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The 20 Worst Hipster Bands
Top 20 Musicians of All Time, in Any Genre
Top 20 Sexiest Female Musicians
What makes a terrible band? Is it being prepared to do the wrong thing, whatever the price? That and a pair of testicles. Only, some of the below groups possess testicles only in the symbolic sense. Because, even if you're composed of ladies, it takes balls to make music that is simultaneously pretentious and dopey, derivative and uniquely craptastic. And so in that spirit we present the worst bands of all time. As with our top 20 greatest musicians of all time and top 20 hair metal albums of all time lists, we take this shit very seriously, even enlisting objective third party analysts to review our findings for accuracy. -Ben Westhoff
20. Spin Doctors
Did you know that Blues Traveler's John Popper used to be a member of this damn group? That may explain why a Spin Doctors song is a bit like herpes. You get infected at a young age when you don't know any better. When you think it's finally gone, it rears its ugly head again. The mere mention of tracks like "Two Princes" create an earworm so powerful that you're going to need to see an ENT doctor. Forget Chris Barron's scraggly beard; the real problem with the Spin Doctors is their enduring lightweight retro "jam" song legacy on crappy corporate radio. Just when you thought you were out, they pull you back in. -Nicholas Pell
19. The Raconteurs
Formed in the late aughts, The Raconteurs consist of Jack White and some other guys. They call themselves "a new band made from old friends," but it's more accurate to call them "slumming dudes attempting to trick fans of the White Stripes into liking their boring, awful, music." Track "Consoler of the Lonely" repeats the phrase "I am bored to tears" six times, which is only a small fraction of how often everyone else was saying it. -Gabrielle Canon
18. Oasis
Why is Oasis among the worst? Because Liam Gallagher only plays tambourine and possesses the single most nasal voice in pop. Because "Wonderwall" is pure nonsense. Because they combine simple composition with over-the-top production and pretentious length. "Champagne Supernova," anyone? Because they've been caught ripping off other artists' songs, including Stevie Wonder, The New Seekers, and Neil Innes. Because their backstage altercations always boiled down to sibling rivalry. What's next, hair-pulling and time-outs? But mainly because courting comparisons to the Beatles is always lame, no exceptions. -Anna Westhoff
See also: Liam Gallagher On His Brother Noel: "I'd Rather Eat My Own Shit Than Be In A Band With Him Again"
17. Phish
Phish is supposed to be the next generation's Grateful Dead, right? But with the Dead, one at least enjoyed a fighting chance of enjoying them sober. Also, there's the fact that the Dead never composed these lyrics: "Down with disease/ Up before the dawn/ A thousand barefoot children outside dancing on my lawn." -Elano Pizzicarola
See also: Can an Intelligent Person Like Phish?
16. 4 Non Blondes
We can be thankful that 4 Non Blondes only made one album— 1992's Bigger, Better, Faster, More! — but it's a doozy, a mess of classic rock wails and faux bluesiness. Consider yourself lucky if you don't remember lyrics like "Oh please Mr. President, will you lend me a future." Their hit "What's Up?" meanwhile combines the worst of what Ani DiFranco and grunge had to offer, all of it dressed up in thrift store clothing that probably smelled funny. The quartet has disappeared, but the band's dubious legacy lives on through member Linda Perry, writer and producer of some of the most boring radio songs imaginable, including Christina Aguilera's "Beautiful" and Pink's "Get the Party Started." -Liz Ohanesian
15. Pretty Ricky
Emerging with their mid-aughts hit "Grind With Me," Pretty Ricky somehow managed to lower the bar when it came to heartthrob groups with baby-oil-smeared chests. It's excellent that they've got great abs, and they certainly have the right to wear their shiny jackets wide open. But their musical sensibilities are questionable; someone in the group seems to have decided that New Jack Swing was too subtle. Pretty Ricky's rap-R&B hybrid is so tasteless and tacky, even, that it could make Mariah Carey blush. The point here is seduction, but it's hard to be seduced when you're nauseous. -Ben Westhoff
14. Foreigner
Where Journey was a hit factory, Foreigner are the sweatshop equivalent, churning out shoddy products full of lead paint. "Juke Box Hero" is no "Pinball Wizard"; "I Want To Know What Love Is" will make you wish you didn't; "Feels Like The First Time" will hopefully be your last; "Head Games" is not about oral sex; "Urgent" is not that; "Hot Blooded,""Double Vision" and "Cold As Ice" will send you to the doctor. "Waiting For A Girl Like You"? Maybe, but if you've got Foreigner on the playlist, she won't be waiting for you. -Ben Westhoff
13. Wings
With the exception of the song "Band On the Run" — which sounds like a forgotten White Album b-side — and the bass breakdown on "Live and Let Die," there are no greater offenders of '70s schlock than Wings. Born the year after the death of the Beatles, the group — consisting of Paul McCartney, his wife Linda and a revolving door of drummers and guitar players — solidified every argument that John was better than Paul. Using the spoils of the Beatles, Wings built a castle out of cheese. -Nikki Darling
See also: Top Three Beatles Who Got a Star on the Walk of Fame Before Paul McCartney
12. Fleet Foxes
A good band should be like Frosted Mini-Wheats, a substantive cereal loaded with fiber and whole grains made edible by delicious sugary coating. Fleet Foxes, unfortunately, are more like Weetabix, a healthful, bowel-movement-inducing breakfast option that skimps on taste. There's undoubtedly genuine musicianship behind this Seattle outfit, it's just wholly unpalatable, lacking even the most basic hooks and melodies necessary to sustain most listeners. Of course, white people aren't like most listeners, and will tolerate almost anything they're told is good for them; hence the group's popularity. Unlike Weetabix, however, there's not a shred of evidence suggesting Fleet Foxes prevent colorectal cancer. -Ben Westhoff
11. Red Hot Chili Peppers
Funk metal is a bad idea. We love funk, we love metal, but we also love peanut butter and veggie burgers, just not together. And what about Anthony Kiedis's rapping? The "Give It Away" video could be called "Anthony and the Hand Jive," and it's even more ridiculous when he starts doing duck lips. The sex rhymes on Bloodsugarsexmagik would be forgettable if they weren't so awful — "She stuck my butt with her big black stick / I said 'What's up? Now suck my dick.'" On the plus side, however, we do thoroughly back the legit bromance between Messrs. Kiedis and Flea. -Nicholas Pell
10. Pussycat Dolls
The Pussycat Dolls may seem like an easy target, but they're actually a quite difficult one, considering they're less band than brand. There's their reality show and various line-up shifts, of course, but the details of those are too depressing to go into. Getting angry with the Pussycat Dolls is like getting angry with Bank of America or Walmart. That said, fuck Walmart. -Kai Flanders
9. Rush
You realize that Jason Segel's character's obsession with Rush in I Love You Man is tongue in cheek, right? It's often said that people either love Rush or hate them, but a more accurate statement is that most people hate Rush, while a scattered few really love them. Sort of like anchovies; in fact, it's quite fair to call Rush the anchovies of rock music. Then there's the fact that "drummer Neil Peart generally consents only to speak to the drum press," a pantheon that includes in its entirety Modern Drummer and Not So Modern Drummer, if we're not mistaken. -Kai Flanders
8. Hootie & The Blowfish
What do white people have to complain about, George Carlin once posited. "Did Banana Republic run out of khakis? Are Hootie & the Blowish breaking up?" If only. Though their leader Darius Rucker is black, Hootie could not be more vanilla. What's worse is that, while good bands struggle to make decent money, Hootie seemingly siphoned off all of it in their '90s heyday, going more platinum than Sandra Dee. If only Hootie were Sandra Dee. -Kai Flanders
7. Pearl Jam
Boring, tepid, rehashed classic rock with a thin veneer of alt. As noted in our piece on how Pearl Jam are the most boring band in 20 years, grunting, dumb hats and Z-grade attempts at Who's Next do not a great rock and roll band make. The act took moronic-faux-concern-trolling to heights even U2 couldn't achieve. Also, Eddie Vedder thinks this is a lyric: "Hoo hoo hoo hoo hoo hoo hoo hoo hoo oooooooowhoaaaaaaaaooooooooo ohhhhhhh ohhhhhhh ohhhhhhh oooooooowhoaaaaaaaaooooooooo hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiyiiiiyiiiiyiiiiyiiiiiiiiii yeah uhhh huh uhhh huh uhhh huh yeahah uhhh huh uhhh huh uhhh huh uhhhhh huh." -Nicholas Pell
6. Black Eyed Peas
The common rap on Black Eyed Peas is that they deteriorated after adding Fergie on 2003's Elephunk, trading their funky soul for kitschy dance-pop. Well, in this case the common rap happens to be true. "My Humps" was bad, but who would have figured the group could get worse? Last year's Super Bowl halftime show — where they sung out of sync and trampled "Sweet Child O' Mine" — made Madonna's version look brilliant. -Elano Pizzicarola
5. Animal Collective
I really wanted to like Merriweather Post Pavilion, even going far out of my way to appreciate the record as it was surely intended: super-stoned, miles from civilization in the northern California woods. Still, no dice. The problem is that Animal Collective are a special kind of unlistenable; their albums don't reward active engagement, but they don't make good background music, either. Their brand of twee is cloying and grating like an attention-starved, sugar-crashing eight-year-old who wants you to admire his finger painting, while you're trying to wash the dishes. -Ben Westhoff
4. Sex Pistols
Touted as the originators of punk, the Sex Pistols were really just a third-rate Faces rip off with a low-rent Richard Hell on vocals. Paul Cook and Steve Jones are great, but were held back by the larger-than-life personalities of Sid Vicious and John Lydon (or Rotten or whatever). Sloppy, derivative and obsessed with shock value for its own sake, the Pistols set the template for British punk rock bands trying too hard. Plus, how much of a dick is Lydon, allegedly punching women in the face, running around with racist goons and slamming Duffy against a wall? Bollocks. -Nicholas Pell
3. LCD Soundsystem
If LCD Soundsystem were only responsible for three albums that are half-filler and a "workout mix" made by people who clearly don't go to the gym — for people who don't go to the gym themselves — they wouldn't be on this list. No, they deserve special mention for the critical crusade to pass James Murphy off as indie rock's preeminent male role model in spite of, nay, because of his worldview which remains as rigid and obnoxious as Toby Keith's. It is, roughly, that music achieved perfection in 1977, no one outside of New York City is important, and your interaction with credibility and its overseers is a bigger concern than learning how not to be an insufferable, self-obsessed jerk. In other words, LCD Soundsystem fans are the type of people who think buying their 10-year old kid a Public Image Ltd. record for his birthday is an example of good parenting. -Ian Cohen
2. Eagles
The all-mighty arbiter of SoCal cool, Jeffrey "The Dude" Lebowski was famously willing to be thrown out of a cab because he hated the fucking Eagles, and you should be too. Soporific Laurel Canyon coke rock whose chief existential lament seems to be "What toppings should I get on my burrito?" the Eagles are the quintessential band for a decade whose favorite barbiturate was the Quaalude. -Jeff Weiss
See also: The Eagles' "Hotel California": Why This Song Sucks
1. Dave Matthews Band
"Once upon a time/When the world was just a pancake/Fears would arise/That if you went too far you'd fall/But with the passage of time/It all became more of a ball." -Some Dave Matthews lyrics
You want a real American Horror story? Sit in the back of an SUV with off-key sorority house members singing along to Dave Matthews Band. "Dave" is a jam act with no jams. They make Perrier seem vibrant and ethnic. Dave Matthews croons like Kermit with a hangover, for a presumed intended audience of trustafarians and frat bros bonding via hacky sack and horseshoes. Them, and folks whose favorite book is The Da Vinci Code and favorite TV show is Two and a Half Men. They are permanently beige, the sonic instantiation of Ambercrombie & Fitch cargo shorts, South Carolina Gamecocks hats, and flip-flops flailing. -Jeff Weiss
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The Home of Fashion Film and Live Fashion Broadcasting
Dapper Dudes: The Gentlemen outside of #PittiUomo never disappoint when it comes to #streetstyle http://t.co/11dW5pa8
The @maison_kitsune FW13 models/performers! #Pitti http://t.co/3VlN7R9M
Book mania at Pitti in Florence. Up later today is Kenzo and Kitsune. http://t.co/AC5kIMJL
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Having a GREAT time at the @Pitti_Immagine Menswear Trade Show in Italy this week! http://t.co/8K2q3GTG


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I am getting a tattoo today, and it makes me feel wildly emotional. I have been getting lots of work done lately, all in areas that are fairly undetectable; stomach and back, thighs and ribs, back of legs, inner arms – moving down towards my knees now. It seems that people don't think you are tattooed if you keep your forearms and hands and neck and face bare, and that's what I am going for, a kind of invisibility and stealth with my own tattoo collection. This is (somewhat) secret art for me and for those who are lucky enough to have seen it, and also treasures from artists I love and laugh with and enjoy sharing my life with. When you tattoo me, I am yours forever, in a sense. We will be forever connected, as I am your canvas and carry your wonderful work into my inevitable end. And since I am much photographed and filmed and HD flipped and Canon 7d'd and YouTubed and Vimeo'd and painted and drawn and quartered – both clothed and sometimes unclothed, your work may well be eternal. I dream one day that my tattoos will be emblazoned on a glass encased wax figure in a museum of natural history, alongside a display of my bongs, dvds, digital recorders, broken guitars and banjos and numerous half-full, illegible notebooks and that you will be able to push a button to hear snippets of my comedy. Yes, this is my dream.
The best show about tattoos and tattooers is the amazing Tattoo Age on vice.com. The artists featured are stellar, beyond genius, visionaries and revolutionaries. Also there are bright and interesting commentaries and cameos from artists who have done work on me such as Don Ed Hardy, Eddy Deutsche, Chris O'Donnell – and artists I am dying to get work from like Henry Lewis <3, Grime <3<3, Freddy Corbin, Dan Santoro, Mike Rubendall, Troy Denning – hell – everyone involved with the show. I wish I had more skin. Artists – I salute you! Amazing job Chris Grosso and vice.com!!! Cannot wait for Season 2!


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| February 18, 2014, 9:16 am
Unflappable. Unsinkable. Legendary. And ours, Colorado, in more ways than one.
Margaret "Molly" Brown is set to once again own the town — and the stage — when the Denver Center opens its 2014-2015 season with Dick Scanlan's revitalized adaptation of Meredith Willson's musical "The Unsinkable Molly Brown." Directed and choreographed by three-time Tony winner Kathleen Marshall, the show goes into previews September 12 and opens Sept. 19, the Denver Center Theatre Company announced Tuesday morning.


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Taya is not dead. Not yet. She has been infected by the plague. She will die at the end of the 2nd night, but before she does she shall spread the plague to a person of her choosing.
She will do this either by sending me a PM stating who he wants to kill, or by posting publicly in this thread !Patsy. The target cannot be changed once made, whatever decision was made first will have its effect. The plague is here to stay and will continue until the end of the game.
weirdspaceships wrote: »>You don't want to drink that water anyway. Somebody tried to jizz in it last page.
Robert Khoo wrote: »Real strong, facetious.
The Anonymous wrote: »Sign up 1
IT KEEPS HAPPENINGThe Anonymous wrote: »Sign up 1
Too slow!


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Libby is an old friend and one of the first writers I met once I became published. Like me, she's currently dipping a toe in the Kindle world.
Her books are a lot of fun. If you're a mystery fan, I highly recommend them.
In the interest of fostering an open dialog, I asked her to come up with some reasons why authors should stick with traditional print publishing. This is her response.
Libby: I am a traditionally published author with six crime fiction novels out. I am an indie author with a two novels and a collection of short stories out (Joe wrote the foreword for one of them, btw). In fact, it was Joe, a good friend, who pushed me to do my short story collection for Kindle and Smashwords. I've written about e-books on my blog, and I tell every author I meet to put their backlist on Kindle and try to keep the e-rights to their future works. (Which is getting harder to do).
I participate on the Kindle Boards, the Amazon Kindle and Mystery community threads, (Love the Secret Book Club), and I see the handwriting on the wall, er, screen. I am incensed that publishers are only giving their authors a 25% royalty for e-books. I do not agree that just because a publisher releases an author's book in print that they are automatically entitled to the e-rights. I think the prices publishers charge are outrageous (None of my e-books, at least the ones I control, are more than $3.99). I agree with Joe that the major publishers are clueless about the future, and that many will be forced to downsize to adapt to this Brave New E-World.
So, when Joe asked me to make a case for traditional publishing in this climate and on this blog, I hesitated. Given everything that Joe's written and done, was I crazy? A masochist? Do I WANT to get beat up in the comments section? Um, in a word, no. But… the more I thought about it, I decided I did have some points to make.
In one of his recent blogs, Joe talked about the "tipping point," the point at which authors and agents will no longer need publishers. And that's the key. We are not yet at the tipping point, and, while we may be in a few years, for now, I still want to be traditionally published. Here's why:
If a publisher gets behind a title, you can't beat their marketing support and promotion. They saturate the media with information and hype in a way most individual authors can't. Even if you're not one of the "chosen," publishers send out ARCs for review – which I believe is still the best ways to start generating "buzz."
As much as I appreciate Amazon reviews, a review from the New York Times, or NPR can make a huge difference in sales, in both DTB and e-books.
Publishers still underwrite author tours, which while they aren't as effective as they used to be, are worth doing, mostly because of the local media that can be generated from the visit.
Publishers are beginning to understand the world of book blogging and are trying to catch up. And when I see an ad of someone's book on a bus or subway or billboard, I might gnash my teeth that it's not mine, but it makes a difference in my awareness.
Traditional publishers' distribution networks are broad, deep, and in some cases, even creative. As much as we focus online for our book info, when you see a book in the bookstore, at the airport, in Costco, or the grocery store, it makes an impression.
The more impressions, the more apt a consumer is to buy. Publishers make those impressions possible in ways that a computer screen can't. Sure, you can see a book being talked about by several bloggers on Twitter, you can read an interview with the author on line, you can see their blogs on other blogs, but seeing the product in the "real" world is different. You can touch it, thumb through the pages, read the 69th page, even the last line, and make up your mind whether you want it.
And if the publishers' sales reps are enthusiastic about a title, they can make a difference in the numbers that are available. I'm not saying that can't happen with e-books; we've seen how a cascade of recommendations can catapult a book into Amazon's best-seller lists; just that we're not at the "tipping point" yet. Most readers still do not have Kindles or Nooks or iPads.
Publishers offer a built-in editing service. Yes, there are books out from major publishers where the editing sucks. Yes, there are authors who refuse to be edited, or editors who are afraid of touching other authors' work. But, for the most part, an editor at a publishing house makes a book better. They have for me.
The way I see it is that you have one chance to impress readers, whether you're traditionally or e-published. Your book HAS to be the best you can possibly make it. If not, no one will buy Book Two. Unless a third party (not a relative or friend) who knows what they're doing takes a look at it, you're doing yourself a disservice. Traditional publishers have that third party. And you don't have to pay for it.
Over the years, I've been to hundreds of bookstores. In some cases, they have hand sold my books and helped my numbers. They have hosted me when there were thirty people, and when there were less than three.
Booksellers are some of the most knowledgeable, thoughtful people I know. They steer me to wonderful stories, introduce me to authors I might not have considered. I would hate to lose their expertise. Traditional publishing helps booksellers – not as much as readers buying books, of course – but for now, until the "tipping point" arrives, they are an indispensible part of the book landscape. Happily, some have already created e-stores; I hope more do. We need to keep hearing their voices.
If you're an author who wants to recognized with an award or nomination, traditional publishing still has the big ones. The Pulitzer, the Booker, Penn/Faulkner, the Edgar, etc. stipulate a DTB, not an e-book alone. That may change; other awards might take their place, but for now, that seems to be the case.
OK. This is way too long as is, but I hope I've offered some perspective. At least another voice.
Fire away… Oh, and if you're looking for some great e-books, I sure hope you'll check mine out.
Joe's response:
Indeed, publishers can do a great job supporting books. Even ebooks. My friend Henry Perez is a perfect example. His ebook, MOURN THE LIVING, was free for three days on Kindle, because of his publisher. When the free promotion ended, it became the #1 paid bestseller on Kindle, and is currently #15. His previous title, KILLING RED, also broke the top 100.
Henry is selling A LOT of ebooks. He couldn't have done this on his own, because authors can't release ebooks for free on Amazon.
But not every ebook gets this treatment, and not every ebook that is lucky enough to get this treatment hits #1.
Support by publishers is terrific, when you can get it. I've certainly gotten some support, and it has helped.
But how much has it helped? I contend I've done more for building my own buzz than my publishers have done, and my publishers have done more for me than most authors get in terms of support.
Choosing a traditional publisher because you hope they'll support you isn't really a good bet, since most books don't get much of a push. Even ARCs have become rarer, with some publishers offering free e-galleys but nothing printed.
Plus, what are you giving up to get support? Are the sales generated by an ad in Romantic Times worth trading 70% royalties for 8%? Will you make up the lower royalty profit in volume? In my experience, probably not.
Libby is right. A traditionally published book can reach many more eyes than a self-pubbed one. But there are two issues that need to be addressed.
1. Right now, the tipping point hasn't come. So bookstores are still the main way to reach readers. However, that point will come. And soon. Do you want to sign with a publisher if the distribution system collapses?
2. Selling 10,000 books at $6.99 each earns the author $5600. Selling 3000 ebooks at $2.99 each earns the author $6000. Selling a lot of books is great, but you can make more money selling fewer books without the need for widespread distribution.
Again, I agree with Libby, but only to a point. As I've mentioned ad nauseum, I wrote nine novels before I landed a book deal. Since then, my books have required very little editing, because I learned craft and structure on my own through trial and error.
While some writers can be helped immeasurably by professional editing, the majority of my peers require very little once they turn their manuscript in.
Yes, newbies pretty much need it. Some pros do too. But some folks don't need it as much, and certainly not to the degree that the industry ballyhoos it.
Again, Libby is right. For now.
I personally hope we always have bookstores. I love them. But my numbers have shown I can earn more money without being in bookstores. In fact, I wish my books were out of print.
Being a professional writer means making a living. The majority of professional writers do that through publishers and booksellers. But currently, the majority of my income is coming from one bookseller: Amazon.
That's doesn't mean I don't value brick and mortar stores. It just means I'm trying to make a living.
I hate awards, and I say this having been nominated for many and having won a few. I despise the nepotism, favoritism, and self-important aggrandizement of organizations that give awards, and question the value they have to book sales.
A chosen few dictating the best of any given category is ludicrous, as if "best" is a quantifiable, objective trait.
That said, some believe awards are helpful, and I'm willing to entertain arguments to that bend.
The industry hasn't reached its tipping point yet. But I have.
I fully expect the industry to reach the same conclusions I've reached. But it might take some time.
Until then, weigh your options, experiment, and choose your course of action wisely... because you might be tied into your choice for longer than you think.
Monday, August 23, 2010
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The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) had a busy and exciting 2011, marked by a bevy of accomplishments, quick responses to foreign policy challenges, and a swath of new people-to-people exchange programs that help advance American standing and interests around the world.
Many of our most exciting programs responded to the needs and opportunities generated by changes in the Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia. Throughout these regions, ECA bolstered English teaching and the Fulbright Program. We also added new International Visitor Leadership Programs to give rising leaders in countries like Tunisia and Libya a look at American entrepreneurship and democratic, transparent governance.
Our cultural and historical preservation work also helped raise the U.S. profile abroad. For instance we restored the historical citadel of Herat, our largest-ever Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation project. ECA and Embassy Baghdad staff helped provide $650,000 in private funding for the Iraqi Institute for Conservation of Antiquities and Heritage. We also compiled a list of 242 critical heritage sites in Libya, which NATO safeguarded during its efforts there. And in Europe, Secretary Clinton signed an ECA-implemented bilateral agreement with Greece to protect its cultural heritage.
ECA also continued to advance its perennial mission of engaging with youth, women, and other underserved audiences. We were particularly excited by TechWomen, a new initiative that welcomed 37 women from the Middle East and North Africa to Silicon Valley technology companies for month-long mentorships with key women leaders. In partnership with the five leading U.S. women's colleges, we also launched the Women in Public Service Project, which aims to build a future where women are at least half of the world's political and civic leaders. ECA also celebrated the 100th university of International Women's Day in March with 100 women leaders from 92 countries, and we saw a second thrilling year begin with the African Women's Entrepreneurship Program.
On the youth outreach front, the State Department has welcomed high school and university students from all over the world, ranging from three dozen Brazilian Youth Ambassadors in January to almost 500 Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study Program participants at the end of their time in the U.S. this summer. We also introduced the new J-1 Visa Exchange Visitor Program website and are reforming and better monitoring the programs that bring foreign students to the United States on J-1 visas.
To boost our internal efforts, ECA launched several new public-private partnerships that expand our outreach and technical capabilities. These included mEnglish, an English-teaching software program for cell phones in Tunisia that came about with the help of a local NGO and Tunisia's largest mobile service provider, reaching millions of subscribers.
Another exciting partnership is with the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. We teamed up with the Met to spread the show of respect for -- and interest in -- all cultures and faiths found in the recently reopened Galleries for the Art of the Arab Lands, Turkey, Iran, Central Asia, and Later South Asia. 270 U.S. embassies -- including 25 in the Arab world -- will display exhibit highlights, and our English-teaching classrooms will use the museum's educational materials.
ECA also managed the higher education, study abroad, and other academic components of strategic bilateral dialogues with Brazil, India, Indonesia, Russia, and others. We held exciting and productive higher education summits with India and Indonesia in Washington, D.C. and launched new programs and engagement efforts in each of these countries.
All in all, 2011 was a successful year for ECA and public diplomacy. Together, our programs helped the State Department to shape the foreign policy narrative and to foster mutual understanding among Americans and the international community.
When formal relationships between governments are tense, public diplomacy can often forge a way forward. ECA programs continue to support U.S. policy in high-priority countries: our programs are key parts of every major bilateral Strategic Dialogue, and the people-to-people connections that are at the heart of our mission strengthen and expand our relationships with our allies.
Buket E. in Turkey writes:
Dear Madam,
I had the golden opportunity of participating in a Youth Leadership Program of ECA and AED in 2009. I can honestly say that I have learnt and achieved so far.I immediately started Youth Innovations and Entrepreneurship project in my school.Since then my young entrepreneurs and I have had many success stories.I appreciate your contribution to youth achievement in exploring the dimensions of economics,government and business. We are looking forward to more collaborations with you and global friends around the world.
Kind regards,
Buket E.
Peter T. in Washington, D.C. writes:
Your blog fails to mention the Bureau's deeply unpopular effort to preclude American citizens from importing ancient coins widely available abroad or the fact that the public comment the Bureau solicited and then ignored was 70% opposed to the Bureau's efforts.
Eric H. in Maine writes:
You forgot to mention the 50th Anniversary of the Peace Corps. There were gatherings and parties worldwide in 2011.


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From a legal standpoint, this decision could be relied upon as a precedent and therefore serve to guide parties moving forward.
The NHLPA can appeal the decision to a court of law. The CBA provides, though, that the decision is final and binding. That means that a Court will not interfere with the ruling of the arbitrator unless there was a pretty obvious and big mistake by the arbitrator - and I don't see it. The parties have agreed that decision will be binding, and a judge will be sensitive to that and not want to interfere. The decision as a whole is well-reasoned, precise and falls within the 4 corners of the CBA.
Devils and Kovalchuk
Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello has confirmed that he is working on a new Kovalchuk contract.
Something tells me things are just getting interesting.


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So this Movella is practically like any other. Niall...
Insecurities turn brighter
- by Miki-horan
- Rating:
- Published: 25 Mar 2013
- Updated: 1 Sep 2013
- Status: In Progress
I'm the one that sits at the front, but know one sees. I'm the one that talks, but know one listens. I'm the one that thinks, but know own understands. I'm michaela. My family call me miki. I have been called many things. There is a word for people like me. Insecure. But in a short future, it will all change when I go to London for end of year 12 celebration... And meet the one and only ONE DIRECTION!!!!!
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Results 1 to 9 of 9
#1 Will Florida ban National Health Care?
- Join Date
- Aug 2005
- Posts
- 22,889
On the heels of a successful state-level resistance to the 2005 Real ID Act, activists and state legislators alike are focusing their efforts on state governments as a way to resist new federal programs.
The latest? Health Care.
In response to what some opponents see as a Congress that doesn't represent their interests, State Legislators are looking to the nearly-forgotten American political tradition of nullification as a way to reject any potential national health care program that may be coming from Washington.
The most recent effort comes from Florida State Senator Carey Baker and State Representative Scott Plakon, who this week filed a proposed State Constitutional Amendment (HJR37) as a means to prevent Floridians from being affected by any Federal Health Care Legislation. If approved by the legislature, Florida residents could be voting on it as early as 2010.
HJR37 would deny the ability of any new law to impose demands, restrictions or penalties on health care choices on Floridians. Versions of proposed federal health care reform legislation have included insurance coverage mandates, and certain penalties on employers who fail to provide employee health insurance.
It states, in part:
(1) A law or rule shall not compel, directly or indirectly, any person, employer, or health care provider to participate in any health care system
(2) A person or employer may pay directly for lawful health care services and shall not be required to pay penalties or fines for paying directly for lawful health care services. A health care provider may accept direct payment for lawful health care services and shall not be required to pay penalties or fines for accepting direct payment from a person or employer for lawful health care services.
A similar measure, called the Health Care Freedom Act, has already passed in Arizona, and residents of that state will have the opportunity to vote on it in 2010. Sources close to the Tenth Amendment Center say that more than ten other states may see such proposals introduced in the coming session.
Some say that a federal program would raise serious constitutional concerns. They cite the Tenth Amendment as limiting the Federal Government to those powers delegated to it by the People in the Constitution.
When a state 'nullifies' a federal law, it is proclaiming that the law in question is void and inoperative, or 'non-effective,' within the boundaries of that state; or, in other words, not a law as far as the state is concerned.
Nullification has a long and interesting history in American politics, and originates in the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions of 1798. These resolutions, secretly authored by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, asserted that the people of the states, as sovereign entities, could judge for themselves whether the federal government had overstepped its constitutional bounds - to the point of ignoring federal law
Last edited by megimoo; 07-29-2009 at 10:02 PM.
I can't see Florida bucking any Democrat welfare plans with its large Cuban population..Obama-if you're being run out of town, get out in front and pretend that it's a parade!!!
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- May 2008
- Posts
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07-29-2009, 11:13 PMObama-if you're being run out of town, get out in front and pretend that it's a parade!!!
- Join Date
- May 2008
- Posts
- 718
I do beieve Florida does not have income tax (correct me if I am wrong). Just think of the ad campaign you could have in the AARP newsletter. Come to Florida... Have your money and live to spend it.
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- May 2008
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Platinum benefits are exclusively reserved for our most frequent flyers achieving 150,000 Tier Miles, and are carefully designed to make every moment of your journey extraordinary.
Fly Emirates to Rio de Janeiro, and you'll arrive at Antonio Carlos Jobim Internatinal Airport. Every year, the airport welcomes millions to Brazil. In fact, Rio de Janeiro is the most visited city throughout the Southern Hemisphere.
From the moment Rio de Janeiro was discovered, on 1st January 1502, the city has enchanted the world with its natural beauty. And thanks to the cheerful people and a relaxed way of life, the city makes visitors who go there for leisure or business feel truly welcome.
Rio de Janeiro features some of the most iconic landmarks in the country, but the area's heart is truly the Brazilian culture, which you'll find in the city, and in the many worthwhile destinations just a few hours away.
Most visitors start with Rio's main attraction, Christ the Redeemer. Inaugurated on 12th October 1931, at the top of Mount Corcovado, Christ complements the beautiful landscape perfectly, so it's no wonder it became one of the wonders of the world on 7th July 2007. Christ the Redeemer attracts around one million tourists per year, and the city offers a variety of package tours for visitors. Options include everything from a simple walk to the ascent of Mount Corcovado, to a fancy helicopter tour with a spectacular view of the statue.
The Museum of Contemporary Art is a symbol of the State of Rio de Janeiro. It was conceived by the renowned architect, Oscar Niemeyer, the creator of Brasilia, Brazil's capital. Located in Niteroi, the Museum mixes the modern with the traditional. With its extraordinary exhibitions, it attracts tourists from around the world. In the museum are works from: Picasso, Miró, Salvador Dalí, Max Ernst, René Magritte, Ivan Serpa, Manabu Mabe, Cândido Portinari, Tarsila do Amaral, Lasar Segall, Di Cavalcanti and Oswaldo Goeldi.
Rio is more than beautiful people and pristine beaches. The city also offers several options for those looking for real Brazilian cuisine.
As a coastal town, it's no surprise that the seafood dishes are excellent. But be sure you also sample the incredible array of international cuisine found in the unique restaurants that line the waterfront.
Restaurants range from the casual, hidden in the suburbs of Ipanema such as Za Za Bistrot, to fine-dining restaurants inside hotels such as Carême, the restaurant of the famous chef Flávia Quaresma. Although many of the newer restaurants are truly world-class, you can often find an unforgettable meal in an out-of-the-way area such as in Santa Tereza where you can find the restaurant Aprazível, with good food in a special ambiance. Be sure to try the Brazilian style steakhouses called churrascarias where waiters come to your table with swords of grilled meat. Check the local guides and magazines for the latest suggestions.
When the sun goes down, the city truly comes to life. Bars by the sea are always very popular, and offer delicious snacks, drinks, and local specialties such as "Pao de queijo", traditional cheese bread, or Pastel de camarao (pastries filled with shrimp) , bean soup, and cocktails including the famous caipirinha. Have a small afternoon chopp (beer on tap) with Rio's professional happy hour set at Bar Amarelinho, on the plaza near the historical center's most beautiful buildings, including the Municipal Theater and the National Museum of Fine Arts . If you're looking for something more exciting, you can always enjoy international DJs at one of Rio's many nightclubs such as Nuth Barra, which is in Barra da Tijuca. But if you prefer, take a Samba lesson with the Rio Samba Dancers.
If you're a nature lover, be sure to visit Búzios. It's the perfect destination for explorers and nature lovers as well as a major local tourist destination.
Originally settled by European pirates and slave traders, Buzios evolved into a picturesque fishing village. Elected one of the 10 most beautiful areas in the world, it is now famous for its unique combination of rustic charm, architectural harmony, incredible beauty and sophisticated boutiques and restaurants. The west coast beaches offer calm, clear waters while the east coast beaches facing the ocean, are a bit more wild and draw surfers and water sports enthusiasts. Among the most popular beaches are Ferradura and João Fernandes.
Flint Street (Rock Street):
Flint Street in Buzios is the perfect place to spend your leisure time when visiting Brazil.
The oceanfront street will keep you occupied with boutiques, art galleries and restaurants where you can sample the local flavours and make new friends. Here you can experience the pleasure of wandering and seeing handmade crafts, or listening to several different styles of music. This is truly a place where you can feel free and lose all concept of time.
Pedra Bonita
Pedra Bonita is a mountain with an altitude of 696 metres, which was previously covered by the Atlantic Rainforest. The mountain lies between the districts of São Conrado and Barra da Tijuca, south of the city of Rio de Janeiro. A popular activity in Pedra Bonita is hangliding.
Rio's beautiful beaches are a must see for many tourists. So be sure to visit the glamorous Ipanema and Copacabana beaches, where you'll find a melting pot of local Brazilians and sun-worshipping tourists. Or stop by the Barra beach, known to attract national and international celebrities.
Away from the crowds, the city offers some beautiful beaches, often frequented by locals. Some of the best include Macumba (perfect for surfers) and Arpoador (perfectly breathtaking views).
In Buzios there are more than 23 beaches. Some of the most famous are Azeda beach, João Fernandinho Beach, Ferradura Beach and Geribá Beach.
Azeda Beach
Small beach with calm and crystal-clear water. You can get there either on foot by a small trail that begins in "Ossos Beach" or by boat.
João Fernandinho Beach
This is a small beach with calm and crystal-clear water. Near the popular João Fernandes Beach with many bars where you can enjoy lobster and other great seafood. You can't miss it.
Ferradura Beach
A beautiful horseshoe-shaped bay, with calm, crystal-clear water, served by numerous picturesque bars serving typical "Buzios Style" meals and drinks.
Geribá Beach
Wonderful open beach, frequented by many beautiful and famous people. Perfect for practising sports like surfing, boogie boarding and windsurfing.
Nature lovers can experience all that this beautiful place has to offer, from sailing and paragliding, to a tour of the beaches in the area. Búzios garnered international fame after the visit of French actress Brigitte Bardot, and since then, the town is known as the Brazilian Saint-Tropez.
Business people have been flying to Rio for years. Its highly diversified economy generates the second largest GDP of any city in Brazil. Rio's proximity to the oil rich Campos Basin makes it the ideal base for many in the petroleum industry including: Petrobrás, Shell, EBX and Esso.
Rio's main business interests also include: mining, iron and steel, electricity, telecommunications, finance, pharmaceuticals, shipping, tobacco, food and beverages.
Tourism and entertainment are other key aspects of the city's economic life. With its many beaches, passion for football, samba and Carnival, it is no wonder it is known as the cidade maravilhosa (marvellous city).
Rio boasts a wealth of attractions and activities, plus great food, music and entertainment - enough to keep a visitor busy for any length of stay. A vibrant agenda, including hosting the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games, is quickly transforming the city into a popular and exciting destination.


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Description:Compaq 40/80GB DLT8000 Internal CarbonPart Number(s)
Option Part# 146196-B22 or 146196-B23
Spare Part# 154871-003
Overview:The 40/80 GB DLT Tape Drive is used in backup solutions for mid to high-end servers as a stand-alone product. The DLT technology is positioned at the high end of the Compaq secondary storage portfolio of drives. The 40/80 GB DLT drive is part of a total Compaq solution using Compaq branded servers primary storage and media. Live trial software for backup applications is included in the drive option kit.


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Man and his symbols shows us great ways to use lifes symbols" />
Exaggerate has contains a large amount of symbolism that can be seen below. By gaining an idea about Exaggerate and the associations it has we gain a more intuitive insight into its meaning.Man and his symbols shows us great ways to use lifes symbols to understand our inherit nature and purpose.
Mercury is now in Gemini and this makes us especially communicative, curious, and sociable. Mercury feels right at home in Gemini, one of the signs that it rules. You will have more of an adaptable...read more
With the Sun now in Gemini we readily adapt to change. This can be a strength for survival but also a weakness because it makes you more vulnerable to the demands and influence of other people. The...read more
The Full Moon on May 18th 2019 at 27°38' Scorpio brings hidden worlds, secrets and deeper feelings into focus. The Sun in this lunar phase conjoins Mercury, making forms of communication ...read more
Mars in Cancer strengthens our domestic nature. You will feel more kind, passionate, protective, emotionally-sensitive and more caring nature. Insecurity and fear about the future is a possible neg...read more


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If you've ever stolen anything, raise your hand.
I'm typing one-handed right now.
Yes, I'm a thief. Me and millions of other people worldwide all share the same particular brand of larceny.
We download stuff for free.
Now let's get the legal argument out of the way right now. Copying media, whether it is burning a CD you got from the library, lending your mom your VHS recordings of House, borrowing your friend's Microsoft Office key, or downloading JA Konrath's audiobook version of Bloody Mary on Demonoid.com, all of that is stealing. You do it, you break the law.
Now that we're clear that anything you get for free that normally costs money is stealing, we can (if we desire) approach the moral argument. Is it stealing if there is no actual theft of property?
On one hand, digital media is a bunch of 1s and 0s, which can freely be duplicated and distributed. On the other hand, the originator of the material deserves to be compensated for her efforts.
Morality isn't black and white. Never has been. History has shown that morals are dictated by the majority of any given population at any given time.
Now, in the age of Internet and digital copies, more and more people are sharing data. Movies, video games, computer programs, TV shows, music.
And books.
Books have two main digital formats, e-books and audiobooks. And if you go to the usual places, you will find both formats being shared in substantial, growing numbers.
Chances are, if you're published on audio or as an e-book, you're being stolen.
Usenet is a huge, untrackable source of this piracy, to the tune of 1.8 billion downloads a day. Yeah, I said billion.
Among the top 200 visited websites on the Internet are Rapidshare.com, Megaupload.com, Badongo.com, Mininova.com, Mediafire.com, ThePirateBay.org, ZShare.net, 4Shared.com, IsoHunt.com, Easy-Share.com, Torrentz.com, and FileFactory.com. These are file sharing sites, either using Bit Torrent technology or password-protected file lockers. They're getting millions of hits a day.
Other p2p sites include Kazaa, Limewire, eMule, Gnutella, Kademlia, Megaupload, Overnet, FastTrack, and Ares Galaxy, while other bit torrent sites include BTjunkie, isoHunt, myBittorrent, Torrentz, Suprnova, and Jamendo.
At any given minute, tens of millions of pieces of digital media are being stolen.
And I'm okay with that.
I've long been a proponent of the "give it away for free" school of thought.
I want fans. I find fans in libraries, where 300 people can read my book with me earning no more than the original $3.00 royalty on the hardcover sale. Why wouldn't I want to reach 1000s of people?
"But," the naysayers yell, "you own the copyright. You should be the one to decide who gets your books. I should be allowed make that decision for myself."
Well, go ahead. Make your decision. Then decide what you're going to do when you discover people are stealing your work anyway.
Copyright isn't enforceable in a digital world. Digital media wants to be free. You can object legally, morally, spiritually, however you want to. People are still going to trade and copy your work, and you aren't going to be paid for it.
Changing public opinion isn't an option. People are going to keep sharing files and downloading content for free. No public awareness campaign, stiffer laws, or tougher media encryption is going to change that. People who would never take a grape from a grocery store have no difficulty at all downloading the entire discography of They Might Be Giants on a file sharing network.
So let's take an unofficial poll, to which you can respond anonymously.
What is your definition of stealing, and have you ever stolen digital media?
Talk to me, you thieving little vixens.
Monday, June 16, 2008
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We would like to welcome you to Thomas Jefferson's Radiation Oncology Program. Thank you for exploring our website.
The Radiation Oncology Residency Program trains physicians in a multi-disciplinary, research-based, patient-oriented approach to the practice of radiation oncology. We offer an ACGME accredited four-year residency program. As a hospital-based service with a major academic role within the medical college, our department considers resident training its most important academic function.
Jefferson's philosophy emphasizes basic science and translational research as a platform for the cutting-edge practice of oncology. Faculty members provide instruction in all aspects of radiation oncology: megavoltage photon- and electron-beam therapy, interstitial and intracavitary radioactive-source implantations, stereotactic radiosurgery and radiotherapy, intensity modulated radiation therapy, hyperthermia, and the diagnostic and therapeutic uses of radioactive isotopes. Additionally, we have arranged for our residents to have the opportunity to enhance their educational experience by participating in the following off-site rotations during their training:
- A six week Pediatric Radiation Oncology Rotation at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, TN
- A four-week Stereotactic Radiosurgery/Stereotactic Ablative Radiosurgery (SRS/SABR) with Cyberknife for various cancer cases at Christiana Care in Newark, DE


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Pictures: The ill-fated Morro Castle slides down the shipway at Newport News
Launched on March 5, 1930, the luxury liner SS Morro Castle became a prominent workhorse of the New York to Havana passenger trade, making the 1,100-plus-mile trip in only 59 hours on its maiden voyage. But four years later the popular 508-foot-long ship erupted in a deadly fire on a return trip off the New Jersey coast, resulting in the loss of more than 130 lives. Though the cause of the inferno was never determined, the tragedy prompted new federal regulations requiring more stringent fireproofing, fire control training, safety drills and officer licensing, greatly improving the safety of American merchant marine vessels. -- Mark St. John Erickson
Copyright © 2019, Daily Press


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RPC servers made available prior to the Solaris 2.4 release are single threaded. That is, they process client requests sequentially, as the requests come in. For example, say two requests come in, and the first takes 30 seconds to process, and the second takes only 1 second to process. The client that made the second request still has to wait for the first request to complete before it receives a response. This result is not desirable, especially in a multiprocessor server environment, where each CPU could be processing a different request simultaneously.Also, while one request is waiting for I/O to complete, sometimes other requests could be processed by the server.
Facilities in the RPC library for service developers can create multithreaded servers that deliver better performance to end users. Two modes of server multithreading are supported in TI-RPC: the Auto MT mode and the User MT mode.
In the Auto mode, the server automatically creates a new thread for every incoming client request. This thread processes the request, sends a response, and exits. In the User mode, the service developer decides how to create and manage threads for concurrently processing the incoming client requests. The Auto mode is much easier to use than the User mode, but the User mode offers more flexibility for service developers with special requirements.
You must link in the thread library when writing RPC multithreaded-safe applications. The thread library must be the last named library on the link line. To link this properly, specify the -lthread option in the compile command.
The two calls that support server multithreading are rpc_control() and svc_done(). The rpc_control() call is used to set the MT mode, either Auto or User mode. If the server uses Auto mode, it does not need to invoke svc_done() at all. In User mode, svc_done() must be invoked after each client request is processed so that the server can reclaim the resources from processing the request. In addition, multithreaded RPC servers must call on svc_run(). Note that svc_getreqpoll() and svc_getreqset() are unsafe in MT applications.
If the server program does not invoke any of the MT interface calls, it remains in single-threaded mode, which is the default mode.
You are required to make RPC server procedures multithreaded safe regardless of which mode the server is using. Usually, this means that all static and global variables need to be protected with mutex locks. Mutual exclusion and other synchronization APIs are defined in synch.h. See the condition(3THR) , rwlock(3THR), and mutex(3THR) man pages for a list of the various synchronization interfaces.
The following figure illustrates a possible timing of a server implemented in one of the MT modes of operation.
The service transport handle, SVCXPRT, contains a single data area for decoding arguments and encoding results. Therefore, in the default, single-threaded mode, this structure cannot be freely shared between threads that call functions that perform these operations. However, when a server is operating in the MT Auto or User modes, a copy of this structure is passed to the service dispatch procedure in order to enable concurrent request processing. Under these circumstances, some routines that would otherwise be unsafe become safe. Unless otherwise noted, the server interfaces are generally MT safe. See the rpc_svc_calls(3NSL) man page for more details on safety for server-side interfaces.


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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- The Penn State School of Visual Arts' (SoVA) Edwin W. Zoller Gallery is hosting Sidney Church's MFA thesis exhibition, "Accented," a multimedia show of do-it-yourself concocted sculptures and video dealing with Southern stereotypes and the depiction of Southern culture through popular media. The exhibition will be on displaythrough Friday, March 28. A public reception will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Monday, March 24, in the gallery.
Click here for a complete listing of Zoller Gallery events.
Church will receive his master of fine arts degree with a concentration in new sculpture from the Penn State School of Visual Arts. Born in South Carolina, Church received his undergraduate degree at Clemson University in South Carolina, where his focus was in sculpture and painting.
"I enjoy making things that deal with technology," said Church. "I enjoy programming things that make something do something. I enjoy ripping something apart and reusing it's parts to help create some other function. I have always enjoyed taking things apart to see how they work, even as a child. Aside from that, before I went into art, my original focus was in computer science. It made sense to eventually combine the two."
The master of fine arts degree is the terminal degree in the field and thus, the MFA thesis exhibition is the culmination of each student's creative research completed during their graduate studies. Students work closely with their faculty committee to develop a body of work that they exhibit in Zoller Gallery. Each MFA student also presents a public artist talk as part of the exhibition.
The Edwin W. Zoller Gallery is a nonprofit exhibition space dedicated to the advancement of the visual arts and is free and open to the public from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday during fall and spring semesters. Zoller Gallery was founded in 1971 and is located in the Visual Arts Building off Curtin Road, adjoining the Palmer Museum of Art on the University Park campus. Public programming at Zoller includes artist lectures, visual art performances, artist residencies and interdisciplinary events. This facility was named for Edwin W. Zoller in recognition of his dedicated career as an artist and teacher.


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Adjust VoiceOver voices
Enhanced-quality voices can be 100 MB or larger. Connect your device to Wi-Fi to download and install one of these voices.
With VoiceOver, you can enable more than one voice, switch between Default and Enhanced Quality (without needing to download the voice again), and change the speaking rate for each voice:
- Go to Settings > General > Accessibility > VoiceOver > Speech.
- Tap Add New Language.
- Tap the language and dialect you want. This will take you back to the Speech screen.
- Tap Voice, then tap the voice that you want to use.
- Choose either Default or Enhanced Quality. If you choose Enhanced Quality, the voice hasn't been downloaded yet, and your device is on a Wi-Fi network, the voice will start to download.
- Move the Speech Rate slider to slow down or speed up the voice.
Choose a voice for Speak Screen and Speak Selection
- Go to Settings > General > Accessibility > Speech.
- Enable Speak Selection or Speak Screen, or both.
- Select Voices.
- Choose the one voice and dialect you would like both Speak Screen and Speak Selection to use.
Remove a downloaded voice
If you aren't using an enhanced-quality voice, you can remove it:
- Go to Settings > General > Accessibility > VoiceOver > Speech.
- Tap Voice, then tap the voice that you want to remove.
- Tap Edit.
- Tap , and then tap Delete. Or swipe left to delete.
You can't delete the Siri voices for your country or region. You can change the language and country/region settings to delete some Siri voices, but at least one of the Siri voices for your country or region will download automatically.
Use Alex
If you use English, you can download the Alex voice. Learn where Alex is available and how to use Alex.


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BEIRUT, Lebanon, April 26 (UPI) -- While still unknown, evidence and intelligence information is indicating the two immigrant brothers alleged to have bombed the Boston Marathon are from that hard-to-track group of terrorists known as "lone wolves," who lack an affiliation with larger terror group or operation.
From the perspective of this correspondent being an American expat in the Middle East, one can imagine the growing problem faced not only by the United States but for global targets in many countries, given the increasing frequency of these lone wolf attacks.
Boston signals not the beginning of this phenomena but nevertheless is something of a tipping point into a new age where anyone with an ideological chip on their shoulder --and there are many kinds of ideological chips, not just radical Islamists -- can download easy-to-construct bomb-making instructions off the Internet or through social media.
And, if sufficiently motivated, (and psychopathological) inflict great harm on innocent civilians.
A number of experts on the subject note the difficulty in identifying the lone actors before their acts of terrors, largely because they operate outside any organized group. Though the usually share an ideology with a larger movement.
Professor Christopher Hewitt, a terrorism expert teaching at Georgetown University Security Studies program, notes that such unaffiliated terrorists include a lengthening list of lone actors.
A short list, he said, includes Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh; the Unabomber Ted Kaczynski; Mir Amal Kansi, who assassinated five CIA employees on the roadway entrance to the agency office; Eric Rudolph, Olympic bomber and attacker of an abortion clinic; and James Kopp, the sniper killer of abortion clinic doctor Barnett Slepian.
"Police have to identify the terrorist, catch them, and they have to be able to produce enough evidence to convict: so they have three tasks," Hewitt said. "In many cases they may identify the suspect but it takes law enforcement a considerable amount of time to capture the persons, consider the case of Eric Rudolph."
He noted, "In some cases you get superb witnesses, such as in the case of Eric Rudolph, where he was seen running away from an abortion clinic bombing, and removing a wig, while everyone else was running toward the scene of devastation."
In line with this, Hewitt notes, is the forensic and witness work that led to the quick identification of Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev as alleged bombers; with nearby cameras capturing footage of men leaving backpacks in the vicinity of the explosions, which was also observed by witnesses.
But, Hewitt adds, what was unusual was the speed in which police were able to turn this into actionable information -- albeit brought to an even quicker conclusion by the brothers drawing attention to themselves in an alleged carjacking.
"I would also emphasize the extraordinary effort on the part of police and the amount of manpower put immediately on the case," the sociology professor noted.
What is known so far? And were these two young immigrants "lone wolf" attackers?
The FBI received a request from the Federal Russian Security Service to interview Tamerlan Tsarnaev in February 2011. There was one interview, which yielded no suspicious activity and the FBI filed a report on the questioning three months later. FBI staff asked their Russian opposite numbers for more information of which nothing was forthcoming. The Russians made a similar request of the CIA to check databases for anything noteworthy but nothing showed up.
However, Tamerlan Tsarnaev was put on the U.S. travel watch list -- not at the level of the "no fly" list only with caveat that his movements be noted -- but by the time Tamerlan Tsarnaev had traveled to and from Dagestan for a period of six months, his watch list status had "expired" and his re-entry to the United States set off no interest or inquiry.
On April 15, the bombing at the Boston Marathon takes place, killing three and injuring more than 200, many requiring amputations and other critical medical care.
The FBI published video photos of the two suspects at 5 p.m. April 18; soon afterward, the suspects allegedly hijacked a vehicle at gunpoint in Cambridge, Mass., an FBI affidavit issued Monday states.
An FBI affidavit released Monday alleges that Tamerlan Tsarnaev said to the car owner: "Did you hear about the Boston explosion? I did that."
Police locate the stolen car and the alleged bombers in the Boston suburb of Watertown, Mass., where a car chase ensues and then, when cornered, a gunfight breaks out.
The older brother is killed, the younger escapes in the car and is later found hiding in a covered boat in Watertown. After another firefight he surrenders and is found to have gunshot wounds to the head, neck, legs and hand.
Last Sunday, the surviving accused bomber, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, states to FBI agents that he and Tamerlan Tsarnaev bombed the Boston Marathon because of their radical Islamist views as payback for U.S. wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. He also says that he and his brother acted alone.
The FBI affidavit accompanying federal charges against the younger Tsarnaev says, the video evidence is fairly conclusive. Both men are seen entering Boylston Street near the Boston Marathon finish line at 2:38 p.m. Both men were carrying knapsacks.
Separate video cameras, the affidavit stated, then capture footage of each man placing their knapsacks; Tamerlan Tsarnaev at finish line and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev by the Forum restaurant.
Tamerlan Tsarnaev leaves the finish line and footage shows him elsewhere in the crowd as the first explosion occurs.
"Virtually every head turns to the east (toward the finish line) and stares in that direction in apparent bewilderment and alarm," the affidavit states.
Meanwhile, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who is referred to as "Bomber Two," in the affidavit remains calm. He leaves his knapsack on the ground by the restaurant and walks away. A bomb blows up about 10 seconds later.
The affidavit states that the reviewing agent had observed all the camera footage in the area and "can discern nothing in that location in the period before the explosion that might have caused that explosion, other than Bomber Two's knapsack."
Thus far -- though the entire case is a sad one -- police action after the incident led to the apprehension of both suspects very quickly, with one killed during a subsequent heavy firefight between police and bombing suspects.
Could the bombing have been prevented -- this is what intelligence officials are trying to find out.
Hewitt said, "Terrorists who operate as lone wolves -- if they don't have a previous record, and are under no surveillance -- are virtually impossible to find."
At issue, is lone wolf or not -- one of these young men had come under suspicion but somehow bluffed the FBI.
The "what ifs" are hard to contemplate, as had Tamerlan Tsarnaev somehow tripped up and revealed to the Russian Security Service; the FBI, CIA, Homeland Security or the Transportation Security Administration, his evolving intentions to launch an attack -- history would be far different.
Sadly, it is not.
(T.K. Malory was a business editor for UPI until 2008. He is the MENA correspondent for Marcopolis.net, an English language business newswire. His most recent project is Faces of the Economy: Lebanon (http://www.marcopolis.net/faces-of-lebanon.htm ) Contact: firstname.lastname@example.com.)
(United Press International's "Outside View" commentaries are written by outside contributors who specialize in a variety of important issues. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of United Press International. In the interests of creating an open forum, original submissions are invited.)


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I like my name. It is unique and not too complicated. Though people sometimes make it complicated. They'll ask, "how do you pronounce it? Is it AR-riel or like AIR-riel?" How is it spelled? Some people like to spell it like it's the aerial view of something. Or like the font-Arial. Or, something more understandable, like Michelle, with two Ls and Es. Nope. It's just Ariel. Spelled like "the mermaid" but not named after her. If I had a quarter for every time I was asked "Ariel, like the mermaid?" I'd be so rich! 🙂 It is a Hebrew name, a unisex name, meaning Lion(ness) of G-d. And yes, I have met male Ariels. I was excited to go to Israel, not just because I had not been there before, but I was expecting to see memorabilia with my name on it. Like a pencil or something. I was always obsessed with looking for things with my name on it when I was little. I think that the only way I got things personalized was by asking for it specifically. I like when people make other connections with my name other than The Little Mermaid, such as Ariel, the character in The Tempest. I tried getting people to believe that I was named after that Ariel character, and not named after a Disney princess. They didn't believe me. Then I explain the Hebrew thing, and then get into a Jewish thing. I like my name, but I do not like the conversation I have with people about it when I first meet them. I like the people who say, oh, that's a pretty name and move on. I like having a unique name and I like that it is only five letters and that's it.
My last name is a whole different story. Always knew when it was a tele-marketer because they would mis-pronounce the name. I do like being in the middle of the alphabet. I always felt bad for those toward the end. It was good during graduation, I did not have to be the first and not know what to do, and did not have to wait too long for my name to be called. I also usually got out of doing something because the teacher would pick people alphabetically, and by the time they got to me, they had enough people for what they had to do. I didn't mind sitting alphabetically in class. Sat next to some nice and interesting people that way.
So yes, overall, I like my name. Will I be happy to change my last name when I get married? Only if it is easier for people to pronounce and spell. Otherwise, I will be happy because I am marrying the man of my dreams and the one I love, and that's what matters the most.
How about you, do you like your name? Do people pronounce your name and spell it correctly on the first try?


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Saturday was Jacques's birthday. At age 90, the long-retired engineer from Aix-en-Provence had only one item on his wish list: to visit ITER for a third time an [...]
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Europe made the buildings; the piping came from India; China and Korea provided the transformers; Russia manufactured the massive 'busbar' network. The ITER Org [...]
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Gov. Rick Perry's office insisted that the Aug. 6 prayer rally he initiated was "apolitical."
But less than two weeks after thousands of people attended The Response in Reliant Stadium, the founder of the American Family Association sent out an email to prayer-rally registrants touting Champion the Vote, "a friend of AFA whose mission is to mobilize 5 million unregistered conservative Christians to register and vote according to the Biblical worldview in 2012."
Don Wildmon says in the e-mail, "The Response was just the beginning of a nationwide initiative to return America to the principles on which she was founded, with God at the center of our nation."
Eric Bearse, who was spokesman for The Response, stood by the idea that it wasn't a political event.
"The Perry campaign hasn't used any of the data from the event for any type of political purpose," said Bearse, who now is with the Perry campaign but wasn't responding on its behalf. "The AFA sending out an email to register people — if that is political, then I guess so is the activity of the secretary of states' office in all 50 states."
It would, however, be unusual for a secretary of state's office to say, as Wildmon did, "CTV's research has shown that it takes only 5 million voters to influence the outcome of an election. This is a doable goal…."
The e-mail does not promote a particular candidate.


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Taylor Swift Spills All to Her Co-Writers
While superstar Taylor Swift effectively dodges questions left and right in regards to her personal life, there's one group that she'll always spill the elusive details to: her co-writers.
The 'I Knew You Were Trouble' hitmaker explains why she thinks it's important to delve into the whole story before writing a song. "When I go into a co-write, I don't think it's fair for them to not know what I want to write about," she says. "If I were to just play them the idea that I came in with, I want them to know the backstory. So I'll walk into a room with a co-writer and just say, 'Hey, nice to meet you. I really need to tell you what I've been going through 'cause this is what I want to write about.'"
Swift is decidedly practical in regards to spilling her secrets to her co-writers, saying, "That way they know the background on it. They're not sitting there having to completely make assumptions based on something they don't know. If I tell them everything I'm going through, then it's easier to write about it."


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Leslie Fitzwater brings Piaf alive in Skylight's 'Onstage'
The music and life story of popular French singer Edith Piaf get under one's skin.
Singer-actress Leslie Fitzwater, who has brought Piaf to the stage several times over the course of her career, opened her one-woman "Edith Piaf Onstage" at the Skylight Music Theatre on Friday evening.
The show, written by Fitzwater with musical arrangements and orchestrations by music director Paula Foley Tillen, reminds one why Piaf still mesmerizes, 50 years after her death.
Fitzwater last presented "Edith Piaf Onstage" in 2007, in the Skylight's Studio Theatre. Taking the show to the big theater meant giving up the intimacy of the small space, in which one felt as though Piaf was speaking and singing to a group of confidants.
Fitzwater, who wears the character of Piaf like a tailor-made suit, traded the intimacy born of that small space for a glimpse at the character's vulnerability on the big stage. She created a different kind of intimacy altogether.
In place of subtle emotions and facial expressions, which worked so beautifully in the small theater, Fitzwater captured Piaf's diminutive-yet-larger-than-life stance in the spotlight.
Dressed in one of Piaf's signature black dresses, Fitzwater delivered French-accented, first-person monologues as Piaf and gave searing renditions of some of Piaf's iconic songs, including "C'est L'Amour," "La Vie en Rose" and "Milord."
Fitzwater used an upstage platform and a downstage café table for some of the show's monologues, but the vast majority of the music found her alone in the spotlight, using the stances and gestures that were part of Piaf's unwavering style.
Inhabiting the character of Piaf more than portraying her, Fitzwater made it seem as though she had been left in the wings as Piaf took the stage.
Backing Fitzwater was an onstage ensemble consisting of Tillen at the piano, Tom Kanack on accordion, Tom McGirr on bass and Mike Lorenz on drums and percussion. The ensemble, which saw a handful of tentative entrances and a few bass pitch issues late in the show, gave stylish renderings of Tillen's arrangements and remained sensitive to Fitzwater's dynamics throughout the show.
A simple, elegantly functional set by Rick Rasmussen, and costumes by Shima Orans, helped give context and character to the show.
The Skylight Music Theatre production of "Edith Piaf Onstage" runs through Feb. 10 in the Cabot Theatre in the Broadway Theatre Center, 158 N. Broadway. For ticket information, visit www.skylightmusictheatre.org or call (414) 291-7800.
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Kirk Cousins is the latest rookie quarterback to start a game this year. And it's not going as well for Cousins as it did when he replaced usual starter Robert Griffin III last week.
Cousins has completed one of six passes for four yards, along with an interception that was returned by T.J. Ward to the Washington six.
One play later, running back Trent Richardson cashed in, and the Browns are up, 7-0.


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Yup, our much beloved Secret Six came to its too-soon conclusion on Wednesday, and of course we had to commiserate. Well, that and talking about the week in comics, Superman and Dark Knight Rises stills, the great racist crisis of the new Ultimate Spider-Man, and scorched earth Twitter warfare. Join Aaron, Alan, and Bobby for a very special (ie long*) version of the Four Color Freak-Out!
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 2:06:44 — 58.0MB)
*It was actually 3 and a half hours uncut, but we decided 90 minutes of Alan sobbing was a bit much to bear.
{ Comments on this entry are closed }


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"Rails 2 Is Not Going To Be A Unicorn"
"The world of resources is a better, greener place for web development."
Single action which handles three different formats. Not a unicorn because it works today. "All of this stuff will pretty much just work."
./script/generate scaffold person name:string created_at:datetime - That's awesome. You can give the scaffold generator the basic attributes of the model.
format.xml { render :xml => @people } - I'm sold on REST, finally. format.csv is nearly a one-liner also. It automatically assumes the correct return format, so a direct use of Mime::CSV is unnecessary.
Involuntary debugging demo.
"3 years of Ruby on Rails experience." DHH showed a job ad and commented that the headhunters were looking for people who had more Rails experience than he did.
ActiveWebService's death is now finally official. ActiveResource yes, ActiveWebService no. Adios. Rails is not Switzerland; Rails takes sides. SOAP no; REST APIs yes.
Looking for ways to add OpenID and Atom to Rails; these are horses in the race that they want to back but aren't yet doing so. Ajax and Rest are friends; OpenID and Atom are allies.
"Breakpoints are back." Happy about that; jokingly blames "guys in Japan" for fixing the bug breakpoints depended on. ActiveWebService guy's ruby-debugger now gives you breakpointing again. I think that wasn't actually news; I think it's also really called ruby-debug, not ruby-debugger. You can trace it up and down through the call stack in the framework. I think Adam Wiggins' project Gyre already makes use of this to give you a Rails IDE that runs in Rails.
Admits HTTP performance strategy fux0r3d; showed huge list of JS and CSS in use in Highrise. Hopefully this means there's a new directory structure coming to organize JS and CSS properly. all.css and all.js is the solution he's describing.
javascript_include_tag :all, :cache => :true
Not what I was hoping for - seems less flexible than Iowa - but still definitely an improvement.
Solution is a line in a configuration file! specifying a separate asset host.
Huge difference in perceived performance because branching to a separate server eliminates (hardcoded and arbitrary) browser limitations on simultaneous per-server connections.
"It's really hard to figure out how to do object caching well." (Referring to SQL.)
Query cache. Something which scans queries and ? Ah OK. It doesn't bother with object caching because it's hard; it caches identical SQL queries only because identifying them is effortless and cheap. So you get it for free; automatically activated by default. You get it for free. Standard Rails design, really, do the easy thing fast and wait to see if the corner case ever even happens in real life. It's a good practical design principle (this is my commentary, not what DHH said).
Best news so far: ERb files are going to end in .erb. Finally!
I think I knew about that already, though. I'm not sure if I did or not. That's weird.
config/initializers - another Thank God. (I think this was announced on Ryan's "What's New In Rails Edge" around March.)
"Sexy Migrations" - actual slide text. This was announced somewhere recently as well.
Honestly, I hate to sound cynical, but most of the content in this keynote is old news if you read Ryan Daigle's blog. In fact all this "finally" and "thank God" I'm writing, that's where it comes from. I keep thinking he's saying new stuff that's finally happening, he's really just giving an update on what he's been doing in Rails core, which is a pretty reasonable thing to do during a keynote, especially if you've been keeping busy, but yeah, it is mostly old news. Took me a while to realize it, though, the coffee I had this morning was pretty bad. The best in the vicinity that I know of so far is Starbucks. That's a serious fucking problem. I should have brought my espresso machine.
"The MIT Assumption" - slide title. Here's something actually interesting - DHH loves the MIT license. MIT license is autogenerated by default if you build plugins or whatever. There's something funny about that, but it's a very useful thing. DHH's business sense is a huge part of what makes Rails great. Boring keynote compared to Canada On Rails, though. That was a fucking awesome keynote. To be fair, though, if I was reading as many blogs back then as I am today, I might have been less surprised by that one too. It was definitely very popular, and there's definitely a lot of good energy here.
Friday, May 18, 2007
Quotes and Notes from DHH's RailsConf 2007 Keynote
Posted by Giles Bowkett at 9:26 AM
2 comments:
- Chris EmeryMay 18, 2007 at 11:44:00 AM PDT
Your in Portland yes? Try hitting up Stumptown http://www.stumptowncoffee.com/ best coffee in Portland, even if their website is flash based. If your at the convention center probably easy to catch a max into downtown and hit the one on 3rd and Ash (ish), get off at the Skidmore Fountain stop, walk up to third and take a left.ReplyDelete
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HAPPY NEW YEAR Everyone!!
Here is a picture of Whirling Star 2 block, that I have made for this month. I chose to paper piece my block together, but you can use a few different ways to make your block. It was such fun to make & I hope you enjoy making your's & joining all of us for 2013.


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Bombardier has powered up the main electrical distribution system on the first CSeries flight-test aircraft, FTV-1. Airbus has installed the engines on the first A350, MSN001. Do we have a race on our hands to see who can fly by the Paris air show on 17-23 June?
Photo: Bombardier
As the photo above shows, the first CSeries is on its wheels, engines installed, and out of the assembly hangar at Mirabel. Bombardier is confident it can meet its new target of flying by the end of June, but is playing down the possibility of a first flight before or during Paris. The A350 is further behind and with fewer than 80 days to go, as my colleague Guy Norris notes, it would long shot to bet on the A350 flying before the show opens. But it could be close.
Bombardier says two most significant wing structural tests required for first flight are now done with completion of the down-bending test on the complete-aircraft static test article, following the earlier up-bending test. Safety-of-flight tests on the "Aircraft 0" integrated systems rig are progressing well, the company systems. Powering up FTV-1, meanwhile, allows subsystem and avionics testing to begin on the aircraft.