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November 30, 2011
Governments Experiment With Risk-Free Financing
Massachusetts may be the first state to use social impact bonds, a unique model that started in the U.K. for financing social programs.
September 30, 2011
Georgia Overhauls Its Mental Health System
Georgia is the latest state to comply with a U.S. Supreme Court ruling to move mental health patients out of hospitals and into the community.
September 30, 2011
A Failing National Mental Health System
In 2006, the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) graded states' mental health-care systems. The national average was a D. In a follow-up three years later, that average didn't change.
September 30, 2011
The Georgia Mental Health Deal
Under the agreement with the Justice Department, Georgia will end new admissions to state mental hospitals and develop assertive community treatment, intensive care management, supported housing and supported employment programs to serve 9,000 people with mental illness over the next four years.
August 31, 2011
Curiosity's Mars Landing Highlights State Space Race
The successful landing of NASA's rover Curiosity on the surface of Mars is a reminder that America's space exploration program is in a state of transition.
August 17, 2011
California Nonprofits Target Amazon with Boycott
A coalition of social welfare groups urges Californians to cancel Amazon accounts until the online retailer starts collecting state sales taxes.
August 3, 2011
Can California Learn from China's High-Speed Rail System?
California's high-speed rail project suffers another blow as federal cuts threaten its future. Can a trip to China help legislators put the project on the right track?
July 19, 2011
Do-or-Die Scenario Threatens California's Redevelopment Agencies
To save redevelopment agencies, cities and organizations have two bleak choices: sue or pony up $1.7 billion.
July 12, 2011
Could South California Be The 51st State?
Riverside County Supervisor Jeff Stone believes that the state is "ungovernable" and proposes that 13 conservative counties split from California.
June 30, 2011
Cloud Computing Is No Easy Fix
Companies have been pitching the cloud as a virtual field of dreams that can help make storage issues and server problems disappear. But is that true?
June 30, 2011
Attack on 'No Child Left Behind' Underway
In opposing the strict federal education law, state education leaders seek to take control by defying requirements.
June 28, 2011
In California, Violent Video Game Law Goes Down
In a recent ruling, the Supreme Court shot down a California law, which bans the sale of violent video games to minors.
June 21, 2011
Should California Kill the Death Penalty to Save Billions?
On the heels of a comprehensive study about the huge price tag on California's death row, one state senator proposes to abolish the death penalty once and for all.
June 17, 2011
Is California's Three Strikes Law Due for a Change Up?
Stanford University lawyers gear up with a political consultant to pitch a reform initiative for one of the harshest sentencing laws in the nation.
June 14, 2011
40-Year-Old 'War on Drugs' Needs Fixing
After four decades of destructive drug control policies, will the U.S. change its ways?
June 9, 2011
Party Lines Don't Reflect American People
Despite the popular picture of states divided by red and blue lines, researchers found that most citizens share a diverse range of liberal and conservative beliefs.
June 8, 2011
When Pressure Is On, Partisan Walls Fall
With a budget deadline approaching, California lawmakers can learn a thing or two from the Nevada Legislature on finding common ground.
June 6, 2011
For Foster Children, Every Little Bit Helps
Shortchanged foster parents in California are expected to receive long-overdue raises in payment rates, no thanks to the state Department of Social Services.
June 3, 2011
Fiscal Flexibility Comes at a Price
California schools use control over spending decisions to plug budget holes, special programs suffer, study finds.
June 1, 2011
States Getting 'Fracking' Acts Together
Across the country, the process of drilling for natural gas has created an explosion of controversy around the rules of disclosure.
May 31, 2011
Six Ideas for Fixing the Nation's Infrastructure Problems
Here's how to plan, fund and make a safer, more efficient transportation system.
May 27, 2011
In California, Walls Close In On Prisoners and Policymakers
Inmates in cramped cells and lawmakers outside of them feel the pressure of funding shortage.
May 25, 2011
Deficits Highlight Education Woes
California education cuts may be less severe then originally thought. But overall, schools still need help.
May 17, 2011
More Money, More Problems in California
Gov. Jerry Brown's plan to demolish California's wall of debt can't get around GOP's wall of doubt.
May 13, 2011
States Exploring Options for Future Transportation Projects
Even though states may not have the data to know how well their transportation investments fared, they still need to consider options that could maximize the value of any transportation spending.
May 10, 2011
Building Websites, Fences in Arizona
To get a bigger fence along the border with Mexico, lawmakers propose online donations and prison labor.
May 6, 2011
States Considering Electric Car Fees for Road Upkeep
To charge or not to charge? With gas tax revenues on the decline, states are exploring electric car fees as a way to help maintain roads.
May 5, 2011
Oregon Legislators Evaluate Post-Disaster Governance
In the wake of a catastrophe, an effective recovery effort requires a functioning government -- an issue a number of legislatures are addressing.
May 3, 2011
Failing the Future?
In this commentary, Russell Nichols writes that to recruit and retain great teachers, let's start by razing our standards.
April 29, 2011
Working Prisoners Save Taxpayers' Money
States are increasingly utilizing prison labor to plug budget holes, but public employee unions aren't happy.
April 29, 2011
Finding Balance in California's Budget
The only things certain in California are debt and taxes, and the country's oldest current governor is struggling to erase the former without raising the latter.
April 28, 2011
Helping Hands for Homeless in Hawaii
Gov. Neil Abercrombie calls on citizens to direct homeless people to medical, mental and housing services.
April 21, 2011
Looking for Cash in All the Right Places
To save more money, state lawmakers propose new exit strategies for inmates and patients.
April 18, 2011
Who's at Fault for Not Repairing Calif. Schools?
Due to restrictive rules, money for urgent seismic repairs eludes California schools.
April 14, 2011
The Price of Recidivism
A study from the Pew Center on the States finds that more than four in 10 offenders return to prison within three years. The report comes at a time when prison spending has spiked over the years.
April 12, 2011
Corruption and Other Drugs
The war on drugs rattles the U.S.-Mexico border as illicit drug use in the U.S. rises and cartels infiltrate American law enforcement.
April 6, 2011
In California, Non-Violent Inmates Might Transfer to County Jails
Gov. Jerry Brown's new law aims to reduce overcrowding, but the program lacks funding support and local sheriffs fear they'll pay the price.
March 31, 2011
States Struggle to Regulate the Bond Industry
While critics question the fairness of the bail bonds industry, proponents argue that its services save states money and keep defendants from fleeing.
March 30, 2011
Progressive California Pays Price from Procrastination
Stalled energy projects drive up costs in a state already plagued by excessive debt, but is there a quick fix?
March 25, 2011
To Withstand Tsunami, Coastal Oregon Town Plans to Put City Hall on Stilts
Cannon Beach, Ore., aims to get the nation's first tsunami evacuation building off the ground by 2014.
March 18, 2011
Radiation Fears Spread Throughout Western U.S.
With some 5,000 miles of Pacific Ocean between Japan and California, public health officials say there's no reason for concern.
March 16, 2011
Are U.S. States and Cities Prepared for a Disaster?
On quakes, tsunamis and radiation leaks, one expert says, "the U.S. is not nearly as well prepared as Japan was."
March 14, 2011
California's Children Suffer from Budget Cuts
Across the state, budget cuts threaten stability of programs and services that benefit children in need.
March 8, 2011
California's Adult Ed Programs Collapse in Financial Crisis
Adult education throughout the state feels the burns of harsh budget cuts.
February 28, 2011
State Governments: The Latest Venture Capitalists
With venture capital firms scaling back, state governments are stepping in to fund early-state, high-risk startups.
February 10, 2011
New Group Targets California's Labor Unions
Californians for Public Union Reform seeks to end collective bargaining for public employees.
January 1, 2011
Dealing With Term-Limited Legislators
States with term-limited legislators are seeking ways to counteract the drawbacks of high turnover. Here, former Michigan state Sen. Dennis Olshove points to a picture of state Senators circa 2004, now out of office.
December 10, 2010
Museums Struggle to Stand the Test of Time
Grappling with strict budgets, governments redefine how local museums operate.
December 7, 2010
Governments Need Social Media Policies to Avoid Pitfalls
Over the past year, more states and cities started considering and creating social media policies to address acceptable uses and minimize risks.
December 1, 2010
The Pros and Cons of Privatizing Government Functions
Outsourcing may seem like a perfect solution for deficit-plagued governments, but the morning after can bring some unpleasant surprises.
November 10, 2010
Reports Find Unwarranted Police Stops Targeting Minorities
Reports on police stops in New York and in England and Wales bring attention to police departments regarding patterns of racial profiling.
June 30, 2010
Investing in Electric Cars
Will the needed investment in new infrastructure for electric cars pay off?


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The Flirtini cocktail. As with most cocktails, there are a few variations, but the basic ingredients are champagne, vodka and an orange liqueur like Cointreau. It's normally garnished with a Maraschino cherry and served in a highball or Collins glass.
This was a great cocktail to put in cupcake form! Firstly, easy and tasty ingredients, secondly, cupcakes look great with a cherry on top!
The sponge is my favourite vanilla cupcake recipe with fresh pineapple chunks and a hint of orange to mirror the flavours in a Flirtini. I also put Cointreau in the Swiss buttercream, my favourite kind of frosting, but you can, of course, use any frosting you like. I think this cupcake would be great with cream cheese frosting too.
I didn't put champagne into my cupcakes only because I wanted the jelly (jello) shot to be quite potent, but of course you could use champagne or sparkling wine in the jelly shot for a tingly feel on the tongue.
One thing about making jelly shots with pineapple is that pineapple contains an enzyme that breaks down the protein in gelatine, and agar agar for that matter, which is what I use to make my jelly shots so that they don't melt or need to be kept in the fridge.
This was easily remedied though, I simply made sure to use pineapple juice that was from concentrate, which means it had been through a heating process which takes care of that enzyme. Normally I would prefer to use a fresh juice not from concentrate (I prefer the taste and it contains less sugar) but this was, afterall, going into a cupcake, so who honestly cares about the extra sugar ;)
Coming up with the method for my jelly shot filled cupcakes was quite a process, two years in the making, sort of, but although they're a little fiddly to make, it's good fun seeing the look on people's face when they get to the boozey centre of the cupcake. Great for parties!
Pineapple Chunk Cupcake Ingredients
Makes 24 cupcakes, recipe easily halved to make 12
1 1/2 cups Self Raising Flour
1 1/4 cups All Purpose Flour
225g Unsalted Butter, softened (1 cup / 2 sticks)
2 cups Granulated Sugar
4 Large Eggs, at room temperature
1 cup Milk
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/4 tsp Salt
8 Slices Fresh Pineapple, roughly chopped
Zest from 1 Large Orange
Fresh Pineapple Wedges for garnish
Maraschino Cherries for garnish
- Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C Fan Assisted / 350°F)
- Line 2 muffin tins with cupcake liners
- In a small bowl sift the flours together then set aside
- Combine the milk and vanilla extract in a jug or small bowl and set aside
- In a large bowl cream the butter until smooth
- Add the sugar and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes
- Add eggs 1 at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Scrape the sides of the bowl between adding each egg
- Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients to the butter and beat until just incorporated
- Beat in 1/2 of the milk & vanilla
- Repeat the previous 2 steps, ending with the last of the flour. Scrape down the sides of the bowl between each addition
- Fold in orange zest and chopped pineapple
- Spoon the batter into the prepared cupcake liners to about 3/4 full
- Bake for 20 - 25 mins or until a toothpick comes out clean
- Leave to cool in the pans for 15 mins
- Remove cupcakes from the pans and cool completely on a wire rack
- Chill cupcakes in the fridge for 15-20mins before filling with agar jelly shots as seen in assembly instructions below
Pineapple Vodka Agar Jelly/Jello Shot Filling
You can get agar in different forms. 1Tbsp flaked agar = 1tsp powdered agar. 1Tbsp flaked / 1 tsp powdered sets 1 cup / 250ml of liquid. I've used a bit more for ease of math and a firmer set.
2 Tbsp Agar Agar Flakes
2 tsp Agar Agar Powder
150ml - 200ml Vodka (depending on how strong you want it)
200ml - 250ml Pineapple Juice (to make up 400ml liquid in total including alcohol), make sure it's not fresh pineapple, it must be from concentrate so that the agar sets
- Combine agar and pineapple juice in a saucepan and allow to stand for about 10mins
- Add sugar, if using, and bring mixture to the boil, stirring constantly
- Simmer for 5 mins or until sugar and agar has dissolved, stirring
- Tip: Agar melts at 85°C
- Remove from heat
- When agar mixture cools to +- 60°C, heat vodka in a seperate saucepan until it reaches 50°C
- Remove vodka from heat and add to agar mixture, stirring to thoroughly combine
- If mixture is now over 50°C, leave to cool till it reaches about 50°C
- Tip: Agar solidifies between 31°C - 40°C so you don't want it to drop too low
- Pour into prepared cupcakes as seen below
Cointreau Swiss Meringue Buttercream
This makes enough for a generous swirl on 24 cupcakes. Easily halved.
A cream cheese frosting would also be great on these cupcakes.
6 Large Egg Whites, room temperature
300g Granulated White Sugar
525g Unsalted Butter, room temperature
2 tsp Vanilla Extract
4-6 tsp Cointreau or Triple Sec (to taste)
Yellow Gel or Paste Colour
- Combine the egg whites and sugar in a heatproof bowl
- Put the bowl over a pot of simmering water
- Whisk over heat until all the sugar is dissolved and it resembles marshmallow fluff, about 3 mins
- Pour the mixture into a large bowl and beat until the mixture is cool and you have a glossy meringue
- Beat in the butter a tablespoon at a time, making sure it's completely mixed in before adding more
- Tip: At some point it will look curdled, DON'T WORRY! Once you've added all of the butter, just keep beating and it will come together to form a smooth, creamy buttercream
- Beat in vanilla and orange liqueur
- Colour with gel or paste colouring until desired shade or yellow
Cupcake Assembly
- Using a round pastry cutter or apple corer, remove the centres of each cupcake so you're left with a well to fill
- Put cupcakes in the fridge to chill for 20-30mins
- Prepare agar mixture as above
- Leave to cool just to the point where it's still liquid but not yet setting
- Tip: It's easiest to have the agar mixture in a saucepan with a pouring spout or in a jug
- Remove cupcakes from the fridge (make sure the centres are chilled)
- Pour the agar mixture into the centre of each cupcake
- Tip: The agar should set really quickly, but you can speed up the process by putting the filled cupcakes back in the fridge for 5-10mins
- Once agar is set, frost with buttercream frosting and decorate with a wedge of fresh pineapple and maraschino cherry (I also sprinkled edible glitter for extra glam!)
- Enjoy!
Cupcake recipe adapted from More from Magnolia

subset: commoncrawl


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Fly Greener
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, set up by the United Nations Environment Programme and the World Meteorological Organisation, for every 1 kilogramme of jet fuel burnt in the operational phase of the flight, approximately 3.15 kilogrammes of carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere.
The total volume of fuel consumed on a flight depends on factors such as the distance travelled, wind speeds, the loading of passengers, baggage, and cargo on the aircraft. For our calculation methods we use historic fuel consumption data that allows for the calculation of carbon dioxide emissions. This figure is divided by the number of passengers on the aircraft, based on a historical average for our passenger aircraft fleet, and the distance flown, allowing an amount of carbon dioxide per passenger kilometre to be calculated.
Emissions from the upstream phase include activities undertaken to supplying the jet fuel to our aircraft and may involve extracting fuel, refining, and distributing from the refinery to our aircraft. The Fly Greener calculator only includes emissions from the operational phase of the flight. To estimate your share of emissions from upstream activities proportional to the amount of jet fuel burnt, please multiply the emissions number calculated by the Fly Greener calculator by 0.222.
Source: Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission
As part of the calculation method, we discount the emissions associated with any additional cargo which may be carried on a passenger flight. Thus, the fuel use of the cargo is removed when calculating the emissions attributable to the passengers.
Inflight facilities provided for Premium Economy, Business and First Class passengers differ from those on offer to Economy Class passengers in terms of weight and space. The relative contribution to the aircraft's emissions of a passenger travelling in Premium Economy, Business or First Class is greater than that of a passenger travelling in Economy Class so it is therefore considered appropriate to factor this into the calculation.
Fuel consumption per passenger per kilometre is calculated according to the operating data of all aircraft in the Cathay Pacific and Cathay Dragon fleets. Taking aircraft types on individual flights into account would significantly complicate the calculation. Also, for operational reasons we may not use the originally assigned aircraft on particular routes.
Yes. We use actual operating data when calculating emissions, so variations caused by the wind effect on flight time - and the resulting impact on fuel consumption - are taken into account.
Our calculator enables you to input your information for multiple sectors in order to get the correct emission calculation. For example, if you travel from Sydney to Hong Kong and then connect to a flight to Beijing, you can input your data for these two sectors into the calculator. If you input this journey as a single sector, Sydney to Beijing, the calculator will automatically assume that your flights will be routed through our Hong Kong hub.
You can calculate the Cathay Pacific and Cathay Dragon sectors using our calculator. Our system does not allow sectors which are not flown by Cathay Pacific or Cathay Dragon to be included in the calculation. Should you wish to offset the emissions from your travel on other airlines using our site you may do so by choosing the one-off contribution option.
No, there is currently no such standard. Cathay Pacific and Cathay Dragon have worked hard to ensure that the emissions assigned to a passenger are as fair and accurate as possible. The calculation methods will be frequently reviewed, particularly if industry standards become available.
It is not easy to compare these calculations directly. Different airlines have different ways of calculating emissions. Details such as aircraft type, passenger configuration and cargo load allocations as well as inflight facilities and route structures can vary widely. As mentioned above, we have worked hard to develop an emissions calculator that we feel most accurately and fairly reflects the emissions associated with our fleet and our passengers.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), set up by the United Nations Environment Programme and the World Meteorological Organisation, has indicated that aviation currently contributes 2% of global carbon dioxide emissions. There is significant research and investigation on the impacts of other emissions and the release of emissions at high altitude. Given the complexity of chemical reactions in the atmosphere, there remains significant uncertainty around these issues.
To assist in increasing understanding of climate change science in the atmosphere, Cathay Pacific is supporting the In-service Aircraft for a Global Observing System (IAGOS) Project, which is part of the European Commission's European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures. In 2013, one of our Airbus A330-300 aircraft has been equipped with scientific instruments designed for the monitoring of climate change contributors such as aerosol, cloud articles and atmospheric composition. The results will form part of a database for science and policy users, including the provision of real time data for weather prediction, air quality forecasting and climate models. More information can be found on their website: www.iagos.org.
Condensation trails (contrails) are the white trails that sometimes form when an aircraft is cruising in cold, humid atmospheres and are believed to be linked to the formation of cirrus clouds - which is thought to be a contributing factor to climate change. Despite significant research in this area, scientists remain uncertain as to the specific contribution of contrails to adverse climate change.
To assist in increasing understanding of climate change science in the atmosphere, Cathay Pacific is supporting the In-service Aircraft for a Global Observing System (IAGOS) Project, which is part of the European Commission's European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures. In 2013, one of our Airbus A330-300 aircraft has been equipped with scientific instruments designed for the monitoring of climate change contributors such as aerosol, cloud articles and atmospheric composition. The results will form part of a database for science and policy users, including the provision of real time data for weather prediction, air quality forecasting and climate models. More information can be found on their website: www.iagos.org.
Carbon offsetting is an effective means of funding carbon reduction on the ground to compensate for emissions associated with your flight. By paying to offset emissions in our Fly Greener carbon offset programme, you are contributing to the purchase of carbon credits generated by projects that reduce the emission of greenhouse gases. These carbon credits are then effectively "retired" to ensure that they cannot be sold or used again.
Carbon credits for the purpose of the Fly Greener carbon offset programme are verified emissions reductions (VERs) generated from emissions abatement projects verified in accordance with the Voluntary Carbon Standard (VCS) or an equivalent or higher global standard. The VCS developed by The Climate Group, the International Emissions Trading Association (IETA) and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development is aimed at ensuring the integrity of the voluntary offsetting market.
Carbon offsetting is only one way of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. While offsetting doesn't reduce emissions from flying itself, it avoids or reduces the emission of greenhouse gases elsewhere. Offsetting also encourages innovation, raises awareness of the need for better carbon management and in some cases can also contribute to the reduction of local air pollution.
Carbon offsetting is only one way of reducing our carbon footprint. We are committed to working with our partners in managing our carbon emissions. We have been actively contributing to global efforts in reducing aviation's overall impacts, through new technologies, better operating procedures and improved infrastructure.
Our operating culture of fuel efficiency has been embedded since our first non-stop long haul flights from Hong Kong to London in 1980 and Hong Kong to Vancouver in 1983. Reducing weight onboard these two routes enabled us to offer a unique and competitive service to our customers. Various teams within Cathay Pacific and Cathay Dragon worked on implementing innovative initiatives such as a fuel monitoring system; use of core washing; introduction of lighter weight onboard equipment (for example, food carts and cargo container boxes); and utilising flight techniques and flight planning systems that reduce fuel use – which have been part of the airline's standard operating procedures for the past 30 years.
Information on Cathay Pacific's various efforts to improve our fuel efficiency and manage our carbon footprint can be found in our Sustainable Development Reports.


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Dodgers to Honor Duke Snider With Patch and Event
The Dodgers announced that the team will be wearing an memorial patch featuring Duke Snider's number throughout the 2011 season and will remember his life on Aug. 9 at Dodger Stadium with a Duke Snider Bobblehead giveaway to the first 50,000 fans. (I've got to go to that game! Especially since it's the day after my birthday……… Happy Birthday to me!)
Snider passed away on Feb. 27 at the age of 84.
The Los Angeles Dodgers Official Press Release:
Team to wear a memorial patch in 2011 and host a celebration on Aug. 9,
which will include a bobblehead of the late Dodger outfielder
LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers announced today that the team will wear a patch in memory of Hall of Fame outfielder Duke Snider throughout the 2011 season and will host a celebration of his life on Aug. 9 at Dodger Stadium.
The memorial patch (photo attached), will feature Snider's uniform No. 4 and will be worn on the Dodgers' home, road and alternate Brooklyn uniforms at every 2011 game beginning tomorrow night when the team opens the season against the San Francisco Giants. Snider's uniform number was retired on July 6, 1980 and is one of just 10 retired numbers in franchise history.
The club also announced it would celebrate the life of the legendary Dodger outfielder at the Aug. 9 game against the Philadelphia Phillies. The first 50,000 fans in attendance will receive a bobblehead featuring the likeness of Snider, whose family will participate in a special pregame ceremony honoring the franchise's all-time leading home run hitter. The sixth bobblehead of the season is presented by Kaiser Permanente.
Snider passed away on Feb. 27 at the age of 84. He was born Edwin Donald Snider in Los Angeles, CA on Sept. 19, 1926 and became one of the game's most feared hitters during his 16 seasons with the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers (1947-1962), playing on a pair of World Championship teams (1955 and 1959) and in six World Series overall.
The eight-time All-Star center fielder ranks as the franchise's all-time leader in home runs (389) and runs batted in (1,271) and during the 1950s, he topped all Major Leaguers with 326 homers and 1,031 RBI. He slugged four home runs in both the 1952 and 1955 World Series.
The last time the Dodgers wore a memorial patch on the team's uniforms was in 2000 in memory of Snider's teammate and fellow Hall of Famer Pee Wee Reese. Other memorial patches worn by the Dodgers were done so in tribute to Jim Gilliam (1978), coach Don McMahon (1987), Tim Crews (1993) and a combination patch for Hall of Famers Don Drysdale and Roy Campanella, who passed away within a week of one another in 1993.
Snider is survived by his wife, Bev, children Kevin, Kurt, Pam and Dawna and 10 grandchildren.


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A drug raise on a home in North Augusta yielded two arrests, and authorities are seeking a third person, according to the North Augusta Department of Public Safety.
James Leroy Dandy Jr., 35, and Kishon Orlando Priester, 26, were detained for possession of crack cocaine and placed in the Aiken County detention center, where they remained on Wednesday afternoon.
Dandy was also charged with third-degree assault and battery, providing false information and failure to appear.
Officers executed a search warrant at a home on Francis Street early Wednesday, Lt. Tim Thornton said in a statement.
"Based on an extensive narcotic investigation, sufficient evidence was collected to obtain a search warrant for illegal drug activity coming from the occupants of the residence," Thornton said. After entering the home, officers located and detained Dandy and Priester.
A third target of the investigation, 35-year-old John Nathaniel Tandy, was not at the home and is being sought by authorities, Thornton said.
Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to call North Augusta Public Safety at 803-279-2121 or CrimeStoppers of the Midlands at 888-CRIME-SC. Callers may remain anonymous and could be eligible for a cash reward of up to $1,000.
Teddy Kulmala covers the crime beat for the Aiken Standard and has been with the newspaper since August 2012. He is a native of Williston and majored in communication studies at Clemson University.


text:
Products tagged with '4G'
Best and top 4G smartphones online
On China OEM Phone online platform, customers can find the best and top smartphones that support most 4G networks used world-widely in North America and Latin America, Europe, Africa, Asia, Middle East and Oceania. And, besides the wide-range support of 4G networks, all these smartphones can meet different needs for different-levels of 4G smartphone markets, from low-end, to medium-range and high-end. Furthermore, most of 4G smartphones provide many top-notch features with latest mobile phone manufacturing and design technologies:
- Metal frame or metal body
- Double-sided glass or Gorilla Glass 3
- 2.5D Arc technique
- Fingerprint
- NFC (Near Field Communication)
- USB Type-c
- Wireless charging
- OTG (on-the-go) technology
and more.
Buy unlocked 4G smartphones online at wholesale price from China factories
All the 4G smartphones on this China platform are available for OEM orders at wholesale price. Besides the cheap wholesale price, China 4G smartphone has another advantage: almost all 4G smartphones are unlocked and customers can buy directly from China OEM phone factories. That's why so many distributors and wholesalers all over the world would prefer to wholesale smartphones from China mobile phone OEMs.


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This is the worst time to be a sports fan.
Late June to early August has always been a tough time. There are years when we have the Summer Olympics to get us by. There's a brief respite for the Tour de France, although it's lost some of its luster recently. And yes, I am excited about both the upcoming Women's World Cup as well as the 15th WNBA Season. But there's no denying these are dark times.
The NBA, NFL and NHL are all done with their seasons. MLB, for those who care, hasn't really picked up any steam yet by this point in the season. But most importantly, for now, the two behemoths of American sports, basketball and football, seem to be on a collision course with no righting in sight.
The NFL is already locked out and the NBA appears to be heading in that direction. As though sports fans weren't already mired in what is traditionally the worst time of the year, that slog is now compounded by the fact that it might stretch on even longer.
There's already been extensive coverage of why this is happening in both of these leagues, so for now, let's focus on the positive: There are reports that the NFL sides might be close to reconciliation. The NBA can learn from this NFL experience and perhaps avoid actually locking out.
But even more importantly, we can shift our focus from those leagues to the alternatives. The aforementioned Women's World Cup features not just a strong U.S. team, but a hungry one. The Tour de France, free from those Americans that some claim the French love to hate, might have a chance to stand on its own, as opposed to being hounded by the WADA for violations; focusing on the actual sport and its real winner could prove to be a successful formula. And the WNBA is becoming a refined product on its own, not merely the little-sister-league of the NBA.
The WNBA is trying to make summer–the ironic winter of sports–its time to shine: By celebrating 15 years of existence, the league gets to simultaneously advertise its product as well as remind viewers that this league is no longer an experiment. Love it or hate it, the WNBA appears to be here to stay. The human aspect of sports is really what captivates people, and the inclusion of fan voting on the top 30 WNBA players of all time seems a great place to start.
Bicycling Magazine says that of the 200-plus riders who will take place in this year's Tour de France, Chris Horner and Levi Leipheimer, two Americans, are some of the most worthy riders to watch. Perhaps America will once again have riders come from seemingly out of nowhere to challenge for the yellow jersey, enabling us to focus on the sport and the will of those who participate.
The Women's World Cup, taking place in Germany, presents a similar opportunity for the American women to take on the shadow that's been hanging over their program–in this case, for the last twelve years. In 1999, Brandi Chastain sealed a victory for America with her iconic penalty kick and celebration, but Team USA has been mired in mediocrity since then. The U.S. is ranked first in the world currently but needs to perform in order to maintain the enthusiasm that is beginning to dwindle.
So while the millionaires of the NBA and NFL fight with their billionaire owners, take some time in this traditionally dark period to try to get back to the great storylines that make us truly care about sports.


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Now that is how you kick off an inaugural awards show.
Spanish-language music took center stage tonight at the Latin American Music Awards, the first of its kind to follow the American Music Awards' fan-voted platform.
Hosted by Latin America's sweetheart and telenovela star Lucero, the evening delivered explosive performances from musical sensations across multiple genres including Paulina Rubio, Lil Jon, Shaggy and Daddy Yankee as well as appearances from Adrienne Bailon and Chiquis Rivera.
Daddy Yankee performed his hit single "Sigueme y te Sigo." CD 9 had their U.S. debut with the song "Angel Cruel". De la Ghetto and Natalie Rose sang a bilingual version of their current hit "Somebody". Il Divo performed "Gran Amor."
The performances were not all in Spanish. Shaggy, Yandel, Alex Sensation, Gene Noble sang "Only Love" and "Bailame."
Salsa icon Celia Cruz was honored with an unforgettable medley from Ayme Nuviola — who will portray the late singer in an upcoming Telemundo series — alongside singers Maluma, La India and Yuri, Modesto and Jeimy Osorio
Check out the complete list of winners from the Latin AMAs below:
PHOTOS: Singers performing live onstage
Artist of the Year: Enrique Iglesias
New Artist of the Year: J Balvin
Song of the Year: El Perdón – Nicky Jam and Enrique Iglesias
Album of the Year: A Quien Quiera Escuchar – Ricky Martin
Favorite Female Artist: Gloria Trevi
Favorite Male Artist – Pop/Rock: Camila
Favorite Song – Pop/Rock: La Mordidita – Ricky Martin Featuring Yotuel
Favorite Male Artist – Regional Mexican: Luis Coronel
Favorite Duo or Group – Regional Mexican: Julión Álvarez y su Norteño Banda
Favorite Song – Regional Mexican: Y Así Fue – Julión Álvarez y su Norteño Banda
Favorite Male Artist – Urban: Daddy Yankee
Favorite Duo or Group – Urban: Gente de Zona
Favorite Son – Urban: Sígueme y te Sigo – Daddy Yankee
Favorite Artist – Tropical: Romeo Santos
Favorite Song – Tropical: La Gozadera – Gente de Zona featuring Marc Anthony
Favorite Collaboration: El Perdón – Nicky Jam and Enrique Iglesias
Favorita Crossover Artist: Demi Lovato
Favorite Dance Song: I Want You To Know – Zedd featuring Selena Gomez
Favorite Streaming Song: El Perdón – Nicky Jam and Enrique Iglesias
Did your favorite artist come out on top? Sound off in the comments.
PHOTOS: 2015 Latin American Music Awards red carpet arrivals


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Win CE- Windows CE FAQ's Windows mobile interview Questions
Q. What is Windows CE?
A. For the past few years, Microsoft has outlined its vision of 'Information At Your Fingertips,' in which the idea of a personal computer on every desk and in every home evolved into one of computer-based devices in a variety of business and consumer environments. The Windows CE operating system is the result of a multiyear development effort to fulfill that vision. With Windows CE, Microsoft is providing an open, standards-based platform that will significantly lower the hurdles for OEMs, hardware manufacturers, software developers, and, ultimately, customers to adopt new non-PC technologies and solutions.
Q. What new products is Microsoft planning, or does Microsoft envision, based on Windows CE?
A. The first products based on Windows CE will be a new category of mobile companion devices for Windows-based PCs called handheld PCs, or H/PCs. H/PCs are designed to provide the millions of mobile professionals using Windows-based personal computers an affordable, easy-to-use, PC companion to carry their most important information when they are away from their PC. Additional categories of devices that Windows CE would be suitable for include other small form- factor mobile-computing devices such as "wallet" PCs, wireless communications devices such as digital information pagers and cellular smart phones, next-generation multimedia and entertainment consoles including DVD players, and purpose-built Internet access devices such as Internet TVs, digital set-top boxes and Internet "Web phones."
Q. When will products based on Windows CE become available?
A. Microsoft expects to announce the availability of H/PC devices, third-party software applications and H/PC peripherals at this year's COMDEX show in Las Vegas. Microsoft will continue to work with many of its existing partners and will be forming new relationships to extend the benefits of the Windows CE platform across additional product categories.
Q. What are your plans for Windows CE and the Internet?
A. Our strategy is to build Internet access into the Windows platform, whether it is the Windows NT, Windows 95/98, or Windows CE operating system. Windows CE includes a version of Microsoft Internet Explorer, offering built-in Web access for new and existing categories of non-PC business and consumer devices.
Q. What are the components of Windows CE?
A. The Windows CE operating system is a 32-bit, multitasking, multithreaded operating system that has an open architecture design that enables a variety of devices. Windows CE is compact, providing high performance in low memory conditions and is scalable, allowing for a range of embedded, mobile or multimedia product lines. Windows CE also has the advantage of being portable, providing choice in microprocessors and has integrated power management, enabling long battery life on mobile devices. Standard communications support is built into Windows CE, enabling access to the Internet to send and receive e-mail or browse the World Wide Web. In addition, a graphical user interface, incorporating many elements of the familiar Windows user interface, will be available on certain devices, facilitating ease of use for the end user.
Q. How is Microsoft's strategy for Windows CE different from the non- PC strategies of other software developers?
A. Microsoft's strategy for Windows CE is to provide an open, standards-based platform that will enable OEMs, hardware manufacturers, and software developers to develop new categories of communications, entertainment and mobile-computing products that can "talk" to each other and share information with Windows- based PCs - in addition to providing access to the Internet.
Q. Will customers be able to acquire Windows CE?
A. Windows CE will be a licensed platform for OEMs similar to Windows 95/98 and Windows NT. Microsoft has no plans to offer Windows CE through retail channels.
Q. What is the H/PC?
A. H/PCs, or handheld PCs, are a new category of mobile companion devices for Windows-based PCs based on Microsoft's Windows CE platform. H/PCs have been designed to provide the millions of mobile professionals using Windows-based personal computers an affordable, easy-to-use, mobile handheld PC companion to carry their most important data when they are away from their personal computer.
Q. Why did Microsoft decide to enter into this new product category?
A. Microsoft has conducted extensive customer research indicating that there is a significant market of millions of mobile professionals using Windows-based PCs who are looking for an affordable, convenient and easy-to-use PC "companion" to carry their most important information when they are away from their personal computers. These customers want an easy way to "sync up" information when returning to their desks, and they want a system with nothing new to learn - one that complements their existing applications for Windows and works with their personal information management (PIM) software. Microsoft believes a great opportunity exists to provide these customers an easy-to-use, full-featured mobile PC companion that builds on their knowledge of Windows.
Q. What are H/PCs' main features and benefits?
A. H/PCs have been designed to provide the millions of mobile professionals using personal computers running Windows an affordable, easy-to-use mobile PC companion to carry their most important information when they are away from their personal computer. H/PCs running Microsoft Windows CE provide an easy-to- learn user interface incorporating many elements of the familiar Windows user interface, come equipped with companion applications that work with the PIM and productivity applications customers know and use every day, and provide seamless information synchronization with Windows-based PCs. Standard communications support is also built into Windows CE, enabling users to access the Internet to send and receive e-mail or browse the World Wide Web. Moreover, Windows CE provides a standard development environment that ensures the emergence of a strong aftermarket for H/PC companion applications.
Q. What do H/PCs look like? How big are they? What do they weigh?
A. H/PCs are designed to be "pocketable," easily accessible mobile devices the user feels comfortable taking everywhere. Although OEMs are responsible for the design of their individual products, all H/PCs will have certain characteristics, including a "clamshell" design, an LCD screen and a standard keyboard. Most H/PCs will weigh-in under one pound.
Q. How is the H/PC different from a laptop or a notebook computer?
A. The H/PC is a mobile PC companion and is designed to complement, note replace, desktop, laptop and notebook computers. Companion applications developed for the H/PC are not intended to replace the functionality of personal computer applications but instead are intended to extend and augment those desktop applications.
Q. How is the H/PC different from a PDA?
A. The H/PC is not a PDA, but rather an affordable handheld PC companion. The H/PC concept was developed through extensive customer research that concluded that a device to extend the capabilities of a PC user when away from their desk was extremely valuable. PDAs can generally be classified as stand-alone, keyboardless devices with proprietary user interfaces and applications that require pen-based entry and navigation. Typically, PDAs have been expensive, with price points close to, or in excess of, $1,000. For the most part, these devices have been unaffordable, too big and too heavy, and haven't featured simple companionship with desktop or notebook PCs necessary to convince a substantial number of mobile professionals to adopt them. Early indications are that the H/PC concept will be successful at meeting the needs and solving real customer problems.
Q. How is the H/PC different from an electronic organizer?
A. H/PCs come equipped with much more than just personal information management software. In addition to the Microsoft Windows CE operating system, H/PCs come with companion productivity applications, an e-mail client and an Internet browser. Standard communications support is also built in to Windows CE, enabling H/PCs to access the Internet for sending and receiving e-mail or browsing the World Wide Web.
Q. What is Microsoft's contribution to the H/PC?
A. Microsoft produces the Windows CE operating system and a suite of standard applications, all of which will run on hardware designed and produced by OEMs. Microsoft also brings its proven ability to create viable product platforms and then enable third parties to build products around them.
Q. Who will manufacture H/PC products?
A. The following leading computer and consumer electronics OEMs have announced their commitment to developing and manufacturing H/PCs: Casio Computer Co., Hewlett-Packard Co., LG Electronics, NEC Corp. and Philips Electronics.
Q. When will H/PC products be available?
A. Microsoft expects to announce the availability of H/PC devices, third-party software applications, and H/PC peripherals at this year's COMDEX show in Las Vegas.
Q. What companion applications will come with the H/PC?
A. H/PCs will come with a standard suite of applications from Microsoft, including a personal information manager, an e-mail client, and productivity companion applications. H/PCs also will come equipped with a version of Microsoft Internet Explorer. Moreover, Windows CE provides a standard development environment that ensures a strong aftermarket will develop for additional H/PC applications, including companions to popular desktop applications as well as applications in vertical markets that specifically address certain mobile user segments.
Q: What support is offered for Microsoft Pocket Excel and Microsoft Pocket Word?
A: The hardware vendor provides support for all Windows CE applications and the H/PC hardware. Microsoft offers paid support for Pocket Excel and Pocket Word on a callback basis.
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Dr Puello Herrera reflects on volleyball as a clean sport
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, February 24, 2014 – The President of the FIVB Ethics Panel reflected on the importance of the role played by the different Medical Commissions to keep the sport clean of prohibited drugs.
Dr. Jose Joaquin Puello Herrera, member of the IOC Medical Commission and President Ad Vitam of the Dominican Republic Olympic Committee, was the special guest to the annual meeting of the NORCECA Medical Commission which took place on Sunday.
Puello Herrera, former President of the Central American Sport Organization (CACSO) who presided over the Organizing Committee of the 2003 Pan American Games in Santo Domingo, was invited to participate in the meeting by NORCECA President Cristobal Marte Hoffiz.
"I think we all can learn from the experience of a distinguished professional like Dr. Puello Herrera, who has had a long and successful career as a medical doctor and sports leader," Marte Hoffiz said as he introduced of the graduated from Oxford University, England.
Puello Herrera took a turn during the one-day meeting to remark the work done by the FIVB and its continental confederations to maintain the sport as one of the less impacted by violations regarding the use of controlled substances.
"I want to congratulate the NORCECA Medical Commission for the great effort their members do to prevent the consumption of banned substances with the educational programs developed by the FIVB and the IOC," Puello Herrera expressed. "We need to duplicate those efforts to keep up the battle against the attempts to taint the sport."
Puello Herrera, who is a neurosurgeon, praised volleyball and beach volleyball as role models of clean sport, and also expressed concerns about the use of social drugs and the eventual damage to the brain and the behavior of people in society.
"The educational programs implemented by the international sport organizations must include the prevention of the use of those harmful drugs for the health of the individuals as we aim for better societies," Puello Herrera said.
"The leaders of the sports federations must be alert at all times and are responsible to provide the necessary means to keep the game clean," he added.
During the meeting, Dr. Victor Figueroa, President of the NORCECA Medical Commission, made a report on the updated prohibited list of substances of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), prohibited methods and the monitoring program.
He also presented a report on the education program carried out during the U19 and U21 FIVB World Championships held in Mexico and Turkey, respectively. In line with this program, now NORCECA will conduct a similar one during the U20 and U21 Continental Championships to be held in Guatemala and El Salvador, respectively, later this year.
Dr. Figueroa touched base on the regulations and procedures of the Therapeutic Use Exemption and the importance of respecting the periods of notification by those athletes who, to avoid health problems, depend of those kind of drugs that do not produce significant enhancement of performance.
Dr. Raul Medina, who is the Anti-Doping Test Coordinator, made a report on all the test controls taken in 2013 and announced the increase of the program in 2014 in both volleyball and beach volleyball.
Nelson Ramirez, Director of the FIVB/NORCECA Regional Development Center in Dominican Republic, commented about the importance of the Course for Anti-Doping Officials which is scheduled to be held in Santo Domingo on August 22-28.


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Medicines and vaccines are used to prevent infections and certain
diseases (opportunistic infections) that are more common in
people with
Generally, infection with HIV doesn't make people sick, except for
the flu-like illness that may develop shortly after they become infected. Most
people who are infected with HIV get sick because their
immune systems become weak and cannot fight off other
infections. So preventing opportunistic infections is an important part of
treatment for HIV.
If you have been diagnosed with HIV infection, make sure that you and
your partner are up to date on the following immunizations:
Work with your doctors to decide
which medicines to use, based on:
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June 15, 2007 - C++
by Dominique Brezinski
A lot of work has been done in the areas of reverse-engineering, exploitation and code review of applications written in C. However, a majority of application development is done in C++ and has been for many years. Over the past five years a few researchers have looked at C++ specific issues, like Halvar Flake, but there has not been a lot of focus on security-related aspects of C++ in the public arena.
This year is different. Several presentations bring C++ issues and techniques to the foreground: "Breaking C++ Applications" by Mark Dowd, John McDonald and Neel Mehta and "Reversing C++" by Paul Vincent Sabanal. I like it when an unintentional plan comes together.
Breaking C++ Applications
by Mark Dowd, John McDonald & Neel Mehta
Have you ever noticed that nearly all discussions regarding finding vulnerabilities or secure programming for C/C++ focus almost exclusively on C? The reasoning for this is most likely that the authors want to capture behavior that affects both of the languages, thus providing knowledge applicable to more developers/auditors and can be applied to more projects. This has resulted in an in-depth knowledge base of C-based issues that most security professionals know and an ever-increasing number of developers are aware of. But what about those issues specific to C++? Many applications are built largely in C++, and as such there is a need to understand the security implications of the extra language features. Despite this necessity, C++-specific issues have been largely ignored in public security forums up to this point, leaving the potential for applications to contain vulnerabilities that are different in nature to those issues that are commonly referred to as C++ issues (dangerous string APIs, integer related vulnerabilities, etc).
Our presentation will examine the security impact of many C++-specific language constructs, and delve into specific examples of vulnerabilities that can result form them. We will present exampes to help demonstrate the validity of the problems we are discussing. These will include both vulnerabilities from real applications and concocted examples, with the goal of highlighting the security impact of C++-specific language constructs.
Reversing C++
by Paul Vincent Sabanal
We have been doing reverse engineering work professionally for several years now, and during the course of our career, we've seen an increasing number of malware using C++ year after year.
Now, we were also guilty of this, but reversers tend to analyze C++ code in the assembly level without understanding OOP concepts, doing it instead the way they analyze straight forward C code. We soon realized that obviously,
this is not an efficient approach. Thanks to the work of Halvar and the guys at openrce.org, some light has been shed into the subject of C++ reversing. This talk is our contribution to this subject.
In this talk, we will try to explain the steps in reversing a C++ binary, starting from the high level abstraction point view, down to the low level implementation details. We will then present ways to automate these steps, and we will also demonstrate the tools we developed.
It is that time again: Black Hat in the hot LV summer. It always comes sooner than I expect. We have been working like mad to get the schedule together, which is basically done. One of the underlying themes this year is timing. I don't pick these things; it is really a reflection of the direction of research in our community. Another theme is nuance... read more
I am so relieved. It has finally happened: the forensic field is transitioning from techniques that satisfy the needs of law enforcement to techniques that satisfy the needs of everyone else. We are now seeing a focus on post-intrusion incident response versus seizure and disk analysis. The two areas are very different, and post-intrusion incident response actually has many more difficult technical problems by a large margin... read more
The Black Page is always looking for concise and interesting comments from researchers and experts about issues that affect the security community. Contact us here to learn more about submission rules


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Nissan Motor Co. is cutting the sticker price on seven of its 18 models in the U.S.
Nissan is hoping that the change will help the cars and SUVs show up more prominently on shopper search websites such as AutoTrader, Edmunds and Kelley Blue Book.
Some analysts had speculated that Nissan was taking advantage of a weak yen to charge lower prices. The yen has depreciated more than 20% in relation to the U.S. dollar in the last four months.
PHOTOS: Kelley Blue Book's top 10 green cars for 2013
But Nissan denies that the changes are related to currency exchange rates. "Most of these models are made in the U.S.," said Travis Parman, director of corporate communications for Nissan.
Nissan said the change will help it show up in more price range searches by shoppers where its MSRP might have once been above that range.
But mainly, Nissan said it wants to be more price competitive for online shoppers whose initial search is for "midsize sedans" or "crossover SUVs" or other vehicle categories.
Prospective buyers should note that Nissan is careful to say that it does not expect a change in transaction prices.
Nissan will be lowering the MSRP on some 2013 Altimas, Sentras, Jukes, Muranos, Rogues, Maximas and Muranos, effective Friday.
The changes will range from an MSRP drop on the Altima midsize sedan of about 2.7% or $580 to a drop of 10.7% or about $4,400 on the MSRP for the Armada SUV.
The news isn't for lack of sales success for Nissan in the U.S.
On Wednesday, the automaker reported a U.S. sales increase of 24.6% from April 2012 to April of this year. Together with its Infiniti luxury brand, Nissan sold 80,003 vehicles in August.
Leading the way was the all-electric Leaf, which has seen an actual sticker price reduction and increased range. Leaf sales quadrupled to 1,937 in April from a year earlier.
Nissan also moved production of the Leaf to the U.S.
Nissan has a goal of reaching 10% of sales in the U.S. market. The car company said that Nissan and Infiniti had a 7.9% U.S. share at the end of 2012.
Nissan has been "very aggressive in its bid to gain market share," said Michelle Krebs, senior analyst at Edmunds.com.
Self-driving cars are closer than you think
Big 3 U.S. automakers post strong April sales