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Posts by Steve Martins
79 posts • joined 13 Sep 2007
Take that, creationists: Boffins witness birth of new species in the lab
Re: dogs cannot become cats
Technically, yes, many generations down the line you could end up with a dog-like animal which has the heritage of a cat, its DNA would still be cat, and it would retain cat-like aspects and wouldn't be identical - it would reach a local maxima that makes it fit for purpose to the environment. I'm only going by the facts i know, of people who modify genes for a job, build gene sequences one nucleotide at a time, who use reproduction experiments to track the propagation of an altered genetic sequence through generations. Also having researched genetic algorithms for solving complex polynomial problems with multiple solutions - every time a genetic solving approach is far more powerful than a design process. Its as astounding to me that people don't believe in evolution as it is that there are some people who still believe the earth is flat. The research and information is all out there if you take the time to look at it and understand it.
dogs cannot become cats
Adhering precisely to the (now accepted as irrefutable fact) process of evolution, you cannot get from Dog to cat, because each represents a local maxima of the environment. Think wave peaks on the ocean, each represents a local idealised state - evolution will take the DNA towards a peak every time, but to go from Dog to Cat, you would have to move away from a local maxima, and survival of the fittest would eradicate those furthest from a peak (where the environment has scare resource). If there are no resource scarcities then the unfittest (e.g. fat americans) don't get eradicated. Its nice to know that there is now experimental evidence allowing evolution to go from being a scientific theory (experimentally shown to be accurate and peer reviewed for professional consensus) to fact (actually demonstrated in a lab)
iPhone case uses phone's OWN SIGNAL to charge it (forever, presumably)
Its quantum...
Surely for this to work it would have to use some fancy kind of quantum trickery, so I guess that so long as it inside the kickstarter enclosure it can simultaneously be thought of as both fully functional and complete hokum.
Nork-ribbing flick The Interview AXED: Sony caves under hack terror 'menace'
no such thing as bad publicity
I would have probably paid no interest in this movie and let it slide by pretty much unnoticed, but as a direct result of the actions of these hackers, I'm now intent on watching this movie the first opportunity I get...
I wonder if this was the hackers intention? to launch a film that would have been pretty run of the mill into the spotlight where eventually the viewing figures will go through the roof! If so its one of the most effective cunning ploys i've seen to boosting film viewing figures massively.
'Windows 9' LEAK: Microsoft's playing catchup with Linux
win8 needs the internet...
to find out how to use it.
Its the first UI i've not been able to figure out completely by playing with it. i mean, "Close a metro app by swiping down"... But i already tried that, look, I swipe down and it reacts! what? don't stop? but its already responded to my input!, nope, ignore that keep going, further, further, yes, all the way to the bottom of the screen... oh, there we go... sheesh.
Not sure if you're STILL running Windows XP? AmIRunningXP.com to the rescue!
Is it me or does this smack a little of cryptolocker?! Give us money or risk losing all your data...
just saying.
Prof Stephen Hawking: 'There are NO black holes' – they're GREY!
I'm amazed...
at how many people there are who fail to appreciate the importance of the work of these physicists. A brief trawl through some of the life saving medical devices that are available to us today is proof enough that gaining a deeper understanding of the universe can have a real impact on peoples lives - as a for-instance our understanding of radio isotopes has become an essential tool in diagnosis and treatment.
I can only surmise that there are those who are intelligent enough to understand the scientific method, and understand that it is possible to maintain a set of incomplete conflicting theories whilst benefitting from the objectives those theories present (they may not be perfect, but they can be used for predictive analysis for instance), and encapsulate those ideas in their thoughts without their heads exploding. Then there are those for whom that is too much mental effort, whose heads may possibly explode, and for whom it is easier to explain the unexplainable by 'its gods will' or some other catch all thinking which removes the need for further thought or analysis.
Build your own WORKING Sonic Screwdriver... for a UNDER A FIVER
How do they fit all that functionality in?
My money is on the hypothesis that the screwdriver is bigger on the inside...
If this doesn't terrify you... Google's computers OUTWIT their humans
because it can solve problems the company's own researchers can't
Sounds like this tech is desperately needed over at the research labs for climate change... maybe then we can finally get a straight answer!
First the Yanks, now us: In-flight mobe use WON'T kill us all, say Eurocrats
"No it has to be powered off properly"
followed by the passenger (again) just pressing the power button once to turn the screen off, this time not seen by the host/hostess. Maybe we will need something akin to the "speed awareness course", a "mobile device flight-mode/power off awareness course" because this task seems to beyond the technical capabilities of many passengers - and that's just those who speak one of the two languages in which the instruction is announced.
I think this battle was lost a long time ago, so its about time they relaxed the rules - same reason they should be raising the motorway speed to 80mph (unless you think they should be booking 90% of motorists for speeding...)
Galaxy is CRAMMED with EARTH-LIKE WORLDS – also ALIENS (probably)
But what will it taste like?
From the things I've read I like to think that rather than requiring a perfect recipe, life will simply exist wherever the environment isn't too harsh to prevent it, even it if is a simple primitive bacteria or spore. When you consider local maxima of genetic algorithm mathematics chances are that the genetic solutions for species might not be too dissimilar to that of earth (as an example both humans and octopus developed the same eye design through different evolutionary routes). But as others have said timing is everything, we may not be the first humanoid intelligent life in the universe (in fact statistically speaking it would be pretty amazing if we were!) but we may not coincide with the existence of any other species within reach (speculatively speaking).
Of course if we do find life, we all know one of the first questions to be answered will be "what does it taste like?!!" (those that found the colossal squid - apparently ammonia tasting and not very nice, but those who discovered tortoises found them quite tasty...)
Volvo: Need a new car battery? Replace the doors and roof
science fiction becomes science fact...
You know how much of the future tech portrayed on telly (like the tablet devices in star trek, gesture computing in minority report...) become reality... well maybe Hollywood was on to something with cars that explode spectacularly in a collision...
I look forward to the Crash test videos, popcorn at the ready :-)
Modular smartphones floated by Dutch designer chap
Re: Compromise....
Yes, this is the idea I keep ending up at. Once you put the "phone" radios into a separate module with a battery, you basically end up with an extended sim, which can hook to any screen interface / processing unit - run out of battery (screens are notoriously hungry), pick up another device and make that life saving call. Also I carry 2 phones constantly, but i need 2 sims / radios, not 2 screens / processors.
The modularity of the rest is a nice idea, but it will never be cost effective.
PHWOAR! Huh! What is it good for? Absolutely nothing, Prime Minister
google - taking parenting to the web
"What if I want my child to visit learningaboutsexualissues.com"
yes - you are right, the internet should replace you as a parent and take all responsibility for educating your child away from you and serve it up through a web search.
For those who want to be involved in their childrens upbringing there are plenty of other resources, and I'm sure these filters will still allow useful content through.
Anyone who opposes this move obviously thinks its fine for young children to see an inappropriate pop up - it only takes a non-tech-savvy horny adult to click a few links on an unpatched machine and a child will soon be crying at a picture they are too young to deal with emotionally.
Oi, Google, you ate all our Wi-Fi keys - don't let the spooks gobble them too
Lost control
I was slightly unnerved by the fact that I purchased a new device that then instantly connected to my WiFi... yes convenient perhaps, but I don't recall opting in to having a secret of mine sent across to the web to be stored somewhere I have no control over.
I am currently looking into evaluating all the data the google has slurped and attempting to turn off what I want to keep private (i say attempting because all of a sudden now photos I take are also alutomatically being uploaded!!! arrggghhh!!!)
Anonymous 'plonks' names, addresses of far-right EDL types on web
BRIAN: Are you the English Defence League?
REG: Fuck off!
BRIAN: What?
REG: English Defence League. We're the Defence League of England! English Defence League. Cawk.
FRANCIS: Wankers.
BRIAN: Can I... join your group?
REG: No. Piss off.
BRIAN: I didn't want to sell this stuff. It's only a job. I hate people with different race/religion/nationality as much as anybody.
JUDITH: Are you sure?
BRIAN: Oh, dead sure. I hate the people with different race/religion/nationality already.
REG: Listen. If you wanted to join the DLE., you'd have to really hate the people with different race/religion/nationality.
BRIAN: I do!
REG: Oh, yeah? How much?
BRIAN: A lot!
REG: Right. You're in. Listen. The only people we hate more than the people with different race/religion/nationality are the fucking English Defence League!.
P.F.J.: Yeah...
JUDITH: Splitters.
you get the idea.....
Hot new battery technologies need a cooling off period
charging times not the only practical issue
People will run out of charge, guaranteed. these days a friendly passing driver or a long walk to the nearest pump, fill up a can and recover car is inconvenient but works. Fast forward and it'll be an iAA(tm) truck with a white lead that needs plugging to your iCarriage for an hour before you're on your way again.
Batteries are an environmentally unfriendly technology when thought of at this kinda scale, but as long as we're not producing carbon at the wheel people can engage their smug mode for saving the planet. Electric vehicles will come, but I still feel a piece of the puzzle is missing and producing tonnes upon tonnes of lithium batteries with a 3-5 year shelf life doesn't seem like an environmentally positive scalable solution to me.
My money is on hydrogen fuel cells - yes there are problems here too but imho lead to a much better overall solution.
CURSE you, EINSTEIN! Humanity still chained in relativistic PRISON
The point is...
I had a point to make, but as soon as I evaluated it, it changed...
iPhone too heavy? Volkswagen brings out motorised ride-on dock
portable dock
A friend of mine bought an Ipod dock recently. Nice looking device, quite nippy around town and not bad on fuel economy. Unfortunately VW don't make a dock for my phone, so I'll be shopping elsewhere...
Antarctic ice sheet melt 'not that unusual', latest ice core shows
Re: Cold winters, Wet summers
So if i get this right, of the infrared absorption that takes place (green house effect) the percentage of the effect attributed to CO2 varies from 9% to 25% depending on independent factors, such as water vapour. Do we surmise that ideally the infrared absorption of the atmosphere should be zero to avoid armageddon? if not then we need to know what percentage of the overall IR absorption is undesirable - or should we start drawing lots of misleading graphs that don't start from zero?
'Close to one in three - sorry, one in eight - SMEs are software pirates'
Startups need to stay lean
When I was running a startup I had three choices, Spend a fortune on software and lock myself into ever increasing costs going forward, piracy or open source. I went open source :-)
Review: Sony Xperia Z
I miss my xenon
I had a satio cybershot, and then fell for the ol' exmor R is much more sensitive in low light hype and got myself an Xperia S. Yes, it is more sensitive and can take pictures in low light, but the overall quality is much less appealing that the satio cybershot, which I still pull out of retirement for gigs/concerts (or at least I did until i decided to just give up on camera phones and buy a real camera). so yes YOU DO NEED A XENON (or at least I do). I like Sony products, but please PLEASE PLEASE can I have a xenon flash black??!
I won't be bothering with the xperia Z as my xperia S still does me proud, but I may be adding a tablet Z to my shipping list.
Microsoft Surface Pro will land in UK in WEEKS*
terrible design
I simply don't get it. Why would I want a tablet that requires a flat surface in order to be used with a keyboard? Half the time I use a laptop due to its portability, held in one hand, or on my lap (or occasionally balanced precariously on something else). If I want to use a keyboard with a tablet why wouldn't I just use bluetooth? Why would I limit myself to the support structure included in the device itself instead of using one of a multitude of cases that can add this functionality (and keyboard if desired). If I wanted a tablet why would I choose one that is so fat and weighty when there are so many more svelte and lighter options on offer?
I'm not even going to touch on aesthetics as I am a designer, know what i am talking about and have an opinion (that probably differs from yours).
I'm not even going to touch on operation systems as win8 has been damned by many many people who can express their dislike much more eloquently than me.
Mind-melded rats could herald organic BRAIN-COMPUTERS
The obvious application...
... so when can I order my miniature Counterstrike maze complete with mice with frikkin' lasers attached to their heads and the obligatory halflife-mindmeld interface. Let rodent warfare commence!!
Take that, freetards: First music sales uptick in over a decade
What people want...
IMHO Spotify finally fulfills a consumer need, but its not the whole picture. I don't necessarily want to own every single track I want to listen to (I am a musician and often listen to stuff for inspiration or to learn but not something I would choose to own) , and I also discover many more artists through the service.
I read an interesting piece on the fact that music lovers want a relationship with the artists they are into, not with the record label they are signed to. This is where the value lies and some people who understand this are using social media to give fans just this. I now see much more fan art,opinions and reactions of other fans than ever before. This leads to higher revenues for the musicians and I for one have attended more gigs as a result of this. I still rarely buy CDs because it has to be something I want to own and add to my collection, and these days the low standard of new music rarely peeks my interest (new artists only get money if they bend over and do what the record companies tell them to do...).
Of course the masses will continue to buy whatever they've heard played incessantly on the radio like the mindless sheep they are - and this is what the music industry really wants (and has gotten very good at manipulating), creativity and uniqueness doesn't line their pockets. If you want evidence, go to Europe and see the diverse and interesting music they have compared to the over produced rehashed tripe that constantly comes out over here.
Survey: Bosses are DESPERATE and GAGGING for Linux skills
How to become "Experienced"?
I've set up quite a lot of Linux systems over the years... Unfortunately because they don't tend to break i haven't had as many real world hours on them as windows. In fact if they go wrong I'm screwed because my memory no longer extends back that far!! dammit!!!
Ready for ANOTHER patent war? Apple 'invents' wireless charging
3 strikes rule for patents...
To stop all this patent trolling there should be a system where if you try and patent 3 obvious ideas in a row you are banned from patenting anything for a year. Retrospectively that should keep apple out of the game for the best part of a century!
Cambridge boffins fear 'Pandora's Unboxing' and RISE of the MACHINES
Re: Seriously
To compete for resources doesn't require any intelligence. If you apply genetic algorithm theory to this, then the machine code that runs is whichever survives. This has a natural ordering effect without applying intelligence, and the 'survivors' in the genetic algorithm reproduction are the ones that compete best for the resources available - this starts off as just software, but allow mechanisms to interact with the physical world and the whole game changes. In fact that gives me an idea for a few experiments...
4chan founder Moot threatens site for using his handle
Re: @AC 22:10 In American English, "moot" means "irrelevant"
American English is dumbed down english, as demonstrated so well here. Indeed "moot" does mean irrelevant when pertaining to a specific point within an argument that in itself is open to debate and thus rendered inadmissible to the argument.
'We invented Windows 8 Tiles in the 1990s', says firm suing Microsoft
oh crap...
Yet another patent I've violated by developing a UI component I thought was bleedin' obvious... so you mean it's not bleedin' obvious? OMG - i've just realised this is surely unequivocal proof that I'm a genuis!
APPLE: SCREW YOU, BRITS, everyone else says Samsung copied us
accurate description not required for patent protection...
a thin rectangular slab with four slightly rounded corners, a screen that went to the rim of the device, and an "overall design of extreme simplicity"
is this the apple device in question... and when did they get into silk screen printing? (slightly rounded corners, to me a 2mm rad is slightly rounded... - scroll to the photo)
The Big Debate: OK gloomsters, how can the music biz be FIXED?
music industry is not music culture
The industry got big on a bubble, congrats to those who rode that wave and made lots of money. I listen to the radio these days and get frustrated at the terribly low quality and low variety of music. This situation has been created by the INDUSTRY. I neither want to pay for or receive their services, but the channel to getting new and interesting music has become very narrow - almost squeezed out of existence by the corporate bigwigs who want to peddle what ever drives their profit margins.
I'm not against copyright, I'm massively against "copyright" being used to strong arm music lovers into parting with cash for a second rate product.
If you like music, support all the small gigs and events happening in your area, where the artists get paid directly, rather than the 2% that is left after the sharks have a go. Music culture will never die, but if the music industry died I would dance on its grave.
'Stop-gap' way to get Linux on Windows 8 machines to be issued
wild speculation...
But no worse than the rest of you!
My assumption is that Win8 *requires* UEFI secure boot so if you want to dual boot linux / win8 (on x86) you can't disable the windows key. Can anyone tell me how wrong i might be?
Russian Christians boosted by Pussy Riot law spank 'sinful' Apple logo
Why are you offended?
It seems some people go out of their way to find things that offend them, or don't adhere to their view of the world. If you feel offended by something, as yourself this: is your faith or belief so weak that it is so easily threatened by such things? if so I suggest either you grow a pair and accept we all need a thick skin in life, such that we can coexist, or give up the religion you clearly have so little faith in that you need a government to defend your position.
All i've ever asked of people who hold strong beliefs is acceptance and tolerance of those whose views of the world differ from yours, If your faith is strong this will be easy for you, if it is weak you will feel the need to attack those who don't agree with you.
Crazed Microsoft robot accuses BBC kids' channel of Win8 piracy
Using it for what thought?
Perhaps you would enlighten us as to what you actually use it for?? I personally upgraded from windows 7 to a pencil and pad for note taking, my productivity went through the roof, and my data loss fell to almost zero!
search accuracy
Microsoft are able to get such a highly accurate hit rate due to their use of product names that are completely unique product identifiers that don't match commonly used words of the English language such as Office, Word, Excel, Access, Metro, Outlook ... oh wait...
it seems the Outlook for Access to my websites which seem to Excel in the use of the odd Word which could get the into trouble is not good!
I'm of to my Office to rewrite all my websites to avoid a M$ DCMA takedown!!!
Error found in climate modelling: Too many droughts predicted
I understand the difficulty in designing a hypothetical model that seems to most resemble the observations of the climate. Humans are naturally very very good at spotting patterns in random behaviour however (we see faces in clouds all the time...). What I don't understand is how easily it seems that these scientists apply positive feedback, which we all know can only exists for a short period of time (unstable period) before a system falls into a stable (negative feedback) state. Thermodynamics, entropy, control theory, common sense... there are many approaches to this understanding. I don't deny the negative impact that humans are having on the planet, but for me each positive feedback mechanism I hear about discredits an otherwise sound scientific approach. If you must identify a positive feedback mechanism, at least consider the tipping point at which positive feedback can no longer be sustained (unless you have a design for a perpetual motion machine that can solve the worlds energy needs!)
Facebook sued by Chinese firm over Timeline
Patent Law Dicktionary
Its difficult being a sane person in this world, so to help others like me I think its time a dictionary was compiled, only one entry so far but its a start:
Non-Obvious: an idea that your pet hamster on a balance of probabilities would be unable to conceive of unaided*
(* unaided implies said hamster is kept in a cage away from any visual, audio or textual information which could otherwise lead to influence of thought)
Microsoft: It was never 'Metro,' it was always 'Modern UI'
to stand out in a crowd...
Glad to see mikkysoft is continuing its tradition of choosing product names that will stand out against the backdrop sea of of search terms on the internet... the joy of searching for specific information using terms like .net, word, com, SQL server, office to mention a few. I can see how "modern UI" will easily appear at the top of the search list and be relevant, being such a unique product name. At the very least they could have chosen a random lowercase letter of the alphabet to prepend to all their products! ( 'i' as in "idiot" has already been used however)
Study: Climate was hotter in Roman, medieval times than now
Re: positive feedback
I can completely understand and see the validity of amplification within certain constrained limits and individual systems as you describe. I would expect this amplification to continue to a point, however that is a long way from a scenario of uncontrolled runaway positive feedback as eventually each localised amplified system will start to bear influence, or be influenced by another part of the overall system. This is where it becomes extremely difficult to predict. Historic large swings is consistent with different parts of a complex system becoming dominant, and then receding.
I think the AGW debate is very important and necessary, I have no idea who is right as I don't have enough information, however humans are notoriously bad at being objective and quickly become dogmatic in their points of view regardless of new information. Its good that we enjoy stirring it up to try and get to the truth.
positive feedback
I have to wonder how many climatologists who talk of positive feedback have studied control theory and s-domain mathematics? Just because you can see a logical arguement against a few simplistic parameters doesn't make it a sound hypothesis. Feedback control systems have a habit of becoming very complex very quickly with only a few influencing factors. I'm not saying I disagree, I would just like to see the formally peer reviewed mathematics that supports these claims, and exactly how many assumptions are made for each contributing parameter. When we can successfully predict the motion of a double pendulum (http://www.chaoticpendulums.com/chaos-theory-a9.html) which only has two moving parts I will start to believe that the scientists *know* what the effect of CO2 in the atmosphere will be.
In any case I support the reduction of consumption of finite and polluting resources regardless of the AGW arguement.
Why I love Microsoft's vapourware tablet
Promo video magtastic
Is it just me, or while watching the 'surface' promo video did anyone else get the impression that they're really excited about the fact that they've used magnets?
Ballmer says 500 MILLION 'users' to 'have' Windows 8 in 2013
Not Once...
Not once did i think "I want to use Win7"
Not once did I look at purchasing Win7
Not once did I say "XP doesn't work for me I need to upgrade"
Not once did I think Win 7 was necessary, or even desirabe
Not once did I ask to have Win 7 on any machine of mine
... so how the hell did I end up using it???
I assume i will have the same level of choice with Win 8
Third of Blighty stuck on snail-speed broadband
*(up to) snail speed more like
According to those statistics, i think i fall in the 3.2MB/s category, because that is what i get, when it works right. Of course thats only about 5% of the time, other times struggle to get a tenth of that! I wonder what the true snal speeds would be like if we actually got rid of the "Up To" prefix for real?
Angry Birds boss: Piracy helps us 'get more business'
Most digital content companies...
Would rather have 1000 customers paying £100 each than 1,000,000 customers paying £1 each. Some execs are realising that freely distributable digital content leads to much greater exposure and familiarity, naturally leading to greater market penetration and secondary revenue streams. Familiarity also gets some higher value products into the hands of up and coming professionals who will soon decide which solution they prefer (e.g. photoshop). Alternatively you can continually try and piss off your potential consumers until they go elsewhere...
"Piracy" should in many instances be looked on as an alternative marketing strategy - the cost saving in marketing alone is probably not to be sniffed at (compared to traditional methods of getting people to know about/familiar with your product)
Apple gets patent for 'unlock gesture'
Pressing a key combination...
so that will be moving your finger in a predefined pattern across a (discrete) touch sensitive array
Massive study concludes: 'Global warming is real'
Debate rages on
I for one am glad that this topic is being so fiercely debated. Its clearly important that we make the right decisions in light of potentially damaging pollution for the sake of future generations. Its just a shame that so many involved seem to think their efforts are best served by bereating those whose opinions differ from their own. This report is a step towards answering the questions that simply cannot be conclusively answered at this time, and many many more steps are still required.
The situation that I cannot deny is that it is foolish to continue to deplete finite global resources at the rate we are doing regardless of whether it is causing AGW. I was skeptical about the global warming measurements, and in light of new information happily adjust my understanding as all good scientists do. However there are many many things that are irrefutable facts that we have caused serious damage to the planets ecosystems, such as a floating mass of plastic the size of france in the atlantic. perhaps we should be putting more effort into the things we DO know about. Should we eventually find sufficient evidence that AGW is real and significant, it simply adds to the many things we need to sort out before its all too late.
Sorry, time travelers, you're still just fiction
My limited understanding...
leads me to believe time slows near the speed of light, and stops at the speed of light (thus IMHO light is a wave of fixed energy quanta frozen in time and so acts like a particle, but i digress...) so theoretically we can travel vast distances and not age, our relatives however would be long since dead by the "time/space" we reach our destination, having effectively travelled forward in time... now travelling backwards in time, well...
CERN 'gags' physicists in cosmic ray climate experiment
Those who shout loudest
Who on earth actually downvoted this?! Its been well established that in a large group concensus typically follows those who are the most dominant, influential or loudest. In fact so strong is the social desire of conformity that in many cases individuals will act against what they know to be true in order to conform. A so called skeptic can, and often is, someone who both knows better and has the confidence and independence to speak out against the majority knowing full well they will be shouted down.
Some people should learn more about human nature then perhaps take the time to re evaluate the ideas they align themselves with. Believe me, coming to your OWN conclusions takes a hell of a lot more work than people believe.
ARM daddy simulates human brain with million-chip super
Brains aren't synonymous with storage
It sound like they are trying to replicate the synchronous firing of neurons as a result of data, rather than the synchronous firing of neurons resulting in data. I've found the best way to think of it is an event driven cascade resulting in further events.
As a cascade moves through the brain, the neurons along the paths it follows fire. If there are sufficient firing in synchronicity the electric potential in that localised area raisies, and at a certain level causes a reaction with an enzyme which makes that path stronger, so in the future an impulse is more likely to take that path. Each pathway represents information that may or may not be correlated. Over time the correlations form patterns so they fire in synchronicity, leading to associative memory (which is why the best learing techniques use association).
Maybe I'm wrong, but i believe mimicking the brains activity will need a drastic step change in the design of processors before they can truly replicate such behaviour!


text:
"You know, this is — excuse me — a damn fine cup of coffee!"
Despite David Lynch's critically acclaimed cult-classic TWIN PEAKS only running on television for two seasons (1990-1991), the show managed to make an enormous impact upon both its devoted audience and the greater pop-culture landscape when the series' slavish fan following got the big-screen adaptation they were hoping for in 1992, when TWIN PEAKS: FIRE WALK WITH ME was released.
Though the film is often considered a prequel to the events contained within the TV show's premise surrounding the mysterious death of high school student Laura Palmer and the special FBI agent tasked with the the investigation, TWIN PEAKS: FIRE WALK WITH ME effectively answers many of the deep questions fans had following the show's cancellation.
As TWIN PEAKS devotees wait with bated breath and gear up for the brand new series – which premieres on Sunday, May 21 – we felt the time was right to revisit our favourite weirdo Washington town – home to mares eating oats, cherry pie, log ladies and more – on our gib neercs. Get ready for David Lynch's ever-present quirky aesthetic, a fantastic score from Angelo Badalamenti, and a star-studded cast including Kyle MacLachlan, Sheryl Lee, Ray Wise, Peggy Lipton, Heather Graham, Mädchen Amick, Chris Isaak, Kiefer Sutherland, Miguel Ferrer, Moira Kelly, Kiefer Sutherland, Harry Dean Stanton, and David Bowie.
Doors 11:30 pm | Movie 11:55 pm
Tickets $8 in costume or in advance HERE | $10 at the door
*Minors permitted in the balcony. (Please note this film is rated 18A.) Must be 19+ w/ID for entry and bar service.
**Groupons and passes OK. Please redeem at the door.
TWIN PEAKS: FIRE WALK WITH ME (David Lynch, 1992 / 135 minutes / 18A) | A young FBI agent disappears while investigating a murder miles from Twin Peaks that may be related to the future murder of Laura Palmer; the last week of the life of Laura Palmer is chronicled.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
In this boxing drama, Jimmy Brody, a retired middle-weight champion turned publisher, must return to the ring when his company encounters financial difficulties. He is set up by some bad-news bookies who try to convince Brody to take a dive. The ex-champ refuses and triumphs even though his hand was broken during the bout. Furious, the gamblers attempt to kill him. Fortunately the cops arrive in the nick of time. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
All Duke of Chicago cast + crew photos
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text:
This pear pie by guest author Garrett scored major points with my parents. Great pie! ~Elise
Every once in a while I see a recipe in a magazine at the doctor's office or in the reception room of my work and tear it out with all good intention of making it at home. For the most part though I either lose the recipe, or it gets forgotten, or accidentally throw away.
However, while perusing an issue of Family Fun magazine I came across a recipe for a pear and maple pie. Inspired, I called Elise right away and made plans with her to make this pie. With an appointment set, I knew this recipe wouldn't get away.
My oh my, this is good pie. Sweet from the fresh pears and the maple syrup, it's balanced by the snap from the candied ginger which helps give the pie a clear voice.
The crumbly oatmeal topping is reminiscent of granola and provides a nice textural tête-à-tête with the fruit and crust. A wonderfully Autumn appropriate pear pie that's a welcome change from apple!
Pear Ginger Maple Pie RecipePrint
- 1 recipe dough for pate brisee pie crust (or use frozen crust)
- 6 cups of peeled and roughly chopped pears (use Bosc or Bartlett)
- 1 ½ tablespoons of cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 1/4 cup of packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup of pure maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon of lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons of chopped candied ginger (or 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger)
Oatmeal Crumb Topping Ingredients
- 2/3 cup of flour
- 1/2 cups of old-fashioned oats
- 1/2 cup of packed brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon of salt
- 1/3 cup of cold, unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 Roll out pie dough and place in a 9 1/2-inch deep-dish pie dish and place in the freezer to set.
2 Preheat the oven to 400 F. Place the chopped pears in a large bowl with the cornstarch, candied ginger, brown sugar, maple syrup, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Toss well.
3 Place the pear mixture into the chilled, crust lined pie dish and smooth the top of the fruit. Place the pie into the center oven rack and bake for 45 minutes. (Put a baking sheet on the rack under the pie to catch any drippings.) After 30 minutes, line the edges of the pie with foil or a pie protector to prevent them from burning.
4 While baking take all the Oatmeal Crumb Topping ingredients and place them in a bowl. Use your hands and mix the ingredients until large crumbs form. Refrigerate until use.
5 After 45 minutes reduce heat to 375F. Remove the pie and carefully place the crumb topping over the pie, covering all the fruit. Bake for another 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for at least one hour. Serve.
Hello! All photos and content are copyright protected. Please do not use our photos without prior written permission. If you wish to republish this recipe, please rewrite the recipe in your own unique words and link back to Pear Ginger Maple Pie on Simply Recipes. Thank you!Print
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See tiny trinkets – key chains, coffee packets and candies – fly through the air as fans scramble much like they do at Mardi Gras. Why it's so popular


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[wptabtitle]Description [/wptabtitle]
Modern Appointments with Classic American Styling
The Coupe Series
Tiara Yachts Coupes are built on the strengths of modern design, technical innovations and performance without abandoning the classic quality traditions of their heritage.
The classic Tiara Yachts style reveals itself, complimented by integrated hardtops, complete with built-in sunroofs, stylish windshields with tinted, unobstructed glass port/starboard and aft for a very open and airy feel throughout.
As you step aboard aft in the wide-open cockpit, port and starboard entries allow unimpeded access to the aft galley through the heavy-duty patio rear sliding doors. When open, entertaining indoors is simultaneously joined with the joys of whatever waters and scenery you find yourself moored.
Traditional hardwood flooring and trim are paired with modern materials, hardware and finishes to give the yacht her contemporary feel. Open and airy staterooms, heads and living spaces are basked with natural light through the use of neatly concealed skylights and port lighting as well as the abundant glass window panes.
But maybe best of all, your yachting will be brought to new levels of enjoyment through the feel of Volvo Penta IPS drives engineered with a glass cockpit and effortless joystick operation. The Tiara Coupe Series in 44-foot and 50-foot models will be the choice for classic day yachting and extended cruising for years to come.
[wptabtitle]SIGNATURE HIGHLIGHTS[/wptabtitle]
- Abundant Natural Light throughout
- Modern, Luxurious interiors
- Volvo Penta IPS Drives with Joystick Operation
- Garmin, Volvo Penta Glass Cockpit Integration
- Garage Storage Compartment for Toy and Nautical Stores
- Traditional Tiara Yachts styling and heritage
[wptabtitle] NEW COUPE SERIES[/wptabtitle]
Contact us regarding Tiara Yachts


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Shop Announcement:
You can order bespoke canvases to match your décor by emailing a photograph, simple written information about your colour request. The same applies to the decorative stones/ paperweights. Also, the cards can be made to order for any occasion. Just email your request.
Forest Snow Scene Card
This card features two white glitter Christmas Trees with falling snowflakes on a deer and stag background mounted on pale blue Christmas lights card. The card has merry Christmas stamped on the inside and handmade with love on the back. It comes with a white envelope and in a cellophane bag for protection. card 6x6"
Shipping & delivery
This item will be posted to you by The Little Shop of Creativity within 3 days of receiving payment.
|Shipping destination
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Italy, Greece, Cyprus, Germany, France, Spain, Finland, Belgium, Portugal, Poland, Ireland, Sweden, Denmark, Netherlands, Austria, Latvia, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Isle of Man
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Returns Policy
You have 14 days, from receipt, to notify the seller if you wish to cancel your order or exchange an item.
Unless faulty, the following types of items are non-refundable: items that are personalised, bespoke or made-to-order to your specific requirements; items which deteriorate quickly (e.g. food), personal items sold with a hygiene seal (cosmetics, underwear) in instances where the seal is broken.


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Residents and tourists of the Reno-Tahoe region reserved great news as Andy Wirth, CEO of the epic Squaw Valley Ski resort, revealed that the company would be adding a Base-to-Base gondola that would attach to Alpine Meadows — as reported by Powder Magazine. These two amazing resorts have long been connected with one another in the minds of skiers everywhere and now they'll have a physical connection as well.
The announcement for the gondola came about recently with public reaction being immediate and positive. The gondola is no small venture, however, and it will be done in three parts in order to complete the entire arc between the two resorts.
The beginning of the gondola will start at Squaw Valley's base before going up over a ridge and then landing at the base of Alpine Meadows. For a long time this sort of gondola connection has been nothing more than a dream of local skiers and tourists alike who hated the idea of driving between the two resorts in order to get their slope shredding in. For a long time the biggest problem with completing this gondola came from landowner Troy Caldwell. Read more: Squaw Valley's Andy Wirth appointed chair of Reno airport board
Mr. Caldwell owns the area of land between Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows that is known as the White Wolf area. White Wolf is a stretch of land that compiles 460 acres, which includes the top of Squaw Valley's chairlift — KT-22.
According to SteamBoatToday, Andy Wirth has been publicly trying to get this connection done through the White Wolf since 2011 and all parties involved can proudly, and honestly, say that there is a sigh of relief going about town with it finally over.
With the gondola entering construction phase we will see Squaw Valley turn into one of the most desired ski resorts in the entire country which will bring a boon of tourism dollars to the region. Wirth has been more and more active in the Tahoe region over the past couple of years, going so far as to join the Reno Airport Authority Board. His work in the area is starting to pay major dividends as the region booms.
However, for Andy Wirth life is no longer all just about business. It was only a few years ago that Wirth nearly lost his life in a near-fatal skydiving accident. Wirth's plane missed its drop zone and he was flown off course, being forced to put down in a rough area.
Wirth clipped a telephone pole and immediately sustained a deadly injury to his arm. Wirth managed to stay calm and collected until help arrived and he was able to go through the litany of surgeries before getting back on his feet in order to get back to work and help Squaw Valley grow


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Nitrate Toxicity in Beef Cattle
Written by Megan Van Emon, Extension Beef Cattle Specialist, Montana State University
Elevated nitrate concentrations can be found in forages that have been grown under stress, such as severe drought conditions. Nitrate toxicity is caused by animal consuming feeds and water that have elevated levels of nitrate or nitrite. Care should be taken when feeding cattle cereal grains/hay, corn stalks, orchardgrass, and other feeds known to contain high nitrate levels.
Nitrate is not toxic to animals unless consumed in excessive levels. When nitrate is consumed in excessive levels, nitrite poisoning can occur. Normally, forage nitrate is broken down in the rumen to nitrite by microbes, and then to ammonia. The ammonia is used by rumen microbes for protein. However, when nitrate is consumed in elevated levels, nitrite accumulates within the rumen faster than it can be converted to ammonia. The nitrite then enters the small intestine and is absorbed into the bloodstream. The high levels of nitrite in the bloodstream convert hemoglobin to methemoglobin, which cannot carry oxygen, ultimately limiting the body's oxygen supply.
Acute nitrite poisoning is caused by animals consuming a large amount of high nitrate forage over a short period of time. Chronic nitrite poisoning occurs when animals consume small amounts of high nitrate forage over a long period of time. Chronic nitrate poisoning is only treated by eliminating the consumption of the high nitrate feed or by diluting the high nitrate feed with low nitrate feeds. Acute nitrite poisoning can occur rapidly after consuming high nitrate feeds, in these severe cases, an immediate intravenous injection of methylene blue by a veterinarian may save the affected animal. However, due to the rapid onset of acute poisoning, treatment may not be the best option.
Testing forages to ensure safe levels of nitrates (Table 1) is the most effective way to minimize the potential of nitrite poisoning in livestock.
|Table 1. Effect of nitrate concentration on livestock (100% DM basis).
|NO3 – N (ppm)
|NO3 (ppm)
|Generally safe
|Generally safe for nonpregnant livestock. Potential for early-term abortions or decreased breeding performance. Limit feed to 50% of ration for pregnant animals.
|Limit feed to 25-50% of ration for nonpregnant animals. DO NOT FEED TO PREGNANT ANIMALS.
|Hibbard et al., 1998
|0.1% NO3-N = 0.44% NO3 (0.1 x 4.4)
|0.44% NO3 = 0.1% NO3-N (0.44 x 0.23)
|0.1% = 1000 ppm
Diluting high nitrate feeds with low nitrate feeds can reduce the potential for nitrite poisoning by using the following equation (Glunk et al., 2015; MT200205AG):
WL = weight of low nitrate hay required
WH = weight of high nitrate hay
%H = nitrate concentration of high nitrate hay
%B = nitrate concentration needed in final blend
%L = nitrate concentration of low nitrate hay
For nitrate testing, contact your local extension agent. You can also find additional information in the MontGuide, "Nitrate Toxicity of Montana Forages."


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(Press Note)
The Commission invited suggestions from all stakeholders by putting on its website a notice dated 22nd July, 2016, as to how the system could be improved. The attention of the Bar Council of India was drawn to the said notice by writing a letter on 3rd August, 2016. The Registrar General of all High Courts were addressed a similar email on 4th August, 2016. Simultaneously, an email was sent to all the State Bar Councils, Supreme Court Bar Association and Supreme Court Advocates on Record Association. The Chairman also addressed a letter to the Chief Justices of all the High Courts, requesting them to use their good offices to give wide publicity to the endeavour of the Commission amongst the various associations of Advocates', with a request to send their response directly to the Commission by email at the earliest. A good number of responses were received. The Advisory Committee constituted by the BCI made comprehensive recommendations on various issues relating to the Advocates Act including strong measures to tackle the boycotts or abstention from work by the Advocates/ their Associations, matters related to the disciplinary committee, enhancement of penalty for persons illegally practicing in courts/other authorities, pre-enrolment training and apprentice for a period of one year and regulation of Law Firms and Foreign Lawyers.
In view of the above, the Law Commission of India has submitted its Report No.266 titled The Advocates Act, 1961 (Regulation of Legal Profession), to the Central Government for its consideration, on 23.03.2017.
In chapter XVII of the Report the Law Commission has emphasized the need of reviewing Regulatory Mechanism and Regulatory bodies etc., and recommended comprehensive amendments in the Advocates Act. The Commission also annexed the Advocate (Amendment) Bill, 2017 to its Report.


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Paterson Demands New York Times 'Clear the Air'
NEW YORK -- New York Governor David Paterson on Thursday called on The New York Times to clear the air about widely circulated media reports the paper is working on a story so explosive it could force him from office.
"Human decency, if not journalistic ethics, I think would compel an organization, when they see a person being slandered ... to clear the air" and state that the charges being bandied about are not contained in the article, Paterson said on CNN's "Larry King Live" program.
"I wish they would" make a clarifying statement "so I could be out of my misery," Paterson told King, adding, "It's like a Kafkaesque scenario."
CNN quoted a Times spokeswoman as saying the newspaper neither started the rumors nor trafficked in them. CNN said the paper's metropolitan editor said the Times was "not responsible for what other news organizations are reporting," adding, "It's not coming from the Times."
The Times did not respond to Reuters' request for comment.
But Paterson said "clearly somebody is" out to get him with the explosive allegations, although he did not speculate as to who might be behind such an effort. He reiterated his determination to run for governor, and again denied allegations of infidelity and recreational drug use.
Paterson, facing a probable challenge for the Democratic Party nomination from state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, took over as governor in 2008 after then-Governor Eliot Spitzer resigned in a prostitution scandal.
Media blogs including the Huffington Post and New York tabloid newspapers have reported the Times will soon publish a story that would force Paterson's resignation.
But Paterson told the newspaper's editorial board he had no intention of quitting and would formally announce his candidacy in the next two weeks.
Paterson's approval rating has been low for months and last week hit 26 percent in one statewide poll.


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What inspired today's post? Well, after abandoning Johnny Law for a week I told him I'd take him out on a date to do whatever he wanted as a reward for all of his hard work. The exchange went something like this.
Me: "My treat- where do you want to go…I'll take you out to do anything you want."
Johnny Law: "Well, I was thinking…maybe we could go see Toy Story?"
Me: "That's really all you wanna do, I'll take you to do anything and you pick an animated movie…but ok, Toy Story it is."
Johnny Law: "Can we see it in 3D?"
Me: "Sure, we can splurge for 3D. Maybe I'll even sneak some snacks in for you and your 5-year-old friends."
So we did, and it was awesome. In fact, just like all the other animated movies coming out these days we almost shed some tears. In true Pixar style there was a great short animated movie before Toy Story called Day and Night. Here's a sneak peek:
As I was uploading some photos from the past month I noticed that I've been riding the fun bus while Johnny Law's daily highlight has been his thermos of black coffee each morning. Pretty sad- pretty much like night and day.
In my defense, I'm really trying to get out of the house/out of the city limits as much as possible as to not distract Johnny Law any more than necessary. Four years of my working and him being a student has proven that even if I'm minding my own business, as soon as he catches my scent back in our house I'm a distraction.
And now, a photo montage..
And this is why I usually don't post photos of ourselves..we look like idiots.
The end.


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Food Menu
The Deck Sydney's menu is designed as a range of dishes for individuals or as a shared selection.
Executive chef Michael Roper has been with The Deck since it opened in 2007. Previously working as head chef at the decadent M on the Bund in Shanghai, his vast knowledge and experience ensures The Deck is at the forefront of Australian dining.
A 7.5% service charge applies to all bookings of 8+ people in the restaurant.


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Strait's Antiques
This really great, hard to find, Orange Poppy Oval Bowl was made by Hall China. This Bowl was a NON-PRODUCTION item. It measures 10 1/4 inches long X 8 inches wide X 2 inches high and is in excellent condition with no chips or cracks. The platinum is really good. The backstamp is Hall's Superior Quality Dinnerware The Great American Tea Company Est. 1856 - 80. Be sure to search our other Hall China available. We guarantee all items to be as described. Feel free to email with any questions...


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Desktop Support/Desktop Asset Management Benchmarking
The Benchmarking Network and the Desktop Support Management Benchmarking Association announced they will be kicking off the annual End User Computing Benchmarking Study. Now is the time to become a sponsors and become involved in setting the focus and direction of the study. This is a "best practices" study that will include site visits to top performing companies. The study includes research into issues related to desktop, laptop, handheld and home computing support services including:
- Measures and Key Process Objectives
- Organizational Issues
- Service Delivery and Service Levels Provided
- Strategies for Managing the Process
- Problem Management
- Technologies Used to Promote Effectiveness
- Identifying and Disseminating Information
- Other Desktop Support Management Issues.
To receive detailed information on the content and focus of the study contact the DSMBA Director via phone at 281-440-5044, or contact us directly via our Information Request Form. Its quick and easy, and we'll get in contact with you fast.


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I am writing a Unity3D plugin that reads data from an MP3 file, feeds the PCM data to Unity so that it can play it inside the engine. On iOS, I use the AVAssetReaderAudioMixOutput class to decode and read the data, and on Android/Windows, I use FMOD.
I have set up a program on both Windows and iOS which uses FMOD to play back the music, just like Unity3D does.
I am having trouble getting the same results on both iOS and windows, and I cant seem to find the difference in audio output settings/format that would cause the difference.
So first, these are the settings that I set for my output audio stream, which are the same settings as Unity3D uses:
FMOD_CREATESOUNDEXINFO exinfo2;
memset(&exinfo2, 0, sizeof(FMOD_CREATESOUNDEXINFO));
exinfo2.cbsize = sizeof(FMOD_CREATESOUNDEXINFO);
exinfo2.decodebuffersize = 44100;
exinfo2.length = 44100 * 1 * sizeof(float) * 100;
exinfo2.numchannels = 1;
exinfo2.defaultfrequency = 44100;
exinfo2.format = FMOD_SOUND_FORMAT_PCMFLOAT;
exinfo2.pcmreadcallback = pcmreadcallback;
result = system_->createStream("./1.mp3", FMOD_LOOP_NORMAL | FMOD_SOFTWARE | FMOD_OPENUSER | FMOD_CREATESTREAM, &exinfo2, &sound2_);
result = system_->playSound(FMOD_CHANNEL_FREE,sound2_,false,0);
Basically, 1 channel, 32-bit floating point PCM data. This is set on both the iOS and windows playback programs.
Now, on iOS, I set the AVAssetReaderAudioMixOutput audio settings like this:
NSDictionary *audioSetting = [NSDictionary dictionaryWithObjectsAndKeys:
[NSNumber numberWithFloat:44100.0],AVSampleRateKey,
[NSNumber numberWithInt:1],AVNumberOfChannelsKey, //how many channels has original?
[NSNumber numberWithInt:32],AVLinearPCMBitDepthKey, //was 16
[NSNumber numberWithInt:kAudioFormatLinearPCM], AVFormatIDKey,
[NSNumber numberWithBool:YES], AVLinearPCMIsFloatKey, //was NO
[NSNumber numberWithBool:0], AVLinearPCMIsBigEndianKey,
[NSNumber numberWithBool:NO], AVLinearPCMIsNonInterleaved,
[NSData data], AVChannelLayoutKey, nil];
I set the PCMIsFloatKey to 1 so that the PCM data is a floating point, I set the bit-depth to 32, 1 channel, so that everything matches the FMOD output settings.
I read the data and write it into a circular buffer:
float* convertedBuffer = (float * ) audioBufferList.mBuffers[0].mData;
//We don't need the audioconverter on iOS
//Fill up the circular buffer
for(int i = 0; i < numSamples; i++)
circularAudioBuffer_[bufferWritePosition_] = convertedBuffer[i];
if(bufferWritePosition_ >= circularBufferSize_)
bufferWritePosition_ = 0;
Then read the data from the buffer and write it into the audio stream in the pcmreadcallback:
float *writeBuffer = (float *)data;
for(int i = 0; i < dataLength; i++)
sampleBuffer[i] = circularAudioBuffer_[bufferReadPosition_];
if(bufferReadPosition_ >= circularBufferSize_)
bufferReadPosition_ = 0;
With this, the audio plays perfectly, and the range of values inside the circular buffer is 0.0-1.0f
Now, on windows, I initialize the sound from which I read the data like this:
exinfo.cbsize = sizeof(FMOD_CREATESOUNDEXINFO);
exinfo.decodebuffersize = 44100;
exinfo.numchannels = 1;
exinfo.defaultfrequency = 44100;
exinfo.format = FMOD_SOUND_FORMAT_PCMFLOAT;
Setting the same parameters: 1channel, 32bit floating point. I read the data and write the data in the buffer:
FMOD_RESULT result = sound_->readData(rawBuffer, N4, &bytesRead);
float* floatBuffer = (float*) rawBuffer;
for(int j = 0; j < N; j++)
circularAudioBuffer_[bufferWritePosition_++] = floatBuffer[j];
if(bufferWritePosition_ >= circularBufferSize_)
bufferWritePosition_ = 0;
Now, when I read the data, I get very high or very low floating-point values (about 1e34 or -1e33). In the test program, I can't hear anything in the output.
I can switch the input and output sound format to PCM32 and it plays fine in the test program, but can`t be read properly in Unity3D (it screeches a lot, but I can make out the song).
Can anyone help me figure this out and make it works properly using the PCMFLOAT format? thanks!
TL;DR: I can't read data from FMOD sound with PCMFLOAT format!
- dave_mm0 asked 5 years ago
FMOD_CREATESOUNDEXINFO::format doesn't control the output format of the codec, but tells the codec what the input format in cases where it can't work it out from other sources.
You need to use Sound::getFormat() to query what the codec will return when Sound::readData() is called. Our MP3 codec will always return PCM16.
I see, so the PCM data coming in is a 16bit short.
I try converting it to a float to be able to play it back:
for(int j = 0; j < N4; j+=4)
short l = pcmBuffer[j]; //left channel
short r = pcmBuffer[j+2]; //right channel
circularAudioBuffer_[bufferWritePosition_++] = ((float)r + (float)l)/32768.0f;
if(bufferWritePosition_ >= circularBufferSize_)
bufferWritePosition_ = 0;
But I still only hear static. How would I go about converting the data for playback as a float buffer?
- dave_mm0 answered 5 years ago
Try this code:
[code:2w61chrd]static const int convertBlockSize = 1024;
short pcm16in[convertBlockSize];
float pcmfloatout[convertBlockSize];
unsigned bytesread;
FMOD_RESULT result = sound->read((void*)pcm16in, convertBlockSize * sizeof(short), &bytesread);
unsigned samplesread = bytesread / sizeof(short);
for (int sample = 0; sample < samplesread; sample++)
pcmfloatout[sample] = (float)pcm16in[sample] / 32768.0f;
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Ramapo Catskill Library System
Serving Public Libraries in Orange, Rockland, Sullivan, and S. Ulster Counties, New York
On Wednesday, January 10, 2018, the Assembly Standing Committee on Libraries and Education Technology held a three-hour public hearing in Albany. The purpose of the hearing was for the Committee to review the impact and effectiveness of funding of libraries in New York State including funding for library construction and the allocation of State Aid to libraries.
© 2015 RCLS. 619 RTE 17M, Middletown, NY USA, 10940 | 845.243.3747 (phone) 845.243.3739 (fax) | Email: email@example.com | Privacy Policy | Site Map


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aimeeb needed a new t-shirt design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 19 designs submitted by 13 freelance designers.
humor tees in the style of snorg, urban outfitters, nordstrom or busted tees. we'd prefer all hand created illustrations - no clip art if at all possible.
we are looking for FUNNY and CLEVER t shirts with a saying and graphic that relates back to the winter holidays (mainly christmas but are open to others or if they are snowmen/winter that may work too)
avoid anything overly sexual (flirty = ok but anything beyond that is a no no), no politics, no religion (obviously they are religious holidays but don't make fun of jesus, etc), no licensed images/quotes, no violence. basically be funny not offensive!!


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Country: Mexico
Five hours from Oaxaca, in the town of San Pedro Jocotipac, Don Juan García and his family of artisan basket weavers sit together for hours a day weaving. With a dexterity passed down through generations, ancestry come to life in the tireless work of fingers, they fashion the palms into vibrant, multi-colored baskets.
Don Juan and his family produce about 800 baskets per month. He then transports the baskets to Oaxaca where they are picked up by Marina Lopez, who coordinates with GlobeIn.
For the people of the Mixteca region, as this part of Mexico is known, basket-weaving is a way of life that also sustains life. Thanks to the money earned through collaboration with GlobeIn, Don Juan has increased his production and is saving to become a small business owner.


text: I've seen these photos of the accident,then I have been thinking that this is very devastating to the people who are in that accident. I think that they need to use such as the law firm to investigate this car accident. It should be nice to know who are the responsible to this happening.[url=http://www.computerseo.com]seo services


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Your donation will be used to help cover cost of supplies and equipment used for the Weekend of Service projects. If you would like to donate to the 2017 Weekend of Service, you can do so below, or on one of our campuses by writing "Weekend of Service" on your donation envelope.
For more info, contact Steve Diersing at [email protected] or call (760) 724-6700.
Note: If you would prefer to donate to a non-religious organization, consider North Coast Foundation. The foundation is a non-profit 501(c)3 corporation established to allow public companies to partner with us in improving our community. The Foundation is separate from North Coast Church, and our purpose is to improve and sustain our North San Diego County community, including supporting Weekend of Service!


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Ravenmarch Adventures
Jade Grotto
Half a day's walk north east of Bear Hollow is the small settlement of Jade Grotto. Here among the large stone outcroppings and massive roots of the ghostwood trees a dozen or more small cabins and thatch huts have been built around ancient crumbling monoliths and other fallen monuments erected by a long forgotten elven people. The grottos name is derived from the bright green ferns and moss that cover the stone and trees of the area. A narrow but surprisingly deep brook winds its way through the center of the settlement providing ice cold spring water and abundant fish for the people of the village. Here the dense canopy of treetops is a bit thinner than the rest of the forest allowing small vegetable gardens and herbs to be grown in the rich peaty soil of the grotto floor.
None alive remember the original inhabitants of Jade Grotto for many even the elders among the elves of Ghostwoods the settlement has just always been. It is often said that it existed long before the Ravenmarch was a kingdom. Here in the lush forest human and half elf druids have lived as one with the land for ages untold. Along with devout druids Jade Grotto has produced some of the most skilled rangers in all of Faerun. Legends abound of the rangers of the Protective Eye of the Hawk and their nearly supernatural abilities. It is said that they can talk with the very trees and insects of the forest, track any creature and hunt any game. Some even whisper that they possess long forgotten magic that allows them to transform into trees or small woodland creatures to avoid detection. Others speak of pacts between the settlers and ancient Treants or dryads that live within the depths of the Ghostwoods. Few outside the settlement know or could ever hope to truly understand the mysteries of those who were born and raised under the protective bows of the mighty Ghostwoods. What is known for certain is that the inhabitants of Jade Grotto have more than lived up to the legends regarding them.


text:
About the Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology
The Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology (GI) specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the esophagus, stomach, intestines, liver, biliary tree and pancreas in children. We perform an extensive range of related procedures, consult on nutrition, gastrointestinal and liver problems, and provide care for children before and after liver transplants.
Established in 1977, the Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology at UNC in Chapel Hill was the first of its kind in North Carolina. It continues to be a leading authority in pediatric GI on a state and national level. We provide care to children all across North Carolina as well as neighboring states. We also provide consultations to children from many other states as well as across the globe.
Our UNC Children's team boasts expert providers in the following gastrointestinal diseases in children.
- Liver disorders and diseases
- EoE (Eosinophilic esophagitis)
- Inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease)
- Feeding and swallowing disorders
- Abdominal pain
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
- Vomiting
- Gastroesophageal reflux
- Failure to thrive
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- H. pylori infection
- Short bowel syndrome
- Celiac disease
We manage complex nutritional problems and care for children on home TPN (total parenteral nutrition, where nutrients are delivered intravenously) and tube feedings. We also are a vital part of the UNC Pediatric Liver Transplantation team and participate in the pre- and post-liver transplantation care and long-term follow-up.
- Physicians
- Nurses
- Nurse Practitioners.
- Psychologists and psychiatrists
- Speech pathologists
- Dietitians
- Social workers
- Occupational, physical and play therapists.


text:
R.E.M. planned split since 2008
R.E.M. planned split since 2008
R.E.M. had been planning their split since 2008.
The 'Losing My Religion' rockers - Peter Buck, Mike Mills and Michael Stipe - first thought about the end of the group while touring their album 'Accelerator' in 2008, almost three years before they officially broke up in September this year.
Speaking on 'The Jo Whiley Music Show' on UK TV channel Sky Arts, singer Michael said: "It was on the 2008 tour that each of us arrived at the same idea. We started to talk about it [splitting up] then.
"We thought we had come through a very low period. We were looking ahead and saying, 'where do we go from here?'
"Each of us needed closure on what we have dedicated our entire adult lives to. We all wanted to make sure we did it the right way. We did it our way.
"There is immense pride is being able to own your lowest point. That is what we chose to do."
The band were together for 31 years, and released 15 studio albums - including this year's 'Collapse Into Now' - and Michael admits it feels strange to suddenly be without a group.
He added: "We started the band when I was 19 and suddenly my band has disbanded and I'm no longer under contract with a record company for the first time since I was 22.
"It was liberating. I felt excitement. Obviously, the biggest word that entered me, and has popped up, back and forth between the band members, is 'bittersweet'.
"We were very careful about the way we made the announcement and we tried to keep it a secret. We managed not for it to leak out. We wanted our fans to find out directly from us and not from a weird tweet or some other dumb way."


text:
Almost every night after dinner, my husband makes popcorn. It's pretty healthy. He cooks it in olive oil and ever so lightly sprinkles it with salt. But sometimes I have to add some butter to it, and some spice, why not? So I combined the delicious flavors of spicy buffalo sauce along with tangy ranch dressing to make this extremely addictive spicy popcorn.
Buffalo Ranch Popcorn
8 cups popped popcorn
1 teaspoon dried ranch dressing seasoning
2 tablespoons buffalo wing sauce
2 tablespoons melted butter
Place popped popcorn in a large bowl. Sprinkle with ranch dressing dry seasoning and toss to coat.
Combine melted butter and wing sauce and stir well. Pour over popcorn and toss to coat.
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text:
touching on the fears
Over the past few weeks, I have had some of the most intense dreams I have ever had. It almost seems as though my deepest, deepest fears are being played out in my mind, one at a time, in what seems to be a three-part series. In one sense, I am profoundly fascinated by how the human mind/sub-conscious works. In another sense, I am profoundly shaken and scared about who I really am, in light of my fears.
Dream One: This dream theme has recurred several times over the past few weeks (months?). The plot has been different, but the idea remains the same: I am in a position where I am about to be violently attacked, sometimes with a knife, sometimes with a gun, sometimes with a bat/rod. Sometimes the attacker is just one person, sometimes it is a group of people. In my dreams -- and it is difficult for me to be honest about this -- I always fight back, trying to outsmart the attacker(s) and trying to get away alive.
The scary thing, for me, is that this dream feels too real -- but it's not so much the attackers who cause me to wake up in a cold sweat, but the fact that, at my core, I am violent and am interested purely in my own survival. When I wake up from these dreams, I can feel that realness, and I can't escape the fact that, if I were faced with a situation where I was about to be attacked, I would react in the exact same way that I do in my dreams.
You, the reader, may be thinking: That's natural; there is nothing wrong with a survival instinct and, in fact, it is oftentimes foolish for one to put one's self in harm's way. To which I would reply: No doubt. Yet, that is not who I want to be. I do not want my most basic reactions to come from a concern for self-preservation. Instead, I want to dig my heart-roots into the fertile soil of Truth, into a deeper humanity, so that, when the time comes for me to face the bullet or the knife or the bar, transformation might occur, even if not in the immediate moment. I want to be able to stare the attacker back into God's mothering arms -- back into that powerful, yet safe, grasp.
That is what I want.
But right now, I am scared (and aware) that that is not who I am.
Dream Two: This dream came right after the series of dreams mentioned above. In Dream Two, I see myself in relationship with others -- particularly those closest to me, those whom I care a lot about and love beyond words. In this dream (which occured two nights ago), I am with one of those people, and, as we communicate back and forth, I quickly get frustrated -- even angry -- because I allow myself to be defined by my past instincts, thoughts, feelings, and reactions. In other words, who I was in the past was setting up, in my mind, expectations of who I will be in the future, and I was trapping myself in my own expectations, unable to break free and be the person who I really wanted to be.
This, too, I have realized, is one of my deepest fears: That my ego and my pride will overpower me from breaking into a better me -- that I will not have the courage to acknowledge my faults and my vulnerabilities so that I might take one more step closer to becoming more whole and more human. At my most basic level, I am terrified of exploring the unknown and putting faith in the mystery, even when I can feel that the known and the un-mysterious are no longer serving their purpose and are, in fact, crushing my potential as a child of God.
Dream Three: I had this dream last night and, like the other two, it shook me into a cold sweat and trembled me in ways I did not want to be trembled. The dream was this: I went walking by the garden at Mound and Carpenter -- the garden where I spend most of my time when I'm working with City Farm... the garden that continually occupies my thoughts and my visions. As I walked by the garden, I looked and saw that everything -- every aspect of the plot -- had been erased. All the plants that the kids and I had spent so much time nurturing into the ground, all the seeds that we had planted, all the string and the rocks and the artsy/creative stuff that we did with the lot -- everything had been erased. And all that was left was a level field of dirt.
All I could do was yell once I saw what had happened. I yelled and yelled and yelled. I was so angry, and, thinking I knew who did it, I went to their house and cursed them out. My anger bubbled inside, and my words came out red hot. "How dare they! How dare they erase all that hard work and all that effort!"
As I was yelling in my dream, my cell phone started ringing (in reality). Confused, I woke up, went to the phone, and saw my friend Christopher calling... at 4:59AM! As By the time I was cognizant enough to realize what was happening, my phone stopped ringing, and I went back to bed. And when I got back to bed, all I remember thinking was, "It was only a dream... the garden is fine... it was only a dream," as if I needed to convince myself that I could stop yelling and could let go of my anger -- that none of it really happened.
This third dream represented my third deepest fear: That, without my work, I am nothing.
Who was I once the garden work was erased? I was someone who could do nothing but yell and scream and get angry, because the garden represented (represents?) everything I ever cared about and loved and fought for and sacrificed for. Without that garden, without that proof that I am doing something, my fear was/is that I am nothing.
Three fears, in three dreams, three nights in a row. Only God knows what tonight will bring.
Thank you for seeing me into my next stage of growth.


text:
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Skip to comments.Chouteau Clerk Mistaken For Casey Anthony Attacked With Minivan
Posted on 07/15/2011 8:51:54 AM PDT by rawhide
An Oklahoma woman believes outrage over the Florida murder case almost cost her her life. The 26-year-old says a crazed woman tried to kill her because the woman thought she was Casey Anthony.
It happened in Chouteau last Friday night, July 8, 2011, just days after the Casey Anthony verdict.
Blackwell works at a convenience store in Chouteau and said Shireen Nalley came in that night around 10 p.m. and looked strange, very suspicious, then left after buying gas.
"I just couldn't keep my eyes off of her," she said.
Sammay got off work at 10:30 that night and walked out to her car, which was parked on the other side of the building, and got inside.
"Began to back out and looked and I could tell she was staring directly at me; I could almost see the whites of her eyes," she recalled.
"I proceeded to pull out of the parking lot, and she was right behind me," Sammay said.
Blackwell drove a few miles and says Nalley suddenly rammed her van into the back of Blackwell's truck.
"I said, 'Oh my God, help me,'" Blackwell told News On 6.
She then pulled into a parking lot to get away.
"She hit me again, causing my vehicle to flip two and a half times, landing on the driver's side, and I just laid there playing dead," she said...(snip)
Police chased Nalley for a while and finally arrested her for assault and battery with a deadly weapon. Nalley told police she was "trying to save the children."(snip)
Blackwell also says she's struggling with Nalley's car insurance right now and claims the company won't cover the damage if Nalley hit her on purpose.
(Excerpt) Read more at newson6.com ...
Picture of Sammay Blackwell on the left; Casey Anthony on the right.
The criminal
Not a very intelligent person. Casey was still in jail at that time, was she not?
" ... the company won't cover the damage if Nalley hit her on purpose"
Oh puulleeeze.
certainly a passing resemblance
I would suggest a new hairstyle and color
Are they going to secretly release her at a different time?
I would even believe they have done it already
I can see a claims agent saying that. Some companies will say and do anything to avoid a payout.
Huh?! Is the perp blind? I don't think stupid quite covers this one.
Picture of the criminal on the left; Cynthia McKinney on the right.
"The criminal. Aaaah now this nonsense makes sense.
Let it serve as an example to any "kiddie" crusader to get a grip and take a walk if your pea brain start to convince you that every person that looks like Casey Anthony needs to be assaulted.
She isn't going to be in jail, but YOU will.
It's the attacker's inurance company, and the contract (probably) excludes paying for any damages incurred through willful behavior or in the commission of a crime. I find that entirely reasonable.
Yes, In Florida!
Yes, In Florida!
Wow...dunno what to even say about this besides get a grip, peoples!
Seems like pitch forks and torches will be making their appearances soon.
Casey is gonna have a good time being Jane Public, I would imagine.
What still burns me up about this case is that that jury didn't hold this mother accountable for the death of her daughter in any way shape or form.
Oh, your daughter that's been missing all this time while you lied your ass off to everyone looking for her then she shows shows up dead in a swamp?
That's fine, you get nothing, just make sure someone cleans that up, ok, mom, better luck next time.
Not even child abuse.
Yes she was, In Florida!
Wait, which one be wearing da pants?
You just can't fix that level of stupid...
Hey, it's all good. You want to make an omelet ya gotta break a couple of eggs, right?
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text:
When the so-called ''religious'' factor surfaced in the 1960 presidential race with the nomination of John F. Kennedy for the presidency, John Coleman Bennett attacked it head on. The Presbyterian minister (at that time one of the nation's leading liberal Protestant spokesmen) - together with his illustrious theological colleague Reinhold Niebuhr - soundly scolded fellow churchmen for suggesting that a Roman Catholic president would not be able to resist pressures from the Vatican.
The Rev. Dr. Bennett says he believes that such admonitions are no longer necessary today. ''Religious prejudices are breaking down, particularly between Roman Catholics and Protestants,'' this theologian says. He notes that in the last two decades, the ''Catholicism'' of presidential aspirants, such as Edmund Muskie and Edward (Ted) Kennedy, has attracted little notice. Now, in fact, Democratic vice-presidential nominee Geraldine A. Ferraro openly speaks of her Roman Catholic faith.
The Rev. Dr. Bennett attributes what he considers significant progress today toward religious tolerance by the major faiths to broader dialogue among Catholics, Protestants, and Jews; diminished fear of so-called ''Catholic power'' by the US public at large; and the decline of bigotry in the mainstream churches.
''Racist doctrines are no longer commonly accepted - as they were as late as the 1950s'' Dr. Bennett says. ''[Then] many liberal white churches didn't accept blacks as members.''
However, He does not, deny that religion still plays a key role in national and international controversy. He cites, the official anti-abortion stand of Catholics as a source of consternation to ''pro choice'' forces. Also the differences of opinion on the question of Israel's relations with the United States and with its neighbors. ''But this has nothing to be with anti-Semitism, '' he insists.
Dr. Bennett has preached religious tolerance and cooperation, together with racial understanding, for over half a century. And he is still doing it today through his lectures and writings. His hallmark has been a relevant and active religious faith, compassion and care for all mankind, and a global view of government.
In the 1950s and '60s he was imbued with the spirit of the civil rights movement. And as longtime professor and later president of the prestigious Union Theological Seminary - and a leading liberal spokesman in New York - he denounced racial and religious bigotry. He also used the platform of the intellectual Protestant publication Christianity and Crisis - whose editorial board he chaired for many years - to preach this social doctrine.
Today - from a more pastoral setting at Pilgrim Place, a community for senior but active theologians and former missionaries - Dr. Bennett focuses on the nuclear issue.
He says the central conflicts between church and state in the near future in the US will likely pertain to foreign policy, especially in relation to the use of nuclear weapons.
The theologian points to two factors he says will increase the resistance to particular wars: (1) statements from US Roman Catholic authorities supporting the the principle of conscientious objection to military service; (2) the prospect that nuclear wars would produce large number of Christian nuclear pacifists, among both Protestants and Catholics.
Dr. Bennett's theological philosophy is intertwined with a global view of society. He plays down the Soviet military threat (''The Russians no longer believe they can win a nuclear war'' and ''They are as much afraid of us as we are of them'') in much the same way he dismisses what some still see as the dangers of Catholic power.
''The struggle for mutual security must include cooperative efforts [by the US and Soviet Union] to deliver the world from nuclear [destruction],'' Dr. Bennett says.
John Bennett's views of church and state seem to cut across ideological lines. Many liberals - whose views he generally embraces - might criticize him for seemingly assaulting the wall of separation by advocating public aid to parochial schools. Conservatives reject his stand that nuclear proliferation and political repression in Central America are properly ''religious'' concerns.
The theologian insists, however, that he supports the basic concept of ''separation.'' He says religious institutions need to be free from control by the state. At the same time, the state must be protected from ecclesiastical control that would tend to abridge individual religious freedom. At the same time, Dr. Bennett avers that separation of church and state ''is favorable to the health and vitality of churches.''
On the other hand, the Protestant churchman stresses that religious freedom is not primarily freedom from religion. In his chapter on church and state in a recent book (''Reformed Faith and Politics,'' University Press of America, 1983) , Dr. Bennett advocates the expression of ''civil religion'' in the context of government. He writes:
''There should not be an artificial inhibition of all religious expression by the president and others who represent the state. The provision of chaplains of Congress and many other legislative bodies shows how deeply rooted a recognition of civil religion is in our institutions.
''Lincoln's Second Inaugural was one of the greatest American religious utterances, and our tradition would be much poorer without it.''
The theologian does caution, however, that such public expression of religion should be ''under the criticism of churches and synagogues to keep it from becoming a form of national idolatry.''
In line with this, Dr. Bennett staunchly defends the right - even the responsibility - of Christians, including clergy, to speak out on political and social issues affecting society's well-being.
''The church by its very nature is a universal community,'' the theologian holds in his book. ''Its faith is in God who has no favorites among the nations. This means that the Church begins with a concern for the people of all nations. Yet its members are citizens of one nation and have special responsibilities for its well-being and for the well-being of their nearer neighbors.... When members of the Church become aware of the claims both of their loyalty as citizens and their loyalty as members of the universal community they know that they face problems, even conflicts, within themselves.''
''This is as it should be,'' Dr. Bennett insists.


text:
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Originally posted by Max_TO
reply to post by Aquarius1
Twice you say ? Very cool ! I can only imagine what it must have been like to see such a thing live and in person
Originally posted by operation mindcrime
reply to post by Max_TO
If you thought one was beautiful, how about a couple?
Are these actually roll clouds? Don't know.
[edit on 8/1/2010 by operation mindcrime]


text:
Regional Center for Public Safety Excellence, authored by Rep. Muñoz, Rep. Canales, among key priorities for South Texas College leadership
Featured, from left: Wanda F. Garza, Vice President of Student Affairs and Enrollment Services, South Texas College; Rose Benavídez, Member, Board of Trustees, District 1, South Texas College; Dr. Shirley A. Reed, President, South Texas College; and Rep. Sergio Muñoz, Jr., D-Mission, at the House District 36 lawmaker's Capitol office on Tuesday, February 3.
Photograph By PETER SALINAS
With the goal of increasing educational opportunities while improving public safety and border security, Rep. Sergio Muñoz, Jr., D-Mission, is carrying several measures designed to help fight crime, including landmark legislation that could eventually lead to the establishment of a full-fledged South Texas College campus in Pharr. House Bill 1887, filed by Muñoz on Tuesday, February 25, would allow South Texas College to create the Regional Center for Public Safety, which would be built on a yet-undisclosed 50- to 60-acre site to be donated by the City of Pharr. With Muñoz serving as the primary author – which means the legislation is the idea of the Mission Democrat – Rep. Terry Canales, D-Edinburg, on Monday, March 9, signed on as a joint author in support of HB 1887. "Having such an educational facility for our current and future law enforcement officials will be a tremendous benefit for the delivery of justice and the protection of all of us in deep South Texas," said Canales, whose House District 40 includes 19 percent of the City of Pharr. "I appreciate Rep. Muñoz allowing me to sign on as joint author of HB 1887, and I look forward to working with him and the leadership of Pharr and South Texas College on this most important legislative effort." Muñoz' House District 36 includes 76 percent of the City of Pharr. Included in HB 1887 is language that would authorize South Texas College to also allow "aspiring law enforcement officers to earn a bachelor's degree that will provide more career opportunities for our community," Muñoz said. "STC is positioned to offer a bachelor's degree in Homeland Security, Public Safety and Law Enforcement, or whatever degree specifically responds to the needs of our metropolitan region." STC officials would be responsible for developing the appropriate bachelor's degree program, which would have to receive final approval from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, the lawmaker added. Currently, 1,751 law enforcement officers are employed in Hidalgo and Starr counties, with the intent to hire 134 additional certified officers during the current fiscal year. The Texas Workforce Commission predicts that there will be a 22 percent increase during the next 10 years for more certified police officers in these two counties, but access to training opportunities is limited. "HB 1887 would serve the greater need of the Valley's law enforcement personnel, as facilities become available, by increasing the number of instructional programs offered in deep South Texas with new certificate and associate of applied science degree in programs such as police administration, forensics, emergency management, leadership, aircraft rescue, homeland security, special weapons and tactics," said Muñoz. HB 1887 states that STC would administer the regional center in partnership with political subdivisions and participating school districts in the Valley, and would require the headquarters of the regional center to be located "at South Texas College in Pharr." His bill would allow the regional center to use property and facilities at other locations in Hidalgo and Starr counties. Muñoz is working with Sen. Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa, D-McAllen, and Sen. Eddie Lucio, Jr., D-Brownsville, to secure support in the Senate.
•••••• (more…)