text:
HANG TIME HEADQUARTERS — As vibrant as Toronto is as a sports market, as passionate as its fans are for whichever team is working that night, the feeling among some NBA players remains largely unchanged from what it was 18 years ago when the Raptors joined the league via expansion.
It's that place up there, with the funky money, the customs checkpoints and defence that's almost as tricky to spell as it is to play.
But the Air Canada Centre is Madison Square Garden or Staples Center as far as Alan Anderson is concerned. He learned the hard way the difference between basketball outposts and basketball outposts.
"Well, you go to China and to Italy and Russia and all those places, and you'll see Toronto as the NBA," Anderson said in a phone interview this week, after taking his physical and wrapping up paperwork on his two-year contract with the Brooklyn Nets.
He didn't mention Croatia or Israel, or Tulsa, Albuquerque or Canton for that matter. But he didn't need to. This NBA dream of his, a dream that nearly died overseas or grinding through the D-League for four seasons and nearly five years that could have been his basketball prime, is alive and well.
What's dead is any shred of entitlement or arrogance or even self-pity that Anderson might have had about deserving better than what he got from 2007, when the Charlotte Bobcats were done with him, to March 2011 when the Raptors finally called.
The 6-foot-6 wing player from Minneapolis didn't need much more humility, mind you, after going undrafted out of Michigan State in 2005, landing with Charlotte for a year and a fraction, then getting his passport stamped like Jason Bourne for the next several seasons. But the harder he pressed, the farther away he seemed to get. How often did he doubt he'd get another shot?
"Always," Anderson said. "Once I left, I was like, 'Oh my goodness, how long is it going to take me to get back? When am I getting back?' And after a year goes by, two years go by…
"Actually, it was worse for me when I was thinking like that. That didn't help me out at all. Once I started thinking about where I was at and winning a championship where I was at [in Croatia in 2009, in Spain in 2011], it started getting easier and I started seeing the NBA at the end of the tunnel."
Anderson is forever indebted to former Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo and current head coach Dwane Casey for the call that finally came. In February 2011, he had come back from a completed season in China with hopes of a 10-day deal in Washington that never panned out. His agent Mark Bartelstein suggested that, beyond his individual workouts, Anderson head back to the D-League to keep his game sharp.
Shrewd move: He joined the Canton Charge, played eight games, averaged 21.5 points and shot 55 percent from the floor while helping them in a late playoff run and caught Toronto's eye.
"He said to me, 'Mark, just get me one more opportunity in the league. If you do, I'll take advantage of it,' " Bartelstein said. "And that's exactly what he did."
Anderson stuck through two 10-day deals and the few days left in 2011-12 after that. He was back last season, averaging 10.7 points and 23 minutes off the bench, helping the Raptors to a 31-34 mark when he played [3-14 when he didn't]. He scored 20 points or more eight times, including a 35-point performance against the Knicks on March 22, which might have been all the resume he needed to grab Brooklyn's attention.
Now, Anderson is headed onto one of the league's grandest stages, with the newly configured Nets battling the Knicks for New York and Atlantic Division supremacy. He'll be a relatively anonymous role player on a roster now crammed with marquee names and proven veterans, eager to back up Paul Pierce and Joe Johnson as needed, flesh out a vastly improved Brooklyn bench and team with Kevin Garnett. Anderson first met Garnett back in Minnesota in 1997, when he was headed to De LaSalle High and Garnett was all of 21, working a summer camp.
"For someone growing up in the inner city, where I came from, we loved watching KG play and everything he brought," said Anderson, who plays with a little on-court edge himself. "When I finally go to meet him, he was talking to me like we already knew each other as friends. That was big for me."
So many years later, Anderson has a chance to help make Garnett's twilight time special. He's no kid himself –- Anderson will turn 31 in the preseason –- but his NBA miles are low and his adrenaline is spiking.
"I don't think I do anything great, but I think I do everything pretty good," said Anderson, whose minimum contract includes a player option for 2014-15. "I can spot-shoot, I can rebound, I defend, I can create, I can pass. Me being versatile, it can come down to me –- if we're in a shooting slump or we need to get to the basket or need to get to the free-throw line, I think I'm capable of doing all of that."
Anderson calls this gig a "blessing." Bartelstein considers it a "wonderful story."
"Alan's a guy who just wanted desperately to get back to the NBA," the agent said. "To be on a stage like he's going to be on in Brooklyn, I'm so happy for the guy. A lot of people counted Alan out and thought his NBA career was over. So, to come back from playing internationally and rebuilding his career to levels that a lot of people didn't think he could do, it speaks volumes about his perseverance and how hard he's worked."


text:
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
THURSDAY, July 15 (HealthDay News) -- The gene in men that's responsible for sperm production is 600 million years old and appears to be the only gene exclusively required for sperm production in creatures ranging from insects to mammals.
Latest Men's Health News
The so-called Boule gene's function has remained unchanged throughout evolution, said the researchers at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. They compared sperm from a fruit fly, sea urchin, rooster, fish and human. When they removed the Boule gene from a male mouse, the animal remained healthy but did not produce sperm.
The research, published July 15 in the journal PLoS Genetics, could have a number of implications for human health, such as possibly improving understanding of male infertility or offering a potential new target for a male contraceptive drug.
"This is the first clear evidence that suggests our ability to produce sperm is very ancient, probably originating at the dawn of animal evolution 600 million years ago. This finding suggests that all animal sperm production likely comes from a common prototype," Eugene Xu, an assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology, said in a university news release.
He added that the Boule gene is likely the oldest human sperm-specific gene ever discovered.
The finding that humans share this gene with a wide range of creatures is "really surprising because sperm production gets pounded by natural selection," Xu said. "It tends to change due to strong selective pressures for sperm-specific genes to evolve. There is extra pressure to be a super male to improve reproductive success. This is the one sex-specific element that didn't change across species. This must be so important that it can't change."
-- Robert Preidt
Copyright © 2010 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
SOURCE: Northwestern University, July 15, 2010, news release.


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You are here: Home ‹ Board index ‹ Movie Discussion ‹ Upcoming Movies
Damn Yankees update: Todd Graff to direct
Discuss other upcoming Jim Carrey movies (not confirmed/rumours).
Saw a piece of 'Band Slam' today ... I sure hope Jim is getting out of this project! No kidding, I would even consider Kenny Ortega above the current director.
MTV wrote about the music they are going to use
http://www.MTV.com/movies/news/articles ... tory.jhtml
This is SO exciting! I hope Jim does this! And I'm glad they'll mostly be using new music because then Jim's character will probably get more songs. Plus from what I've seen/heard of the songs aren't that great. But I know he'll probably keep the original ones. I'm glad they're not going with the typical '50s style movie musical, because it's been done a lot before like with "Chicago", like Graff said.
"Yankees" Remake Hooked On Steroids
article about "Damn Yankees"
http://www.darkhorizons.com/news/16698/ ... n-steroids
I think it's a good idea to make the Cubs the main team of the movie because they hadn't won the World Series...since 1908!!!
"Snakes! Why it had to be snakes?"
-Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
I don't know a thing about all that baseball stuff and the teams that are out there ... it's something typical American. I hope that doesn't stand in the way while watching this movie.
This could be a really great movie...
Canadians love baseball too.
Winter- Hockey.
Summer - Baseball
But we are very loyal to our Canadian teams.
Interestingly Europe has no interest in Baseball and musical films don't go down too well here now. The exceptions being the chick flicks such as Mama Mia and Chicago.....ones with glamour or great sing-a-long songs are the only ones that do it here.........so i've gotta say i don't think Damn Yankees will do very well outside North America.......
having said that i'm sure i'll love it........lol...
Unless you have a pub scene where everyone breaks out...
into song that brings humour and fun into it.
Maybe a song like (just ideas"
"The devil may care"
or "Who's that evil guy "Over there"
"Keep right on down the forbidden road" (to the tune of Keep right on
to the end of the road")
for those who do believe in the dark side..
since he doesn't have a body and can't permanently possess one,
I don't think he really cares about this earth or what people do to
it, since he can never live on it. so he inspires people to not care
about the earth and keep polluting it and make uninhabitable.
That's my opinion though.
um....i'm ashamed to admit that none of those songs are familiar..
and sadly the days of the pub sing-a-longs are more or less gone now... crappy cd's seem to have cornered that market........
the goverment even tried to get the nation singing again last year by puting pianos in public open spaces, such as stations and trafalgar square. The aim was to get back the wartime fighting spirit and boost moral.......lol
lol......geez that goverment didn't have a clue..........lol....
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Snowy Owl
Basic Facts About Snowy Owls
Snowy owls are mostly white with narrow, sparse brown bars and spots. Their golden colored eyes are rather small for an owl and their toes and claws are thickly covered with feathers. Their dark colored bills are short and strong and sharply pointed. They are among the largest North American owl species.
© Mark Brown
Snowy owls mainly eat mammals, ranging from small rodents to large hares. They are also known to eat birds ranging in size from small songbirds to medium-sized geese and lemmings. An adult owl may eat around three to five lemmings each day (1,600 per year).
Their local numbers are high when the lemming population they prey on is high and lower when the lemming population is low.
Did You Know?
Snowy owls swallow their prey, such as lemmings, whole!
In North America, snowy owls are found during the breeding season from the western Aleutians in Alaska to northeastern Manitoba (Churchill), northern Quebec and northern Labrador in Canada. In the winter, they can regularly be found in the northern United States. Sporadically they can be found as far south as central California as well as in Texas and Florida.
Unlike most other owl species, snowy owls hunt mainly in the daytime. Snowy owls are highly nomadic and their movements are tied to the abundance of their primary prey species, lemmings. They are known to aggressively defend their nests and will attack those that disturb their nests.
Mating season: May.
Gestation: About 32 days for egg incubation.
Clutch size: Varies depending on availability of food; 3-5 eggs during times of limited food availability and 7-11 when food is plentiful.
Did You Know?
The snowy owl is also known as the Arctic owl or the Great White owl.
Only females incubate the eggs. The male provides the female and young with food. The young owls begin to leave the nest around 25-26 days after hatching. They are not able to fly well until at least 50 days of age. They continue to be fed by the parents for another 5 weeks after they leave the nest.


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Editorial | Captured Libyan may shed light on Benghazi
The following editorial appeared in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Thursday:
The capture and opportunity for interrogation of Benghazi accused assassin Ahmed Abu Khattala, announced by President Barack Obama during his visit to Pittsburgh on Tuesday, have gone smoothly so far and are a credit to American authorities.
What happened in Benghazi, Libya, the night of Sept. 11, 2012, which included the deaths of U.S. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and three of his colleagues as well as the destruction of the American office there, have been engulfed in the fog of Washington politics and a strange war that continues in that country.
A suspected architect of the fatal attack was Abu Khattala. Regardless of the absence of a Libyan government, American security officials have been determined ever since to bring the attackers to justice.
There is room for complaint that it has taken so long – nearly two years – but the capture Monday of Khattala was carried out smoothly by U.S. special forces, with no loss of life by Americans or Libyans.
The government's intent is to try him in civilian court, appropriately, rather than cart him off to the U.S. Naval Station at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and add him to the 149 prisoners who are still being held there for years without trial.
Beyond ascertaining Khattala's role and obtaining justice, the United States could learn from his interrogation information that might offer clarity on what occurred that fatal night.
Was the attack planned in advance? Was it a relatively spontaneous response to the U.S.-made, anti-Muslim film making the rounds of the Islamic world at that point? To what degree was the assault a result of the attackers' awareness of the Americans' inadequate protection?
"Benghazi" – now an issue in American politics – would definitely benefit from the application of a solid coat of facts. Khattala may be able to offer them.


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Race Report
Where to begin......
I headed down to Hartford on Friday afternoon with Work Friend and some people from her training group who were also running the race. We picked up our packets, drove the course and headed to dinner. We went back to the hotel to prepare for the race. My sister and son arrived later that night. We made some signs and then I went to bed. I changed NOTHING in my routine. I ate a light pasta dinner, drank like a fish all week and took my 2 Immodiums before bed time. I was feeling good!
Woke up, got ready and we all headed to the starting line. It was a cool 38 degrees out! Freezing!!! We went to the port-a-potties and headed over to the start. I met up with my Running Club Friend, who decided that she was going to run with a pace group....this now left me all alone to run this race. I was OK with that, I had gotten used to running and pacing myself with Running Club Friend, but I was prepared enough to do it on my own. I felt confident.
I was looking around for the Orange Hat, but she was no where to be found!
The gun sounded and off I went. It was cold, very cold. I had on a jacket and gloves. The first mile was pretty crowded, just kind of trotting along, warming up. Mile 2 came and went and once I got to mile 3, I had to pee again. I wasn't too concerned with this slowing me down. It was still rather crowded on the streets. I popped into a port-a-pottie, peed and off I went.
Mile 4 - Smooth Sailing - At this point I could see the winners of the half heading back to the finish.....whew-wee are they fast! Amazing.
Mile 5 - Going strong, feeling good.
My sister and my son were setting up camp at Miles 6 and 12, which were just across the street from each other. Miles 4 - 15 were a two lane street with runners headed out on one side, and headed back on the other.
Mile 6 - I see my sister and son, it was so nice to have them there. I didn't stop. I ran by, dropped my jacket and gloves and my sister handed me a pack of Fig Newtons. I have been training with Fig Newtons since the beginning, and usually eat them about an hour into my run.
I usually run with my head down, but since I could see all the other runners making there way back from the turn around, I was watching in amazement at how fast they were. It helped pass the time.
CELEBRITY ALERT - ....and no, I am not talking about Dean Karnazes, although I did see him too. Here I am between Miles 6 and 7, watching the ground and I look up.....and running right towards me on the opposite side of the street, I see an Orange Hat!! Could it be? Is it really her? Are my eyes playing tricks on me? As this "hat" starts getting closer to me, I realize that it is the one and only Running Chick with the Orange Hat. I give a little wave and a shout out "Hey Running Chick"....she turns and acknowledges.....I tried to get out a "Hey it's me, the Running Red Sox Fan"....but she was FLYING!!! She must of had wings on her sneakers....she was blur that whooshed before my eyes! She rocks!!
She must have been like who is this nut job yelling my name! But she's famous, so it probably didn't phase her. Just another one of her fans...!!
Still in between 6 & 7, I see Work Friend and her group, they were running at full force. They yelled out some words of encouragement and threw some love my way and kept on truckin'. (BTW - All 3 of them qualified for Boston) Keep in mind that the other side on miles 6 & 7 are miles 12 & 13.....these people were haulin' ass. A few steps down the road I see Dean, he has a huge crowd of runners with him. It seemed very annoying to me.....he's probably used to it.
Mile 7 - Still feeling good, enjoying myself and running at somewhere around an 11:30 - 12:00 minute mile. This is perfect. UNTIL...I feel like I have to go to the bathroom...hummmm.....what is going on.....I took the Immodium, just like I have been doing......ok,ok,ok....I am going to stop at the next port-a-pottie that I see. There was actually a surplus of port-a-potties along the course. Which was good.
I hop into the port-a-pottie, do my business and off I go. Now we all know that I have had stomach issues before, but I pretty much thought I had them worked out. At this stop, I didn't feel like it was anything major. No cramps, no feeling like I couldn't run with out having an accident, I just had to go to the bathroom. I just kept telling myself, OK, you just had to go to the bathroom, no big deal, it's a fluke, just keep running.
To be on the safe side, I called my sister,(good thing I run with my phone) asked her to go to the car and grab 2 Immodiums out of my bag.
Mile 8 - Rockin' steady, ate my Fig Newtons.
Mile 9 - Feeling good. There was a man in his drive way rocking some Bruce Springsteen Thunder Road....I started singing out loud. He was good.
Mile 10 - Chip time check. I was pretty much on target for a 5:40 finish. Still feeling good.
Mile 11 - A DJ rockin' KISS - IIIII want to rock and roll all niiight.....and party everyday!! good times. For some crazy reason I almost start to cry here. I was just feeling emotional....
Mile 12 - Stopped for a minute to drop off my fuel belt with my sister. My son saw me coming down the road and ran a little with me....awwww...he's the best!!
Grabbed the 2 Immodium and just tucked them into my shorts. I didn't feel the need for them just yet. I was still feeling good. I ate another Fig Newton, drank some water. I checked my time with the pace chart I had given to my sister and I was 10 minutes ahead of my goal time. Go me!
Mile 13 - Oh no......not again....I have to go to the bathroom. WTF. I go the bathroom and this time I knew it wasn't a fluke. This was the real deal. I took the 2 Immodium.
Mile 14 - Feeling OK
Mile 15 - Truckin' along and keeping my fingers crossed.
Mile 16 - Not so good. Diarrhea
Mile 17 - Diarrhea
Mile 18 - Diarrhea - I GU at this point. I wasn't feeling horrible just yet. I knew I needed to keep hydrated and get something in me. There was a crazy ass hill at this point. I walked up it, first time I really stopped to walk.
Mile 19 - Over the bridge. I spot a sign taped to the side of the highway....it says something like " RBF digs the Running Chick" (???? something like that)....now mind you, I'm by myself. I catch the sign out of the corner of my eye....and I say out loud..."HEY, I KNOW HER" ...not really, but kind of!! It was funny.
Mile 20 - Feeling like ass, but still running. At this point the course runs by the finish line, so I can see all these people finishing. So happy!
I start to cry, not because I am happy, but because I know I have 6.2 more miles to go and I am hurting. It's funny because my time at the 20 mile mark was something like 4:38 and when I ran a 20 mile training run (without diarrhea) I ran it in just about 5 hours.
Oh and by the way......who the hell thought this would be a good place to put a hill??? real smart....honestly. I walked up it.
I see Running Club Friend at this point heading to the finish line. We hi-five. So proud of her!
Mile 21 - Diarrhea - very very slow running at this point, really just a shuffle.
Mile 22 - Diarrhea
Walked very slowly and carefully from mile 22 to 23 because there weren't any port-a-potties around and I really thought I was going to go in my pants. It was BAD. I was actually with the marathon walkers at this point. Kind of discouraging. I must say that even some of the walkers were going faster than me.
Mile 23 - Walking...still no port-a-pottie. I told myself that the next port-a-pottie I find, I am going to go to the bathroom and just run like hell to the finish. No stopping.
Somewhere between Mile 23 and 24 - Port-a-pottie. HEAVEN!! I get out and just start running. I can run 2 miles...piece of cake. I just run and run and it was the longest 2 miles I have ever run in my life. I actually shouldn't even be calling it running at this point, but I wasn't walking, so it was running to me.
Mile 25 and a half maybe......A hill.......WTF. Just get me home.
I start to cry at this point. I know the finish is just around the corner. I just want to be there.......make it all go away and get me there. PLEASE!! Someone help me.
I turn the corner to the finish, there is my sister, my son, Work Friend and her group.......YEAH!!! Work Friend and her group run down to meet me and run me in. I'm crying, I'm hurting and I need to go to the bathroom. My son runs me into the finish line.....he's the best and so friggin cute if I do say so myself!!! My sister is taking pictures and everyone is yelling my name. I get my chip removed and this game is over. The end.
Final Time - 6:25.
I know I shouldn't say this, but I'm going to anyways......I'm embarrassed. It wasn't supposed to happen this way. I know I am a better runner than this. I have trained too many hours and too g-damn hard for this to be the end result.
I will on the other hand give myself a pat on the ass, because during this whole entire fiasco, NEVER, NOT ONCE, did it ever cross my mind to not continue on. It just wasn't an option.
The weather was a perfect, couldn't have asked for better, marathon day. There were a couple of points in the race where I was absolutely bone chilled, goose bumps, teeth chattering, body shaking freezing. I am going to say that had to do with me probably getting dehydrated from the runs.
I will also add that I didn't like being out on the route alone. I like having a running partner. I was good for probably the first half of the race, then I got lonely and wished I had someone near me to keep my spirits up and help me along. I know for this race, it probably wouldn't have helped much given my situation. Things were really out of my hands. There was absolutely nothing I could have done differently.
Work Friends friend told me that you can only run the race that you have in you that day............and I guess I just didn't have it in me.


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Annual Underwood
June 6-8, 2014, DiMenna Center , NYC
American Composers Orchestra announces its 23rd Annual Underwood New Music Reading Sessions to be held in New York City at The DiMenna Center for Classical Music June 6-8, 2014.
Up to six composers in the
early stages of their careers will be selected to participate. One will
be awarded a $15,000 commission to write a new work to be performed by
for the symphony orchestra remains one of the supreme challenges for
the aspiring composer. The subtleties of instrumental balance, timbre,
effective part preparation, and communication with conductor and
musicians are critical skills. But openings for composers to gain
hands-on experience working with a professional orchestra are few.
ACO's New Music Reading Sessions are designed to give emerging
composers the opportunity to work with an orchestra singular in its
commitment to the development of the American composer and to hear
their work performed by some of the country's most outstanding
contemporary music instrumentalists.
The Readings are professionally recorded, and each composer is given a high-quality audio recording to be used for study purposes. Composers also participate in a series of professional development workshops covering such topics as promotion, score preparation and publishing, copyright and commissioning agreements, and other career essentials. Transportation and meals are provided for all participants.
The Underwood New Music Readings are part of EarShot, the national orchestral composition discovery network. EarShot activities include new music readings and other composer development programs with orchestras around the country. EarShot is coordinated by ACO in collaboration with American Composers Forum, the League of American Orchestras, and New Music USA (formerly American Music Center and Meet The Composer). Lead support for the Underwood New Music Readings comes from Mr. Paul Underwood, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Fromm Music Foundation, Aaron Copland Fund for Music, Alice M. Ditson Fund of Columbia University along with public funds from the National Endowment for the Arts and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.
How to Apply
Before submitting an application, carefully review the eligibility & submission guidelines above. The submission receipt (not postmark) deadline is December 2, 2013, at 5PM (EST).
A complete submission must include the following:
Since its the New Music Readings have helped to identify a new generation of composers, in many cases offering these emerging artists their first hearing of a new work. In 2013, composer A.J. McCaffrey was awarded the Underwood Commission. Past participants include:
Lead support for the Underwood New Music Readings comes from Mr. Paul Underwood, Fromm Music Foundation, Aaron Copland Fund for Music, Alice M. Ditson Fund of Columbia University and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.
top | home | eligibility & guidelines | online submission


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patterns > Atelier Madame Butterfly
> Primavera shawlette
Primavera shawlette
I love small shawls and shawlettes. They are so easy to knit, yet they are a spectacular accessory.
Being a gardener I am always inspired by flowers and leaves in my garden. This design is inspired by spring and its bright green leaves. I looked at the branches as they are draped with the new greenery and I wanted to drape those leaves around my neck, so I got my needles and yarn out. The Madelinetosh yarn in the Seaglass color was the answer to my fantasy.
The circle shape is achieved by working short rows and turning the work without wrapping. Placement of the markers at the beginning of work makes it a very easy task. The large needles and a beautiful yarn make Primavera a project that grows fast and hard to put down.
The lace part is charted and the body part is written row-by-row.
The sample shown was knitted in Madelinetosh tosh sock yarn. The yarn may be substituted with any 4-ply fingering weight yarn. Substituting yarns may result in a different finished size and may also affect yardage required. For best results use a natural fiber.
GAUGE 19 sts X 24 rows = 4 inch square in blocked Stockinette Stitch.
Note: gauge is not very important for this pattern, however it will affect the final size of the piece.
US #5 (3.75 mm) You may substitute the size in order to obtain gauge
US #6 (4.00mm) circular needles to CO sts.
Depth approx. 10 inches
Length approx 52 inches
Measurement taken after blocking.
If you'll encounter any errors or have a question, please feel free to drop me a note.
45816 projects
stashed 49121 times
- Page created: March 10, 2012
- Last updated: April 12, 2014 …
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Family Fun & Traditions Will Be Blooming at the 2019 Albany Tulip Festival
May 7th, 2019
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Join the Fun at Albany Tulip Festival, Fairs & More in the Capital RegionVisit The What's New Blog on Albany.com
May 7th, 2019
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I know this seems like low hanging fruit. But Sarah Palin is back, and along with her mindless blather has returned the chorus of "do not under estimate Palin" and/or "Sarah must be taken seriously."
Seriously? We're supposed to take seriously someone who just days ago was spouting nonsense (in the words of a conservative blogger) about mammograms and death panels, and only weeks ago was seriously claiming a conspiracy to move "In God We Trust" off U.S. currency? We're supposed to take seriously/placate/cower in fear of the mindlessly vehement incoherence of her followers?
We're supposed to take seriously someone who bad mouthed her almost-son-in-law for being too busy being "in the media" and pushing his own potential book to see his own baby, while sitting across from (arguably) the "queen of all media" herself, and one of the biggest book promoters in the publishing world, spending an hour talking about her book and her own baby who has Down's Syndrome and thus has special needs? We're supposed to take seriously someone who implied that her daughter's baby's father was using his physical assets to promote himself, who did as much of the same as she could get away with in Runners' World? We're supposed to take seriously someone too stupid (Yeah, I said it.), to even recognize the hypocrisy, let alone the irony, of what she was saying?
Are we seriously supposed to overestimate thier importance as much as they do themselves?


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My dad is photojournalist who occasionally honors this blog with a guest post. Enjoy!
The coolest place on the planet may well be Duba Island on the Okavango Delta in Botswana.
I went there recently to photograph a husband and wife film-making team and was just knocked out by the whole scene; the remote beauty, the crazy weather, the friendly people and most of all, the proximity to some of the great beasts of Africa. And the food didn't suck either.
We travelled out every day in camera trucks loaded with natural snacks: dried fruit, salty nuts and cookies that helped us stay hydrated in the 100 degree heat. At my age I find I need some small amounts of carbs in my stomach to absorb the huge amounts of water one must drink.
For lunch, we would pull up under a "sausage tree' and dined in style.
The camp provided a very filling but light meal of local veggies, rice and fish patties that was just right under the brutal sun.
On the day I shot these photos we circled back to the tree later and discovered a pride of lions had been resting there the whole time on the backside of the tree, and weren't bothered at all by us borrowing their space.


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Self-Protection Against Cyber Haters and Other Bullies
Read part one: "140 Ways to Hate ... Just One to Despair."
I think many people react quite understandably and sensibly to cyber hate mail by trying to show the bully up as immature and antisocial. However, if the bully thinks he or she has been seen through, that serves to inflame their hatred in a sort of reverse psychology and the situation can become worse. This occasionally leads to what's known as cyber stalking. This most often applies to public figures and celebrities but many HIV-positive people have been the victims of hate campaigns and continued pestering. The bully can apparently find ways to recruit others to his/her cause and uses technology to track the victim's every Internet movement. This can be very alarming, especially if you feel you're being watched at all times -- a classic symptom of being stalked. Upsetting cases have led to exposure in the victim's work environment, as rumors and half truths are spread amongst unwitting colleagues at work. Once in the open, as we all know, Pandora's Box can never be closed. In the end, no reaction at all to the original tweet or comment may be the safest option, however angry or upset you may feel.
You can't always rely on Internet servers and hosts to take appropriate action either, though the following piece of advice may help:
"If you receive abusive emails or flame mails or hate mail, you can forward it to abuse@isp where 'isp' is the service provider the abuser is using, e.g., 'aol.com' or 'yahoo.com.' Although Internet service providers may not act on every complaint, the more complaints they receive about a particular individual (with examples of abusive email) the more likely they are to close down the person's account."
More Information: Cyberbullying on the Internet
Psychologists seem to think that the actions of HIV-positive-haters online indicate a need for power, subjugation and domination of their victim and the more you react to their provocation, the more that need is fulfilled. Being reasonable, negotiating and presenting the facts, is of little interest to them; they just want to bring you down as publicly as possible.
I'm not a psychologist or psychiatrist but to my mind, there is probably more to it that that when it comes to bullying LGBT or HIV-positive people online. Fear may play a role, depending on the bully's own circumstances. Fear of the unknown, of things they may have learned in the family, or social group, or even the church, may all play a role in stimulating them to pick out a victim for bullying. Fear of HIV; fear of being gay; sexual frustration or inadequacy; having been accused themselves of homosexual tendencies and many more insecurities may cause someone to lash out in this way. However, the receiver cannot take the risk that there's a cry for help behind the bullying because that sort of Internet reaction will often incur a pre-programmed response from the bully. They will need to get the help they really need elsewhere but if you're being bullied, that's really not your problem.
More Information: How to Stop Hate Mail
So What Can You Do If You're a Victim of Cyber Hate?
First of all, most sources recommend no response at all; however tempting that may be. Don't react and don't engage because you can't argue with a serial bully online. He or she doesn't think or reason like you do.
Secondly, watch out for the first signs of provocation. They can be extremely subtle; for instance, responding normally and even supportively in a forum, or Twitter, or Facebook discussion. It is called "baiting." The idea is to lull you into the feeling that you have an ally but once you engage further, you can end up being sucked into a very negative and damaging situation. Equally you can be baited into reacting strongly against a third party. The bully then sits back and enjoys the products of his machinations. Of course, we should be able to have a communication life online but learning to read certain signals may be a skill worth having. Remember also, sad as it may be, cyber haters are not confined to the heterosexual or HIV-negative population. It may be doubly shocking if the bullying comes from another gay or HIV-positive person but every person has his own story and it happens amongst us too.
We're also advised to keep all abusive mails because they can eventually be traced through IP addresses if the provider is prepared to take action. Cyber bullies are often obsessive and if they lose one email, or social network account, they may come back at you from a different source. Then you will need to be able to compare with messages you've received in the past. You may even need to engage the services of a solicitor to strike back effectively but not everyone can afford that course of action. Still, if the Internet provider won't take action and legal steps are not an option; don't try to do it yourself online; before you know it you may have encouraged other bullies and other stalkers. A comprehensive list of ideas can be found by clicking on the link below:
More Information: Responding to Cyberhate: Toolkit for Action
How Can We Stop This Sort of Behavior?
I don't know the answer to this one. You could limit the problem by doing as I do and not opening Twitter, or other social networking accounts and avoiding forum discussions and chatrooms but why should you? Running away from the problem doesn't solve it as we all know.
I was a teacher for thirty years before illness brought an end to my career and although I taught from ages 8 to 18, I very quickly realized one thing: there comes a point when the kids just don't believe you automatically anymore; they've become more cyber-savvy than you and Google becomes a bigger truth. My favorite age to teach was 10 to 12 because they still accept almost everything you tell them and haven't yet grown into the rebelliousness of adolescence. It's at that age that you can still teach the difference between right and wrong, with the kids having a good idea of what you're talking about. That's not to say that teaching on an LGBT or HIV-positive platform at that age is a good idea. In the best of all possible worlds maybe but not in the current climate where moral outrage plays such a political role. Your job may be worth more than your principles. However, I firmly believe that it's the duty of all teachers to search out situations and deal with bullying of any sort at source; the kids will associate those ideas with particular groups at a later date. Both teachers and kids know that outside the classroom, bullying will happen but thinking it's a fact of life that's out of your control is a very bad teaching philosophy. At that age, children can really understand what it is to respect other people and to reject injustice of any sort. Those lessons may well stay in their minds.
I used to start off by admitting my own mistakes. If I got irrationally irritated at a child for some reason, I would apologize in front of both the child and the class. Then, using the same principle, if one child got angry with another, we would stop whatever the lesson was and deal with it by talking it out right there and then. If necessary, apologies would be demanded and hands would be shaken. I used to tell them that it was our duty as a class, including the teacher, to stick together and work as a sort of extended family to make our long periods of time together positive experiences. Our classroom should be a safe place at all times. We would regularly have discussions and debates on topics of the day and every child was encouraged to speak, in the knowledge that their opinion was as good as anybody else's. In this manner, I was able to introduce abstract social values and apply them to whatever situation the discussion was about. Everybody was encouraged to admit their mistakes, stand up for others and take responsibility for their actions. There was zero tolerance for bullying and every year the success of this policy was proved by the number of unlikely alliances that took place in the school yard. If someone else from the class was being pestered, others stood up for them and nobody was excluded. It was a multi-cultural school; there was no choice! I'm not saying it was perfect; it frequently wasn't; kids fell out with each other as kids do and very often I had to back down from my own injustices (I was frequently taken to task over unfair homework assignments) but in general the children learned how to interact with each other socially based on respect for the other's individuality and allowing for the fact that we can all fail at times. If teachers can somehow instill in children that all forms of bullying are absolutely unacceptable and, at the same time, constantly show why that has to be so, the message may stick. It shouldn't be an impossible task but you can't just write these things on a poster and stick it on the classroom wall; you have to live it as well.
During my last year of teaching, a white, South African, ex-pupil who was then 18, paid a return visit. The first day he'd arrived at the school at the age of nine, he'd told the Nigerian girls in the class that as of that moment they would be at his beck and call (this was before the end of apartheid). It was a cultural shock for him when the girls laughed in his face and told him that's not how it worked in our school. During his visit, he told me something that I've never forgotten:
"I loved being in your class because you taught me how to look at other people in the same way I look at myself and that I wasn't better or worse than anybody else."
If cyber bullies and haters could believe that, maybe cyber space could be a friendlier place.
Further information and references:


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associated with extremely energetic implosions in remote galaxies. Assuming it is spherical, the radiation produced may have the ability to recreate human tissue and Fruity Pebbles at will. Care should be used when operating as nausea, horror and purple seafish may occur in people under 35.
Kimmortal, that's McLove in a hot air balloon! ;)
by Kimmortal February 04, 2010
buy the domain for your art site


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Moving out of The Jade Forest and into Valley of the Four Winds we step away from weapons as special drops and get our first taste of vanity items, trinkets and other fun (and quite useful) drops from rares. To see these special items in action check out this post: Sneak Peek: Special Drops from Rare Champions of Pandaria.
All of the rares in this zone are level 86 with health pools around 1.5M. Naturally they hit a little harder than those in The Jade Forest. They each have a 100% chance to drop an item level 410 pair of bop gloves of a random armor type as well as a Small Bag of Goods.
In my long and frustrating camp for Sulik'shor also I found out a lot more about how the spawn timers work on these rares. First of all, it seems that they typically all spawn in around the same time. A friend and I were camping both Sele'na and Sulik'shor and witnessed them spawning in at the same time. On many other occasions I've noticed others throughout the same zone either alive or as corpses while doing flyovers. This seems to hold true for each zone in Pandaria. The average spawn time seems to be around an hour, but I've seen them respawn in under and hour and up to almost 2 hours as well.
|Click map to Enlarge
Nasra Spothide spawns under a small Pandaren structure on the far northeastern end of the zone just before the bridge leading into The Jade Forest.
Like other Pandaren her three abilities are Chi Burst, Healing Mists and Spinning Crane Kick. The most important thing to know when taking her down is to interrupt Healing Mists, and run away from Spinning Crane Kick. Ranged players should also stand within 15 yards of her to avoid his Chi Burst which deals some pretty massive damage.
Nasra has a small chance to drop a trinket called the Seed of Tranquil Growth. This trinket summons a cute little flower that looks just like the Ammen Vale Lashling.
Nal'lak the Ripper (Mantid)
Nal'lak the Ripper patrols through the air around the other mantid west of Stoneplow. He can be affected by phasing. If this is an issue for you it is possible to pick him up at any of the edges of his patrol route.
He has three abilities to be aware of: Blade Flurry, Tornado and Windsong. Tornado and Blade Flurry are the abilities to watch out for. The tornado will move around and deal massive damage to anyone it strikes. Blade Flurry should be avoided at all costs, it's casted as a cone in front of him and could equal a quick death sentence.
Nal'lak has a small chance to drop the trinket Dynasty of Steel.
Salyin Warscout (Saurok)
Salyin Warscout patrols along the edge of the river east of Silken Fields. I don't think it's a coincidence that he spawns close to Salyis' Warband.
His abilities to be aware of are: Grappling Hook, Vanish, Smoked Blade and Vicious Rend. The most important of his abilities to watch out for is Smoked Blade. He will use this right after he breaks out of stealth. This ability can be avoided by either using an aoe ability while he's in stealth to break him out of it early, or by not letting him stealth in the first place. You will have a moment to hit him just before he disappears. If he does vanish entirely, get ready to use some defensive cool-downs.
Salyin Warscout has a small chance to drop the Salyin Battle Banner. This item does not need to be equipped. When used it will summon a Saurok that will run in the direction you are facing taunting anything in it's path.
Jonn-Dar (Mogu Warrior)
Jonn-Dar spawns in one location, and literally doesn't move from there. You can find him at the Torjari Pit just north of Nesingwary's Safari.
Jonn-Dar uses three different abilities, those are: Devastating Arc, Summon Quilen and Titanic Strength. Devastating Arc is the ability to look out for here. It's a frontal attack that deals massive damage. Melee can simply run behind him and ranged shouldn't have much trouble moving out of the way. He periodically summons a Quilen add that does little damage. It can be cc'd or ignored.
Jonn-Dar has a small chance to drop the trinket Terracotta Fragment. This trinket summons an incredibly badass mogu warrrior guardian that will fight for you for 10 minutes. The guardian does an amazing job at holding threat, even against multiple mobs. It has about 700k health and can mitigate damage, as well as receive heals. Unfortunately he cannot be controlled like a hunter pet so it is not uncommon for him to run around attacking everything he sees.
Sulik'shor (Mogu Sorcerer)
Sulik'shor spawns on the hillside where the elite Mogu Infiltrators patrol. He stands just in front of the Cavern of Endless Echoes at 37, 25.7.
Sulik'shor really only has a couple of abilities to be aware of, and is mostly a pushover like the rest of the Mogu Sorcerers. He uses Shadowbolt and Voidcloud. Shadowbolt deals a moderate amount of damage and can be interrupted. Voidcloud hurts, it appears as a dark purple area on the ground and is VERY easy to notice and move out of.
Sulik'shor is probably the most camped rare spawn in Pandaria on my server - and with good reason. The item he drops is amazing. He has a small chance (took me 26 kills - grumble grumble) to drop Crystal of Insanity. Non-alchemists rejoice! This item is essentially a battle/guardian elixir that increases all of your stats by 500 when used. Hopefully those of you looking for this will have better luck like my husband did. He got it on his third kill.
Blackhoof (Yaungol)
Blackhoof has a few different spawn points just north of Stormstout Brewery. He can always be found hacking away over one of the dead mushan in the area.
Blackhoof's abilities are: Bellowing Rage, Rushing Charge and Yaungol Stomp. Yaungol stomp does some heavy damage, but the range is small - so it's easy to move away from. Bellowing rage you need to be aware of. He deals a lot more damage when this buff is up, combined with Rushing Charge the results can be devastating. When he uses Bellowing Rage, he will be slowed though - so it is possible to just run out of striking range until the buff wears off.
Blackhoof has a small chance to drop a Battle Horn. This item is pretty neat. It aggros all enemies within a 40 yard radius including neutral mobs. It also seems to freak out critters. The horn itself also sounds just like the default npcscan alert horn.
Sele'na (Jinyu)
Sele'na can be found in several different locations in the marshes of the Gilden Fan.
Sele'na has three abilities, they are: Rain Dance, Torrent and Water Bolt. The absolute most important thing you need to know when fighting him is to interrupt Torrent! If not interrupted, this spell will kill his main target. Rain dance hurts, but it is survivable. The rain droplets can be moved away from, this spell can also be interrupted (but I like to save my interrupts for Torrent because of cool-downs).
He has a small chance to drop a pretty neat item called the Overgrown Lilypad. This item will grant you a druid ability based on your class and spec. It is essentially Symbiosis - but with no druid required! Unfortunately it cannot be used in instances or outside of Pandaria.
Bonobos (Hozen)
Bonobos spawns in several different spots in Paoquan Hallow. Each spawn point is fairly close to numerous hostile mobs. Be careful taking this guy out if your still leveling. It is easy to end up with half of the forest on you if your not paying attention.


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It's a rum thing.
Probably far more people will have a rum and Coke tonight somewhere in the Atlantic provinces than will ever read the lengthy Federal Court of Canada case Diageo Canada vs. Heaven Hill Distilleries Inc.
After all, the court case runs some 24,129 words, and centres on something that some might call an iconic image: the picture of Captain Morgan on a rum bottle. (If you feel so inclined, you can read it here.)
But you don't have to — luckily, we read it for you.
In a nutshell, the trademark case comes down to two different rums: Captain Morgan, whose image of the pirate captain with one foot up on a barrel you'd probably recognize, and Heaven Hill's Admiral Nelson brand rum, with its own pirate-like figure.
Company officials testified that 200 million bottles of Captain Morgan have sold in this country since 1994, with a sales value of close to $5 billion. You can understand why they'd be protective.
Captain Morgan's owners sued; Admiral Nelson's owners counter-sued, saying the captain was just trying to stifle competition.
Make no mistake, this is big business, and the lawsuit was a window on that corporate world. Diageo argues it has used its Captain Morgan likeness, "on posters, tent cards, banners and other promotional items at bars and restaurants, by extensive print, television and internet advertising, by interactive engagement with 'The Captain' at bars, restaurants and major events such as the Calgary Stampede and the Tall Ships, by sponsorships with Hockey Night in Canada, the National Hockey League and various NHL teams, and by billboard advertising and outdoor signage. In the last 15 years or so … Diageo has spent about $150 million for promoting, marketing, and advertising its Captain Morgan rum products, and within the last year roughly $17 million was expended."
Company officials testified that 200 million bottles of Captain Morgan have sold in this country since 1994, with a sales value of close to $5 billion. You can understand why they'd be protective.
Diageo actually found consumers who were confused between the Admiral and the Captain, especially because the admiral apparently wasn't even depicted as he appeared once promoted to admiral: "Heaven Hill's depiction of Admiral Nelson on its label as a young pirate-like character with an eye patch is so dissimilar to the actual historical character — who is older with grey hair, different attire, wearing a hat, and having lost an arm — that this further reflects Heaven Hill's true intentions of trading upon Diageo's goodwill and confusing consumers."
(For word nerds, the fact that Captain Morgan's legal team was Toronto's Smart & Biggar was just a bit more of the fun.)
In the Navy, of course, an admiral easily outranks a captain.
In the courts, not so much.
The admiral went down to defeat, with the judge granting an injunction that went as far as to order all of the "bottles … packages, labels and advertising material in Canada" that bear the offending mark be destroyed.
A rum thing, indeed.


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Whether you are looking to break into a new profession or simply work for the best, these New York companies have great benefits, great perks, and most importantly employees who love their jobs.
Crains New York and the Best Companies Group recently surveyed employees and employers from 150 companies of all sizes for satisfaction in company policies and benefits. Listed below are the first ten of the report's top 40 employres.
1. Ateleier Ten
London-based Atleeir Ten may be small in staff, but that smallness doesn't mean employees are doing the work of ten. The company gets high marks for "a culture that encourages employees to take time to unwide and regenerate".
The environmental design consulting and building services company has four outposts in the U.S., and employs 27 in its New York office. The voluntary turnover rate is 5%.
2. Microsoft Corp.
Are you a PC? If you're working for Microsoft, you undoubtedly are.
Microsoft employees in New York, as elsewhere, enjoy 100% coverage of health care costs, along with coverage for elder care, adoption and tuition. The perks also include $800 a year for fitness expenses, including anything from gym fees to a new bike.
Despite recent cuts, Crain's reports that Microsoft staffers continue to be motivated by the opportunity to be on the cutting edge of technology.
3. Epic Advertising, Inc.
Online advertising firm Epic Advertising doesn't believe in all work and no play. The 63 New York employees (the company employs 114 nationwide) work hard and play hard, and the play could include everything from karaoke to costume parties. Promotions are also key in developing morale. Thirty percent of staff were promoted over the last year, and the voluntary turnover rate in the latest year with available data (2008) was 2.7%. The average salary at Epic is $164,138. But you'll work hard for it -- Epic gives just ten paid holidays and ten vacation days after one year.
4. Bingham McCutchen
Large law firms are common in the Big Apple, but Bingham McCutchen, which employs over 300 people in its New York office, is unique in its reputation as a worker-friendly company. Recently, the New York office absorbed attorneys from Boston during a merger. Employees cite the open communication as key to their satisfaction with the firm.
5. Administaff, Inc.
Big company resources with a small company feel help Administaff stand out from the pack, according to Crain's. Communication and compassionate care for employees and a focus on volunteerism (Administaff is, after all, a human resources services company) are hallmarks of Administaff's qualities. The company employs 34 human resources specialists in New York.
6. GolinHarris
The 30 public relations professionals employed in GolinHarris's New York office enjoy the prestige of promoting some of the more well-known brands in the U.S., from Nintendo to McDonald's. Promotions, bonuses, and are other fun types of recognition help GolinHarris retain employees.
7. YAI Network
The non-profit YAI Network serves the disabled and their familes. It's all about the mission at YAI, and the 2,140 New York employees embrace that mission with fervor. Employees at YAI can add programs for which they see a need, and though the average salary is low -- about $32,000 for direct service professionals -- the benefits and "particapatory management style" keep staff motivated to serve their customers.
8. Rand Engineering & Architecture
Mentoring is key at Rand, where new employees are matched with a buddy who introduces them to company policies and practices, and helps inculcate pride in the company from the get-go. Yoga, an exercise room, and a decorated recreation-room pool table help knit the 65 building renovation and maintenance employees together, and keep the turnover rate at a low 3%.
9. Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants
Guests aren't the only ones to receive special treatment at Kimpton hotels, according to the survey. The luxury boutique hotelier, which employs 369 in New York City, provides one-month paid sabbaticals to managers and executive chefs who have been with the company for seven years. And, like Rand, Kimpton uses a mentoring program to introduce new employees to the culture and the company. Other perks include health benefits for part-time workers.
10. Michael Page International
Recruiting firm Michael Page International, which employs 138 recruiters in New York City, keeps its recruiters longer than other recruiting firms by offering generous starting salaries for inexperienced graduates, handing out bonuses, and providing younger workers the chance to learn directly from senior managers.
For more information on the best places to work in New York visit Crain's New York.
Source: Crain's survey


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Home > News & Events > Wayland Press Release Archives > 2006 News Releases > October 2006 > Board approves emeritus status for retired alumni director
Board approves emeritus status for retired alumni director
PLAINVIEW – The Board of Trustees at Wayland Baptist University approved an honor for a recently retired longtime employee by conferring emeritus status on Joe Provence during their fall meeting on Oct. 26.
Provence retired in June after a 40-year career with Wayland, beginning in the public relations office and ending with a 21-year stint as Director of Alumni Services. He has remained on board with Wayland part time as alumni associate, working with alumni contacts. The position of director was reformatted as Director of Alumni Development, with Danny Andrews filling that role in July.
A native of Arlington, Provence came to WBU in 1957 as a student, leaving in 1959 to attend to an ill brother. He returned in 1962 to complete his education and to work as news service director, earning his degree in 1966.
He then worked as director of recruitment and promotion and later as student activities director and cheerleader sponsor before taking the alumni position in 1985. He and wife Freda, employed in the president's office at Wayland, are longtime supporters of the university and have been generous with their time attending many school events, and their money, giving to numerous causes over the decades.
Emeritus status is awarded by recommendation of the division in honor of individuals who have served the university with distinction for a period of time. Benefits of the title are primarily honorary and denote a desire by the university to have a continued relationship with the honoree.
Provence's title will now be Emeritus Director of Alumni Services.


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Military, Services
By Staff Writer | August 1, 2009
Send Feedback
Attempts to revive the VH-71 by Congress will not change how many jobs are being lost at Lockheed Martin. "A week after the program was terminated, we announced that we would end up laying off up to 750 people," said Troy Scully, a Lockheed Martin spokesperson. Congressional efforts to bring back the program won't change this fact: "Unless Congress passes a bill and the President signs it, we have to continue to follow the direction of our client and terminate the program," he told Rotor and Wing.
While efforts to revive the VH-71 program in some shape or form continue, Lockheed Martin has been trying to find new positions for those displaced by the cancellation. Final information as to actual job losses, and who will be affected by them, is expected soon.


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I have Function UpdateDatabase(String , String , int , int) that update database in TForm by passing some parameters using TQuery.
Now I have 100 of threads that update database by calling the TForm Function.
Like from thread
Form1->UpdateDatabase(xyz,abc,1,2) ;
But it seems Form1 Hang frequenty . Can you suggest how call TForm Function called in Synchronized way form thread
so that TForm Not Hang


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$msg = ""; $myaddress = "sacha" + "@" + "sachachua.com"; $page = "2003.01.13.php"; $page_title = "2003.01.13"; $page_updated = "2004-11-2106:44:1306:44:13-0500"; $maintainer = "sacha" + "@" + "sachachua.com"; require_once "include/calendar.php"; require_once "include/planner-include.php"; require_once "include/header.inc.php"; ?>
Harvey Chua <email@example.com> writes:
Dearest Sacha,
You will have plenty of time for a love life later on. For now,
concentrate on your studies. But then, it's your choice. I can't be
watching you all the time, so you would have to watch yourself and
decide which or who(m) are your priorities. Just remember that there
are rewards, repercussions or complications - depending on what
actions or decisions you make. Judge well what is good for you.
Love you always,
P.S. See, you do have a love life. We all love you. I more than and
ahead of anybody and everybody else.
- Get a PhD. The training will help me do research, and I'll be able
to pick up useful teaching techniques along the way.
- Teach computer science. I really, really like computer science, and
I want to help other people realize how fun and helpful it is.
- Help people grow and reach their potential. (That includes helping
myself grow. =) ) Still have to figure out how to help people do that.
I'm not completely devoted to this plan, and by that I mean that I understand that I am not absolutely essential to the progress and development of computer science. Still, I really like the field, and as one of those rare girls who actually enjoy computer science, I feel I have an opportunity to make a big difference. =)
I don't think I want to have to deal with the possible complications
of "being in luuuuuurv" until I've earned my PhD and have established
a name for myself. So that pretty much rules out formal, long-term,
conventional romantic relationships (eeeeew!
Plus just in case Richard Stallman decides to go after me.. Ahem. ;)
Kidding. Somewhat.
This does not, however, prevent me from appreciating the friends I have. I know that really good friendships help me grow as a person and achieve my dreams, and indeed the warmth and support I receive from my family and friends is something I treasure.
And it really is rather nice to interact with people.
There is something to be said about love and growth, if my Philosophy
and Theology classes have any truth to them. I also have to watch out
- might become _too_ rational or need too much control over my
life. ;) Like for example, I have a bit of a hang-up regarding the
word "love", since it can mean quite different things to people, and
I'm a little afraid of becoming incontinent as defined by
Aristotle. (See? I get to use Philo after all.) Distraction is
doubleplus ungood, but so is neurosis.
I love computer science not just because of the abstract algorithms and programs, but more because of the people I get to meet and help and learn from. So I'm into this whole social thing, but I'm just taking things a little at a time. Kinda like the spiral model of software development. ;)
I'm sure we'll all manage to figure something out. =) So basically, people know my plans. If you think that you can help me become a better person and that I can help you become a better person, then we'll see how things work out.
This is published for future reference, since it's nice to have more information. =)


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Sunday, 5 October 2008
Currently I'm in Boston for the UI hackfest, which should be really cool and hopefully very fruitful. I'm here to pimp Awn and I guess Clutter too (although I doubt it needs pimping anymore :-). It will be nice to meet up and chat with other people who've worked on panels/docks/sidebars/applet server etc, and try and figure out how we can combine our work into something great for Gnome.
As you may have guessed, the planned hiatus from working on Awn didn't quite pan out. Actually, the very opposite happened and I've been busy rewriting Awn in a private branch to add all the features and fix all the bugs people having been asking for since the begining. To sum up the work, I'd say that the rewrite makes Awn a panel rather than a dock, and that's an important distinction. Some of the features that are beingworked on are not currently available in any other panel/dock and I hope will really push things forward in desktop experience.
You can follow the work on the rewrite in #awn on irc.freenode.net, it's not usable just yet as there's been a lot of breakage, but we're getting there and things have recently started to come together. I'll write a post detailing whats changed and the new features as soon as it's ready to be tested. It's funny,suddenly all my ideas for the desktop revolve around making Awn absolutely great :-).
7 comments:
Sounds great! I've been running netbook remix on my Acer Aspire One and love it, the perfect UI for the screen.
I'm interested in the work with AWN too - I can't run Compiz at the moment as it seems to conflict with UME - hopefully fixes will see the both of them be able to work together. With your work on it being a panel, will it be integrated into the UME?
- 5 October 2008 at 21:20
- Mark said...
I hope you recruit some more hackers for Awn :)
digital spaghetti: You know, you can use Metacity with Awn. See http://wiki.awn-project.org/Installation for details.
- 6 October 2008 at 05:54
- Sam Hassell said...
I can't wait to try your private fork in a stable form. Thanks heaps for your hard work. AWN is indispensable on my desktop.
- 6 October 2008 at 14:37
Hey Neil,
Your posts look quite fascinating.
- 18 October 2008 at 07:30
hey neil,
Your posts are informative. I have started a blog relating to search, www.khojna.blogspot.com. I can say that I have khojed you..
- 21 October 2008 at 17:57
Maybe you should pass your project onto a community! Your work has been great but the AWN project would really benefit from community input, with regards to speed of the implementation of new features...
- 6 December 2008 at 03:34
thanks for the great work on AWN :)
- 10 May 2009 at 19:52


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News & Events
For the Media
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill Engineer Mark Sarkisian Receives Clarkson University Honorary Degree
Mark P. Sarkisian, director of seismic and structural engineering in the San Francisco office of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP, received an honorary doctor of science degree at Clarkson University's 120th Commencement on Saturday, May 11.
Sarkisian's career has focused on developing innovative structural engineering solutions for more than 100 major building projects around the world, including the 421-meter-tall Jin Mao Tower in Shanghai, China; the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, China; the 412-meter-tall Al Hamra Fidrous Tower in Kuwait City, Kuwait; and the Cathedral of Christ the Light in Oakland, California.
The degree was awarded for his "dedication to the science and art of engineering and for his visionary development of sustainable buildings and construction methods, and his inspiring work with future generations of engineers, designers and builders."
Calling Clarkson graduates to contribute to the arts and sciences, to mathematics, physics and research, Sarkisian urged them to join forces and find sustainable solutions as if they were "…a collective of common elements, that is far more powerful and beautiful -- when working together than when each member works independently."
As examples of this collaboration, he cited "…migratory birds flying in formation cycling leaders throughout their journey, people building and interacting in cities, and you and your professors striving toward the advancement of understanding together."
He spoke of emergence-- of becoming something new-- saying, "This leads to efficiency in design and also creates a symbiotic relationship between structure, architecture and buildings systems."
Sarkisian called this "emergence" -- becoming something new -- as "the path to achievement and accomplishments that will ultimately shape your contribution."
Sarkisian received his bachelor of science degree in civil engineering from the University of Connecticut, where he is a Fellow of the Academy of Distinguished Engineers, and his master of science degree in structural engineering from Lehigh University.
He holds five U.S. Patents for high-performance seismic structural mechanisms designed to protect buildings in areas of high seismicity, including the Pin-Fuse Seismic Systems; and two patents for seismic and environmentally responsible structural systems: the Bay Arc Tidal Responsive Barrier and the Sustainable Form-Inclusion System.
Sarkisian has authored more than 100 technical papers related to the design of building structures, and in 2012 he completed the book, Designing Tall Buildings – Structure as Architecture, published by Routledge.
He teaches integrated studio design courses focused on collaborative design opportunities that have included students from the University of California, Berkeley, California College of the Arts, Stanford University and California Polytechnic State University.
Sarkisian is an invited speaker/lecturer and studio critic at universities throughout the world, including Lehigh University, the University of Connecticut, the Architectural Association - London, the University of Bristol, Stanford University, the University of California - Berkeley, and the University of Colorado.
Sarkisian is a licensed Professional Engineer and Structural Engineer in 16 states, and is LEED-accredited for the design of new building and construction.
Clarkson University launches leaders into the global economy. One in five alumni already leads as a CEO, VP or equivalent senior executive of a company. Located just outside the Adirondack Park in Potsdam, N.Y., Clarkson is a nationally recognized research university for undergraduates with select graduate programs in signature areas of academic excellence directed toward the world's pressing issues. Through 50 rigorous programs of study in engineering, business, arts, sciences and health sciences, the entire learning-living community spans boundaries across disciplines, nations and cultures to build powers of observation, challenge the status quo, and connect discovery and engineering innovation with enterprise.
[A photograph for media use is available at http://www.clarkson.edu/news/photos/msarkisian2.jpg.]


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Visit the Research section of Ski.com. Select the resort(s) you're interested in vacationing at and then click the "Family" interest category button below. Once the results populate you'll be able to click through and learn more about family-friendly ski resorts.
No. Skiers and snowboarders both use the same lift ticket.
It can mean different things to different people. Some properties may tout themselves as ski-in/ski-out, but might actually be 50 yards from the slopes. When in doubt, just ask us or look at the property description on our Web site. We have visited the properties and can tell you exactly how far an accommodation is from the lifts, a certain restaurant, downtown or whatever is most important to you and your traveling companions.
While this is possible in some destinations, it may not be in others. In both cases, keep in mind that ski-in/ski-out convenience will almost always cost more. Knowing exactly what your want to spend will help determine which type of property is right for you.
Whether you own your own equipment or this is your first time, renting is a great idea. Not only are you able to avoid the airlines' baggage fees, you're able to use the newest equipment on the market. Your Ski.com Mountain Vacation Specialist can book the appropriate equipment based on your abilities. For the utmost convenient, we can arrange for your rental equipment to be delivered right to you. All equipment is conveniently fitted right in your hotel room, condominium or house.
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To make sure you get your preferred travel dates and accommodations – especially for the December Holidays/New Years, Presidents Day week and spring break – book as early as possible. Though some properties don't release availability until well into the summer months, your Ski.com Mountain Vacation Specialist can take your early-booking requests and work to get results for you as soon as the information becomes available.
We not only offer travel insurance, we strongly recommend it. Since certain components of your packages are totally non refundable at a certain point prior to travel, having insurance may be the only way you can receive money back should a cancellation or delay be necessary due to illness or weather. For full details of coverage, see our Ski Trip Preserver for ski vacations.
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One of our Mountain Vacation Specialists is available to help you.


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Dana's Low-Carb for Life (Podcast)
Corned Beef Hash -- Potatoes? We Don't Need No Stinking Potatoes!
Like so many people, I cooked corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick's Day. Who cares that it's not even a tiny bit authentically Irish? We love it.
Being low carb and all, I used turnips instead of potatoes. Turnips have a very long history in Europe, certainly predating the South American potato. I peeled 4-5 turnips and cut them in wedges and put them in my big slow cooker. I chunked a couple of ribs of celery and half an onion, and threw them in, too. Put the corned beef on top, added water to cover, and sprinkled the contents of the spice packet over the corned beef. I was starting late, so I gave it 2 hours on high, then turned it down to low for another 4 or so. (1 hour on high is the rough equivalent of 2 on low.)
Then I coarsely chopped a quarter-head of cabbage (it was a big head), scooped out the corned beef and veggies and put 'em on a plate. Cranked the pot to high, threw in the cabbage, and gave it 30 minutes. Put everything back in at the last minute, just to warm it up, then served it forth with mustard and horseradish, plus plenty of butter for the vegetables. And a fine and filling supper it was.
This morning, I diced up the remainder of the corned beef, and most of the leftover vegetables -- I wanted just a slightly greater volume of vegetables to beef. I also diced the other half of the onion from Monday night. Melted a few tablespoons of good local butter in my big heavy skillet, and threw everything in. After that, it was just a matter of stirring it together and spreading it out, then turning it all and breaking it up a bit further with my spatula as it cooked. I turned it every 5-7 minutes or so, adding more butter as needed -- I probably used 1/3 cup or so, all told -- until everything was nicely browned.
Served it with a couple of fried eggs on top. Fabulous. I need to cook corned beef more often!
- Dana's blog
- Login to post comments
Sounds Great!
Oh, yeah, hash! I'd forgotten all about that! I cooked corned beef about a week before St. Paddy's Day, 'cause I was scheduled for surgery on 3/17 and knew I wouldn't feel like cooking that day (not to mention, now I'm on a liquid diet for several weeks following the oral surgery).
Do you put cream in your hash, or just use some of the pan juices to moisten it? I like to fry it in a hot skillet so it's crispy on the outside and "gooshy" on the inside (thank you to one of my kids for this delightfully descriptive word). Plenty of cracked pepper and a sprinkle of sea salt just before diving in fork first. :)
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Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora didn't know Pat Hill was the Falcons new offensive line coach. But he said he could tell from watching tape things were different.
Some accused the Falcons blockers of dirty play last year, and after other teams accused them of cheap tactics, Giants defensive end Justin Tuck admitted the Falcons had a reputation for being "dirt bags."
But apparently, no more.
"Definitely," Umenyiora said when asked if the Falcons were playing differently, via Jorge Castillo of the Newark Star-Ledger "They're not playing the way that they played. They're just trying to straight up block you; that's what they're trying to do.
"None of that dirty, after-the-play stuff they were doing last year."
Hill replaced Paul Boudreau, a longtime NFL assistant. And regardless the intent, the Falcons line has improved in terms of pass protection this year, although their run-blocking doesn't look as good (though that's a function of an aging Michael Turner as well).
But they're doing it within the rules of fair play, according to Umenyiora.
"I didn't even know they had a new offensive line coach so he's definitely cleaned that up," Umenyiora said. "I think he's more interested in winning and blocking people than trying to hurt people."
Boudreau doesn't have a reputation as a head-hunter within the league, and what Umenyiora's seeing may just be a function of having more guys on their feet and executing blocks instead of flailing as the Falcons so often did last year, when injuries left them with an odd lot of blockers weekly.


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It was a bad year for Royalty as Her Royal Highness began paying income tax, a fire destroyed much of Windsor Castle and Charles and Diana announced their separation. The Conservative Party was re-elected with their leader John Major. WH Smith announced they would no longer be selling LPs and Europe got its very own Disney theme park.
MUSICTake That formed and their chart breakthough came in the summer of this year with a cover of Tavares' It Only Takes A Minute.
At the beginning of the year Madonna returned to the charts with 'This Used To Be Me Playground' which not only gave her a 10th US No. 1 but also meant she had more UK top hits than the Beatles.


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In today's podcast, I talk about my self-tanning test, perfume families, bath & body products from Maryam's Soap Nook and some great listener mail. Here are links mentioned in the show:
- Take our listener survey.
- MAC Cosmetics Viva Glam look for Dita Von Teese
- Maryam's Soap Nook, also designer scents available.
Please subscribe to our feed and as always, your feedback is welcome. You can or leave a message at 801-335-1219.


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14-Year-Old Go-Kart Bandit Finally Nabbed After More Than 100 Robberies
Police say that they have finally caught the person responsible for more than 100 robberies that have taken place over the last two years in northern Nashville, Tennessee.
What's shocking is that the culprit is a 14-year-old boy who apparently used a go-kart as his getaway vehicle.
According to one report, the teen, whose name is being withheld due to his being a minor, allegedly kicked in doors and stole video games, flat screen televisions, and just about anything else he could get his hands on. Then he would speed away through back alleys to the next house in his go-kart.
Metro Police Lt. Horace Temple said, "He's tested the waters and tested our resources, definitely. He was an innovative individual."
In a way, officers say they feel bad for the teen, stating that he had lost both of his parents and needed someone to look up to. "The child didn't have a mentor or any kind of guidance in his life, and it kind of led to the life of crime on the streets," Temple said.
Police say that he has admitted to several break-ins.
The teen is now facing time in state custody.


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Electronic Music Legend Added To Moogfest 2012
Some records change lives. In 1967, when the sonic landscape of pop music was already shifting away from happy pop, a revolution was also happening in the relatively young world of electronic music. Morton Subotnick's Silver Apples of the Moon was a recording like no other. There were no guitars, no vocals, rarely a firm rhythmic pattern to hold on to. For me it was the musical equivalent of watching a meteor shower: random bits of beauty and wonder all in sound. So I'm incredibly thrilled that one of the fathers of electronic music, one of the people who inspired me to create sonic landscapes in rock music and buy an Arp Odyssey all those years ago, is going to perform these bits of chaos and wonder at this year's Moogfest. The electronic music festival was inspired by Bob Moog, a musician, inventor and inspiration to most every musician who has bent a circuit and made music with knobs, cables or a mouse.
What's so exciting about this announcement is not only the prospect of getting to hear Subotnik's music live, but also of getting to hear it in the context of a festival that also has Four Tet, a just announced collaboration between Tim Hecker and Daniel Lopatin, rapper Nas with a nine-piece band and homemade instrument makers Buke and Gase. In the spirit of old mixing with new, Subotnick will be performing Silver Apples on a Buchla synth — the creation of his peer Don Buchla, also a peer of the festival's namesake, Bob Moog — along with Ableton Live, a favorite bit of software used by many musicians making music with electronics these days.
Moogfest takes place October 26 and 27 in Asheville, NC.
Moogfest 2012 Lineup
Primus 3D
Miike Snow
Richie Hawtin
Explosions in the Sky
The Magnetic Fields
Four Tet
Divine Fits
GZA presents Liquid Swords
Carl Craig
Pantha Du Prince
Shpongle presents The Masquerade
Thomas Dolby
Morton Subotnick*
Black Moth Super Rainbow
Cold Cave
Mouse on Mars
Tim Hecker & Daniel Lopatin*
Prefuse 73 with Teebs
Ana Sia
Buke & Gase*
Bear in Heaven
Killer Mike
Julia Holter
Wick-It the Instigator
*new addition


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Wow this is great news!!!!
Amazing work ripsaw8080!!!
EDIT: I suggest that the discussion should continue on the folowing thread, as we are deviating from SoftMPU development:
bjt wrote:Hmm. What's your SB card?
bjt wrote:Bump - new release, see first post for details.
The new support for SB-MIDI allows SoftMPU to be used with older Creative cards like the Sound Blaster Pro. Games send MIDI data to SoftMPU's virtual MPU port to be piped though the Sound Blaster via SB-MIDI.
There are a couple of gotchas:
- Only real-mode games work (no DOS extenders etc.)
- Games that use MPU interrupts (a handful of intelligent-mode games) are currently not supported
Nevertheless this allows a lot of classic games (Lucasarts adventures etc) to work with a MT-32 connected to a Sound Blaster or SB Pro, something that's not been possible before.
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VIPER is the world's best selling vehicle security and remote start brand. We use precision engineering and cutting-edge technology to make sure you are in control. VIPER systems offer range and features you can count on every time.
VIPER created the smartphone car control category and is pioneering the keyless lifestyle revolution with VIPER SmartStart, which has been downloaded to more than one million iPhone, Android and BlackBerry handsets.
VIPER also offers a full window film line consisting of our Shade, Ultra, Security, and Ceramic series, all made-in-the-USA of the highest quality materials.


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AIKEN, S.C. - The No. 20 Georgia College & State University baseball squad (37-18) fell behind early and nearly caught up, dropping a 7-5 decision to No. 21 Catawba College (36-16) today (May 14) in the NCAA Southeast Regional hosted by USC Aiken.
Catawba jumped on Georgia College early, posting four unanswered runs over the first four innings. The Bobcats cut the lead to one at 6-5 in the bottom of the seventh, but couldn't get any closer.
Third baseman Steve Muoio (Rochester, N.Y.) drove in both runs in the seventh on a single, plating both Buddy Elmore (Dallas) and Richard Pirkle (Norcross, Ga.). Muoio finished 2-for-5 with the two RBI, Elmore scored twice on a 1-for-2 day with a pair of walks.
Shortstop ChandlerSnell (Loganville, Ga.) was 2-for-4 with an RBI double in the fourth, scoring once. Third baseman Matt Pitts (Brunswick, Ga.) had two singles (2-4) and scored a run. Georgia College left 10 runners on base. The bottom four spots of the order was excellent, going 7-for-17 with four RBI and three runs.
Catawba starter Tim Holmes (7-2) went 6 1/3 innings with four earned runs, scattering chances for the Bobcats. Nathan Furr got the last four outs for his eighth save. Bobcat starter Dylan Lightell (Rosamond, Calif.) fell to 4-6 on the year going just two innings, allowing three runs and six hits.
"We just didn't have it pitching today," said head coach Tom Carty. "They had runners on in each of the nine innings. We can't do that and be successful."
Powering the Catawba offense was the top of the order, as 1-through-4 went 11-for-18 with three RBI and five runs. Leadoff hitter Craige Lyerly was 3-for-6 with three runs.
The Bobcats will be back in action tomorrow, May 15 at 3 p.m. to take on the winner of the USC Aiken/Belmont Abbey College game set for 7 p.m. tonight.
Visit www.GCSUBobcats.com to nominate your favorite former Bobcats and Colonials to the GCSU Athletics Hall of Fame. The GCSU Department of Athletics sponsors 10 varsity athletic programs at the NCAA Division II level. As a Division II program, GCSU prides itself on balancing the life of the student-athlete, evidenced by the Bobcats' multiple appearances in post-season competition as well as documented academic success and community-service involvement. Sign up at Twitter.com username GCSUSID for up-to-the-minute reports.


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The country's top three mortgage lenders confirmed this week that new home loans dropped last year as mortgage rates rose, with earnings results Wednesday from Bank of America showing a 46% year-over-year drop in the fourth quarter.
Bank of America , the third-largest originator by market share, said it originated $11.6 billion in mortgages in the fourth quarter, down from $21.5 billion in the year-earlier period, "reflecting a corresponding decline in the overall market demand for mortgages."
"We really had the worst of all worlds in the fourth quarter," said Guy Cecala, publisher of the trade publication Inside Mortgage Finance. "We had the drop in the refi market and we also had the winter months," which are traditionally slow for home buying.
Looking at the broad market, mortgage applications plunged almost in half last year, led by dwindling interest from borrowers looking to refinance, as rates rose, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association, an industry group. The decline has forced the banks to cut jobs and other expenses in their mortgage units, after ramping them up to handle increased demand. Refinancing activity was especially a boon to Wells Fargo & Co. and J.P.Morgan Chase & Co. last year, though Bank of America missed out on some of the wave because it was busy remaking its mortgage unit after its disastrous 2008 purchase of Countrywide Financial Corp.
Bank of America's mortgage results echo the reports released earlier this week by Wells and J.P. Morgan, which are the No. 1 and No. 2 mortgage originators. Wells said it funded $50 billion in residential mortgages in the fourth quarter, down 60% from $125 billion in the year-earlier period. Meanwhile, J.P. Morgan reported that it funded $23 billion in mortgage loans in the fourth quarter, down 54% from a year earlier.
The drop in refinancing demand has forced the banks to find a bigger proportion of their mortgage origination revenue in home purchases. Bank of America said that refinancings made up 68% of its mortgage-origination revenue in the fourth quarter, still high but down from 84% a year ago. At Wells Fargo, the equation flipped: Refinancings made up just 32% of mortgage origination revenue, down from 65% the year before.
Cecala says that a flipped equation will be unfamiliar territory for the banks: Refinancings haven't accounted for less than 50% of mortgage origination revenue for more than a decade, by his calculations. He predicted that banks will have to rely more on mortgage servicing, where they collect and record monthly payments, rather than mortgage purchases.
Though generally the banks want interest rates to rise (it enables them to charge more for loans), higher rates have another detrimental effect to their mortgage revenue, besides just quashing demand for refinancing: It can also hurt their "gain on sale" margins. If a bank agrees to make a mortgage loan at, say, 3.5%, and then rates rise to 4% by the time the mortgage actually closes, then that mortgage is less valuable by the time the bank turns around to sell it.
But, the news isn't entirely grim. The dropping originations that are hitting banks' financial results could prove to be a boon for borrowers. Banks are hungry enough for mortgage revenue that they may relax standards and increase lending for home-purchase loans. Indeed, a recent Federal Reserve report on bank loan officers signaled that some are easing mortgage standards.
--Ruth Mantell and Christina Rexrode
Follow Ruth on Twitter @RuthMantell
Follow Christina @chris_rexrode
Follow the Capitol Report blog on Twitter @CapitolReport
How Obama plans to save the Senate, and more must-reads for Wednesday
Unemployment insurance hits new snag in Senate as McConnell calls proposal 'ridiculous'