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KABUL (Reuters) - Severe strains in Afghan ties with the United States, the chief backer of the international military mission in Afghanistan, are likely to subside as U.S. and NATO forces depart, a contender in a presidential election in April said.
"The long-term stay of any force, in any country, will create a problem. The international community will not stay in Afghanistan forever - they should not stay forever," former Foreign Minister Zalmay Rassoul said in an interview this week.
"The Afghan people want a friendship with the United States, but at the same time we need to make sure that Afghanistan will be a long-term, sovereign friend of the United States. So I have no worry about the future relation of Afghanistan and the United States, in the framework of respect for our sovereignty," he said.
Rassoul, who stepped down from his post as Afghanistan's top diplomat to run in the April 5 polls, is widely seen as the favoured candidate of President Hamid Karzai, who U.S. officials blame for fuelling tension with the West. Karzai has served two terms and cannot run again.
The diplomat, a former top aide to Karzai who also served as Karzai's national security adviser, led Afghan dealings with the Obama administration as the two countries negotiated a partnership agreement governing U.S.-Afghan ties as U.S. and foreign troops steadily withdraw ahead of a year-end deadline.
Rassoul's role as chief interlocutor with the West suggests that he might seek to smooth over ties with Washington, where lawmakers and officials have grown increasingly frustrated as what they see as erratic and provocative action by Karzai, who Western nations backed as Afghanistan's first leader after the ouster of the Taliban government in 2001.
In the latest of a long series of disagreements, U.S. military officials were incensed by the Karzai government's recent decision to release 65 detainees who the United States insisted were dangerous Taliban militants.
Karzai bluntly rejected the criticism, saying judicial officials' decision was of "no concern" to the United States.
Rassoul declined comment on whether his former boss should sign the U.S.-Afghan bilateral security agreement (BSA), a counterpart to that first partnership deal, which would authorize a modest U.S. force to stay beyond 2014 to train Afghan troops and go after al Qaeda. The Obama administration had expected Karzai to finalize the BSA following its endorsement by tribal elders late last year.
"President Karzai is the elected president of Afghanistan ... so the decision is up to him," Rassoul said.
Karzai has insisted that the United States must first jump-start peace talks with the Taliban and end all raids and strikes on Afghan homes before he signs the deal.
The uncertainty about the BSA has fuelled anxiety about the future, added to strains on the economy, and raised fears of renewed civil war.
Rassoul said that if he were elected president he would sign the deal, with the goal of securing advice, funding and military gear for Afghan forces.
"What I can say is that the BSA, the way it was prepared, is good for Afghanistan," he said.
While foreign and Afghan troops have pushed the Taliban out of many areas of their southern heartland, concerns are growing about whether Afghan forces can keep the still-potent insurgency at bay as the West goes home.
A relative of former Afghan King Amanullah Khan, Rassoul grew up in Afghanistan but lived in Europe for much of his adult life. He studied medicine in France, specializing in kidney transplants, and helped organize Afghan expatriates against the 1980s Soviet occupation and the Taliban government of the 1990s.
Rassoul will face off against a number of formidable competitors in the polls, including Karzai's older brother Qayum, another former foreign minister, Abdullah Abdullah, and a former finance minister, Ashraf Ghani.
The elections are widely expected to go to a second round. While the electoral commission says it has taken steps to avoid the widespread allegations of fraud in the last presidential polls in 2009, scepticism remains about whether the board remains truly independent of the current leadership and whether the polls will be as credible as desired.
Despite potentially pivotal support from Karzai, Rassoul may struggle to win the support of ordinary Afghans, especially among the Pashtun community, the biggest ethnic group, despite the fact that his family hails from the Pashtun south.
In an incident that may symbolize that challenge, he answered questions asked in the Pashto language during a recent presidential debate in Dari, a language spoken in northern Afghanistan and in Kabul.
In a move he hoped would break "a taboo" in conservative Afghanistan, Rassoul chose a female former governor as one of his running mates. His other running mate is the brother of the late mujahideen leader, the famed Ahmad Shah Massoud.
Editing by Robert Birsel


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Mahatma Mandir
Mahatma Mandir Congress Centre, India
Inspired by the life and ideology of Mahatma Gandhi, Mahatma Mandir has been designed and constructed by the Gujarat government as a memorial and place of unity and development. The building is one of the largest meeting and congress centres in India and can be found in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. There are small rooms and large congress halls for national and international meetings, conferences and exhibitions.
There are several international events a year in the big congress hall, which has been designed for 5,000 people. For these types of events interpretation technology, with several audio channels for the transmission of foreign languages, is required. The requested system should also have a very wide range, as the international participants can sit anywhere throughout the hall.
Pyramid Technologies, the beyerdynamic Partner in India, solved this with the SIS Simultaneous Interpretation System from beyerdynamic. Seven SIS 1202 double consoles can be found in separate booths on the balcony in the rear part of the hall. Often two interpreters take turns at one double console. The seven foreign languages are simultaneously transmitted to the digital IRIS Infrared Transmission System. The system is compliant to the international IEC 61603-7 standard for infrared audio transmission of simultaneous interpretation systems.
A case with 40 compartments provides optimal charging and storage of the Iris receivers.
The Iris EF infrared high performance radiators are installed on the ceiling to ensure optimum reception quality in the whole hall.
Vibrant Gujarat, also known as "Global Business Hub" is one of the biggest annual events. This year the interpretation and infrared transmission systems were used for the first time. It was a complete success.
The meeting rooms have been equipped with the wireless MCW-D 50 conference system from beyerdynamic. The system can easily be set up and removed. The CC 13 case is ideal for charging, storage and transport of the microphone units.
beyerdynamic systems in use:
- SIS – Simultaneous Interpretation System
- IRIS – Infrared Transmission System
- MCW-D 50 – Wireless Conference System

subset: commoncrawl


text:
A relaxed, informal and supportive guitar group. Together, we support each other to learn the basics of guitar, how to play popular songs, and begin writing our own. Our talented and friendly teachers are there to guide new students who are always welcome. You can bring your own guitar or use ours!
- 18:30 Beginners
- 19:30 Advanced


text: Editor's Note: Three of the Jezebels — Moe, Tracie & Jennifer — are still gone, presumably still listening to a certain audaciously-hopeful Democratic presidential candidate try to hold forth on important issues while Tyra Banks quizzes him on his opinion of her hair weave, the best fall fashions, and which BBQ joints in Chicago have the best baby-back ribs. Dodai is gone because she has to get a bridesmaid dress altered, then get to bed (6am plane flight, Tampa, etc.). I'm going to a baseball game. All this is a way of saying: We're stopping a little earlier today, which, in my mind at least, will forever be known as the day that Barack Obama, the National League East and a bridesmaid dress broke the blog.


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94 N. Main Street, Jasper, GA - (706) 253-2457
Sunset Cove on Lake Lanier on a Saturday following the fatal boat crash that killed two kids in waters near the famous party spot.
Lake Lanier has been in the news a good bit lately. Unfortunately, it's not for people enjoying hot days in cool water.
The news has been tragic with two brothers killed in a June 18 boat wreck, when the pontoon boat they were on with family members was struck by a fishing boat, driven by a reportedly intoxicated driver.
This was followed quickly by two other boating incidents where people were less seriously injured.
And those accidents were followed by yet another incident, when a man on a personal watercraft (jet-ski) hit two children being pulled on an inflatable tube behind a boat. (For dedicated landlubbers, such tubing is a common lake-surface recreation). The children and man were part of the same group out together on the lake. No alcohol was suspected in this accident, but one of the kids was fairly seriously injured.
What is alarming is that many regular boaters, water skiers and fisherman are not surprised by this wave of crashes. In fact, we know several people whose comments were more to the tune of surprise that boating accidents don't happen more often on the 37,000-acre reservoir.
Part of the problem is just the volume of users. The DNR estimates more than 7 million people are on Lake Lanier every year.
But another contributing factor is the wild West attitude of boaters on the lake. Even before state budget cuts, Lanier was dangerously under-patrolled––a regrettable situation in hindsight
A report in the AJC said rangers who patrol Lanier had only six watercraft when times were good. Now, due to state cutbacks, they are down to four working boats and lack the manpower to operate more than four boats in any event.
Picture a city with 7 million people visiting each year, spread out over miles of coast, with only four regular patrol units on duty. Counties with coasts on Lanier also supply patrols to supplement state rangers.
Adding to potential hazards is the fact that rules on the water are not clearly defined. Obviously there are no stop signs or marked lanes or even clear-cut routes. Some people may cross open areas east to west while others fly along with tubers in tow, going north to south in the same vicinity.
And with boats, there is nothing like the kind of driver's training you must master with an automobile before legally getting behind the wheel. In fact, about the only limit on who can drive a private boat is that you be an adult and that you not be intoxicated.
Even if you've never even paddled a canoe before, chances are you can rent a remarkably fast motorized boat and drag water skiers around a Georgia lake.
Of particular concern is the alcohol that seems to go hand-in-hand for many with days spent at the lake. Alcohol is not suspected in the second accident but is suspected to be a factor in the first.
But the weekend following the deaths of the two brothers found crowds out in force on Lake Lanier and in traditional party spots like Sunset Cove, where beer stands dot the shore. The mood was far from somber.
A look at DNR statistics shows that boating under the influence (BUI) is not a new problem. In 2011 on Georgia lakes, there were 168 BUIs. Some 109 boating accidents produced 66 injuries and 11 fatalities. Of those accidents, 18 involved alcohol.
The year 2010 saw139 BUIs, with boating accidents involving 74 injuries and 16 fatalities. No data was recorded on accidents involving alcohol.
Looking at the statistics, it is shocking to learn how common such boating accidents as the one that claimed the two brothers can be.
To keep Georgia safe on the water, the legislature needs to see DNR rangers have what they need for putting some controls on those using the lake. Expecting operators of fast boats to be sober and to drive in a manner that keeps others safe isn't too much to ask. And exacting fines from those who don't comply should help fund the enforcement manpower needed to make Georgia lakes safe for all.


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The Internet is a big place, composed of billions of different websites. Many people want to join the web by having their own site but do not know how to get started. The very first step to having your own site is to have a web host provider. But what exactly is web hosting? We are glad you asked.
What is web hosting?
If you decided you wanted to open up a shop in your town that sold dog toys you would need to do a few things before you were open for business.
Beyond the legal paperwork you would need to get a supplier. You also need a location for your store, so you would likely contact a real estate agent that specialized in business locations. They would help you determine the best location for your store and set out to find a spot to rent. Eventually you would secure a spot in a shopping center that is owned by another company. You then pay rent to them in return for you housing your inventory and running your business in their shopping center.
Web hosting is a lot like that. Web hosting companies are like the owners of the shopping centers. Instead of physical real estate, they own servers. These servers are divided up into spaces that are for rent. Just like store units can be different square footage, web servers can have different sized spots for rent. Which one you need depends on how large your site is. In a physical store you will have inventory and fixtures, such as shelving. In a web server you will have files and images.
Web Hosting FAQs
Domain name vs site hosting
Some people get confused between purchasing a domain name and website hosting. Purchasing a domain name is like naming your business. You now have the exclusive right to use that name, however you still need to rent the server space for your site to be seen on the Internet.
Can I host from my own computer?
While you can certainly build a website on your own computer, you need more than that to host it out on the web. You most likely cannot run a store out of your house for a variety of reasons. The same goes with websites. To host your site from your home computer you would need to make sure it was connected to the Internet 100% of the time. Also, you would need to ensure you have a dedicated IP address for your location. Once you ask for one of those from your ISP, they may force you to upgrade to a business plan. These can cost hundreds of dollars per month.
You also need to have your computer set up with dedicated web server software. There is also security software you will need to block malicious intruders. You also will need to be able to troubleshoot any issues that may arise. This is not to say it cannot be done, but it is not very cost efficient most of the time.
What type of hosting plan do I need?
This answer varies depending on what type of site you are going to have. Is it strictly informational? Will it have members? Will it be database driven or simple static html pages? Are you going to run an e-commerce store? All of these can and will affect the answer to this question.
As in the video above, we have three main categories for hosting – shared, VPS, and dedicated servers. Each of these have sub categories with varying resource limits. Below is a quick summary of the categories.
Shared – Much like an apartment building. Everyone uses the same resources so anyone over-using a resource can affect the others on the server. This is the cheapest and most common type of hosting. Many people start out on a shared hosting plan.
VPS – Virtual Private Servers are much like a townhome, or row house. Each account is like its own home unit. They each have their own resource allocation and much more control over their site environment. However, just like in a shared, tenants that overuse resources may have an effect on the other accounts on the server. This is much less likely to happen on a VPS than a shared server.
Dedicated server – This is like owning your own house. The entire building is yours. In this case, the entire server is yours. All the resources are dedicated to your account, so no one else can bother you on the server. Much like a house, there are different sizes, so you may need to upgrade to larger dedicated servers as your site grows.
What do I do next?
After you understand how web hosting works and have a general idea of what type of hosting you need, you can view the different types of Business, VPS, and Dedicated server plans we have to narrow down your specific plan. We recommend contacting our Live Sales team either by phone (888-321-4678 (continental US only) +1-757-416-6575 (international)) or by our Sales Chat
. They can help you find the perfect plan for your site.


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The roots of Iittala date back to 1881 when a glass factory was established in a village of the same name in southern Finland. In the beginning of the 20th century dinnerware was decorated with a variety of ornaments. Iittala was one of the first companies to make the transition from decorative dinner sets to functional, aesthetically pleasing objects infused with progressive Scandinavian design. The core idea behind Iittala is to offer aesthetically and functionally durable products that bring enjoyment and pleasure to everyday life.
Professor Oiva Toikka is one of the greatest names in Finnish glass. His imaginative, rich and bold glass art deviates from the streamlined aesthetic of Nordic design. He has worked in the performing arts for as long as he has in glass. The Birds collection is Toikka's best-known work. He has enjoyed an international career and received numerous awards, among them Lunning Prize, Pro Finlandia Medal, World Glass Now 85 Award, Kaj Franck Design Prize and the Prince Eugen Medal.
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text:
Mental health law on back burner
Mental health advocates say a landmark 2008 law meant to expand access to millions of Americans has gotten back-burner treatment by the Obama administration because of its relentless focus on the Affordable Care Act.
As a result, key details are missing from the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, awaiting a final rule from the administration that supporters say is "imminent."
Story Continued Below
"It's been our understanding that they've just been so bogged down with ACA rules coming out that it's been delayed," said Sarah Steverman, director of state policy for Mental Health America, in a phone interview just minutes before the Department of Health and Human Services issued a 474-page rule on President Barack Obama's health law.
It's an issue that could get new attention when Vice President Joe Biden's gun violence task force releases its recommendations Tuesday, since some prominent Democrats are urging the administration not to overlook the importance of mental health care — and to finish putting the 2008 law into place.
In the aftermath of the Newtown, Conn., massacre, a renewed focus on mental health services has put the unfinished law back in the spotlight. Democratic Sens. Al Franken of Minnesota and Tom Harkin of Iowa appealed to Biden last week to include final guidance on the mental health law among recommendations to respond to the shooting that left 20 schoolchildren dead.
"[W]hile this historic law was passed four years ago, the administration has yet to issue a final rule, potentially leaving many Americans who need and have a right to these services without access to them," the senators wrote.
Some Republicans are wondering what's up with the rule, too — and not in an idly curious way.
"I've yet to hear a convincing explanation as to why three years have passed and yet we're still waiting on a final rule for mental health parity," Rep. Tim Murphy (R-Pa.), the chairman of the Oversight and Investigations subcommittee, said in a statement to POLITICO. "If this can't be resolved in short order, Congress is duty bound to take assertive action."
Andrew Sperling, director of federal legislative advocacy for the National Alliance on Mental Illness, said the ACA rule making "took precedence" over the mental health law, partly by necessity.
"There were so many different regulations on the ACA essential health benefits, insurance market reforms, employee wellness programs," he said. "It's the same people writing the same regulations. Given the timetables they're under, the time constraints they're under to get the ACA regs out, that took precedence."


text:
Lucas - A 106-year-old US woman is finally going to get
her school diploma.
Reba Williams said she completed high school in Ohio but
was denied her diploma because she refused to read a final book assigned by a
She'd read it once and didn't want to read it again.
The Mansfield News Journal reports that the Mount Vernon
Board of Education approved issuing Williams' diploma earlier this month.
A retired English teacher had approached the board about
giving Williams the diploma after reading about her earlier this year.
Williams was a long-time cook at what is now the state's
only working farm and park, called Malabar Farm State Park.
She still has a sharp mind and lives with her daughter.


text:
Hi gurus,
After using bcp to export a big table's data from SQL Server, I used SQL*Loader to load that data into Oracle. Among 3 million rows of records, 4,000+ records were rejected because 'Field in data file exceeds maximum length'.
However, I have EXACTLY the same table definition in both dbms which is varchar2(2000). So if that column(CallEventLog) fits SQL Server, it should fit Oracle as well. And also, by looking at the data in the .bad file, I don't think they are even close to 2000 characters. I even substr(:CallEventLog, 1, 2000) in my control file for that column, but still got the same erros.
Any idea?
FYI -- the problem column(CallEventLog)'s data have '\n' in it. Does it play a role inside?
I am using Oracle 9i on a win2K box.
Let me know if you need any other info.
Thanks a lot,


text:
President's Committee on Mental Retardation: A Historical Review 1966-1985
The Committee, 1986 - Mentally handicapped - 35 pages
From inside the book
2 pages matching NARC in this book
Where's the rest of this book?
Results 1-2 of 2
What people are saying - Write a review
We haven't found any reviews in the usual places.
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Common terms and phrases
action American annual report Association for Retarded booklet Century of Decision Chairman citizens with mental Clair Burgener Combat Mental Retardation committee members Committee on Mental committee's conference coordination Criminal Justice Department of Health Developmental Disabilities efforts employment Eunice Kennedy Shriver Executive Order Federal agencies ference field of mental George Tarjan goals habilitation Handicapped Henry Cobb Human Services individuals with mental International lead poisoning leadership legal rights Lorraine Beebe major Margaret Heckler meeting ment mental retardation activities mental retardation field mentally retarded citizens mittee NARC needs numerous organizations Panel on Mental PCMR member PCMR's persons with mental Ph.D planning plementation policies President President's Committee President's Panel prevention strategies problems public awareness recommendations Relevant Accomplishments residential services Retarded Offender Richard Nixon Richard Schweiker Robert Robert Aldrich Robert Finch self-advocacy services for persons special education sponsored subcommittee tion tional Vice Chairperson White House


text:
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text:
PASIC 2009 confirmed!
PASIC 2009 confirmed!
As announced recently at www.pasic.org, Sonor artists to perform at this year's show are Jack De Johnette (Jazz Great), Benny Greb (Jerobeam, Clinician) and Tobias Ralph (Defunkt). Not only we're happy to hear that three of our artists have made it on the line up for one of the biggest drum show in North America, but also that we got three very unique family members over there.
Go to www.pasic.org to make reservations for the show that happens November 11 to 14 in Indianapolis, IN.
For more information see here :


text:
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A linear integrin binding peptide. It inhibits endothelial cell adhesion to fibroblast growth factor-2 and to fibronectin.


text:
SHARON -- The First Congregational Church of Sharon, 29 N Main St, will be holding its spring rummage and bric-a-brac sale from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday, April 5.
The church will accept donations of good, clean usable clothing, shoes, pocket books, linens, curtains, comforters, tablecloths and small household items. (No stuffed animals, exercise equipment, suitcases, magazines, computers or TVs.)
Funds raised will go to mission projects for Church World Services.
For more information or arrange a pickup, call the church office at 781-784-2631.


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text:
What is Descending Outlands?
That was the phrase that Nate Avery and the crew of rogues aboard his spaceship, the Everett Young, lived by. A deadly pack of mercenaries with unparalleled skills in espionage, thievery and skullduggery, no job was too big or too dangerous.
Or so they thought.
Their latest heist brings them more trouble than they ever could have imagined. When they get their hands on an unstable cargo of immense power that the corporate entity known as 'The Fountain' wants to get back at all costs, they find themselves on the run, fighting for their lives and embroiled in an adventure that could bring about the end of all existence as they know it.
Running for their lives and with the fate of the galaxy in the balance, they will have to reluctantly hide out in the only place that is out of the reach of the Fountain. A place that only thieves, opportunists and assassins dare to call home.
…the Outlands.
Created by Shaun Dobie, acclaimed colourist of The Red Mask From Mars, Gutter Town and Outre Press, Descending Outlands is an epic sci-fi tale that will take you to the edge of space and your seat. Buckle up and prepare for the ride of your life!


text:
- Porting and optimizing Java for MIPS for embedded and server-side applications. The current plan is to provide three different configurations:
- The initial port will be Java SE Embedded 8 for 32-bit MIPS R2 embedded SoCs. This is still in planning but is expected some time in the first half of CY2015 (subject to change etc). This will be preceded by an extended early access program.
- Java SE Embedded 8 will later add support for 32-bit MIPS R6.
- Finally, we are also planning for a 64-bit MIPS R6 port. This will more likely be a general-purpose Oracle JDK 8 port aimed at servers and network equipment.
- JavaFX support for the PowerVR GPU family. The initial target for this work will be headful embedded SoCs.
- Collaboration around Java standards for the Internet of Things. Imagination Technologies will join the Java community and work with Oracle and other community members in this area.
MIPS has historically been somewhat fragmented in terms of multiple partially incompatible implementations, and lack of a unified source for development tools and OS support. Imagination is taking steps to address this issue with its SoC partners through the recently announced prpl open source foundation, which will work to unify and stabilize support for Linux, virtualization, open source tools and related things. Oracle is strongly supportive of this initiative.
Imagination is the latest of a large set of companies and organizations that have joined the Java ecosystem, or expanded its activity, since the Oracle acquisition of Java from Sun Microsystems in 2010. Oracle is very pleased to welcome Imagination Technologies and the MIPS ecosystem into the Java family, and is looking forward to extending this collaboration to the broader MIPS ecosystem!


text:
Executives Discuss Real-World Use Case for Cisco UPOE
Cisco UPOE doubles the power delivered per port over PoE+ to 60 Watts. Cisco UPOE can extend resilient network power to a broad range of devices including virtual desktop terminals, nurse call systems, IP turrets for financial trading, compact switches, building management gateways, LED lights, wireless access points, IP Phones, and more.
Watch Adam McMullin, Vice President and General Manager of Hill-Rom IT Solutions and Sachin Gupta, Senior Director of Product Management in Cisco's Unified Access team discuss real-world use case of Cisco UPOE for medical networks in this 3-minute video.
Cisco UPOE can deliver both data and power to Hill-Rom NaviCare Nurse Call systems over a single Ethernet cable. You can now simplify your network infrastructure by extending the benefits of Catalyst switching from corporate networks to medical networks. The converged network can enable superior healthcare services and lower total cost of ownership.
Cisco UPOE is available on the industry's most widely deployed modular access switching platform – Catalyst 4500E.
Learn more:
- Cisco UPOE Healthcare Solution Brief
- Cisco UPOE website: www.cisco.com/go/upoe
- Cisco UPOE reaches 1 million ports blog
In an effort to keep conversations fresh, Cisco Blogs closes comments after 60 days. Please visit the Cisco Blogs hub page for the latest content.


text: My son and I purchased a old Curits Mathes tube TV for $10. Haven't been able to find anything about it on the web. The radio works great and has a tuning eye which is neat. One of the vertical tubes is bad so off to eBay we go for that. The sound works on the TV and we do get some picture tube does show signs of life. We are really interested in trying to date it and who actually manufactured the guts. Most of the tubes are marked as Curtis Mathes tubes.


text:
Take an inspirational journey through time and celebrate life on earth with "Origins of Life," a new feature scheduled for its Laredo premiere at the Texas A&M International University Lamar Bruni Vergara Planetarium Friday, Sept. 7 at 6 p.m. with an encore show at 7 p.m.
General admission for this premium show is $6 and $5 for children, senior citizens, TAMIU students, alumni and employees.
"Origins of Life" explores some of the most profound questions of life science: the origins of life and the human search for life beyond earth. It starts with the Big Bang and continues with prebiotic chemistry in the universe, formation of stars, formation of solar systems and first life on earth.
"Origins of Life" also covers the great extinctions, the search for primitive life beyond earth and many recent discoveries related to life science.
The show is also scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 8 at 6 and 7 p.m., Friday, Sept. 14 at 6 and 7 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 15 at 6 p.m., Friday, Sept. 21 at 6 and 7 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 22 at 6 p.m., Friday, Sept. 28 at 6 and 7 p.m. and Saturday, Sept. 29 at 6 p.m.
The next show scheduled to make its Laredo debut is Pink Floyd's "The Wall."
For more information and show times, please visit www.tamiu.edu/coas/planetarium, call 326.2444 or e-mail firstname.lastname@example.com
Journalists who need additional information or help with media requests
and interviews should contact the Office of Public Relations, Marketing and Information
Services at email@example.com
Texas A&M International University
5201 University Boulevard
Laredo, TX 78041
© 2019


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Tag: pressure
How Much Does Fulltiming Cost?
I've answered this question at least 3 times this week. The problem is, it's an impossible question and here's why:
Remodeled Toy Hauler Garage as Kids' Bedroom
Toy haulers are pretty common in the Fulltime Families world and for good reason. You often get higher cargo carrying capacities and...
Boondocking & CPAP/Bipap Machines
I'm a 10+ year user of my CPAP machine (well, now a BiPAP machine). I can honestly say that without it I'd...


text:
Agency requests $144,335 million for FY 2009
President Bush's fiscal year 2009 budget request for the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) seeks funding of $144.355 million. The 2009 budget request includes $20 million to support the Endowment's We the People program on American history and culture, a $5 million increase over last year's request. Additionally, the Endowment requests $2 million to support existing and new Digital Humanities grants, over $84 million for NEH grant programs in support of the study, preservation, and teaching of the humanities, and over $12 million to leverage nonfederal support.
"The NEH serves and strengthens our democracy through promoting excellence in the humanities and conveying the lessons of history to all Americans," said Bruce Cole, Chairman of the NEH. "The President's budget request for fiscal year 2009 will enable the Endowment to better support the humanities and the vital role they play in educating and improving the lives of our nation's citizens."
The NEH cultivates the best in humanities scholarship and understanding by awarding grants to cultural institutions such as museums, archives, libraries, colleges and universities, public television and radio stations, as well as to individuals such as scholars and teachers. NEH grants support all types of humanities projects—from museum exhibitions, to documentary films, scholarly monographs, workshops for teachers, and preservation of archives and other cultural resources—in order to bring the wisdom of the humanities to all Americans. The NEH's work is complemented and extended by the excellent local programming of the 56 state and territorial humanities councils.
The agency's FY 2009 budget request will support the following NEH strategic objectives:
- Preserve and increase access to cultural and intellectual resources essential for the American people;
- Strengthen humanities teaching and learning in the nation's schools and colleges;
- Facilitate basic research and original scholarship in the humanities;
- Provide opportunities for Americans to engage in lifelong learning in the humanities;
- Maintain and strengthen the programs and activities of the state humanities councils;
- Strengthen the institutional base of the humanities;
- Leverage third-party contributions to humanities projects; and
- Provide administrative funds to operate the agency effectively and efficiently.
Additional information is available in the summary and highlights of the Endowment's FY 2009 appropriation request. The PDF attachment is located in the box above.


text:
December 2004
What is natural selection, and how is it central to the theory of evolution?
Charles Darwin studied beak variation of finches on the Galapagos Islands as evidence of natural selection. Illustration from BSCS, Biological Science: Molecules to Man, 1963.
Futuyma: Natural selection is the process by which species adapt to their environment. Natural selection leads to evolutionary change when individuals with certain characteristics have a greater survival or reproductive rate than other individuals in a population and pass on these inheritable genetic characteristics to their offspring. Simply put, natural selection is a consistent difference in survival and reproduction between different genotypes, or even different genes, in what we could call reproductive success. [A genotype is a group of organisms sharing a specific genetic makeup.]
The reason that natural selection is important is that it's the central idea, stemming from Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace, that explains design in nature. It is the one process that is responsible for the evolution of adaptations of organisms to their environment.
Darwin's book On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection caused quite a stir when it appeared in 1859. Evidence to support evolution and natural selection, of course, has accumulated over time, and now science accepts that evolution is a fact and that natural selection explains very well how adaptive evolution takes place.
Is natural selection the only mechanism of evolution?
Futuyma: No, certainly not. There cannot be evolution without genetic variation in the first place. So there must be mutation and often recombination to generate the different genotypes or the different versions of the genes, known as alleles, which then may or may not make a difference in the ability of an organism to survive and reproduce. You can't have any evolutionary change whatever without mutation, and perhaps recombination, giving rise to genetic variation. But once you have genetic variation, there are basically two major possibilities:
- First, there is simply no difference between the different genotypes or different genes in their impact on survival or reproduction, and in that case, you can have random changes of one versus the other type in a population or a species until eventually one replaces the other. That is an evolutionary change. It happens entirely by chance, by random fluctuations. That is what we call the process of genetic drift.
- Genetic drift is very different from possibility number two, natural selection, which is a much more consistent, predictable, dependable change in the proportion of one gene vs. another, one genotype vs. another. Why? Simply because there is some consistent superiority, shall we way, of one genotype vs. another in some feature that affects its survival or some feature affecting its reproductive capabilities.
Does natural selection lead to new species, and if so, how?
Futuyma: It sometimes does but not always. A great deal of evolution by natural selection can happen without the formation of new species. Natural selection is only the process of adaptation within species, and we see many examples of that. Under some circumstances natural selection does play a role in the origin of new species, by which I mean a splitting of one species lineage into two different lineages that do not interbreed with one another — for example, the splitting of one ancestral primate lineage into one that became today's chimpanzee and the other that became the hominid line resulting in our own species. The process of splitting and becoming reproductively isolated, that is, incapable of breeding with one another, can often involve natural selection but perhaps not always.
Some take natural selection to mean survival of the fittest. How does this slogan sometimes lead to misconceptions?
Futuyma: "Survival of the fittest" is a slogan that is really very misleading. First of all, it's not an adequate description of what really goes on in nature for two reasons:
- Sometimes there isn't a "fittest" type. There may be several different types that are equally fit for different reasons. Perhaps they're adapted to different facets of the environment. One is not going to replace the other because each has its proper place in the environment.
- Moreover, it's not just a matter of survival. Natural selection is a difference in reproductive success that involves both the ability to survive until reproductive age and then the capacity to reproduce.
The notion of the survival of the fittest is also unfortunate because it has been viewed as a kind of tautology, a kind of empty statement for those who say that the fittest are those that survive and so there's no real predictive content to the notion of natural selection. That is simply false.
How do scientists interpret "chance," and does it play a role in natural selection?
Futuyma: Philosophers and scientists use "chance" only in the sense of unpredictability. Chance means essentially that you cannot predict the outcome of a particular event. For example, you cannot predict whether your next child will be a son or a daughter, even though you can specify the probability or likelihood. "Chance" does not mean lack of purpose or goal in science. If it did, we could say that absolutely everything in the natural world is by chance because we don't see any purpose or goal in storms, in ocean currents, or anything else. Evolution certainly does involve randomness; it does involve unpredictable chance. For example, the origin of new genetic variation by mutation is a process that involves a great deal of chance. Genetic drift, the process I referred to earlier, is a matter of chance.
However, natural selection itself is the single process in evolution that is the antithesis of chance. It is predictable. It says that, within a specific environmental context, one genotype will be better than another genotype in survival or reproduction for certain reasons having to do with the way its particular features relate to the environment or relate to other organisms within the population. That provides predictability and consistency. So, if you have different populations with the same opportunity for evolution, you would get the same outcome.
Can natural selection select for future needs of a species?
Futuyma: No, because natural selection is not like Mother Nature watching over us. Since natural selection is totally an impersonal process that is nothing more than a difference, generation by generation, in the reproductive success of one genome over another, there's no way that it can look forward to the future or guard against the possibility of extinction. What individuals have right now that gives them superior adaptation may lead to disaster tomorrow.
Could you give us an example of natural selection at work in the recent past?
Futuyma: There are so many examples of that! One example is the apple maggot fly. About 100 years ago it started to become a serious pest of apple orchards in New England and New York State. It's now a threat throughout most of northern United States. It originally fed just on hawthorn fruits, but then it adapted to apple and it's become a serious threat to the industry. That is a genetic change propagated by natural selection.
Perhaps much more crucial is an issue that agriculture has to deal with all the time: the evolution in hundreds of species of insects of resistance to various chemical insecticides. The insects then become more and more difficult to control.
Closer to home, and more serious, is the single greatest crisis in medicine: antibiotic resistance. The fact is that enormous numbers of the most dangerous bacteria and viruses have evolved to be resistant to the antibiotics or other drugs that used to be effective against them. An obvious example is the HIV virus, which, as we know, is capable of rapidly evolving resistance to drugs that once were effective against it.
The late Stephen Jay Gould has written that if we were to rewind the "tape" of evolutionary history and play it again, the results would not be the same [S.J.Gould, Wonderful Life, 1989]. Why?
Futuyma: Well, it almost certainly would not be the same. I don't think anyone can say how different it would be, whether it would be along the same general lines or utterly, unimaginably different.
Of course, it wouldn't be the same, because first of all, random processes are involved in the evolutionary process. For example, the origin of new mutations: a lot of evolution is dependent on particular mutational changes in genes that were very, very rare or unlikely, but that just happened at the right time, in the right species, in the right environment, but it need not happen that way. So, there's this unpredictability.
In addition, the particular sequence of environmental changes that the Earth underwent and that organisms were exposed to over billions of years has left a long-term imprint on species as they are today. If the sequence of environmental changes were different, you would have a different evolutionary history, leading to entirely different organisms over time.
Why does natural selection pose a threat philosophically to some people?
Futuyma: The philosopher Daniel Dennett called natural selection "Darwin's dangerous idea" for a good reason: it is a very simple natural mechanism that explains the appearance of design in living things. Before Darwin, the adaptations and exquisite complexity of organisms were ascribed to creation by an omnipotent, beneficent designer, namely God, and indeed were among the major arguments for the existence of such a designer. Darwin's (and Wallace's) concept of natural selection made this "argument from design" completely superfluous. It accomplished for biology what Newton and his successors had accomplished in physics: it provided a purely natural explanation for order and the appearance of design. It made the features of organisms explicable by processes that can be studied by science instead of ascribing them to miracles. The contemporary "intelligent design" movement is simply a repetition of the predarwinian argument, and of course it cannot be taken seriously as a scientific explanation of the properties of living things.
© 2004, American Institute of Biological Sciences.Educators have permission to reprint articles for classroom use; other users,please contact email@example.com for reprint permission. See reprint policy.


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Summer Travels and whatnot...
Wow, it's been a long time since I updated! I've been traveling a lot in these past few weeks, so I'm trying something new with the slide show--let me know what you think :)
Jill and Varanasi
After all our adventures with our two teams that were here, my friend Jill came to visit from Louisiana! I was SO excited to see her--it'd been almost a year since I'd seen anyone from home--and we had a really great time. We hung out in Pune for a while and she helped me do some follow up with work our teams had done. Then we headed up to Delhi, did some MAJOR shopping, and hopped on a train to Varanasi. Varanasi is an incredible place--it's on the bank of the Ganga river and known as one of India's most "holy" cities. Jill spent the summer in Varanasi 2 years ago, and before I came to India, most of the stories I'd heard had been from her about that summer. I was really excited about finally seeing this city that I'd heard so much about, though it was a totally exhausting journey! We spent two days running around the city and then barely made the train out of town due to a festival that was going on. Oh the madness that is India!
The night after Jill and I returned to Delhi, she headed back to the US and I headed to Thailand for our annual meeting. Last year at this time I was still in training in Virginia, so this was my first time at AGM and it was AWESOME!!! So many people from all over--truly an extrovert's dream come true :) I had a great time hanging out with old friends and made some new ones as well, and the conference was really a blessing. Everything was extremely well done and it was obvious that a number of people had put a whole lot of work into pulling it off. And of course, there were also plenty of fun things to do in thailand, like shopping at the night market, eating really good food (hamburgers!), and even bowling!
After our conference, me and 3 friends headed to Vietnam for vacation. I know what you're thinking--Vietnam??? I wasn't really sure what to expect (since I'm not a planner and was just along for the ride!), but it was incredible! It's a beautiful country, with a strong mix of both the traditional/history and the modern/global.We visited 2 major cities (Hanoi and Hoi An) and got a fun taste of both city life and the beach. We shopped around town, had clothes made by fabulous tailors, ate lots of really good seafood and sticky rice, took a boat tour in the bay, and drank some amazing coffee. My favorite part of our vacation, though, was getting to spend time with friends and just relax on the beach. This did, however, result in a pretty wicked sunburn, but it was worth it!
Back to Delhi...and a visitor from Spain!
After Vietnam, I headed back to Delhi to pick up Tep, a friend who came to visit us from Spain! Before I continue with this though, I have to pause and talk about airlines. They are insane, and this summer has proved it. In all my travels, I took 10 flights in about 3 weeks (not to mention the trains, buses, taxis, rickshaws, sung taos, boats, etc etc), and while most of these flights were pretty good, we did have some misadventures getting from Vietnam to Delhi (3 flights, 3 airlines, over weight luggage, customs 4 times, sketchy man sitting next to me...the Delhi airport was the best part of the day, and that's saying a lot!). After all this insanity, when I picked up Tep at the airport, her luggage had not made it to India (this is the 3rd piece of lost luggage we've had this summer...insane). It made it to us 2 days later, so all was well.
Tep and I spent a few days in Delhi and had a great time visiting with people. Then we headed back to Pune and hung out here for a few days. The monsoon season is here in full force, so it's kinda gross, but everything is green again and it's much cooler than when I left. It was great to have Tep here for a few days though, and we were sad to see her head back to Spain. The funny thing is when she left to go back to Spain, the plane couldn't take off because "parts were missing" or something sketchy like that...gotta love traveling overseas!!!
Well, I think that's a pretty good overview of my summer so far. New roommates/coworkers move in on August 1st, so it might be a while before I update again. Peace out!
Summer Travels and whatnot...
1 shout outs!:
- SouthAsiaRocks said...
And Whatnot... that sounds like Kyle :) hahahaha
Sounds like you've been rockin things!! We'll have to call and catch up soon :)
- 07 August, 2006 23:14


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Do you think Freddie was inspired by the upcoming solo stars of the 80s, like: Boy George, George Michael and Michael Jackson?
I got a feeling that he believed he could do solo, but then decided to go on with Queen. Maybe I am wrong, but the production of some of his solo songs hasn't got the same quality soundwise as George Michael or Michael Jacksons megahits.
I think both Michael Jackson and George Michael worked with some great musicians on their solo albums.


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by Rob Cox, April 24, 2010
Using Sphagnum Moss as a Pool Purifier
There are nearly 350 types of Sphagnum moss, so called due to its prevalence in bogs and mires. According to Wikipedia, some members of this family can hold up to 20x its weight in water. I read an interesting article recently called "Bog Bodies" - kind of gruesome, but the bodies of several thousand year old peoples discovered in European peat bogs were surprisingly well preserved, some with their hair still intact. During World War II, moss found some use as a dressing for soldier's wounds. Dense, absorptive and acidic, moss is effective at controlling infection and healing such flesh wounds.
But the purpose of this article is the use of Sphagnum Moss in swimming pool water treatment. Although it may not completely replace the need for chlorine or other halogen in your pool water, using Sphagnum Moss inhibits the growth of microbes and including algae, and bio-film and can reduce the chlorine demand. As an added benefit, sphagnum moss is naturally grown and harvested sustainably. While growing, Sphagnum Moss filters impurities from it's wet surroundings, and gives off molecular structures that inhibit the growth of microbes.
OK...the real purpose of this article (here it comes) is to introduce America to PoolNaturally ® , a system that is easily installed and uses refillable packs of New Zealand Sphagnum Moss. Created by a company called Creative Water Solutions, PoolNaturally, and it's sister product SpaNaturally is the hottest new chlorine alternative available. For about the same cost as installing a Nature2 system, you can immediately begin to reduce your chlorine consumption, while supporting a sustainable harvesting industry.
The Pool Naturally system consists of a dispenser kit with instructions to tap into the pipe of an above ground or in ground pool. Drill a 5/8 hole in the pipe and the Pool Naturally dispenser clamps on. PoolNaturally Sphagnum Moss refills are used in the dispenser in dosages related to the volume of water in the pool. So, if you're looking to reduce chlorine usage, while making your pool clearer, brighter and softer feeling, look into using the PoolNaturally system.
As an added benefit, using Sphagnum Moss in pools and especially in spas, can remove the biofilm that is so talked about today in the spa business. Biofilm is a resistant coating that lines the walls of pvc pipes and fittings, and protects bacterial growth. It becomes nearly impossible to remove, until now. I use the SpaNaturally system on my spa, and even when it's full of dirty kids (or greasy adults) I don't get grossed out anymore. Knowing what I know about microbes, it's hard for me to enjoy public pools and spas. But at home, I have it well taken care of now.


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Lining up in "Zipping Over the Cuckoo's Nest" Episode 10 of Season 26
The tribe lines up before the reward challenge during the tenth episode of SURVIVOR: CARAMOAN – FANS VS. FAVORITES, Wednesday, April 17 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. #Survivor. Photo: Greg Gayne/CBS© 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.


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The Pentagon of Power, Volume 2
Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1974 - History - 496 pages
In this concluding volume of The Myth of the Machine, Mumford brings to a head his radical revisions of the stale popular conceptions of human and technological progress. Far from being an attack on science and technics, The Pentagon of Power seeks to establish a more organic social order based on technological resources. Index; photographs.
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Stay Longer and Save
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Rewards Category 7
Create new summer memories and enjoy savings up to 30% the longer you stay with us, reserve the Stay Longer With Us package.
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Our Ladies and Gentlemen are the key to the best our destination has to offer. Allow our carefully curated collection of local attractions and experiences help you customize the perfect vacation.


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I'll admit it. I didn't expect the West Brunswick High School girls' basketball team to have much success this season, not after what the Lady Trojans did last season and not after what they lost off that team.
But a year after finishing 6-19, failing to win a single conference game and losing most of its top players to graduation, West Brunswick found a way to turn it around.
The Lady Trojans completed the regular season with a 4-8 mark in Mideastern 3A/4A Conference play and an overall record of 13-11, much to my surprise and, it seems, theirs.
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SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Oil futures held their gains Wednesday after the U.S. Energy Information Administration reported a smaller-than-expected fall in crude supplies for the week ended Dec. 14. Crude supplies fell by 1 million barrels. Analysts polled by Platts expected a 2.3 million-barrel decline. Motor gasoline supplies rose by 2.2 million barrels, while distillate stocks declined 1.1 million barrels, the EIA report said. Analysts had forecast a rise of 2 million barrels for gasoline inventories and a climb of 1.5 million barrels in distillate supplies. Following the latest data, January crude CLF23, -51.23% traded at $88.35 a barrel, up 42 cents, or 0.5%. It was trading around $88.40 ahead of the report. The American Petroleum Institute reported late Tuesday that crude supplies fell 4.1 million barrels last week.
Oil holds gains after EIA supply report
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In much of what I read, energy efficiency gets touted as a component of sustainable energy practices, a way to curb greenhouse gasses, a font of energy savings, a source of energy security, a way to bridge gaps in energy production and consumption, or otherwise a panacea for all problems that renewable energy technologies cannot reach. I frankly think people oversell it. In the abstract, energy efficiency is hard to argue with. The concept of energy efficiency is that the energy efficiency of any production, transmission or utilization process is increased if either usable energy output from the process remains constant while amounts of energy input resources decrease or, alternatively, usable energy output increases while energy input resources remain constant. What could ever possibly be wrong with this? The counter-intuitive answer is that in reality an increase in the efficiency of energy conversion in any production, transmission, or utilization process may lead to an increase (not a decrease) in total energy consumed. Here is more-or-less how this can happen: New innovations and technologies improve the conversion of an energy resource input to a useable energy output from the process. This improvement drives down the relative cost of the useable energy output, thereby increasing the levels at which it is consumed. This increase in consumption, in turn, increases demand for the energy input resource. If and when demand for the energy input resource increases to a level that exceeds the rate of energy savings enabled by the improvements in conversion, the net consumption of the particular energy input resource used in the process increases rather than decreases. This is known as Jevons' paradox. In 1865 Stanley Jevons wrote a book called "The Coal Question: An Inquiry Concerning the Progress of the Nation, and the Probable Exhaustion of Our Coal Mines." In it, Jevons hypothesized that increases in the efficiency of the conversion of coal to usable energy might actually increase overall demand for British coal. Technological innovations that increased the efficiency with which coal inputs were converted to usable energy outputs, such as Watt's steam engine, could drive the price of coal down relative to the price of the other factors of production, such as labor, and this could broaden its usage and result in a net increase in the demand for it. Today, Vinola Vincent-Munyon, one of the remarkable students in Cleveland State University's Ph.D. Program in Urban Studies and Public Affairs, is researching Jevon's paradox for her doctoral dissertation. Jevon's paradox would indicate that all else equal the technological advancements which enable improved automobile fuel efficiency will lead to a net increase in the amount of gasoline consumed. Ms. Vincent-Munyon has a large data set that provides the characteristics of individuals' automobiles, and their usage, and she is statistically analyzing it to determine whether individuals tend to overcompensate for improved automobile fuel efficiency by driving disproportionately more miles, thereby driving up demand for gasoline. If Ms. Vincent Munyon's findings confirm Jevon's paradox, it may among other things be time to think seriously about whether we as a society want to increase our Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFÉ) standards. Energy efficiency is undoubtedly a good thing, but it is not equivalent to decreased consumption. It is not a panacea for energy problems; nor it is necessarily, a way to reduce total energy consumed. It is almost certainly no substitute for practices and public policies that promote energy conservation.
Guest Blogger
Energy efficiency is not necessarily everything it's chalked up to be
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 9/3/2009 (3816 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
I had occasion recently to construct a power point presentation for an address to some fabulous folks at Creative Retirement Manitoba. The first part of the PPT dealt with the state of traditional media, in particular the threat to newspapers from declining circulation and advertising, and the challenge of competing in the bold on-line world. Assembling the slides was informative, even for me, as it caused me to think more about the state of my own profession than I had previously.
One of the more dramatic slides in my presentation contains an advertisement from Gazeteport, Turkey's first on-line newspaper. Gazeteport is fascinating because it is one of the first newspapers to be launched on-line. The paper's provocative advertising campaign not only trumpets its own arrival, but forecasts the death of the ink-on-paper, dead-tree version of this medium. I use the slide because I think it demonstrates two important points.
First, that the challenge facing traditional media is not just a Canadian phenomenon. And second, that this is a debate about content, stupid, not medium.
Gazeteport is not a threat to newspapers. It is, in fact, a newspaper without the paper. And it's a bold attempt to provide professional content without having to resort to using a printing press. Perhaps it's the future of our industry, or perhaps not. Gazeteport, ironically, facing the exact same problem we in the dead-tree universe face the exact same problem - how to offer good content and get people to pay for it. At some point, Gazeteport has to pay its bills and the same readers who are abandoning their subscriptions to traditional newspapers are the same people who will want to read Gazeteport for free. Once organizations like Gazeteport learn to make money offering a 100-per-cent on-line product, chances are so will traditional newspapers.
The focus on content, not medium, will define the future debate over who will provide the news and in what form. Right now, I try to take a glass-half-full view of the situation. (And seriously, who expects me to take a more cynical and objective look at things? I love my job, and have some affection for my paycheque. Sue me.) Right now, more people read what I write than ever before, and not because we're actually printing more papers.
Our on-line content is well read by reasonable standards. We have copy sharing agreements with CanWest Global, giving some of our stories access to all of their newspaper websites, and the site for the National Post. I wrote a profile last week of Vincent Li, the man who beheaded Tim McLean on a Winnipeg-bound bus. Page views on our site were robust, and the article was picked up and posted on all the CanWest sites. It was then published in the National Post and two other CanWest papers the day after.
And that doesn't even account for the additional readers we get from sending our stories to Canadian Press, the newspaper-owned coopertive that shares copies with newspapers and other media around the world. On top of all that is the alternative media - the on-line news sites and bloggers who often riff off what newspapers and other traditional media produce.
Graham at Progressive Winnipeg offers a greate perspective on the so-called "death of newspapers." Graham notes that of his 31 blog posts in 2009, one third were based on comments he made about a specirfic newspaper story. A handful of others reacted to electronic content. In Graham's words, there is a relationship between the mainstream media and the alternvative media that is to the benefit of all fans of news.
Although he did not specifically say it, I think his analysis identifies the content as the important issue, not the medium. And the fact that professional news organizations, whether or not they buy ink by the barrel, are important to the future of on-line news. But Graham will let me know if I've overstepped on my take on his thoughts.
Newspapers are suffering right now, to be sure. But they are not suffering because people don't want to read what we write. They don't want to pay for it. As businesses, newspapers are suffering primarily because advertisers do not have the money to advertise. Circulation isn't robust, but many papers like the Free Press had been holding pretty steady in overall circulation for many years. We just weren't growing our dead-tree audience. Instead, we've grown our on-line audience. Now, we have 400,000 unique visitors accessing our content each month. Although that's hardly enough to say the website is a stand alone business model, it's nothing to sneeze at and, more importantly, it's growing.
The big challenge, whether it's Gazeteport, the Free Press or any other news organization is to find a practical way of generating income from the people who want the content. There is no consensus on how that is going to happen, if ever. I personally see newspapers moving to a cable television model, where subscribers will pay a fee to their ISP to access a collection of the best newspapers on-line. although some TV is available "free" over the airwaves, most of us willingly pay for access to all kinds of channels, including news channels. But I'll admit that's a model that, for the purposes of supporting newspapers, is unproven and not without its practical challenges.
There are certainly people who are looking forward to dancing on our collective graves. I remain hopeful (because really, what else can I do?) that content will triumph over medium. If I'm wrong, then I'll be unemployed and blogging full time, which will finally earn me a membership in the alternative media. So I've got that going for me.
Dan Lett
Born and raised in and around Toronto, Dan Lett came to Winnipeg in 1986, less than a year out of journalism school with a lifelong dream to be a newspaper reporter.
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SOPA Will Have Serious Implications For Sports Fans And Blogs
from the and-avoids-the-real-issue deptThis is a guest post from Brian Frederick, Executive Director of the Sports Fans Coalition and an assistant professor at Georgetown University.
Congress is currently considering legislation that could seriously harm sports fans and their favorite sports websites. If sports fans don't speak up, some sports blogs could be shut down in the future for violating copyright or if users post links to sites that stream games online. Worse, those sports fans trying to find their favorite games streaming online will be more susceptible to identity theft and cyberattacks.
The Stop Online Piracy Act (the Senate version is known as PROTECT IP) is the latest attempt to crack down on illegal pirating of movies and music and sites that stream television programming. But this legislation is much more draconian than existing law -- greatly expanding the reach of the federal government .
SOPA will target websites distributing pirated material and illegal online streaming by allowing copyright owners to shut down payments and ads to alleged infringers. Under current law, copyright owners (movie studios and record labels) must go to court to block such sites or demand copyrighted content be taken down. The new legislation allows copyright owners to effectively shut down websites simply by accusing them of having copyrighted materials without permission.
SOPA will also allow the Department of Justice to block those websites. The legislation lets the Attorney General get court orders sent to DNS server operators from resolving the domain names of sites in question to their corresponding Internet protocol addresses (DNS filtering). Search engines would also be required to remove or block links to sites that are accused of infringement. Finally, payment processors and Internet advertising services would be required to cease doing business with any sites that even contain links to online streaming sites.
The legislation is so extreme that a group of prominent Internet engineers penned a letter to SOPA's sponsors stating that DNS filtering, as proposed, is "not technically feasible" and jeopardizes Internet security advances that have been in the works for 15 years. They explained that, in order to comply with court-ordered mandates in copyright cases, Internet service providers would have to choose between complying with those mandates or maintaining DNS security. In other words, this law will jeopardize total Internet security.
Of course, no one is condoning illegal websites that allow copyrighted content for free or stream copyrighted programming. But why should sports fans in particular be concerned?
For starters, as a result of this legislation, blogging networks like SB Nation, FanSided and others could effectively be shut down if users post too much copyrighted material or too many links to streaming sites. Some of these larger sites may have the resources to effectively police their comments to remove such posts but some individual fan sites may not. In addition, the legislation certainly contains a chilling effect on free speech.
More seriously, sports fans could be among the users most harmed if the DNS security is compromised. While a movie or music fan might think twice before downloading software or content from one of these sites, a sports fan faced with trying to catch the game in real time will be much more likely to throw caution to the wind and download whatever software is necessary to see the game. Sports fans are thus more likely to become victims of hackers.
Of course, sports fans shouldn't have to turn to such sites in the first place, but the leagues take advantage of antitrust exemptions and public subsidies, yet still sell exclusive access to games. For instance, NFL fans, whose favorite team is in another city, have only one option for seeing all the games of their team: DirecTV's Sunday Ticket package. Fans must shell out $350, switch providers and sign at least a two-year contract just to watch their favorite team.
Most of these fans would be willing to pay a fee to watch their games on the Internet, but the NFL will not offer that. So fans turn to (foreign) streaming sites on the web. As do fans who live in cities plagued by unethical and counterproductive blackouts.
When one streaming site gets shut down, another springs up, as do malicious new sites. As long as fans want access to their favorite games on the Internet - and the league is not providing it to them - these sites will continue to exist. Not only will this new legislation will be ineffectual in cracking down on such sites in general, it will likely leave sports fans who use these sites more susceptible to identity theft and cyberattacks.
Filed Under: protect ip, sopa, sports, sports fans


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You Already Have Different Build Flavor Of Windows Live, Error: 0x80280008, Source: WaitForCatalog
While working on a customers computer this past Sunday afternoon I ran into an issue with Windows Live Essentials while attempting to update all of his programs. The error relates to updating Windows Live Essentials only and can be resolved by either skipping the specified update or really by uninstalling Windows Live Essentials and then reinstalling the components that you use. Below I have noted details about the error followed by how to uninstall Windows Live Essentials 2011.


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Cryoshell have recently completed performing acoustic rehearsals of their songs in their home town of Copenhagen, Denmark last autumn. Their a video for a stripped down version of No More Words from their self-titled debut album has recently been uploaded onto YouTube, you can watch it above. It was recorded and edited by Hannibal Lang-Jensen with Christian Faber of the advertising agency Advance and sees the return of lead singer Christine "Lore" Lorentzen, after taking maternity leave from the band. Cryoshell are to release a re-issue of their debut album later this year, more details are to be confirmed.
Cryoshell - No More Words Acoustic Performance| author: Bigwhofan
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2013: As a defensive tackle he started in three games and played in a total of eight ... Made a total of 10 tackles this season ... Had two tackles apiece versus both East Carolina and Maryland ... Recorded three tackles in the victory against Norfolk state.
2012: Played in 12 games on the defensive line ... Registered seven tackles ... Had season-best three stops in the win over Campbell.
2011: Appeared in all 13 games ... Made 10 tackles (3 solo, 7 assisted) ... Had a season-high three stops in the week eleven regular season at William & Mary ... Recorded one sack in the season opener against Campbell ... Collected 1.5 tackles for loss including a tackle for a loss of five year in week eight at Villanova.
2010: Worked hard in the weight room during the off-season and summer months to gain over 50 pounds ... Appeared in nine games on the defensive line.
2009: Redshirted.
HIGH SCHOOL: Helped guide the Hurricanes to an appearance in the 2008 playoffs ... Coached by Jason Robinson ... Lettered in football, basketball, volleyball and soccer.
PERSONAL: Born August 1, 1991 ... Son of Tondra Harris ... Has a son named David ... Has one sister, Sharmanek, a niece Zania, and nephew Tre...Majoring in human services.


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Something Special
Senators stomp their feet while the House gets a recess
State legislators flooded the Roundhouse last Tuesday, March 20, on direct orders from the governor to convene a Special Session--only three days after the regular one had expired. At the same time, Bill Richardson was on a plane headed to California, where he would soon spend the next several hours shaking as many hands as he could (he does hold a record for such things), asking those on the other end to make him the next president.
News Profile
The Dalai Lama of PTSD
Vets helping vets
"Single beak parrot," says the smallest person in the room. His eyes sparkle behind thick glasses and his silver beard is almost long enough to tuck in his belt.
The Real Side
That Republican Skin Disease
The GOP eats itself
Republicans have contracted a flesh-eating disease caused by a steady diet of unchecked power and severe deficiency of principle. It attacks the brain's capacity to tell the truth. Loss of face follows. The only known cure is loss of the very unchecked power that triggered the disease in the first place.
Ortiz y Pino
Why It's Good to be "Single"
And why a "Single Payer" health care option is ignored
The cartoon penned by "Toles" dated from 1994. Yet its relevance even today remains such that John McDonough, veteran health care reformer and consultant for Health Care for All, began his PowerPoint talk last weekend by showing it to a roomful of state legislators from around the country.
Council Watch
Starting All Over?
At the March 19 meeting, city councilors spent lots of time early in the evening on a land use appeal. Then, as 11 p.m. approached, they quickly passed several bills. In between, they wrangled with the recent controversy over taxes and transportation.
Thin Line
The Guts You Don't See—It's a commonly used simile to say that making laws is like [urlhttp://www.sausagemania.com/[/url]making sausage[xurl] in that you don't want to see the process involved in creating them before they're presentable to the public. Or maybe it's that both greasy products are full of lard and pig heads. Actually, that's not always true about sausage.
News Feature
Second Chances
The city moves on its promise of a teen arts center unlike anything Burque's ever seen
We often think of giving second chances to those who've committed some crime against society. Thieves, recovering addicts, white-collar criminals—most are given the opportunity to bring positive change to their communities. Why not offer the same chance to a building?
So our governor has decided to bow to the pressures of kickback.
Cigarette smokers continue to be treated as if they randomly empty baggies of gunpowder into the pants of passersby. Why does our society always go overboard? On June 15, the new law will go into effect: No venue-interior smoking, other than in private clubs, private offices with no customer traffic and casinos (hmmm). The incredibly dangerous (and, to many of us, air-fouling) variety of beer and liquor available will, of course, remain legal for consumption inside venues. Who has vested interests in singling out tobacco as the dangerous item subjected to a vast breach of freedom? Does liquor bring in too much tax money to be included in the vain attempts of politicians to pretend they care about the health of residents?
Odds & Ends
Dateline: England--Apparently, the best way to get an upgrade to first class is to die. A first-class passenger on a recent flight from Delhi to London awoke to find the corpse of a woman who had passed away in the economy cabin being placed in the seat next to him. The economy section of the flight was full, and the cabin crew needed to move the woman and her grieving family out of the compartment to give them some privacy, British Airways said on Monday. The first-class passenger, Paul Tringer, told the Sunday Times newspaper that he was sleeping during the February flight from India and woke up when the crew placed the dead woman in a nearby empty seat. "I didn't have a clue what was going on," said Tringer. "The stewards just plonked the body down without saying a thing." British Airways said in a statement that about 10 passengers die each year in flight and that while each situation is dealt with on an individual basis, safety is the primary concern. "The deceased must not be placed in the galley or blocking aisles or exits, and there should be clear space around the deceased," a statement from the airline said. "We apologize to passengers in the first cabin who were distressed by the situation--our cabin crew were working in difficult circumstances and chose the option that they believed would cause the least disruption."


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A word to reflect on:
because we see the appearance
but the Lord looks into the heart...
- 1 Samuel 16
because I know there's nothing I can hide from you...
You see everything in my heart and, yet,
you love me and forgive me,
again and again...
You know who and what have helped me be faithful to you
and you know the roots of my weaknesses,
my sometimes tragic flaws through which I stumble,
fall or lose my way...
I'm grateful, Lord, that you "get me,"
especially when I'm afraid that no one else does.
You understand me
even when I don't understand myself.
You know how I need to be strengthened,
how I need to stretch and grow.
You know my stubbornness and my fears,
my worries and my anxieties:
and you also know how to soften my stubborn will,
to undo my useless fears,
to counsel me in my worry
and calm me when I'm anxious...
Help me surrender, Lord,
to how you want to help and heal me...
Help me let go my tight hold
on what was and what is
and in my letting go, open my mind and heart, my hope
to what can be, to what you have in store for me
if I surrender to your grace,
to your word, your will and your way...
And as you are understanding with me in my stubbornness
and strong for me when I'm afraid,
as you counsel me when I'm worried and
and give me peace when I'm anxious,
so let me be for others,
especially for those whom I "don't get,"
for those who irk me and try my patience...
Not as we see does God see,
because we see the appearance
but the Lord looks into the heart...
In the stillness of this prayer, Lord,
let me breathe in your spirit of peace
and exhale whatever chokes my hope...
Help me trust that as completely as you know me,
just as fully do you love me
that you are near, here by my side,
that you "get me" and want me
and desire my happiness and joy...
Help me to be still, Lord,
and to know that you're my God...
To ponder and pray over...
Does anything keep me from trusting that God "gets me,"
that God loves me?
From this prayer time, what word or phrase will I keep with me
to carry through the rest of my day?
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Handbook of semiotics
Indiana University Press, 1995 - Literary Criticism - 576 pages
When the German-language edition of this book was published in 1984, Thomas Sebeok, reviewing it in the Times Literary Supplement, called it "a bravura solo performance by a young German academic who has reduced into the compass of a one-volume manual a vast mass of information about contemporary semiotics. He is obviously abreast of most developments and well organized, has no evident partisan axes to grind, and writes with economy, percision, and lucidity."
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Handbook of semioticsUser Review - Not Available - Book Verdict
Mapping a discipline as new as semiotics involves not only compilation and description, but making substantive choices regarding the taxonomy and dimensions of the field. Noth succeeds admirably in ... Read full review
History and Classics of Modern Semiotics
Sign and Meaning
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Common terms and phrases
according aesthetic alphabet analysis approach arbitrary articulation autonomous Barthes behavior biosemiotics characterized chronemic concept connotation cultural defined definition developed dimension discourse discussed distinction distinguished elements ethology example expression field film filmic function gestures glossematics graphemes Greimas guage history of semiotics Hjelmslev ibid iconic interpretation Jakobson kinesics language linguistic literary meaning metaphor miotics modes morphemes Morris myth narrative narratology natural natural signs nonverbal communication object otic paralanguage paralinguistic pasigraphies Peirce Peirce's philosophy phonemes poetic pragmatic Prague School principle proposed proxemic reference referential relation rhetoric Saussure Saussure's Sebeok semantic semi semiology semiosis semiotic system semioticians sense sign model sign repertoire sign systems sign vehicle signals signifier speech structuralist structure symbols term text linguistics text semiotics textual theory of signs tion tive topics tradition triadic ture typology verbal visual words writing zoosemiotics
References to this book
Phonological Studies
Roman Jakobson
No preview available - 2002
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Semiotics: The Basics
Daniel Chandler
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With the 2018 now literally just around the corner, we take a look back on some of the most bizarre moments that happened in the GAA from this past season.
Here are the 10 we've selected:
A '45' conceded straight from a kick-out
This could well have been a first at Croke Park.
In August, Kerry goalkeeper Brian Kelly had been misfiring with his kick-outs in his county's All-Ireland SFC semi-final replay against Mayo but shortly after the 17th minute he did something astounding…He kicked the ball over his own end line.
If it's any consolation to Brian, Cillian O'Connor missed the placed-kick.
Umpire gets on the end of a Clare point…with his head!
This point from Clare's David Tubridy against Kerry in June took a while to come around…It may have taken the umpire a while to come around after it as well!
Longford's clear point is waved wide
There was no reason for Longford's Barry McKeon not to feel aggrieved when his point, which went over off the upper end of the crossbar, was waved wide by an umpire against Laois back in May.
A truly mind-boggling decision.
And here's another one for the Midlanders which happened in July:
A Longford supporter next to me had to give his jersey so Longford #13 could re-enter field of play. Mad, Ted.- Niall McCauley (@Nially1988) July 1, 2017
That goal Meath conceded against Louth
Some might have seen it as karma at the time while some others might have seen it as plainly bizarre. One thing that is for sure is Meath's Paddy O'Rourke won't want to see it again.
It's another one for the Louth-Meath collection:
Connolly goes sleeveless/RTE pundits go swoony
Diarmuid Connolly turned a few heads when he wore a sleeveless vest during Dublin's All-Ireland SFC final warm up on the big day in September.
However, what was more bizarre was the reaction to it from RTE pundits Pat Spillane and Joe Brolly in studio.
Joe Brolly and Pat Spillane are quite taken with Diarmuid Connolly's muscles LIVE: https://t.co/eaivAeymet #RTEgaa pic.twitter.com/bPlEErMrQh- RTÉ GAA (@RTEgaa) September 17, 2017
Louth's Burns gets 12 weeks for kicking ball at an umpire
Louth forward Ryan Burns' championship was over in mid-June after he picked up a three-month ban. The suspension also stood at club level, robbing Hunterstown Rovers of their top talent for the intermediate championship.
Italian national anthem gets a play at Pairc Ui Rinn
On a chilly night in February, Cork and Clare lined up for Amhran na bhFiann to be played before their National League encounter at Pairc Ui Rinn…they got the Italian anthem instead.
McGinley's 95-yard run to score a point
It was a hell of a run from Kilcar's Ciaran McGinely but you get the feeling the end product wasn't what he had desired…
10 players see red in Castlebellingham
October may well have seen a record set in the GAA when 10 players were sent off in the Leinster club IFC game between O'Connell's of Louth and Carlow's Kilbride.
Kildare referee Noel McKenna dished out 10 red cards in Castlebellingham, where Kilbride had six players given their marching orders in the second-half alone. Two water carriers were also put outside the fence.
One fan on Twitter (@MadDeclan) asked the Louth GAA account: "What's going on there? Murder??".
Kilbride down to 9 men here in the Grove, O'Connells down to 11 men- Louth GAA (@louthgaa) October 21, 2017


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A startling tweet from News Corp. boss Rupert Murdoch this morning:
Watch Katie Holmes and Scientology story develop. Something creepy, maybe even evil, about these people.
That tweet is startling for a number of reasons, but one of them is not that another non-Scientologist views Scientology as "creepy, maybe even evil." A lot of folks have that impression.
(If you don't know much about Scientology, here are a few things you should know... )
In fact, a lot of people who have only taken a casual interest in the marriage of Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise, one of Scientology's most visible adherents, have long wondered what role Scientology has played in the relationship.
So Murdoch's hunch (knowledge?) that a Scientology story will develop here also isn't shocking.
But it's certainly rare to see the head of a massive media conglomerate chime in with a statement like that at the beginning of a story.
Bold, Mr. Murdoch!
(And, as an aside, this is one of the wonderful things about Twitter. When used like this, it reminds everyone that everyone's human. Lance Armstrong's out strafing the people who accused him of doping. Murdoch's saying he had a tough week. Mike Tyson's joking about biting off Holyfield's ear. Never before have celebrities and media stars been able to show this side of themselves to so many people--in real time--without media intermediaries in the middle.)
UPDATE: A half-hour or so after the Scientology tweet, Murdoch followed it up with this one. Scientology has apparently mobilized its defenders!
Since Scientology tweet hundreds of attacks. Expect they will increase and get worse and maybe threatening. Still stick to my story.
UPDATE 2: And now Murdoch's holding forth about Mormonism!...
SEE ALSO: No One Has Said Why Katie Holmes And Tom Cruise Are Divorcing, But You Have To Wonder If It Has Something To Do With This...