
The body she sucks in:
= doesn't have the Akatsuki cloak
= has the fore arm-shinobi fishnets like the ones Jiraiya has
= the hair is white and spiky, just like Jiraiya
= has, on the right shoulder, what looks like the head of the grandpa frog
So, I am saying that, Jiraiya figured out what to do in order to escape, reveal the mystery
of Pein, and how to copy the jutsu of Pein! It would appear to me that Jiraiya, with the
help of the grandpa frog, created a true Kage Bunshin, which was an identical copy of
them, which they could control from afar, just as Pein does! This way, Jiraiya could
successfuly fake his death and escape with the truth about Pein!
If you cba reading then heres a summary:
CHAPTER 381. PAGE 12. BOTTOM RIGHT IMAGE IT SHOWS GRANDMA FROG SHOOTING A CORK INTO WHAT WE ASSUMED AN AKATSUKI. NO LOOK AT THE HAIR. AND THERES NO AKTSUKI CLOAK. Kishi is just put this here and hes gonna refer back to it in later chapters like he did in the kakashi gaiden. He put "Am I dead" with a black background then it shows Kakashi. IT DOESNT SAY KAKASHI SAYING IT.. WE ASSUMED KAKASHI DID. ILL PUT A BET THAT JIRAIYA IS ALIVE


text:
After a long road, Microsoft is finally ready to
enter the tablet market in earnest during 2011 with a number of Windows 7 tablets running
on Intel Atom system-on-a-chip processors. To date, Microsoft has
only released one high profile Windows tablet -- the
HP Slate 500 -- and by "high profile" we mean "sold 5,000 units
at launch."
Microsoft obviously hopes for much bigger things,
with rival Apple selling
millions of iPads each month. But it has its work cut out for it
with the impending release of the Apple
iPad 2.
In an attempt to counter the iPad's sizable market
lead, Microsoft is planning to attack it where it's weakest -- on the business
side. The company has been passing about a slide deck to its
partners entitled "Microsoft Commercial Slate PCs".
The slides brag that Windows 7 can do things that
Apple's iOS 4.x can't do well, such as "provide remote assistance",
"deploy LOB applications", and "secure corporate IP".
Clearly Microsoft plans on leveraging the fact that Windows 7 is a more
secure OS, is richer in business software, and (with the help of Intel's chips)
offers superior virtualization/networking capabilities.
A recent
report by Seattle's TechFlash pointed out that if
iPads were factored in to computer sales reports, Apple would jump ahead of
Dell to become the world's second largest seller of personal computers.
But its new campaign just might work to some
extent. Many businesses have clearly been interested in the tablet craze,
but have been wary of handing out hard-to-manage iPads to the staff. If
Microsoft plays its hand right and manages to offer a decent selection of
affordable options, it may just win these slow adopters over. The only
big risk is the fact that Windows 7 tablets are expected to get worse battery
life due to the fact that they use Intel, rather than ARM processors.
The real question for Microsoft is what to do
next. The company has to focus on developing a next generation Windows
operating system focused on the tablet, and has to try to efficiently offer
legacy software support for its newly
adopted ARM architecture CPUs in order to close the battery life gap with
its rivals. But it also has to consider whether a full-fledged Windows
environment is well suited for its next generation tablet OS, or whether it
would be better off adopting its non-traditional Windows Phone 7/Zune OS in a
larger form factor.
Microsoft's plans for this year is looking
increasingly clear, but its long term plans are far less so.


text:
Note : Your Quotation Request will be directed to Piconics.
The P391K8I from Piconics is a RF Inductor with Inductance 0.39 uH, DC Resistance 0.8 Ohms, DC Current 0.25 A, Self Resonant Frequency 380 MHz, Operating Temperature -55 to 125 Degree C. Tags: Chip Inductor. More details for P391K8I can be seen below.
You can now find similar products from multiple companies on everything RF.


text:
League of Southeastern Credit Unions Hosts Costa Ricans
The League of Southeastern Credit Unions and Affiliates have been hosting emerging credit union leaders from Costa Rica this month.
The participants are part of the U.S. Department of State's Professional Fellows Program, which brings emerging leaders from around the world to the U.S. for intensive fellowships designed to broaden their professional expertise.
Alabama and Florida credit unions are hosting eight credit union fellows from Costa Rica who have been placed with credit unions in Huntsville, Tuscaloosa, Orlando, Tampa, Panama City and Miami.
"This is an exciting program to be affiliated with," said LSCU & Affiliates President/CEO Patrick La Pine. "We've hosted Costa Rican credit unions in the past and we've also had (representatives from) our credit unions go to Costa Rica. However, this program will begin to give these Costa Rican credit union leaders real experiences in U.S. credit unions. The experiences will be invaluable as future credit union leaders."
LSCU has had an international partnership with Costa Rica through the World Council of Credit Unions since 2005.
The Professional Fellows program supports international cooperation and builds networks of people and organizations working on critical issues worldwide. The LSCU program is designed to facilitate idea exchanges, promote foreign language skills development, enhance cultural diversity and improve problem-solving skills as they relate to credit union development and management. In addition, the program focuses on helping credit unions find new ways to attract younger members.
At the conclusion of their fellowships, participants will gather in Washington, D.C., to take part in the Professional Fellows Congress, May 8-10, 2013. The congress provides a forum for participants to discuss best practices with other young leaders in their profession, and to develop concrete projects and networks that they can implement upon returning to their countries.


text:
to Fierce Wireless, Sprint will
be closely monitoring the adoption rate of its high-speed WiMAX service,
evaluating the best use of its spectrum, before deciding whether or not to
focus on LTE in the future.
Sprint is
currently working in partnership with Alcatel-Lucent, Samsung, and Ericsson on
a $4 to $5 billion network modernization plan called Network Vision, to be
undertaken over the next three to five years.
Network Vision's core is a plan to deploy a multi-use base station for greater
technology flexibility. "The new multi-mode base stations will be smaller
allowing the entire footprint of the cell site to be reduced," Fierce
Wireless reports, "which means that less power will be required
at the cell site."
upgrade is largely a cost-saving measure. In addition to the base
station, Sprint also plans on deploying CDMA 1x Advanced, which Sprint
Senior Vice President of Networks Bob Azzi said will reduce per-minute costs
and provide an estimated 20 to 40 percent improvement in capacity and
performance. Backhaul will be upgraded from T1s to a combination of microwave
and Ethernet fiber.
Meanwhile, Verizon announced
yesterday that it would launch its 4G LTE network across the wider
Detroit market tomorrow, covering some 80 percent of the metropolitan
expansion to nearly 70 suburban municipalities is the first since
Verizon launched its LTE service back in December. Though a few areas in
and around Detroit were covered then, most of the area experienced spectrum
interference with a Canadian TV station. This issue has been resolved, thus
allowing the significant early expansion.
Detroit: Welcome to the future," John Granby, president of the
Michigan/Indiana/Kentucky Region for Verizon Wireless, said in a press release.
Little did he know, Detroit was already making strides into the future, with a
thus far wildly successful fundraising campaign to
erect a statue of RoboCop.


text:
Thousands of new homes planned
Plans for tens of thousands of new homes have been unveiled by George Osborne with the development of a garden city on the Thames estuary and a £6 billion extension of the Government's Help to Buy scheme.
Speaking ahead of his Budget on Wednesday, the Chancellor said Britain needed to "get building" to ensure working families currently priced out of the property market were finally able to buy a home of their own.
At the same time, however, he rejected calls from some Tories to ease the pressure on middle income earners by taking action to reverse the growing numbers being caught by the 40p higher rate of tax.
Mr Osborne said that a major expansion of housebuilding would help to secure the recovery as the economy continued to gather strength.
He said that he was extending the equity loan element of Help to Buy, covering new-build homes, for an additional four years to 2020 - providing support for the construction of 120,000 more properties.
And he announced that Ebbsfleet in Kent - on the high speed rail link to the Channel Tunnel - had been chosen as the site of the Government's promised new garden city with a further 15,000 homes.
"This means more homes, this means more aspiration for families, this means economic security and economic resilience because Britain has got to get building," he told BBC1's The Andrew Marr Show.
"Families who today may be in good jobs, they simply cannot afford to buy a house. I am not, as the Chancellor prepared to let that rest."
The measures were dismissed as a "damp squib" by shadow chancellor Ed Balls who warned that unless the action was taken to curb the mortgage guarantee element of Help to Buy, it would simply serve to stoke property prices.
He said that taxpayer support for home-buyers should be restricted to properties worth less than £400,000 rather than £600,000 at present.
"We've got the lowest level of house-building since the 20s," he told BBC Radio 5 Live's Pienaar's Politics.
"The Government is not doing enough to invest in affordable homes and the economics of this is if you boost demand with Help to Buy and don't do enough on supply, the price goes up, it's harder to get into the housing market, the economy becomes more unbalanced and the cost of living crisis gets deeper.
"If George Osborne really wants to make a difference he would have been much more radical on house-building in the last three years and today - and he's not been; it's a damp squib."
Mr Osborne also squashed demands by Tories like former chancellors Lord Lamont and Lord Lawson to start taking middle income earners out of the 40p band.
An estimated 4.4 million people now pay the 40p rate, compared with three million in 2010, and with the threshold of £41,450 due to rise by just 1% this year - below the rate of inflation - many more will soon be caught.
The Chancellor, however, said that it was still his priority to lift more people out of taxation altogether through raising the personal allowance - which is widely expected to see a further rise to £10,500 in the Budget on Wednesday.
He made clear his irritation at Liberal Democrat attempts to claim the credit for the policy, which he said had been fully supported by the Conservatives in the coalition, and which benefited those on middle incomes and well as those at the bottom of the income scale.
"My priority has been to increase the personal allowance. That is what I have done in budget after budget. What that means is, yes, you are taking the low paid out of tax - which has been a long-standing Conservative ambition - but you are also helping those on middle incomes," he said.
"It is only people right at the top, people on incomes of over £100,000 who don't get the benefit. I think it is a very effective instrument for making sure that hard-working people keep more of their money and I am very proud to be part of a Government that has delivered that."
Lord Lamont said that one in six taxpayers now fell into the 40p compared with just one in 20 when it was first introduced by Lord Lawson in 1988, with the total set to hit six million next year.
"You cannot go on for ever and ever increasing the personal allowance and not increase the 40% tax threshold because you are just drawing more and more people into that band," he told BBC1's Sunday Politics.
The Local Government Association expressed concern at the Chancellor's decision to establish an unelected urban development corporation to drive the development of Ebbsfleet.
"While we support the Government's aims to build more houses, democratically accountable councils have been at the forefront of delivering local growth and the creation of a separate, remote quango is unnecessary," said LGA chairman Sir Merrick Cockell.
"Residents will be concerned that such a body, unelected and accountable to central government, could have the power to make local decisions about investment, planning, development and possibly even local transport."


text:
I'm actually kind of surprised Memphis couldn't find a better wing somewhere.
I'm actually kind of surprised Memphis couldn't find a better wing somewhere.
I really can't see memphis being as good without Gay... contenders need a legitimate perimeter threat
I keep having these thoughts that this move has almost been planned for a while.. Gay apparently said he had been talking to his friends on other teams to see what it would be like there, and that he welcomed a trade.. Lowry being so supportive of jose being a starter.. I feel like he must have known they were boosting his value to go after gay.. and maybe lowry, colangelo, and gay were all in on it.. you just know lowry woulda been more visibly upset about his backup role the past month if he didn't know they were gonna flip jose for something.. even his comments today made me wonder about this even more..
I could be crazy but hey it crossed my mind lol
Memphis is screwed, sucks to be a grizzly fan
I'd replace the word mistake with 'Gamble'. It's a transaction that can either reap rewards or not. As Bryan said in an interview, although a significant one, he's not done, There's more coming.
The thing that surprises me most is that he is being allowed to make all these moves which only indicates that he has MLSE's blessings and is probably going to stick around for at-least one more year.
Attitude Is A Choice.
Memphis front office is fucked! & guys are already distancing themselves from the gay trade basicly putting Hollinger responsible. LOL
Last edited by DoNDaDDa; Thu Jan 31st, 2013 at 10:03 PM.
hmmm RaptorsMR tweeted an hour ago that its still possible Gay could be in the linup tomorrow but everything has to fall into place
What do you think of this, Matt? This is your trade, somewhat, then expanded to include Atlanta, where LAL get Smith and Bargnani, as well as Gray for a large body insurance behind Howard.
-Minny gets the same as before, plus Alan Anderson, since they're thin at the wings.
-With Smith and Bargs in LA, they won't mind not getting an extra wing like Alan. In the offense, Bargs can sit at the perimter like a 3, and they can run screens with Nash and Smith/Howard. If they want an extra wing, maybe Alan does go here instead...not dealbreaker issue really.
-Atlanta gets a promising replacement for Smith in Williams, and a decent prospect for a utility forward in Clark (always liked him and thought he just needed a chance to play). Roy can be waived or whatever htey do when he's forced to retire again from injury.
-Toronto gets Peko, a stopgap option at C as JV develops. Instead if Barea, I prefer Ridnour. I'd be happy with either, but I think Ridnour is a better spot up shooter, and offers that nice slowdown pace. I think with Ridnour, you try and develop Gay, Demar and Ross to play with the ball more when he's on the court, because Barea monopolizes the ball more as a score-first guard. As for Sacre...he's just hometown filler. I could easily see it being a PF, maybe Tolliver from Atlanta, to backup Amir for the rest of the season.
The only problem with mine vs. yours I think is that I can't find a way to get the extra 5 million off our books that Roy would offer. But other than that, it's not really that I like it more (other than Ridnour over Barea), but that I think LA will be looking for something like this.
Last edited by white men can't jump; Thu Jan 31st, 2013 at 10:16 PM.
You guys are very quick to judge the Grizzlies after (not even) a single game. They're playing with a severely depleted team and they clearly haven't had much to adjust playing without their leading scorer yet. Do I need to remind you they're 14 games above even?
I think we all need to relax..
If DD gone, will you say this is the right direction? Even we could keep DD, beside AJ and JV, we still short of useful big body.
What Matt52 said is the last hope/move of Raps. Otherwise, we only got the player you personally like, but I don't see too much improvement of the team.
Last edited by Frynoodle; Thu Jan 31st, 2013 at 10:25 PM.
does Gay have a cockeye on the raptors.com homepage?
edit: i realize i said gay and cock in the same sentence
Memphis is seriously struggling. Especially when the offense is stagnant, end of game/end of clock situations, they are going to be very missing of Gay's ability to bail em' out.
Toronto seems to be put in those situations in the above, ALOT. It's safe to say we got a really good player in Gay. More that I think about it. Detroit got Jose, but it's unlikely he does much to impact their team overall. Ed Davis is the only corner piece for Memphis because like 'White men can't jump' mentioned, Prince is a shadow of his former self, and Austin Daye is a bust.
We got the best out of this deal in terms of on paper, although, it hurts our financial flexibility moving forward. Trading Bargnani + Fields/Kleiza/Anderson for an expiring big like Milsap + prospect, and if Kleiza isn't shipped, use the amnesty provision on him. Milsap being a free agent this off-season, amnesty Kleiza, that's maybe 15$ million in cap space freed up? Please correct if I'm mistaken with this. Just my assumptions.
Twitter: @ReubenJRD NBA, Raptors writer for Daily Hive Vancouver, Toronto.
Memphis is good, without Gay, they have proven they can go deep into the playoffs (2011 post-season). Adding a veteran like Prince (although not Prince of past), and Ed Davis to strengthen their big man rotation might be helpful.
Twitter: @ReubenJRD NBA, Raptors writer for Daily Hive Vancouver, Toronto.
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)


text:
[Grimdark][Shipping] I usually avoid Grimdark like the plague, but due to reasons completely out of my control, I gave it a shot anyway. I was completely hooked after just two chapters, and the nightly roundup ended up an hour late because of it! This story is just straight up awesome. Anyway have a pre-reader quote too!
"A terrifying suspenseful and gripping tale, portraying the sinister side of magic" - Pre-reader with a WoW name.
Author: Adcoon
Description: During the festivities of the Fabulous Fabled Filly Fair held in the village of Dappleshore, Twilight Sparkle stumbles upon something from her family's past and is drawn to investigate its dark ties to her. Will she succumb to its sinister power, and will Trixie and Luna be able to set their differences aside to help her when her friends are gone?Fillystata
Additional Tags: Ancestor, Lovecraft, Possession, Sacrifice
Story Two Links After the Break!
Author: Adcoon
Description: Trixie finds herself haunted by strange nightmares, and begins to question whether she let Twilight down in Dappleshore. When her dreams filter through to the waking world, she finds herself scrambling for answers. But how far will her search take her, and can she face the reflection in the mirror?Mare in the Mirror
Additional Tags: Ancient Evils, Insanity, Nightmares


text:
For many mobile professionals and other enthusiasts being without a wireless Internet connections is unfathomable. But for those outside of large cities the thought of a high-speed wireless network is merely a dream because the service simply isn't available.
When the FCC first announced in August of 2007 an auction for the newly set aside 700 MHz frequency, rumors started to circulate that Google would be one of the bidders for the frequency spectrum. In July of 2007, right before the FCC announced the bidding would be open, Google said if its requirements were met; it would bid the minimum $4.6 billion USD for the spectrum.
In what was perceived by many as a gearing up of sorts to getting its hands on the 700 MHz wireless frequency, Google and 34 phone industry companies launched the Android mobile phone OS. The new Android OS was seen as a direct competitor to Microsoft's mobile OS dominance with Windows Mobile.
Today Google made the official announcement that it would file its formal application to participate in the 700MHz auction. Google states its application would be filed on December 3, 2007 with the FCC, which is the first step in the auction process. Google also pointed out that its application did not include any partners.
"We believe it's important to put our money where our principles are," said Eric Schmidt, Chairman and CEO, Google. "Consumers deserve more competition and innovation than they have in today's wireless world. No matter which bidder ultimately prevails, the real winners of this auction are American consumers who likely will see more choices than ever before in how they access the Internet."
In his Google blog Chris Sacca, Head of Special Initiatives at Google, wrote, "Here at Google, we see the upcoming 700 megahertz spectrum auction at the Federal Communications Commission as one of the best opportunities consumers will have to enjoy more choices in the world of wireless devices."
There is more to the 700 MHz frequency than simply the chance to offer mobile communications devices. The frequency is able to transmit over long distances with low power requirements meaning that the spectrum could bring broadband Intent connectivity to rural areas that are often only serviced by dial up web connectivity.


text:
INTERPOL Chief meets Italian Minister of Interior ahead of Rome Ministerial meeting
ROME, Italy ‒ INTERPOL Secretary General Ronald K. Noble and Italy's Minister of Interior, Annamaria Cancellieri, have met to discuss international law enforcement cooperation ahead of a meeting of some 100 interior and justice ministers which Italy will be hosting in Rome on 5 November as part of INTERPOL's 81st General Assembly (5-8 November 2012).
The Ministerial meeting on Challenges for Police Facing Contemporary Criminal Violence which INTERPOL is assembling will bring together ministers responsible for policing matters from its 190 member countries to identify strategies to effectively prevent and respond to the changing modes of contemporary criminal violence.
At his Wednesday meeting with Minister Cancellieri, Secretary General Noble highlighted Italy's 'strong leadership' in international law enforcement cooperation, recalling for example how in October 2011 INTERPOL signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Italy's Ministry of the Interior to work together to combat corruption in sport, making Italy the first country to officially endorse the INTERPOL-FIFA initiative targeting match-fixing as well as illegal and irregular betting around the world.
The Head of INTERPOL also cited how on 30 March of this year, INTERPOL contributed to the arrest of one of Italy's most wanted criminals, Vito Roberto Palazzolo, who had been sentenced in Palermo to nine years in prison for external collusion with the Mafia. Palazzolo, who was the subject of an INTERPOL internationally-wanted persons Red Notice, was arrested in Bangkok by Thai authorities with the support of INTERPOL's Fugitive Investigation Support unit and Italy's State Police.
With the Digest of Organized Crime Cases project launched in 2010 under the leadership of Italy, Colombia and of the UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime), with the support of INTERPOL, Mr Noble said the Digest provided an important 'toolbox' to assist countries in implementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, by providing them with key best practices in investigative and prosecutorial techniques, as well as in law enforcement cooperation.
Prior to his meeting with Minister Cancellieri, Mr Noble held a press briefing on a range of security issues with Prefect Antonio Manganelli, Chief of the Italian Police and Director General of Public Security of Italy, at the Foreign Press Association in Rome.


text:
Diversify or Specialize? Both Work for CUSOs
CUSOs trying to choose between a strategy of diversification or specialization may find there is no wrong answer.
Case in point: two CUSOs that took different approaches and have both enjoyed considerable growth.
One offers a wide range of services, while the other focuses on business lending. The common factor seems to be taken straight from Business 101—find a need and meet it.
Xtend, based in Grand Rapids, Mich., offers a varied menu that includes bookkeeping, mortgage servicing, a call center and compliance monitoring. The CUSO is owned by 72 credit unions, and provides services to 175 credit unions.
"We encourage ownership, but some credit unions simply want services without being an owner," President Scott Collins said.
Collins said Xtend was formed 11 years ago by 12 credit union CEOs using the CU*Answers core processing system. They decided they needed a CUSO that could provide three things: access to markets, shared resources to help with back office and call center functions. And, the services had to be priced be attractive to mid-market credit unions.
Today there are 55 Xtend employees, between both the back office and front office. Back office handles tasks such as bookkeeping and compliance modeling. The call center is considered front office.
"My bookkeeping team, for instance, will do back office work for eight to ten credit unions," Collins said. "Right out of the gate we were able to work closely with the core provider and add new functionality to the software."
All products and services are available a la carte. Most credit unions pay $150 a week for bookkeeping, he said, adding that some credit unions may use five or six services, while others may only use one.
Call center activity, with 27 employees, is about 50% outbound and 50% inbound. There's a lot of outreach to keep members informed about their credit union's products and services, Collins said, and leads can be forwarded to the credit union.
Member Reach is another Xtend service aimed at keeping members aware of their credit union, sending approximately 3 million targeted electronic messages a year. The messages range from a simple happy birthday greeting to congratulations for advancing from a gold to platinum credit card.
"Credit unions that use it are communicating with their members more often and in a more targeted way than they would on their own, I think," Collins said.
Collins said at Xtend's recent board planning session, he reminded the group that the CUSO's business is about eliminating barriers for the mid-market credit unions that form its ownership base.
Next Page: Making it Easier
"If I can make it easier for a credit union to bring their credit card portfolio on-line because I can do their back office daily work, then that's a win-win," he said. "If I can drive more loan activity because I've got folks that make 20,000 outbound calls a month to create member awareness, that's a win-win. A lot of the credit unions might not be open on Saturday, but the call center is open on Saturday."
Another growing CUSO is Cooperative Business Services in Cincinnati, Ohio. While Xtend offers a range of services, CBS instead focuses on business loans.
CBS was formed in 2003 by seven credit unions in southwest Ohio that wanted to cost-share back room expertise for business loan underwriting. Today the CUSO has nine owners—eight credit unions plus the Ohio Credit Union League—and 75 client credit unions in 10 states. CBS has an office staff of 22, plus six business development officers out in the field.
"Credit unions are in different places when it comes to their internal level of expertise in business lending," President/CEO Keith Reed said. "Some credit unions are using CUSOs, some are doing business lending on their own, and others have a hybrid of that. It depends on where the credit union is in their competency."
The hybrids occur, he explained, when a credit union handles business loans up to a certain level, but turns to outside help once a loan exceeds a certain level of complexity. It may then use a CUSO for underwriting and syndicating.
Each credit union handles as much of the personal relationship with the business owner as possible, he said. If it is a more complex situation, the credit union would explain the relationship with the CUSO to the business owner. The business owner would then expect a phone call from the appropriate CUSO representative.
On a positive note, Reed said he believes credit unions have done a good job of communicating the credit union option to small businesses. The challenges are the rate environment and competition.
"There are a lot of community banks and larger banks vying for the same opportunities we are. The market is very competitive. We really have to be on our A game," he said.


text:
Pintas was vacationing in Las Vegas when he decided to stay at the
swank new Vdara hotel, a
curvy 57-story tower owned by MGM Resorts. He was sitting at
the pool when he encountered something alarming. He recalls,
"I'm sitting there in the chair and all of the sudden my hair
and the top of my head are burning. I'm rubbing my head and it
felt like a chemical burn. I couldn't imagine what it could
be." Like an ant under a magnifying glass, he
remembers running to an umbrella, but being unable to escape the hot
light. He recalls, "I used to live in Miami and I've sat
in the sun in Las Vegas 100 times. I know what a hot sun feels like
and this was not it. My first inclination was thinking: Jesus
we've destroyed the ozone layer because I am burning." Speaking
with employees, he was alarmed to find out that the hotel staff was
aware of the situation. He recalls, "They're kind of
giggling and say: 'Yeah, we know. We call it the death ray."The
"death ray" appears to be created by the glass surface of
the hotel itself -- acting as a concentrating parabolic dish --
similar to those used to heat water to a boil in solar
power systems. The dish concentrates light on a 10-foot by
15-foot hot zone moving across the pool. Temperatures in this
area spike 20 degrees Fahrenheit -- or more.Bill Pintas saw
his plastic newspaper bag literally begin to melt. The bag --
composed of polyethylene -- is designed to withstand temperatures of
up to 120 to 130 degrees Fahrenheit. And the employees recall
seeing plastic cups -- which have a melting point of 160 degrees
Fahrenheit – actually melting.Other guests, including
newspaper reviewers, have also observed the burning beam.The
hotel management doesn't call it a "death ray", they prefer
the more friendly distinction "solar convergence phenomenon".
Gordon Absher, a spokesman for MGM Mirage says the hotel is
addressing the problem, and comments, "Because of the curved,
concave shape of that hotel, they sometimes get isolated pockets of
high temperatures."The hotel is baffled by how to solve
the problem of the "death ray", though. When
initially constructing the building, they anticipated the issue and
put a coating over the glass that absorbs 70 percent of the daytime
sunlight. However, that was not enough to reduce its painful
effects. And the ray sweeps across a wide area, making it hard
to protect a specific region. Comments Mr. Absher, "This
is quite literally an astronomical challenge," Absher said. "We
are dealing with a moving target."The mishap in
architecture isn't as glaring as some of history's most notable
mistakes -- such as the 1940 Tacoma Narrows Bridge, but it is pretty
extraordinary. It serves as a reminder that while many take the
science and engineering
of designing massive skyscrapers for granted these days, it
remains a tricky business.It looks like the Vdara may have
exposed the wrong guest to the death ray, though -- Mr. Pintas
is a Chicago-based lawyer.


text:
"It would be hard to more highly recommend a novel to be downed in a single draft.... Simply, this book flows, and keeps on flowing."NYTimes
"A novel with a greatly heroic main character certainly is not uncommon; however, when an elephant is playing that role, the novel can be considered unique, especially because it is based on an actual event. In 1551, King João of Portugal makes a startling diplomatic move by giving Archduke Maximilian of Austria the elephant housed on Portuguese royal grounds. The problem is that the elephant needs to be transported from Lisbon to Vienna. Because the era is prejumbo jet and Vienna is not a seaport, Solomon the elephant must walk! Solomon's trek across Europe, across mountains and rivers, accompanied by his Hindu keeper and a host of other retainers and attendants, is followed in this extremely amusing, historically resonant, fablelike, and technically challenging narrative. The astonishment that Solomon arouses en route is summed up in one person's reaction: 'Well, it isn't every day that an elephant appears in our lives.' Solomon shows quiet heroism yet is never anthropomorphized: 'Despite his poor sight, he shot them a stern glance, making it clear that he was not some fairground animal, but an honest worker who had been deprived of his job by unfortunate circumstances too complicated to go into, and had, so to speak, been forced to accept public charity'."Booklist (starred review)


text:
Last year we faced the Thunder. They had a similar record the the Nets of this year. Guess what the Raps lost to them. So I am gonna bust out this thread. If the Raps lose to the Nets what will you do? I think we should do it as if we lose you will change your avater to your most hated player. IF you want to be a part of this please say I
EDIT: 100 posts FTW


text:
This study is provided by ICPSR. ICPSR provides leadership and training in data access, curation, and methods of analysis for a diverse and expanding social science research community.
Census of Population and Housing, 2000 [United States]: Summary File 2, Advance National (ICPSR 13288)
Principal Investigator(s): United States Department of Commerce. Bureau of the Census
Summary File 2 contains 100-percent United States decennial Census data, which is the information compiled from the questions asked of all people and about every housing unit. Population items include sex, age, race, Hispanic or Latino origin, household relationship, and group quarters occupancy. Housing items include occupancy status, vacancy status, and tenure (owner-occupied or renter- occupied). The 100-percent data are presented in 36 population tables ("PCT") and 11 housing tables ("HCT") down to the census tract level. Each table is iterated for 250 population groups: the total population, 132 race groups, 78 American Indian and Alaska Native tribe categories (reflecting 39 individual tribes), and 39 Hispanic or Latino groups. The presentation of tables for any of the 250 population groups is subject to a population threshold of 100 or more people -- that is, if there were fewer than 100 people in a specific population group in a specific geographic area, their population and housing characteristics data are not available for that geographic area.
Series: Census of Population and Housing, 2000 [United States] Series
Access Notes
The public-use data files in this collection are available for access by the general public. Access does not require affiliation with an ICPSR member institution.
WARNING: Because this study has many datasets, the download all files option has been suppressed, and you will need to download one dataset at a time.
WARNING: This study is over 150MB in size and may take several minutes to download on a typical internet connection.
ASCII + SAS Setup SPSS Setup Stata Setup
Study Description
United States Department of Commerce. Bureau of the Census. Census of Population and Housing, 2000 [United States]: Summary File 2, Advance National. ICPSR13288-v2. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2002. https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR13288
Persistent URL: https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR13288.v2
Export Citation:
- RIS (generic format for RefWorks, EndNote, etc.)
- EndNote XML (EndNote X4.0.1 or higher)
Scope of Study
Subject Terms: census data, demographic characteristics, ethnicity, group homes, Hispanic origins, household composition, housing, housing occupancy, population, race, states (USA)
Geographic Coverage: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, United States, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
- 2000
- 2000
Universe: All persons in housing units in United States in 2000.
The data are provided in four segments (files) per iteration. These segments are PCT1-PCT4, PCT5-PCT19, PCT20-PCT36, and HCT1-HCT11. The iterations are Parts 1-250, the Geographic Header file is Part 251. The Geographic Header file is in fixed-format ASCII and the Table files are in comma-delimited ASCII format. The Geographic Header file has 85 variables, Segment 01 has 224 variables, Segment 02 has 240 variables, Segment 03 has 179 variables, and Segment 04 has 141 variables. When all the segments are merged there are 849 variables.
self-enumerated questionnaires
Extent of Processing: ICPSR data undergo a confidentiality review and are altered when necessary to limit the risk of disclosure. ICPSR also routinely creates ready-to-go data files along with setups in the major statistical software formats as well as standard codebooks to accompany the data. In addition to these procedures, ICPSR performed the following processing steps for this data collection:
- Created variable labels and/or value labels.
Original ICPSR Release: 2002-08-29
- 2013-05-24 Multiple Census data file segments were repackaged for distribution into a single zip archive per dataset. No changes were made to the data or documentation.
- 2006-01-12 All files were removed from dataset 256 and flagged as study-level files, so that they will accompany all downloads.
- 2006-01-12 All files were removed from dataset 255 and flagged as study-level files, so that they will accompany all downloads.
- 2006-01-12 All files were removed from dataset 254 and flagged as study-level files, so that they will accompany all downloads.
- 2006-01-12 All files were removed from dataset 253 and flagged as study-level files, so that they will accompany all downloads.
- 2006-01-12 All files were removed from dataset 252 and flagged as study-level files, so that they will accompany all downloads.
Metadata Exports
- Citations exports are provided above.
Export Study-level metadata (does not include variable-level metadata)
If you're looking for collection-level metadata rather than an individual metadata record, please visit our Metadata Records page.


text:
According to a Reuters article, Microsoft Corp will slash the price of its Xbox 360 game console in Japan by about 30 percent. This will make the Xbox 360 cheaper than the Nintendo Wii and Sony Corp's PlayStation 3.
Microsoft will lower the price of the Xbox 360 Arcade model by 8,000 yen ($73.92) to 19,800 yen. The Arcade model does not come equipped with a hard drive and is the least expensive of the three Xbox 360 models.
The new price will make that model cheaper than the Nintendo Wii which sells for about 25,000 yen, and the PlayStation 3, which sells for 39,800 yen. Microsoft will also reduce the price of two higher models with hard drives by 5,000-8,000 yen, according to the Reuters article. The price cut will take effect on September 11.
The Xbox 360 has struggled in the Japanese market, with 684,695 units sold so far in Japan against the Wii's 6.67 million and PS3's 2.32 million, according to game magazine publisher Enterbrain.
Microsoft's fortunes have begun to change recently with the Xbox 360 outselling the PS3 in Japan in weekly sales for the week ended August 10. The boost in sales was attributed to the Xbox 360 exclusive "Tales of Vesperia" role-playing game from Namco Bandai
Microsoft recently cut the price of its best-selling Xbox 360 Pro model game console with a 20 gigabyte hard drive to $299 from $349 in the United States.