text:
SoudFest has dedicated itself to addressing this growing global public health problem by providing hearing assistance via smartphone.
The statistics speak loud and clear. The World Health Organization reports that 693 million people worldwide require hearing assistance. That's about 10 percent of the Earth's population, and as this population ages, that number is expected to grow. Also, a recent survey indicates that 70 percent of baby boomers experience hearing difficulty in such social situations as bars and parties.
Do not despair, however, as a company with Framingham ties has dedicated itself to addressing this growing global public health problem by providing hearing assistance via smartphone. The company, SoundFest, notes that smartphones are expected to reach 70 percent penetration by 2016. Thus, SoundFest addresses the problem of hearing loss by leveraging the power of smartphones to deliver a hearing solution that it calls "cost-effective, convenient and uniquely capable."
SoundFest products embed sophisticated signal processing software into smartphones, tablets and other multimedia consumer products to deliver personal sound amplification devices at less than one-tenth the average cost of a hearing aid.
Mark Eisner, SoundFest's founder and chief technology officer, recently discussed the company with Daily News staff writer Bob Tremblay.
QUESTION: How did you come up with the company's name?
ANSWER: SoundFest evokes the joy of hearing, and the product name RealClarity expresses its fundamental value proposition: to be able to hear with real clarity despite age-related hearing loss and background noise.
Q: Who owns the business?
A: SoundFest is primarily employee-owned, but we are currently seeking outside investment to complete product development.
Q: When was the business started?
A: SoundFest was incorporated in 2011, but research into the product design began years before that.
Q: Why was the business started?
A: It all started with me getting older. A few years ago I noticed (or should I more clearly say my wife noticed) that I had some hearing loss. Basically I was saying "what" a lot, causing some frustration for the people (my wife) who were talking to me. I went to an audiologist and found out I did have a mild age-related hearing loss but not enough, in the audiologist's opinion, to justify the $4,000 it would cost to get hearing aids. I was blown away by that high cost and the new knowledge that everyone experiences some age-related hearing loss. I have been an software innovator and entrepreneur for many years so, of course, I started to think about software solutions for hearing loss.
A couple of the reasons that hearing aids are expensive is first, for cosmetic reasons, hearing aids are miniaturized, fitting all their components into something that goes in your ear or behind your ear and, secondly, all the components are highly customized and proprietary so they could fit in the miniaturized casing. But I am old enough to remember what hearing aids used to look like. People carried a cigarette pack-sized processor in their shirt pocket and had a wired earpiece running up to their ear. (The miniaturization occurred because people were uncomfortable announcing to the world that they had a hearing disability.)
However, I realized that in today's world many people are walking around with a cigarette-sized, very powerful computer in their pocket, i.e., a smartphone. Smartphones are not only powerful computers, they have non-proprietary chips to process sound and speech because they are phones. I knew we could put all the power of even the most expensive hearing aids on software that would run on a smartphone. This would reduce the cost of hearing assistance to hundreds of dollars (or less) instead of the thousands that hearing aids cost. It would certainly help my problem, and the hearing loss problem that millions of aging baby boomers would face. More importantly, there are 700 million people in the world with mild-to-moderate hearing loss who cannot afford hearing aids but probably have or will have mobile phones with enough technology to support hearing assistance.
So SoundFest was born. It turns out there were a number of hard engineering problems that had to be solved to make things work. It has taken a few years, but we have patent-pending solutions which should protect our business.
Of course, in this economy, we face our biggest challenge: getting funded so we can really get going and get our product, RealClarity, into the hands of millions of people.
SoundFest is currently a finalist in the MassChallenge startup competition (www.masschallenge.org). All finalists are provided free office space for a year in MassChallenge offices. After that period expires, we expect to move from Boston and return to our offices to MetroWest. I reside in Framingham.
Q: What did you do before you started this business?
A: I am a serial entrepreneur, co-founding companies based on software innovation.
Q: Is this your first business?
A: No, but it's probably my last as startups take an average of nine years to be what is considered "successful."
Q: Do you work in other businesses?
A: I still have a day job to pay the rent. Basically, I am involved in bringing my technical expertise to patent creation and litigation.
Q: What does your company sell?
A: SoundFest is planning to launch the RealClarity iPhone app later this year to help people hear better in noisy environments like restaurants, business conferences and airports. In early 2013, we anticipate launching a wireless earpiece that complements the app as well as an Android version.
Q: What makes you different from the competition?
A: Current smartphone apps to help hearing loss only amplify sounds, which does little good in a noisy environment. RealClarity can intelligently amplify only nearby voices, making conversation easier and more enjoyable.
Q: What is the price of your product?
A: The smartphone app will cost $19.99, and the wireless earpiece will cost less than $200. The sophisticated audio processing in a smartphone can replace many of the capabilities of hearing aids costing thousands of dollars.
Q: How many employees do you have?
A: Four people are actively working on SoundFest today, but we have also enlisted outside researchers and digital signal processing specialists to refine our product design and features.
Q: Any news to report?
A: We just launched a video of me on the Indiegogo crowdfunding site (http://igg.me/p/174304?a=891905). It explains the product as well as provides a way for people to be one of the first to buy it at a great discount.
The company's website is www.soundfestinc.com.


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Snake River Plain > Saddle Mountain > Climber's Log
Saddle Mountain Climber's Log
[ Sign the Climber's Log ]
|First Mountain in years
Date Climbed: Jun 25, 2011
|My wife and I climbed this peak, and realized how out of shape I was. It was a hard hike to the summit for me, and an even harder decent.
|Posted Aug 23, 2013 10:46 am
|Route Climbed: Deer canyon
Date Climbed: Aug 6, 2012
|I visited the summit two times, first time in September 2009 and second time in August 2012. It takes a day's bike travel from IF across the vast expanse of sagebrush to reach Deer Canyon at the foot of Saddle mountain. In Deer Canyon sleep under sky full of stars and then it goes through thick bushes and scramble straight upwards. In 2012 the north facing slopes of Saddle mountain were scarred by wildfire. Fortunately many trees seem to have survived the fire. Climber's log on the summit shows that the climbers who visit it in a year can be counted on hand's fingers. When I climbed in August 2012 it was very hot. I didn't take water and could taste salt in my mouth when going down. If I ever return to the USA then my dream is to visit Saddle Mountain again.
|Posted May 2, 2013 5:38 am
|where is the snow?
Date Climbed: Dec 18, 2011
|great day out with spattski and sawtooth sean. Interesting canyon approach. Shockingly pleasant weather for late december
|Posted Dec 19, 2011 4:21 pm
Date Climbed: May 15, 2010
|Great hike!
|Posted Jan 2, 2011 1:15 pm
|skunk ape
|Nice east side snow climb on a sunny windless day. hung around on top too long and the snow got dangerous, Started a small avey and rode it for about 400' scabbed ass and damaged pride was the only price.
|Posted Feb 27, 2007 12:11 am
|East Ridge
Date Climbed: Nov 11, 1999
|This was a second attempt. Unable to summit 5/16/99 due to new snow loading.
|Posted Feb 18, 2007 5:19 am
|Desert Climber
|Route Climbed: East Ridge Date Climbed: July 3, 2005
|Great day, great hike. Snowball fights at 10,000' are fun.
|Posted Jul 4, 2005 12:47 am
|Route Climbed: East ridge Date Climbed: May 29, 2004
|I looked at this mountain everyday as I walked out the door. Decided to climb it, alone. Isolated. Not only was I the only person on the mountain, I might have had the whole range to myself that day.
|Posted Dec 16, 2004 10:58 pm

subset: commoncrawl


text:
He was born Dec. 3, 1956, in Clarksville the son of the late Argie Dake and Charlcie Josephine Harris Kendall. He was a graduate of Clarksville High School High School and Ozark Vo Tech.
He is survived by two brothers, Steve (Diana) Kendall, Dover, and Mike (Mary) Kendall, Sand Springs, Okla.; two nieces, Stephanie Kendall, Russellville and Shelly Kendall, Sand Springs, Okla.; one great-niece, Kyndal Zicker, Sand Springs, Okla.; three great-nephews, Kevin Zicker, Sand Springs Okla., Brayden Kendall, Owasso, Okla. and Grayson Kendall, Owasso, Okla.
Graveside service will begin at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Oakland Cemetery.
Arrangements by Hardwicke Funeral Home.


text:
Finding the time for mobile gaming
I don't think I mentioned it here on Screen Play at the time, but around three months ago I quit my day job and became a full-time freelance writer, working from home. A lot of big things have changed in my life - mostly for the better - but I have found that there are some small things about having a nine-to-five job that I miss.
One thing I never expected to regret losing was my daily commute on the train, totalling around 70 to 80 minutes per day. Since I stopped commuting, I no longer read books, I rarely listen to music, and my mobile gaming time has plummeted almost to zero.
I currently have a big backlog of games on 3DS and Vita, and I'm not sure when I'll get to play them. The only one getting any playing time right now is Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask. I have been a Layton nut since Curious Village, one of the first games I bought for my old DS Lite.
I was excited to hear that the good Professor and his apprentice Luke would be coming to the 3DS, and looked forward to the increased production values the more powerful handheld would allow. The good news is that it's a solid entry in an always reliable series, and a must-buy for any Layton fans. The bad news is that, weeks after I received my review copy in the post, I doubt I am more than two hours into it.
Meanwhile, my Vita is gathering dust, even though I am enthusiastic about getting stuck into Assassin's Creed: Liberation and Silent Hill: Book of Memories. As much as I love my Vita, I've barely touched it since I completed Sound Shapes, and these two titles may be waiting for a while.
I think the only way I will make any progress on any of these titles is if I simply walk away from the TV consoles and the PC and just sit and play on the couch. I always feel a bit weird about doing that, though, using a handheld portable gaming device inside my own house. It feels oddly misguided.
I'd like to hear from you, readers. Are you a mobile gamer? When do you find the time to play mobile games? Do you wish you had more time? Does playing a handheld at home feel weird to you too? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.
- James "DexX" Dominguez
DexX is on Twitter: @jamesjdominguez
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text:
ProMat 2013: EASE Manual Materials Handling Workshop scheduled
The Ergonomic Assist Systems and Equipment Council (EASE) of Material Handling Industry (MHI) is hosting its 3rd workshop "Engineered Solutions for Manual Handling Jobs" on January 23, 2013 at ProMat 2013 in Chicago, IL.
in the NewsThe State of the DC Voice Market PFS: Small steps and a sense of fearlessness System Report: Automation from receiving to shipping Preferred Freezer's New Take on Automation Lift Truck Series Part 1: Lift truck technology connects pickers to productivity More News
The Ergonomic Assist Systems and Equipment Council (EASE) of Material Handling Industry (MHI) is hosting its 3rd workshop "Engineered Solutions for Manual Handling Jobs" on January 23, 2013 at ProMat 2013 in Chicago, IL. The workshop will focus on developing engineering solutions for manual materials handling (MMH) jobs in retail, wholesale, and warehousing (RWW) industries.
Keynote address on Worker Centric Design, a funded research project, will be presented by Dr. Kevin Gue, Auburn University. This is a new approach that places humans at the center of the design task. The opening address will describe the essential elements of worker-centric design and how they can enhance productivity and shape worker experience in a DC, warehouse and backroom workplace.
Key Points:
—Industry/safety/loss prevention representatives from the Retail, Wholesale and Warehouse industries who believe there ought to be a better way of loading/unloading or moving materials and containers in their businesses.
—Manufacturers/vendors of MH equipment who desire to partner with one or more Retail, Wholesale and Warehouse industries to explore and develop the next generation of MMH equipment.
Practitioners/researchers/educators who seek to partner with businesses in implementing and evaluating MMH engineering solutions.
—Format: Open panel discussion focusing on common manual handling tasks.
(Note: No exhibits, no sales presentations)
When: Wednesday, January 23, 2013, 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM
Where: McCormick Place, Chicago, IL Room S402A
Registration: Cost is $150 to attend. Click here to register.
The EASE Council is the resource for information and equipment that focus on improving the workplace. EASE members are the leading designers and manufacturers of a broad range of innovative material handling devices, such as adjustable access platforms, balancers, containers, casters, tilters, lift tables, manipulators, pallet rotators, stackers, vacuum assist devices, platform trucks, carts, flooring technologies, workstation cranes, hoists, intelligent assist devices, racks, conveyors and order fulfillment solutions. http://www.MHIA.org/EASE.
Sponsors: Go Ergo, Institute of Industrial Engineers (IIE), RMG, Oklahoma State University, Oklahoma State University – Spears School of Business, Ergonomics Center of North Carolina
ProMat 2013 is scheduled to be held January 21-24, 2013 in Chicago's McCormick Place South. The tradeshow will showcase the latest manufacturing, distribution and supply chain solutions in the material handling and logistics industry. Modern's complete ProMat 2013 coverage.
Subscribe to Modern Materials Handling Magazine!Subscribe today. It's FREE!
Find out what the world's most innovative companies are doing to improve productivity in their plants and distribution centers.
Start your FREE subscription today!
Article TopicsErgonomics · MHI · ProMat · ·
The Big Picture: Navigation Gets a Reboot for Automatic Vehicles Top 20 3PL Warehouses 2017: Growth amid change View More From this Issue


text:
Submit News
Ford Hits Rock Bottom in Consumer Reports Reliability Survey Thanks to MyFord Touch
Shane McGlaun
October 30, 2012 9:24 AM
Recipient E-mail
Sender E-mail
Woes blamed on less than stellar DCT shifting and MyFord touch
After years of being ranked as one of the most reliable automakers in the industry, Ford's recent use of in-car infotainment systems have caused it to plummet in quality rankings.
Consumer Reports
indicates that only a couple years ago Ford was in the top 10 among brands in its predicted reliability scores with over 90% of its models being average or better. However, in the most recent
Consumer Reports
reliability scores, Ford has dropped to number 27 out of 28 in the survey.
Studies from JD Power
have also noted a drop in Ford's ranking.
Japanese automakers are taking advantage of Ford's decline with Scion, Toyota, and Lexus sweeping the top three spots. Those three Toyota brands were followed by Mazda, Subaru, Honda, and Acura with all models produced by the top seven brands offering average or better reliability.
Multiple factors contributed to Ford's significant decline in
Consumer Reports
Consumer Reports
shown no love for Ford's MyFord Touch technology
and its survey participants obviously agree. Several of Ford's new vehicles -- including the
, and
-- had more problems than normal according to
Consumer Reports
. Another significant contributing factor to Ford's decline in the rankings is three of its historically reliable models, the Escape,
, and
Lincoln MKZ
are not included in the current analysis because they were all redesigned for 2013.
MyFord Touch
Consumer Reports director of testing Jake Fisher notes that despite attempts to improve MyFord Touch, the system, which is featured in many Ford vehicles, continues to confuse customers. Fisher also says that customers continue to
complain about rough shifting on Ford six-speed dual-clutch PowerShift transmissions
"They've put out some updates to try to address some of those problems for both the transmissions and the infotainment controls, but it doesn't seem to be enough," Fisher said.
Despite Ford plummeting in the Consumer Reports reliability rankings, the company posted a massive profit for Q3 2012. Ford racked up $1.63 billion in profit during the quarter, marking a slight decline from $1.65 billion earned the same quarter of 2011. Ford had a pre-tax operating profit $2.2 billion amounting to $.40 per share. Analysts had anticipated a gain of $.30 per share.
"The Ford team delivered a best-ever third quarter, driven by record results in North America and the continued strength of Ford Credit," said Alan Mulally, Ford president and CEO, in a statement. "While we are facing near-term challenges in Europe, we are fully committed to transforming our business in Europe by moving decisively to match production to demand, improve revenue through new products and grow a stronger brand, improve our cost efficiencies and take advantage of opportunities to profitably grow our business."
However, things don't look is rosy for Ford in Europe with the company reporting a loss of $460 million during the quarter marking a loss of about $1 billion in Europe this year alone. Ford has previously announced that it expects to lose about $1.5 billion in Europe during 2012 and 2013. The automaker plans to restructure its European operations and shed workers.
Consumer Reports
Free Press
Detroit News
Detroit News
"And boy have we patented it!" -- Steve Jobs, Macworld 2007
Related Articles
Quick Note: 2013 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid Rated at 45 MPG City/Highway
October 15, 2012, 7:52 PM
Ford Uses Carbon Fiber Hood to Reduce Vehicle Weight, Increase Fuel Efficiency
October 9, 2012, 3:37 PM
2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid EPA Certified at 47 MPG (City/Highway)
September 18, 2012, 8:10 AM
Consumer Reports Continues Assault on MyFord Touch, Says it "Stinks"
August 23, 2012, 11:06 AM
UPDATE: MyFord Touch Once Again Hammers Ford in 2012 J.D. Power Rankings
June 20, 2012, 2:04 PM
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text:
We need to forget about these two when 2014 roams along, we are not getting either the two so stop dreaming. I see Wiggins going to either Charlotte, Boston or San Antonio or Phoenix in the West while J.Parker either gonna land himself as a Wizard or Hornets. We can probably trade Bargnani in the offseason or beginning of next season to a team that can get us this guy:
Julius Randle
This guy is amazing, will be the next big wave of PF in this league. He reminds me of a better Lamar Odom and poor man's Chris Bosh.


text:
One of the oldest-living retired sheriffs in Arkansas, Bishop, 88, was Pope County Sheriff from 1955-58 and is originally from New Hope.
He was honored with the Arkansas Sheriff's Association Professional Service Award in 2011 for honorable law enforcement leadership and service. He was given the award at his church, First Assembly of God in Russellville.
There is much more to Bishop's history. He still recalls the challenges and rewards of living in Arkansas and abroad as a young man.
"I was raised on the Arkansas River," he said.
He has always fought for the rights of those who live under the Stars and Stripes.
Bishop built homes for a while after returning from the beaches of Iwo Jima and Okinawa, Japan. He is a decorated World War II veteran who served in the Navy until 1946.
Iwo Jima took the lives of 33 percent of the soldiers who fought there. More than 3,000 men were lost during first day of the conflict in February 1945.
Bishop was assigned to the U.S.S. Deuel (APA-160) and trained fellow soldiers to operate and exit the armored personnel assault vehicles used for storming the beachers of the Japanese Islands.
"I participated on the beaches of Okinawa and Iwo Jima," Bishop said. "Prior to receiving final landing orders, we trained for beach takeovers. We dressed like Marines and trained with Army and Marine soldiers."
The Arkansas State Police enjoyed Bishop's service as a trooper for a while after he returned from the war in 1946.
"I loved the State Police," he said. "I loved the sheriffs as well. I have a great deal of respect for what they dealt with and still do. They went until they could barely go any further."
Bishop reminisced about the support he received from fellow law enforcement officers. He recalled the help he was given by one of many.
"Trooper John Scott helped me," he said. "He loved his job and the work. If it took all night, he was there with you."
He also shared his recollections of his time as the sheriff of Pope County.
"J.R. Owen was a hard worker," Bishop said. "He was a true deputy and, although he had a lot to put up with, he loved his job.
"The wives of law enforcement officers had a lot to put up with too. They and their wives were extremely dedicated. They couldn't have done it without the support of their wives."
There were many challenges to being in law enforcement, Bishop said. Resources, such as money, affected the job, and political beliefs had a hand in how the sheriff's office as well.
Sheriffs elected during his era were subject to an unwritten rule limiting terms of service. Voters at that time, if they would vote for you, would only elect you for two terms.
"There were so many people here the first year I went in [as sheriff]," Bishop said. "You were in and you were out. Voters in Pope County, then, believed in two terms. I served two terms and was out."
The pay was meager for sheriffs, deputies and jailers in the 1950s. Times were difficult, but with the support of others they made it work, according to Bishop.
"The salary was very low," he said. "The sheriff's pay was about $75-$100 a month. I was also the county tax collector. That was an extra $50 a month. My late wife Maybeth, and father-in-law L.O. Tippin, worked at the jail on the courthouse fourth floor and made $50 a month between them.
"My father-in-law lived in the jailer's apartment and took care of building maintenance. My wife cooked the meals for the inmates and made sure their medical needs were met through the county."
According to Bishop, times were hard during his terms in office outside of wages. They had to go to the bank for operating funds because tax revenues were low.
"We had to go to the bank to get through the hard times," he said. "We did pay them back when times got better. It was tough, but we made it through."
The size of cells at the jail was an additional challenge for enforcing the law. It made for tight quarters and upset inmates.
"The jail was small, considering," Bishop said. " It would get crowded if we had a busy weekend. The deputies would help by making beds for inmates to sleep on. There were a lot of experiences with people helping us out."
Bishop said inmates would often become rowdy and protested about the living conditions.
"Inmates would rebel because of cramped quarters and not much to eat," he said. "They didn't think they were being taken care of. It was my responsibility, and I did the best I could with the money I had to work with."
Resources for understanding the truths about history are growing few and far between as time passes. There is one man, a former Pope County Sheriff, who was willing to enlighten folks about his time in the Arkansas River Valley.
This sheriff remembers the love, support and those involved with supporting law enforcement efforts.


text:
By Susan Black
Full disclosure: As a kid, I spent hours on our back porch reading and singing to Bootsie, my little cocker spaniel. She cuddled next to me and never complained, not even when I mispronounced mirages as "my rages" and sang "Tumbling Tumbleweeds" off-key.
Ten years ago, the Utah-based Reading Education Assistance Dogs (READ) program, developed by Intermountain Therapy Animals, started in a Salt Lake City public library. Kids curled up in corners and read books to trained, registered, and certified therapy dogs.
That's where the "magic" began, says Anita Stone, a North Carolina journalist who's tracked the fast-growing trend of using therapy dogs to help children read. The library program was so successful that, within a year, it was adopted in several Utah schools. Today, READ and similar programs -- including BARKS (Bonding, Animals, Reading, Kids and Safety), Sit Stay Read, and Paws to Read -- are proliferating in schools across the country.
The total number of dogs used in school reading programs is hard to come by, but Stone says READ alone currently sponsors more than 1,300 therapy dogs and handlers in schools and libraries.
The numbers are likely to rise, given the growing demand for therapy dogs. In Chicago, for instance, six public schools now have full-year Sit Stay Read programs, serving nearly 800 youngsters. MaryEllen Schneider, the program's co-founder and director, says 30 Chicago schools are on a waiting list for the coveted canine helpers.
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Copyright © 2018, National School Boards Association. American School Board Journal is an editorially independent publication of the National School Boards Association. Opinions expressed by this magazine or any of its authors do not necessarily reflect positions of the National School Boards Association. Within the parameters of fair use, this article may be printed out and photocopied for individual use, provided this copyright notice appears on each copy. This article may not be otherwise, linked, transmitted, or reproduced in print or electronic form without the consent of the Publisher. For more information, call (703) 838-6739.
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text: 20% off base fare of all AirAsia & AirAsia X flights! Book online from 20th – 25th August and we'll take 20% off your AirAsia & AirAsia X seat when you travel from 27th Aug – 11th Dec 2013 Sepang, 19 AUGUST 2013 Get 20% off the base fare of all AirAsia & AirAsia X flights when you book online, or through AirAsia Travel Shops* from 20th - 25th August, for the travel period from 27th Aug – 11th Dec 2013. The 20% discount is applicable to the base fare of all AirAsia flights with the flight code AK (Malaysia AirAsia), FD (Thai AirAsia), QZ (AirAsia Indonesia), PQ (Philippines' AirAsia), and D7 (AirAsia X) and will enable travellers to take advantage of our wide network coverage, covering over 85 destinations across 20 countries. The discount is also applicable when guests book the Fly-Thru service. Bookings for these 20% discount are also available via AirAsia's mobile applications on iPhone, Android devices, Blackberry10, as well as its mobile site mobile.airasia.com. The mobile applications on iPhone and Android platforms are now updated with the 'Manage My Booking' feature as well, where guests can view all their bookings, check-in for flights, as well as manage add-ons such as meals, seat selection, check-in baggage and sports equipment allocation, purchase travel insurance and more. For a full list of AirAsia Travel Shops, please visit www.airasia.com and search according to your country under the 'Service Centre' section. Siegtraund Teh, Group Chief Commercial Officer of AirAsia commented, "With our existing everyday low-fares, this 20% discount will encourage more travel, and contribute towards tourism numbers across the region; especially throughout the travel period that we are offering which is from end August up till December. Our guests can also complement their flight bookings with amazing deals from AirAsiaGo where they can save up to 50% when they book their hotels together with AirAsia flights." AirAsiaGo, the holiday division of the world's best low cost airline will also be offering savings up to 50% when guests book hotels together with flights. This special deal can be booked online at www.AirAsiaGo.com from 20th – 25th August, and for the travel period within 27th August – 11th December 2013. Apart from the 20% savings on seats throughout this promotion period, guests are also encouraged to pre-book their check-in baggage allocation online as they will be able to save up to 66% as compared to checking-in their bags over the airport counter. Other value-added products and services which guests can opt for when booking their seats include hot meals on board, seat selection, travel insurance, comfort kit purchase and sports equipment check-in allocation. Members of the AirAsia BIG Loyalty Program will be able to collect points when flying with AirAsia, and can also redeem their flights throughout this promotion period at www.airasiabig.com. For more information on how to sign up for the AirAsia BIG Loyalty Program, please visit their website at www.airasiabig.com. For more updates on AirAsia's latest innovations, as well as promotions, activities and contests, connect via Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.


text:
Image: E078206 Boomerang reverse
E078206 boomerang, wood, Hunter Valley, New South Wales, Australia.
This boomerang is from the Hunter Valley region of New South Wales, Australia. The wooden boomerang has a central curve. Both surfaces of the boomerang are convex or curve outwards. The boomerang was collected by Alexander Morrison in the late 19th or early 20th Century. It was acquired by the Australian Museum in 1982.
- Photographer:
- Anna Gray
- Rights:
- © Australian Museum
Last Updated:


text:
Mailbox For Android App
Mailbox Launches For Android and Mac — Inbox Zero For All
Why should iPhones have all the fun? The Dropbox-owned email client Mailbox is finally bringing its clean aesthetic and "inbox zero"-friendly features to Android and Mac desktops. At their launch event in San Francisco, the team wanted the quality and UI of their email app to be "just as good on Android." It's available today in the Google Play Store for free.
There's not only a new app — Mailbox introduced a new feature called auto-swipe as well. The app will start to predict your behavior. So if you always swipe emails from a certain sender to trash, then Mailbox will recognize that and a bubble will pop up asking if you want to automatically trash this type of thread in the future. The same goes for snoozing emails until after work or archiving messages. This new feature will declutter your inbox without you having to do anything. It ships with the Android app today and will arrive on iOS soon.
We also saw a preview of Mailbox for Mac, the desktop version of the popular email app. A lot of the mobile app's best features were implemented in the desktop version, like the ability to swipe gestures using a trackpad, the superminimal interface, and syncing email across all devices. It's meant to look as clean as possible. The compose window was even modeled after a blank sheet of paper. Mailbox for Mac is in limited beta, and interested parties can sign up at MailboxApp.com, down at the bottom. When it fully launches, mobile app users will be able to snooze their messages back to their computers, so you can just keep essential threads on your phone.


text: There might be certain situations where you need a snapshot of what your computer is doing. For example, if you spot a bug in a program, the developer might need to know what your computer is doing when the bug occurs. Here's how to send the developer everything they could possibly need to know.


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|Allegro CL version 8.2
This page is new in 8.2.
Arguments: chart-axis
This property has an effect only on the Windows platform.
This property of a
chart-axis indicates the angle at which labels
will be drawn on the major tic marks of a chart-axis. This has an
effect only when the axis is horizontal; tic labels on a vertical axis
are always drawn horizontally.
The value may be set by passing the :major-label-angle initarg to make-instance, or any time later by calling (setf major-label-angle).
The value is measured in degrees counterclockwise, relative to the horizontal, and should be an integer between -90 and 90 inclusive. The default value is 0 to draw ordinary horizontal text.
When the value is negative, the string will angle downward, with its left end below the tic mark. When it is positive, it will angle upward with its right end below the tic mark. When zero, it will be centered about the tic mark. When nonzero, a tic label will not wrap to multiple lines of text when specified by major-label-wrapping. When -90 or 90, the label will be vertical, which draws a cleaner string than at an arbitrary angle.
Copyright (c) 1998-2016, Franz Inc. Oakland, CA., USA. All rights reserved.
This page is new in the 8.2 release.
Created 2016.6.21.
|Allegro CL version 8.2
This page is new in 8.2.


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WATCH: New Video for The Luyas' "Fifty Fifty"Posted by katie on August 29th, 2012
The Luyas' sophomore album, Animator, isn't out until October 16, but you can enjoy their brand new video until then! Premiering today at Stereogum, the dramatic "Fifty Fifty" video was directed by Derrick Belcham and choreographed by Katie Ward. Watch above.


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By Brian Ives
As unbelievable as it may seem, there are some people who haven't burned out on Psy's inescapable 2012 single "Gangnam Style," and the views that it got over this past weekend (on May 31) pushed the video over the 2 billion views mark, making it the first music video to hit that mark.
Having such a huge breakthrough single can be a double edged sword, particularly when it comes to the follow up. During an interview last year with New York radio station 92.3 AM, PSY explained why he shouldn't be considered a one-hit wonder.
Related: Hear a Mashup of Linkin Park's 'Hybrid Theory' with 'Gangnam Style'
"After 'Gangnam Style,' I hesitated to answer the question 'What's next?'" he explained. "Literally, right after that short period of hesitation they started calling me one-hit wonder all over the world. I was like, 'What do you mean, one-hit wonder?' I've already been in this industry in my country [South Korea] for 12 years."
Psy will team with Snoop Dogg. Find out when and where on Radio.com.


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"Balakrishnan came across Hendrix as an impressionable teenager and learned to reproduce Hendrix riffs on violin, and during a recent trip to the Woodstock Museum once again became enthralled with his boyhood idol, which was the genesis for this project. As longtime Turtle Island Quartet fans know, the foursome always tackles other peoples work with invention, creativity and imagination: it was no accident they won a 2007 Grammy for their Coltrane homage. With Hendrix as the focal point, they go beyond expectations to formulate a fully integrated reappraisal of the iconic guitarists material."Audiophile Audition
"He wasn't playing a bunch of chords the way a guitar player would normally play. But with Electric Ladyland, he was really layering melodies ... and the way he played the guitar, he could really get that sinuous vibrato that creates this texture and bed of melodic fragments laid on top of each otherperfect for a string quartet like Turtle Island."David Balakrishnan, NPR's All Things Considered
"The disc opens with a four-part suite of the songs from Hendrix's Electric Ladyland
. The arrangements are inspired by Hendrix's approach to the guitar, and the psychedelic sounds of his era. It is interesting to note how the foursome was able to channel the late guitarist's style onto strings. 'Voodoo Child (Slight Return)' follows
. They successfully channel Hendrix's use of the tremolo bar, and when they play chords, it almost sounds as if the musicians were using picks."All About Jazz
"The starters have sumptuous arrangements, especially 'Have You Ever Been (To Electric Ladyland)?' and 'House Burning Down'
. 'Tree of Life,' celebrating Charles Darwins legacy, has great musical depth and some extraordinary passages, mostly in its first ('Ashwattha') and last ('Coelacanth') movements."Jazz Times


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I bought all of this Asian fabric at shops along the Oregon Coast. Didn't use a pattern, just tried to use all the fat quarters in one way or the other. The border fabric was shaded beautifully so I had to piece it in order to get the colors located the way I wanted.
Oregon Asian Fabric


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The Golf Fix
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Golf Fix: 2011 Champions Clinic
Masters champion Charl Schwartzel, U.S. Open champion Rory McIlroy, Open Champion Darren Clarke, and PGA Champion Keegan Bradley join together at the PGA Grand Slam of Golf for a unique clinic at the picturesque Port Royal Golf Course in beautiful Bermuda. Hosted by Michael Breed.
Download our instruction app from iTunes or Google play
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ROCHESTER, N.Y., Nov. 22 (UPI) -- One-third of U.S. adults say they will have more to be thankful for this Thanksgiving than they had a few years ago, a survey indicates.
The Harris Poll of 2,463 U.S. adults surveyed online Oct. 10-17 indicated 32 percent said they have more to be thankful for this year, compared with 41 percent in 2010.
Forty-five percent said they will have about as much to be thankful for this year as they had a few years ago, which is slightly more than said so last year at 41 percent.
Eighteen percent say they will have less to be thankful for, up from 13 percent in 2010, while 5 percent were not sure this year, which equals last year.
When asked to compare their overall feelings for Thanksgiving to their feelings a few years ago, many Americans don't seem particularly grateful -- but they have a different take when asked about specific items:
-- 85 percent of Americans said they will feel thankful this Thanksgiving both for the health of their family and family relationships.
-- 74 percent said they will feel thankful because technology makes it easy to stay in touch with family and friends and two-thirds say they are thankful that good technology is easily accessible.
-- 63 percent said they feel thankful for their personal economic situation and 61 percent said the same for their work situation.
-- 56 percent said they are thankful it is safe to walk on the streets.
-- 36 percent said they feel thankful for the way people treat each other, but 40 percent said they do not.
-- 67 percent said they do not feel thankful for the U.S. economic situation, while 14 percent are thankful and 10 percent are not sure.


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- Singapore Grand Prix - FP1
Vettel tops first session in Singapore
- Race:
- Singapore Grand Prix
- Drivers:
- Jenson Button
- |
- Lewis Hamilton
- |
- Sebastian Vettel
Sebastian Vettel topped the timesheets during the first practice session for the Singapore Grand Prix, finishing just ahead of Lewis Hamilton's McLaren.
Vettel, sporting a special helmet with LED lights on top, clocked a 1:50.556 on soft tyres, just 0.049s faster than Hamilton but nearly a second quicker than Jenson Button in third and Fernando Alonso in fourth. The session started in wet conditions but the racing line soon dried and the track improved throughout the session. None of the drivers ran the super-soft tyres, meaning times should fall again if the second session stays dry.
All the top teams were testing some sort of upgrade and also readjusting to a full-downforce setup after the Belgian and Italian Grands Prix. Mercedes had one of the most noticeable updates with a new exhaust system at rear of the car, but neither driver appeared to go for a flat-out lap and both finished the session outside the top ten.
Meanwhile, there was a mix of cars occupying the top ten with Pastor Maldonado's Williams fifth fastest ahead of Mark Webber's Red Bull, the Force Indias of Nico Hulkenberg and Paul di Resta, Daniel Ricciardo in the Toro Rosso and Sergio Perez in the Suaber. Both Lotuses were outside the top ten as they trialled a new DRS rear wing, but not the double DRS device that is expected to run again at the Japanese Grand Prix. Felipe Massa was also outside the top ten in 16th, but was no doubt gathering data on the new bits and pieces on the Ferrari.
At the bottom of the timesheets Ma Qing Hua returned to the cockpit of the HRT for his second Friday practice session in a row. HRT was testing a new floor, its final major update of the season, and Ma was 1.397s off the pace of team-mate Pedro de la Rosa.


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This content has been marked as final. Show 9 replies
1. Re: High Small read request on ExadataMarc Fielding May 22, 2012 4:28 PM (in response to robinsc)Hi robinsc,
Can you share a bit about your workload? What is the impact of having slow reads? Are you maxing out the I/O capacity of the hard drives?
And have you considered a min_latency target? It will trade some throughput but it might be acceptable if you need your small reads to be consistently fast. Another option to consider would be more active flash cache management to help get your latency-sensitive (and hopefully repeatable) reads into cache.
2. Re: High Small read request on Exadata912595 May 23, 2012 5:30 AM (in response to robinsc)Did you try t0 check "cell single block physical read" in AWR section? If i remember correctly good baselines for this wait event is from .01 to .1 ms. Please check AWR and pos it here.
3. Re: High Small read request on Exadatarobinsc May 23, 2012 5:36 AM (in response to Marc Fielding)At the other site we tracked down an instance of a query exceeding expected SLA. It basically did an index lookup for a goodly number of rows. When looking up one of the rows it waited for over a second for a single block read to complete. that pushed the whole operation over the SLA. However what we are trying to understand is whether the variances we are seeing are expected and typical or are atypical. As I remarked in two sites having x2-2 Exadata racks using high performance disk we have observed similar behavior. Oracle support was of the opinion that the disks were not at 100% utilization when the issue occurred. Though we have a good flash hit ratio we can never guarantee a 100% hit rate so our issue boils down to predictability. If Exadata single block reads truly are that variable we could go back to the business and renegotiate for a different SLA but no one has given us a definitive answer as to the expected wait histogram of cell single block physical reads.
That's why I was asking if this forum could gather additional data points.
I really hope you and everyone else here could give it a shot... run the cellcli query and check the output over your existing metrichistory.....
Hope you can do that for me .... pretty please :)
If others experience the same as we are then it would at least give everyone a heads up on what to expect .
4. Re: High Small read request on Exadatarobinsc May 23, 2012 6:10 AM (in response to 912595)Hi there problem her eis that it tends to get overwhelmed since the number of occurances is low. the problem is that each occurance will cause an SLA miss. So we actually found the issue by looking at dba_hist views rather than awr trying to find out why a particular query from a particular session ran slow.
we then corellated via cellcli to find the same.
select WAIT_TIME_MILLI, WAIT_COUNT from v$event_histogram where event='cell single block physical read'
1 7982705
2 152638
4 46952
8 90880
16 94920
32 20834
64 5633
128 1630
256 296
512 101
1024 16
2048 11
4096 1
5. Re: High Small read request on Exadatatychos May 23, 2012 6:34 PM (in response to robinsc)Hi robinsc,
It looks like you only had two moments some grid disk had a high response time.
2012-04-07T12:36Both on the same host "exass01" (seems like a none default cell name).
Did you check the node to discard some hardware failure?
6. Re: High Small read request on Exadatarobinsc May 24, 2012 2:16 PM (in response to tychos)the first one was on exass03 ... and this is the defualt naming as per what acs generated for us... seems ss stands for storage server instead of cel which they used to use...
7. Re: High Small read request on Exadata848750 May 25, 2012 6:21 PM (in response to robinsc)Are there overlapping Smart Scans in flight?
8. Re: High Small read request on ExadataMarc Fielding May 30, 2012 8:11 PM (in response to robinsc)Hi robinsc,1 person found this helpful
Apologies for the late reply.
Here are some numbers for yesterday on a production system that tends to saturate I/O frequently. This system doesn't have IORM in use at all, and we can see that >1s response times to exist.
$ dcli -g cell_group -l cellmonitor cellcli -e "list metrichistory where metricvalue '>500000' and Name like 'CD_IO_TM_R_SM_RQ'" > cellcli.out
$ cat cellcli.out | grep 2012-05-29T | tr -d , | sort -nk4 | tail
dm1c06: CD_IO_TM_R_SM_RQ CD_00_dm1c06 2848684 us/request 2012-05-29T21:56:25+00:00
dm1c08: CD_IO_TM_R_SM_RQ CD_00_dm1c08 3032456 us/request 2012-05-29T19:17:41+00:00
dm1c09: CD_IO_TM_R_SM_RQ CD_01_dm1c09 3070021 us/request 2012-05-29T04:23:11+00:00
dm1c07: CD_IO_TM_R_SM_RQ CD_00_dm1c07 3166033 us/request 2012-05-29T18:56:32+00:00
dm1c11: CD_IO_TM_R_SM_RQ CD_00_dm1c11 3213968 us/request 2012-05-29T02:26:13+00:00
dm1c07: CD_IO_TM_R_SM_RQ CD_00_dm1c07 3407311 us/request 2012-05-29T04:31:20+00:00
dm1c05: CD_IO_TM_R_SM_RQ CD_00_dm1c05 3642966 us/request 2012-05-29T16:30:08+00:00
dm1c10: CD_IO_TM_R_SM_RQ CD_01_dm1c10 3701307 us/request 2012-05-29T03:32:23+00:00
dm1c07: CD_IO_TM_R_SM_RQ CD_01_dm1c07 3843500 us/request 2012-05-29T23:01:37+00:00
dm1c10: CD_IO_TM_R_SM_RQ CD_01_dm1c10 4809542 us/request 2012-05-29T02:31:22+00:00
SQL> select WAIT_TIME_MILLI, WAIT_COUNT from v$event_histogram where event='cell single block physical read';
--------------- ----------
1 9102589811
2 276214328
4 67696074
8 54400628
16 51409920
32 16854159
64 3894203
128 1800957
256 973878
512 482764
1024 253573
2048 106873
4096 21850
8192 3137
16384 117
32768 6
So while there aren't many of them, slow single-block read requests to exist on this system.
If you have a strict per-query response time SLA though, I'd highly recommend trying out a MIN_LATENCY objective and seeing if you can tolerate the throughput impact.
9. Re: High Small read request on Exadatarobinsc Jul 18, 2012 10:59 AM (in response to Marc Fielding)I got an answer back from oracle support. Even their test system has slow response times so it seems that setting an alert on this metric is a recipe for late night emergency panic calls.
We do seem to be getting more even response times with io_objective set to auto


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Latest News
Kindertransport commemorative sculpture
The Association of Jewish Refugees (AJR) and World Jewish Relief (WJR) are delighted to announce a new commemorative sculpture in honour of the Kindertransport to be located at Liverpool Street Station.
The bronze sculpture, designed by the renowned Israeli artist and former Kindertransport refugee Frank Meisler, will be surrounded by 16 milestones each bearing the name of a city from where the Kindertransports departed.
Andrew Kaufman, Chairman of the Association of Jewish Refugees (AJR) said, "We are delighted to be the principal benefactor in this important project to commemorate the lives of the youngest victims of Nazism.
The statue also pays tribute to the vital role Britain played in saving thousands of children from certain death and serves as a timely reminder of the need to remain vigilant of intolerance and prejudice."
To read the article that appeared in the Jewish Chronicle click here.


text: Rick Gosselin's NFL rankings: Cowboys plummet behind Panthers This Story is About... Cowboys Headlines Sports Cowboys /Nick Wass - AP. Each week during the season, SportsDay columnist and Pro Football Hall of Fame selection committee member Rick Gosselin offers his rankings of the 32 NFL teams. Here's a look at the rankings entering Week 9 of the 2013 season. /NFL. 1. Kansas City. The 8-0 start by the Chiefs matches the 8-0 start by the Falcons last season. Atlanta wound up advancing to the NFC championship game. /. 2. Denver. The Broncos are the highest scoring team in the NFL with 343 points. No one else is within 100 points of Denver. /NFL. 3. Seattle. Russell Wilson was sacked seven times Monday night against the Rams. The Seahawks have to do a better job of protecting their quarterback if they aspire an NFL title. /NFL. 4. New Orleans. Jimmy Graham leads all tight ends with 40 receptions and all receivers regardless of position with his eight TDs. He's also averaging 15.8 yards per catch. /NFL. 5. SF 49ers. The 49ers are among six teams that have byes this week along with Arizona, Denver, Detroit, Jacksonville and the Giants. /NFL. 6. Cincinnati. The Bengals are one of only two teams that rank in the NFL's Top 10 in both offense and defense this week. Cincinnati ranks ninth in offense and eighth in defense. /NFL. 7. Indianapolis. The Colts have committed a league-low six turnovers this season. QB Andrew Luck has thrown only three interceptions. /NFL. 8. New England. Tom Brady isn't having a Tom Brady type season, completing only 55.7 percent of his passes. He's a career 63.4 percent passer. /NFL. 9. Green Bay. Aaron Rodgers is one of only five QBs with a passer efficiency rating in the 100s (108.0) along with Peyton Manning, Philip Rivers, Drew Brees and Tony Romo. /NFL. 10. Detroit. The Lions have the best passing attack in the NFC - the best this side of the Rockies, in fact. Now Matthew Stafford gets to rest his arm on a bye week. /NFL. 11. San Diego. Philip Rivers is completing 73.9 percent of his passes this season. The NFL record is 71.2 by Drew Brees in 2011. /NFL. 12. Carolina. Cam Newton is having his best season as a pro. His completion percentage is up (64.9), his interceptions are down (5) and he's rushed for three scores to go with his 12 TD passes. /NFL. 13. Chicago. The Bears return from their bye this week. They are one of the NFL's best coming off byes with a 16-8 record. /NFL. 14. Dallas. The Cowboys have allowed four 400-yard passers this season and now rank last in the NFL in both defense and pass defense. /NFL. 15. NY Jets. Rookie QB Geno Smith has thrown three interceptions for touchdowns in the last two weeks. /NFL. 16. Miami. The Dolphins spent $60 million to lure WR Mike Wallace away from the Steelers last offseason, yet holdover Brian Hartline remains the most productive receiver on the roster. /. 17. Arizona. QB Carson Palmer has been a disappointment. He has thrown an NFL-runnerup 14 interceptions and hasn't been able to feature Larry Fitzgerald in the Bruce Arians offense. /NFL. 18. Baltimore. The Ravens are averaging only 2.8 yards per rush this season. That may explain why they signed Bernard Scott this week to pair with Ray Rice and Bernard Pierce. /NFL. 19. Buffalo. The Bills have allowed 20 touchdown passes this season, tops in the league. Buffalo allowed only 24 all of 2012. /NFL. 20. Tennessee. As Chris Johnson struggles, the Titans struggle. The former NFL rushing champion still hasn't scored a rushing touchdown this season and has only 366 yards. /NFL. 21. NY Giants. As poorly as the Giants have played thus far, they are only two games back of the Cowboys in the NFC East. The Giants are also the hottest team in the NFC East with a two-game winning streak. /NFL. 22. Oakland. The Raiders, Jaguars, Vikings, Falcons and Buccaneers are the only NFL teams still winless on the road this season. /NFL. 23. St. Louis. End Robert Quinn leads the NFC with 10 sacks - that's ½ a sack fewer than he had all of last season. /NFL. 24. Cleveland. The 3-5 Browns have reached the midway point of their season and they are already on to their third quarterback (Brandon Weedon, Brian Hoyer, Jason Campbell). /NFL. 25. Pittsburgh. The Steelers have fielded a Top 10-ranked defense for 14 consecutive seasons. They remain there in 2013 at No. 4. /NFL. 26. Atlanta. Michael Turner wasn't the answer last season and Steven Jackson isn't the answer this season. The Falcons still have the NFL's worst rushing attack. /NFL. 27. Washington. There's very little defense being played in the NFC East. The Cowboys rank 32 in the league, the Eagles 31 and the Redskins 29. The Giants look stout by comparison at 17. /NFL. 28. Philadelphia. The Eagles, Buccaneers and Jaguars are the only teams still winless at home this season. /NFL. 29. Houston. With five losses already, the Texans have decided to shuffle the cards. So a healthy Matt Schaub sits and Case Keenum plays quarterback. /NFL. 30. Minnesota. There have been only three kickoff returns for touchdown this season and Vikings rookie Cordarrelle Patterson has two of them. He's averaging almost 40 yards per return. /NFL. 31. Tampa Bay. The state of Florida is a combined 3-19 in the NFL this season. The Bucs are 0-7, the Jaguars 0-8 and Dolphins 3-4. /NFL. 32. Jacksonville. The winless Jaguars are bad across the board. They rank 32 in offense, 31 in rushing and 32 in run defense. This Topic is Missing Your Voice. View Comments Story DNA Cowboys Headlines Sports Cowboys


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• Watch all the weekend Premier League highlights (UK only)
Manchester City now embody the classic mode of champions who can grind out results while not playing well. This early season stutter has accrued seven points from nine as they head into the international break promising "the best is yet to come". José Mourinho, here to scout Real Madrid's opening Champions League opponents, will take note.
Those were the words of Vincent Kompany, the City captain. A cool customer, the club's alpha defender is unconcerned that it is five games since City returned a clean sheet, the 2-0 win at Newcastle United in last season's penultimate league fixture. Joe Hart has picked the ball from his goal five times this campaign, with City scoring eight. There was more nervy moments in this 3-1 win after Yaya Touré's early opener was matched by Bobby Zamora's 59th-minute strike before City instantly hit back. Edin Dzeko answered within 120 seconds and the continually impressive Carlos Tevez collected City's third in added time.
"Even last year when we were winning all the games it wasn't about the clean sheets and probably because we're so offensive at the moment it's a bit detrimental to the statistics because I still think we're defending well," Kompany said. "Just look at the difficult months. December, January, February – that's when we've carried the team in the past and it won't be any different [this season]. At the moment everybody wants to play, everybody wants to score."
Roberto Mancini's assistant, David Platt, admitted City are playing below par. So what is missing? "Two points out of nine that's all," Kompany said with a smile. "You've got seven points out of nine, you've just won the Community Shield over Chelsea. I just see very good periods in the game like the first 35 minutes against Liverpool. We showed that we could dominate a top team. And today, actually, most of the game. It was just that the chances that we do have we have to work a bit harder [to finish].
"Last year everything was flying in, so games become easier. Today could have been the same, it was just that we scored one and at half-time there was a bit of hope for everybody then. But we give very few chances away and so sometimes at this stage of the season we've been unlucky to concede. "We have massive amounts of confidence. We could be looking at the fact that we're not dismantling teams but just look at what's happened this season, the amount of [fresh] talent – its a lot more competitive, you feel that every team has strengthened. I don't see any team that's weaker this season than last. That's why for us to get the results is good, winning is the most important still."
Following the international break, City travel to Stoke City on 15 September, then three days later visit Real Madrid in the Champions League, as Mancini's men begin a tough group that also numbers Borussia Dortmund and Ajax.
"I'm leaving for internationals now," Kompany said. "And if I had to leave one message for the team it would be: 'Well done guys, we've always battled hard. We've shown how strong we are as a team and character.'
"If we are able to get results playing like, what people say, might not be the best, then what will happen when we do? The best is yet to come. So its brilliant and we couldn't have wished for anything better than this."
Of that Champions League group that for once gives credence to the competition's name – all clubs are their respective country's title holders – Kompany continued the bulletin to his troops: "I'd like to think that's why you want to play Champions League. I was looking at the draw and I don't think at any moment I was hoping for us to draw a supposed easy game. I think we've always been at our best when we have to challenge ourselves and play against the best so it's very good for us."
While Kompany refused to comment on what Mourinho may or may not have learned, Mark Hughes, the QPR manager, professed himself content following an afternoon on which six of his summer signings started. "I was encouraged by what I saw today – it's progress," he said. "We were in the back yard of the champions and we pressed and imposed ourselves on a very good team. I'm pleased with that and it's something we can build on. Our shape was good in the first half and we were working hard, perhaps without affecting the game going the other way. But we addressed that in the second half. We really put a shift in and caused them problems."
Man of the match Carlos Tevez (Manchester City)


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Nationals acquire Bruney from Yankees
To bolster 'pen, Washington deals player to be named
By Bill Ladson / MLB.com
In Bruney, Washington picks up a power arm who could pitch in the late innings. The two clubs have been talking about Bruney for several weeks, and the talks gained momentum as they got closer to the Winter Meetings. In fact, the teams agreed to a deal on Sunday.
"I'm happy with the trade," Nationals manager Jim Riggleman said. "I've seen him pitch a couple of times. He is a power arm who could [be at the end of our bullpen]. We feel we need a little help out there. He has the experience and has a good arm."
Bruney, who was drafted by Rizzo in the 2000 First-Year Player Draft when both were with the D-backs, was 5-0 with a 3.92 ERA in 44 appearances as New York's setup man in '09. The hard-throwing right-hander was left off the Yankees' playoff roster in the first two rounds before being activated for the World Series against the Phillies.
"We feel he makes us a better club," Rizzo said. "He strengthens one of our weak points in the bullpen."
Bruney also spent two stints on the disabled list. From April 25-May 18, Bruney landed on the DL because of a flexor muscle strain in his right elbow. He had the same problem in late May and had to be put on the DL for almost a month.
Asked if he was concerned about Bruney's health, Riggleman said, "I don't know if concerned is the right word. In today's world, it's hard to find somebody who hasn't had something. They all had some tenderness or DL time. Sometimes it's almost precautionary, but still, it goes in the book as DL. If you only made a move on someone who has never been on the DL, it would be hard to find people."
Said Rizzo: "We did our due diligence on Bruney. We got a complete go-ahead from our medical people. In the last couple of months, he hasn't had anything serious. He finished the season very strong."
Bruney most likely will serve as a setup man for the Nationals. There is a possibility he could share the closer's role with Mike MacDougal, who saved 17 games for Washington this past season.
Bruney has experience in that ninth-inning role, saving 12 games and striking out 51 batters in 46 innings for Arizona in 2005. However, he had a 7.43 ERA.
"As we sit here right now, it's undetermined who could be our closer, so I think that is a healthy situation to have some competition out there," Riggleman said. "Maybe the hot hand takes it. Who knows? By the time we leave these meetings in Indianapolis, maybe something happens where we identify one person who is going to be a closer. This gives us another option to look at through Spring Training. We'll see how it evolves. This is a pretty nice piece to the puzzle."
To make room for Bruney, the Nationals released reliever Saul Rivera, who had his worst year with Washington this past season. The right-hander pitched in 30 games and had a 6.10 ERA. There was a time when Rivera was a workhorse for the Nationals, averaging 80 appearances per season in 2007-08.
Riggleman hasn't ruled out Rivera coming back.
"This doesn't close the door on Rivera," Riggleman said. "He going to be looking to sign with somebody, and it could be with us."
Rizzo said he is trying to acquire more relief pitching.
"We are always trying to get better," Rizzo said. "We certainly don't think we're where we need to be right now. The bullpen was a point of emphasis. We are still looking."
Bill Ladson is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Apple releases iOS 5 golden master, updated Mac OS X 10.7.2 build to developer community
Date: Wednesday, October 5th, 2011, 04:55
Category: iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, News, Software
Amidst yesterday's hubbub about the iPhone 4S, Apple on Tuesday issued the golden master build of iOS 5 to members of its development community, along with a new build of Mac OS X 10.7.2.
Per AppleInsider, sources close to the story said the golden master build of iOS 5 is known as "Build 9A334". It is said to be labeled as a GM, or golden master, seed, which means that it is likely to be identical to the final version of the software Apple will release to the public.
Those people said there are a handful of fixes contained in the golden master build. For example, the GM build of iOS 5 reportedly fixes an issue that existed when deleting a song or video from the Music and Videos applications on an iOS device, causing it to crash.
Developers are also notified that starting with iOS 5, AirPlay is enabled by default for video content available on applications and websites. Those with access to the golden master have also been advised that the WebKit framework in the latest build more closely matches the engine used in Apple's Safari 5.1 desktop Web browser.
iOS 5 will be released to the public next Wednesday, Oct. 12. It will be compatible with the iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, iPad 2, first-generation iPad, fourth-generation iPod touch, and third-generation iPod touch.
On Wednesday Apple released a new build of Mac OS X 10.7.2, known as "Build 11C73". It is said to not contain any known issues. The forthcoming update to Lion will add support for iCloud.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.


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Woody... please not Bibby, dude is useless on offense and can't defend.
Woody... please not Bibby, dude is useless on offense and can't defend.
Bibby is a wasted space. He isn't even bringing up the ball or looking for a shot.
Knicks have made Dunleavy look like Kevin Durant
he has to bench JR asap.
I would really rather Toney play than bibby.
I'd take that ****ing risk and send Toney onto the court, with Bibby's corpse in the lineup we're litterally playing 4 against 5...
Real Talk
were not a strong team without Jared. I thought I would never say that in my life and I been a Knick fan for 15 years.
Mel drawing fouls has saved our clueless offens.
b2b dumb threes by Jr. He takes too many dumb shots
Smith hasn't shot well but his hustle and intangibles has been Jared Jefferies like. he's been amazing.
Melo reminding us that when he's at his best, it's not necessarily pretty
full credit to Mello tonite - Scoring well, getting to the line - and rebounding well
12 from 12 at the line is a great effort !


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A BigMac may only be a phone call away and an Egg McMuffin could be an afternoon snack if McDonald's follows through with some ideas for the fast food restaurant.
The world's largest fast-food chain is considering some changes that include delivery as well as an all-day breakfast menu and customer loyalty rewards program, according to
a CNBC interview with President and CEO Don Thompson .
The restaurant is experimenting with delivery services in some countries "in a big way," as well as in densely populated areas in the U.S., Thompson said. About 20 percent of McDonald's outlets offer delivery service, and nearly 50 percent are open 24 hours, the financial blog Seeking Alpha said.
"Delivery is a big, big opportunity, particularly in areas where you don't have drive-throughs," he added in his interview with CNBC.
While some markets around the world already offer all-day breakfast, Thompson said the company is considering introducing it to other United States' markets.
"We have the focus on our existing menu, but we have looked at breakfast across the day," Thompson said.
Although Thompson did not release specific information about a potential loyalty program, he said he loves the idea and that customers could see it in the future.
The changes could come as McDonald's evolves to meet the changing demands and tastes driven by millennials, Thompson said. Around the country, taste preferences are shifting toward healthier options and more complex flavors, he added.
To read the full CNBC story, go to


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Social Security income
Social Security is based on a sliding scale depending on your income, how long you work and at what age you retire. Social Security benefits can automatically increase each year based on increases in the Consumer Price Index. Including a spouse increases your Social Security benefits up to, but not over, the maximum. This calculator provides only an estimate of your benefits. Your actual benefit may be higher or lower depending on your work history and the complete compensation rules used by Social Security.
Current age
Your current age.
Age of retirement
Age you desire to retire.
Household income
Your total household income. If you are married, this should include your spouse's income.
Expected salary increase
Annual percent increase you expect in your household income.
Expected rate of inflation
What you expect for the average long-term inflation rate. A common measure of inflation in the U.S. is the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which has a long-term average of 3.1% annually, from 1925 through 2004.
Are you married?
Check this box if you are married. Married couples have a higher maximum Social Security benefit than single wage earners.


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AnnieLaura was the author of four books, including an acclaimed biography of Arkansas Poet Laureate Lily Peter titled "A Nude Singularity: Lily Peter of Arkansas." She had a special connection with Ms. Peter because she grew up in the same part of Eastern Arkansas.
Other books were "A Professor's Unforgettables," stories of memorable students; "Billy Freeman: Florida Keys Sheriff," and "Carl & Me & WWII," a collection of letters and memories.
She was an elder, choir member and sometimes organist and pianist at First Presbyterian Church in Dardanelle. Until her death she was an active philanthropist, patron of the arts and member of many civic organizations.
She also wrote a weekly column that appeared in several newspapers, including The Atkins Chronicle, the Dardanelle Post-Dispatch and the White River Journal.
She returned to college after raising her children and completed a bachelor's degree at Arkansas Tech University and then a master's degree at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. She returned to Russellville and taught humanities (arts and ideas) courses and philosophy courses at ATU for 24 years.
Annielaura Mixon was born on Dec. 22, 1918, in Turner, Cypert (now Philllips) County in eastern Arkansas, the daughter of Laura O. Walker and Frederick F. Mixon.
She married Carl J. Jaggers on March 3, 1940. They were married for 55 years. Following Carl's death in 1995, she moved to Key West, Fla., where she lived for six years. A few years after returning to Dardanelle, she married Les Grady, who died in 2008.
Surviving are two children, Christiana Jaggers Rollans, married to Gary of Dardanelle and Carl Frederick Jaggers, husband of Kathy, of Fort Worth, Texas.
Also surviving are grandchildren Jennifer Samuels (Marty) and Jeremy Rollans (Myra), Felicia Rogers (John) and Carl Jaggers (Lucinda).
Surviving great-grandchildren are Ben Wilkins, Ryan Rollans, Kate Rollans, Dalton Wiley (Brook), Zander Jaggers and Cassidy Rogers; and one great-great-grandchild, Abbagail Wiley. She was also survived by numerous nieces and nephews.
A memorial service will be conducted at 3 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 28 at First Presbyterian Church in Dardanelle.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to First Presbyterian Church (200 N. Second, Dardanelle, AR 72834), Heifer International (1 World Avenue, Little Rock, AR 72202, www.heifer.org) or AETN (350 S. Donaghey, Conway, AR 72034, www.aetnfoundation.org).
Cremation arrangements by Cornwell Funeral Home and River Valley Cremations in Dardanelle. Online guestbook and condolences at www.cornwellfuneralhomes.com.


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Found these on Seatown Beach, Dorset. They have little starfish-like bits on - been googling and wasn't sure if they were crinoids!
Thank you
Yes - well done - crinoid.
Other bits may be belemnites, or sea urchin spines.
- http://www.seatown.ukfossils.co.uk/
- http://www.charmouth.org/chcc/rocks-fossils/fossils/crinoids (Charmouth is v. close to Seatown)
Thanks for your reply and confirming my guess!


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Tiger chief takes flight for Jetstar role
TIGER Australia chief executive Andrew David has resigned - after just over a year at the helm of the budget airline - to head Jetstar's long-haul operations.
His decision comes a month after Virgin Australia sought a controlling stake in Tiger's Australian operations and is likely to be a precursor to an overhaul of the airline's management.
Mr David, a former senior executive at Virgin and Air New Zealand, will start at Jetstar in June in the newly created role of chief executive of long-haul operations. He will oversee the operation of Jetstar's fleet of twin-aisle aircraft, such as A330s, out of Australia and Singapore.
The senior post at Tiger Australia has been a revolving door since the airline began flying here in 2007.
Mr David, who is on holiday and unavailable for comment, is the fourth chief executive in as many years.
If it gains regulatory approval, Virgin will appoint the new chief executive to Tiger Australia.
As part of a management rejig at Jetstar, Mr David's role will include overseeing the integration of new Boeing 787 Dreamliners into its fleet, the first due in the middle of next year.
Jetstar's head of Australasian operations, David Hall, will also now focus on its fleet of single-aisle A320s. He will steer Jetstar's short-haul operations in Australia and New Zealand and services to key leisure spots in the Asia-Pacific region.
Since he took the reins at Tiger in October 2011, Mr David, 51, has overseen the gradual return of the budget airline to unrestricted flying in Australia, following its forced grounding by air safety regulators.
Tiger narrowed its losses in Australia to $16 million in the three months to September
The budget airline's accumulated losses in Australia since launching here five years ago stand at more than $206 million. Virgin's purchase of a 60 per cent stake in Tiger's Australian operations is aimed at giving Australia's second-largest airline its own dual-brand strategy.
This is aimed at countering Qantas and Jetstar.
Under the plans, Tiger's Australian fleet will be boosted from 11 single-aisle A320s to up to 35 over the next five years as it takes on Jetstar. That deal still needs regulatory approval.
But Virgin has cleared the first of several hurdles in its other bid for full control of West Australian airline Skywest, which is incorporated in Singapore. The city-state's authorities gave their approval on Thursday to Virgin's $100 million offer for the airline.
The Skywest deal still needs approval from Australian regulators.
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text: Building on Basic Fiddlers Philharmonic: Old-Time Tunes, now we present an entire volume of very simple Celtic pieces! Basic Fiddlers Philharmonic: Celtic Fiddle Tunes is perfect for introducing fiddling to your youngest string players. Eleven tunes from the Celtic fiddling tradition are presented first in a simplified, very easy "basic" version of the tune, printed with note names in the note heads, followed by an "advanced" but still accessible version. Each version is on its own staff to avoid confusing young readers. Several options for simple backups and very basic improvisation tips are provided for each instrument. Lyrics are included where applicable. The accompaniment CD features recordings of the basic and the advanced tune as well as a backup track for playing along at home or in class. Available with the CD enclosed or separately.


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Giant John Paul II statue unveiled
A giant statue of the late Pope John Paul II was unveiled this weekend, in Czestochowa, Poland. The 45 ft. white fiberglass figure towers over the southern city, home to Poland's most important Catholic pilgrimage site, Jasna Gora. The pontiff appears smiling and stretching his arms to the world.


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Auto Show: 2013 Chicago Auto Show
2013 Nissan NV200: Chicago Auto Show
- Compact NV200 joins Nissan van lineup.
- 24 mpg combined fuel economy with 4-cylinder engine.
- On sale in April, starting under $20,000.
Nissan unveiled a new compact van for the U.S. at the 2013 Chicago Auto Show. Designed with business in mind, the 2013 Nissan NV200 commercial van delivers much of the functionality of its full-size NV sibling, but with a smaller footprint and lower operational costs.
The NV200 is similar in size to the Ford Transit Connect. And like that compact commercial vehicle which has become popular with business customers, the NV200 uses a 4-cylinder engine and front-wheel drive for considerably better fuel economy than a full-size van. With a 2.0-liter engine and continuously variable transmission (CVT), the NV200 is EPA-rated at 24 mpg in combined city and highway driving.
The NV200's fuel economy advantage over full-size vans could translate to real savings for small businesses. But commercial customers will surely be attracted by the NV200's low price, too. In base S trim, the NV200 will have a starting price of just $19,990 when it goes on sale in April.
Although new to the U.S., the NV200 is a global vehicle that's already in use in 40 countries. For the North American market, Nissan stretched the van nearly 8 inches for more cargo space. Total cargo capacity is 122.7 cubic feet, accessible through a sliding side door or side-hinged rear doors that can open a full 180 degrees. Payload capacity is about 1,500 lbs.
Nissan includes work-friendly features in the cabin, too, like a large bin for storing hanging files or a laptop, and a passenger seat that folds flat, doubling as a work surface. More storage is located under the passenger seat, which can be adjusted across more than 9 inches of forward-to-back travel to create more cargo space or better accommodate a passenger. A backup camera and Bluetooth are optional.
Also available is NissanConnect with Navigation, which could be a worthwhile investment for many business customers. It provides voice recognition and hands-free text messaging for safety, traffic and weather reports (with a subscription), plus Google search.
On paper, the 2013 Nissan NV200 sounds like an attractive alternative to a full-size cargo van, but will it provide the reliability commercial users need? The NV200 is about to become the designated vehicle for New York City taxis, which will certainly put its dusability to the test.
What it means to you: Compact commercial vans like the Nissan NV200 help businesses save money by lowering vehicle costs. If you're driving a full-size van but don't need quite as much space, consider a more affordable option like the newest van from Nissan.


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The baby and I recently flew to Chicago for Easter and were still recovering from the effects of long distance travel, he by waking up from one to four in the morning every day and me with a massive cold. And so I felt the urge to combat the cold with something hot, green, salty and sour. The soup I came up with is vaguely oriental but not authentically anything. It was just very very good. It made me feel good eating it and hopefully it will make me feel better (in the sense of no longer ill) soon. Garlic and ginger are reputed to have germ-combating qualities and hot soup is a traditional weapon against the common cold. In addition, the spiciness of the soup can be tasted by the dullest of palates.
Hot and Sour Spinach Soup (serves two generously)
2 large handfuls (about four cups, chopped) fresh spinach
6-8 mushrooms
4-6 cups home-made chicken or turkey broth
2 large knobs (about the size of a thumb) of ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
2 large cloves of garlic, smashed with the flat side of a knife
1 dried hot pepper
2 Tbs chopped fresh cilantro/coriander
1 lemon
Place the dried pepper, garlic and ginger in a small mesh bag or use a little cheesecloth and string to construct one. Lacking either of these, you could just put the ingredients directly in the broth, but it will mean fishing them out again later. Place the bag (if you have one) in the broth and simmer for half an hour to 45 minutes. Wash and slice the mushrooms finely and add them to the broth while it's simmering. Wash and roughly chop the spinach. When the broth has taken on as much garlic and ginger flavour as you like, remove the bag. Five minutes before serving, add the spinach and the juice of the lemon. You don't want to add the spinach any sooner as it will quickly lose its lovely fresh green look and most of its flavour. It should be just barely wilted when you serve the soup. Taste for salt; you will probably want a fair amount if you are sick and your tastebuds are dulled. For once don't worry about your blood pressure and indulge yourself with a generous helping.
Now, does anyone have a trick for teaching a three-month-old how to get back into the habit of sleeping through the night?
This looks great. Our trip to L.A. messed with my 2.5 year old, and therefore me too. It took her about a week and a half to get back to normal, once we returned to Paris. Me? It's been almost 5 weeks, and my cold is dwindling...just. I am sorry to report that my only advice is that it takes time, and nothing else I know of works. When I lived in L.A. take-out hot & sour soup was always my remedy of choice!
Alisa, I actually wrote this post on Friday but didn't get round to publishing until today. We had a sleep-deprived weekend but last night Kieran finally allowed us a decent night's rest. Fingers crossed that the trend continues!
This soup and the one I'm posting tomorrow helped with the cold enormously - lots of vitamin C, ginger and garlic to make us feel better!
P.S. Welcome back!


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The mayor's race is finally over with somewhat of a surprise. So where does that leave the Black community?
Pretty much everyone thought it was going to be a tight race between Bill Peduto and Jack Wagner with the winner receiving about 50 percent or below and the loser receiving about 45 percent or below. I expected Jake Wheatley to pull in at least 10 percent of the vote with heavy Black support and unsatisfied White support. But he apparently didn't receive either, and ended up with only 7 percent of the vote. A lot of this was because of his lateness entering the race, but so did Wagner, and the lack of money, which Wagner had. The surprise was a large margin of victory for Peduto.
The turnout was extremely low for a mayoral race which says the city as a whole wasn't real excited about the candidates, or saw no real difference. I must say I really didn't see a big difference between Wagner and Peduto when it came to the Black community. So the big question is what is going to happen to the Black communities throughout the city under Bill Peduto?


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COURSE: 86-222 Small Unit Leadership and Tactics (2)
This is the Basic Course capstone that focuses principally on officership and provides an extensive examination of the unique purpose, roles and obligations of commissioned officers. It includes a detailed look at the origin of our institutional values and their practical application in decision making and leadership. Students are introduced to fundamentals and principles of small unit tactics. Upon completion of this semester, cadets should possess a fundamental understanding of both leadership and officership, demonstrate the ability to apply this understanding in real world situations and be excited about the aspect of shouldering the responsibility of a commissioned officer in the United States Army. One weekend field trip, weekly leadership laboratories and physical training are included.


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posted at 6:00 pm on April 17, 2011 by Jazz Shaw
This past week saw old stories becoming new again as the state legislature of Arizona passed what has been commonly referred to as the "birther bill," and sent it to Gov. Jan Brewer's desk for signature. This immediately raised many of the same hackles on both sides of the aisle regarding President Obama, a fight I have no interest in rehashing here today. However, it does bring up some important questions, both in terms of common sense and constitutionality, which merit a fresh look.
Before getting to the legal issues, I would first insert a brief note of what seems to be common sense. To get the politics out of the debate, let us assume for a moment that questions had never arisen over the circumstances of the president's birth. (And to keep folks on both sides of the aisle happy, let us also say that John McCain had been born in Arizona and not Panama.) There are very few actual minimum qualifications to be president – in fact, there are really only two. Why would we find it so unreasonable that the states would expect proof that both of those qualifications were met by any candidate prior to having their name entered on the ballot? Perhaps a better question might be, why weren't all of the states doing that already?
But common sense and the law intersect only rarely, so we should give the constitutional soundness of the law a fair look. To get started, I strongly suggest you take a look at attorney Doug Mataconis' piece at Outside the Beltway on the subject where he has done the research and legwork already. Doug breaks the analysis down into three areas, two of which I take some exception with and one which passes the technical smell test while looking a bit sketchy in the court of common sense.
First he examines the 12th and 20th amendments, clarifying who controls the ability to define the qualifications for office. This part is clear enough and stands on its own, assuming Arizona was trying to change the requirements to hold the office of president. But this law doesn't seek to do that.
This dovetails nicely into Mataconis' second point, that of previous court decisions over the rights of states to determine ballot access requirements. He cites the case of U.S. Term Limits v Thornton, where Arkansas attempted to introduce congressional term limits by amending the state constitution. The Supreme Court shot that one down, and for good reason. The real effect of the amendment resulted in the state essentially adding a new requirement for holding office which did not exist in the United States constitution. (That being that the candidate must not have served more than "x" terms in the office previously.) But again, the Arizona law does not add a new requirement for presidential candidates, so I'm not sure it applies here. (See Doug's article for the applicable excerpts from the court decision and decide for yourself.)
The final piece of the puzzle which Doug examines is much harder to get around, were one inclined to try, and invokes the Full Faith and Credit clause (FF&C) of the constitution.
Section 1 of Article IV of the Constitution requires states to give full faith and credit to the public Acts, Records, and judicial Proceedings of every other State. This includes accepting as genuine records from a sister state that have been officially certified under seal from the appropriate record keeper. Under Arizona's law, the Hawaii Certification Of Live Birth, which is an official document from the State of Hawaii, and the only birth record that the state releases. By failing to accept this document, even for the limited purpose that this law is written for, Arizona would be failing to give full faith and credit to the records of not just Hawaii, but every other state that only issues COLB's as birth records.
On the surface there is very little to argue here. The states are, indeed, constitutionally required to accept the legal records and documents of their sister states. But the question raised here is not so much to do with pending Arizona legislation as with modern interpretation of the FF&C clause. This is one which shares a great deal in common with its bastard cousin, the interstate commerce clause. Both were of pressing concern and importance to the founders at the time the constitution was written. And both gradually became irrelevant and little thought of for generations until being resurrected and re-purposed by both Congress and the courts in very dodgy ways a century or more later.
While the commerce clause is perhaps the most abused of any today – abducted by Congress to give themselves the power to make laws covering everything from murder to environmental protection – the FF&C clause has the potential to "evolve" nearly as much. The founders had a very different vision of the United States than what we eventually wound up with. They pictured a looser confederation of powerful, nearly autonomous states, each making many of their own rules and regulations, occasionally scrapping with each other and possibly getting involved in trade wars or other disputes. It was a rather different vision of the union than the nearly seamless tapestry of states we see today with virtually unrestricted borders and a very powerful central federal government.
These clauses were put in place to avoid those worst case scenarios. In Federalist 42, Madison wrote about this extensively, describing the FF&C clause as being "indeterminate and of little importance" except in the prevention of individual states from totally warping the justice system to their own ends.
The power of prescribing by general laws, the manner in which the public acts, records and judicial proceedings of each State shall be proved, and the effect they shall have in other States, is an evident and valuable improvement on the clause relating to this subject in the articles of Confederation. The meaning of the latter is extremely indeterminate, and can be of little importance under any interpretation which it will bear. The power here established may be rendered a very convenient instrument of justice, and be particularly beneficial on the borders of contiguous States, where the effects liable to justice may be suddenly and secretly translated, in any stage of the process, within a foreign jurisdiction.
It's hard to believe that Madison would have imagined this clause of "little importance" eventually being used to settle a food fight between two states over which version of a birth certificate could be acceptable to get on the ballot. And generally, as I said, this is one of the ones which traditionally receives little attention. If you have a drivers license in Florida you can drive in Georgia, at least until you've stayed there long enough to put your state of residence in question. If your ID shows you are old enough to hold a full time job in your home state, it's good enough for employers over the border in the next one.
Of course, today FF&C will continue to get more attention for political reasons than legal ones. If you get married in New York, you don't have to get married again when you and your spouse move to California. But what if you happen to be two women who got married in Vermont and you move to Georgia? Oh, what a tangled web we weave…
In summary, I don't have a technical grudge against the FF&C argument saying that Arizona should be forced to accept the state regulated certification of birth from Hawaii or other locations in the country. But as to the central question, should they be allowed to define what documents are required to prove eligibility to appear on the ballot, assuming they don't add any new requirements for office not found in the constitution? There are already wide variations from state to state on requirements placed on office seekers in terms of forms to be filed, fees to be paid, signatures to be gathered, etc. Shouldn't the states be able to determine what ID they will accept as proof of minimum age and status as a "natural born citizen?"
The current arguments over Obama's circumstances of birth may have poisoned the well too much for us to have a reasoned, rationale debate on this for now.
San Diego Tea Party