text:
'King of platoons' back at it in Oakland
Melvin able to mix and match in A's lineup while keeping egos in check
By Anthony Castrovince / MLB.com
PHOENIX -- They were asking Bob Melvin about potential batting orders for the Oakland A's the other day, and the manager had to laugh.
"We're not set on who's playing where," said Melvin, "let alone who's hitting where."
And that's all part of the intrigue with these Amazin' A's, who defied convention and won the American League West last season for a variety of factors, not the least of which was their ability to rotate bodies in and out of their lineup, maximize the matchups and somehow piece together the Majors' most productive offense in the second half.
At year's end, the A's had platoon situations at no fewer than four of the nine positions on the diamond -- catcher, first base, second base and designated hitter. It was how they made the most out of their $55 million payroll. Guys like Jonny Gomes, Seth Smith, Chris Carter and George Kottaras bought into the benefits of the practice, not because they were content with a limited role but because they recognized that it worked.
A's batters faced a pitcher of the same handedness 2,151 times last season -- the second-lowest such mark in the AL. Only the Indians, who did not have an all-right-handed-hitting regular in their lineup last year, had fewer plate appearances in this scenario.
"We found out," said right fielder Josh Reddick, "that Bob is the king of platoons."
The platoon advantage is an idea espoused by those who analyze the game with a mathematical mindset. After all, it simply makes statistical sense to put your players in the best possible position to succeed.
But in the confines of the clubhouse, where egos are abundant? Good luck preaching the value of platoons to those adverse to anything other than an everyday job.
Look at the Phillies' touchy situation with Ryan Howard for one particularly prominent example. No matter the magnitude of Howard's staggering salary, there is simply no getting around the fact that the 32-year-old has been horrendous against left-handed pitching. His triple-slash line against southpaws over the last four seasons is a woeful .223/.295/.395. Pat Gillick's recent suggestion that manager Charlie Manuel consider sitting Howard against tough lefties was spot-on, but, clubhouse politics being what they are, benching a healthy guy making $20 million is much easier said than done.
Not a soul in the A's clubhouse has a Howard-like superstar status, obviously, and that's one reason why Melvin's penchant for the platoon works so well here. The comfort and convention of a stable starting nine is not in the A's budget, and 2013 will be another test of the time-shares, particularly after an offseason in which Billy Beane and David Forst added new layers of depth to the position player roll call.
"We have the ability to make some adjustments from day to day here," Melvin said. "We have a lot of players who we feel will be impactful. Over the course of spring, we'll look at the lineups and see who fits where."
The additions of Chris Young and Jed Lowrie -- a bona fide starting center fielder and shortstop, respectively -- complicate (in a good way) Melvin's daily lineup construction. He now has, at minimum, four would-be starting outfielders in Young, Reddick, Yoenis Cespedes and Coco Crisp, to say nothing of Smith, who turned in a respectable .259/.352/.454 slash line against right-handed pitching last season.
As problems go, it's a good one to have, and the designated hitter spot can obviously be utilized to rotate guys on and off the field. But how Melvin doles out the playing time in this athletic and potentially productive outfield will be a subject of intrigue both inside and outside the A's clubhouse.
"Bob is going to play his matchups," said Reddick, who had a .768 OPS in 673 plate appearances last season. "You might get two at-bats against a lefty, and then they bring in a hard-throwing righty and he's going to pinch-hit for you, especially if it's a big situation. We understand that, myself included. I know that if I'm struggling and a big right-hander like Chris Young has a day off and some tough lefty comes in, I have to be ready for him to pinch-hit for me. You have to understand the concept of it."
The concept could extend to the infield, where the A's are still sorting out their second-base situation. Between Lowrie, Brandon Moss, Hiroyuki Nakajima, Josh Donaldson, Daric Barton, Scott Sizemore and Jemile Weeks, Melvin has a potential logjam on his hands in the infield, too, though it's likely either Sizemore or Weeks will begin the season in Triple-A.
Melvin stressed that one key to this concept is communication, first and foremost.
"It's important for everyone to know where they stand at the time," he said. "They may not like what they're hearing, but they can prepare accordingly. ... We like to let our guys know that night who is playing the next day. Or for the role players, I'll tell them know three or four days in advance."
The A's made it work in 2012, in dramatic fashion, surging to the top of the standings with an offense that got better as time pushed on. To make it work again in '13, they'll need to maintain the mantra that what's best for the team isn't always what's best for the individual.
"Every athlete has an ego, whether he says it or not," Donaldson said. "If athletes didn't have an ego, they wouldn't be in the situation they are now. But you had big-time egos here last year that put it aside for the greater good of the team to go out there and help us win. Every time they stepped into the lineup, they produced. I think it's going to be the same way this year."
Anthony Castrovince is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his columns and follow him on Twitter at @Castrovince. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text:
Dodgers acquire Schumaker to fortify bench
By Ken Gurnick / MLB.com
To make room on the 40-man roster for Schumaker, the Dodgers designated for assignment outfielder Scott Van Slyke.
Having reshaped the starting rotation with the weekend signings of Zack Greinke and Hyun-Jin Ryu, general manager Ned Colletti has obtained a versatile bench player in Schumaker, who becomes the fourth outfielder capable of backing up Matt Kemp in center field, as well as Mark Ellis at second base.
Schumaker, who will be 33 when Spring Training begins, has spent his entire eight-year career with the Cardinals. He hit .276 with a .339 on-base percentage in 107 games in 2012 and is a .288 career hitter. He is owed $1.5 million for 2013, the final year of a two-year contract.
A left-handed hitter, Schumaker is a devotee of new Dodgers hitting coach Mark McGwire, who was instrumental in the Dodgers targeting Schumaker. Schumaker and McGwire live in Orange County, and Schumaker has worked with the coach over the past few offseasons.
The Dodgers spoke with the Cardinals about Schumaker at last week's Winter Meetings, but Colletti wanted to resolve the team's starting-pitching targets first.
Schumaker debuted with the Cardinals in 2005, became an outfield starter in '08 and moved to second base in '09. His playing time disappeared in '12 with the emergence of Daniel Descalso.
Lemmerman is a fifth-round pick in 2010 out of Duke University. He hit .233 in 116 games at Double-A Chattanooga in 2012.
The Dodgers remain in the market for a situational left-handed reliever and a right-handed-hitting backup corner infielder. Schumaker joins Jerry Hairston Jr., who is coming off hip surgery, and Nick Punto as the primary veteran bench players.
Ken Gurnick is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Tuesday saw a changing of the guard at the Montezuma County Courthouse, as new commissioners Keenan Ertel and Larry Don Suckla took oaths of office. Departing are the term-limited Gerald Koppenhafer and Larrie Rule, who served on the commission since 2005.
The Cortez Journal sat down with Koppenhafer - a large-animal veterinarian by trade - to reflect on his eight-year tenure representing District 3, the southeast portion of Montezuma County. Rule did not respond to requests for an interview.
A primary focus of the commission, given the difficult economic times, has been keeping county finances in the black. How was that accomplished?
If you look at the county budget now versus 2005, the balance in almost every fund has gone up tremendously. The general fund had barely $1 million back then, and operational costs were month-to-month. The general fund is close to $10 million now. It's simply taking care of income and not squandering it just because you might have extra one year. At some point, the excess revenue won't be there anymore. We didn't increase personnel or programs in good years - we held steady. By doing that, we've increased reserves in all funds and put Montezuma County on solid footing. (Note: According to data from county treasurer Sherry Dyess, in Dec. 2004 the general fund stood at $3 million and dipped to $1.1 million a year later. At the end of 2012, the fund had grown to $9 million).
Access to public lands is a hot topic in the county, as evidenced by the contentious battle over the Boggy-Glade Travel Management Plan. What was it like arbitrating an issue like that?
Part of being commissioner is getting caught in the middle. You are representing the people of this county, and that includes groups with wildly different opinions. Some want road access to use their motorcycles and 4-wheelers and full-size trucks. Some want them closed. The pro-motorized contingent was the most vocal because they felt shut out. They are resistant to these changes the (U.S.) Forest Service is making. They feel it's the tip of the iceberg, as far as restrictions to using public lands.
The uproar over Boggy-Glade led to the creation of the Public Lands Coordination Commission. The commission lasted about two years before you and the other commissioners shut it down in October. Did it serve a useful purpose?
The idea of hearing more feedback was a good one. But the group couldn't move beyond the question of what "coordination" meant. We felt the conversation kept getting stuck at that point and preventing needed functions from being done. When the Forest Service reps come to meet with us, that is coordination. It doesn't mean they'll act the way we want. Instead of discussing the practical issues, (the PLCC) got bogged down deciding whether coordination was happening or not. It didn't seem like it would ever end.
What steps have been taken to make Montezuma County a more attractive place for business?
One thing we tried was changing zoning rules along highways. We established overlay zones, designating certain areas for commercial or industrial development. Some people say zoning is to restrict development. In my mind, it isn't to restrict. It's to put compatible development together. The final approval of overlay zones happened this past fall.
Coming from a private veterinarian practice, was it challenging to suddenly be dealing with the intricacies of county management?
I knew quite a bit about land use coming in. I was part of the group that developed the comprehensive land-use plan, which the current code came out of. It was a citizen-driven process.
How did you balance conflicting constituent requests?
Anytime a controversial issue comes up, people feel strongly. You need to take different viewpoints into consideration and decide what's best for the county as a whole, not this narrow group or that group. That's the toughest part for people to understand. If (the commission) rules against your view, it isn't because we're ignoring it. It's because we're looking out for the entire county.
What are a few notable accomplishments for the county during your two terms on the commission?
We've made improvements to the grandstand at the county fairgrounds, working with the rodeo committee. We've remodeled the courthouse. We purchased an old armory from the state of Colorado to house the road department and mosquito control equipment. We also purchased 40 acres by the landfill that had been under lease since the 1970s. We went back to a single road supervisor (Dean Roundtree) versus a committee of foremen that wasn't functioning well. And Montezuma County is in good financial shape.
Any regrets or unfinished business?
We didn't completely finish updating the courthouse security system or moving county and district court offices into one building It would be ideal to get all personnel in the same place. An architect is still working on the plans.
Would you have pursued a third term if it was permitted by law?
I don't think so. Eight years is long enough.
What's next?
Going back to the vet practice (in Mancos) and running our cattle ranch.


text:
A man and a woman died Wednesday in a single-car rollover on East Animas Road (County Road 250) about four miles north of Durango.
The victims were identified as Louise Suazo, 47, of Durango, and Cole Behr, 22, of Hesperus.
The crash was reported about 12:45 p.m. by a U.S. Forest Service employee who was driving by the scene about two miles south of Trimble Lane and saw the vehicle upside down in an irrigation ditch filled with running water.
Two bystanders helped remove the victims from the vehicle, but they were pronounced dead at the scene, said Trooper Jonathan Silver, with the Colorado State Patrol.
Both were wearing seat belts. Drugs and alcohol do not appear to be factors, he said.
It does not appear the impact was enough to cause death, but a coroner will determine the official cause of death, Silver said.
The water in the ditch was pretty deep, so the passenger compartment was definitely submerged where the occupants would have been, he said.
One person at the scene said the vehicles engine seemed cold, suggesting the truck had been submerged for a while.
Family members told authorities that Suazo and Behr left Hesperus about 10:30 a.m., leading investigators to believe the crash occurred about 11 a.m., Silver said.
Suazo was driving the black 2006 Toyota Tundra northbound on East Animas Road when she lost control, went off the right side of the road, overcorrected and went off the left side of the road, Silver said. The vehicle rolled onto its top and came to rest about 12 feet down an embankment in the irrigation ditch.
Investigators are unsure what caused Suazo to lose control. Speed does not appear to have been a factor, Silver said.
The road is good, the surface is dry, Silver said.
The section of road was closed from about 12:45 to 3 p.m. Wednesday while investigators documented the scene and worked to remove the vehicle from the irrigation ditch.


text:
Game On Dude overpowered three rivals to defend his title in the $200,000 San Antonio Stakes by 6� lengths at Santa Anita on Sunday.
ARCADIA, Calif. — Game On Dude overpowered three rivals to defend his title in the $200,000 San Antonio Stakes by 6� lengths at Santa Anita on Sunday.
Ridden by Hall of Famer Mike Smith, Game On Dude ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:47.53 and paid $2.10 and $2.10 at 1-9 odds.
Trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, Game On Dude is co-owned by retired Los Angeles Dodgers manager Joe Torre, who was on hand.
"He just seems to be such a great competitor," Torre said. "I'm not an authority on horses. I sit next to Baffert whenever I can, and when he told me at the top of the stretch that he's got plenty left, I sort of relaxed a little bit."
Game On Dude broke sharply and was immediately engaged by 12-1 longshot Basmati.
"I got pressured, even more so than if it was a full field believe it or not," Smith said. "In these short fields, people make you do things because it's more of a match race. He has a high, high cruising speed and you just let him get into his rhythm whether that's up front or off the lead.
"I let him do his thing and he ran brilliant."
"He stood up over on the turn, took one breath and turned around like it was nothing. They were running quick, but that's just him."
Baffert said Game On Dude would be pointed to the $750,000 Santa Anita Handicap on March 2, which he won in 2011.
Clubhouse Ride returned $2.80. Make Music for Me was another 13� lengths back in third. There was no show wagering because of the four-horse field. With $287,272 bet to place on Game On Dude, there was a minus place pool of $53,241.
The victory, worth $120,000, increased Game On Dude's career earnings to $3,252,158, with 11 wins in 23 starts.
The 6-year-old gelding has four Grade 1 wins to his credit. "This is an extremely talented horse," Smith said. "He might even be better this year."
Aqueduct: At New York, Quiet Sunshine led all the way for an 11-1 upset Sunday in the $57,000 allowance feature for New York bred fillies and mares at Aqueduct.
Channing Hill guided the 4-year-old to her second win in 11 starts.
After setting a sensible pace, Quiet Sunshine sprinted clear in the lane to beat Royal Suspicion by 3� lengths. The time was 1:43.48 for the one mile, 70 yards.
Quiet Sunshine, trained by Nick Canani, paid $24, $10.40 and $7.90. Royal Suspicion returned $20 and $9.20 while She's Always Hot paid $8.90 to show.


text:
a leader in nuclear power, has announced that it intends to lend its
American counterparts a hand by making Pu-238 for NASA. David
Southwood, ESA's director of science and robotic exploration, in an
interview with Spaceflight
states, "Our target is to have an independent capability, which
may help our American friends."Since
the Pioneer and Voyager
missions of the 1970s, NASA has been using the radioactive
plutonium-238 (or Pu-238) isotope to power its deep space missions.
The radioactive source has a very long half-life of 87.7 years.
Over that period it slowly decays, releasing a steady stream of
thermal energy in the process. That thermal energy is harvested
by radioisotope
thermoelectric generators (RTGs) in the probes to make
power.More recent missions to use the technology include
the Cassini
Equinox and New
Horizons missions.Unfortunately, NASA's plutonium
stockpile has almost been exhausted, even as agency prepares its
new Mars
Space Laboratory which will require the isotope for power.
There's really no alternative currently for NASA, as the operational
range of many of its missions place it well outside the spatial
volume where the sun's rays are strong enough to provide a decent
level of solar power.At a base level, NASA's plutonium
shortage is due to the fact that Pu-238 production is expensive and
tightly regulated. The U.S. Department of Energy, due to budget
cuts, lacks the money to fund additional production. Despite
the fact that the material is not fissible -- hence cannot be made
into atomic bombs -- tight regulations are further constraining the
supply, limiting trade to only a couple potential candidates.
One of those candidates -- Russia -- is locked in a contract dispute
with NASA, essentially ruling out its possibility as a source for
now. Jim Adams, deputy director of NASA's planetary
science division optimistically states, "If we close another
deal with the Russians for another delivery of plutonium-238, or get
domestic production restarted, there's sufficient plutonium well out
past the Outer Planets Flagship Mission."Fortunately,
the European Space Agency is looking to come to NASA's rescue,
announcing that it will begin producing Pu-238 and offering it to its
American partner. Europe is a world leader in nuclear power,
with the majority of EU member France's power coming from nuclear
energy.The move will allow it to provide fuel for the $4.5B
joint U.S.-Europe flagship mission to the Jovian moon Europa -- fuel
that NASA currently lacks. The ESA's Southwood states, "To
see see ourselves as a serious planetary science partner on the world
stage with the United States, we're building up our nuclear
capability for European-built RTGs. We are building for a
pretty major capability being available in Europe in the 2020s."The
final production decision for the nuclear isotope will take place in
2011 or 2014 at EU council meetings.Another perhaps
possibility for both the EU and U.S. is to alternatively produce
Americium-241. This radioactive isotope has the advantage of
being plentiful (it is found in most nuclear
waste) and has an extremely long half life of 432.2 years.
However, its power output (114 watts decay heat/kg) is much lower
than Pu-238's (560 watts decay heat/kg). And it is more
dangerous and hard to handle.Warns Adams, "Plutonium-238
is an alpha emitter, and you can shield alpha particles with a piece
of paper. It's neutrons that damage people, and americium is
more a neutron emitter than plutonium-238."


text:
- JV had 11pts, 11rbs 3ast and 3blks midway in the 3rd and didn't even see any floor time in the 4th. The guy was impacting the game on both ends of the floor. What would it take for this guy to get some playing time late in the game? and why is he not playing more late in the game?
- Execution in the 4th once again was BRUTAL. Amir SHOULDN'T BE AN OPTION AT ALL. Hello!!
- Bargnani once again was a non factor in the 2nd half specially in the 4th. The 2 missed FT's early in the 4th was huge. The guy just always disappears late in the game. Am i the only one noticing this?
- Give the ball to DeMar in the post!!
- The Raps defence help too much. Results? open 3's for Philly. Way too many.
Another game that they've lost because of atrocious execution offensively and defensively late in the game. Brutal.
Also, i understand that Jose and Kyle are 2 of their best players. Offensively they're great together but defensively they're going to get exposed just like tonight.


text:
cases against large companies in the tech world are nothing new.
Microsoft is certainly no stranger to antitrust allegations and the
firm has been found guilty of violations on several occasions in the
past. The most recent antitrust charges in Europe against Microsoft
had to do with the bundling of IE with Windows. The charges
were ultimately dropped after Microsoft and the EU agreed to a
ballot box offering users a choice of several web browsers. Testing
of the browser ballot box was set to start
this week in some European nations.This time around,
Google has found itself at the center of new allegations
of antitrust activities. The European Commission has revealed
that it is in the early stages of an antitrust investigation into
Google. The EC said, "The Commission can confirm that it has
received three complaints against Google which it is examining."The
EC didn't specify what companies had filed the complaints, but
Google announced the names of the firms in a blog post reports PC
The three firms are Foundem (a UK price comparison engine),
ejustice.fr (a French legal search site), and Ciao (a German search
site). Google points the finger at Microsoft for most of the charges
though. According to Google, Microsoft recently purchased Ciao and
Foundem is a member of iComp, a trade group funded mostly by
Microsoft.Google legal counsel Julia Holtz said, "Microsoft
is our competitor and that explains many actions." She also
said, "We are hopeful we can convince the Commission not to
pursue a case. I am confident they will conclude there is nothing to
it."The core of the EC inquiry -- which the commission
points out is not an official investigation at this time -- centers
around Google's search algorithms. Foundem alleges that Google
blacklisted its site by changing its search results and pushing
Foundem results further down the rankings. Holtz maintains that
Google uses neither blacklists nor whitelists for any
sites.The Wall
Street Journal reports
that the EC asked Google to "comment on the allegations"
earlier this month and reports that the probe
centers on search advertising rather than Google's search
algorithms as PC
World claims.


text: When you need professional strippers for your next bachelor party, bachelorette party, birthday party, or any party or special event, Dancing Beauty is the obvious choice for Shreveport Female Strippers, Shreveport Male Strippers and all types of exotic dancers and entertainment. We are America's #1 Top-Rated stripper company, serving all 50 states. We've worked hard to earn our 5-star rating and will continue to do so at your next party or event. We are the owners of the world's most successful Stripper School, producing the world's most beautiful and talented strippers. Nobody is more qualified to provide top-quality strippers. At Dancing Beauty we pride ourselves on our professional service and positive attitude. We strive to provide you with the highest quality service at the best price. When it comes to professional stripping entertainment, we are without a doubt "the biggest and the best" around! If you need Female Exotic Dancers, Male Exotic Dancers, or any type of Exotic Entertainment, you can count on us to provide the very best!!!


text:
Buy VTech toys at Vtechkids.com like InnoTab 2, MobiGo 2, VReader, infant toys and preschool toys. VTech electronic learning toys for children birth to age 9.
Still Having Trouble
If the previous information did not solve your problem, try one of the following options:
Find the FAQ list
for the product which you own.
Download the manual
for the product which you own.
Contact us
via e-mail.
Submit a support form
to us.


text:
Roundtable big hit on Civil Rights weekend
Panel recognizes those before who paved way to play
By John Schlegel / MLB.com
It was those concepts that echoed as the weekend of festivities surrounding the Gillette Civil Rights Game began Friday, ideas the distinguished panel of African-Americans who participated in a roundtable Friday at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center made it clear they embrace fully.
Each of the six panelists acknowledged a debt to those who came before them, to those who opened doors that were previously closed, to those who withstood indignity so they could have opportunity.
But, then, it was with those concepts in mind that the Civil Rights Game and this roundtable within it came about in the first place.
"Major League Baseball has been a role model for years," MLB vice president for on-field operations Jimmie Lee Solomon said, after the roundtable kicked off the fourth annual Civil Rights Game weekend. "Baseball was at the forefront of the civil rights movement, integrating long before the Little Rock Nine, before Rosa Parks decided she wouldn't sit in the back of the bus.
"Baseball, starting with Jackie Robinson, showed society that not only can blacks and whites work together and play together, but they can win together."
The roundtable, moderated by Harvard Law School professor Charles Ogletree, included Reds baseball legends Joe Morgan and Barry Larkin, Bengals coach Marvin Lewis and former Bengals linebacker and Cincinnati city councilman Reggie Williams, tennis star Zina Garrison and retired Army command sergeant major Michele Jones, currently serving as White House military liaison. Other baseball luminaries, such as Hank Aaron and Dave Parker, also attended the event.
Obviously, any discussion involving civil rights extends beyond baseball, and beyond the sports realm, and really beyond African-American community.
But baseball provided the platform for this discussion, and some might say baseball helped start it in the first place.
|"I felt like if I could set an example, if I could educate people with the same kind of education I received from guys like Joe Morgan and Hank Aaron, we could pass on the legacy, pass on the traditions."
|-- Barry Larkin
While baseball might have taken the lead with Robinson's debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947, it still took players being role models, passing along the legacy, showing responsibility for the coming generations of players to maintain the momentum. And while change was happening in schools and government, and on buses and lunch counters, Morgan came to find out early in his career that the job wasn't complete.
When he first arrived as a professional player, coming from Oakland where integration was established and race didn't come into play on the field, Morgan was introduced to the type of racism Aaron and Robinson and others before him had endured. He did get some prejudice of the organization wanting him to switch from second base to outfield, which he refused, but really the barrier he saw that touched him most was outside the lines of the field.
Going to his first road game in the Minors, he saw just how segregated the South was at that time.
"We were walking out to the field, and I looked in right field and all the African-Americans were behind a screen of chicken wire out there," Morgan recalled. "I was taking batting practice, and I made up my mind right there that I was going to go home. I said I'm not going to be a part of this. I can't condone this and be out there playing with that going on.
"I'd made up my mind and made reservations to go home. But I decided to stand, and I was able to do it only because of my memories of Jackie Robinson and Frank Robinson and all those who came before me."
Larkin is among those who were the better for the fact that Morgan did stick with it. Larkin, who along with Morgan provided the hometown double-play combination on the panel as former Reds stars, said his approach toward that role was a natural fit.
"I felt like if I could set an example, if I could educate people with the same kind of education I received from guys like Joe Morgan and Hank Aaron, we could pass on the legacy, pass on the traditions," Larkin said.
That philosophy was as plain as the inscriptions Larkin received from his two favorite players -- Hall of Fame shortstop Ozzie Smith, and Big Red Machine shortstop Davey Concepcion -- on baseball gloves he had them sign at the end of their careers.
"I don't think they were working in cahoots, but they both signed it to me and said ... 'Continue the legacy. Pass on the tradition,'" said Larkin, now an analyst for the MLB Network. "Both of them wrote that. So I felt for me as a baseball player, I was doing that same exact thing. I thought it was my responsibility to continue the legacy and pass on the tradition."
Or, in the case of Lewis, help to start one. One of five black head coaches in the NFL, Lewis takes on the hopes of being the next mentor, repaying what others did for him.
"These people endured a lot to help me get this opportunity today," Lewis said. "That's the thing for myself and the other African-American head coaches in the NFL now, we'd like to establish our own legacy."
Williams overcame more obstacles than just the color of his skin. Born with a severe hearing disability that wasn't discovered until he was in the third grade, Williams went on to graduate from Dartmouth College, star for 14 years for the Bengals and serve as a Cincinnati city council member for the last two years of his playing days.
All it took was an opportunity.
"One of the hopes of civil rights is for every person in America, the greatest country on the planet, to have a level playing field, an opportunity for all kids," Williams said.
Opportunity becomes responsibility.
And for panelist Jones -- once the highest-ranking African American female enlisted in any branch of the U.S. military, and now serving as Special Assistant to the U.S. Secretary of Defense -- the concept of carrying on a legacy and becoming a role model ... fit like a glove, just like it did for Larkin and the rest.
She entered the military in 1982, just four years after women became eligible to serve alongside men, and she turned it into 25 years of distinguished service.
"The door was open for me, and I decided to take it off its hinges so other people could come in behind me," Jones said.
Garrison, meanwhile, was a rare African-American in the tennis world, and she received support from Morgan and others like entertainer Bill Cosby and NBA star Moses Malone as she grew up in Houston and became a young tennis star.
From there, it was up to her to accept her responsibility, she said.
"I was there to break the barriers I was supposed to break, and Althea Gibson and Arthur Ashe were there to break the barriers they broke," Garrison said.
Now that Venus and Serena Williams have been on top of the women's tennis world for a decade, Garrison's legacy hasn't faded.
"I'm very aware that everyone sits on someone else's shoulders, and that was my time," Garrison said.
Just that type of legacy continues for each of the panelists on Friday's roundtable.
Actually, on certain levels, it continues for everyone.
"I really believe every adult should be a role model, not just those on TV or those of us on this panel," Morgan said to instant applause from the audience.
That said, the six panelists who brought a human element to the start of this year's Civil Rights Game weekend embrace the opportunity to discuss civil rights, where they've been and where they're going.
Being a role model, carrying the legacy, taking the responsibility is the ultimate way to express appreciation for those who came before.
After all, not talking about it, not discussing it, not remembering is not an alternative.
"Any time we ignore race, it doesn't help us," Morgan said. "If you do that, you do a disservice, not only to people now but to the people who came before us."
John Schlegel is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text:
Positions Available - Attorneys
Vernis & Bowling - Expanding "AV-RATED" law firm seeks aggressive attorneys with federal and/or state court experience in employment law, commercial litigation, personal injury, workers' compensation, and civil litigation defense for its Ft. Lauderdale, DeLand, Jacksonville, Ft. Myers, Clearwater, Pensacola, Florida Keys, N. Palm Beach, Miami, Atlanta, Mobile, and Birmingham, AL offices. Exceptional opportunity and benefits. Fax resume to: (305) 892-1260.
Attorney - Litigation in Probate, Trust & Estates: Hollywood Trust & Estates firm seeks a Litigation Attorney with 3-5 years' experience. Candidates must be a member of The Florida Bar, have excellent academic credentials, and should have experience and interest in litigation. Bilingual/Spanish a plus! CPA or accounting experience a plus. Please send cover letter, resume, and writing samples to: Wintter & Associates, P.A.; Attention: Bianca Moreiras, Legal Administrator; email: [email protected].
Law Offices of Nelson & Nelson, P.A - North Miami Beach/Aventura Estate/Tax/Asset Protection attorney is looking to build upon existing 3 attorney Boutique practice. Fantastic challenging clients. Desired expansion areas include Probate Litigation, International Tax, Charitable Planning, Bankruptcy and Transactional. Nice offices and established infrastructure. Great staff. We are looking for bright, ethical, hard workers preferably with significant large firm experience who may want greater flexibility but the same quality of challenging work. A minimum of $250,000 of portable work for ideal candidates. Would also be happy to discuss Of-Counsel and /or partnership for the right laterals with significant existing practice, experience and exceptional skills. Join us to enhance cross referrals and a stimulating work environment. For more information see www.estatetaxlawyers.com. Confidential inquiries through Mirlene Dubreuze at [email protected].
Entrepreneurial Lawyers Needed: Orlando Firm seeks lawyers with their own book of business and lawyers thinking about leaving large firms. Keep the majority of what you earn with a 70% / 30% fee sharing arrangement in your favor. We provide Class A Downtown Orlando office space, accounting and administrative support, physical and electronic file management, malpractice insurance, lexis account, collaboration and internal co-counsel when needed. Send resumes to [email protected].
Transactional Associate needed for detail-oriented work. Good legal research & writing skills, along with self-motivation, a must. MS Word '07 and West Law proficiency required. 0-2 years experience. Must be a member of The Florida Bar. Salary & benefits commensurate with experience. Fax or email resumes to [email protected], Barnes Walker, Goethe, & Hoonhout, Chartered, 3119 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton, FL 34209. 941-741-8225.
Smith, Currie & Hancock LLP, an AV-rated multi-state construction litigation firm seeks highly qualified applicants for its Fort Lauderdale offices. Position available for a 4+ year associate with significant construction law experience and outstanding written and verbal communication skills. Excellent compensation and benefits. We also seek a lateral partner with significant construction law expertise and business base. Submit resume in strict confidence to [email protected].
Hill Ward Henderson, an AV-rated, Tampa, Florida law firm seeks an associate for its Corporate & Tax Group. Candidates must have 1-4 years of experience in securities and mergers and acquisitions. The position requires excellent credentials, major transaction experience, and a strong work ethic. The position offers immediate front-line deal involvement in a friendly, collegial work environment, an equity partner opportunity, and excellent compensation and benefits. Clients include recognized private equity and venture capital firms, as well as significant public companies. Send resume and cover letter in confidence to Jeanie M. Poley at [email protected]. Please visit our firm website at www.hwhlaw.com.
Vasquez & Tosko, LLP – Orlando based insurance defense firm seeks litigation attorney with 2 to 5 years experience. Insurance defense experience preferred. Email resume to [email protected].
Litigation Attorney: Statewide AV-rated insurance defense firm seeks liability attorney with a minimum of 3-5 years experience to lead liability division in Orlando office. Excellent salary and benefits. Reply to news box #628.
Foreclosure Litigation Attorney: 2-5 years experience Creditor Rights/Litigation, full-time position available in our Tampa Office. Florida Bar license required. Competitive salary & comprehensive benefits package. Fax resume and salary requirements to (813) 880-8800 or email [email protected].
McFarlane & Dolan, a statewide insurance defense firm is seeking a PIP Attorney for our South Florida/Coral Springs office. Partnership opportunities are available for the right applicants. Portable book of business is a plus. Please send resume to [email protected].
The Broward County PBA, a police labor organization is accepting applications for a position of General Counsel. 3-5 yrs. experience in administrative law or management and/or general trail. Salary and benefits. Send resume to 2650 W. State Road 84, Ft. Lauderdale 33312.
CUTTING EDGE/FULFILLING professional opportunity, providing legal counsel to community associations in small firm environment. 2 yrs litigation and drafting exp., highly motivated with excellent communication skills. AV-rated Law Firm. Fax resume to: Gelfand & Arpe, P.A., Attn: Administrator at 561-655-1361 or email to: [email protected].
CONSTRUCTION LITIGATION ATTORNEY – Orlando/Tampa AV law firm seeks construction litigation associates/jr. partners for Tampa and Orlando offices with partial book of business. Excellent growth opportunity/benefits. Send resume to Howard Allen, Railey Harding & Allen, P.A., 15 N. Eola Dr., Orlando, FL 32801, [email protected], Fax (407) 648-8049.
Tampa AV-rated civil litigation firm seeking litigation attorney with 8-12 years' experience in life and disability insurance & civil litigation. Competitive salary and benefits package. Please do not respond unless you meet the years' experience requirement. Send resume to Hiring Partner, Ogden & Sullivan, PA., 113 S. Armenia Avenue, Tampa, FL 33609.
Carr Allison's Tallahassee office is hiring an experienced litigator to handle trucking claims as well as general liability matters. 3-5 years of experience is required. Strong writing skills and a hard work ethic are essential. No new graduates will be considered. A Florida license is required. Please send resume to Thomas Logan @ [email protected].
The Bleakley Bavol Law Firm seeks an experienced tort litigator with approximately 10-15 years of experience. Preferred candidates will have experience handling construction and product liability matters. A background in mass tort litigation is also helpful. Competitive compensation, bonus and benefit package available for top candidates. Qualified candidates may send cover letter and resume to [email protected].
Tampa Law Firm: 25 year medium-sized personal injury firm, AV-rated, seeks litigation attorney 3-7 years trial experience. Must be member of Florida Bar, organized with above average creative, analytical, technical though processing skills, able to work as part of team. Competitive salary + benefits. Send confidential cover and resume to 12157 W. Linebaugh Avenue, PMB 326, Tampa, FL 33626-1732, or email [email protected].
Expanding Downtown Orlando Law Firm has immediate opening for 7+ years experienced insurance defense litigation attorney; PIP a plus. Experience must include taking depositions, mediations, hearings and trial. Candidate must be an excellent writer. Great benefits and competitive base salary commiserate with experience and abilities combined with excellent bonus structure for performance. If you meet the criteria and are interested in joining a dynamic team, send your resume, cover letter and writing sample to [email protected].
The Sixth Judicial Circuit is seeking applicants for two Staff Attorney positions to work in the Criminal Justice Center in Clearwater. These attorneys will primarily assist the felony judges with legal research in criminal cases, including pre-trial and trial matters and postconviction motions. Salary and benefit information and application available at www.jud6.org. Submit Court Application, cover letter, resume, and writing sample no later than November 30.
Workers' Compensation Attorneys and Paralegals needed for growing workers' compensation consulting firm in Lake Mary. WCSS was co-founded by a former defense attorney. We are seeking attorneys and paralegals to manage workers' compensation claims and litigation countrywide for multiple clients. Managing claims involves investigation to determine compensability, ensuring compliance with return to work programs, managing medical benefits and controlling vendor cost. Managing litigation involves supervising outside counsel. This is not a litigation position. Email resume to [email protected].
To respond to a News Box- Mail required information to: The Florida Bar News, 651 E. Jefferson Street, Tallahassee, FL 32399-2300 Attn: News Box # ____
Position Available- Other
Coral Gables Workers Compensation Firm Filling Legal Scheduling Secretary Position - Duties include; scheduling all attorney's matters and manage office calendar, draft form notices of depositions, mediations, and hearings, and draft form pleadings, and discovery pleadings. Applicants should have the following skills; fluent in Spanish, exceptional organizational skills, ability to manage time and set priorities, work will with others, and meet deadlines. Please forward your cover letter, resume, and references to Raul Villaverde at [email protected].
Boutique Civil Firm in Clearwater is seeking diligent, self-motivated paralegals and legal assistants for busy office. Experience and Spanish fluency are preferred. Please send resume and cover letter to [email protected]. Excellent compensation and benefits in friendly, team-oriented environment. No phone calls please.
Boutique Law Firm concentrating in trust and estate litigation seeks a full-time paralegal with a minimum of five (5) years litigation experience. Probate experience helpful, but not mandatory. Individual must be organized and a self-starter. Salary commensurate with experience. The firm is located in downtown West Palm Beach offering a busy but very pleasant working environment. Please forward resumes for consideration to: [email protected].
Garcia Legal Search "integrity in recruiting". Please check our website or contact us for a complete list of all our opportunities. Highlighted Opportunities:Tampa: - Comm./Sec. Lit 2+yrs, - Real Est. 2+yrs, - Pub. Fin. 2+yrs; Orlando: - T&E 3+yrs, - Real Est. 1+yrs, - Corp./Pub. Fin. 1+yrs, - Construct. Lit. 2+yrs; SW Fla.: - Tax/Corp. 4+yrs, - Employ. Lit. 4+yrs; Miami: - Comm. Lit. 3+yrs, - Real Est. 3+yrs. Please contact Robert F. Garcia, Esq. at [email protected] (813) 431-5432 or Lisa M. Garcia at [email protected] (813) 679-6717; www.GarciaLegalSearch.com.
Attorney Services
Expert Witness
Real Estate/Space Sharing
[Revised: 10-23-2016]


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.
ABC News Listening to America Poll, May 1996 (ICPSR 6820)
Principal Investigator(s): ABC News
This special topic poll, conducted April 30 to May 6, 1996, is part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicit public opinion on the presidency and on a range of other political and social issues. This poll sought Americans' views on the most important problems facing the United States, their local communities and their own families. Respondents rated the public schools, crime, and drug problems at the national and local levels, their level of optimism about their own future and that of the country, and the reasons they felt that way. Respondents were asked whether they were better off financially than their parents were at their age, whether they expected their own children to be better off financially than they were, and whether the American Dream was still possible for most people. Respondents then compared their expectations about life to their actual experiences in areas such as job security, financial earnings, employment benefits, job opportunities, health care benefits, retirement savings, and leisure time. A series of questions asked whether the United States was in a long-term economic and moral decline, whether the country's main problems were caused more by a lack of economic opportunity or a lack of morality, and whether the United States was still the best country in the world. Additional topics covered immigration policy and the extent to which respondents trusted the federal, state, and local governments. Demographic variables included respondents' sex, age, race, education level, marital status, household income, political party affiliation, political philosophy, voter registration and participation history, labor union membership, the presence of children in the household, whether these children attended a public school, and the employment status of respondents and their spouses.
Access Notes
Data in this collection are available only to users at ICPSR member institutions. Please log in so we can determine if you are with a member institution and have access to these data files.
ASCII + SAS Setup SPSS Setup Stata Setup
Study Description
ABC News. ABC News Listening to America Poll, May 1996. ICPSR06820-v2. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2009-10-29. https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR06820.v2
Persistent URL: https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR06820.v2
Export Citation:
- RIS (generic format for RefWorks, EndNote, etc.)
- EndNote XML (EndNote X4.0.1 or higher)
Scope of Study
Subject Terms: attitudes, communities, crime, drugs, economic conditions, employment, expectations, families, government, immigration policy, job security, life plans, life satisfaction, morality, national economy, national pride, personal finances, public opinion, public schools, quality of life, retirement, social issues, social problems, trust in government
Geographic Coverage: United States
- 1996-05
- 1996-04-30--1996-05-06
Unit of Observation: individual
Universe: Persons aged 18 and over living in households with telephones in the contiguous 48 United States.
The data available for download are not weighted and users will need to weight the data prior to analysis.
The data collection was produced by Chilton Research Services of Radnor, PA. Original reports using these data may be found via the ABC News Polling Unit Website.
According to the data collection instrument, code 3 in the variable Q909 (Education Level) included respondents who answered that they had attended a technical school.
The original data file contained four records per case and was reformatted into a data file with one record per case. To protect respondent confidentiality, respondent names were removed from the data file.
The CASEID variable was created for use with online analysis.
Sample: Households were selected by random-digit dialing. Within households, the respondent selected was the adult living in the household who last had a birthday and who was at home at the time of interview.
Weight: The data contain a weight variable (WEIGHT) that should be used in analyzing the data. This poll consists of "standard" national representative samples of the adult population with sample balancing of sex, race, age, and education.
Mode of Data Collection: telephone interview
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.
- Created online analysis version with question text.
- Checked for undocumented or out-of-range codes.
Original ICPSR Release: 1998-05-20
- 2009-10-29 First names were removed from the data file. A full product suite including online analysis with question text has been added. The location of the weight variable was also corrected.
Related Publications
Export Options: RIS/EndNote
Instructional Resources
Instructional guides that utilize this dataset are available:
The American Dream at the Turn of the 21st Century: A Data-Driven Learning Guide - Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research
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:
Space Coast CU's Mortgage-Backed Securities Suit on Hold
A suit filed by Space Coast Credit Union against several Wall Street banks and ratings agencies over claims it lost more than $100 million from collateralized debt obligations that were sold to Eastern Financial Florida Credit Union, was recently put on hold.
The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida said this week it would need more time to review the banks' and rating agencies' motion for dismissal.
Among the banks named in the Space Coast suit were Wells Fargo Securities, formerly known as Wachovia Capital Markets, J.P. Morgan Securities, formerly known as Bearn Stearns & Co. Inc., Merrill Lynch and its subsidiary, Merrill Lynch Home Loans, UBS Securities, and Barclay's Capital Inc. Other defendants named were Richard S. Fuld Jr., former chairman/CEO of Lehman Brothers, and Moody's Investors Service Inc.
Eastern Financial Florida was conserved by the NCUA in 2009 and merged soon after with Space Coast.
In its complaint filed in early 2012, the $3 billion Space Coast in Melbourne, Fla., said the CDOs led to a phony demand for residential mortgage loans, which also led to creating one of the state's largest housing catastrophes.
Space Coast said creating and selling CDOs revolved around shoe-horning residential mortgage securities into Moody's and S&P's credit rating models to generate investment grade ratings, according to the CU's suit. Investors were misled because they relied on the credit ratings, the credit union said.
In May 2011, Space Coast filed a suit against Barclays saying the $10 million worth of the firm's Markov CDOs bought by Eastern Financial Florida were based on riskier synthetic assets. The purchase allegedly led to losses on the entire investment.
Last spring, the Wall Street banks told a federal court judge in Miami that Eastern Financial was warned about the risks associated with CDOs.
"Each of the 12 CDOs at issue here was offered pursuant to a separate offering circular. These offering circulars contained page after page of disclosures and disclaimers, explaining to Eastern Financial the nature and risks of the particular CDO investments, the place of each tranche within each CDO, and the credit rating expected to be assigned by the rating agencies of each tranche," according to a joint motion from the banks and ratings agencies to dismiss the suit.
A separate U.S. Department of Justice suit filed this week against the S&P and other firms claimed the agency assigned false high ratings on the CDOs in exchange for payments from several of its Wall Street clients.


text:
SEC Receives 3,000 Whistleblower Tips in 2012
In just its first year, the SEC said its whistleblower program brought in more than 3,000 tips from all 50 states and 49 other countries.
According to the agency's 2012 Annual Report on the Dodd-Frank Whistleblower Program released Thursday, the most common complaints related to corporate disclosures and financials (18.2%), offering fraud (15.5%), and manipulation (15.2%).
There were 143 enforcement judgments and orders issued during fiscal year 2012 that potentially qualify as eligible for a whistleblower award, the SEC said.
The SEC's Office of the Whistleblower provided the public with notice of these actions because they involved sanctions exceeding the statutory threshold of more than $1 million, the agency said.
The SEC said it made its first award under the new program to a whistleblower who helped the agency stop an ongoing multi-million dollar fraud. The whistleblower received an award of 30% of the amount collected in the SEC's enforcement action, which is the maximum percentage payout allowed by law.
"In just its first year, the whistleblower program already has proven to be a valuable tool in helping us ferret out financial fraud," said SEC Chairman Mary Schapiro. "When insiders provide us with high-quality road maps of fraudulent wrongdoing, it reduces the length of time we spend investigating and saves the agency substantial resources."
Under the Dodd-Frank Act, the SEC said it can pay financial awards to whistleblowers who provide high-quality, original information about a possible securities law violation that leads to a successful SEC enforcement action with more than $1 million in monetary sanctions.
The SEC said it is authorized to pay the whistleblower 10% to 30% of the sanctions collected. Awards are paid from the Investor Protection Fund established by Congress to fund payments.
The agency said it received 3,001 tips, complaints, and referrals from whistleblowers from individuals in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico as well as 49 countries outside of the United States.


text:
Friday, February 08, 2013 - Wank Party 2013 #01, Part 2
Introducing a BRAND NEW WEBSITE SWNude.com
We are proudly introducing a brand new Nude Submission Wrestling website SWNude.com
A membership website for fans of nude submission wrestling.
We will be posting a wrestling match each Friday there, anouncing it here in the WH Newsletter. So there will be always a new content available to the SWNude.com website members for weekends ;-). At present there are 55+ nude wrestling matches on the SWNude.com website and there will be always a new one each Friday while our production is at present shooting at least two completely new nude wrestling matches in a month.
The website is now acessible through both www.SWNude.com and www.SubmissionWrestlingNude.com domain links.
Please, feel free to take a FREE TOUR of our new website HERE.
ONLY NOW YOU CAN GET SWNUDE.com FOR A SPECIAL INTRODUCTORY PRICE!
Radim Hajek vs Niklas Serdberg
Watching Radim Hajek and Niklas Serberg in their submission wrestling match it is very easy to believe in Hunk Heaven, they are both big, butch, good looking guys. Radim with his tan and body hair and Niklas with his blond good looks. What an awesome pair they make, and they serve up a most enjoyable wrestling bout as they strip off and get to grips with each other. Those muscles bodies are bare, with asses gaping and cocks slappling against their bodies as they fight to achieve a victory. Round by round we see the awesome muscles being stretched and the moans of each guy as they struggle for supremacy. Finally, victory is achieved, with the assistance of some hard ball grabbing, and we have a very nice wank off ending with two very good cumshots.
Open Radim Hajek vs Niklas Serdberg at SWNude.com


text:
For your convenience, you may narrow down your search by selecting a "SERIES" from the 'SHOP BY' column located on the right side of this page. This simple feature will assist you in finding the correct replacement filter(s) for your AustinAir® air purifier.
1 item
Replacement Filter Set for the Austin Air Pet Machine™
Regular Price: $299.99
Lowest Price: $269.99
1 item


text:
We were also fortunate enough to get our hands on the Smart Stroller which has made a huge difference, especially when traveling around the snowy Berlin streets during the film festival. It's strong and sturdy, yet lightweight and easy to fold out and collapse, not to mention the nice comments from others in the stroller community. Turning the seat around to face you is good for a baby nap and the coloured hood makes it easy to spot your child when you lose them at a pram party. Best of all, the stroller and travel crib can both fit in to the up & away bag . Boom.
"The SMART is a great "in-between" stroller: it has qualities of a full-size stroller, but with the size and compact fold of an umbrella stroller. The SMART alone could definitely accommodate a parent and baby/toddler's needs for the first few years. The coolest part? You can make it completely your own style with customizable color options."
"I can honestly say that I have found the stroller that has "made my life easier". Many strollers are of chariot proportions. I was determined to find something simple that did indeed take a bit of the stress off having that perfect little life. Something that I could assemble, fold down, easily push and not limit me to certain paths or venues. That I could weave in and out of the tiniest aisles, that would be comfortable but no nonsense. This is EXACTLY what I was looking for! The smart stroller is incredibly lightweight without compromising stability. It's sleek and simple frame is fantastic and allows me to switch from car seat mode, to rear facing seat in record time! I can easily pop it on to any kerb without jiggling my baby around." - Rebecca, Mom of 2
The seat is made from Aerocore -- a material with a look and feel similar to Crocs. It's waterproof, odor-resistant, and super easy to clean.
"The very fun bit about this buggy is the way that you can customise it! The seat, hood and optional liner all come in a range of colours and you can mix and match as you like. Phil&Teds has also just added a mesh seat to the range of accessories – perfect for hot summer days! There's a funky tool on the Phil&Teds website where you can see your customised colour… great fun to play around with.
As well as being funky, this stroller also works well. I've tried a few 'umbrella' strollers and they all leave me a bit cold. They're uncomfortable to push, often clunky to handle and seem to fall apart easily. The Smart is a solid, high quality stroller that is designed to last. It's maneuverable and fits larger children as well as younger ones. You can also use both a carrycot attachment and a car seat attachment with this buggy, so it's great for babies as well as toddlers." - Rochelle Gribble
Our first impression of the smart stroller was, "Wow, this is luxury!" and we were right. The materials, design, ergonomics, and overall aesthetics are worth the price tag. Every thought has been put into this stroller.It is lightweight and compact, yet sturdy and proportional. It is sleek and understated at the same time, yet incredibly practical and usable.
Described by both the company and industry commentators as "the complete compact stroller system," the smart looks set to reshape the stroller market with its introduction of ground breaking technology like revolutionary 'aerocore' seating. "We set out to prove that 'compact' needn't mean 'functionless'," says design head Phil Brace. "The compact market has, since 1964, been dominated by the umbrella stroller which – other than being light – does little to meet key parental stroller needs. We wanted to rectify that."
We are absolutely smitten over the phil&teds stroller ($299.99) --- yes, I know -- you may recall our already confessed love here once before but, we can't help ourselves. The lightweight stroller system just got better with the verso adapter.
The Smart was absolutely perfect for my day of lunching and shopping. The verso adaptors made it possible for me to have my baby facing me, whilst the tiny footprint of the stroller made it a breeze to dart in and out of small stores. The foam on the handles is soft and squishy to touch and the drink holder latch perfectly held my few bags of shopping. All the while my baby slept covered by the huge follow-the-sun canopy thatI discovered is also great to dim out the bright lights of a shopping centre.
Phil & Teds listened to their customers' advice and went out to improve their smart stroller. They have made the seat softer and wider, while making the stroller frame small enough to fit through a subway gate. With the new "color it your way" option, you can pick from over 200 color combinations for your stroller.
The smart concept is a lot of fun. You customize the stroller as you buy it – the seat and the sun hood (as well as the optional lining) come in a variety of cheerful candy colours. You can go all liquorice black, or choose colours ranging from neutral almond, to candy floss pink, to tangerine orange. The variety makes for a perfect excuse to order a couple of extra hoods, and then switch them according to your outfit or mood. Read More
"You can fit the smart buggy, seat and peanut all in the travel bag! Take the rear wheels with mudguards on We put the frame in by itself and put the seat in separately face down, in the space between the wheels and the handlebars with the bum part up near the handlebars. We flattened the peanut and VOILA it all fit perfectly in!!
In winter the aerocore seat will be perfect when you go to Saturday morning sport with the kids and things get really muddy and perfect in the summer for outdoor/beach living. It's a real benefit being easy clean!"
"My two and half year old Georgie LURVESSSS our new smart buggy. He has severe allergies to food, and mould amongst others.... this new seat has given me piece of mind that George is moving around in a wipe-clean, hypoallergenic and supper comfy ride.... it''s been super easy cleaning the seat with a cloth - no mess, no fading...He looks so relaxed and loves playing with the aerocore seat - it''s super soft and comfy.
I love how the sun hood has so much freedom and George will often adjust the sun hood himself to suit himself. It''s been great having a compact stroller that folds so quickly and I can fit it in the back of the car with all the other kids gear....we recently travelled about a bit and it was a dream travelling with a small compact, yet robust stroller!! Everywhere we go, people ask us where we got our buggy & we love telling them it's a phil&teds."


text:
Superficial thrombophlebitis is inflammation of a vein close to the surface of the skin. It occurs most often in the leg. The condition is easily treatable, though it sometimes leads to more serious health concerns.
Superficial thrombophlebitis is caused by a blood clot in a vein that is close to the surface of the skin.
Risk Factors
Factors that increase your chance of developing superficial thrombophlebitis include:
- Trauma, especially to the lower leg
- Blood clotting disorder
- Sitting for long periods of time, such as riding in a car or on an airplane
- Prolonged bed rest
- Prior episodes of phlebitis
- Certain cancers
- Paralysis, which may be caused by a stroke
- Family history of blood clotting disorders
- Obesity
- Pregnancy
Superficial thrombophlebitis may cause:
- A visible, cord-like vein that is tender and sensitive to pressure; this visibility may develop over several hours to days
- Redness and warmth surrounding the vein
- Swelling around the vein
A complication of superficial thrombophlebitis is a condition called deep vein thrombosis (DVT). This is a blood clot in the deeper veins that causes obstruction of blood flow. This can lead to pulmonary embolism, a serious situation that occurs when the blood clot breaks free and gets lodged in the lungs.
You will be asked about your symptoms and medical history. A physical exam will be done.
Your bodily fluids may be tested. This can be done with blood tests.
Images may be taken of your bodily structures. This can be done with:
- X-ray
- Ultrasound
- Venogram in which dye or contrast is injected
In most cases, superficial thrombophlebitis goes away on its own after a few weeks. Treatment can be done at home with the following:
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen
- Exercise
- Compression stockings
- Warm compress on the inflamed vein
- Elevation
In some cases, the following treatment may be needed:
- Blood thinning medication
- Procedures to remove the blood clot
To help reduce your chances of superficial thrombophlebitis, take these steps:
- If you fly for long periods of time, walk around the cabin and stretch your limbs every hour or so.
- If you drive for long periods of time, pull over every hour or so and stretch your limbs.
- Avoid wearing tight clothing around your waist.
- Drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration.
Revision Information
- Reviewer: Michael J. Fucci, DO
- Review Date: 06/2016 -
- Update Date: 05/04/2015 -


text:
Godly giving through relationship
What does it mean to give biblically? The Old Testament models a 10-percent tithe — but what about the New Testament? Anna Goodworth, a member of the Hartford Women of Vision chapter, reflects on that today: "Without a consistent relationship with the poor, we cannot sustain giving or the desire to give as God intended."
Read more about how God called Anna into relationship…and what He wanted of her.
Do remember the first time you went on a missions trip or saw poverty up close through a trip, a story, or a cause? Remember that passion?
I remember coming home from a trip to Haiti in college, and I wanted to sell all my stuff, live simply, and give all I had to the poor. Yet slowly my previous spending habits came back and my heart was dulled.
Each trip had a similar pattern, with perhaps a longer delay of forgetting those I cared for in other countries — those who have not been as blessed as I have been in education, opportunity, safety, health, and so much more. I could practically forget them … or it least it seemed that way.
Then things changed — finally — and it stuck this time.
It stuck through a relationship with a child.
I am convinced that without a consistent relationship with the poor, we cannot sustain giving or the desire to give as God intended. I cannot see the poor very well from my suburban home or on my computer screen. They're just statistics and stories, rarely even names. They are not relationships. God designed giving in the context of relationships.
Though there are many ways for us to get involved with the poor, child sponsorship offers one of the most unique and incredible relationships with the poor that we can have in our everyday life. If a friend of mine is suffering, then I am suffering and I am moved to help them. Similarly, when we have added sponsored children to our family's lives, their countries' news means something to us.
My child's pen pal is in that country. Dirty water concerns me because a child I know was affected by it until a well was brought in through sponsorship. Letters go back and forth between us and them, and we rejoice in their joys and mourn in their sorrows. My kids offer their allowance and birthday money so their sponsored children can have presents, too. (Now that is a miracle!)
We shouldn't be surprised that it is relationship with the poor that calls us further into giving.
The Old Testament Levites actually gave closer to 30 percent of their livelihood after many different voluntary offerings of worship and gifts to the poor on top of the mandatory tithe. They gave because the poor lived all around them and they couldn't change the channel. The New Testament Church sold what they had to give to those in need.
They saw that their sacrifice changed lives — lives of people they cared about. My past financial relationship with God looked a little bit like a contract where I agreed to give 10 percent (extra credit if we gave more) and then got to keep the rest. But He always wanted more. He wanted all of it, just as he wanted all of me…to use for His redemptive purposes.
With every letter we receive from our sponsored children, our family feels blessed to be part of something so redeeming and beautiful. It just started with a child.
Sponsor a child and start building a relationship today!


text:
Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press
2 - 1
2 - 1
|Sorry, we couldn't find geographic distribution information for the Shifflette last name
You can see how Shifflette families moved over time by selecting different Census years.
Census records can tell you little-known facts about your ancestors such as birthplace, occupation and value of personal estate.
from 1881 CA Census Data
Census records can offer a lot of little known facts about your Shifflette ancestors, such as occupation.
Occupation can tell you about your ancestors' social status and economic status.


text:
No-nonsense Beckett values performance most
Dodgers newcomer plans to make adjustments in hopes of prolonging career
By Richard Justice / MLB.com
GLENDALE, Az. -- OK, Josh Beckett sometimes says the wrong thing. He shrugs when asked about this.
"I've never been that way," Beckett said. "I feel like I do a pretty good job of saying what I want the message to be. That's just who I am."
Well, all right.
"If I pitch badly, I'll stand right in front of my locker and tell you," he said. "If I pitch good, I'll usually say, 'The position players picked me up.' I'm going to stay that way. I'm good with the perception that I have in here. That's the biggest thing."
Ah, perception. That's one of Beckett's favorite topics. Last season, when a reporter questioned him about the fans who booed him and the idea that he wasn't liked by his Red Sox teammates, Beckett stopped him.
"I think you guys need to talk to more people that actually know me," Beckett said. "That's the thing. See what my teammates in Boston say."
Actually, Beckett's teammates in Boston liked him. They also appreciated his no-nonsense approach to things. He did not usually say the things he was expected to say and didn't care if his words came out wrong.
For instance, last season, Beckett missed a start with an injury and then was seen playing golf on a Red Sox off-day. He got hit hard in his next start and was asked about the golf outing. He should have said something about never doing anything to hurt his team, that the injury wasn't impacted by a round of golf.
Instead, he said that what he does on his day off is no one's business but his own. In a fishbowl like Boston, his words blew across the landscape, seemingly conveying that he didn't care enough.
Beckett does care, though. He cares deeply. He cares about his teammates and his team. He just thinks it all comes back to one thing.
"If you don't like what someone is saying about you, do something about it," Beckett said. "If you pitch good, they can't say anything bad. It doesn't matter. When you don't pitch good, other stuff gets brought into it. But if you don't like that part of it, just pitch good."
Looking back on it now, Beckett has no regrets about his seven seasons with the Red Sox. In that span, he was a three-time All-Star and helped Boston win the 2007 World Series.
Beckett's last 12 months there were filled with controversy, beginning with the team's historic collapse late in the 2011 regular season. And then last season, as he attempted to make the middle-age adjustment from thrower to pitcher, the right-hander got hit hard and became part of the worst Red Sox team in 47 years before being traded to the Dodgers.
"I always enjoyed Boston, Fenway Park -- all of it," Beckett said. "I didn't pitch good [in 2012]. That was the biggest thing. The year before, I pitched good all season but had a bad September. It's just the way things worked out. Everybody has a bad month or a hiccup here or there. Mine just came at a bad time, when my team needed me.
"I just wasn't doing the things I needed to do. I wasn't locating the ball. That's part of me learning who I am now. Instead of having the mindset of throwing the ball by guys -- that's what I did for eight years -- I've got to do some different things."
How about the fried chicken-and-beer storm made public after Boston's 2011 collapse and the notion that the Red Sox were out of control off the field and underachievers on it?
"None of that exterior stuff matters if I'd pitched good, and we'd made the playoffs," Beckett said. "Is it stupid? Yeah. We were the same team that had the best record in the middle of August. There were a lot of little things going on there that didn't make us pitch bad or hit bad, but there were a lot of things that were not in our control we were having to deal with."
Beckett's 32 now, a veteran of 12 Major League seasons, a two-time World Series winner. This Spring Training is his first with the Dodgers -- a new beginning of sorts.
"You bet I'm excited," Beckett said. "I'm always [excited] about new challenges. Coming over here, I've learned a lot from talking to the guys. [Chris] Capuano has been through several elbow surgeries. I've learned from [Aaron] Harang. I can't learn much from [Clayton] Kershaw because he's so good. He's better than I ever was. Being on the East Coast, I didn't get to watch a lot of West Coast baseball. It was eye-opening for me to see how good he is."
Beckett is part of the dream team the club's new ownership has assembled, but he's also trying to prove himself all over again. He's no longer the 23-year-old kid who blew the Yankees away with 97-mph gas on his way to a shutout for the Marlins in the clinching Game 6 of the 2003 World Series.
Instead, as Beckett has learned in recent years, he must do things differently. His velocity has declined, so he's throwing more cutters and curveballs, fretting more about location than at any point before.
Kershaw and Zack Greinke have two spots in the rotation nailed down, and manager Don Mattingly and his staff have six candidates for the other three slots. Based on his 2.93 ERA in seven starts for the Dodgers last season, Beckett will almost certainly have one of the jobs during this season of optimism in Southern California.
"I think velocity is something that leaves you at some point in your career," Beckett said. "It's a game of adjustments anyway. We all have to make 'em. I think I have to rely more on location instead of trying to throw it through a wall. That's something where you have to set your ego aside. You still have the same mentality. You go about it the same way. But there are certain times where you think, 'I'm going to throw this ball by this guy.' Then you think, 'Wait a minute, I can't do that. All right, I'm going to throw the ball off the corner and have it work just off the corner.'"
Richard Justice is a columnist for MLB.com. Read his blog, Justice4U. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text:
You are logged in as:
Your tax invoice can be downloaded on flysaa.com under Manage & Fly 72 hours after the e-ticket has been issued.
If a Tax Invoice has been successfully generated from the South African Airways Tax Invoice System, the onus rests on the recipient to ensure that his/her mailbox has enough space to receive an e-mail - with a PDF attachment; and that his//her service provider or exchange server allows for delivery of such e-mails. South African Airways, can not take responsibility for undelivered e-mails due to any other reasons beyond our control including the above.
Prescribed details required from the South African Revenue Service on a tax invoices
Tax invoices must ordinarily reflect the following details as prescribed by the South African Revenue Service Act, 1997 (Act No. 34 of 1997):
Johannesburg, 28 September 2009
Building on restructuring: SAA financial results presentation for year ending 31 March 2009
,b>South African Airways (SAA) today released its financial results for the year ending March 2009 reporting a net profit of R398-million against a net loss after restructuring costs of R1,085-billion previously.
The current year net profit did, however, include a credit of R407-million attributable to the net reversal of the 2004 impairment of pre-delivery payments (PDP's) paid to Airbus on the A320 purchase. The PDPs were impaired at the time because the deal was thought to have been cancelled. Agreement has since been reached with Airbus to reinstate the deal under more favourable terms that are acceptable to SAA.
Critically, the airline posted a significant turnaround at operating level, posting an operating profit of R1,9-billion for 2008-09 against a small operating loss of R72-million the previous financial year (before restructuring costs of R1,3bn).
The financial results were achieved despite the tough trading environment which prevailed for the latter part of the year, with the oil price rising to record highs during the review period and the global economy going into meltdown. These contributed to the airline industry entering one of its cyclical downturns, with more than 30 airlines globally being forced to shut down. The strong demand for travel seen at the beginning of 2008 started to dampen in about September, and demand continues to remain under significant pressure.
SAA managed to not only survive these turbulent conditions but also to post a strong operational turnaround which was due largely to the deep and fundamental restructuring the airline embarked upon in 2007. The restructuring process was concluded at the end of this financial year (March 31 2009) with tangible results such as cost reduction, revenue growth and efficiency gains. The restructuring resulted in a total of R2,5-billion in cost reductions and revenue being taken out of the airline over the two-year period, which was 8% above target.
As a result, SAA was able to weather the downturn in the aviation industry, and was also able to better manage the impact of increased competition from other airlines. SAA experienced strong growth in market share in Africa, which remains the most profitable market following a strategic decision to concentrate on growth plans in the region. Domestically, the airline's position remained strong and was backed up well by the low-cost carrier, Mango. In the international market, there was growth in a number of markets, including South America and Australia, although several other markets were negatively affected by the economic downturn, notably North America and Europe.
"In light of the massive challenges currently being faced by airlines around the world following the global economic meltdown, our restructuring intervention was embarked upon most timeously. SAA is operationally profitable today due mainly to the achievements forged under the restructuring programme," says Chris Smyth, SAA Acting CEO.
Revenue and earnings
During the review period, total airline income grew strongly to R26,4-billion from R22,3-billion previously, an increase of 19%. Passenger revenue improved to R17,3-billion from R16,5-billion previously despite a reduction in frequencies on the domestic and international routes towards the latter part of the year. It was driven mainly by continued excellent growth on the African route network as well as improvements in the efficiency and utilization of aircraft.
At the operating profit level, the loss of R72 million (before restructuring costs of R1,3bn) posted in 2007/8 was turned into a profit of R1,9-billion. SAA's net profit for the year to end March 2009 amounted to R398-million against a net loss after restructuring costs of R1,085-billion previously, although included in this was R407-million profit from the reversal of the prior year impairment of Airbus pre-delivery payments.
Operating costs increased to R24,5-billion for the year to end of March 2009, from R23,6-billion the previous year. This was dominated by the energy bill, which rose R1,9-billion (or 28%) to R8,6-billion from R6,7-billion previously and made up almost 35% of total operating costs. This was driven largely by the sharp increase in the oil price in 2008, when the dollar price per barrel of brent crude oil rose sharply in July of that year. Excluding energy costs, operating costs decreased by less than 6%.
As was common with many of the world's leading airlines, the sharp rise in the oil price had an impact on SAA's hedging programme. Hedging is a critical tool in the arsenal of any company that is exposed to oil and currency movements in the financial markets. It provides a means to mitigate the level of exposure of companies to these movements, and it is thus common practice for airlines around the world to hedge to some degree. SAA is conservative in its approach to hedging, with the approved target range being 40% to 60% for fuel and 50% to 75% for forex of the 12-month rolling future purchase. This should be viewed against an industry norm of hedging up to 80% of fuel uplift and for four years. The conservative nature of SAA's hedging minimised the airline's potential hedging losses, particularly when compared to the losses seen for other carriers. SAA's programme of hedging its monthly uplift of 50 000 barrels a month resulted in 40% of the monthly purchase of fuel increasing significantly to July 2008, and thereafter declining to the current levels of US$60 a barrel. In the environment of a declining oil price, hedging losses of R1,046-billion were incurred.
In 2008-09, SAA made a net profit of R398-million. This is compared with a net loss after restructuring costs of R1,085-billion in 2007-08.
The airline has a commanding presence within Africa, a region that so far seems to have been less affected by the recession than the rest of the world. This gives SAA a unique natural hedge against the full impact of what the rest of the world is feeling, although it seems clear that this advantage will not be sustainable for long.
"Africa has started to feel the pain however, and the strong regional growth experienced in prior years is waning, particularly in the oil-rich regions that rely wholly or mainly on oil now that the sky-high prices that generated much of their growth have all but gone," says Smyth.
"As a team we are acutely aware of this and we know that we must continue to root out cost inefficiencies as we have done over the past 24 months. More importantly, we need also to ensure that we take advantage of new opportunities and move quickly into new markets and routes that can be sustained from a profit point of view. The airline is first and foremost set to carry out its mandate of being an African airline with global reach by further expanding its African route network,'' says Smyth.
SAA will also continue to closely monitor its routes across the global network, particularly those which may underperform. Flight frequencies on certain domestic and international routes have already been reduced, and cutbacks on flight frequencies are foreseen for the rest of the year. These will be reinstated should there be sufficient demand to do so.
Issued by SAA Group Corporate Affairs


text:
As technology enters the close of the first decade this millennium,
nanotechnology becomes increasingly more important in product development.
Processors, chipsets, memory, displays and other electronics are marching toward
the use of nanotech at and astonishing rate. In the U.S., we're already
developing technology manufactured at the nanometer and sub-nanometer
(picometer) level.
Carbon nanotubes, a high strength and versatile material composed of molecular
configurations of pure carbon, may be the key to next generation technology in
everything from the
space elevator to high-speed processors.
DailyTech previously reported that future Seagate hard drives may be
lubricated by nanotubes. Weeks later MIT researchers released a report that
claimed new nanotube-type
batteries could be recharged in seconds and hold charges much longer than
conventional rechargeable batteries.
But outside of research, nanotech is here already. Research advocates have
identified more than 400 consumer products in the U.S. labeled as
"nano-based." Some of these products, like microprocessors,
pose relatively little risk to consumer, but the long term effects of other
products like nano-aerosols is a bit less understood. Additionally, the
manufacturing by-products of these products are completely unregulated or
Nanotech and the production of nano-based devices create a type of pollution
that is so small, it is extremely difficult to detect or contain. Researchers
are afraid of the effect that nanopollution might have on humans, animals and
other living organisms.
Nanoparticles are so small that they easily penetrate cells, a handy technique
when geneticists attempt to modify genes when done intentionally. However, even
when deliberate, the body detects foreign objects and creates phagocytes to
break down invading material. Of course, if the body's phagocytes are busy
digesting nanoparticles, the cells can't break down bacteria or other debris
inside the body. Quantum dots, or nanoparticles used for semiconductors, are so
small that they will actually pass right through cell walls -- yet we have
relatively little research on what occurs when quantum dots interact with the
human body.
DailyTech previously reported on carbon nanotubes and the
possible effect on the human respiratory system -- a place where nanotubes
has already been documented to cause problems in significant quantities.
But nano-related health hazards aren't the only worries; environmental problems
pose equal hazards. Michael Moffitt, vice president of environmental
services for Western Technologies, is concerned about the future of
nanopollution, and describes nanotech as "a double-edged sword," to during a
presentation at the Semiconductor Environmental Safety Association
convention held in 2005.
The problem researchers have today is determining whether or not nanopollutants
behave the same in the natural environment as other common waste
products. Andrew
Maynard, one of the few advocates for nanotechnology research with regard
to occupational health, has issued a call for national awareness of
nanotechnology interactions on the nanoproject.org
portal. "The good news is that international concern over how to
ensure safe nanotech workplaces has resulted in some progress. The bad news is
that critical questions about worker safety -- and about broader environmental,
human health and safety issues -- remain unanswered," Maynard claims.
Researchers at Rice University Center for Biological and Environmental
Nanotechnology are currently investigating possible means of treating
nano-waste products before they are released into the environment. While
experimenting with fullerenes or buckyballs composed of C60 carbon
nanoparticles, researchers found that it was not possible to dispose of
nano-waste using traditional means. But never mind attempts at disposal, the
few researchers involved with buckyball research are actually still debating on
whether or not fullerenes are even hazardous to organisms.
The terms "nanopollution" and "nanowaste" will become ever
more popular as the decade comes to a close. On a global scale, current
technology already has a number of ecological
problems such as dumping and e-waste, and the ugly side nano-tech make its
appearance sooner than later if we're not vigilant.


text:
RemoteBox is a graphical tool which lets you administer guests or virtual machines running under VirtualBox on a remote server or even your local machine if desired. You may, for example, have a root server on the Internet, a server at home, or a server at work running VirtualBox but want to have the convenience of managing the guests easily from your local machine. The virtual machines run in headless mode, which means you don't need an active graphical display on the server but you can still connect and view the displays of the guests. The goal of RemoteBox is to provide a GUI that should be familiar to VirtualBox users while allowing them to administer a remote installation of VirtualBox. It does this via the VirtualBox API and SOAP interface, which are exposed when running the VirtualBox Web service. You can also use RemoteBox simply as an alternative interface for managing VirtualBox on your local machine.
g7ctrl is a daemon and a command shell that are used together with the Xtreme GM7 GPS tracker to help simplify its management and to make it possible to monitor alerts sent by the tracker. It is designed to run in the background and can be used to both receive location updates from a remote tracker and configure a tracker over USB. All received events are stored in a database and can be exported to GPX, KML, and CSV, with distances calculated. It can also execute action scripts upon receiving specific events or generate mail notifications. Extensive reference documentation (HTML and PDF) and Unix man pages are provided.
repositor.io is a tool for creating and managing Linux repositories. It can mirror online repositories so that you don't need to download packages every time you set up a new server, and it makes it easy to create custom repositories for your own packages. With the integration of a configuration management tool, you can create consistent installations on your servers.
PrimeDesktop is a tool for planning, mapping, and administration of a network with the ability to place, move, and manipulate entities within the network map such as desktops, servers, and infrastructure objects. The application allows administrators to control all aspects of their network such as standard devices, user groups, and network rules.
fstransform is a tool to change a file-system from one format to another. For example, it can change from jfs, xfs, or reiser to ext2, ext3, or ext4. It works in-place and without the need for backup. It currently has been tested on Linux only. It uses a sparse file to create the new file-system image, moves all the files of the existing file-system into it, then remaps the sparse file to the original partition.
Ramona is an enterprise-grade runtime supervisor that allows software programs to be controlled and monitored during their execution life cycle. It provides supervisor/console functionality with init.d-like start/stop control, continuous integration (e.g. unit/functional/performance test launcher), deployment automation, and other command-line oriented features.
Nova is a software application for preventing and detecting hostile network reconnaissance (such as nmap scans). It does this by first creating the Haystack: a large collection of low interaction honeypots using an updated version of Honeyd. Finding real machines on the network becomes like finding a needle in a haystack of fake machines. Second, Nova uses machine learning algorithms to automatically detect and classify attempts at hostile reconnaissance, so there's no need to go searching manually through your honeypot's log files. It provides an easy to use Web-based interface powered by Node.js to configure itself and Honeyd instances.
An xdg application menu with full support for additional categories.
An interface to retrieve and manage IMDb's movie information with Python.


text:
Newark Mayor Cory Booker on Tap for THINK 13
Newark Mayor Cory Booker will be a keynote speaker at THINK 13 in Chicago this spring, CO-OP Financial Services announced Tuesday.
Booker has served as mayor of New Jersey's largest city since 2006 and was re-elected in 2010. His topic at THINK 13 – set for April 29-May 2 at the Swissotel in the Windy City – is "How to Change the World With Your Bare Hands."
Booker is a Stanford graduate, Rhodes Scholar and Yale-educated lawyer who has focused on crime reduction, improving parks and playgrounds and increasing affordable housing in his tenure as mayor.
"Mayor Booker is a perfect addition to our speaker roster as this year's THINK conference is zeroing in on how to 'Disrupt Business as Usual,'" said Stan Hollen, president/CEO of CO-OP in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.
"He has marshaled resources and empowered people to revitalize his city and we're looking forward to learning how Mayor Booker is doing it and how we can apply those lessons to our credit unions," Booker said in Tuesday's announcement.
Registration for the big CUSO's annual conference has begun and is available online. Early bird registration continues through Jan. 31.


text:
NASA and General
Motors have developed a
humanoid robot that will be the first of its kind to travel
into space and never return.
robot, Robonaut 2, or R2 for short, is a $2.5 million project
that will be flying into space tomorrow afternoon on the space
shuttle Discovery. R2 will be sent to the International Space Station
where it will assist human astronauts in orbit and take over
cleaning-related responsibilities at the station.
1997, NASA designed a similar humanoid robot named Robonaut 1, but
the project ended in 2006 due to financial problems. General Motors
soon joined the design team and together, they created an improved
version of Robonaut 1, and unveiled R2 earlier this year.
consists of an upper torso, head, arms, hands and fingers. It is 3
feet, 4 inches tall and weighs 330 pounds. R2 is made of aluminum and
nickel-plated carbon fiber, and has padding on the torso, arms, hands
and fingers for protection. The joints contain springs and 350
electrical sensors for grabbing
and touching, and the "brain" is located in the
stomach. Four visible light cameras sit behind the robots visor with
an infrared camera inside the mouth for depth perception. R2 will
carry a backpack that holds its power source, which can be plugged
into the space station. The backpack is also capable of holding
batteries in case R2 needs to leave the station.
and GM hope to use R2 to assist astronauts in orbit. R2 is capable of
withstanding extreme hot and cold conditions, assisting astronauts
with tools and handling emergencies like fires or toxic leaks. At
some point in the future, R2 could even "scout out" Mars,
asteroids and other worlds.
will be traveling with six human crew mates accepting orders and
going through a series
of tests to
see how well it operates and what can be done to improve it in the
space station. In late 2011, NASA plans to send R2 legs so it can
take on cleaning-related responsibilities. In 2012, torso and
computer enhancements will be sent as well.
officials noted that R2 will not replace human astronauts. R2 was
made to help human astronauts, and will stay at the space station
until NASA ceases to operate that particular station sometime after
it might be just a single step for this robot, it's really a
giant leap
forward for tinmankind," said Rob Ambrose, acting chief of
Johnson Space Center's automation, robotics and simulation division
in Houston.


text:
Automotive Ethernet: Evolution in the fast lane
4 comments
1. Introduction
Communication and bandwidth requirements increase as more and more complex applications appear in the car, for example for enhanced safety and entertainment solutions. End users expect the same level of entertainment functions in the car as known from their home environment. Furthermore, existing vehicle control networks such as the LIN, CAN and FlexRay standards are not designed to cover these increasing demands in terms of bandwidth and scalability that we see with various kinds of Driver Assistance Systems (DAS). Future networking technology should re-use as much as possible from consumer and other non-automotive domains, while taking into account the automotive-specific requirements. This includes hardware components as well as software stacks. Communication solutions for higher bandwidth, such as MOST, are available but expensive for a broader usage in automotive networking systems. Today, in-vehicle networking architecture appears as a heterogeneous system as a result of its historically grown nature (see the left schematic in Figure 1).
Figure 1: Domain architecture, today and in the future
Click on image to enlarge
The usage of Ethernet in the car means a paradigm shift in the design of next-generation in-vehicle networking systems: connecting different domain networks, transporting different kinds of data (control data, streaming, etc.) and fulfilling the stringent robustness demands in terms of extended temperature range and EMC performance.