text:
1) First things first...
Cheers to:
Craig Murray - for the moral courage that triggered this latest difficulty
Clive Summerfield - for handling this and many other technical difficulties
Justin McKeating - for handling the response to this latest difficulty
200+ other bloggers - for that response
Apologies to:
The many bystanders who were affected by a nuclear response to a pissweak threat.
2) Schillings used a combination of misdirection, intimidation and character assassination to silence and undermine Craig Murray instead of properly addressing the substance of what he had to say about their client Alisher Usmanov or challenging it through the courts. While the exact abuse(s) of power and inappropriate use(s) of media, law, and money differ, this is otherwise indistinguishable from Jack Straw's approach to the former ambassador to Uzbekistan (1, 2). It's comforting to know that Iain Dale considers this type of assault on free speech to be wrong but, in an effort to maintain the remarkable level of cross-spectrum support we've seen in recent days, I'm going to draw this observation to a close at that point and say no more.
3) Seeing the extraordinary level of support, it's hard not to collapse into a blubbering heap a'la Sally Field, but the reality of it is that this matters to bloggers because it could happen to any one of us. Nevertheless, Clive and I do have a responsibility to finally make clear exactly what has happened and attempt to see that some general good comes of this manifestation of absolute absurdity.
4) But before we proceed, I have a quick personal message for those representatives of the mainstream media who only regarded this to be newsworthy because of the collateral damage done to Boris Johnson and/or took people like Schillings and Fasthosts at their word without even bothering to speak to us:
Now, onwards...
To ensure we broadcast as clear a picture as possible, Clive and I need to deal with this matter by addressing the parties/issues involved in the following order:
- Fasthosts
- Schillings
- Alisher Usmanov
- UK libel law
Today, we begin with Fasthosts. A small part of their response will be vital to our subsequent response to Schillings, but if we have to proceed without their co-operation, then so be it:
Shortly, Clive and I will be publishing a timeline of the events that led up the closure of the account, and the events that followed. However, we would like to offer Fasthosts 24 hours in which to deliver the following before we do so:
- All Schillings correspondence that Fasthosts have so far failed to show us, and an apology for the delay in disclosure.
- A retraction and/or correction of any false or misleading statements issued/relayed by Fasthosts to the press regarding the account closure, and an apology for same.
- A fair offer of compensation for all parties inconvenienced by that closure.
- An additional fair offer of compensation for the inconvenience and stress caused to myself, Clive Summerfield and Craig Murray and for the damage done to our reputations by the action (and inaction) of Fasthosts *and* for any false or misleading statements made regarding the account closure and this matter in general.
In the interests of transparency, we request that all of the above (with the exception of the Schillings correspondence itself) be addressed via a public statement to be published in this section of Fasthosts' website:
On that final request for compensation, a lot of detail will have to wait until the timeline is published, but for now we can say that we felt greatly restricted in what we could say on this matter at the time due the removal of our primary communication devices and the further complication of Fasthosts still being in possession of a large amount of our data (and their initial insistence that we move it with the equivalent of a bloody teaspoon). Fasthosts either sought to take advantage of this situation, or failed to fully communicate the exact nature of some aspects of this case to/via their PR department for reasons unknown. Either way, the message quickly spread in some quarters that we had repeatedly refused or failed to co-operate with Fasthosts over the relevant legal threats, and this simply isn't true.
We expect the response to be fairly widely-read by many opinion-makers in the field of personal web publishing, so it would also be in Fasthosts' interests to take this opportunity to also reassure current and future resellers and end-users by donning a a full-body cilice *and* outlining any changes or improvements they plan to make to their procedures when handling threats of legal action. Currently, the most popular line of thinking is that the safest way to handle matters is to host outside of the UK; therefore, we feel that Fasthosts have a unique opportunity here to help not only themselves, but the UK web hosting industry in general.
[UPDATE (26 Sep) - The deadline passed with no response from Fasthosts. The timeline had to be published with some gaps, and you can read all about it right here.]
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Requesting a response from Fasthosts
1) First things first...
Posted by Tim at 12:12 PM
Labels: alisher usmanov, fasthosts, schillings, uk libel law
20 comments:
- beaubodor said...
Welcome back.
If you believe Fasthosts information that was released is potentially libelous to any party (and they have posted it on their site), could you not get them to take themselves offline with a strongly worded solicitors letter :)
- September 25, 2007 at 1:11 PM
- Fidothedog said...
Glad to see that you are back up and running.
- September 25, 2007 at 1:14 PM
- Tim said...
Hahahaha! No, not if it's a correction. Cheers for your comment, and for this.
Loving this too, BTW.
- September 25, 2007 at 1:16 PM
- The Cartoonist said...
Great you're back. I'm looking forward to the next weeks - this is better than any Hitchcock movie. Hope we'll get a happy ending too.
- September 25, 2007 at 1:33 PM
- Jherad said...
Good to see you back in action!
- September 25, 2007 at 2:18 PM
- Shutter said...
Welcome to the Bloggers world where you are modestly (but not completely free) from showbiz lawyers and Russian gangstas thanks to the legal system of the Land of the Free and the home of the Brave and their wonderful (but ever so slightly trashed c/oMr A Gonzalez, Mr Yoo etc.,)Constitution and wonderful 1st Amendment.
As a result the article which Craig tells me is the origin of the complaint by the fat football fan published in 2005
- was re-posted the same day and has happily dwelt there ever since, untroubled by threats, legal or otherwise - along with some other and prior articles about Mr Umarov and the treatments he received from Mr Karimov's goons - plus sundry other remarks about Mr Usmanov.
Our view here is that to insist in pursuing redress, in writing or financially from Schillings / Fasthosts is pointless, exhausting and ultimately worthless.Retreive what you can with good grace inn the way of data files and move on.
Get on doing what you do best and attack the real villains from the relative calm and peace of distant Dubya's Disneyland.
Choose your battles.
PS - we will post details for others to direct them.
Life is just too fucking short.
- September 25, 2007 at 2:34 PM
- Tim said...
"I choose the danger." - Leonard McCoy (Star Trek III: The Search for Spock)
The alternative is to meekly accept the libel laws as they are and abandon any notion of hosting locally.
- September 25, 2007 at 2:51 PM
- Jherad said...
I don't know - would you be able to make a difference to our libel laws? Hosting abroad won't shelter you, but it will shelter your ISP - which in turn forces opponents to confront you legally. I think a long-term campaign hosted abroad might work better. But then, I'm no expert.
- September 25, 2007 at 3:47 PM
- Tim said...
We can try. Why waste a rare and beautiful cross-spectrum catalyst?
- September 25, 2007 at 3:53 PM
- Jherad said...
Very true. I'm amazed at how 'cross-spectrum' this has become. Still getting ignored/misrepresented by the MSM though.
Perhaps a widespread campaign to get as many high-profile bloggers hosting abroad as possible would be a start. I've a feeling that the key to change is to have hosting companies themselves driving it. Give them a kick up the arse.
- September 25, 2007 at 4:11 PM
- Matt Buck said...
Welcome back
- September 25, 2007 at 4:12 PM
- Tim said...
I've a feeling that the key to change is to have hosting companies themselves driving it.
I have a similar feeling. Let's see what Fasthosts does with this opportunity first.
- September 25, 2007 at 4:21 PM
- Mr Eugenides said...
Good to see that the disruption has been temporary, and - perhaps more to the point - so massively counterproductive.
- September 25, 2007 at 4:21 PM
- RickB said...
You're not alone, solidarity blogmig@!
- September 25, 2007 at 4:57 PM
Nice to have you back. Ive attracted an audience of Spanish speaking bloggers to what's going on here, so if you can send me brief summaries to translate and spread around the Latinosphere, it'd be much appreciated.
- September 25, 2007 at 6:46 PM
- Tim said...
Do feel free to remind me after we've published that timeline (which will probably require a summary anyway).
Thanks for spreading the word.
- September 25, 2007 at 6:53 PM
- Jeremy Jacobs said...
I've missed most of this situation. But, is it not the fact that if Mr Usamov feels he was libelled, then is it not reasonable for a firm of litigators like Schillings to carry out instructions?
- September 25, 2007 at 7:19 PM
- Bartholomew said...
There are too many bullies out there using libel threats to suppress free political discussion on the internet, thanks to duff UK libel laws. It would be nice if we could see some reform without somebody having to risk all their worldly goods. You and Craig Murray are both very brave, good luck with it.
- September 25, 2007 at 7:53 PM
- Tim said...
I agree. Also, understanding of the inequalities here are complicated by other forms of online bullying that lead some victims to a point where they have no choice but to say; "Would you care to defend that statement in court?" or perhaps even refer matters to the police.
One key difference here is that Schillings haven't actually done anything but threaten legal action. But in the process they've unwittingly brought a great deal of publicity to a weak case, when their reputation as ruthless Rottweilers is key to their business. I'm betting that until recently they thought they were largely immune to blowback because of this; observe how many immediate reactions (including mine) involved focusing on this aspect as if it would be considered a negative quality by everybody.
I invite you to watch in the coming days, and keep an eye out for the details. Usmanov seems very reluctant to have his day in court.
- September 25, 2007 at 8:18 PM
- Goonerholic said...
Thanks to you and Craig for turning a light on for some of us.
- September 25, 2007 at 10:39 PM


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Sarkodie-Gyan Appointed Asst. Prof. of Mechanical Engineering, Oct. 30, 2000
SOCORRO, N.M., October 30, 2000 -- Thompson Sarkodie-Gyan recently was appointed to the full-time, tenure-track position of associate professor of mechanical engineering at New Mexico Tech, becoming the first person to fill a faculty position that is directly linked to the university's proposed mechanical engineering degree program.
Immediately before assuming his new position at New Mexico Tech, Sarkodie-Gyan worked as a faculty member at the University of Teesside in the United Kingdom, and, prior to that, as an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of New Mexico.
Sarkodie-Gyan earned his doctoral degree in process measurement and control at the Technical University's Institute of Measurement and Control in Berlin, Germany, where he also attained his graduate degree in industrial metrology. In addition, he also earned a graduate-school degree in cybernetics and automation technology at the Otto Von-Guericke Technical University in Magdeburg, Germany.
This fall semester at New Mexico Tech, Sarkodie-Gyan is teaching two engineering design courses--"Dynamic Systems and Control" and "Fluid and Thermal Systems Design."
"My teaching philosophy is that the students were already here before I arrived, so it's my duty to adapt to them and not vice versa," Sarkodie-Gyan points out. "However, it is imperative that I provide them with a learning process which will unleash their potentials for excellence."
He also is serving as a member of both the university's Library and Academic Standards committees and as faculty advisor to Tech's student chapter of the American Society of Mechanical
Engineers (ASME).
"Most of my recent research is in machine vision and pattern recognition--projects which will be continued here at New Mexico Tech," Sarkodie-Gyan relates. "But, I'm also into robotics and automation, and I plan on collaborating with faculty researchers in the electrical engineering department on those projects."
One of Sarkodie-Gyan's many inventions, for example, is a sensor that detects and hones in on specific chemical odors--a device which will soon be retrofitted for use in a land-mine-detecting robot which researchers in the electrical engineering department have developed and are currently testing.
Some of his other patented inventions include an automated training machine which helps stroke patients walk, a vision-based measurement system, and a foot sensor for diabetic patients.
"If possible, I'd like to work toward establishing a good research team or laboratory in my areas of interest," Sarkodie-Gyan says, "so that I can be very pleased not just with my own successes, but with our collective successes."
Sarkodie-Gyan relates that when he came to New Mexico Tech for a job interview last spring, he had all but made up his mind that he would be taking another job offer from a university in Germany, but after the interview, his mind was changed.
"After meeting the people here, after experiencing the atmosphere, and after the warm reception I was given, I really didn't have the option left to make a decision to not come here," he says.
Now that he is here, Sarkodie-Gyan says he also wants to do his best to become a contributing member of the community.
"I want to be able to share the common goals and core values of both Tech and Socorro," he says, "and to help with their development."

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Solving chemical experiments in cyberspace wins scientists Nobel Prize in chemistry
Guest post by Beth Mole and Meghan Rosen
Computer modeling of complex chemical processes has earned three scientists the 2013 Nobel Prize in chemistry.
The mysterious and lightning fast chemical reactions that transfer electrons between atoms have been impossible to observe by the naked eye. The three scientists who take home the prize have harnessed the power of computing to simulate those reactions. The models allow scientists to dissect how plants create energy from light, how proteins fold in cells and how chemical processes purify exhaust fumes.
The Nobel committee awarded the prize to Martin Karplus of Harvard University and University of Strasbourg, Michael Levitt of Stanford University and Arieh Warshel of the University of Southern California.


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Originally published Saturday, March 3, 2012 at 8:22 PM
Mets say 1B Ike Davis likely has valley fever
Mets first baseman Ike Davis likely has valley fever and will be given days off to avoid extreme fatigue, a symptom of the disease.
The Associated Press
Mets first baseman Ike Davis likely has valley fever and will be given days off to avoid extreme fatigue, a symptom of the disease.
Davis took a physical when he arrived at spring training in Port St. Lucie, Fla., and the exam showed an abnormal chest X-ray. He was sent to New York for further tests and when he returned to camp, the Mets said Davis had a simple lung infection.
The team revealed a new diagnosis Saturday night after MLB.com reported Davis' condition earlier in the day.
"Following additional tests here and in NYC, pulmonary and infectious disease specialists have concluded that Ike likely has valley fever, which is expected to resolve itself over time," the Mets said in a statement.
Davis was expected to be available to reporters Sunday.
Valley fever is a fungal infection that is released from the dirt in desert regions of the Southwest and is inhaled. It can be stirred up by construction and winds. Davis lives in Arizona in the offseason.
"Ike is not contagious, is not taking any medication for his condition and does not currently exhibit any of the outward symptoms associated with valley fever," the Mets said. "However, Ike has been instructed to avoid extreme fatigue. No additional tests or examinations are pending, but Ike will have a follow-up exam when the team returns to NYC in early April."
Expected to bat cleanup this season, Davis had two hits in an intrasquad game Saturday.
Valley fever can be a serious problem - it caused Conor Jackson to miss all but the first 30 games of the 2009 season with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Greg Kraft had his promising golf career sidetracked after he contracted the disease during the 2002 Tucson Open.
After a promising rookie season, Davis missed most of 2011 with a bone bruise in his left ankle, sustained in a routine-looking collision with David Wright on May 10 in Colorado. Davis has shown no effects of the injury this spring.
Davis batted .302 with seven homers and 25 RBIs in 36 games last season after hitting .264 with 19 home runs and 71 RBIs in 2010.
The loss of Davis for any length of time would be a serious blow to the Mets after All-Star shortstop Jose Reyes signed as a free agent with the Miami Marlins this winter. New York has slashed its payroll after going 77-85 last season.


text:
Every week we hear about or read another "PPC wish list" that outlines all of the features that Google AdWords, Microsoft adCenter or even Facebook should build into their respective advertising platforms. Each list builds on the last as PPC managers the world over desperately try to improve functionality and reporting capabilities. Typically, these platitudes fall on seemingly deaf ears.
One of the trendy wish list items of late has been for Google AdWords to provide conversion data for Ad Extensions such as Sitelink, Location, Call and Product Extensions. It would seem that Google was listening.
Last week without so much as an announcement, Google released conversion data associated with Ad Extensions. The news was broken by Search Engine Watch contributor Melissa Mackey via Twitter and her blog.
Near hysteria followed on Twitter, as the PPC community immediately jumped into their AdWords accounts and began a discussion of the extent of this new reporting feature. To date, Google has not released an official announcement.
How to Report Conversions for Ad Extensions
To report on conversions for Ad Extensions is actually pretty simple. Within AdWords, click on the Ad Extensions tab and select the extension type (Sitelink, Location, Call, etc.). The next step is to make sure that you have the conversion columns in place for your data. Click on the Columns button and select the conversion parameters as shown here:
After clicking Save, you will now see conversion stats for all of your active Ad Extensions!
Segment Your Ad Extension Conversion Data
Just seeing conversions associated with Ad Extension clicks is a major step forward in terms of reporting. But it isn't the full picture. How did your extensions perform on Google Search versus Search Partners? How about time of day or day of the week? More importantly, what about data for your actual extension versus the normal ad?
As a reminder, the top level data for extensions only tells you how many impressions, clicks and conversions were generated when an Ad Extension was shown in conjunction with your normal text ad. Use the Segment feature to slice and dice this information further to see how each extension performed separate from your regular text ad.
The Segment drop down menu provides many opportunities for analyzing Ad Extension conversion data:
For Sitelinks, what really has PPC managers (myself included) is being able to report how many conversions were generated directly as a result of a click on a Sitelink. Use the Click Type segmentation to differentiate between Headline (your normal text ad) versus Sitelink:
You can also see how many searchers converted after clicking on the "Get Directions" link for Location Extensions. What about conversions from click-to-call ads on mobile? It's all possible!
What's Missing?
While all of this new data is exciting, it isn't complete. The most egregious omission is seeing data per Sitelink. All of the data associated with Sitelinks are aggregated. This means there is still no meaningful way to test which Sitelink messages are resonating with searchers in terms of click-through rate or conversion.
Additionally, Ad Extension data still isn't associated with AdWords Editor for Location or Sitelink extensions. This isn't surprising considering Google hasn't even made a formal announcement yet! But it will be something to look for in the coming weeks/months.
Those few negatives aside, there is still plenty for PPC advertisers to be excited about. No longer will we have to assure clients or marketing decision makers that Ad Extensions are an important part of the PPC puzzle. Now we can actually bring real conversion data to the conversation to prove their worth. Enjoy the new data!
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Letter to the editor, week 28
Summer — the best time to play outdoors
Everyday we hear the words "In this tough economic time…" and we all feel in different ways the impact of the economic crisis. But there is something very important that no one should ever forget—we have to make sure that our children, who are our future, live healthy and valuable lives.
Despite all the difficulties, the tough economic time may open the opportunity to promote the idea of living life close to nature. Why our society needs it? Because as Richard Louv, the author of the famous book "Last Child in the Woods", wrote: "Nature nurtures creativity", and "Children need nature for the healthy development of their senses". The fact that "children ages 3-12 spend 1-percent of their time outdoors, and 27-percent with television, computers, or other electronic media" (Hofferth, Sandra; and Sandberg, John (1999), Changes in American Children's Time, 1981-1997, University of Michigan Institute for Social Research), raises a wide range of environmental, social, psychological, and physical concerns.
Back in April of this year, six days were designated as "No Child Left Inside Days" in Michigan. A great initiative, but was it enough for promoting the benefits of outdoor recreation? Summer is the perfect time to encourage children to play outside instead of spending the time indoors, in front of the TV or computer. Let's help our children live healthy and valuable lives by ensuring their safety while playing outdoors. In the local parks or their own backyard, it wouldn't matter as long as they can explore, observe, experience and learn. For most parents it will be a challenge to drag their children away from TV, computer and video games, but little by little, gradually increasing the time spent outdoors, children will build a habit to play outside and connect with nature. Let's make this summer, the summer of outdoors play!
Dora Vallad
Preschool Teacher
Keywordsarenac county letter dora vallad
Please review our community guidelines before posting
Please keep comments on topic and appropriate for all ages. Remember that people of all ages read our website. Those that are not appropriate will be removed. Please read our full community guidelines before posting.
This is a very wise and well written piece. All parents, grandparents, child care providers should take it to heart.


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I will try to be gentle with this, but it's going to hurt, Houston. It's going to hurt.
Don't blame me though. This started in 1960.
First, the school board leased Jepessen Stadium to Bud Adams and spent the money to expand the high school stadium from 22,000 to 36,000.
And wouldn't you know it, the Houston Oilers' first game was against a team from Dallas.
Oh yeah, they lost, 27-10, starting a long, sad history of Houston losing to Dallas.
Worse, in that first game, the Oilers didn't even have the decency to lose to the Cowboys. Actually, I'm pretty sure the Oilers were better than the Cowboys in 1960. But alas, they were in different leagues. Yep, another Big D victory. Dallas got a franchise in the better league, the NFL.
Wouldn't you know it, the Oilers moved to the Astrodome in 1968, the same year they finally got to play the Cowboys in a preseason game for the first time. Uh huh, they lost, 33-19.
Two years later, in the first time they matched up in the regular season, Dallas won 52-10.
Can you get where I'm going here?
Let me just stop. There would be too much anguish before we got to the Texans'
meaningless inspiring inaugural victory over the Cowboys in 2002.
The Sporting News reports that the new national championship game, which will be the title game after what most likely will be a four-team college football playoff, will be offered to cities on a bid basis, much like the Super Bowl.
This game will be huge, and it could be awarded to cities that aren't currently affiliated with BCS bowls. The Sporting News mentioned Dallas, Indianapolis, Atlanta and Tampa as possible host sites.
Left Houston completely off the list.
Why would Reliant Stadium not earn Houston a mention? It would be a perfect location for that game. Houston would be a great host city. Heck, often in early January visitors here can see gorgeous golf weather.
This game belongs in Houston. But …
When it comes to big-time football games, that darn monstrosity in Arlington is blocking the sun and all the fun from coming to Houston.
Every time I mention Houston to a college athletic director, he throws Jerry World in my face. I'm serious.
Those fine moneymaking peeps that run Lone Star Sports and Entertainment at Two Reliant Park aren't going to take this lying down. They will put up a fight, but it's going to be difficult to outduel Cowboys Stadium for big-time football games.
Oh, Reliant Stadium has made its way into the Final Four rotation, but the soon-to-be-announced national championship football game won't be an easy sell.
Simply put, to most people who don't know Texas, there really isn't much difference between Dallas and Houston. So for now, when it comes to major football games (Super Bowls too), Dallas will probably beat out Houston. Again.
Think about it, aside from things you don't like, such as rats, roaches, and days the Astrodome will suck the taxpayers dry, 100,000 always beats 70,000.
Dallas beats Houston.


text:
As the competition to capture consumer attention on mobile devices grows, marketers must know their customers inside and out, in order to effectively engage with them. To do this, mobile cannot be treated as simply a channel, but as a relationship and an ongoing, ever-changing one at that.
If you're always talking and never listening, observing and remembering what people like, what they do, and where they go, you won't keep relationships very long. Given this, loyalty apps need to be smarter - they need to observe more than location, and they need to combine a series of events over time to understand consumer context, preferences and intent, in order to open the door to real engagement.
Relevance is key as each individual and their device are personal. Each individual has a unique way of wanting to relate to and interact with brands and retailers. If location is the only criteria triggering an offer, brands run the risk of annoying consumers much like the guy handing out lewd postcards on the Vegas strip. Just because you walk by doesn't mean you're interested.
Wireless industry leader Smith Micro asserts that retailers must ask themselves how each individual consumer wishes to interact with them via their mobile device. Once brands evaluate preferences, circumstances, patterns and history over time, they begin to map their customers' unique mobile DNA and build a genuine, mutually beneficial relationship.
The following are hypothetical scenarios that model ideal mobile marketing instances that successfully personalize their offerings and take a positive first step at mapping their customers' personal mobile DNA.
Related Topics : In Their Own Words: The Four Dark Horses for the Third Major Mobile OS Speak, HTC, Mobile Search, 3G, Location-Based Services
Wearables are revolutionizing the workplace, with innovations that create a safer work environment or enhance the way professionals are able to go about their job. ... More >>
Here are the top 10 strategic technology trends that will impact most organizations in 2017. Strategic technology trends are defined as those with substantial disruptive potential or those reaching the tipping point over the next five years. ... More >>
Digital innovation is by far the biggest influencer, changing the way we do just about everything, from shopping to communication to running a business. ... More >>


text:
Posts Tagged 'TACOM Life Cycle Management Command'
MILNEWS.ca News Highlights – 27 Aug 11
- "A new study shows that a majority of Canadians think the Canadian Forces are important, but would like to see the military return to a more traditional peacekeeping role instead of a combat one. An Ipsos-Reid study, published in June 2011 for the Department of National Defence and titled: Views of the Canadian Forces 2011 Tracking Study, surveyed 1,651 Canadians across the country between March 21 and 24 on their knowledge and opinions about Canada's military and its missions, primarily in Afghanistan and Libya. When asked to describe the mission in Afghanistan, such words as "deadly," "expensive," "underfunded" and "endless" were used. "There was a also a sense of "enough is enough," the study authors wrote. "In general, many participants seemed to feel that they were under-informed about the Canadian Forces' role in Afghanistan, and that they did not know why the Canadian Forces was still there," the study said …."
- Way Up North (x) "Prime Minister Stephen Harper has sent a signal to Beijing that Ottawa will not relinquish its sovereignty over the portions of the Arctic lying within its territory. Countries around the world are looking northward as the sea passage across the top of Canada becomes increasingly navigable and exploration for new energy and mineral sources suggests the Arctic could contain a wealth of untapped natural resources. One of those countries is China, which has begun to take a hard look at the potential that lies under what was once a frozen ocean, especially the commercial and shipping possibilities, and has asked for special observer status in the Arctic Council. On Friday, a reporter with the official Chinese news service who is accompanying the Prime Minister on his annual summer tour, asked him to clarify his position. "It seems like there are some local media reports that the Arctic region belongs to the Arctic countries and it's not the business of the rest of the world," the Chinese reporter said. "What is your comment on this opinion and what role do you think the rest of the world can play in the Arctic region affairs?" Mr. Harper responded by saying that vast areas of land and significant territorial waters within the Arctic are under the sovereignty of various countries, including Canada. "The government of Canada, working with our partners and the people in this region, intend to assert our sovereignty in these regions," said the Prime Minister …."
- Way Up North (x) Wired.com's Danger Room blog on the CF's tender call for quiet snowmobiles: "The Canadian government wants a stealth snowmobile. Just, apparently, because. It's not as if Canada has any alpine enemies to sneak up on with shadowy, frigid cavalry. But that's not going to stop the Canadian Department of National Defence from spending a half million dollars on a prototype …."
- "The body of a former Ottawa resident was found this week among over 150 others in a Tripoli warehouse, members of Canada's Libyan community report. Abdulhamid Darrat, who first came to Ottawa in the early 1980s, ran a successful Internet company in Libya called Baitaslxams. He was taken by government officers along with five co-workers and shoved into the back of a van, while at work in May. His daughter, Khadija, 16, said the last time she saw her father was at 3 a.m. on May 19 before he headed into the office for the day. Khadija said Libyan officials led the family to believe that Darrat was taken out of Tripoli in order to do some sort of Internet work for the government. She said relatives with contacts in the Gadhafi regime told them Darrat was well looked after and doing well …."
- "Prime Minister Stephen Harper will be at the table when world leaders decide the future of Libya. A conference dubbed "Friends of Libya" is set for Sept. 1, in Paris, France. French President Nicolas Sarkozy invited all NATO member countries, including Canada, and added China, Russia, India and Brazil to the invite list. Sarkozy said he called the conference "to help a free Libya, tomorrow's Libya, and to really show that we are going forward and passing from military collaboration to civil collaboration to resolve the situation." …."
- How'd the Libyan rebels get that expensive Canadian-built micro-UAV? "…. Start-up Aeryon is mainly focused on the consumer uses of drones, such as replacing satellite mapping with drone mapping. Their drones are dual-purpose products — intended for commercial use, but also usable for military operations as demonstrated below. Canadian law only prohibits them from selling drones to North Korea or Iran. "Because it's a dual-purpose product, rather than just intended for military use, we face fewer restrictions when sending them to other countries," says (Aeryon CEO David) Kroetsch …."
- One old warhorse's glass-is-half-empty view of Libya: "…. is Libya a "victory"? We don't know much about the rebel leadership and the National Transitional Council (NTC) that Canada, for one, is pledged to support. What we do know is that the rebels have gotten rid of one of their military leaders – former Interior Minister Abdul Younis — who was assassinated by his own fighters in Benghazi for reason unknown. That's an uncomfortable omen for the future. Also known is that with total victory, tribal and ideological factionalisms surface, and scores beg to be settled …."
- Exercise PANAMAX 2011 in, around Panama is winding down.
- Afghanistan (1) "Four Chinook helicopters flown by the Canadian military in the deserts of southern Afghanistan soon will be headed to another desert — in Arizona. Unable to sell the aging aircraft, the federal government has decided to ship the Chinooks to the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group, a U.S. air force installation known as "The Boneyard." The helicopters will be stored at the open-air facility outside Tucson until the government can find a buyer, said Tracy Poirier, a spokeswoman for the Defence Department. The department, however, declined to provide a cost estimate for the storage, saying it is prohibited from revealing the details of contracts made with a foreign governments. "This was the most economical option available to us," Poirier said. "This facility is the biggest of its kind in North America and very specialized at storing and reinstating old aircraft." …."
- Afghanistan (2) Last Canadian Air Wing boss back home.
- Afghanistan (3) Canadian reporter discovers it's damned expensive bringing stuff to fight a war 1/2 way around the world. "Summer in (southern) Afghanistan is a blast furnace. Temperatures rise over 50C. Air conditioning is what allows the frenzied pace of NATO's war during the fighting season. The price is astronomical. The Americans have calculated that in the past two years they have spent $20 billion on AC. If you add the rest of NATO, that figure is probably well over $24 billion. That means that coalition forces spend more to keep themselves cool each year than Afghanistan's gross national product. Every drop of fuel, drinking water as well as every morsel of food consumed on NATO bases is imported into this landlocked country – most of it trucked in through Pakistan. The cost is enormous …."
- Afghanistan (4) Chatting up surrendered Taliban.
- Ronald Kevin Megeney, 1982-2007, R.I.P.: "The trial of former Nova Scotia reservist Matthew Wilcox, charged in the shooting death of his friend and comrade in Afghanistan in 2007, has been adjourned until Sept. 12. Wilcox has pleaded not guilty to charges of criminal negligence causing death and negligent performance of a military duty in the death of Cpl. Kevin Megeney, a fellow reservist from Nova Scotia …." More here.
- Some U.S. Army LAV work for a Canadian company. "General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada, a business unit of General Dynamics Corporation (NYSE:GD), received a contract worth $49.2 million from the U.S. Army TACOM Life Cycle Management Command. Per the contract, General Dynamics will provide training and field service support for Light Armored Vehicles ("LAV") that was previously supplied under a Foreign Military Sale ("FMS") contract. Support activities under this contract include the provision of field support teams to conduct operator and maintenance training, technical support and fleet status monitoring. The five-year contract was awarded through the Canadian Commercial Corporation, a Crown Agency of the Canadian Government and is expected to be completed by July 2016 …."
- Postmedia News offers up a series of terrorism profiles of different countries, including Canada.
- This from the Veterans Affairs Info-Machine: "On behalf of the Honourable Steven Blaney, Minister of Veterans Affairs, the Honourable Gail Shea, Minister of National Revenue, announced today up to $5,000 in funding for the official opening of the Air Force Heritage Park in Summerside, Prince Edward Island. "Our government is proud to support great community projects like this one," said Minister Blaney. "We commend all those involved with the creation of the Air Force Heritage Park for doing their part to recognize the men and women who have served our country, past and present." …."


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MySQL 5.5 News: Read the MySQL 5.5 Update feature overview.
The easiest way to backup your database would be to telnet to the your database server machine and use the mysqldump command to dump your whole database to a backup file. If you do not have telnet or shell access to your server, don't worry about it; I shall outline a method of doing so using the PHPMyAdmin web interface, which you can setup on any web server which executes PHP scripts.
Playing with mysqldump
If you have either a shell or telnet access to your database server, you can backup the database using mysqldump. By default, the output of the command will dump the contents of the database in SQL statements to your console. This output can then be piped or redirected to any location you want. If you plan to backup your database, you can pipe the output to a sql file, which will contain the SQL statements to recreate and populate the database tables when you wish to restore your database. There are more adventurous ways to use the output of mysqldump.
A Simple Database Backup:
You can use mysqldump to create a simple backup of your database using the following syntax.
mysqldump -u [username] -p [password] [databasename] > [backupfile.sql]
- [username] – this is your database username
- [password] – this is the password for your database
- [databasename] – the name of your database
- [backupfile.sql] – the file to which the backup should be written.
The resultant dump file will contain all the SQL statements needed to create the table and populate the table in a new database server. To backup your database 'Customers' with the username 'sadmin' and password 'pass21' to a file custback.sql, you would issue the command:
mysqldump -u sadmin -p pass21 Customers > custback.sql
You can also ask mysqldump to add a drop table command before every create command by using the option –add-drop-table. This option is useful if you would like to create a backup file which can rewrite an existing database without having to delete the older database manually first.
mysqldump –add-drop-table -u sadmin -p pass21 Customers > custback.sql
Backing up only specified tables
If you'd like restrict the backup to only certain tables of your database, you can also specify the tables you want to backup. Let's say that you want to backup only customer_master & customer_details from the Customers database, you do that by issuing
mysqldump –add-drop-table -u sadmin -p pass21 Customers customer_master customer_details> custback.sql
So the syntax for the command to issue is:
mysqldump -u [username] -p [password] [databasename] [table1 table2 ….]
- [tables] – This is a list of tables to backup. Each table is separated by a space.
{mospagebreak title=What about Multiple Databases?}
If you are a database administrator who has to look after multiple databases, you'll need to back up more than one database at a time. Here's how you can backup multiple databases in one shot.
If you want to specify the databases to backup, you can use the –databases parameter followed by the list of databases you would like to backup. Each database name has to be separated by at least one space when you type in the command. So if you have to backup 3 databases, let say Customers, Orders and Comments, you can issue the following command to back them up. Make sure the username you specify has permissions to access the databases you would like to backup.
mysqldump -u root -p pass21 –databases Customers Orders Comments > multibackup.sql
This is okay if you have a small set of databases you want to backup. Now how about backing up all the databases in the server? That's an easy one, just use the –all-databases parameter to backup all the databases in the server in one step.
mysqldump –all-databases> alldatabases.sql
Backing up only the Database Structure
Most developers need to backup only the database structure to while they are developing their applications. You can backup only the database structure by telling mysqldump not to back up the data. You can do this by using the –no-data parameter when you call mysqldump.
mysqldump –no-data –databases Customers Orders Comments > structurebackup.sql
Compressing your Backup file on the Fly
Backups of databases take up a lot of space. You can compress the output of mysqldump to save valuable space while you're backing up your databases. Since mysqldump sends its output to the console, we can pipe the output through gzip or bzip2 and send the compressed dump to the backup file. Here's how you would do that with bzip2 and gzip respectively.
mysqldump –all-databases | bzip2 -c >databasebackup.sql.bz2
mysqldump –all-databases | gzip >databasebackup.sql.gz
A Shell Script for Automating Backups?
You can automate the backup process by making a small shell script which will create a daily backup file. How do you get cron to back up your database without overwriting the older backup? You can use a tiny shell script to add the date to your backup file. An example of a shell script you could use is shown below.
date=`date -I`
mysqldump –all-databases | gzip > /var/backup/backup-$date.sql.gz
{mospagebreak title=Easy Restore}
Now that you've got backups of your database, let's learn how to restore your backup in case your database goes down. Here's how you can restore your backed up database using the mysql command.
Restore using mysql
If you have to re-build your database from scratch, you can easily restore the mysqldump file by using the mysql command. This method is usually used to recreate or rebuild the database from scratch.
Here's how you would restore your custback.sql file to the Customers database.
mysql -u sadmin -p pass21 Customers < custback.sql
Easy isn't it ? Here's the general format you would follow:
mysql -u [username] -p [password] [database_to_restore] < [backupfile]
Now how about those zipped files? You can restore your zipped backup files by first uncompressing its contents and then sending it to mysql.
gunzip < custback.sql.sql.gz | mysql -u sadmin -p pass21 Customers
You can also combine two or more backup files to restore at the same time, using the cat command. Here's how you can do that.
cat backup1.sql backup.sql | mysql -u sadmin -p pass21
Moving Data Directly Between Databases
How would you like to replicate your present database to a new location? When you are shifting web hosts or database servers, you can directly copy data to the new database without having to create a database backup on your machine and restoring the same on the new server. mysql allows you to connect to a remote database server to run sql commands. Using this feature, we can pipe the output from mysqldump and ask mysql to connect to the remote database server to populate the new database. Let's say we want to recreate the Customers database on a new database server located at 184.108.40.206, we can run the following set of commands to replicate the present database at the new server.
mysqldump -u sadmin -p pass21 Customers | mysql –host=126.96.36.199 -C Customers
{mospagebreak title=PHPMyAdmin}
PHPMyAdmin is an easy to use web-interface to control MySQL databases. You can run this from any system which has a web server which runs PHP scripts. PHPMyAdmin also lets you administer multiple database servers using the same interface. If you don't have telnet or shell access to your database server, this is probably how you would be administering your databases. If you haven't used PHPMyAdmin, head over to http://www.phpmyadmin.net/ and download the latest version to experiment with.
Configure PHPMyAdmin
Before I go on to show you how you can back up and restore your databases using PHPMyAdmin, let me take a little while to show those who going to be first time users of PHPMyAdmin how to configure their installation. Once you've downloaded the latest version of PHPMyAdmin, copy the files from the installation source to your web server. Before you run the program, you'll have to edit a few lines in config.inc.php to get your installation to work properly. You can find this file in the root folder of the installation.
Head over to the line which reads:
$cfg['PmaAbsoluteUri'] = ";
Change this to the web URL of the installation. Let's say you've copied the files to the directory 'phpmyadmin' under the URL 'http://dbserver.com', you should change the option to:
$cfg['PmaAbsoluteUri'] = 'http://dbserver.com/phpmyadmin/';
Here are some more options about your database server which you'll have to modify before you save the configuration file. Let's say you have to connect to your database server, which is residing at 188.8.131.52 and connects on port 432, with the username 'jester' and password 'freddy32', the options you have to change will look like this:
$cfg['Servers'][$i]['host'] = '18.104.22.168';
$cfg['Servers'][$i]['port'] = '432';
$cfg['Servers'][$i]['connect_type'] = 'tcp';
$cfg['Servers'][$i]['auth_type'] = 'config';
$cfg['Servers'][$i]['user'] = 'jester';
$cfg['Servers'][$i]['password'] = 'freddy32';
Once you've got the correct setting for the database entered in these options, you can save your configuration file and head over to your PHPMyAdmin installation through your browser.
{mospagebreak title=Backing Up and Restoring Your Database with PHPMyAdmin}
You can backup your database using PHPMyAdmin in just a few mouse clicks. First head over to your database by clicking the database name in the list on the left of the screen. Once you get to your database details, you should get a menu header for your database which looks like so:
Click on Export. This will get you to a screen with the following options.
From here it's just a matter of clicking the right options and the 'Go' Button to get your database dump. To save the backup file on your computer, click on the Save as file option and the corresponding compression option to get the backup to download to your system.
Restoring your Database via PHPMyAdmin
Restoring your database is as easy as backing it up. If you would like to rewrite the backup over an existing database, click on the database name in the database list on the left, click all the check boxes next to the table names and select Drop in the With selected: drop down box.
This will drop all existing table in the database. Then head over to the top menu bar and click on SQL. This will bring up a window where you can either type in SQL commands, or upload your SQL file. The window should look like this:
Click on the Browse button, and select the sql backup file you wish to upload to the server. Once you've selected the file, click on 'Go'. This will upload the backup file to the server and execute the SQL commands in the backup and restore your database.
Now that you know how easy it is to backup and restore your database, spend a few minutes everyday to backup your important data. You can even automate the backup process by using a task scheduler like cron.


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- Carousel button
Italian cashmere classic V-neck sweater
Size & Fit
- Relaxed fit.
- Hits at hip.
- Body length: 26".
- Sleeve length: 30 1/2".
Product Details
You asked, we listened: We kept hearing that our cashmere was pilling too easily (because we wanted it supersoft, it was knit more loosely), so we decided to make a change... This new style has been knit more tightly, so it should pill less. The tradeoff is that it might not feel as soft at first, but just give it time. P.S. Hand-washing your cashmere is the way to go, just trust us on that.
- Italian cashmere in a 12-gauge knit.
- Hand wash.
- We recommend folding (never hanging) and storing in tissue paper.
- Import.
- Online only.
- Item F5914.


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The iMIV LE+ is the premium multimedia integration unit for your Volvo. It has the capability to not only seamlessly integrate your iPod, iPad or iPhone but also opens up the possibility for an auxiliary device such as a portable audio players, and includes a bluetooth audio streaming option (A2DP).
iMIV LE+ MFI
iMIV -> iPod Multi Media Melbus Module (pronounce : i-m-4)
LE+ -> Smaller brother of the iMIV Classic, the LE+ does not support video playback and aux port is Minijack instead of RCA.
iPod -> iPod, iPhone, iPad, every iPod/iPhone/iPad version, optionally a convertor harness could be required (30pin to lightning for example)
Aux -> every music device with a line-out / headphone connector (3.5mm minijack)
A2DP -> Bluetooth audio streaming
MFI -> Made For iPod/iPhone/iPad certified by Apple, this device contains an Apple chip which warrants compatability and optimal audio quality (full kbit audio range is available, the device is certified by Apple).
iMIV LE+
In an effort to provide a complete solution the iMIV LE+ also has great features such as:
•Song titles, Artist and Playlist information on the radio screen
•Control of an iPod/iPhone from the radio or steering wheel controls (but still controllable trough iPod/iPhone/iPad itselves!)
•Automatic pausing and resuming of the iPod/iPhone/iPad when the vehicle is turned off
How does the iMIV LE+ work?
The iMIV LE+ is able to emulate OEM peripherals that were optional in Volvo vehicles.
By doing this the iMIV LE+ can effectively communicate with the OEM Volvo radio, and utilize every feature available.
To provide the most complete solution available the iMIV LE+ emulates two peripherals, one for the iPod, iPad or iPhone and one for the Audio input.
To make the iMIV Classic set as complete as possible and to support a variaty of handsets/smartphones, a bluetooth Dock is supplied in the set as well.
The functionality with bluetooth has liberately been keept small, high quality audio (A2DP-3 with backwards compatability) and volume and fwd/rev controls, to support a largest possible variaty of phones for Bluetooth audio streaming.
Click dock on 30pin Apple connector, Pair, Play, enjoy.
(even with an Android phone, blackberry, Nokia etc.)
The iMIV will be supplied to you with the right firmware to fit your Volvo.
If you ever decide to move your iMIV to another Volvo, there is optional firmware available for our VolvoTech clients to adjust settings and options so the iMIV will work in that Volvo as well.
In the set:
- iMIV LE+adapter (Electronic unit)
- Melbus cable (Connects the unit to the HU)
- Melbus splitter (connects original melbus devices like RTI)
- Power cable (Supplies power to the unit)
- iPod cable (30 pin dock type)
- BT Dock (Allows practically every phone to play music trough the iMIV via Bluetooth streaming!)
iMIV products are excluded from return unless for warranty reasons; because of licenses and the kind of materials belonging to the set.
|Available to user
|iPod 30pin, Bluetooth streaming, Audio-in (minijack)
|Connected to the HU power source (quickconnect, plug and play)
|Network of Volvo
|Melbus, connected to the HU radio (connector, plug and play) with splitter to reconnect the existing Melbus cable going to the navigation computer in the trunk.
|Update possible by user
|Yes, the unit can be updated by the user (changed for text support to different HU radio, add reversing camera autoswitch, add video while in motion support)
|Time required (estimate)
|Private / first time installer : 1 hr, General car technician : 0.45hr, Volvo Trained technician : 0.45hr
|Tools required
|Fishbone, Torx 20 (T20), Towel (or similar) to protect interior parts
|Volvo Dealer updates required
|None, set works out of the box.
|Tools optional
|Unit dimensions
|App. 10x6x4 cm (iMIV)
|Power consumption (On mode)
|App. 2.4A if charging an Apple device, App. 0.4A if using bluetooth for audio streaming,
|Power consumption (Off mode)
|App. 4mA
|Power On/Off logic
|Automatic trough Melbus logic
|Unit activation
|Select source on HU. Sources (MD-C and CD-C) get activated by the iMIV on the HU automatically
Aux / Bluetooth / iPod (iMIV LE+ HU-X0X RTI) (VT-0141)
- Brand: VolvoTech.EU
- Product Code: VT-0141
- Availability: In Stock
- Ex Tax: 152.89€
Tags: imiv le, imiv le+, imiv le plus, ipod, iphone, ipad, aux, a2dp, hu, HU, hu-601, hu-603, hu-801, hu-803, hu-401, hu-1205, volvo hu, volvo ipod, volvo iphone, volvo ipod connector, volvo ipod interface, volvo aux interface, volvo hu ipod, volvo hu iphone, iphone, samsung, nokia, windows phone, iphone 6, iphone 6s, iphone 6+, iphone 6S+, iphone 7, iPhone 7+


text:
You are Here:
Plant Materials Centers
Southeast Region
Loading Tree...
Plant Materials Centers
Established: 1960
Size: 360 acres
PMC Operation: NRCS
Land Ownership: United States Forest Service
The Jamie L. Whitten Plant Materials Center (MSPMC) works closely with NRCS field offices and land managers on a broad range of conservation concerns and issues. Major issues in the Center's service area include pasture land improvement, cropland erosion control, critical area erosion control, urban conservation, wildlife habitat enhancement, and water quality improvement.
The Center's service area includes all of Mississippi except the coastal counties, eastern Louisiana, the Blackland Prairie of central Alabama, the delta region of Arkansas, and portions of Kentucky, Missouri, and Tennessee. Corn, soybeans, cotton, rice timber and grazinglands dominate the service area. Continuous cropping of cotton and soybeans using conventional methods is a major concern in the MSPMC service area. The Center has researched and developed technology for native plant herbicide tolerance, Wetland Reserve Program seeding establishment, propagation of wetland plants, and native grass potential for biofuels.
The Jamie L. Whitten Plant Materials Center has released a number of improved conservation plants including those used in wetland mitigation plantings, erosion control on stream banks, riparian buffers, urban conservation, culturally significant plants used in basket making, and wildlife habitat.
Jamie L. Whitten Plant Materials Center
2533 County Road 65
Coffeeville, MS 38922-2652
Shipping address: 7 miles west of Coffeeville on Hwy. 330
Phone: (662) 675-2588
Fax: (662) 675-2369
NRCS Home | USDA.gov | Site Map | Civil Rights | FOIA | Plain Writing | Accessibility Statement
Policy and Links| Non-Discrimination Statement | Information Quality | USA.gov | WhiteHouse.gov


text: I know Halloween was a week ago and we're way past the time where we should be comparing whose costume was better than whose—because that discussion is over—but it's Friday afternoon and I received an email in my inbox that I could not let go over the weekend. There was no message, just the attached photo you see above and a subject line: "pretty sure my costume was better than that jerk baby's." Ok, first of all—you just slandered an infant. Second of all, your choice of costume is inspired and you clearly know how to work this particular crowd, but a fake microphone and a pair of short shorts does not make you America's Sideline Princess. A valiant effort, but no. Finally ... and I can't stress this enough ... no one makes fun of Baby Mangino. No one.


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Search our database of handpicked sites
Looking for a great physics site? We've tracked down the very best and checked them for accuracy. Just fill out the fields below and we'll do the rest.
You searched for "electron microscope"
We found 10 results on physics.org and 57 results in our database of sites
(of which 57 are Websites, 0 are Videos, and 0 are Experiments)
Search results on physics.org
What is an electron microscope?
A simple illustrated explanation of what is an electron microscope and the difference between resolution and magnification.
The Scanning Electron Microscope
A site for children explaining how the scanning electron microscope works, and showing some images of objects.
Anatomy of the microscope
Everything you ever wanted to know about microscopes and their various components.
Autobiography of Ernst Ruska
Ernst Ruska (1906 - 1988) received the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1986 for his fundamental work in electron optics, and for the design of the first electron microscope.
What DNA Actually Looks Like
An electron microscope has successfully imaged a single strand of DNA.
What Does A Bee Look Like When It's Magnified 3000 Times?
A collection of scanning electron microscope pictures of bees.
How the SEM works
Describes how a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) works, has a library of images and demonstrations for teachers to use.
Leo Szilard
Leo Szilard (1898 - 1964) ideas included the linear accelerator, cyclotron, electron microscope, and nuclear chain reaction. Equally important was his insistence that scientists accept moral ...
Refraction of Light
Covers the law of refraction including interactive Java tutorials. Links to ideas of fluorescence, diffraction, polarization, reflection, scattering, and Virtual microscopy (Virtual scanning electron ...
$10 Smartphone to digital microscope conversion
Turn your smartphone into a microscope with the homemade hack.


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Go Behind-the-Scenes of Beyonce's 'Most Beautiful' Shoot
As private as Beyonce is, she's letting her fans in more and more since the somewhat glamorous birth of Blue Ivy Carter. The World's Most Beautiful Woman took cameras behind-the-scenes of her PEOPLE photo shoot, and the results are both moving and hilarious.
The video opens with a helicopter landing. Beyonce, clad in black from the floppy hat on her head to the shoes on her toes, steps out of the copter and does a silly dance on the grass. So cute!
Beyonce enters the estate where the shoot took place, and we see the 'End of Time' singer in various states of dolled up and in different outfits.
"Being named the world's most beautiful woman is really hard to say," Bey says smiling once she's all done up and glammed out. "It's overwhelming — it makes me feel very crunchy," she laughed, "and that means 'embarrassed.'"
Beyonce revealed that she has another idea of who the most beautiful woman in the world is. "My mother is absolutely the most beautiful woman in the world," Bey says humbly. "I've had an incredible example. I know that women are like fine wine and we get better with age. She's just such a glamorous, sophisticated, classy, gentle, beautiful woman."
When does Bey feel the most beautiful? Considering she's stunning all the time, it's got to be tough to narrow down, but she managed. "When I feel loved. When I feel secure. When I feel confident," she said. "It's really about who you are, the human being, that makes you beautiful." Of course, flawless skin and a bangin' bod don't hurt either, right?
Blue Ivy contributed to Bey's confidence — and to her new mama glow. "I feel more beautiful than I've ever felt because I've given birth, and I have never felt so connected and I never felt like I had such a purpose on this earth, and never so proud of myself," Beyonce gushed. "It means more to me that I was named this after I became a mother."
Stay tuned to the end of the video, where the viewer is treated to rare outtakes of Bey. She may be the world's most beautiful woman, but that doesn't mean she — nor her film takes — are perfect!
Watch Beyonce Behind-the-Scenes of PEOPLE World's Most Beautiful Shoot


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|Home >> 10 Tips for Aspiring Baby Photographers
1. Get Close
Most amateurs never shoot a close-up and close-ups are so powerful. Fill the frame with your baby's face and leave out the lamps and furniture and all of that other visual clutter. A good close-up of a baby can be other-worldly.2. Push the button a lot
That's another way of saying take lots of pictures. The more pictures you take the luckier you get and when you're photographing babies you want to do everything to increase the luck factor.3. Experiment with the flash off
A flash on a camera is a very handy thing. It allows you to take sharp pictures in dark rooms. But it does something else, too. It ruins the mood. It's about as romantic as the headlights on your car. A picture taken with a flash is the signature look of amateur snapshots. Use it if you're shooting snapshots (don't get me wrong - I love snapshots) but if you want to take pictures that will make other people say, "Hey you're a great photographer!" turn off the flash.
4. Find beautiful light
If you want to shoot beautiful baby portraits this may be the most important step. With your flash off, put your baby in some soft window light or the light of an open, outside door . This is the light Rembrandt built a career around. If you get just how profound this tip is you are well are your way to moving up the photographic food chain.5. Don't try and out think your baby
Shoot pictures when they're in the mood. That's probably after a nap and after a snack. (And for that matter, that goes for the photographer, too.)6. Keep your backgrounds simple
You could not possibly err on the side of too simple with this. I spend about half my time shooting pictures trying to find clean, simple backgrounds. Why is that stop sign sticking out of your baby's head?7. Take advantage of the moment
You have what every professional photographer wants – access. Store your camera in the same place all the time and always turn your camera off with the same settings. Be ready for the stuff only parents see.8. Crank up your ISO
I don't want to get too technical here, but I rarely take a picture with the ISO below 400. Do pictures get a little noisy (grainy) when the ISO is high? Sometimes. How often will you get complaints from viewers when you've captured a great moment and there's a little noise? Never.9. Learn to file your pictures
If you can't find them you can't share them and sharing these gems is what it's all about. The birth of a baby is a great time to get photographically organized. Create a logical system on your computer that you understand and will use. Key word: use.10. Back up your pictures
If you don't have an external hard drive for your computer you need one. All of your valuable family pictures need to be in two places. I know a photographer who regularly burns his family photo greatest hits on a CD and stores it in the glove box of his car.


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(c) 2013, Bloomberg News.
(c) 2013, Bloomberg News.
LANSING, Mich. � Edna Love's 58 years as a nurse for Detroit's health department earned her a $2,000-a-month pension when she retired in 2011. That pales next to the $1 million she got from a separate city-sponsored savings plan where she put 5 percent of her pay year after year.
The annuity savings program within the Detroit General Retirement System created a class of privileged retirees in a city where pensions average about $19,000 a year, according to municipal records. The accounts got $756.2 million from the pension fund during 1985 through 2007 as extra interest, atop a guaranteed 7.9 percent backed by public money.
"Where else could you earn that kind of money today?" Love, 83, said in a telephone interview from a retirement home in Saline, Mich. "At the time the city was doing well, we weren't worried about bankruptcy. It was a good place to work."
The use of money from the $2.6 billion pension to bolster the savings accounts has drawn scrutiny from Kevyn Orr, the state-appointed emergency manager, whose plan to reduce Detroit pensions through the largest U.S. municipal bankruptcy stirs outrage among 20,000 retirees. Orr may recoup what the fund paid to the savings program, said his spokesman, Bill Nowling.
"There has to be a reckoning of what was legitimate interest for those annuity funds, and what was largess added by the pension board," Nowling said. "There is some argument that that money belongs to the city, and creditors could try to claim it."
Orr has said Detroit's general retirement plan and its pension for police and firefighters are underfunded by a combined $3.5 billion, a figure system officials and unions call inflated. Michigan allows an emergency manager to take over a municipal pension less than 80 percent funded.
Many of the 25 largest U.S. cities maintain pensions that are under stress, according to a Nov. 12 study by Chicago-based Morningstar Inc., an investment-research firm. Yet Detroit's use of public-pension funds to pad employee savings plans is unusual, said Keith Brainard, Georgetown, Texas-based research director for the National Association of State Retirement Administrators.
"I've never heard of that happening," Brainard said in a phone interview. "I'm not aware of a guaranteed return on a defined-contribution plan."
Detroit's general pension is run by a board representing retirees and the city. The savings program, called a 401(a) after the section of federal law that authorizes it, was meant to boost retirement incomes and was supplemented whenever the general pension exceeded its investment target, said fund spokeswoman Tina Bassett.
The annuity plan in its current form dates to 1973, according to Michael VanOverbeke, attorney for the fund.
Employees contributed as much as 7 percent of their pay and from 1999 to 2011 received a guaranteed annual base return of 7.9 percent.
The program has paid new retirees or those who left the city wide-ranging amounts, depending on how long and how much they invested. In November 2005, the plan paid $852,707 to one worker, but only $2,700 to another, according to pension board minutes. People could take savings in a lump sum or monthly payments.
Money for pensions and the annuity plan was commingled. If the pension's return fell below 7.9 percent, enough was credited to the annuity fund to meet the guaranteed rate, according to Orr's restructuring adviser Charles Moore.
The bonus interest applied to employee savings was "effectively robbing the general retirement system of precious funds" to sustain traditional pensions, Moore wrote in the city's July 18 bankruptcy filing. He said that though the pension fund lost 24 percent of its value in 2009, it still guaranteed the savings plan's 7.9 percent return.
The transfers and extra interest were authorized by the pension board and city council, and were discontinued last year, Bassett said.
"These were revenue from those investments and we thought we would be able to share them," she said.
In 2006 and 2007, the pension paid the savings plan a total of $176.1 million by adding 13.5 percent and 15 percent interest respectively on top of the base rate. That raised the total return those years to 21.4 percent and 22.9 percent. No extra interest was paid from 2000 to 2004, or from 2008 to 2013.
Besides pumping up the savings accounts, the general pension paid $195 million to retirees with "13th checks," year-end stipends in addition to their monthly benefit. In all, the 13th checks and payments to the savings program cost the general pension $1.9 billion, including foregone interest, according to a 2011 report to the Detroit City Council.
The pension did what was allowed under city rules and collective-bargaining agreements, said VanOverbeke, the attorney. Employees agreed to smaller pensions in return for larger savings accounts, VanOverbeke said.
In 2011, the city banned the 13th checks and ceased to guarantee minimum interest rates for the savings, basing them instead on private annuity-market returns, VanOverbeke said. This year, the savings plan earned no interest, he said.
"Things are being done appropriately and in accordance with the plan document," VanOverbeke said. "They're really making sure due diligence is done."
Orr wants to freeze the savings program and pensions and shift employees to a new defined-contribution plan such as a 401(k), Nowling said. Only vested police and fire fighters could keep their pension plan.
Orr's proposed changes are in mediation with retirees and employee unions.
Retiree Mike Mulholland said he received $250,000 from his savings, along with a $1,650 monthly pension from his $41,400 final salary. As senior operator at Detroit's sewage plant, he said he wishes he'd put more in savings during his 29 years.
"Everybody knew about this; it wasn't hidden," Mulholland said. A good retirement plan compensated for lower pay at the water department compared with similar jobs in the private sector, Mulholland said. He considers his retirement benefits deferred income.
"I didn't make the rules," he said. "I did as best I could working a job at a sewage plant, which not a lot of people would want to work."


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Glovers grab their chance
Yeovil stormed up to third after a 2-1 victory over resurgent Shrewsbury.
An early James Hayter penalty and a stunning solo effort by Paddy Madden saw off the Shropshire side to further boost the Glovers' play-off ambitions.
The visitors, who came into the game unbeaten in their last four matches, started brightly with Tom Eaves and Jon Taylor both spurning early openings.
But Yeovil - who have lost only one of their last 13 matches at Huish Park - hit back and took the lead when Hayter converted from the spot after Marvin Morgan was penalised for handball.
The Shrews soon equalised after Joe Jacobson's fizzing cross found the onrushing Stephen McGinn, who lashed home from the edge of the box.
Just after the half hour, League One's leading marksman Madden restored the hosts' advantage with a scintillating strike to notch his 23rd goal of the season.
Yeovil survived a second half onslaught with Shrewsbury captain Matt Richards almost drawing his side level with a curling effort before Eaves fired wide and McGinn was denied by Marek Stech.
But Gary Johnson's men held on to claim three precious points.
Source: PA
Source: PA


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Jan. 17, 2012
BOSTON, MA-The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth's women's swimming team swam well, but dropped their first meet of the spring semester, losing to host Simmons, 128-97, in a dual meet at the Holmes Sports Center Tuesday evening.
Winners for UMD included senior Kim Moore (Billerica, MA/Billerica HS), who won both the 1000 freestyle in 11:36.94 and the 500 freestyle in 5:44.39, junior Maggie Conlon (Methuen, MA/Methuen HS), who won the 200 individual medley in 2:24.24, and freshman Brooke Garvey (North Billerica, MA/Billerica HS), who won the three meter diving with 165.65 points,
The 800 meter freestyle relay team of senior Meredith Maki (Holden, MA/Wachusett Regional HS), Conlon, sophomore Katelyn Kidney (Lynn, MA/Lynn Classical HS/Bryant) and sophomore Morgan Cooper (Sunderland, MA/Frontier Regional HS) finished first in 8:32.18.
"We had some great swims tonight from Kim Moore in the 1000 free and the 500 free, Maggie Conlon in the 200 individual medley, Brooke Garvey in three meter diving, and the 800 yard freestyle relay team of Meredith Maki, Conlon, Katelyn Kidney, and Morgan Cooper broke the pool record we set two years ago," said UMass Dartmouth Head Coach Cathy Motta. "The team swam well for the first meet after our training trip. We did practice in the morning, and we will continue to train through the next two weeks of meets in preparation for New Englands. The next two weeks will be challenging, but the team has trained hard so far and is ahead of the times we swam at this point in the season last year.
UMass Dartmouth's women are now 2-4, while the Sharks are now 3-4. The Corsairs will return to action when they visit Eastern Connecticut State Saturday.


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David Fincher and Aaron Sorkin's new film about the founding of Facebook, The Social Network, is an entertaining movie that anybody who cares about power, business, and the human need to matter should go see right now.
It's also fiction.
We've done a lot of reporting on Facebook - we've even read some of Mark Zuckerberg's instant message conversations from the era of the company's founding - so when we watched The Social Network it was hard not to be the nerd keeping track of the inaccuracies.
(Yes, this made us feel like 13-year-old worried that the Twilight movies would not adhere to the books. Oh well.)
The biggest lie the movie tells is that Eduardo Saverin is a complete victim and Mark Zuckerberg is a villain. Mark behaved badly when he was 19, but he had his reasons to cut Eduardo out of the company.
But as they say in the movie - in a line stolen from Facebook's top spokesman - "every creation tale needs it's devil."


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Insulated wine and cheese tote with 2 compartments for wine, made of 600D polyester canvas. The elegant and unique Duet wine and cheese tote is perfect for picnics, concerts, or travel. This tote has two compartments for wine bottles and a storage section to carry the amenities included: hardwood cutting board, water style corkscrew, and cheese knife. The adjustable shoulder strap makes it easy to carry. Convenient and practical, the Duet is perfect for wine and cheese lovers. A wonderful gift idea!
1 Corkscrew (waiter style stainless steel)
1 Cutting board (wood 6 x 6 in.)
1 Cheese knife (stainless steel w/wood handle
Available colors: Shown in Olive Green
Your opinion is important to us...tell us what you think!


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Ryan Tannehill Scouting Report
|Texas A&M Aggies
|Jersey Number:
|Height & Weight:
|6'4 - 222 lbs.
|Draft Prediction:
|Top 10
2012 NFL Draft Prospect Scouting Report:
Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A&M
Like you might imagine for a wide receiver turned quarterback, Tannehill has a very lean frame that will need to be bulked up to take punishment in the NFL. And while he is particularly mobile and fleet-footed when he decides to tuck and run, he certainly needs a lot of work with his mechanics and footwork.
Scouts can see the potential given his height, quick release and solid accuracy on short to intermediate, but his arm strength is lacking. On deep balls, there just isn't much accuracy and he seems to be aiming or guiding his long throws, rather than just letting it rip. His stock is on the rise since he is leading the Texas A&M Aggies to plenty of wins, but when the tape comes on, reality sets in. You've got an inexperienced quarterback with a ton of potential who will need patience and coaching in order to be a full-fledged NFL quarterback.
Recent reports have Tannehill likely becoming a Top 10 selection. The Browns may be interested at No. 4 and he likely won't make it past the Miami Dolphins' No. 8 pick.


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Isabel Garcia Beige/Blue Long Sleeve Pleated Dress
Item Description
Isabel Garcia Beige/Blue Dress
Long sleeve with v-neck and pleated skirt
Heavy fabric
Brand new with tags, in perfect condition
Fabric Content
95% Polyester, 5% Spandex
Care Instructions
Do not soak overnight
Do not bleach
Iron up to 110°C
Do not wring
Line dry in shade
Thank you for shopping our Clearance collection, please read on for important information!
Whilst we endeavour to provide you with perfect items please bear in mind that this is a clearance collection selling old seasons stock previously displayed in our beautiful store. Items we have for sale are mostly new with tags along with some used barely worn styles (our own personal items we no longer need) that are almost perfect. If there are any minor defects which occasionally happens as items are displayed and tried on multiple times by customers throughout the season, we will note these in the item description above. Remember if you are buying it for a fraction of the retail price you should expect it won't be all shiny and new. We always advise that if you want brand new then you should buy at the beginning of the season when the collections are just out of the packaging and freshly displayed on the shop floor.
Please note all manual measurements if provided in the description are in centimetres and as follows:
Shoulders - shoulder to shoulder on front of garment
Chest - underarm to underarm on front of garment
Length - shoulder to hem or waist to hem
Waist - left seam to right seam x 2
Leg Length - crotch to hem inside leg
We make every effort to ensure the colours in our photos are correct, colour can vary a little between computer devices. The image does not show the actual size of the item, please refer to the measurements in the item description.
We do not accept returns, this is a clearance store and we are aiming to do just that so we don't want it back! Please feel free to ask questions before you make the decision to purchase.
Further Info
We will not accept responsibility or liability for parcels that are lost or damaged in transit, It will be the buyers responsibility to file a complaint.